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Here's what to expect from Apple's 'Loop You In' event
In just a few days, Apple is going to make headlines for more than just its hard line on encryption. The company invited the tech press to Cupertino on Monday to "loop" us in to the newest additions to its product lineup, and we'll be there live-blogging and hands-onning and generally doing what we do best. Before we board our flights and check our bags, though, let's take a few moments to run through all the things we expect to see (plus a few things we're quietly hoping for).
Apple said to unveil smaller iPhone, iPad models on March 21st
All the hype surrounding Apple's rumored March event might soon boil to a head. Sources for both Recode and Buzzfeed understand that Apple will hold its shindig on or shortly after March 21st -- later than the previously-hinted March 15th date, but timely if you're celebrating the start of spring. The devices expected at the show haven't changed, mind you. Tim Cook and crew are reportedly unveiling a revamped 4-inch iPhone (possibly called the iPhone SE), a 9.7-inch iPad Pro and a fresh round of Apple Watch straps. If you're fond of Apple's smaller mobile gear, you may have an abundance of choices in the space of a month.
Apple is reportedly launching a 9.7-inch iPad Pro in March
9to5Mac is reporting that Apple plans to unveil a new 9.7-inch iPad Pro at an event on March 15th, rather than the rumored Air 3. The new iPP would join its larger, 12.9-inch predecessor and incorporate support for both the Smart Keyboard & Apple Pencil. Of course, with a smaller screen, Apple will have to resize the Smart Keyboard cover accessory to make it fit. 9to5Mac also reports that the smaller iPad Pro will come with the same color and storage options as the 12.9-incher.
Detachable tablet sales are taking off
The tablet market might be tanking as a whole, but there's apparently one major bright spot: tablets with detachable keyboards. While IDC estimates that slate shipments were down almost 14 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter, shipments of detachables more than doubled to 8.1 million. That's about 12 percent of the entire space, folks. Analysts suspect that many people want to treat tablets as PC replacements, and they're willing to pay a premium to make that happen.
The iPad Pro can handle firmware updates for accessories
Well, here's an interesting development. Some iPad Pro users have noticed that, with the latest version of iOS 9, their monstrous tablet is able to push firmware updates to a connected accessory. Many customers were experiencing lag and other niggles with Logitech's Create Keyboard Case, but found they could fix the problem by updating their slate to the second beta of iOS 9.3. As German developer Stefan Wolfrum notes, when the keyboard is attached through the Smart Connector an intriguing "Accessory Update" option appears on-screen. Within less than a minute, the update is completed and the problems are seemingly resolved.
Use your Apple Pencil to draw all over Microsoft Office apps
Microsoft has rolled out support for the Apple Pencil in its iOS version of Office, allowing iPad Pro users to scribble to their heart's content across spreadsheets, documents and presentations. This month's Office updates include a new "Draw" tab in the top ribbon, instant inking capabilities, and a new function that automatically converts sketches to shapes and diagrams. Plus, Microsoft's preview program, Office Insider, is now available for Mac users.
Adobe Lightroom for iOS brings another desktop tool to mobile
Adobe continues to make its mobile photography apps more powerful, and a new update for Lightroom mobile on iOS delivers more of that. Leveraging another useful feature from the desktop, you can now employ a Point Curve mode to make adjustments in the Tone Curve and Split Toning tool. In other words, you now have more control when you add a tint or tone to the shadows and highlights of an image using Split Toning, for example. Lightroom mobile also allows you to "shoot through presets" now, too.
Engadget UK giveaway: win an iPad Pro courtesy of Mobilefun.co.uk
It's that time of the year again. A time for food, family, good times and giving. Alright... enough of the pretence: it's the receiving we're most excited about. And what better way to usher in the holiday season than with an early Christmas present? This week, we're giving away a 32GB, silver iPad Pro (WiFi-only model) to supercharge the festive spirit of one lucky reader. Apple's newest, super-sized tablet has been supplied by our friends at Mobilefun.co.uk, who are also on hand with cases, keyboards and all manner of other accessories for your new 12.9-inch slate. To get involved in this week's competition, you can enter up to three times via the Rafflecopter widget below. Just don't forget to give the rules a quick scan while you're down there.Winning: congrats to Mike A. from Leicester.
