OS X Yosemite Launch Brings Fully Functional iCloud Drive to Mac and iOS
That issue is now fixed with OS X Yosemite launching to the public, and Craig Federighi gave a very brief walkthrough of the feature at yesterday's media event, outlining how Mac and iOS apps can automatically generate their own folders for file storage accessible across devices and platforms.
iCloud Drive can also be used in a similar manner to Dropbox, Box, and other cloud storage services in that any type of file can simply be dragged and dropped into the iCloud Drive folder on Mac or iCloud.com and be synced across devices. Access is a bit more limited on iOS where there is no iCloud Drive app allowing access to all files, but the service still allows users of iCloud Drive-enabled apps to view and save files related to that app that are stored and synced with iCloud Drive.
Apple's iWork updates yesterday extend compatibility beyond the core OS X and iOS apps, and APIs are available to allow third-party developers to offer iCloud Drive support for their apps.
iCloud Drive taps into users' general iCloud storage allotments, with all users receiving 5 GB of space free of charge. But with iOS device backups and the upcoming iCloud Photo Library potentially requiring significant amounts of space, many users will find themselves looking to upgrade to paid storage tiers, which begin at $0.99 per month for 20 GB of space and go up to $19.99 per month for 1 TB.
The iPhone 6 just isn’t cool enough for some consumers
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are poised to be the biggest launches in the history of the company. Thousands of fans lined up for days in anticipation of the release while others got up at 3 a.m. last week to preorder online before the first batch inevitably sold out. In other words, iPhone is as hot a commodity now as it was last year... but is it still cool to own an iPhone?
iPhone 6 Plus Reportedly in Very Short Supply for In-Store Launch
A new report from BGR claims, however, that those looking for an iPhone 6 Plus are likely to be disappointed, as the units are in extremely short supply.
We are told that stores have been receiving shipments all throughout the day, and out of all the new iPhone 6 models received, typically only about 2-3% are iPhone 6 Plus units, and in only one color.
There is “no chance” of finding an iPhone 6 Plus unit to purchase tomorrow, we were told. Sources also said there are no 16GB iPhone 6 Plus devices to be found.
The report notes that stores are seeing decent supplies of iPhone 6 units, with all colors and capacities available, but much like with the gold iPhone 5s last year, it appears that only a handful of customers at the very front of store lines will be able to purchase an iPhone 6 Plus at many locations.
Has your iPhone 6 shipped yet? Here are all the ways to find out!
If you're like millions of other people out there, you're very eagerly awaiting for your iPhone 6 to arrive in the mail. To help you cope with the wait, we've put together a handy guide for all the ways you can check your preorder status for the iPhone 6 so you'll know when your order has been accepted and when the device will ship to your address.
iOS 8 won’t be released until next week – but your iPhone can look fresh and new right now
It was hardly the biggest of the many announcements Apple made during Tuesday's press conference, but the company confirmed that it will finally release iOS 8 to the public on Wednesday, September 17th next week. iOS 8 represents a huge upgrade for Apple's mobile platform, adding tons of new functionality and tweaking hundreds of features that already existed in iOS 7.1.
Anxious Apple fans dying to get their hands on Apple's latest and greatest software have the option to install the iOS 8 GM seed even without a developer account, though BGR strongly recommends against taking that route. Instead, there's now an easy way to make your iPhone look fresh and new without taking any risks.
Here’s the hands-on BlackBerry Passport video you’ve been clamoring for [Updated]
So how about it, prospective smartphone buyers? Are you still clamoring for the BlackBerry Passport? If so then you'll definitely want to check out a new video flagged by CrackBerry that was produced by U.K. retailer Carphone Warehouse that gives us a nice little hands-on demonstration of BlackBerry's upcoming smartphone that will go head-to-head with the iPhone 6 and Galaxy Note 4 this September.
Bose Sues Beats for Patent Infringement Over Noise-Cancelling Headphones
The lawsuit highlights Bose's more than 50 years of research, engineering, and development on noise cancellation techniques. Bose asks for an injunction that prevents Beats from continuing to infringe on Bose patents and a damages award.
Bose has also filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission, seeking a sales ban on the Beats products that violate its patents.
The infringement lawsuit against Beats is set to become Apple's problem as the company's purchase of Beats is expected to close this quarter. Apple initially announced its $3 billion acquisition of the headphone manufacturer in May.
How Microsoft plans to give Cortana more brain power than anything Siri can muster
Microsoft's Cortana assistant has earned a good deal of praise in the early going and the company this week unveiled plans to make it even better. Microsoft says that starting this fall, Cortana will have access to a huge trove of academic information through a new Bing feature that will have "academic data tightly integrated and prominently featured on its search pages." Microsoft says that this new feature will be part of its Microsoft Academic Search initiative that aims to make scholarly research an integral part of Bing search results and not its own separate category as we see now in Google Scholar.
Video: Meet the one shameless iPad mini knockoff worth checking out
Xiaomi on Thursday unveiled it’s first tablet ever, the Mi Pad, which looks like an iPad mini clone dressed in iPhone 5c colors, and which will be more than affordable when it launches in China later this year. The tablet will cost 1,499 yuan (about $240) or 1,699 yuan (about $270) depending on built-in storage, which is significantly lower than the iPad mini, whose price starts at $399.
Ive slams Apple copycats and their ‘anonymous, poorly made objects’
So, you don't think Apple is taking its patent fight with Samsung personally? If you need more convincing then check out The Times' interview over the weekend with Apple design boss Jony Ive, who unleashes blistering criticism of companies whom he thinks have shamelessly copied Apple over the past several years, particularly in the realm of smartphones and tablets. Although The Times' interview is behind a paywall, Macworld has pasted some choice quotes from it in which Ive lashes out at companies who release "anonymous, poorly made objects" that he says rip off Apple's designs but don't come close to matching their quality.
Google is trying to stop Android from spiraling out of its control