ipod touch
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The iPod created the two-headed monster that finally killed it
The iPod's death has been a long time coming. Somehow, it's already been eight years since Apple discontinued the iconic iPod classic. Nonetheless, the news this week that Apple is discontinuing its last iPod, the touch is significant: This officially marks the official end of a product that set up the company for two decades of success.
Apple discontinues its last iPod
Apple has discontinued its last iPod after 20 years of making MP3 players.
Apple now considers your 2014 MacBook Air 'vintage'
Apple has labeled some 2013 and 2014 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models as 'vintage,' ruling out full official support.
iOS 13.3 arrives with improved parental controls
That inadvertent confirmation of iOS 13.3's imminent release was on the mark. Apple has released the new software (plus iPadOS 13.3), whose centerpiece is an improvement to Screen Time parental controls. You can set limits on who your kids can call, text or FaceTime, including managing contacts and setting time-specific limits. If you don't want your kids starting video chats with friends after 9PM, for instance, you can. This won't help if your kids use third-party apps, but it's a start.
Apple releases iOS 12.4, watchOS 5.3 with Walkie Talkie bug fix
The releases of iOS 13, watchOS 6 and macOS Catalina are likely just a couple of months away, but that isn't stopping Apple from giving the current versions a big sendoff. The tech behemoth has released iOS 12.4, HomePod 12.4, tvOS 12.4, watchOS 5.3 and macOS 10.14.6, most of which bring important tweaks. The iOS update is most useful if you're setting up a new iPhone -- you can wireless transfer data directly from an old handset to a new one instead of restoring from iCloud or iTunes. Apple News has also seen some refinements, with downloaded issues showing up in My Magazines and all News+ publications appearing in the catalog at the top of the feed.
Apple finally updates the iPod touch with an A10 chip
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you -- after four long years, Apple has updated the iPod touch. The new version packs a much faster A10 Fusion chip -- think iPhone 7 era -- that can keep up with modern iOS experiences like group FaceTime calls and augmented reality, not to mention newer mobile games. Apple has also given the storage a much-needed boost, with a new 256GB version joining the mix for those who need to hold absolutely everything.
Apple's iPod Touch shows its muscle in iFixit teardown
If you want everything Apple's iPhone can do except the "phone" part, the $400 cheaper 6th-gen iPod Touch is for you. It even has the iPhone 6's A8 chip, albeit running a tad slower. The iFixit team has taken the 4-inch device apart to view its guts and see whether Joe Shmoe could fix it with the right tools. Its findings? The Touch has a pretty nice camera for a music player, but lacks the iPhone's image stabilization and has a slightly slower f/2.4 iris. It's also missing the pricier sibling's touch sensor, but otherwise shares a surprising number of parts. And if it breaks? Unless you're prepared to heat, tweeze and pry, you'd best leave the fixing to Apple.
Sound off! Is the end of the portable MP3 player nigh?
It's no secret the number of iPods that Apple has sold has significantly decreased over the last few years. As our smartphones have become more powerful and the types of tasks they're capable of have grown, there's been less of a need for having a device dedicated to only one type of activity. Is a dedicated portable MP3 player past its prime or does this type of device still have some life left? Visit the Engadget forums and let us know if you think the MP3 player can be saved.
Want amazing to-do lists? Try Any.DO
It seems our lives grow busier and busier as the years go by. Perhaps two of the busiest demographics are college students and mothers (especially the mothers). While I have never been a mother, I have been a college student, and Any.DO was the perfect lifesaver during the craziness of my final semester. This free app is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, and is optimized for iOS 7. Since I am the most absentminded person I know, one thing I learned early on is that I have to write things down the moment I know I intend to do them or else I will forget, and quickly. (This is the same reason why I have arguments with myself over the "Why didn't I put that book back where it belongs?" issue.) Paper is fine, and given that I am one of the few people alive who still likes longhand letters I should be okay with that. And I am. But then, the issue is remembering on which of the multitudinous sheets of paper in my home I wrote my to-do list. Having it right in my pocket at all times is a calming breath of fresh air. It's one less thing I have to do. The app is a beauty for something as simple as making to-do lists. Users have the option of using a black-on-white theme (the default) or changing it to white-on-black. Either one makes the app clean, professional, and visually pleasing. When the app is first opened, the user is greeted by a list with four labels: Today, Tomorrow, Upcoming, and Someday. Tapping the plus sign next to each section will bring up a blank screen where users may either type or speak tasks into that particular section. Of special note is the auto-suggestion feature. Instead of having to laboriously type out the entire phrase, the app uses its highly-detailed array of suggestions to narrow down virtually any task you might be thinking of. Tasks can be organized into Personal and Work folders, but users can make numerous others as well (e.g., Vacation, Medical, Book Club, whatever). You may also view tasks by day, which is the default, or by folder. Especially urgent duties can be written in red text. These and other features (including the ability to take notes on any individual task) can be brought up by tapping the task itself. As tasks are completed, the user may actually cross them out by dragging as finger across the screen. At that point, the task can be removed from the list by pressing the small x next to it. Users who like the look of a list with all duties struck through can leave them be. However, it s important to note that once tasks are completed, shaking the iPhone will delete them from the list. But don't worry, yhey will just retreat to a master list of deleted items which can be accessed via the Preferences