TiP Year in Review: First generation products, services, and more

2015 was a big year for Apple, the company unveiled a lot of new first-generation products, services, and accessories. There's a lot to cover and this could easily become a long 3,000 word post (post edit: it is), but we'll only be going over the essentials. Products Starting in March with Apple's Spring Forward event, the company first started with...

Review: BrydgeMini, the must have keyboard for iPad mini

For many, the iPad is a multi-purpose device. While a lot of work can be done with the touch screen alone, some people enjoy the ability to type on a physical keyboard. The BrydgeMini from Brydge lets you turn your iPad mini into something much more like a small MacBook. Like other iPad friendly keyboards, this one connects via Bluetooth. However,...

AT&T will get rid of two-year contracts on January 8

AT&T has long loathed the use of two-year contracts, but the end of two-year contracts is on it's way, according to an internal document leaked by Engadget. The document states that beginning on January 8, customers will only have the choice of either buying their phone outright or putting it on an installment plan. So, if you're on AT&T and want...

Apple: Close to agreement with suppliers on OLED screens

Rumors that Apple will be switching from IPS LCD to OLED screens have been around for years, however, the latest rumor reported by Reuters digs a little deeper. LG and Samsung Display are close to a final agreement with Apple for the screens, the Electronic Times report said, adding the two Korean firms plan a combined 15 trillion won ($12.8 billion) in...

Apple hit with class action lawsuit over slowness of iOS 9 on iPhone 4s

In a new class action lawsuit, Apple is being accused of false advertising due to the company's claim of iOS 9 being compatible on older devices, specifically the iPhone 4s. According to the lawsuit, iOS 9 "significantly interferes" with the performance of the iPhone 4s, and Apple is wrong in not letting users downgrade their devices to earlier versions...

iPhone 6c with larger battery, 8MP Camera, and A9 chip

According to a report by Chinese publication MyDrivers (via Gadgetz Arena), the iPhone 6c will sport the same A9 processor that's built into iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus and will house the same 2GB of RAM found in the current generation iPhone. Citing sources inside of Foxconn, the manufacturing partner claims that Apple will be launching the iPhone 6c...

Apple updates ‘Start Something New’ campaign in multiple countries

Today Apple has updated it's "Start Something New" campaign in several Asia-Pacific regions in preparation for the New Year. Apple will most likely push updates to the United Staes, Canada, Europe, and other regions soon. The "Start Something New" campaign features paintings, drawings, short films and photos made from artists who use Apple products and...

Beats 2, 3, 4, 5 are being filed for trademark by Apple

Apple has filed trademark applications for the words  B2, B3, B4, and B5 in the United States in November, which includes the matching Beats Two, Beats Three, Beats Four, and Beats Five trademarks which are currently pending review by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. All four trademarks are being filed under "Beats Electronics,...

The TiP Weekly: Apple on ’60 Minutes,’ iTunes movie sale, product reviews, and more!

Welcome to The TiP Weekly, where we summarize the week's news and suggest some of our favorite apps, podcasts, albums, and more! We hope you've been enjoying the holidays, and this is a great post to catch up on what's been happening in the world of Apple while you've been busy. Top Stories Apple gives 60 Minutes a peak into their design...

Review: HOCO’s Third-Party Hermès knock-off band for Apple Watch

It’s been nine months since the Apple Watch went on sale and eight months since I’ve been wearing one (that’s because I originally ordered the Space Black one with the link bracelet). There has been some good (like: Siri, telling the time, some third-party apps) and some bad (most third-party apps, limited watch face customization) but there’s one...

TiP Gift Guide: Erik’s 5 Apple product accessories for under $100

Now that Christmas is here, you're likely to be done with buying gifts for others. That doesn't mean you can't buy yourself something to go with your (possibly new) Apple products! The products I've selected are meant to be good accessories for Apple products that you may have received as a gift this holiday season. Studio Neat Walnut Stand for Apple TV...

Notability: A powerful, yet simple note-taking app [Review]

Are you ever in class or in a meeting and need to take notes, sketch a diagram, or want to record a snippet of information? With Notability, you can do all of that and more. In fact, Notability was the Best Selling iPad Paid Productivity app in 2015 (for the third year in a row)! I'm aware that there are a lot of note-taking apps out there, but after...

Lawsuit against Apple for undelivered text messages after porting away from iPhone now dismissed

Back in August, U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh created a class action lawsuit against Apple because former iPhone users were complaining that some of their text messages weren't being sent when they switched away from the iPhone to other smartphones. The lawsuit claimed that Apple was guilty of "interfering" with their messages. A few months later...