Algoriddim's djay Pro app isn't just for the desktop anymore
Apple's laptops have yet to adopt touchscreen capabilities, so when the super-sized iPad Pro was released, DJ software maker Algoriddim saw an opportunity. All that screen real estate could be well-served by bringing the djay Pro mixing app over from OS X to iOS. The new slate's processing power provides a robust platform for features like video mixing, four tracks of audio and the ability to multitask during a gig (because email isn't going to check itself). Starting today, you can download djay Pro for iPad from the App Store for a special limited time offer of just $19.99 (retail $29.99). It helps if you have an iPad Pro to truly enjoy the enhanced features and spacious layout, but the app is backwards compatible with any iPad running iOS 8 or later.
Here's why the iPad Pro's processor is so fast
Whatever you think of Apple's products, there's little doubt that the A9X processor in the iPad Pro is quick -- in a few cases, it rivals the performance you'd get from a laptop. But why is it so quick, especially when Apple tends to shy away from high clock speeds, many-core processors and other conventional performance tricks? Thanks to AnandTech and Chipworks, we now have a good idea. They've torn down the A9X to reveal that the chip is a series of calculated tradeoffs. It only has two CPU cores and doesn't even have Level 3 memory cache to keep the processor humming, but it has a monstrous amount of bandwidth (51GB per second) and a whopping 12 graphics cores. That's twice as many as in the iPhone 6s' A9 chip, folks. To boot, the A9X is larger than Intel's latest quad-core desktop processors -- Apple has the headroom for components that you don't see in many PCs.
Use your Apple Pencil to alter photos, make music and weigh things
The Apple Pencil is aimed at professional artists who want to use the iPad Pro as a fancy creation tablet, but Simon Gladman has other uses in mind for the stylus. He made three Swift apps that use the Apple Pencil in new ways: as a synthesizer powered by AudioKit, in an image-editing program and as part of an electronic scale. PencilSynth uses the Apple Pencil's position on the iPad Pro to control the sound emitted, changing pitch and frequency as the Pencil travels at different angles across the screen. PencilController offers three image-filtering modes (hue/saturation, brightness/contrast and gamma/exposure), each controlled by holding one finger on the appropriate mode key and moving the Apple Pencil around a pivot point on the screen. PencilScale is the most "experimental" of Gladman's projects, using the Apple Pencil as a stand for a series of weights sitting directly on top of a scale app. Gladman calls PencilScale "sensitive, but not terribly accurate."
Mini review video: Our verdict on the iPad Pro in under a minute
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-267720{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-267720, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-267720{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-267720").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Had trouble reading every single word of my iPad Pro review? It's okay, writing all of those words was kind of hard, too. For those of you with shorter attention spans, here's the abridged version: Apple's biggest-ever tablet isn't for me, but it could be a compelling choice for two types of people. Namely, creative types who want to get work done on the go and plan to make good use of the optional Apple Pencil; and early adopters who just want the biggest, fastest possible iPad, and are willing to pay a premium for it. With no mouse support, a non-adjustable screen angle and an OS that isn't as well-suited to multitasking as OS X or Windows 10, it doesn't come close to replacing your laptop. But depending on your needs, it could serve as a decent stand-in when you're away from your primary machine.
iPad Pro review: Big and powerful, but it won't replace your laptop
Here we are. Apple, the same company that once swore off styluses, and dismissed hybrid PCs as experiments gone wrong, is now selling a laptop/tablet mashup of its own. One that accepts pen input, at that. The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro went on sale last week, and though it is, in a sense, just an oversized iPad, it's also the closest thing we've seen yet to a hybrid device from Apple. With the screen real estate of a laptop, and the speed of a laptop, and various keyboard accessories allowing you to type on it like a laptop, the Pro seems like it might indeed be able to replace your notebook. In fact, Tim Cook himself has suggested as much in interviews. But with a starting price of $799, it isn't for everybody. And even then, it won't replace your laptop so much as complement it.
