Poll

Poll: should Apple add multi-user access to iOS?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Yesterday, I stumbled upon an intriguing post over at The Loop which I felt raised a valid point about multi-user access in iOS, or the lack of.

It's especially relevant in light of the fact that Android Lollipop enables multi-user support on phones.

Tablets, of course, have had this for nearly three years with Jelly Bean and up. Now, adding the ability to share your iPhone or iPad with someone else isn't as trivial as it may appear at first sight as there are many technical hurdles to overcome.

On the other hand, can anyone imagine Apple not working on solving this pain point for its users? I mean, OS X supports multiple user accounts by design and iOS is basically a slimmed down version of OS X.

Anyways, is multi-user access one of those features the company should prioritize for the next major refresh of iOS, do you think?

Poll: should the next iPhone implement Apple Watch’s Force Touch pressure sensing?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

If you believe recent reporting by Tech News Taiwan and UDN, Force Touch, one of the technologies behind the Apple Watch, could make its way into this year's refresh of the iPhone 6, likely to be referred to as an ‘iPhone 6s’.

To get you quickly up to speed on Force Touch, it's a handy feature that relies on a bunch of tiny electrodes around the Watch's display that recognize the difference between a tap and a press, thereby providing the user with quick access to contextually specific controls.

But would Force Touch make sense on the iPhone, do you think?

Poll: should iOS 9 pause on innovation?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Earlier in the month, Instapaper creator and Tumblr co-founder Marco Arment offered a scathing critique of Apple's declining software quality. I generally disagree with Marco on most topics he blogs about, but this time he got me thinking that Apple's “it just works” mantra no longer applies. And as software woes continue to persist, the problem clearly is much larger than the relatively benign Maps debacle.

From that botched iOS 8.0.1 update, delayed improvements and an over-the-air iOS 8 installer requiring a whopping 4.6 gigabytes of free space to a bunch of issues plaguing OS X 10.10 Yosemite such as performance bottlenecks, its insatiable resource requirements, ridiculous Apple Mail hiccups, intermittent Wi-Fi issues and more - the firm appears to have “lost the functional high ground,” as Arment put it.

And with plenty of far-reaching technologies being introduced simultaneously — Handoff, iCloud Drive, custom keyboards, photo and storage extensions, new ways to share content, HealthKit, HomeKit, WatchKit and CloudKit, to mention but a few — small wonder Apple is finding itself in the middle of a pretty rocky transition, to say the least.

Throw in things like iCloud and CarPlay and suddenly diminishing software quality exhibited in the latest releases of iOS and Mac OS X becomes a major customer pain point. Apple is an aspirational brand so winning back user trust is paramount.

So, what should Tim Cook & Co. do? Do they continue to stick to the annual OS release schedule? Or should they give engineers enough time to smooth out the rough edges and ship software when it's ready rather than for their marketing benefits, even if it means making us wait longer for latest and greatest software innovations?

Poll: how do you feel about Apple’s reportedly radical MacBook Air redesign?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

A well-sourced report from 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman has ignited a heated debate on social media about the practicability of a brand new twelve-inch MacBook Air model as it's said to ditch standard USB ports, the SD Card slot and even its Thunderbolt I/O and MagSafe power connector in favor of a single, fully reversible USB Type-C port.

Critics who call it a step back usability-wise, not forward, mention the original MacBook Air which released in January 2008 with just one USB port on it. On the other hand, they forget that USB Type-C does a lot more than standard USB. For starters, it can safely replace Thunderbolt for video and data I/O and MagSafe for charging.

That being said, there are still some fundamental questions like how am I supposed to connect an iPhone to the machine if the only USB port is used for charging? I'll ellaborate on the viability of a one-port MacBook Air further below, but first tell us, if you will, your initial reactions to the purported design of the forthcoming notebook.

Poll: will you buy Apple Watch?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

The Apple Watch, the iPhone maker's foray into wearables, is arriving this Spring starting at $349.

And while we know quite a bit about the anticipated wrist-worn computer, Apple's left a few important questions hanging in the air.

Among them are important details concerning the Watch's specific launch date, battery life, a possible killer feature and price points for higher-end models.

Assuming the vast majority of folks who are in the market for an Apple smartwatch opt for the entry-level device, we're curious to learn whether you'll be buying one when it comes out. Or maybe you've decided to wait for a second-generation model, or pass on the Watch altogether?

Poll: is your Apple ID protected with two-step verification?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Two-step verification protects your Apple ID from unauthorized access when accessing iCloud.com and the Apple ID web interface or when when making an App Store or iTunes purchase from a new device. It's an additional layer of security which combines something you know (your Apple ID password) with something you have (an iOS device).