App Santa now discounting over 20 popular iOS and Mac applications

In the past, app developers have used the term 'App Santa' as a marketing term for large discounts on apps from smaller developers. The apps are tailored towards new customers who are just getting into the iOS ecosystem. This time around App Santa includes popular apps like Tweetbot for Mac, Pcalc, Screens, Deliveries, and a lot more. App Santa doesn't...

Lots of movies on iTunes are on sale right now

If you've been waiting for a good sale on your favorite movie, now is the time to make a move. iTunes is currently having a sale for a ton of movies right now. Not the usual sale here and there, but there are at least 50-100 movies on sale right now. In addition to movies, movie bundles are getting a price reduction as well. Your usual $15-20 movie is...

Apple has made select early 2008 to late 2009 Macs obsolete

Today Apple has updated their list of vintage and obsolete products making the 32GB iPod touch (1st generation), second-generation Time Capsule, and select early 2008 to late 2009 Macs obsolete. Products on this list are no longer supported by Apple, therefore are not eligible for hardware repairs. Apple says that products older than five years are...

New 4-inch iPhone coming in April according to China Mobile roadmap

Rumors have been circulating that Apple is going to release another 4-inch iPhone, presumably at a Spring 2016 event. Now, Chinese cellular carrier China Mobile has seemingly concluded that such a device will be on its network in April. This is according to information from MyDrivers. At the event, China Mobile noted that such a device would have...

ANKR: A multi-purpose tracking device [Review]

How frequently do you leave your keys, backpack, and/or purse behind without even realizing it and spend countless hours trying to find your misplaced item(s)? In the fast-paced world that we live in, it can be easy to misplace your most valuable possessions. With ANKR, a multi-purpose tracking device, you can now keep track of your most valuable items...

Facebook now supports Live Photos

Facebook updated it's iOS app Monday to support Live Photos, which was introduced with the iPhone 6s. As many of you probably know, Live Photos is unlike a typical photo. Live Photo captures a second and a half of video before and after the photo is taken and strings it together to create a short video. Now, you can share your Live Photos on...

More rumors of high definition audio coming to iTunes, possibly Apple Music

Apple is planning to bring high definition audio iTunes in 2016, according to Japanese blog Macotakara. According to several insiders familiar with Apple, whose products are exhibited at Portable Audio Festival, Apple has been developing hi-res audio streaming up to 96kHz/24-bit in 2016. It's worth noting that Apple has been using 96kHz/24-bit streams...

60 Minutes on Apple: Jony Ive’s Design Lab, Weekly Executive Meetings, and more

Last night, a new episode of 60 Minutes went live. This week's episode was all about the inter workings of Apple. Charlie Rose joined retail chief Angela Ahrendts, design head Jony Ive, CEO Tim Cook, and many more, while discussing various topics such as encryption and security, designing products, retail and more. To start off the show, Cook took the...

The TiP Weekly: iPad Air 3, iOS 9.2.1 beta, and more!

Welcome to The TiP Weekly, where we summarize the week's news and suggest some of our favorite apps, podcasts, albums, and more! It's been a quiet news week in terms of Apple news, though there were some major rumors surrounding 3D Touch, iPad Air 3 and Apple's display innovations. Top Stories Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour documentary...

Jony Ive and Angela Ahrendts will appear on 60 Minutes this Sunday

In a rare set of appearances, two Apple executives will be on 60 Minutes this weekend, showing rarely seen aspects of Apple. Jony Ive will lead CBS's Charlie Rose through Apple's secret design studio in Cupertino. In addition, Rose got a chance to speak with Apple's Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores, Angela Ahrendts. According to a tweet...

Apple announces Apple Pay in China via UnionPay

Apple today announced that they will bring their mobile payment service to China via UnionPay. The service will be available on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Apple Pay support will initially support 15 banks in the country and Apple plans to roll it out to more banks in the future. In China, Apple Pay will work with UnionPay Quickpass which is an...

Analyst claims 8M Apple Music subscribers, 20M by end of year 2016

A respected music industry analyst claims that Apple Music will hit 8 million subscribers by the end of this year, and will hit 20 million subscribers by the end of 2016, reports Music Business Worldwide. Speaking in just raw numbers, Apple Music will still be behind the industry leader Spotify by the end of next year. But that's not necessarily...

