Here are the horrifying damages your Apple Watch warrant will cover

Sure, the Apple Watch has amazing build quality, and any version seems to be sturdy enough to withstand plenty of accidents including drops, scratches and dunks in water to name just a few. But the device is not indestructible, and some people have already started putting it through various torture tests to gauge its resistance. In other words, any Apple Watch model is susceptible to accidental damage, and Apple already knows what it will and won’t cover under the standard and extended warranty programs.

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Posted in 2015 at 07:30PM, April 24

Video: iOS 9 concept reimagines one of the iPhone’s most important features

Apple will undoubtedly show off the future of iOS at WWDC in June, but until iOS 9 is unveiled in all its glory, creative designers will likely imagine all sorts of potential features for the upcoming operating system. Such is the case with a new video published on the ConceptsiPhone YouTube channel, which shows off a proposed new user interface for one of the most important features of a smartphone.

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Posted in 2015 at 07:30PM, April 22

Fantastic GIF shows how Samsung’s Galaxy S phones have moved far beyond mere iPhone clones

Apple fans love to slag off Samsung's flagship phones as mere iPhone clones but the truth is the devices have evolved quite a bit over the years and now have their own distinct looks. Sure, the Galaxy S6 does borrow some design elements from the iPhone 6, particularly along the edges and the bottom of the device, but it's still very easy to tell which phone is which. For our money, the Samsung phone that was the most iPhone-like was the Galaxy S II, which just also happened to be the phone that Apple was most successful in using to portray Samsung as a shameless Apple copycat.

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Posted in 2015 at 07:30PM, March 27

A crazy explanation for why Samsung wants the Galaxy S6 to cost more than the iPhone 6

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are soon going to be available in various markets around the world, though both devices will be rather expensive, at least when purchased without a contract. Both devices are more expensive than their respective iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus counterparts, and the Galaxy S6 edge is even pricier than the non-curved Galaxy S6 model.

Forbes , however, has an interesting theory as to why Samsung may have decided to make the Galaxy S6 more expensive than its most important rival, and why that gamble might work in Samsung’s favor.

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Posted in 2015 at 07:30PM, March 17

Leak: This is the phone LG will launch to combat the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6

LG was smart to not debut its next-generation flagship smartphone during this month's Mobile World Congress trade show. It's not that the phone is a dud, per se, but rather that Samsung and HTC definitely stole the show with their respective new flagship phones, the Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9. These hot new Android phones took center stage in Barcelona, but now that the buzz is dying down it looks like LG is getting ready to pull back the curtain on its latest and greatest Android phone.

Unfortunately for LG, it looks like a huge new leak just beat it to the punch.

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Posted in 2015 at 07:30PM, March 11

Google Announces New Chromebook Pixel With USB-C, $999 Price Tag

Google today launched an updated version of its Pixel Chromebook, which is equipped with USB-C, much like Apple's new Retina MacBook. With USB-C, the Chromebook's 12-hour battery can be fully recharged in approximately 90 minutes, and a 15 minute charge supplies two hours of power, according to Google.



The new Chromebook Pixel features an aluminum body, a 13-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 2560 x 1700 and an aspect ratio of 3:2, an Intel Core i5 Broadwell processor, 8GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage space.






Unlike the Retina MacBook, the Chromebook Pixel has multiple ports, including two USB-C ports, but it can't compare to the Retina MacBook in size -- the Pixel is more than a pound heavier at 3.3 pounds. It also outweighs the standard 13-inch MacBook Air.






Early reviews from sites like Re/code and Ars Technica have lauded the Chromebook Pixel for its design and its fast charging abilities, but the $999 price point is a major downside. The Pixel line is Google's most expensive Chromebook, and at such a high price, the web-focused ChromeOS operating system seems overly limited. Other Chromebooks sell for as little as $250.



Along with the $999 Chromebook Pixel, Google also has a higher-end version, which it's calling the Ludicrous Speed (LS) model. It has an Intel Core i7 Broadwell processor, 16GB of RAM, a 64GB solid state drive, and a $1,299 price tag.



The two new Chromebooks can be purchased from Google's new online Google Store, which it just debuted today. The Google Store sells a range of Google-branded products, from smartphones and tablets to Chromebooks and Android Wear accessories.

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Posted in 2015 at 07:30PM, March 11

Apple Overhauling iPad for Education Program to Simplify Sharing Devices and Apps

Apple will be making significant changes to iPad deployment for education during the upcoming school year that should eliminate some of the hurdles that school districts face when adopting iPads for use in the classroom. In an email obtained by MacRumors, the company outlines plans to make app distribution easier by eliminating the need for an Apple ID to load apps, tweaking the Apple ID for Students program and unifying several deployment programs into one.





