Apple Watch: what the iDB team is buying

It's been a long time coming, but now that we know just what the Apple Watch will cost, how much we will need to pay for additional bands and when pre-orders will be open, the only thing left to do is choose which Apple Watch will order.

At least, that's how it seems to us here at iDB. After months of waiting for concrete information on availability and pricing, the decision on whether to actually pick up an Apple Watch was one that didn't need much thinking about. The argument over whether to plump for the Apple Watch Edition was taken out of our hands by its price, too, so really all it comes down to is whether the Apple Watch or Apple Watch Sport is the watch for you.

The iDB team got to discussing this very subject recently and we thought that discussion might be an interesting one to share with everyone. After all, if you guys are struggling to make a decision as much as we were, then every little bit of help is no doubt appreciated.

So, with that elongated preamble of the way, let's see what the iDB team will be ordering come April 10th.

MacID goes free, gets audio controls, Notification Center widget, and more

A few months ago, I reviewed MacID, which is a biometric locking and unlocking utility app for iOS and OS X. Users sync the two devices together and sign in with their Mac’s password. Then, whenever you leave your computer, it locks. The iOS app allows you to unlock it with Touch ID or by entering your iPhone’s password.

MacID version 1.1 recently launched and to celebrate, the company’s developer has dropped the price of the iOS app from $3.99 to free for 48 hours. The update makes this app way more than just a simple unlocking feature.

New Amazon commercial says Kindle Fire HD is twice as durable as iPad mini 3

Forget about side-by-side software and hardware comparison, Apple's iPad mini 3 is twice as likely to break into pieces should it slip out of your hand than Amazon's Kindle Fire HD.

That's the key message of Amazon's latest television commercial which paints its tablet “twice as durable” as the iPad mini 3.

The 30-second video, which shows the Kindle Fire HD being subjected to various durability tests, is meant to reinforce the notion that Amazon tablets are sturdier than Apple's.

Apple to launch new trade-in program for Android switchers

Apple will soon introduce a new trade-in program that will accept Androids and other non-Apple smartphones, reports 9to5Mac. Citing sources familiar with the upcoming rollout, the outlet says the program will be very similar to Apple's existing iPhone trade-in program, which provides customers with gift cards to be used towards the purchase of a new iPhone.

Trade-in values of smartphones will be determined by Apple Store representatives, based on the age of the device as well as its cosmetic and functioning condition. The reps are said to be beginning extensive training sessions later this week, which will better prepare them to appraise these new devices when the program launches sometime in "the coming weeks."

Apple seeds new OS X 10.10.3 beta to developers, public testers

Apple seeded a new beta of its upcoming OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 update this morning. The software, labeled build 14D105g, is available through the Update tab in the Mac App Store for public testers, as well as the online Dev Center for all Mac developers.

The release comes less than a week after the previous OS X 10.10.3 beta, and it appears that it is nearly identically to its predecessor, save for a fix for a problem that prevented beta 3 from working with the 2015 Retina MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

You’ll be able to try on Apple Watch in Apple Stores without appointment

You'll be able to spend hands-on time with an Apple Watch at Apple's retail stores without making a purchase. Although some sources previously mentioned trying on Watches by appointment, 9to5Mac has learned that try on appointments won’t be necessary after all.

Apple will start taking pre-orders for the Watch on April 10, ahead of its April 24 launch. April 10 is also when the Watch will arrive for “preview” in retail stores. Apple Retail will begin training employees on selling the device at the end of March.

YouTube introduces Cards feature, starts accepting 360-degree video uploads

Google has announced a new interactive Cards feature to improve annotations while also adding support for 360-degree video uploads.

Similar to Google Now cards, YouTube Cards pop-up to deliver additional pieces of information while the video is playing. Google has said that YouTube Cards will “eventually replace annotations,” but only once they can do everything annotations can do today.

T-Mobile extends Data Stash to prepaid customers, 10GB of free LTE data included

Back in November, carrier T-Mobile USA unveiled Data Stash, a much welcomed deal for subscribers that rolled all unused data over to the next month, for up to a year, while stocking each Data Stash with ten gigabytes of free data.

Monday, the wireless company extended Data Stash to prepaid customers. Just like Data Stash for subscribers, prepaid customers will also get ten gigabytes of free 4G LTE data.

The promotion kicks off March 22. It's the same deal postpaid customers have been enjoying: any unused data gets automatically put in the virtual Data Stash, where it can be used anytime during that year.

Poll: which new MacBook finish would you opt for?

If someone told me Apple would release a notebook in faux gold, I'd call them crazy and out of touch with reality, but that's exactly what the company has done with the new 12-inch MacBook adopting the same Space Gray, Silver and Gold color scheme popularized by iOS devices.

Say you were in the market for that machine, which finish would you go with: the unassuming Silver, the subdued Space Gray or “a stunning gold,” as Phil Schiller, Apple's marketing honcho, put it unveiling the machine at the “Spring Forward“?

How to use the new TinyUmbrella beta to save SHSH blobs and prepare for downgrades

In case you missed our post over the weekend, TinyUmbrella, the popular tool associated with downgrading iOS firmware, is back with a brand new beta version. This is a significant new revelation for the jailbreak community that could have some far-reaching consequences when it comes to establishing potential downgrade options and protecting against Apple's routine of closing firmware signing windows.

The new TinyUmbrella tool shares a lot in common with its predecessor, but it's been a long time, and there's enough differences to warrant a brand new walkthrough and discussion. In this video, I'll show you how to save your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch SHSH blobs, I'll talk about what's new with TinyUmbrella, and I'll show you some of the things I've learned and encountered thus far.