But when will we get a new iPad?

There were some who were a little disappointed last week during the Apple Special Media Event, and that’s in large part because there was some expectation of a new iPad model being announced.

It was not.

So will we be getting a new iPad any time soon?

Well folks, looks like the answer is yes. 

It appears as though the release of iOS 12.1 has given some small hints that lead us to the release of a new 2018 Fall iPad, one with a TrueDepth camera which means that you could sync your Memoji between your iPhone and your iPad – a feature that is now possible thanks to iOS 12.1.

The good guys over at 9To5Mac additionally noticed that when looking at the Setup app, which is the app that runs when you set up a new device, there was a new identifier for a “2018 fall” iPad. The previous version of the app only included identifiers for the 2018 iPhones.

So, looks like we’ll be seeing a new iPad at an October Apple Event, as well as possibly some new Macs. Rumors suggest the new iPads will most likely be iPad Pros that will feature USB-C connectivity instead of Lightning.

Quick rundown of what happened at the Apple Special Media Event

The Apple Special Media event happened this morning, and even though it was pretty much what we expected, there was still some pretty cool announcements and reveals.

First up, we have the Apple Watch: Series 4. This new model is slimmer than previously, but still has a 30% bigger, edge-to-edge screen, whilst retaining the same 18 hour battery life. Outdoor workout time is increased to 6 hours, there is more information presented on the interface, and it has a pretty impressive 50% louder speaker.

The biggest announcement to do with it? The additional health features. These have long been rumored of course, but now that they’re here? We’re impressed. They’re really, really cool.

The Apple Watch now has fall detection functionality, which can, just as it says, detect when the user falls, can then deliver an alert notification to emergency contacts, and initiate an emergency call with GPS location of the User if the user remains inert for more than one minute after the fall.

The Watch also has 3 new FDA approved heart features, it can tell when your heart rate falls below normal levels ( as the current model does with high heart rate levels), it can also detect irregular heart rhythm’s, or Atrial fibrillation, and, it can actually take an electrocardiogram, otherwise known as an ECG. All of this data is also stored so you can track it and show it to health professionals when necessary.

The watches come in two sizes, 3 aluminum finishes; silver, gold and space grey, as well as gold stainless steel with matching Milanese band, joining the silver and space black stainless steel models.

Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS) starts at $399  and Apple Watch Series 4 (GPS + Cellular) starts at $499. It’s available for order this Friday, and will come out the following Friday, Sept. 21st.

Series 3 is available right now at the new starting price of $279.

Next! 

We were introduced, as expected, to a line up of 3 new models of iPhone; The iPhone Xs, The iPhone Xs Max, and the iPhone XR.

The first two models have a 5.8 inch and 6.5 inch respectively, edge to edge super Retina display, and are made of surgical grade stainless steel and glass that is, according to Apple, the most durable yet. They come in 3 finishes of Gold, Silver and Space Grey, and feature the A12 Bionic chip, making them faster than ever.

FaceID is more secure, and the camera is a new dual camera system featuring both the 12 mega pixel wide angle camera and the 12mega pixel telephoto camera, as well as improved true tone flash and a new Smart HDR feature, AND a new depth editor function.

It looks pretty nice.

The phones also feature new Siri shortcuts, which make it so you can automatically bunch a group of tasks together with one command.

In The iPhone Xs, battery life last 30 minutes longer than iPhone x, and in the iPhone Xs Max, battery life is 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone x.

One of the best, most long awaited features? Dual Sim, making it so you can have two phone numbers in one phone, whether that be work/home or when you’re traveling internationally.

The iPhone XR  is the less expensive new model in the lineup, and is slightly (slightly unfortunately?) reminiscent of the iPhone 5C, coming in a variety of colors including white, black, blue, coral, yellow, and red. It is a lot better than the 5C though, with a huge 6.1-inch LCD ( the best LCD screen ever, apparently) edge-to-edge screen, and a lot of the same features as the more expensive models, such as FaceID, the A12 bionic chip, and the true depth camera system.

