Continuing our simple nature series, including mountains and lakes, the next images feature winter snow and frost. Ending November in the northern hemisphere means winter is coming. This year, it seems winter is arriving more quickly than previous years. Living in the south eastern US, I experienced my first snow in early November.
With Thanksgiving passed and temperatures plummeting, it is time to switch the Lock screen over to match the occasion. For an unknown reason, winter snowy wallpapers are my favorite genre. Consequently, find four wallpaper images below.
Wallpapers
The images below are listed with iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Retina resolutions. As we typically find, many readers complain about alternate sizes for older devices. Please note, iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Retina resolutions will fit and are scalable for smaller screens. With the Perspective Zoom feature on iOS 8, the images are even easier to scale.
Native resolution wallpapers are only important for wallpapers with specific patterns, boarders, or image features that are location-specific on the screen. None of the images below have any of those properties. Therefore, having a native resolution image is not necessary. The primary focal point of each image is in the center. Any part of the image that would but “cut off” by the screen size is not relevant to the overall image.
A new report from a Chinese tech website says the “iPhone 7,” if that is what the phone is actually called, will have sapphire crystal glass for its display. Sapphire is the second-hardest, naturally occurring material next to diamond.
Apple tried to launch its iPhone 6 models earlier this year with sapphire but it wasn’t feasible.
Macx.cn this week, however, reported that Apple components maker Foxconn will produce the sapphire glass for the next iPhone models.
Apple does use sapphire for the Touch ID sensor and camera lenses.
The company was previously going to use GT Advanced Technologies to manufacture the sapphire but it filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. The firm is planning on shutting down two of its production plants while laying off 890 workers, reported The Verge.
“Now the Cupertino-based company has entered into Foxconn for sapphire glass for iPhones. The agreement, according to Macx.cn includes making a factory near Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China to install manufacturing facility for sapphire crystal glass for next iPhones. This will be located not far away from the factory where Apple Smartphones are produced/assembled (by Foxconn),” says the Daily Bhaskar, which cites the Chinese report.
Other rumors about the iPhone 7 indicate Apple will feature at least a 4.7-inch screen size, according to MacWorld.
Another rumor, as reported by Time magazine, is that Apple will include “sidewall displays” on the phone, which will curve along the phone’s edges.
And Apple will likely bump up the battery life, camera, and performance for the phone.
As with previous iPhone releases, the iPhone 7 will likely be released September 2015.
Here’s how the game of iOS cat-and-mouse jailbreak works. A team releases a working jailbreak for the most recent version of iOS to the public. Apple moves to eliminate the exploit that made the last jailbreak possible, releases a new version of iOS, and stops ‘signing’ previous jailbreakable versions of iOS, meaning they can no longer be installed on devices. Rinse and repeat.
The last version of iOS, iOS 8.1.1, closed the hole that made the Pangu jailbreak possible. But now a new jailbreak has been released, that will jailbreak iOS 8.1.1 on any device. Here’s how to install it.
The jailbreak is called TaiG. It’s in Chinese, and it only works on Windows (although running it in a Windows virtual machine also works fine), but it jailbreaks every version of iOS from iOS 8.0 to iOS 8.1.1, and it works like a charm.
To install the jailbreak, download the TaiG tool, extract its contents, and run the tool as an administrator. For the device you intend to jailbreak, turn off ‘Find My iPhone’ and disable your passcode under ‘Settings’, then enable AirPlane mode. Plug your device into your computer, and when TaiG recognizes your device, uncheck the second box (the one that doesn’t say Cydia) and hit the green button. When you see the smiley face, your jailbreak is done!
I tried it, and it worked quite well. Of course, with Apple still signing iOS 8.1, it seems a little odd that a perfectly good jailbreak technique would be squandered on iOS 8.1.1 when it could have been held back for iOS 8.2. But I suppose we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Apple last week provided a bit of a makeover to its Apple Watch webpage, adding a number of interesting tidbits regarding the device’s UI and functionality.
Under the Timekeeping section, Apple highlights the myriad of ways in which users can customize their chosen watchface. Of particular interest are small pieces of information called Complications. As detailed by Apple, complications are lightweight data points that are consistently displayed on the watch. Per Apple’s website, user’s can choose from a selection of 10 complications.
Many watches include a few specialized functions – known in watchmaking as complications – that go beyond telling the time. But Apple Watch comes with a full range that can be added to most faces. Some complications are traditional, such as moon phases or sunrises and sunsets. And some are unique to Apple Watch, like stock quotes, weather reports, your next calendar event, and a daily activity tracker. When you tap a complication, Apple Watch opens the corresponding app.
Other options include a timer, a stopwatch, and a world clock.
Note that complications are optional and any combination can be chosen, as visualized in the example below. Note that the location of each complication varies depending on which watchface is chosen
The “new ways to connect” section naturally focuses on all of the ways users can connect with other Apple Watch users, from sending text messages, animated sketches, and yes, even hearbeats.
All in all, anyone with a even a passing interest in Apple’s upcoming watch should check out the revamped website. There’s a lot of information to pore through, including some snapshots of some previously undisclosed app UIs.
