Tim Cook: Apple won’t merge iOS and OS X

Now that Apple is blurring the lines between its mobile tablets and PCs with the iPad Pro , it’s tempting to imagine iOS and OS X merging into a single operating system ( Windows 10-style ) that works on virtually every device the company makes. You’ll want to put any such ideas on hold, though. In a chat with Box’s Aaron Levie, Apple chief Tim Cook dismissed the prospects of unifying iOS and OS X. It “subtracts from both, ” he said, arguing that you “don’t get the best experience from either.” This isn’t a completely new idea from Apple (it once explained in detail why OS X doesn’t have touch), but it’s clear that Cook doesn’t feel any pressure to follow in Microsoft’s footsteps on this front. Not that Cook and crew are giving Microsoft and its ideas the cold shoulder — just the opposite, in fact. The exec said he doesn’t believe in “holding grudges” against Apple’s frequent rival, and that the two tech giants can “partner on more things” than they compete in. Witness the slew of iOS-friendly Office updates that were unveiled in tandem with the iPad Pro and iOS 9, for example. The enterprise crowd, Cook adds, would rather see Apple and Microsoft collaborating than fighting. On that note, the CEO contended that Apple isn’t nearly as work-phobic as it used to be. The company is big on enterprise deals (it made $25 billion in enterprise revenue in the space of a year), and that there’s no real distinction these days between personal and office-focused devices. You don’t buy enterprise smartphones any more than you buy enterprise cars, he said. We’re sure that BlackBerry won’t be happy with that last statement, but it’s hard to dispute — with occasional exceptions, software is the only thing distinguishing an off-the-shelf smartphone from a locked-down corporate handset. [Image credit: Michael Short/Bloomberg via Getty Images] Source: ZDNet , Recode

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Tim Cook: Apple won’t merge iOS and OS X

All the New Stuff You Can Ask Siri in iOS 9

One of Apple’s big talking points when they introduced iOS 9 was how Siri was going to be better and more “proactive.” We didn’t really have any clue what that meant initially, but now that iOS has been around for a week, we’ve got a much better idea of what you can ask it to do. Let’s take a look. Read more…

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All the New Stuff You Can Ask Siri in iOS 9

iPhone 6s’s A9 Processor Racks Up Impressive Benchmarks

MojoKid writes: Underneath the hood of Apple’s new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models is a new custom designed System-on-Chip (SoC) that Apple has dubbed its A9 processor. It’s a 64-bit chip that, according to Apple, is the most advanced ever built for any smartphone, and that’s just one of many claims coming out of Cupertino. Apple is also claiming a level of gaming performance on par with dedicated game consoles and with a graphics engine that’s 90 percent faster than the previous generation. For compute chores, Apple says the A9 chip improves overall CPU performance by up to 70 percent. These performance promises come without divulging too much about the physical makeup of the A9, though in testing its dual-core SoC does seem to compete well with the likes of Samsung’s octal-core Exynos chips found in the Galaxy S6 line. Further, in intial graphics benchmark testing, the A9 also leads the pack in mosts tests, sometimes by a healthy margin, even besting Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 in tests like 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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iPhone 6s’s A9 Processor Racks Up Impressive Benchmarks

Phone Passwords Protected By 5th Amendment, Says Federal Court

Ars Technica reports that a Federal court in Pennsylvania ruled Wednesday that the Fifth Amendment protects from compelled disclosure the passwords that two insider-trading suspects used on their mobile phones. In this case, the SEC is investigating two former Capital One data analysts who allegedly used insider information associated with their jobs to trade stocks—in this case, a $150, 000 investment allegedly turned into $2.8 million. Regulators suspect the mobile devices are holding evidence of insider trading and demanded that the two turn over their passcodes. However, ruled the court , “Since the passcodes to Defendants’ work-issued smartphones are not corporate records, the act of producing their personal passcodes is testimonial in nature and Defendants properly invoke their fifth Amendment privilege. A” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Phone Passwords Protected By 5th Amendment, Says Federal Court

AT&T Says Malware Secretly Unlocked Hundreds of Thousands of Phones

alphadogg writes: AT&T said three of its employees secretly installed software on its network so a cellphone unlocking service could surreptitiously funnel hundreds of thousands of requests to its servers to remove software locks on phones. The locks prevent phones from being used on competing networks and have been an important tool used by cellular carriers to prevent customers from jumping ship. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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AT&T Says Malware Secretly Unlocked Hundreds of Thousands of Phones

23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn’t Do in iOS 8

It may have come to your attention that there’s a fresh version of iOS in town. But aside from a font change, what’s different about this new edition of Apple’s mobile OS? To help you navigate around iOS 9, we’ve listed all the tricks that it can do that were beyond the capabilities of iOS 8. Read more…

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23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn’t Do in iOS 8

Apple’s First Android App, Move To iOS, Is Getting Killed With One-Star Reviews

An anonymous reader writes: Apple today launched Move to iOS, the company’s first Android app built in-house. As we noted earlier, “It should surprise no one that the first app Apple built for Android helps you ditch the platform.” The fact that the app is getting flooded with one-star reviews is not particularly surprising, either. At the time of publication, the app has an average rating of 1.8. The larger majority (almost 79 percent) are one-star reviews, followed by five-star reviews (almost 19 percent). Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Apple’s First Android App, Move To iOS, Is Getting Killed With One-Star Reviews