The battery life will also be an hour and half more than the iPhone 8 Plus.

The iPhone Xs will come with storage configuration of 64GB, 256GB, and  512GB and will start at $999

The iPhone Xs Max will come with storage configuration of 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB and will start at $1099

You can preorder both phones on Sept 14th and they will ship on the 21st of Sept.

The iPhone XR -will come in storage configuration of 64GB, 128GB, and  256GB, and will start at $749. You can order it on October 19th and it will start to ship on October 26.

Additionally, The iPhone 7 drops to $449 and the iPhone 8 drops to $599.

There was no ‘One more thing,’  unfortunately, but there was a couple of extra things announced at the end of the Keynote:

You can upgrade to iOS 12 on Monday September 17th.

HomePod got some new updates, whereby if you add more HomePods they’ll work together, and you can now search, make and receive phone calls, and ping your devices. Siri shortcuts will also work.

tvOS is getting an update,  and MacOS Mojave is coming at you on September 24.

So that’s what we have for you! Or rather, what Apple worked really, really hard to bring you. We’re pretty excited by the new health features and the slimmer size of the Apple Watch Series 4, and the new iPhones, (although kind of annoyingly named?) seem like they feature some pretty distinct and nice new features and functionality.

Will Samsung bring out a foldable phone?

Yes! Probably.

Samsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh recently told CNBC that the company was still running on time to reveal its first foldable smartphone later in 2018. The device sounds like it’s probably going to be unveiled at this year’s Samsung Developer Conference, set to be held in November in San Francisco.

Samsung first announced its plans for a Galaxy Note smartphone with a bendable display in September 2017, BUT Samsung has already announced this year’s Galaxy Note 9, so it seems likely that this new bendable phone will come with it’s own unique model name and branding.

There’s still no details about how exactly the folding screen will work, but many believe there will be no hinge, and instead the screen itself will bend.

It also seems like their trying their hardest to make the device not just a novelty, but rather a device that gives users more functionality. According to Koh;

“So every device, every feature, every innovation should have a meaningful message to our end customer. So when the end customer uses it, (they think) ‘wow, this is the reason Samsung made it’.”

There have been many, many rumors that Samsung is in the lead of the foldable display with competitor Apple, however there has been no concrete evidence or comment by Apple that this is the case, only a few patents with technology that might serve such a device.

So, what do you think? Foldable phones… next big thing? Or not so much?

FYI ,You can lock certain notes on your iPhone

If you have some super top secret data that you want to keep from prying eyes, we got you! Or, more specifically, Apple got you.

Its not super commonly known, but the Notes app will let you lock any note with a single password. If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Mac with Touch ID, you can use your fingerprint to open your locked notes. With an iPhone X, you can use Face ID.

But take note: You can’t lock notes if you’re signed in to iCloud with a Managed Apple ID.

So how do we perform this magic?

 
Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the latest version of iOS, and your Mac to the latest version of macOS.
Turn on Notes syncing in your iCloud Settings or System Preferences, or make sure that you use notes stored locally on your device.

Create a password, BUT! If you forget your password, Apple can’t help you reset it so be careful out there!

If you access your iCloud notes on more than one Apple device, you’ll use the same notes password to lock and unlock all of them.

Go to the ‘Notes ‘section in Settings, Tap Password. Enter a password, then give yourself a password hint .Tap Done.

Da Daa!

After you lock a note, it’s automatically protected with your password on all of your devices. If you want to use Touch ID or Face ID to unlock notes, you must enter your password and then turn on Touch ID or Face ID on the device you’re using.

Now, to lock specific notes, Open the note that you want to lock. Tap the Share icon, and choose Lock Note.

To view any locked notes, tap View Note. Enter your password, use Touch ID, or use Face ID.

Easy Peasy.

New MacBook Air expected?

There will reportedly be a new entry-level laptop in the Fall. Predictions have gone back and forth as to if it will be a new MacBook Air or a new MacBook, and today Taiwanese research firm TrendForce predicted that it would be a new MacBook Air that would be released by Apple in either September or October.

