News

According to Apple: The Apple Watch is water resistant, not waterproof

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New details about Apple’s latest products keep emerging every day, for example the Apple Watch’s ability to withstand water.

Apple revealed the bad news to journalists at the Hands–on Pavilion after the main event: the Apple Watch is considered “water resistant,” not waterproof.

Activities like jogging in the rain, washing your hands, or cooking while wearing it are all fine. But users should not swim with the watch, shower with the watch or wear it in any activity involving significant amounts of water.

This is a major blow for users who were hoping to have a wearable smart device to use during water sports. Apple fans are already hoping future designs may actually be waterproof.

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On the bright side, Apple also demonstrated that users can directly load apps onto the Apple Watch from an iPhone. The Apps can be rearranged on the home screen by dragging and dropping, like iOS can do. There is also a new “Ping My Phone” button on the watch that helps you locate your phone by following the beeping sound to where you last left it.

In addition, a fashionable gold version of the Apple Watch will come in a “gorgeous jewelry box” which doubles as a battery charger, according to Apple. The back of the box will have a Lightning connector, while the inside contains the watch’s charger pad, allowing the Apple Watch to be charged overnight.

More details about the Watch remain unrevealed, such as additional pricing beyond the base U.S. $349 model. Apple is also undecided on offering customers the ability to mix & match bands as some fans had hoped for.

News

Why Apple Pay will change the way we checkout

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On Tuesday, Apple announced the brand new Apple Pay, a new feature that uses your iPhone to electronically pay for goods and services instead of a traditional credit or debit card. Here are some ways that it’s useful and efficient for people to use:

It’s vastly more secure than bank cards

Your average debit and credit card uses a magnetic strip along the side with a unique 16-digit number. When you swipe your card through a cashier’s card reader, the reader copies and sends your number to your bank for verification before the transaction is done. Because your card is unique, anyone who can access your card number can use your information. Your only option is to call the bank and report fraudulent charges before your bank account is drained.

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Apple Pay uses far more complex security for transactions

Instead of relying on one number, your iPhone uses “tokenization”, which can generate a random 16-digit number alongside your real 16-digit number, verify and confirm the two, and send the random number into the card reader to complete the transaction. Your iPhone will generate a completely new 16-digit number for every purchase you make, so hackers will never be able to break into your code and access your bank account.

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In addition, none of your financial information is stored in Apple’s servers or on your iPhone. According to Apple, the company does not and will not keep track of any purchases made with your iPhone. Your information will always be secure.

Your iPhone can be used at different stores around the world

Apple Pay will be used at stores and establishments throughout the world, and at any retailer with an Apple Pay-compatible register. Whole Foods, McDonald’s Subway and Sephora are some of the businesses that are ready to accept iPhone as a means of payment. Unlike in traditional card transactions, the cashier will never ask for your iPhone to enter information, nor scan the iPhone by themselves. You will have total control over you phone at all times during the transaction. McDonald’s has even announced a special drive-thru pay terminal where uses will be able to tap and connect your iPhone to pay for a meal. Convenient banking, indeed.

And if you happen to lose your phone, you will be able to log into iCloud and suspend any payments, then be able to secure your phone so you can track it down.

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Apple has announced a lot for this new mechanism, and details are still coming in. It’s very likely that all of the bugs haven’t yet been worked out of the system, and Apple is still fine-tuning the basics even as this article goes to press. Stay tuned for all the latest updates and information as it happens.

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Recap of the services and products released at Apple’s big event

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On Tuesday Apple held an event broadcast over the internet to the entire world. Information is still coming in fast and subject to change. Here are some of the highlights in case you missed the excitement:

The Apple Watch, a brand new wearable smart device, will be launched in 2015 and priced at $349. It will be used in conjunction with iPhones, but only starting with the iPhone 5 model and up. The Apple Watch will have Siri voice commands and a new “taptic” function that gently buzzes the user’s wrist for multiple uses. The Apple Watch will also have an earphone jack, wifi connectivity, a customizable HUD and full app usability, among other features. More information on the product, including a final release date, are expected in future updates.

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Two new iPhones will be released on September 19; the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 will retail in the United States for $199, and the iPhone 6 Plus will retail in the United States for $299. No word yet on pricing in other countries. Apple increased the price of its iPhones higher that ever, reflecting confidence that consumers are hungry for the product and will meet demand. Apple’s iPhone is more expensive than nearly all other competing smartphones. Estimates for the final selling price of an iPhone, plans and peripherals add up to around $657 this year, compared with $254 for Android smartphones. 

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The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are announced to have bigger screens, at 4.7 and 5.5 inches each, respectively. They will also contain 128 Gigabytes of internal memory. Traditionally, Apple has stuck with a small display for its iPhone, while competitors were making larger screens for high-end phones. Larger screens are desired in Asia, where the smartphone is replacing the personal computer as a person’s main computing device. The lack of a large screen was fast becoming a liability for Apple. Smartphone rival Samsung Electronics has pushed hard into large-screen smartphones and used the bigger screen as a positive difference away from the iPhone. Samsung is currently the market leader of large smartphone displays.