Apple promotes Jeff Williams as COO, Phil Schiller now responsible for App Stores

Today Apple has made a few changes in its executive lineup. One of which is Jeff Williams, who was previously Apple's Senior Vice President Operations, is now Chief Operating Officer. Williams is known for his work with the Apple Watch and open source project ResearchKit. Apple's Worldwide Marketing SVP Phil Schiller is now responsible for overseeing...

Apple seeds first iOS 9.2.1 beta to developers

Only a week after iOS 9.2 launched, Apple today has seeded its first iOS 9.2.1 beta to developers. iOS 9.2 is the second major revision for iOS 9 and included several bug fixes for Apple Music, iBooks and more. iOS 9.2.1 beta is now available for download via Apple's Developer Center. We assume a public beta for the firmware will soon be available for...

Apple/IBM partnership officially offer over 100+ apps across 14 industries and 65 professions

The partnership between Apple and IBM has now allowed the two companies to reach their goal of launching over 100 apps to the business and professional sectors. These apps are used by business partners in conjunction with consumer App Store applications. IBM today announced it has delivered more than 100 IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps, as part of its...

Apple takes three out of four slots in tech for Google’s Year in Search [Video]

This year Google has once again posted their Year in Search video. Along with the video, the company has posted it's top ten searches in technology this year. Unsurprisingly, Apple takes three of the top four slots this year. Last year the number one spot was iPhone 6 and this year it's iPhone 6s. Following suit, Apple Watch took number three and iPad...

Apple working on improving 3D Touch technology, possible scaling to both iPhone and iPad

Apple is working on improving its 3D Touch technology to be capable of working on devices from iPhone all the way up to screens as large as iPad Pro, according to AppleInsider. Citing sources knowledgable with the matter, the report claims that the technology is in development but won't be completed in time for the next iPhone or iPad. According to a...

KGI: iPad Air 3 with 3D Touch unlikely, released in first half of 2016

KGI's Ming-Chi Kuo is at it again with several forecasts related to iPad Air 3. Most notably, the security analyst notes that iPad Air 3 will launch in the first half of 2016, most likely during the rumored Spring event alongside Apple Watch 2 and the alleged 4-inch iPhone 6c. Unfortunately, he notes that the iPad Air 3 will not feature a 3D Touch,...

Apple Pay now compatible with another 60 banks, includes BJ’s store cards

It's December and 2015 is almost over, but Apple Pay roll out is still going full speed ahead. Today, Apple Pay now supports BJ's Wholesale Club store cards in addition to already supporting Apple Pay. Apple is also now adding an additional 60 banks and credit unions to its ongoing Apple Pay list. Here's the full list: American Community Bank of...

Apple is testing thinner and brighter screens at secret Taiwanese lab, report says

According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is testing new display technologies at a secret lab they've opened up in Taiwan. The report says Apple has 50 employees on site developing various display technologies for iPhone and iPad. The company is reportedly recruiting its employees from competing display makers such as AU Optronics and Qualcomm. The...

Samsung trying to avoid $548 million payout to Apple in last attempt to appeal the U.S. Supreme Court

Today Samsung asked the United States Supreme Court to appeal its case against Apple, says Re/code. In August the Galaxy maker said it would take its case to the Supreme Court in November. Samsung has now followed through with its promise. The appeal states that the jury did not have enough information to understand the patents, a problem that plagues...

Apple reduces price of iPhone 5s in India

According to CNET, Apple has reduced the price of the iPhone 5s in India in order to gain marketshare in the country. The 4-inch iPhone saw a nearly 50% price reduction from 44,500 Rupees ($665) to 25,000 Rupees ($370). The price cut appears to be a move by the Californian company to increase its penetration in India, the world’s third largest...

Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour documentary will launch on December 20, exclusively on Apple Music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhttBMZT5zw Taylor Swift revealed on Twitter that her new 1989 World Tour documentary will be available exclusively on Apple Music on December 20. This is the sort of exclusivity Apple has been wanting on its Apple Music platform as it's only available for paying Apple Music subscribers. The documentary will be unavailable...

The TiP Weekly: Software updates everywhere, new iPhone battery case, and new iPhone rumors

Welcome to The TiP Weekly, where we summarize the week's news and suggest some of our favorite apps, podcasts, albums, and more! This week ended up being an update release week for every one of Apple's software platforms. Even the Watch, which had no software beta, had an update. We also got wind of some new rumors that, if they pan out, mean...