The device, either MacBook or Macbook Air, is rumored to have a 13-inch retina display and have a starting price of $999 or less in the United States.

If it were to be a MacBook Air, that would be pretty great, as the current MacBook Air hasn’t seen any major updates in over three years.

With a super large new release line up for the Fall – three new iPhones, Apple Watch Series 4, updated iMac and Mac Mini models, some are saying that this will lead Apple to have two events, the first major (read:iPhone) event in September, and a secondary event in October.  The last time we had two Apple events in the fall was in 2016.

More Back to School Deals on Apple!

It’s sale time! And back to school time. Cool?

Get your self to some of the big box stores for some slash priced deals on Apple products!

Apple Airpods Wireless Headphones for $144 at Walmart (normally $159.99).

Apple iPad 128GB 5th Generation WiFi Tablet in Silver for $349 at Walmart (normally $429).

Apple Watch Series 1 42mm for $179 at Walmart (normally $279).

At Best Buy’s Back to School Apple sale, you can get a range of good deals, made better if you take advantage of Best Buy’s student discounts. 

Grab an older MacBook Pro or MacBook Air  –  for instance, you can get a 13-inch MacBook Air for just $900, down $100 from its normal price. With student pricing, that works out to $750.

Also take up to $200 off the iPhone 6 and 6s and the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Best Buy is additionally offering 30% off several certified refurbished products ranging from Apple Watches to Smart Keyboards.

Happy Shopping! ( And schooling ).

iOS 12 Fourth Public Beta Released

Apple has seeded the fourth public beta of iOS 12 to public beta testers today!

If you want to join the beta testing program can sign up on Apple’s beta testing website, which will give you access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas. BUT! Beware, as it’s a Beta, there can and will be bugs.

Case in point: today’s iOS 12 beta introduces several new bugs that testers should be aware of:
After restarting a device, paired Bluetooth accessories might not function correctly or might be displayed using the device’s address instead of name.
Using Apple Pay Cash to send or request money via Siri may result in an error.
When using CarPlay, Siri can’t open an app by name. Shortcuts that involve opening an app won’t work, and Shortcuts that require confirmation might not work.
Some Shortcuts requests might not work.
When multiple ride-sharing apps are installed, Siri might open an app instead of providing an ETA or location when asked. Apple suggests asking again as a fix.
Users might not see custom UI when using Siri Suggestions Shortcuts with built-in intents.

But, what about the good stuff?

The iOS 12 update brings changes like Group FaceTime, (YAY!) local multiplayer shared AR experiences, new Animoji, and a Memoji feature that’s designed to let you create a personalized Animoji that looks just like you, WHICH, alongside stickers and text, can be used in FaceTime and the Messages App with the new Effects camera.

New Do Not Disturb features make it easier to manage notifications, as do interactive notification options and notification grouping on the Lock screen.

Siri is better with more information available, as well as Siri Shortcuts that work with third-party apps to create voice-activated automations, and Siri is also smarter and able to provide info on motorsports, food, and celebrities.

The camera will launch up to 70 percent faster and the keyboard will appear up to 50 percent faster.

The revamped Maps app (Available for now only in Northern California) displays foliage, pools, buildings, pedestrian pathways, and other map elements more accurately, and it brings improvements to traffic, real-time road conditions, construction notices, and more.

iOS 12 will be available to developers and public beta testers as a beta for the next two months to allow Apple to work out said bugs ahead of a Fall launch alongside their shiny new iPhones.

What’s coming next for Apple?

Don’t worry, Summer’s not over yet, but that doesn’t stop those of us in the tech world looking forward to that magical time, Fall, when the leaves are falling and new Apple products are appearing in hands all over the world.

What kind of Apple products, you say?

Purportedly (as always), here’s what you may or may not expect to see;

A new lower price MacBook Air, same size, larger screen.