feature. Most people will probably delete them, but I had a nice time looking through all the things I had to get done during my final semester of college. In landscape mode, users will find a smaller version of their list displayed next to a monthly calendar, with that articular day opened. From that calendar, one may add tasks to any future date, as well as set reminders, alarms, deadlines, and so forth. Users also have the option of syncing with the Cloud, so their tasks and calendars are uniform across devices. Additionally, lists can be shared between two or more phones so that one may divide and conquer. And for the really hardcore organizers and list-makers, Any.DO even has the option of a Premium account, with highly-customized themes, staff support, location-based reminders (for when you must remember to pick up milk when you leave the dentist's office), and other features. This is on sale as of this writing for US$2.99/month. Now for the really good part: Do you ever feel like you need some kind of congratulatory acknowledgment when you have mastered yet another day's demands? With Any.DO, you can. As important tasks are completed (or all of the tasks in a given day, whichever comes first), users can redeem rewards - like a promo code for US$25 off a hotel room via Travelocity, or even a free two-week Hulu Plus trial. Cleaning the lint trap in the dryer and making sure your car payment is on time was never so rewarding. As we progress further into the twenty-first century, our lives will only grow more complex and intricate with every scientific discovery and technological advance. It's good to know that Any.DO is available to help all of us navigate the needs and wants of every aspect of our lives. With this written, I have one more thing to cross off my list.
Monitor your Twitter mojo with Merlo
Can you tweet more effectively? Merlo, a new iOS app, might help you to do just that (but only if you can make out the tiny graphic displays-more on that below). Merlo requires iOS 7.1 or later, is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and is priced at $1.99. The majority of Twitter users, like me, tweet about things that interest us and move on to the next thing. Businesses and organizations use Twitter differently. More and more businesses and organizations are coming to understand just how important Twitter can be, especially as a part of PR and communications. Organizations need to know a lot about the effect of their efforts online. And there are big, complex and expensive social media management tools available that can help with this gargantuan task. The idea of having a social media analysis tool right there in the palm of your hand is intriguing. That's where Merlo comes in. Merlo is a iOS app designed to provide basic info to Twitter users about the effect of their tweets. In particular it displays information about gained and lost followers, the number of retweets and favorites, historical tweets and other basic trends. Setup is easy, but does require a 24 hour wait for a full report display. You can also import Twitter backups, but the process is cumbersome. The app can only track a single Twitter ID. I'm not sure who this app is really for. Organizational users need more robust tools, tools that can handle multiple Twitter IDs and sophisticated message tracking. Casual Twitter users don't need any tracking or analysis at all. For someone like me the data and reports that Merlo provides is mildly interesting at best. The one piece of information that I did gain from the Merlo reports is that I might improve retweets by releasing the daily post on my own site at 9 AM Eastern time rather than 8 AM as I currently do. It's worth experimenting with. That alone might have been worth the $1.99 app price. The real bone to pick with this app is its design. The designer aspires to "beautiful infographics," but what he ended up with is an app that is very hard to read. The report displays don't look too bad as screen shots as you'll see displayed here, but viewing them on a iPhone makes my aging eyes tear up. There's just too much data to display in such tiny charts. The choice of that particular shade of blue increases the difficulty in reading (Note: I did not test on an iPad). I also found some odd navigation in selecting "View More Stats" from the Statistics display. This selection forced a change in orientation, from portrait to landscape (the app's main displays are only portrait). These additional reports are larger and easier to read, but require you to close the view to return to the regular app display. I was also a bit chagrined that one of the four main displays in the app was primarily taken up with pleas to follow, rate, or promote the app (along with a short tutorial on how to import Twitter backups). This section might have been better used for the oddly placed "View More Stats" display. There was nothing about Merlo that really excited me. And the design of the app made it difficult to use and view. Merlo strives for "beautiful minimalistic design," but it ends up being very difficult to read and does not provide much info of value. Save your two bucks.
iPod touch stolen, used by war vet for prosthetic hand control
The opinion people have about thieves in general is pretty low, but a thief who broke into the truck of 27-year-old Afghanistan war vet Staff Sgt. Ben Eberle deserves loathing of a special kind. The thief took an iPod touch especially configured with an app called i-limb, used to control a prosthetic hand like the one seen above that was worn by Eberle. Eberle lost both legs and his right hand in a bomb blast three years ago, and has been using the prosthetic with the help of i-limb and the iPod touch. Using the pinky on the prosthetic hand to manipulate the app, Eberle can adjust the hand in an amazing number of ways. The hand and the app -- and the iPod touch -- all work together as a unit. While the iPod touch is only worth about US$240, San Antonio, TX police say that the thief could be charged with felony theft between $20,000 and $100,000. That's because the prosthetic hand is essentially worthless without the iPod touch and will have to be replaced at a cost of about $75,000. The iPod touch has a special logo on the back of it from the manufacturer, Touch Bionics. San Antonio Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest of the thief, so if a reader happens to see the unique iPod touch, they can call 210-224-7867 with a tip and possibly help a vet recover some of his dexterity.