Apple will (eventually) let you remove some of its iOS apps

Apple’s iOS devices have long included apps that you’re unlikely to use (do you really need a stock tracker?), and that list only seems to be getting longer . That’s potentially a big problem, especially when the company is still shipping 16GB flagship iPhones where every megabyte counts. However, there might be some relief in sight. In a chat with BuzzFeed News , CEO Tim Cook says that his company will eventually “figure out a way” for you to remove some of those apps. You won’t get to yank all of them (that “might cause issues” with some device features, Cook says), but this could spare you from creating a folder for the bundled apps that would otherwise gather virtual dust. There’s no timetable for when this will happen, so don’t be surprised if you end up waiting a while to clean up your home screens. However, the very mention of the idea represents a shift in Apple’s stance toward bundled apps. Cook wants you “to be happy” with your gear, not to “suck up your real estate.” To him, it’s better to let you purge some software than to risk losing a customer. Filed under: Cellphones , Tablets , Mobile , Apple Comments Source: BuzzFeed News Tags: app, apple, apps, bloatware, ios, ipad, iphone, mobilepostcross, smartphone, tablet, timcook

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Apple will (eventually) let you remove some of its iOS apps

Skype 6.0 brings revamped design to both iOS and Android

Skype users have ridden a rollercoaster of different designs over the years, and the latest version promises yet more change. Version 6.0 has been completely redesigned for both iOS and Android apps, which are now in lockstep with each other. For Google’s ecosystem, the new layout took a page from the Android 5 “Material” playbook with circular icons and other touches. Other features include a floating action button to start new calls or chats (à la Facebook’s Messenger), enhanced search and improved messaging. There are also custom ringtones, photo sharing and web link reviews to bring the app in line with rival messaging products like Google’s Hangouts. On the Apple side, Microsoft made similar visual tweaks and added swipe gestures for calls and messages. It’s also easier to post photos, links and emoticons when you’re on a video or voice call. Other tweaks include enhanced search, location info and other features you’d expect on a messaging system. The Skype iPad app has been completely revamped to take advantage of the larger screen, and now includes group calling to boot. Both the Android and iOS apps are now available, and as for Skype on Windows 10 Mobile, MIcrosoft said it’s working hard on the next version and “we’ll let you know when we have more to share.” Filed under: Cellphones , Tablets , Mobile , Microsoft Comments Source: Skype Tags: Android, iOS, iPhone, microsoft, mobilepostcross, Skype, Skype 6.0

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Skype 6.0 brings revamped design to both iOS and Android

The Miix 700 is Lenovo’s Surface killer

Lenovo has arguably done more than any other PC maker to blur the line between tablets and laptops — but its new Ideapad Miix 700 convertible tablet is clearly aimed at one particular competitor: Microsoft’s Surface . Like that machine, the Miix 700 sports a kickstand with a high-tech hinge; it’s a pretty decent tablet on its own; and it has a well-built keyboard accessory that snaps on with a strong magnet. Even a Lenovo rep acknowledged that it was “inspired” by the Surface. But just because it looks familiar doesn’t mean it’s not a worthy convertible entry. Lenovo fans will likely appreciate the Miix 700’s solid keyboard implementation, which feels practically indistinguishable from some of the company’s laptop keyboards (and far more comfortable than the Surface Type cover), as well as the company’s more subdued style. The Miix 700 starts at $699 and will start shipping in November. Slideshow-316577 The Miix 700 packs in up to an Intel Core M7 processor, which puts it more in line with the low-powered Surface 3 than the beefy Surface Pro 3. You can still include up to 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD if you need a bit more speed and space, though. Its 12-inch screen runs at 2160 by 1440 pixels, a tad sharper than plain old 1080, and it weighs 1.7 pounds with the keyboard attached. There are also 5 megapixel front and rear cameras, and you also have the option of plugging in Intel’s RealSense 3D camera, which will let you log into Windows 10 using just your face . That’s something no Surface tablet does yet — but you can be sure Microsoft will include something similar in its next refresh (which is expected to hit in a few months). In my short hands-on time with the Miix 700, it felt like a solid, if somewhat familiar, device. Its kickstand lays flat on its back and takes a bit of effort to pull out, and it can expand almost to around 160 degrees. The big difference from the Surface? Its hinges are prominently displayed on the Miix 700’s back, rather than being hidden under the hinge. It uses two of the same “watchband” hinges we saw on the Yoga Pro 3 , a design that we ended up liking last year. I didn’t have a chance to hold the Miix 700 on my lap, but judging from the sturdiness of the keyboard and its hinge design, I expect it to be about as “lappable” as the last few Surface tablets. More on that keyboard accessory: I can’t stress enough how great it feels. Lenovo is no stranger to quality keyboards, after all. But it’s still surprising to see it pull off a very usable keyboard on a tablet cover. It also folds up slightly onto the tablet’s screen to give the keys a bit of an angle (a design choice that Microsoft also used to stabilize its keyboard). Still, as good as the Miix 700 looks and feels, you wouldn’t be blamed for wondering why it even exists. Lenovo has explored other detachable tablet concepts, like the Miix 2 , and it’s also spent plenty of time honing its hinge technology for its many Yoga convertibles. It’s also still the largest global PC vendor, with around 20 percent of the market. One possible reason is that it may feel threatened by the growth of the Surface lineup , which would also explain why it lifted so many design choices from Microsoft. If anything, Microsoft should take it as a compliment. Filed under: Laptops , Tablets , Mobile , Lenovo Comments Tags: IdeaPad, lenovo, Miix700, mobilepostcross

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The Miix 700 is Lenovo’s Surface killer