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Apple’s Kevin Lynch talks Apple Watch timekeeping, says it’s far more accurate than iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ December 30, 2015

Apple VP of Technology Kevin Lynch spoke with Mashable on Wednesday, touting the Apple Watch's ability to keep precise time. Lynch told the publication that the Watch is far more accurate as a timekeeping device than the iPhone—four times better to be exact.

"With New Year’s coming, those who have the Apple Watch will be the most accurate watch in the room... There will be no question about when New Year's Eve actually is now." The VP went on to explain the various features in the Watch that help make it so accurate.

Microsoft said to be considering smaller Xbox to compete with Apple TV

Cody Lee ∙ December 30, 2015

Microsoft is said to be once again looking to create a device that would go head-to-head with the Apple TV and similar products. Citing internal sources, veteran blogger Brad Sams reports (via Business Insider) that the company is considering plans for a "lightweight Xbox One."

The smaller console would feature access to a variety of streaming services, and be capable of playing games from Microsoft's Windows store. Sams believes the device, if it materializes, will launch in the second half of 2016 with a much lower price point than existing Xbox models.

AT&T to stop offering two-year phone contracts next month

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

AT&T plans to stop offering two-year phone contracts next month, reports Engadget. The outlet on Wednesday published an internal document that says the carrier will launch a "pricing simplification effort" on January 8 that will effectively get rid of contracts.

According to the document, starting on the 8th, AT&T Next and full-retail will become the only purchase options for smartphones. Folks looking to buy a flip, or "basic," phone from the carrier will also have to choose between paying full-retail or an installment plan.

The best and worst of Apple in 2015

Sébastien Page ∙ December 30, 2015

This has been a busy year for Apple from a product release standpoint. The company launched the Apple Watch in April, the first entry in a new product category for CEO Tim Cook. Then it released a new MacBook, a new iPhone, a whole new Apple TV, and the iPad Pro. And of course there was Apple Music, iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan. Busy year indeed!

As 2015 draws to an end, the iDB team takes a look back at the last twelve months. From software to hardware, to services, each Editor shares what he/she feels is the best and worst of Apple this year.

Twitter for Mac revamped, gains dark theme, inline video and GIF support, group DMs and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 1, 2018

Twitter today at last issued a long-expected update to its free of charge OS X desktop client in the Mac App Store. The new Twitter 4.0 experience starts with a brand new dark theme for those who prefer the Finder's optional dark appearance in OS X Yosemite and El Capitan.

Other enhancements in this edition of Twitter for Mac include the ability to mute accounts, use a new Today widget to see Twitter Highlights in the Notification Center, group chats with up to 50 people and support for Twitter's new quotation format, animated GIFs and inline video playback.

Apple Stores to offer iPhone photography and iPad illustration workshops next year

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 11, 2016

As part of a major retail streamlining under the watchful eye of Apple's head of online and brick-and-mortar stores, Angela Ahrendts, the company will be hosting a number of workshops next year at its stores that will take its existing and basic photography workshops to the next level.

The new workshops were designed to teach customers about the tips and tricks concerning iPhone photography, as well as drawing, painting and sketching on an iPad, with the promise of giving customers “at all skill levels” a chance to learn about more advanced image-capturing techniques, CNET said today.

Apple on the hook for $5+ million over hindered performance of older iPhones with iOS 9

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 30, 2015

Apple is under fire over planned obsolescence concerning the iOS 9 software update, with a new class-action lawsuit accusing the company of intentionally slowing older iPhone models with the update, AppleInsider reported Wednesday.

Filed with a New York district court on Tuesday, the lawsuit also accuses Apple of deceptive trade practices and false advertising which assured customers that iOS 9 would run fine on older handsets dating back to four-year-old iPhone 4s models without stating that the upgrade would cripple legacy handsets severely.

Apple said to be close to signing OLED deal with Samsung and LG Display for future iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 30, 2015

A report Wednesday by ET News contends that Apple is “close” to signing a definitive supply agreement with both Samsung Display and LG Display concerning OLED screens for future iPhones.

Although iOS devices have used ubiquitous liquid-crystal display (LCD) panels since their inception, organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology features deeper blacks and requires less power because it doesn't need a power-hungry backlight module to illuminate the pixels.

Let’s Talk Jailbreak 140: the best tweaks of 2015

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

Episode 140: The status of the iOS 9.2 jailbreak, and Activator adds even more features to its beta release. A discussion about the best jailbreak tweaks of 2015, including the methodology behind our picks.

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Save $200+ on a 12″ MacBook with 512GB of storage

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

B&H Photo is running a sale on select 12" Macbook's with 512GB of storage. As you know, the base-model MacBooks only come with 256GB of storage, so these machines are a step up from the entry level versions of Apple's super-slim laptop.

Normally, you would expect to pay $1599 for the 12" MacBook with 512GB of storage, but B&H is selling the Space Grey model for $200 off. Best of all, if you live outside of New York, you can get the 12" MacBook for $1399 out the door with no tax.

iOS 9.2 jailbreak status: what we know so far

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

It's been more than 2 months since Apple killed the iOS 9.0.x jailbreak, and in that time we've seen the public release of iOS 9.1, 9.2, and a beta version of 9.2.1, with no update to the Pangu tool. So as you can imagine, we've received a lot of questions regarding the current status of the jailbreak. Here is what we know so far.

My favorite posts of 2015

Jeff Benjamin ∙ December 29, 2015

2015 was a great year, and one in which I tried to venture outside of my comfort zone and take on some new and interesting projects and reports. It was also a year that saw a renewed focus on the Mac, particularly in the first half of the year. Overall, I'm very satisfied with some of the posts from the past year, and while this list doesn't necessarily include the most popular items, it contains some of my most memorable. Have a look and see if you agree.