Apple's Tim Cook says a converged MacBook and iPad won't happen
Apple CEO Tim Cook isn't sold on the Surface, and the company doesn't plan on bringing together its MacBook or iPad into a single product like Microsoft's computing device, either. In an interview with the Irish Independent, Cook said: "We feel strongly that customers are not really looking for a converged Mac and iPad." This follows comments the CEO made in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, where he questioned why anyone would buy a PC -- those comments were apparently aimed at Windows PCs, not his company's own computer range. "We don't regard Macs and PCs to be the same."
iFixit pries open the iPad Pro
As they usually do, the folks at iFixit have welcomed the launch of a new device by grabbing their tools and taking a peek inside. This time the device being examined is Apple's iPad Pro, the bigger and better addition to its tablet family. The teardown is still ongoing at this time, but they've managed to tease out the device's logic board complete with 64-bit A9X CPU, 4GB of RAM and more. Interestingly, all of those components are now mounted in the center of the tablet, while its four speakers come at the cost of some potential battery space. Any nod on its repairability is yet to come, although the team has surprisingly discovered handy pull-tabs on its battery cells -- check out the teardown here for a better look at how super-sized tablet is put together/comes apart.
Logitech's iPad Pro keyboard case is relatively affordable
Apple's iPad Pro is pricey even before you add in the $169 official keyboard case, but Logitech may have a way to make the whole package a little more palatable. It's now shipping its promised Create Keyboard Case for the gigantic tablet, and the add-on will sell for a slightly more frugal $150. It only works at two angles, but you'll get perks like backlit keys, automatic pairing (thanks to the Smart Connector) and a raft of iOS shortcuts. And if you don't want to turn your iPad into a makeshift laptop, there's an $80 Create Protective case that ditches the keyboard in return for a more flexible stand. Either shell is available in black, blue or red, so you're not stuck with somber colors on your giant slate.
Apple's iPad Pro goes on sale on November 11th
Two months ago, Apple announced the impending arrival of its gigantopad iPad Pro, but wouldn't be drawn on when we could actually buy it. After some pushing, a mumbled hint of November was coaxed out of reps, and rumors began to circulate that the device would ship on November 11th. Now the company has confirmed that the rumors were true, and so the first-generation iPad Pro is ready for the big stage as of this Wednesday. For the first 24 hours or so, the device will be an online-only affair, with product reaching stores "later in the week," which is a euphemism for Apple not knowing if the delivery van will arrive on Thursday or Friday.
Apple's iPad Pro may go on sale November 11th
With Apple's iPad business continuing to slow down, the upcoming iPad Pro is one of the more important products in the company's pipeline. Apple introduced it in early September but declined to give a release date, only saying it would arrive sometime in November. For Apple, that usually means the end of the month, but it seems that's not the case this time. According to the well-connected Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac, Apple's 12.9-inch iPad should go on sale on Wednesday, November 11th both online and in stores. Alongside the giant new tablet, Apple will also start selling its new Pencil stylus and Smart Keyboard for $99 and $169, respectively. If you're ready to buy into Apple's vision of a big-screen tablet, get ready to dive deep into your wallet: the iPad Pro starts at $799 for 32GB of storage and goes all the way up to $1,079 for 128GB of storage and LTE connectivity.
Adobe's Photoshop iOS apps are ready for use on the iPad Pro
If you're a designer or photographer, you're likely champing at the bit to get your hands on an iPad Pro for creative work. To prep for the larger slate's arrival, Adobe updated both Photoshop Fix and Photoshop Mix to take advantage of the tablet's tools. The duo of apps play nice with iOS 9's split-screen multi-tasking, wrangle larger image sizes (Adobe didn't specify how large, though) and offer "basic" support for that newfangled Pencil. Of course, you'll be able to make use of that split-screen feature on other iPads as well. New versions of both apps are available over at iTunes via the source links down below.
The Surface Pro 4 vs. the competition: Tablets for productivity
It's been an up-and-down ride for Microsoft's line of Surface tablets -- but the company finally hit on a formula that worked with the Surface Pro 3. It's a device that has inspired a number of competitors, most recently from Microsoft's long-standing rivals Apple and Google. The newly-announced iPad Pro and Pixel C both take clear and obvious cues from the Surface lineup, but fortunately for Microsoft it now has a brand-new Surface Pro 4 to compete with these newcomers. While much of your interest in these devices will likely come from which operating system you prefer, we've lined up the specs below so you can get an idea as to how these tablets will all stack up when they hit stores later this year.
