ios10
Latest
Apple iPad review (2017): No alarms and no surprises
Over the past few years, we've seen the iPad go from curious experiment to Apple's vision for the future of computing. But we've also seen the tablet market dry up — not even the iPad has been immune to those changes. Still, it's hard not to look at the new, 2017 iPad as a market mover, a $329 machine meant to appeal to newcomers and old-school iPad owners in need of an upgrade. While this iPad is priced for everyone, it's not meant for everyone. It's not as slim as older models, and it lacks some of the really neat features that appear in Apple's Pro line. In other words, the 2017 iPad is a no-nonsense machine. But, it's a damned good one.
Apple's Clips app hits iOS today to make video creation a cinch
Remember that time Apple launched an iOS app called Clips so people could go forth and pepper their social networks with cleverly edited videos? Well, you probably don't, because it hasn't happened yet. Soon, though! If everything goes according to plan, you'll be able to grab it from the App Store at around 1 PM (Eastern) this afternoon. In the meantime, we've spent a little more time with Apple's new video-editing app. Despite its dead-simple interface, Clips is capable of some pretty impressive feats.
Apple wants to make app developers less thirsty for reviews
Apple may finally be putting an end to the annoying slew of review requests that often pop up while you're using an app. According to Recode, the iPhone maker is working on a mechanism that limits the number of times that developers can ask for reviews and ratings to three per year.
Apple releases iOS 10.2 and its companion TV app
Apple is making good on its promise of giving you a unified video streaming experience. The company has released iOS 10.2 and tvOS 10.1, both of which include the company's centerpiece TV app. So long as a given service supports the feature, you no longer have to jump into and out of apps to catch up on your viewing -- you can resume your favorite show or check out recommendations from a single place. Netflix isn't included in TV at the moment, alas, but this and the recently launched single sign-on should save you a lot of hassle.
iOS update fixes your iPhone's missing Health data
The iOS 10.1 update addressed a lot of initial gripes with Apple's latest mobile operating system. However, it also introduced a glaring bug for some users: the Health app might not show your data, which is more than a little troublesome if you're a fitness maven or need those stats for medical reasons. Don't fret, though. Apple has released an iOS 10.1.1 update for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch that makes sure you can see Health info. This is a relatively tiny update (the over-the-air fix is well under 100MB for many iPhone users), but it'll matter a lot if you're tracking step counts or calories with your Apple gear.
Apple releases iOS 10.1, adds Portrait mode to the iPhone 7 Plus
The Portrait mode for Apple's iPhone 7 Plus has been in the works for months, and now it's ready for the masses... sort of. People with the 7 Plus who are running beta software have been able to shoot photos full of artificial bokeh for over a month now, but Apple just pushed out its iOS 10.1 update, which means Portrait mode is here (along with a bunch of bugfixes and support for transit directions in Japan). Now, here's the thing: Even though you don't need to be enrolled in the iOS beta program to use the feature anymore, the feature itself still isn't completely done. Once the update is installed, the camera app asks if you'd like to "try the beta" when you swipe into the new Portrait position.
iPhone 7 update fixes your Verizon connection problems
If you recently snagged an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus and depend on Verizon for service, you'll want to check for a software update. Apple has released an iOS 10.0.3 upgrade that that fixes a weeks-long problem where some iPhone 7 and 7 Plus users (particularly Verizon customers) would temporarily lose their cellular connections. If you were affected, your LTE connection would unexpectedly drop out and revert you to pokey 3G speeds. There are no other real improvements, but this could make a big difference if your initial iPhone 7 experience has been defined by flaky access.
Here's Apple's workaround when your iPhone 7 home button fails
The iPhone 7's non-moving home button may feel odd at first, but it has its perks... especially if it ever stops working. MacRumors forum goer iwayne has shown that the new iPhone will give you an on-screen home button (along with a warning that you may need repairs) if it thinks the physical key is broken. While that's not much consolation if your phone needs to be fixed, it does mean that you can keep using your device in a relatively normal way while you're waiting for your Genius Bar appointment.
Ask, and Siri will make Skype calls for you
When Skype updates on desktop and gives the "improving your experience" message it's usually pretty easy to dismiss that as a bald-faced lie. But the latest iOS update actually sounds really useful. The VoIP service will now tap into Siri for making calls, pull contact information from the app into your contact list and, like Facebook Messenger before it, make incoming calls look like regular ones. It all sounds genuinely useful. As always, if the update hasn't hit your iOS 10 device yet, that's what the source link below is for.
Apple will fix iOS 10's easier-to-crack device backups
Apple has been big on strong encryption lately, but it's not immune to making missteps. Security researchers at Elcomsoft have discovered that iOS 10's local encrypted backups (that is, the ones you create in iTunes) use an older password protection algorithm that's much easier to crack than the one used in iOS 9 -- about 2,500 times easier, according to the team. If intruders can get to your iTunes backups and use a brute force cracking tool, they could have a much simpler time breaking the security and getting access to sensitive info like account passwords or your Health app data.