Apple Pay, a brand new contact-less payment program, has been announced. Instead of traditional debit and credit card transactions, Apple Pay will allow users to directly scan and purchase goods and services with their iPhones at a registered business. Details will be forthcoming on where Apple Pay can be used; the current list of Apple Pay vendors are McDonalds, Subway, Whole Foods and Sephora. More businesses are expected to announce their support in future updates.

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To celebrate the Apple Watch and the newest iPhone release, legendary rock band U2 has announced their new album will be free to download for all iTunes users. More than 500 million users have been given day-one access to the music, which is the largest record debut in the history of the music industry.

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Expect more details about Apple’s new products to emerge in the weeks ahead.

How-To

How to enable Apple’s two step verification

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Last week’s hack of Hollywood photos was a wake-up call to the general public and the Apple Corporation about being lax with internet security. Apple’s devices can all enable two-factor authentication now, and these steps will show you how it’s done, so you can protect yourself all the more effectively.

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First, long into the Apple ID system. You can either go to https://appleid.apple.com or just find the “Manage your Apple ID” listing in your device. If this is the first time you’ve heard of it, you should know that you can also do billing and update contact information from this listing as well.

Second, find “Password and Security” from the options menu, and answer the security questions that it provides. Then scroll to the “Two-Step Verification” listing and click the “Get Started” link.

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Third, Apple will send you an SMS with a verification code to the phone number you’ve assigned on your Apple ID. If your phone number is out of date and needs to be changed, you’ll have to wait 72 hours before being able to change the number—this is another Apple security measure that prevents hackers and other people from immediately locking you out of your own device.

Fourth, after you have the SMS and entered the verification code, you can register an iPad, iPhone, or iPod on which you’ve already used your Apple ID, to enable “Find my iPhone”. Currently these are the only devices you’ll be able to receive future codes with, sent as a special push notification from Apple. Apple may add more devices to the security list in the future. 

Lastly, Apple will generate a unique recovery master key that can be used to unlock your account if you forget your password or don’t have access to any of your devices. Apple strongly recommends you write down the recovery key and store it in a secure place—like a bank deposit box or a gun safe.  

two-step-apple-verification-3Now a general warning: If you manage to forget your password, throw away your recovery master key AND lose access to all of your “trusted” devices, you will not be able to login to the Apple ID system, period. No exceptions. Apple Corporation will officially not be able to help you, but a customer service representative can recommend replacement devices for you to buy.

Anyway, when you’ve finished your verification process, you’ll be asked for a code when you try to go online. Apple will be installing more two-step verification for more tasks, like restoring backups on a new device, later this year.

News

5 different ways Apple’s iWatch must succeed

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Next week, Apple is expected to announce new products, including a brand new wearable called the iWatch. Unlike most smart devices, wearable watches and the like have not been widely accepted by the public in daily use. If the iWatch is to be a success, there are five conditions that Apple needs to improve and change in order for the product to be a success.

1. The iWatch needs to be considered similar to fashionable jewelry

Unlike smartphones, which can be mounted on a wide variety of devices and hidden inside clothing, a smart watch is designed primarily to be laced around a person’s wrist. In order for a person to put up with extra weight and bulk on their wrist, the iWatch must be completely aesthetically pleasing, with color, material, shape and function all adding up to a product that a customer is willing to wear every day.

2. The iWatch needs to have practical and good uses

Apple is fighting to win two kinds of customers: those who use a smart phone to look up the time of day, and those who prefer to wear luxury watches like Rolex and Tag Hauer to make a statement. The iWatch should at least have a clear and readable display, a battery lifespan similar to any common watch on the market, and the same wireless connectivity and function of a smart phone.

3. The iWatch needs to cater to activities where a regular watch or a smart phone aren’t practical

Most watches are waterproof and most smart phones play music, but the iWatch should be a device where you can do both and monitor your heart rate and pulse while swimming in a pool. Being able to access all kinds of information in a wide variety of environments makes the iWatch practical far beyond other smart devices. (And it should be pointed out that the iWatch needs to be ruggedly built and waterproof, otherwise customers won’t bother buying the device on launch day.)

4. The iWatch should offer a new user experience and interface

Apple’s user interfaces have been a part of the brand: the one-button Macintosh mouse, the iPod’s clicking wheel, and the iPhone’s Siri voice command are all examples of a great, memorable user interface. However, these devices may be too big and clunky to implement on a wrist watch using current technology, and most customers would rely on their existing smart phones for such service instead. A touchscreen interface would make the most sense and be the most intuitive on an iWatch, although having voice command could have some useful benefits.

5. The iWatch must make people excited for Apple products again

When the iPod was released early in the 21st century, it wasn’t just seen as a portable music player, but as a device that captured the imagination of the world. The iPod was seen as the dreams of the future made into reality, a technological leap forward for mankind. Watches and phones once seen as magical are now viewed as old hat by many global customers, with better selections of similar products by other companies out there for anyone who wants to buy one. The iWatch has a major obstacle to confront next week; that like the Apple products before it, the iWatch must prove the ambition and capability of a company who wants to position themselves in the forefront of public consciousness. Time will tell if the iWatch succeeds.