Using the iPhone or iPod touch to introduce photography to children
If you're like me, you may have an older iPhone or iPod touch kicking around your desk drawer. Instead of letting that hardware sit unused, put the device into the hands of your children and use it to teach them the basics of photography. iOS devices are so easy to use that even the youngest, school-aged kids can take some fantastic photographs using these projects below and some tips from you. Look at each photo as a way to teach them about the effects of lighting, avoiding limp chops and more. You can find some other wonderful projects for both younger and older kids on the Click it Up a Notch blog. Photographing Dolls or Action Figures Have your child practice portrait photography using dolls or action figures as their subjects. You can dress them in an array of outfits, pose them and change their scenery with minimal effort. Best of all, the always-willing subjects will never complain that they are bored or too tired to pose. Photographing ABCs Give your child an extended photography project by having them shoot a photo of an object that starts with each letter of the alphabet. One of the biggest benefits of this project is that it helps put your child into a photographic frame of mind while they go about their day. As they go to the park or play inside, they will be keeping their eyes open for those items that they need for the project. This way of thinking is essential to photographers who are always on the lookout for that perfect moment or perfect shot to capture. As an added benefit, these alphabet photos can be stored or printed and used to teach pre-k children their ABCs. My older children love showing their own handiwork to their siblings. It's a great teaching opportunity and bonding moment as the older child introduces the letters and, inevitably, shares a story or two about the photo they took. Scavenger Hunt Make a list of 20 items and send your child off with their camera to find and photograph each one. Kids love scavenger hunts, which means the process of photography will be fun for them and not tedious. You want your child to learn to love photography and not turn it into chore. Story Writing Have you child take a photograph and then write a story about it. The narrative can describe the scene or it can be a fictional account that complements the photo. Older kids can be challenged to capture a series of photos and turn them into longer story or even a comic.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for July 1, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
iPod touch price cut, new 16GB model now in UK
Apple's newest 16 GB iPod touch is finally making its way around the world, complete with a reduced price and fancy new colors. Hitting U.S. stores in late June, the new touch is now available for sale in the UK for £159. It previously cost £199. Beyond the new color selections the new iPod touch also features the same 5 megapixel iSight camera found in its higher storage capacity siblings. Of course if you're looking for more storage you're still in luck; the 32 GB and 64 GB models have also seen a price drop in the UK. A 32 GB model will now set you back £199, down from its original cost of £249, while the 64 GB now runs £249, a considerable discount from its old price of £329. You can find the specs, colors, and price information for yourself right now over in the UK Apple Store.
New Apple Store graphics and other news highlights
It's the first day of July and the second half of 2014, and the beginning of Apple's fourth fiscal quarter of the year. While we'll need to wait a few weeks (see the third item below for details!) to hear how the past three months fared in the world of Apple, there's still plenty of news about our favorite fruit company: New graphics at Apple Stores. Those beautiful, big wall graphics at Apple Stores used to highlight the company's products against a stark white background. Now the images are beginning to show people using devices like the iPhone 5s and iPad. The graphics are more colorful, but darker, and somewhat mirror Apple's recent advertising campaigns including the "Your Verse" iPad ads and the new "Parenthood" ad. AppleCare+ purchase window extended. The standard (without accidental damage coverage) AppleCare plan is being discontinued today in the US, Canada and Japan. Previously, AppleCare+ had to be purchased within 30 days of buying an iPhone or iPad. Beginning today, that purchase window is extended to 60 days so that customers can decide whether or not they need the extended support provided by the plan. Apple's Q3 2014 Earnings Call is scheduled for July 22, 2014 at 5 PM ET. As usual, TUAW will host a liveblog of the event covering the highlights and the humorous attempts by Wall Street analysts to get Apple execs to spill the beans on new products. The new upgraded, lower-priced 16GB iPod touch rolls out around the world. Remember the new iPod touch that debuted last week? It's now available in the UK, Germany, Italy and other countries worldwide. The new device includes a 5-megapixel iSight camera and new color choices for US$199.
Talkcast tonight, 7pm PT, 10pm ET: Whirled Cup Edition!
