Category Archives: Apple

Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus – My Views on the new iPhones & Accessories

Apple, Tech News, ,

apple

Unless you were hiding in a cave last night, it would have been difficult not to hear, see or read about Apple’s new keynote. Typically I have around 200 tweets from 6pm to 8pm. During Apple’s Keynote I lost count once I reached 900. My RSS feeds exploded too. No other company can generate this level of frenzy!

As Apple Keynotes go, I really enjoyed this one right from the very beginning too with Tim Cook and James Corden Carpool Karaoke intro. Lots of new products this time. An updated Apple Watch, 2 new iPhones, new headphones and accessories and tons of new features on all the technology. Apple also doubled the storage on iPad Pro and Mini and reduced the price on the iPad Pro. 16gb storage options were removed also from the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6 models with a new 256gb option.

To be honest, before any new tech was announced, the fact Nintendo were bringing Super Mario Run to iOS for a fix price with no IAP’s to ruin gameplay was a winning reason alone to buy the new iPhone 7.

If you buy the iPhone 7 outright it will costs from £599 for the 32gb iPhone 7 right up to £919 for the 256gb iPhone 7 Plus. Add £49 for an official Apple leather case and £149 for the new wireless Airpods and the new iPhone is not cheap.

So what stood out for me in terms of the new features. Well the water and dust resistance was a welcome improvement (IP67) along with heavily beefed up cameras. I am keen to see how the dual camera setup on the Plus version performs in real life, with its wide angle and 2 x optical telephone zoom, which then goes up to 10 x zoom using software. There definitely seems to be a big step forward in the cameras in the new iPhone 7. Again these need to be tested.

Some call it controversial that the 3.5mm headphone jack has now disappeared. Personally, I don’t see what the fuss is about. I have used the lightning port for audio for ages now. Apple also provide a lightning to headphone adaptor in the box, with additional adaptors available for £9 each. In the box you also get wired headphones terminated with a lightning connector.

The next step in wireless audio was taken by Apple to create their own bluetooth connection using their new W1 chip which features in the new £159 Airpods and new Beats range of headphones. I can’t wait to test these new headphones. The Apple Airpods look damn cool too. Will they sound better than headphones from B & O or Sennheiser? No idea yet but I will test them accordingly.

Stereo speakers makes an appearance now, a higher quality screen, new colours, new storage options, better A10 Fusion processor and much more. The new non moving home button sounds interesting. Feedback is obtained via taptic feedback.

Part of the lineup comes a gloss jet black finish. Personally, I would opt for matt black, as Apple have mentioned that the gloss black can show micro scratches if you are not too careful.

The Apple Watch 2 has a brighter display, better processor, faster operation, GPS and is swim proof. New strap options and a £1,249 ceramic finish is available too.The 42mm Apple Watch 2 starts at £399 and rises to £649 for the steel finish with the milanese loop and goes right up to £1,249 for the ceramic option. Apple will continue selling the first version and will include the new processor found in the Apple Watch 2. Finally, Apple have a focus for the Apple Watch, and its fitness. They even have a special Nike+ version. Having used many wearables and smart watches, fitness is IMO the right focus too.

With iOS 10 and Watch OS3 all the new hardware looks great, just in somewhat pricey and judging by a number of comments on social media, this seems to be the root cause of any snarky comments. However, Apple has some of the best and diverse range of apps, and this could create some incredible options for its new camera system.

So the million dollar question is which phone do you buy – A Samsung Note 7, Apple iPhone 7 (Plus), LG V20 or something else like the dual lens Honor 8 which comes in at £369.

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Source 2 Photo

Lindy Lightning Cable Protector Kit – Review – Give your iPhone & iPad cables extra longevity

accessories, Apple, Reviews, Tech News,

Lindy review items

Welcome to my review of the Lindy Lightning Cable Protector kit.

Lindy have released the Lightning Cable Connector Protector Kit, which is aimed at saving money on expensive Lightning Cables for Apple products. The Protector Kit provides a tough, rugged shell to protect existing cables thereby prolonging the life of Apple Lightning Cables at a fraction of the cost of any replacements. The Lindy Lightning Cable Protector kit is currently £3.49 on Amazon UK.

So what do you get with the kit? The Protection kit features a two-piece design and a silicone centre, the compact kit simply snaps together to shield the weakest part of the cable. The kit also contains a protector for the USB Type A connection.

The silicone centre is fluorescent to make it easier to see at night. The Protection kit is available in 3 colours, blue, green and pink.

Conclusion

The Lindy Lightning Cable Protector Kit is a simple idea and solution. Recommended.

For more information and the latest pricing on Amazon – Click HERE.

Video Review

The new Apple iPhone – How to connect your headphones via the Lightning connector

Apple, Tech News,

In about 6 weeks Apple will be announcing the new iPhone which will remove the headphone jack. Instead to listen to music, you will either have to connect via bluetooth or plug your headphones in using the lightning connector.

Above is a potential third party lightning DAC adapter. Personally I think the photo is a dodgy fake. However, it does depict what an adapter might look like. So all you have to do is connect your current wired headphones into the adapter and the other end in the lightning connector. I would imagine we will see sleeker options to the one shown and versions which include mic and button controls as well. In fact, it would make sense to include the DAC within the button control mechanism, thereby hiding the DAC that is needed when using the lightning connector method.

