The iPad mini Is Finally Getting the One Upgrade That Actually Matters

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Rumors,

The iPad mini has always been the tablet you actually hold. Not the one you prop on a stand to type an email, but the one you read on in bed, thumb through on the train, or hand to a kid in the back seat. And for two years it has been coasting on the same screen it has had since forever. That is about to change.

Apple is reportedly planning to ship a new iPad mini this October, and for once the update is not just a spec bump. This is the mini's biggest overhaul in roughly five years, and the headline feature is the one thing that matters most on a device you stare at from six inches away: the display.

Click to continue reading The iPad mini Is Finally Getting the One Upgrade That Actually Matters

Apple announces dedicated iPadOS: The iPad Finally Grows Up

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Software,

The iPad now gets its own dedicated version of iOS, which Apple is calling iPadOS - here are some of the highlight iPadOS features, announced during WWDC 2019:

• You can now pin widgets to the home screen
• Slide-over now gets a card interface for multitaking, similar to what you get on an iPhone
• Split-View now allows for multi-window capability. So you can have two instances of the same app side-by-side. Examples shown were apps like Pages, Notes, and Microsoft Word. You can have multiple apps side by side within multitasking as well.
• The Files app now supports folder sharing,SMB network shares, and thumb drive, external hard drive, and SD card support.
• Safari on iPad is now a desktop browser rather than mobile browser, so you get the full desktop-class experience on the iPad. This includes 30 keyboard shortcuts, a download manager, and more.
• Fonts management
• Text editing is improved. Use the scroll indicator to drag directly to an area in a document. Text selection now works with a tap and drag. Three-finger pinch for copy, and three-finger expand for paste, with three-finger swipe to undo.
• Apple Pencil latency has been improved from 20ms down to 9ms, making it even more responsive. Drag your pencil up from the corner of the screen to immediately go into markup mode no matter where you are.

Bleeding Edge TV 547: iPad mini 4 review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, Handhelds, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos,

Apple's new iPad mini 4 has hit the streets, and in this episode I bring you my full iPad mini 4 review and unboxing. Find out all about what's changed between the iPad mini 3 vs. iPad mini 4, as well as what makes it different from the iPad Air 2. If you're thinking about buying the new iPad mini 4, be sure to check out the review first for a full rundown of the hardware, as well as the new software features found in iOS 9 that bring new multitasking capabilities to the iPad mini 4 as well. Feel free to comment and let me know what you'd like to see me review next!

You can get the Apple iPad mini 4 now!

Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel--also, we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!

Click to continue reading Bleeding Edge TV 547: iPad mini 4 review

Best Buy launches big gadget sale ahead of Amazon’s Prime Day

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories:

Best Buy has launched a big Tuesday Techday sale, offering a bunch of online-only sales on various gadgets and consumer electronics items. Notable standouts in the sale include:

• $379.99 Sharp 50" 1080p HDTV
• $229.99 iPad mini 2
• $60 gift card with purchase of GoPro HERO4 Silver
• Free extra controller with Xbox One
• 25% off Fitbit Flex

There's plenty more than just those! Head on over to the Best Buy Tuesday Techday site to see all the deals.

Apple releases iOS 8.1.3, here’s what’s new!

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Software,

Apple has released iOS 8.1.3, a maintenance and bug fix release for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The company says that one major feature is that 8.1.3 reduces the amount of free storage required in order to perform the iOS 8 upgrade, which should help some who were "stuck" on iOS 7 and wanted to update, but didn't have enough storage to continue. For me, the update has finally fixed an issue on my 128 GB iPhone 6 Plus that would cause it to crash and reboot when using the multitasking app switcher that's plagued me since release day. Hit the jump for the full changelog that Apple has provided.

Click to continue reading Apple releases iOS 8.1.3, here’s what’s new!

Apple releases iOS 8.0.2 with HealthKit & iPhone 6 Touch ID, cellular fixes

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,

After releasing iOS 8.0.1 yesterday, and then subsequently pulling it due to critical bugs it introduced on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple has released iOS 8.0.2 today. This release does everything that yesterday's iOS 8.0.1 update was supposed to do, while also eliminating a bug that caused both Touch ID and cellular connections to stop working on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Here is the full rundown:

• Fixes an issue in iOS 8.0.1 that impacted cellular network connectivity and Touch ID on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
• Fixes a bug so HealthKit apps can now be made available on the App Store
• Addresses an issue where 3rd party keyboards could become deselected when a user enters their passcode
• Fixes an issue that prevented some apps from accessing photos from the Photo Library
• Improves the reliability of the Reachability feature on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
• Fixes an issue that could cause unexpected cellular data usage when receiving SMS/MMS messages
• Better support of Ask To Buy for Family Sharing for In-App Purchases
• Fixes an issue where ringtones were sometimes not restored from iCloud backups
• Fixes a bug that prevented uploading photos and videos from Safari

In addition to the quick update, the company also issued an apology to the 40,000 iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who were affected by the bug for the past day or so, saying "iOS 8.0.2 is now available for users, it fixes an issue that affected iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who downloaded iOS 8.0.1, and includes improvements and bug fixes originally in iOS 8.0.1. We apologize for inconveniencing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who were impacted by the bug in iOS 8.0.1."

We've downloaded the new update here on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units, and everything is looking fine. The iOS 8.0.2 update is available now over the air, or through direct iTunes connection. Be sure to check out our full iOS 8 review.

You can order the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus from Apple.

Apple releases iOS 8.0.1, fixes HealthKit, third-party keyboards, more

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,

EDIT: There is a bug in iOS 8.0.1 that breaks cell service and Touch ID on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus--hold off on updating until this is fixed!

Apple has released iOS 8.0.1 (build 12A366,) bringing with it a bunch of bug fixes and improvements to the new operating system that was released a week ago. The big change is that 8.0.1 brings a fix that enables HealthKit integration, so we can expect to see apps start integrating data into the Health app shortly. Third-party keyboards have been made more reliable, as has the Reachability feature found on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Here’s the full rundown:

• Fixes a bug so HealthKit apps can now be made available on the App Store
• Addresses an issue where 3rd party keyboards could become deselected when a user enters their passcode
• Fixes an issue that prevented some apps from accessing photos from the Photo Library
• Improves the reliability of the Reachability feature on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
• Fixes an issue that could cause unexpected cellular data usage when receiving SMS/MMS messages
• Better support of Ask To Buy for Family Sharing for In-App Purchases
• Fixes an issue where ringtones were sometimes not restored from iCloud backups
• Fixes a bug that prevented uploading photos and videos from Safari

You can download iOS 8.0.1 right now--it's a small update that took us less than 10 seconds to download. Be sure to check out our comprehensive iOS 8 review.

iOS 8 now available for download!

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Software,

Apple has release iOS 8 to the world, bringing with it a host of new features for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Users will find improvements to just about every stock iOS app, as well as new additions like Health, Continuity, and Handoff. We published our full iOS 8 review this morning, which you can read for a full rundown of what to expect. Here’s a list of the compatible devices:

• iPhone 5s
• iPhone 5c
• iPhone 5
• iPhone 4s
• iPod touch 5th generation
• iPad Air
• iPad mini with Retina display
• iPad mini
• iPad with Retina display
• iPad 2

You can update to iOS 8 now, either through an over-the-air update, or by plugging in to iTunes and having it perform the update for you. Of course, iOS 8 will ship on the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus this Friday.

iOS 8 review: A more powerful iPhone experience arrives

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Product Reviews, Software,

iOS 8 is the follow-up to last years radical redesign of Apple’s mobile operating system. After the visual overhaul, the company went to work on adding a bunch of features that would make its devices more open with features like extensions and third-party keyboards, yet more secure with improved permissions and more widespread Touch ID integration. With iOS 8, Apple looks to refine the experience that was introduced last year, while allowing features for the power users of the world to shine.

It’s been shown that Apple follows a two-step release process with its iOS device hardware and software. For example, one year the company will release a new design for the iPhone, and the following year it’ll keep that design and refine the device, releasing it as an “S” class upgrade. iOS seems to follow a similar pattern, especially this year, which follows last year’s big redesign. With iOS 8, Apple has introduced a layer of polish on top of its mobile operating system, bringing with it a bevy of new features. The question remains, do all the changes come together in a meaningful way? Join us for our full iOS 8 review as we explore the answer.

Click to continue reading iOS 8 review: A more powerful iPhone experience arrives

Apple releases iOS 8 Golden Master to developers prior to September 17 public release

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Software,

After all of the We Wish We Could Say More announcements from Apple today that saw the unveiling of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Watch, and Apple Pay, the company released the Golden Master seed of iOS 8 to developers. Build 12A365 should be the same version that is pushed to the world when iOS 8 is released on September 17th via an over-the-air update. Registered iOS developers can grab the download in the iOS Developer Center now.