Apple plans to simplify app distribution by allowing schools to assign and distribute apps to a device without an Apple ID this fall, reducing the number of steps needed to set up an iPad. Schools will no longer be required to create generic Apple IDs solely to load content on the tablet, and teachers and administrators will have the option to block students from making personal purchases without approval.

"To simplify large deployments, including one-to-one and shared use, we want to make app distribution even easier. Today, Apple IDs are required in order to deliver apps and books to students. We are working to change this in the fall by allowing schools to assign and distribute apps to a device without an Apple ID. As currently planned, this will greatly reduce the number of steps needed to setup a device. This change should eliminate the need to create generic Apple IDs solely for the purposes of getting content onto iPad. Schools will also have the option to prevent students from making personal purchases without approval."

The email also outlines changes to the Apple ID for Students program to roll out during 2016, including schools gaining the ability to create and manage Apple IDs for students that can be used to access iCloud. System administrators will also have be able to reset student passwords. The new approach will continue to meet COPPA requirements for children's online privacy in the United States.



Apple will also be improving its Apple Deployment Programs by unifying several programs into one for a simplified administrative experience, making it easier for school districts to enroll, manage, and support large iPad deployments. Apple hopes the changes will continue to result in increased student engagement, better attendance and higher test results at all grades and levels of education.

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Posted in 2015 at 07:30PM, March 06

Case Logic Video Review: Hands-On With the Ibira MacBook Backpack [Mac Blog]

Case Logic is known its line of backpacks, cases, and other storage accessories, all of which are priced affordably, making it quite popular with people looking for inexpensive but quality solutions for carrying around their devices.



We met up with Case Logic at CES this year, where the company had a large booth showcasing all of its products, including the Ibira backpack, one of its newest offerings. We went hands-on with the Ibira backpack in our latest video review, so check it out to see what we thought.






The Ibira is a lightweight, slim backpack but we were impressed with what it was able to hold. We fit in a MacBook, an iPad, an Apple keyboard, an iPhone, several chargers and accessories, a water bottle, and several notebooks. Build wise, the backpack is made of a high quality material that feels like it will stand up to heavy usage, but the straps were a bit too thin and could use more padding to be comfortable.



Case Logic's Ibira Backpack is available in black and anthracite from the Case Logic website for $29.99.

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Posted in 2015 at 07:30PM, February 27

Video: Pats fans and Seahawks fans completely lose their minds at the end of the game

What's really remarkable about professional sports is the extreme emotions they generate from fans, both positive and negative. Nowhere was this more evident than the end of Sunday's Super Bowl, when the Seahawks were within one yard of scoring the game-winning touchdown before quarterback Russell Wilson threw a devastating interception to Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler to end Seattle's hopes.

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Posted in 2015 at 07:30PM, February 02

Work Continues on iOS 8.1.3 With Retail Employees Receiving Second Beta Seed

Apple is continuing its behind-the-scenes work on the upcoming iOS 8.1.3 update, and as of yesterday, retail employees that have been testing the software received a second iOS 8.1.3 beta, build 12B466, which is six builds newer than the previous seed they received on Wednesday, January 7.



Last week, we speculated that the iOS 8.1.3 beta was close to release due to the fact that it was shared with quite a few retail employees, but it appears there are still bugs that Apple is working on fixing before it provides the 8.1.3 update to the public. MacRumors continues to see an uptick in the number of visits received from devices running iOS 8.1.3, and while we expect the update will be released to the public in the next week or two, it is not clear exactly when a launch could come.




Overall visitors to MacRumors.com from devices running iOS 8.1.3


According to our source, iOS 8.1.3 appears to contain only under-the-hood bug fixes with no readily apparent visual changes to the operating system. Apple has not provided employees with release notes.



With iOS 8.1.2 and iOS 8.1.3 positioned as minor updates, Apple has opted not to share the software with developers ahead of its release, instead testing the updates in house. Testing the iOS 8.1.3 update with retail employees is a new move for Apple, as it marks the first time retail workers have been invited to participate in the testing of an iOS beta. Retail employees have been involved in the beta testing of OS X for years.



Apple may have avoided seeding the iOS 8.1.2 and 8.1.3 betas to developers in order to focus developer testing on iOS 8.2, which is currently on its fourth beta. iOS 8.2 is a major update that is expected to be released alongside the Apple Watch in the spring months.



As we mentioned last week, along with iOS 8.1.3 and iOS 8.2, our site metrics indicate that a small number of Apple employees in Cupertino are also working on iOS 9, the successor to iOS 8 that we expect will be previewed in the summer and released in the fall alongside new iPhones.



An iOS 8.3 update that was also observed in testing months ago has declined in activity according to our web logs, with visits from devices running it having peaked in late November and not rebounding significantly in the new year following the holiday lull.

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Posted in 2015 at 07:30PM, January 16