One thing is for sure. If Apple drop the 3.5mm headphone jack off the next iPhone, everyone else will follow and sales of bluetooth headphones will explode.

Photo Source

Apple had brilliant Third Quarter Results – But Here’s Small Print

Apple, Tech News,

Apple announced its third quarter results last night.

The Key Points –

– The iPad and Services (iTunes/App Store) were the only growth areas. The iPad Pro helped with profit despite a downturn in actual number sold. Services had a boost due to the ever expanding size of the user base. iPhone and Mac numbers both declined. The iPhone had a significant boost from the iPhone SE, without this handset, iPhone sales would have been even lower.

– For Next Quarter’s forecast, more declines are forecast by Apple. Despite this Apple’s shares went up 5% because they smashed the analysts forecasts. Worth remembering the Apple still made $8 billion profit and that is still a lot of money! For Q4 2016, Apple is providing guidance of revenue between $45.4 billion and $47.5 billion, and gross margin between 37.5 percent and 38 percent.

– The Financials – $42.4 billion in third-quarter revenue , that’s a 15 percent year-over-year decline. iPhone shipments in China plummeted by 33%. Japan was Apple’s only growing region, where sales grew 23 percent. But these figures were better than expected.

– Profit down 27%.

– Apple Pay has had 400% growth

– Other Apple news – Apple bought ‘Carpool Karaoke’ Late Late Show segment and will release new episodes weekly via Apple Music.

So what does the future hold for Apple? Well at the moment it is selling loads of hardware, but the world is becoming saturated with iPhones etc and other companies have managed to build premium phones for a lot less money. When Apple introduces the new iPhone and other hardware will it be enough to stop the decline. Personally I don’t think so, but I don’t think it matters too much. I see Apple shifting more and more into the Services business – iTunes, Apple Music and such like. Unless Apple can find the next big thing hardware wise, hardware will continue to shrink very slowly.

Rumours – Apple iPhone rumours are about to go crazy

Apple, Tech News

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In just over 6 weeks Apple is going to announce the latest iPhones for 2016 to 2017. What normally happens is if a competitor like Samsung is rumoured to be announcing something novel, like an iris scanner in their new Note 7, guess what, a rumour starts that the iPhone will have this feature, albeit in 2018.

In fact the alleged specs, camera improvements, spy shots and more are becoming insane.

Also Apple will time press releases to disrupt a competitor(s) launch. Nothing wrong in this, just smart.

So instead of rumours, I am going to focus on reviews, unless I believe the rumour to be at least 85% correct. I have tons of reviews in the being prepared, so stay tuned.

Latest iPhone 7 leaks highlights new dual camera, video compares Rose Gold iPhone 7 to iPhone 6s

Apple, Tech News

Latest iPhone 7 leaks highlights new dual camera, video compares Rose Gold iPhone 7 to iPhone 6s.

“The iPhone 7 leaks continue in the run up to the launch expected sometime in early September. As has been widely reported by now, both the 4.7 inch iPhone 7 and the 5.5 inch iPhone 7 Plus will include significant camera upgrades with the latter getting a brand-new dual camera system. In a new photo leak from Weibo, the separate cameras (rumoured to be dual 12 megapixel sensors) are clearly visible. The redesigned camera with ~25% larger iris for the 4.7 inch iPhone 7 can also be seen although technical specifications of the new component is unknown.

Hopefully these new iPhone leaks come true to reveal a significant camera improvement. Plus it will be exciting to see what developers can do too.

More at 9to5mac

BBC+ puts all the BBC’s best content in one personalised app on iOS & android

Android, Apple, Tech News

“BBC+ puts all the BBC’s best content in one personalised app.

Between news, TV, radio programming and more, the BBC is constantly producing a vast array of content. There’s far too much for any one person to consume, and on top of that it’s all distributed across various websites, iPlayer and the like. As a public service broadcaster, the BBC is required to accommodate a broad range of interests, and BBC+ — a new iOS and Android app launching today — is all about highlighting what’s relevant to you, the licence fee payer that funds it all. Load up the app and you’ll be greeted by the “At a glance” homepage, which offers you a quick look at the weather and a couple of big stories that are capturing the public’s attention. Beyond this, though, it’s a fully personalised experienced based on topics that interest you. You can add any of a long list of editorial themes to the simple horizontal carousel: From local and regional news, specific sports, science, gaming, music, business, politics, health, food, faith, and many, many more. The idea isn’t just to surface news stories, though — the personalised section of the BBC News app does that already — but all kinds of content related to that topic. You might be interested in a specific sport, for example, but would never turn to Radio 5 Live on your morning commute. If, however, there was a particularly good interview or debate on said sport on the previous morning’s breakfast show, it’ll pop up in BBC+. It could be a news story, of course, or it could just as easily be a clip from a TV broadcast you may never have seen otherwise.”

Even though you have to sign in to use the app this does appear as a good way to get the existing personalised desktop experience now on your smartphone.