Apple Watch Series 4, apparently, the device will have it’s very own first major design shift this year, with a reduction in the bezel size; so, a larger display with no increase in body size. This would give the display edges a curve, similar to the iPhone X.
The new Apple Watch will also no longer use the current physical Digital Crown and Side button and instead use ones powered by its Taptic Engine.

The iPad Pro will get an iPhone X-like design overhaul with a reduction in bezel sizes on both the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro variants.

Three new iPhone models are expected: two models with OLED screens, one 5.8 inches and one 6.5 inches. The third would be a 6.1-inch LCD lower priced model.  According to reports, all three models will have the TrueDepth camera array and use Face ID.

Foxconn is expected to assemble the majority of Apple’s three iPhone models coming out later this year, whilst the rest of the  orders will be fulfilled by Taiwanese manufacturer Pegatron.

So there you have it. And one more thing? We hope so! We love one more thing!!

Best Apple Laptop for school? 2018 Version

So you have some extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, eh? Fancy some new Apple gear? It’s an investment in your future, you know, your grades would suffer if you didn’t  buy something shiny and new, right?

If that’s the case, or if you just really want a new laptop, Here are you options:

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch, 128GB, 256GB –

The cheapest: even without any discounts you can get the MacBook Air from $999. If you pay a little more, you can get twice the storage space with a 256GB SSD.

On the flip side, the display is the only Apple laptop that is not Retina, and is also the least powerful model.

BUT it does have the longest battery life, at 12 hours (two hours longer than other models). It is also the only model that has older hardware such as an SD card for photographers and familiar USB sockets.

If you’re a student or working in education then Apple is selling the Air from $849.

Apple 12 inch MacBook 256GB

The lightest of the lot, and super slim, even though  the screen is only an inch smaller than the 13″ MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

Retina display! Yay! Can increase storage to 512GB with a 256GB SSD. Double Yay! Has a force-touch trackpad. Yay?

Fast, but likely not heavy packing enough for video editing or gaming.

Starting at $1299 for regular folk, if you’re in education or a college student, you can get this baby for… $1249.

2018 MacBook Pro 

This big mama is at the pricier end of the Apple tree, and both heavier and thicker than either the MacBook or the MacBook Air. It has a beautiful retina display and is the fasted, most recently updated, and most powerful Apple laptop you can get right now.

If this sounds like your cup of expensive tea, you also have a couple of secondary options to decide on.

Firstly, you can get either the 13-inch or the 15-inch. Then, you have to decide if you want the base model  Then, you have to decide if you want the base model or if you want the Touch bar and touch ID.

The Touch Bar shows features and options of your software super clearly, and the Touch ID brings the iPhone-style way of unlocking and of paying in online stores.

Adding Touch ID and Touch Bar adds $500 to the price but that also means a better screen: it’s the same Retina display but with True Tone which adjust display color and brightness to fit your surroundings. Fancy.

Something additional to consider, is that only the Touch Bar models of the MacBook Pro are capable of being expanded to have 32GB RAM and 4TB of SSD.

You can get the Macbook Pro for-

13-Inch – From $1299 ( or $1249 with education pricing)

13-Inch with Touch Bar and Touch ID – from $1799 (or $1699 with education pricing)

15-Inch with Touch Bar and Touch ID – From $2399 (or $2249 with education pricing)

Similar to last year, if you are a (verified) college student, a parent purchasing on behalf of higher-education students, or faculty/staff at either a higher-education or K-12 institution, you can get a free or discounted pair of Beats headphones with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad Pro, and 20% off AppleCare.

This offer will be available until Sept. 25.

Happy shopping!

Apple’s new ‘Behind The Mac’ Campaign

Apple has recently launched a new four-part campaign focusing on the creative prowess of the Mac, called “Behind the Mac”. The series of ads highlight people who use Macs as part of their creative process, from Photographer and disability advocate Bruce Hall, Musician Grimes, and App developer Peter Kariuki.

See below, if only to get your creative inspo’ juices flowing!

Happy Summer Solstice!