How to manage received AirDrop files with Hazel on Mac

Every waking day I send tons of screenshots from my iPhone to my Mac via AirDrop. And every day I wish that Apple allowed users to customize the AirDrop save location. Not only is the ~/Downloads folder the default save location, but it can't be modified, not even via undocumented methods.

As a workaround, I use Hazel ($29 w/ free trial) to automate the process of moving images sent via AirDrop to my Desktop. It's a great workaround that does the job. While it would be nice if Apple allowed you to specify an exact save location, this is probably the next best thing.

Apple Watch Sport’s Ion-X glass goes under the knife (literally) in this scratch test

The Apple Watch Sport, which will likely be far and away the most popular version of the Apple Watch, comes equipped with a different glass panel than the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition models. While the latter two models ship with sapphire glass, which is known for its elemental hardness, the cheaper Sport models ship with something called Ion-X glass.

Ion-X glass is a panel stronger than typical glass—think Gorilla Glass levels here—but I don't think anyone's questioning the fact that it's inferior in some ways to the sapphire glass gracing the more expensive models of the Apple Watch. So the question stands to be asked: how well will the Apple Watch Sport's Ion-X glass stand up to wear and tear? How well will it stand up to outright deliberate abuse?

As noted by 9to5mac, Popular bearded YouTuber, Lewis Hilsenteger, better known around YouTube circles by his moniker Unbox Therapy, seeks to answer the question. If Hilsenteger seems familiar, it's because he's the same guy who brought us the infamous iPhone 6 #bendgate videos. Watch and see what happens when he puts the Ion-X glass under an extreme series of scratch tests.

How to check your Apple Watch shipment status via UPS

I just stumbled upon some great news: my Apple Watch will be here Friday. I was able to verify this via the UPS My Choice website. If you're already a My Choice member, log in here, and if your watch has shipped, you should see your Apple Watch shipment on a calendar with the scheduled date of arrival. My watch is scheduled to arrive on Friday, April 24th, between 2:15 PM and 6:15 PM.

How to hide the battery percent sign in the iOS status bar

I find it to be kind of odd, but some people really hate the percent sign that appears alongside the battery indicator in the iOS status bar. Our very own Sebastien Page is one such person.

Over the last few months, he's been lamenting about his disdain for the percent sign, and how he hasn't been able to find a jailbreak tweak that lets him remove the pesky little symbol. Many tweaks, like Springtomize, can customize the iOS status bar to a high degree, but the percent sign seems to be off limits.

Fortunately, there is a jailbreak tweak that can hide the percent sign, and it's been sitting under our noses for quite some time. The aptly entitled No percent sign is a jailbreak tweak that lets you easily hide the percent sign symbol on iOS.

Angela Ahrendts addresses retail employees about Apple Watch launch

Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts sent out a video to Apple retail employees today, addressing concerns and questions regarding the Apple Watch and MacBook launches. In the video, posted by French site Mac4Ever, Ahrendts reiterates much of what was said in an internal memo that was sent out to employees last week.

Apple Watch: getting #BandGate and #ShowerGate out of the way

It’s inevitable. Like clockwork, following each new Apple product launch, you can be certain someone, somewhere, will find a way to create a controversy based on an alleged design flaw. The controversy then makes its way up the chain, usually ending up being “verified” by some YouTuber. This is when the controversy gets appended the “gate” suffix, and becomes the mother of all weaknesses, the Holy Grail of Apple's negligence.

The issue with these problemgates, is that they’re often devoid of good commonsense, or simply devoid of actual understanding of the most basic rules of physics. Take Bendgate for example. Who wouldn’t have thought that applying a certain amount of force onto a device mostly made of aluminum would actually cause it to bend?

With Apple Watch arriving this Friday, I’m already anticipating a couple problemgates that may or may not materialize, but for good measures, I wanted to get ahead of the game and address them before they even start, because you know, good old commonsense can go a long way.

Apple hiring software engineers to help integrate transit info into Maps

Apple is working on integrating public transit information into its Maps app, according to a job listing spotted by AppleInsider on Tuesday. The company is hiring software engineers for its Maps division's Routing team, which it says is working on "one of the most anticipated features of Apple Maps."

The job listing calls for applicants with experience in developing high quality, robust software systems using C++ and Linux, excellent problem solving and analytical skills, and asks that they have "in-depth knowledge about public transit, both as a consumer of those services and the technical aspects."

How to use the Pixelmator Repair Tool extension on Mac

One of the most under-the-radar new features to hit OS X Yosemite was the addition of extensions. Action extensions are particularly nice, because they allow apps to interface with other apps directly.

Some app developers, such as Pixelmator ($29.99 on the Mac App Store), have brought third-party extensions to the Mac, which demonstrates how beneficial extensions can be. Watch our video that showcases Pixelmator's Repair Tool extension to see what I mean.

You can now control Keynote presentations with Apple Watch

Not to be outdone by rival Microsoft which earlier this morning updated its PowerPoint for iOS presentation software with the ability to start and navigate the slideshow on your iPhone from you wrist, Apple has quickly followed with a similar update of its own which brings the same functionality to Keynote for iOS, its PowerPoint alternative. Eagle-eyed readers would be right to note that controlling Keynote presentations from your wrist was first mentioned during Apple’s October 2014 media event.

EA Sports UFC now available in the App Store

Following a soft-launch earlier this year, EA on Tuesday released EA Sports UFC for both iOS and Android. The game promises to bring the intensity of MMA (mixed martial arts) to your fingertips like nothing you've ever seen before.

UFC offers everything you've come to expect from major EA franchise mobile releases. It has HD-quality visuals, intuitive touch controls for action-packed gameplay, and a laundry list of content and features to keep you playing for hours.

Apple gives developers a chance for an expedited Apple Watch order

Apple on Tuesday began sending out emails to select iOS developers, giving them the chance to purchase a 42mm Apple Watch with a Blue Sport band that is guaranteed to arrive by April 28, 2015. Supplies are of course extremely limited, so Apple says that it is choosing the developers via a lottery system.

The move is part of an ongoing effort to help app developers test their WatchKit apps directly on Apple Watch, which can help them gather much better performance data than the Mac simulator. Prior to pre-orders, Apple was said to be inviting some developers to its Cupertino headquarters for such testing.