 BBC+ App on iTunes

BBC+ app on Google Play Store
More at Engadget

Apple iPhone 7 – Front and Back Photos – Plus Changes

Apple, Tech News, ,

id50580060_iphone-7-pro-leak

If these photos of the new Apple iPhone 7 are correct then we are in for a few changes.

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First up, the larger Plus version has a smart connector on the rear, so Apple can sell you lots of new accessories. Second the Plus version seems to have a dual camera setup, whereas the smaller version has a larger sensor.

The headphone jack is removed on both new iPhone 7’s. The last quarter of the year sure looks like it will be interesting 🙂

More at 9to5mac

Withings Activite Steel – Swiss Styled Watch with Activity Tracking / 8 months battery – Review

Android, Apple, Tech News, Wearables, ,

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Welcome to my review of the Withings Activite Steel watch. The key features are –

– Automatic activity tracking – Steps, runs, swims (water resistant – 50m) and calories burned
– Sleep monitoring – Sleep cycle analysis (light and deep sleep) plus silent vibrating alarm
– Automatic synchronisation – Visualise trends and data on your smartphone with the free Health Mate app available on iOS and android
– Premium materials – Stainless steel, chrome hands, silicon sport strap
– No charging – Up to 8-month battery life

The Withings Activite Steel smartwatch is a breeze to setup. You download the Health Mate app, and follow the simple instructions. I was all setup within 5 mins. Syncing is done periodically during the day using Bluetooth Low Energy. This is an analogue, swiss style watch. The watch strap is easily removable with a built in slide pin. Withings sell leather straps made from quality Barenia leather from Haas Tanneries, the supplier of the finest French Haute Couture houses. Choice of black or tawny brown colours. A single leather strap is £100. The silcone strap is also replaceable with other colour straps. Withings sell a 3 pack of coloured silicone straps for £25. The colours are orange, plum and teal.

The watch has a dial for the hands and minute hands. The other dial moves from 0 to 100% of step target. On the app you set how many steps is you goal. The Health Mate app displays a whole range of data.

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The Health Mate app is elegantly designed, displays all your data, auto tracks exercises and shows the data for that exercise. GPS is not included.

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You can share your data, get competitive with friends and view different stats over various time periods.

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The first thing I noticed is the comfort of the strap. Next the watch size is much smaller than expected. In fact, I decided it was too small to look at on my wrist and lost interest in wearing it. In my mind a watch that is meant to look like a watch, needs to look cool and smart first. However, I think changing the strap for orange or black leather would be a better choice. I cannot believe this doesn’t need charging and lasts 8 months. This takes all the pain out of charging a tracker. In fact it never needs charging. It uses a standard watch battery which you replace after 8 months. Again, my main issue is the watch costs around £139 but just doesn’t look expensive enough. There is a Sapphire version which does look smarter. Some people will prefer the smaller size watch face. The strap is 18mm.

Despite its size, it is a wonderful activity / sleep tracker. I love how the analogue dial moves round showing you the percentage of your goal. Your step goal is set in the app. This is the first tracker that I didn’t feel the need to know my actual number of steps. This is shown when you open the app. I also like the simplicity of the watch. One last option is a silent alarm. Notifications are not possible.

Conclusion

For me the negatives were its small watch face and strap which made it look wrong on my wrist. For others this could be ok. As a tracking it worked well.

More info & latest pricing on Amazon UK

Pokemon Go – Live on Dartmoor National Park – My Experience – Is it really that popular!

Android, Apple, Tech News,

Anyone for an ice cream #Dartmoor tonight

Dartmoor National Park – 328 square miles of national park and moors. One ice cream van that appears everyday in summertime.

So what does the ice cream van have to do with Pokemon Go. Well, the ice cream seller was chatting to a customer while serving me a 99 ice cream with flake. Somehow, the conversation drifted and before you could count to 5, discussions on Pokemon Gyms, Pokemon stops and more. The conversation opened out into a huge branch with a vast amount of people clearing playing the game in other towns. This was my first insight into just how crazy popular Pokemon Go has become. Secrets were revealed as to where all the best places where to visit and catch more Pokemon.

So Dartmoor National Park is rural and a rugged landscape. I didn’t expect there to be anything to catch or many Pokemon stops. But OMG there are loads. I am not sure how the number of items to catch vary to other places but I certainly can’t complain.

Dartmoor Prison is a Pokemon Gym. Ironic that! The Pokemon Gyms are places you go to fight other Pokemon. Prison , fighting. Maybe its a good fit!

Now in my rural village on Dartmoor, called Princetown, there are another 2 Pokemon Gyms. Plus Princetown is a historical village so there are lots of Pokemon Stops. There are also 2 churches with activity. In fact, come and visit Princetown and get your Pokemon!

Whilst visiting make sure you visit the 2 pubs (The Plume of Feathers / Prince of Wales), the 2 cafes (Fox Tor Cafe, Old Police Station), the National Park Visitor Centre, the Dartmoor Prison Museum and stroll up to South Hessary Tor!

Now as to how long this fad will last is anyones guess. But for now, I ended up walking an extra hour catching Pokemon! And I only bumped into one hanging flower pot!