Once enabled, it requires that you enter a four-digit code after providing your Apple ID credentials, with the code being pushed to a trusted iOS device.

You will also get a 14-character Recovery Key to regain control of your account should you ever lose access to your trusted devices or forget your password.

So, is your Apple ID protected with two-factor verification or do you still trust your digital life with the good ol' password in conjunction with security questions?

Poll: did you donate to (RED)?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Apple's (RED) campaign to help raise funds to fight AIDS in recognition of the World AIDS Day 2014 is over now and we wanted to ask if you had taken an opportunity to donate to the charity.

You donated to the Global Fund to fight AIDS if you purchased one or more (RED) apps in the App Store or made In-App Purchases in (RED) apps from Monday, November 24 through Sunday, December 7; bought PRODUCT(RED) merchandize at Apple’s retail and online stores on Monday, December 1; bought select Apple products in the U.S. retail stores on Friday, November 28 and received a special edition (RED) iTunes gift card; made a donation through a special page on App Store/iTunes; or donated directly through RED.org.

Poll: are you using your iPad less often because of iPhone 6?

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 5, 2014

I myself am a heavy tablet user who's picking up his iPad at least a dozen times a day. I especially find the tablet indispensable for catching up on morning news and before nap time, when I would typically consume interesting stories I was saving for later throughout the day.

A month into my new iPhone 6 Plus and already I've found myself using my iPad Air less often.

And if a sketchy report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News is to be trusted, Apple itself is mulling winding down iPad mini development and devote resources to developing a 12.2 or 12.9-inch iPad model.

While mini tablets may not be dead yet, there's no question that today's smartphone consumer is gravitating toward smartphone-tablet hybrids (phablets) like the iPhone 6 Plus. Which brings me to our question of the day: have you noticed using your iPad less often due to the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus?

Roundup + poll: what are you most excited about for Apple’s Thursday event?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

In less than 48 hours, journalists blessed with Apple's “It's been way too long” invitation will gather on the Town Hall Campus grounds in Cupertino, California for another dose of technology news.

With new iPads and OS X Yosemite on everyone's mind, it's time to step back and asses exactly what other goodies Apple may or may not deliver at its media conference. And what better way to make such a roundup entertaining than a listicle augmented by a poll?

Here's a dozen predictions of our own so please kindly vote for your favorite one.

Poll: how often do you use Reachability?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

So I've finally managed to snag an iPhone 6 Plus this past weekend and boy does that 5.5-inch form factor take some getting used to.

Just ahead of the official announcement I, along with many other bloggers, was wondering whether a bigger iPhone might force Apple to rather unceremoniously abandon its unwavering principle of one-handed use.

Fortunately, Apple's smart engineers soothed our collective fears by creating a smart software feature dubbed Reachability, which lets you double tap the Touch ID button to slide the top half of the screen to the bottom half so you can reach touch targets in iOS positioned at the top, like Safari's address bar.

I've been loving Reachability a lot and using it on a daily basis. How about you?

Poll: are you having second thoughts about buying iPhone 6 Plus over #Bendgate?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Are you concerned over Bendgate following this YouTube video? Responding to the controversy that blew up on social media before taking the world by storm, Apple said it'd received complaints from nine customers over the supposed iPhone 6 Plus bending.

The company even took select members of the press on a tour of its facility just a a few blocks away from the Cupertino campus, where it torture-tested 15,000 iPhone 6 and 15,000 iPhone 6 Plus handsets.

I think Bendgate is a non-issue, but I could be wrong. One thing is certain: the meme won't go away if I choose to ignore it. That said, it doesn't surprise me at all that some fans are now questioning Apple's “just works” mantra, especially in light of other snafus in the form of the iOS 8.0.1 update gone terrible wrong, Apple's U2 “gift”, Celebgate and iCloud security.

After reading about these PR disasters, some folks may be thinking twice about buying the iPhone 6 Plus. Are you among that group or did you brush off Bendgate as a non-issue?

Poll: has iOS 8.0.1 update broken Cellular + Touch ID for you?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

If you have just updated your trusty iPhone to the just-released iOS 8.0.1, chances are you may have ended up with a device that can't connect to the cellular network (shows No Service in the status bar) or read fingerprint data through the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. As you could imagine, social media is awash with complaints from disgruntled users who are venting their frustration over the cellular and Touch ID issues.

At any rate, your best bet is to steer away from this update until Apple address the situation and releases a fix. Not everyone is affected, of course, but keep in mind we have no real indication as to how widespread those issues are because Apple, at the moment, isn't talking much.

That's why we're asking you, our readers, to tell us whether iOS 8.0.1 has broken cellular connectivity and Touch ID for you.