MLB's At Bat app now plays highlight videos on your lock screen
With iOS 10, Apple has expanded its devices' 3D touch applications from gimmicky afterthoughts to quick feature accessibility. It's also opened up what kind of interactions are possible from the lock screen. Some savvy developers have already combined the two, like those working on MLB's official At Bat app. Its latest upgrade pops up videos as notifications on your locked screen, which play with just a bit of 3D touch pressure.
iOS 10.0.2 update fixes bugs in headphones, Photos
Even if you've already updated to iOS 10, Apple has released its first official update for its mobile/TV operating system. Bugs that could shut down the Photos app when turning on iCloud Photo Library and disable app extensions have ben smushed, but folks with the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus may want it for another reason.
The iOS Portrait Mode update is live in public beta
Apple just launched iOS 10 last week, but it's already working full throttle on the next update. Today, Apple made iOS 10.1 available in its public beta program, just one day after launching it for developers. The latest update adds Portrait Mode to the iPhone 7 Plus, allowing owners to take professional-looking photos that artfully blur out the background to better focus on the main object. Portrait Mode requires two photos to create a depth map, which is one reason it's limited to the iPhone 7 Plus -- only the Plus has a dual-camera system.
Facebook Messenger calls look like regular calls on iOS 10
It won't be long before mobile networks become just another dumb pipe through which services are handed down from internet companies. Don't believe us? Then receive a call via the updated Facebook Messenger on iOS 10 and notice that they behave exactly the same as one made over the cellular network. The only difference between the two is that the VoIP call will be labeled as such in tiny text below the caller's name.
The iPhone's hardware may be closed, but iOS is more open than ever
By removing the headphone jack, Apple made the iPhone 7 the most closed computer it has ever built. Steve Jobs always seemed interested in hiding the gross underbelly of computers away from consumers, and Apple has been moving in that direction for years with the iPhone, iPad and Mac. That's only from a hardware perspective, though. With iOS 10 now in the hands of iPhone owners everywhere, it's worth stepping back and appreciating how much more open iOS is now than it was three years ago. IOS 7 may have ushered in a huge visual overhaul, but it was nearly as locked down as the previous versions, but the next year Apple started opening things up. By now, iOS is nearly as open as Android -- at least in ways that matter to most users.
iOS 10 review: Apple evolves
With iOS 10, Apple is basically polishing a pearl. iOS 7 introduced a vibrant and "flat" new aesthetic. iOS 8 and 9 were focused on refinement. So by this point, we should get something completely fresh and new, right? Well, not quite. Just like the iPhone 7, Apple's latest mobile OS doesn't look that much different on the surface. Instead, the company once again chose to focus on improving the overall experience. In particular, this year's refinements collectively make the OS a lot more convenient (and help Apple play a little catch-up). If you've longed for some of the features you've seen on your friends' Android phones, iOS 10 is more than enough to keep you under Apple's spell for another year.
Apple's iOS 10 is bricking iPhones
Apple's iOS 10 just dropped this morning and, less than an hour after launch, the landings haven't been smooth for everyone. From the get-go, Twitter has lit up with reports of people's phones (including your humble Engadget contributor) getting bricked or otherwise stuck in the update-restore process.
Adobe Lightroom gives the latest iPhones RAW support
Adobe has launched Lightroom 2.5 for iOS 10 with a big new feature -- support for capture and editing of RAW files in the "DNG" format. Using the app, you can take a photo with the iPhone's built-in camera(s) and save all the image data with no loss or compression. The feature is limited to models with the 12-megapixel iSight camera, meaning it'll work with the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, the iPhone SE and the iPad Pro 9.7-inch model. It'll also support the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus once they arrive, of course
Apple releases iOS 10 and watchOS 3
You no longer have to be a guinea pig to give Apple's latest software upgrades a try -- as promised, the Cupertino crew has released the finished versions of iOS 10 and watchOS 3. As before, iOS' biggest improvements are in communication -- Messages gets apps, hand-drawn images, secret messages and stickers (among many other additions), while Siri now offers you control over third-party apps. You'll also see major interface revamps in Maps (which now offers proactive suggestions) and Music, a Home app to manage smart household gadgets, lock screen widgets and wider use of 3D Touch on supporting hardware.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus review: Apple (mostly) plays it safe
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. That clockwork rhythm has more or less defined Apple's iPhone road map since the days of the 3GS. One year we'd get a new iPhone with a new look and loads of features to agonize over and opine about. Then, the following year, we'd get the same general design with a faster chipset and a few new tricks. The rhythm was almost comforting in its regularity, which made Apple's unveiling of the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus such an anomaly. It's easy to look at these devices as another year's worth of modest updates crammed into a familiar body, but trust me: It's a little more complicated than that. What Apple ultimately did was create two world-class smartphones that skew more toward "safe" than "state of the art". The big question here is whether a bunch of relatively unexciting changes add up to greatness.