New dial-in experience! Set up Fuze Meeting before the show if you want to join in live. Having absorbed the information (among other things) that WWDC has to offer, we're ready to give you the highlights on this week's TUAW Talkcast! This week we have new iPods to talk about, and we'll be doing so with Mac Observer editor and friend of the show, Jeff Gamet. Reminder on new-style talkcasting: With some help from the fine folks at Fuze, we're using a new system to record the show. This should let everyone listen in live -- and, if you want, raise your hand as you would in the Talkshoe room to get unmuted and chime in. You can join the call in progress (meeting # is 20099010) at 10 pm ET from any computer via this link; if you download the Mac or Windows Fuze clients ahead of time, you'll get better audio and a slicker experience, but browser-only will work fine. Just click the phone icon to join the audio once you're in. Using an iPhone or iPad? Grab the native clients from the App Store and get busy. (Even Android users can join the party.) Still feel like using the conventional phone dial-in? Just call 201-479-4595 and enter the meeting number 20099010, then press #. While the Fuze web and native clients have a chat channel, we'd like to reserve that for host participants, requests to talk and other real-time alerts... so the full-on chat for the show will appear in this very post at 10 pm tonight. You'll need Twitter, Facebook or Chatroll credentials to participate in the chat. We'll remind everyone to check back in at that time.
iFixit opens up the new 16 GB iPod touch
Apple quietly released a new $199 16 GB iPod touch this week with no fanfare. Naturally, the folks over at iFixIt have already acquired one and ripped it apart. So what's new inside the iPod touch's "latest" model? There are only two new additions. The 5th gen iPod Touch now has the same 5-megapixel iSight camera found in the 32 and 64 GB models. Now the 16 GB model comes with a wrist-strap peg, although users will have to buy their own wrist strap. The 16 GB iPod Touch still has plenty of features to sway you into buying one for your kids who aren't ready for a smartphone but could use a mini computer/media player. It comes with 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, with a 4-inch widescreen Retina display. The iSight camera is capable of taking 5 megapixel photographs and shooting 1080p HD video. Head over to iFixIt to check out their complete photographic rundown of the new 16 GB iPod Touch's guts, including a look at at what chips it's packing and how easy it is to repair.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for June 26, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Apple drops iPod touch prices, adds a dash of color and iSight camera to 16GB model
Apple has finally brought parity to its iPod touch line, which before treated the 16GB model as some sort of necessary, but unwanted, entry point for the family. It only came in one color, didn't have a camera and seemed a tad overpriced at $229. Today Cupertino finally rectified this long standing wrong. For one, the smallest model now clocks in at a reasonable $199. More importantly though, it finally comes in the same rainbow of hues and sports the same 5MP iSight camera as its bigger brothers. While clearly the 16GB version got the most love today, the 32GB and 64GB models have some news to report of their own. The middle child is now only $249, while the biggest of the three siblings is now only $299 -- that's $100 less than its original price. The new prices and colors are available in the Apple store now.
Raindrops on roses, Lightning adapters, and whiskers on kittens
I own roughly a billion-and-one old-style iPhone and iPod cables, most of them not strictly "Made for iPhone" (MFi). They have seen hard use over the years, but they've been cheap and easy to replace. In February, I finally made the jump to Lightning when I purchased a refurbished pair of an iPad Air and a latest generation iPod touch. I love my new babies, with their lightness and bright screens (and, in the case of the touch, modern Wi-Fi and a 4" screen that is terrific for iOS development). However, their new cable system has been driving me nuts. That's because the ease and cheapness of my existing stock of connectors no longer works with the new Lightning-based models. Purchasing extra MFi cables starts at about $14 for an Amazon Basics 3-foot cord. I tend to use my portable battery packs with tiny 6-inch cables, which make less of a clutter in my backpack. Fortunately, a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across adapters on Amazon that convert Lightning to good old Euro-standard Micro-USB, which I normally use with my Kindle Fire. These adapters cost only about $2 each or less and slide onto the end of the Micro-USB cables, turning them into Lightning cables. I was pretty wary about these adapters since iOS has become very picky with regards to non-MFI products, and some reviews state they have pretty high fail rates. Regardless, I plopped down my $6 and ordered a set of three, hoping that at least one adapter would pan out. Instead, I was delighted to find that all three worked fine. I have tested these adapters with a variety of battery packs (from Antec, HyperJuice, and one that my husband picked up at the grocery store of all places...) and found that if the output amperage is sufficient to charge the device, the Lightning adapters work fine. I do caution you to carry a small pillbox or envelope for those times when you need to use the battery pack without the adapter, as they are quite small and easy to lose. I'm pleased that my portable Lightning needs have been met for the time being with a minimum of cash outlay and a satisfying reliability. Given how widespread complaints have been about Lightning connector failures due to wear and use, I'll be keeping an eye on these adapters over time to see how they last.
