Year: 2016

Hands-on with exclusive Apple Watch Nike+ watch faces and complications

The Apple Watch Nike+ is available as of yesterday and our resident video editor Andrew O'Hara just published a video showing off its design and features. As we mentioned many times before, the Apple Watch Nike+ is literally the Apple Watch Series 2 with some exclusive features.

Now, exclusivity comes in the form of unique Nike-inspired bands and Nike-themed watch faces and complications that are not available on regular Series 2 devices. Here's our hands-on with the watch faces and complications that Nike and Apple jointly designed for the Apple Watch Nike+ edition.

Hands-on with Apple Watch Nike+

The Nike+ edition of the Apple Watch Series 2 went on sale yesterday and we have managed to put our hands on one. The Apple Watch Nike+ includes all of the hardware features of the Apple Watch Series 2 like a lot brighter screen, a faster CPU/GPU, built-in GPS and better waterproofing with swim tracking.

What you won't get with the regular Apple Watch Series 2 devices that the Nike+ edition provides are perks like exclusive bands, watch faces and complications, plus the preloaded Nike+ Run Club app and more.

Touch Bar on new MacBook Pro will show function keys when using Windows via Bootcamp

Apple yesterday unveiled the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, a completely redesigned, thinner machine that shifts away from traditional computer ports in place of Thunderbolt 3 and replaces the function key row of the keyboard with a new versatile Touch Bar that dynamically changes based on the app you're in.

So that might raise the question: what happens when you boot into Windows on your MacBook Pro with Bootcamp?

Apple did not say a lot about the MacBook Air, but it spoke volumes

Going into Apple’s “Hello Again” keynote on Thursday, speculation was rife with regard to how many new machines and product lines Apple would lift the veil on. The MacBook Pro seemed the safest bet, rightly so as it would turn out, but talk of a MacBook Air refresh or MacBook larger than 12-inch persisted until the very moment Tim Cook took the stage.

Fast forward the 80-minute short event and some of the MacBook Air hopeful watching, especially those on older machines clamouring for an overdue upgrade, will have found themselves slumped down in frustration on their sofa. Phil Schiller had just performed the precarious (and telling) balancing act of dismantling the MacBook Air’s right to exist live on stage, but bizarrely enough not without praising its virtues at the same time and throwing a lifeline to its large user base.

Irrespective of the kind words spoken and regardless of the promise to keep around the model Apple once used to proudly parade with the aid of an envelope, what really mattered was what Schiller didn’t directly say: the future of the MacBook Air looks bleak. Could there be a reason to buy one now anyway?

Back in full swing: try these Walking Dead Apps to celebrate the return of Season 7

The Walking Dead has made its much anticipated return last Sunday. Without spoiling the smashing opening episode too much, it is safe to say that some new or undecided viewers are likely to have been reeled back into Robert Kirman’s post apocalyptic world. Heading into its seventh year on AMC, The Walking Dead’s footprint has grown exponentially and also left its mark on Apple’s iTunes and App Store.

Assuming you too are back on board for Season 7, there are easily a dozen Walker-friendly apps on the App Store to help rekindle your passion for the Drama. But in a sea of official, unofficial, paid and free apps, where to start? We have taken the time to work over all of them and highlight the top 5 apps you may want to try to get hyped up for the new season.  

Crypto lets you encrypt any text on the fly

Security is a big thing for many people, and a big part of keeping your information secure is encryption.

A new jailbreak tweak called Crypto lets you quickly and easily encrypt any text on the fly, making it impossible for anyone without a password to read your text.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar event wallpapers

Today, Apple announced the new MacBook Pro with a new touch sensitive function bar that dynamically changes based on active applications. Naturally, there were some shiny images shown on the screens, during the keynote this morning. Quickly, I began getting requests for modifications and mock ups of these images via Twitter.

Thanks to the quick work from some followers, I was able to collect the necessary images and present them below. As always, if you have tips, tricks, or would like some fresh wallpapers during the week, please catch me on Twitter @jim_gresham. It is the community that makes these posts possible. 

Apple’s free app of the week: Sonic CD

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the game Sonic CD. This means that for the next 7 days, you'll be able to download the classic Sega hit for both iPhone and iPad for free—a solid savings of $3.

In this iteration of the popular franchise, Sonic travels to the distant shores of Never Lake and discovers it has been taken over by his arch-nemesis Dr. Eggman. You must help Sonic stop him and restore order to Little Planet.

The headphone jack lives on with the new MacBook Pro

Yes, for those wondering, the new MacBook Pro has a standard headphone jack. Apple was met with a lot of criticism back in September when it introduced the iPhone 7 without the 3.5mm port, but it clearly isn't ready to bring the change to its laptop lines.

The move should appease the MacBook Pro's targeted audience, who won't have to worry about fiddling with adapters or pairing Bluetooth headphones/speakers. Music producers, for example, will be able to plug the computer directly into their current setups.

This is Apple’s new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, Touch ID & more

“The Mac is more than a product to us. It's a testament to everything we do and create at Apple,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook at today's “Hello again” Mac event as he unveiled long-expected updates to Pro notebooks. The new MacBook Pro has, as rumored, a programmable OLED touch bar substituting the function key row, called Touch Bar.

There's also a Touch ID sensor powered by a new Apple-designed T1 chip. Like its predecessor, the new MacBook Pro comes in 13 and 15-inch flavors and each is available in Silver or Space Gray finish. 

Apple launches new ‘TV’ app

Apple on Thursday kicked off its Hello Again event by announcing a new app it's simply calling 'TV.' Tim Cook claimed that his team believes it will "completely change how you watch TV on your Apple TV as well as your iPhone and iPad."

The app, as rumored, is essentially a super TV guide that surfaces shows and movies from all of your apps. "The new TV app is the first place I go when I use my Apple TV." Selecting a title within the TV app kicks you into its respective app.