For instance, the Apple Watch stopwatch will come with three views to choose from, digital, analog, and hybrid. All three are elegant in their own way, but as a quick illustration here’s what the hybrid view looks like.
A new app called FingerKey allows Mac users to unlock their computer using Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s, 6, or 6 Plus.
That means you’ll be able to login to your Mac using your iPhone’s fingerprint sensor rather than typing in a password each time. The app takes advantage of Apple opening up the Touch ID sensor to third-party apps for logins after previously being reserved for unlocking the device itself and authenticating App Store and iTunes purchases.
The FingerKey app includes the ability to unlock multiple computers from a distance, 256-bit AES encryption, and a Notification Center Today widget for quick access.
The developer says that support for logging into Windows and Linux computers is coming soon as is a Pattern Unlock feature for logging in via touchscreen gestures.
We recently wrote about a similar app, which also used a Bluetooth connection, that allowed users to unlock their Mac using by knocking on their iPhone’s screen.
Given that software keyboards are still buggy as hell, I’ve really had the chance to put the Logitech Ultrathin to use full time, and the conclusion in my iPad Ultrathin review still holds true for me.
The battery has never died on me, and I only remember having charged it once in the last eight weeks. The rubber feet are still sticking nicely to the bottom of the case, which is a good sign of overall durability. There’s really no downside to using this particular case with my Air 2, even though it’s technically designed for the original iPad Air. Most of all, the keys are still a delight to use. They’re springy, responsive, and very comfortable in continued use.
The only thing I still want changed at this point would be a sort of auto-wake switch in the form of a pressure sensor or a magnet. Credit really goes to Belkin for inclusion of that feature in many of their keyboard cases, and it has me hooked. Undocking the iPad from the keyboard and having Bluetooth automatically disconnect just feels like magic. It’s a great piece of smart design that makes the keyboard work for me, instead of forcing me to conform to the keyboard. If Logitech could add that feature to the next version of the Ultrathin, I think this would be a real 10/10 design.
For all of its greatness, Apple Pay hasn’t nearly killed the need to take your wallet with you wherever you go. But if you are like me, it has lightened your load a little bit. Instead of carrying around 5 credit cards, I now carry around one each of debit and credit. Combine that with some other de-Costanzifications (scan insurance cards and health club cards for instance) I’ve made recently, I can now consolidate my wallet into a few card slots.
What I’m getting at here is that I can follow the lead of my wife and now consolidate my iPhone and my wallet finally. I’ve chosen two amazing iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cases from my favorite iPhone case manufacturers to get me there: Pad and Quill’s Little Pocket Book ($60 -$10 off for Black Friday) and Twelve South’s $39 Surfacepad…
First up here is the Twelve South Surfacepad for iPhone 6. If you are at all familiar with Twelve South’s lineup, which has been around for 2 years, you know you are getting a top notch hand-crafted cover for the iPhone 6. On the inside you have a soft leather that provides an automatic dust cover/wiper for your iPhone, and on the outside you have quality stitched leather in four color options. I chose white to match the white/silver iPhone 6.
The back is ‘stickied’ onto the iPhone 6 and can be removed and added again a number of times (I am about six add/removes in and it still works great).
I beat the Hell out of my iPhone and these leather cases hold up for many months – perhaps even a year under harsh conditions. This year with the bigger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Twelve South added two slots for credit cards or a driver’s license which is huge. You can double up and maybe fit four cards in the ‘wallet’, but then you are already compromising the tight fit and finish of the case when it is closed.
The downside of the SurfacePad from Twelve South is that it doesn’t provide side impact protection for the iPhone 6. While this keeps the package slim, it kind of eliminates the whole reason to have a case to begin with: protection. You are pretty much naked when dropping the iPhone on its edges here. Sure the back and front are covered, but the edges are where you are more likely to take a hit.
And that brings up my second issue: although I’ve slimmed down my wallet, I do need to carry around a few more cards. That leads us to…
iPhone 6 Little PocketBook by Pad and Quill ($10 off today/Monday only). So my card usage is down, but I still need to carry around a license, a credit card and a few miscellaneous cards (and cash!) that blow out the SurfacePad. Not so for the luxurious Little Pocketbook by Pad and Quill. Like all Pad and Quill cases before, this is a serious wow! item with thick leather bound by heavy duty stitching and wood interior.
Like a Bentley or Rolls Royce of iPhone 6/Plus cases, this one is also very large as you can see in the gallery below, but you can pretty much drop this from your roof onto a diamond floor and expect not to see even a scuff. As for the leather, it is much, much thicker than the SurfacePad and will easily outlast your iPhone 6’s usability
Wrap up:
I ended up going with the Little Pocket Book by Pad and Quill after using both for a few weeks. The SurfacePad is awesome and will have many happy users, especially at its $39.99 price tag, pleasant color selection and super-thin profile.
But for me, the Little Pocket Book’s luxury, ruggedness, protection and full wallet utility were easily worth the extra thickness and $70 $60.
