Netflix yesterday announced a brand new iPhone app on the App Store which it designed to let you quickly measure how fast your broadband downlink is by testing the connection to Netflix’s servers. The goal of the free app, aptly named Fast, is to give Netflix subscribers a better understanding of the streaming quality they can expect from the service on their Internet connection. It's not a replacement for SpeedTest or similar software and does not measure the uplink speed because it has little effect on streaming quality.
iPad
From the latest news to the most comprehensive tutorials, learn how to get the most out of your iPad with our step-by-step guides and expert tips.
Everything new in iOS 10 beta 5
Somewhat unexpectedly, Apple this morning issued new developer-only betas of iOS 10, macOS Sierra, tvOS 10 and watchOS 3—a mere week after posting their respective fourth beta. While Apple's release notes for iOS 10 beta 5 (build number “14A5335b”) mention no new features as we inch closer to a Gold Master, there are a few tidbits and tweaks to wet your appetite.
Aside from other changes, for instance, iOS 10 beta packs in a new lock sound and lets you download apps from the App Store after a reboot without needing to re-authorize Touch ID purchase with your Apple ID password.
How to send and listen to voice messages on WhatsApp on iPhone
Learn how you can record voice clips inside WhatsApp on your iPhone and send them to a person or group. Additionally, we’ll show you how to listen to voice messages if you receive one and go over some troubleshooting tips in case you can’t do these things.
Nearly half of all iPads are now being bought by corporations and governments
iPad sales fell another nine percent in the June quarter down to 9.95 million units, but that drop would have been deeper had it not been for big corporations and governments, which are now buying nearly half of all iPads, according to a Forrester research quoted in a New York Times article titled “Once Taunted by Steve Jobs, Companies Are Now Big Customers of Apple”.
“In the primordial days of computing, IBM machines were so common inside corporations that there was a running joke in the industry: Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM,” reads the report. “These days, the same could be said about Apple. Even IBM is promoting Apple gear.”
Craig Federighi comes clean on how Night Shift avoids ghosting artifacts when scrolling
Night Shift, a feature that was introduced in iOS 9.3, reduces the amount of blue light emitted from the display of your iOS device at night to help avoid disrupting your sleep cycle. In helping you getting a good night’s sleep, the feature looks at your geographical position and the time of the day to shift the colors to the warmer end of the spectrum.
But we all know that. Today, we learn that Apple's engineers also built this feature in a way that avoids ugly artifacts that could appear on LCDs while scrolling and animating.
You’ll be surprised to learn why Apple provides public iOS betas
Fast Company today published a wide ranging interview with Apple's boss Tim Cook, software boss Craig Federighi and Eddy Cue, who is in charge of Internet software and services, that touches upon a number of interesting topics, including competition, iPhone sales slowdown, why public iOS betas exist (the real reason is now what you think) and more.
Cook also comments on the gloom-and-doom sentiment that has always surrounded Apple while admitting that the company does make mistakes along the way, and more.
SketchPlus, Foresee, VOX Free Music, and other apps to check out this weekend
In this week's edition of iDB's Apps of the Week roundup, we have selected some great apps for you to check out this weekend. We have a new photo editor with some great sketch filters, a weather app that can help you schedule outdoor activities, an app for discovering music, and two great new games you won't want to miss.
How to watch the 2016 Summer Olympics on your iPhone, iPad and Apple TV
The 2016 Summer Olympics (officially known as Games of the XXXI Olympiad) are finally upon us. For the next two weeks, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will play host to a number of thrilling sporting events featuring some of the best athletes from around the world.
Despite the various health and social issues going on in Rio, millions are expected to tune-in to watch the Olympic Games. With that in mind, we thought it'd be helpful to put together a quick guide on how you can join them on your iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.
At long last, Instagram is adding much-needed Drafts to save unfinished posts for later
You cannot find it mentioned in release notes accompanying the most recent Instagram update which brought out a new Snapchat-like Stories feature, but either that or an earlier update has quietly added a much-needed Drafts feature to the popular mobile photography app.
Called by some fans the best feature that has happened to Instagram in quite a while, Drafts lets you save the photo you're currently editing as a draft.
This is quite useful, if not essential, in case you just spent your time making detailed edits to a photo, but ultimately decided not to post it until later.
Apple gives away Brushstroke painting effects app
Brushstroke is one of those image effects app with a unique twist. Not only does it transform your photos into faux paintings, but optionally lets you order mounted canvas prints of your images directly from the app that you can hang on the wall.
Apple named Brushstroke its Free App of the Week in December 2014. If you forgot to grab this nicely done $2.99 iPhone and iPad app for $0 back then, now's your chance.
Google Photos gains 3D Touch shortcuts and storage optimization feature
Google today issued a minor refresh to its native Photos app on the App Store, introducing 3D Touch shortcuts for the Home screen and a much-needed new feature designed to optimize storage space on your device. Bumped to version 1.13, Google Photos for iPhone and iPad produces a 3D Touch menu upon pressing its Home screen icon, giving you access to the following shortcuts: I'm Feeling Lucky, Free Up Space and Make Shared Album.
In addition to these 3D Touch shortcuts and the new storage-optimization feature, this edition of the app packs in unspecified performance improvements.
Apple’s free app of the week: hocus
Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the game hocus. This means from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the minimal puzzler for both iPhone and iPad for free—saving you $1.
Hocus is described as a perspective illusion puzzle game. Players are tasked with moving a red cube through a maze of gray beams—very similar to Monument Valley. There are 85+ levels, and you can even design your own.