Welcome to the last week of news for 2015. Like everyone else, we’ll be taking a bit of a break over the Christmas a New Year period, returning on January 4th, 2016. From all of us here at AppleTalk, have a safe and merry Christmas, and we’ll see you in the new year! But first, some news…
John Gruber’s take on Apple’s Smart Battery Case was that “looks good” was way down on Apple’s list of priorities, which was designed first and foremost, to provide an extra kick of battery life. Gruber writes that it’s the exactly the kind of product that Apple would design — a product designed to solve a problem, even if it looks somewhat inelegant.
Apple’s latest partnership for the Apple SIM is with AlwaysOnline, a company that offers short-term data plans. Pricing starts at US $1 for 15MB or 1 hour of data access, which coverage available in 45 countries including Australia, but with the caveat that residents of those countries aren’t eligible for the plans.
A new advertising campaign for the iPhone sees Apple pushing the iPhone 6s to existing iPhone users. Apple’s email to users reminds them about iPhone trade-ins via online or in-store, while also telling them about the advantages of the iPhone Upgrade Program (still only available in the US). App Store users on older devices have also been subject to new iPhone advertising, in a somewhat controversial move.
Speaking of the App Store, Apple’s latest minor improvement shows which apps have universal support for the Apple TV. A one-liner on the App Store is all it takes, apparently.
An iTunes update brings the version numbers up to 12.3.2, and the only real update (beyond the usual bug fixes) being an update to the way classical music is displayed in the iTunes Store. Classical music can now be displayed by work, composer, and performer, making it easier to find what you’re looking for.
Fortune has the numbers on Apple Watch usage after a day-long event in San Francisco. Thanks to Glance, we now know that Apple has 80% of the smartwatch market, and that Apple is projected to sell 21 million units in the first year.
An Apple patent looks to take waterproofing devices to the next level, describing a self-healing elastomer designed to be penetrated by connectors without leaving structural damage. Like all Apple patents, seems pretty crazy, but crazy enough that it just might work.
Tesla are doing something with their leftover seat leather, by turning them into iPhone cases. Perhaps a little bit tacky if you don’t actually own a Tesla (but buy the case anyway), but otherwise a nice gift for someone who might already have one (a Tesla, I mean, not an iPhone).
Slide is a new iPhone app which turns your photos into 3D images. Well, kind of — Slide does its magic by creating a super-short GIF from your stills.
Gabe from Macdrifter writes about the hidden conveniences in iOS 9, which, in his own words, removes “a lot of sand from my shorts and I’m thrilled with the reduced friction”.
Macworld’s Kirk McElhearn answers questions about iTunes artwork and displaying song names on… wait, the iOS 8 Music app? Sure, why not.
If you’re already taking it easy in anticipation of some holidays, Tools and Toys has a list of their favourite iOS games of 2015. RIP, productivity.
Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2015/12/monday-morning-news141215/