And don’t forget you can always get best iPhone 6/Plus wallet cases deal from our iRumors store.
OS X Yosemite has changed the way your Mac deals with your privacy. On the one hand, Apple has decided to enable hard drive encryption by default, despite the FBI requests not to.
On the other hand, every time you type in Spotlight, your location and local search terms are sent to Apple, and, according to developer Landon Fuller, other third parties like Microsoft.
Fuller’s created a website, Fix Mac OS X Yosemite, where he’s posted up a way to stop Yosemite from sending such private data out. He’s also been contributing to a developer project on GitHub to find out and fix other ways that OS X phones home.
First of all, launch System Preferences and click on the Spotlight preference pane icon. Click on the Search Results tab if it’s not already selected, and UNCHECK the boxes next to Spotlight Suggestions and Bing Web Suggestions.
You can also disable Location Services for Spotlight in the Security & Privacy pane of System Preferences, clicking Details next to the System Services section in the Privacy tab, and then disabling Spotlight Suggestions there, as well. You can do this in addition to the above, or as a standalone solution – if you only disable Spotlight suggestions here, your Mac will still send information about your searches to Apple, just not your location.
When you’re finished, quit System Preferences.
Next, you’ll need to launch Safari and open up the Preferences from the Safari menu.
Uncheck Include Spotlight Suggestions there as well. Now when you use Safari, your privacy will be respected as well. There’s not an equivalent in Chrome that I’ve seen, but we’ll updated this article if we find something there to disable, as well.
Further, if you’re of the Python script loving sort, Fuller has a file you can run in Terminal that will do the same thing; you can download the script from his website.
Finally, head on over to the GitHub “Yosemite phone home” project page to see which other apps and services send your info out to Apple or other parties, and be a part of the fixes there.
Here’s a closer look at what Spotlight is sending:
Steve Jobs was a visionary, a futurist and a business genius … but he was also an inventor with more than 458 patents to his name. What better way to spend this holiday weekend than getting yourself up to speed with the inventions of one of the most prolific patenters of the 20th century?
Over at MIT’s Technology Review, there is a fantastic overview of Jobs’ incredible library of patents, from his first one in 1983 for a Personal Computer to the designing of the dramatic glass cube outside Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue Apple Store.
I always knew Jobs was prolific, but this overview puts in new perspective just how active he was. In fact, even three years after his death, Jobs is still having patents awarded to him.
That’s not to say Jobs was an inventor in the same way that Benjamin Franklin or Nikola Tesla was. Most of his patents are for the look, feel and design of objects, not the nitty-gritty of how they work. According to his some of co-inventors, many times Jobs would end up on the patent just because he gave formative input on the details of a product. “He had useful comments, suggestions, and it’s worthy of him being on the patent,” said Tim Wasko, who developed the interface for Apple’s QuickTime player and the iPod.
If you’re interested in Jobs’ life and legacy, this is an excellent article to read. Just going by the patent record alone would be enough to make Jobs one of the most influential people of the last 50 years.
Here are some of the best free apps, app updates and new apps that have landed in the App Store recently. All app prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly, so grab them while you can.
Toy Defense 4: Sci-Fi [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $1.99] Tremble! Robots are going to seize power over the universe!
Chinese Checkers[iOS Universal; Now free, down from $1.99] Transport yourself to the ultimate Zen experience with Chinese Checkers.
Groops [iOS Universal; Now free, down from $0.99] Groops is a puzzle game that will put your mind to the test.
BUZZ Player [iPhone; Now free, down from $3.99] BUZZ Player is a multimedia player supporting many audio and video codecs and file formats.
BUZZ Player HD [iPad; Now free, down from $3.99] BUZZ Player is a multimedia player supporting many audio and video codecs and file formats.
New and Notable Apps
Screeny [iPhone; $0.99] Screeny is an utility app that helps you save space consumed by screenshots.
Swords of Anima [iOS Universal; $2.99] A new tactical turn-based RPG experience.
Civilization: Beyond Earth [OS X; $36.99] Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth is a new science-fiction-themed entry into the award-winning Civilization series.
Improve Widget UI. Can choose how many rows are displayed.
Add monthly budget
Add daily reminder
Improve accuracy of prediction
Improve Report UI
Can choose period to export and import XLS file via apps that have Document Provider
Deliveries: a package tracker [OS X; $4.99] Deliveries helps you keep track of all your packages, so you always know when they’re going to arrive. Version 1.0.1 brings the following changes:
When the dock icon is hidden, the gear button is now a menu that includes other options like About, Help, and Quit.
Fixed various bugs related to Amazon orders.
Fixed a bug where you might get duplicate deliveries if you were syncing with iCloud and had the app and Today widget open at the same time. Duplicates will be removed for you. This also fixes a bug where it was not possible to delete certain deliveries.
Fixed a bug where the sync settings wouldn’t load the first time the app was opened.
Improved iCloud support, especially with accounts that have iCloud Drive enabled.
Fixed a bug where the app would not always update in the background when it should-particularly after waking from sleep, and if the dock icon was enabled.
iRumors Now 