TiP Gift Guide: Josh’s Guide to Buying Refurbished

There's plenty of buying that happens this time of year. And whether it's for yourself or someone else, Apple products are often a huge seller. But while different stores compete with each other over price, rebates, and gift cards, there are ways to save money while buying straight from Apple. In particular, Apple's refurbished options offer great...

iTunes 12.3.2 now available with improvements for Apple Music’s classical music listings

Earlier this week Apple released iOS 9.2 to the public. The firmware had some fixes related to the way Apple Music's algorithm handled classical music. Today, Apple has released iTunes 12.3.2 which has similar fixes to Apple Music's classical music listings. As of right now, the update is only available for Macs but should be coming to Windows...

Apple slowly rolling out Apple TV labels on App Store

Today, Apple has begun rolling out a way to see if an app is compatible with tvOS, similar to the way apps are labeled for iPhone 5, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. As of this morning, App Store listings have started showing 'SF.UniversalAppleTV' labels, a method that is clearly not for the public and had slipped internal testing. Furthermore, this label is...

Apple updates Apple ID portal with a more modern, friendlier look

Today Apple has updated its Apple ID portal, something that's looked the same for quite some time now and it's about time Apple has updated the look of it. The updated site now features product placement for several of Apple's products such as the iPhone 6s, Apple Watch Sport, and a MacBook with a lit Apple logo. Previously, the site featured icons...

Apple suggesting customers to upgrade to iPhone 6s via App Store ad

Apple has begun advertising the iPhone 6s to users who have an older iPhone, through the App Store. If users decide they want to launch the App Store on an iPhone 5s or older the user will likely see a banner overlay suggesting them to upgrade to the latest iPhone. Users are given two options, "learn more" or "upgrade now" which redirects the user to the...

British government is considering giving iPads to inmates to improve education and video chat with families

The British government is considering giving iPads to inmates so that they can continue their education and be able to use video chatting services like FaceTime and Skype to chat with their families while they're stuck in their cells. According to the Telegraph, the recommendation was made by the Ministry of Justice and is being evaluated by Justice...

New Apple patent suggests company is working on waterproofing devices

While Apple didn't announce that the latest generation iPhones are waterproof, tests suggest that both iPhone 6s devices can be submerged in water for a substantial period of time and still be functional. The issue is, however, that the water always managed to get through via the lightning port and headphone jack. But, it seems like Apple may have a fix...

Tim Cook at NYC Apple Store: ‘Chromebooks are test devices’

Tim Cook made a surprise appearance at the Apple Store in New York. The CEO was attending an Hour of Code session, which begins today. Tim Cook had a chance to talk to Mashable and express his feelings about education. He believes the education system in America needs to be reinvented and the first step in that is to make coding a required class. "I...

Review: Danny P leather Wallet Case for iPhone

Our iPhones are as much fashion statements as they are utilities. Jony Ive and Co. sweat each and every design detail to give you the best balance of form and function. But for so many people, their iPhone ends up in a bulky, cheap or poorly made case that adds nothing to the design and in some instances detracts from the phone’s capabilities. Creating...

Tim Cook: ‘I wouldn’t call it a hump’

Apple CEO Tim Cook attended one of the Hour of Code session today in New York. During that session he spoke to Mashable about the newly released iPhone 6s Smart Battery case. In the short interview, Cook was asked about the "hump" on the back of the case, a name that was given by users due to the abnormal shape of the battery case. Cook responded, "You...

Eddy Cue: We’re working on a revamped Remote app with Siri Remote support

Yesterday Apple released tvOS 9.1 to the public. The software update included a feature many of us have been waiting for, iOS Remote app support. However, there are many caveats. For instance, you can't use Siri on your Apple TV with the app, nor can you adjust volume, press the "TV" button, or turn off your TV from the app. The interface for the Remote...

Apple publishes new ‘The Future of Television’ ad showing off tvOS and Apple TV

Today Apple has published a new ad focused solely on the fourth-generation Apple TV and the capability of tvOS. The one minute ad follows a series of shorter ads focusing on single applications. The new ad is titled, "The Future of Television" something Apple CEO Tim Cook uses to reference the latest generation Apple TV. The ad focuses on several apps...

watchOS 2.1 now available for Apple Watch

Today is a good day for Apple enthusiasts. Alongside iOS 9.2, OS X 10.11.2, and tvOS 9.1, Apple has also released watchOS 2.1 for the Apple Watch. This one was truly out of the blue because Apple did not seed any betas for it and it looks like it was being tested internally. The new update comes with support for Arabic, Czech, Greek, Hebrew,...