Apple has combined its Mac, iOS, and Safari Developer Programs into the new Apple Developer Program, in essence halving the price for those who develop for both OS X and iOS.
Apple has announced its long-anticipated Apple Music streaming service, based on the Beats Music service it acquired last year.
New watch faces, new complications, native apps, and a nightstand mode — with watchOS 2, Apple’s new wearable will gain numerous features that early adopters have been clamoring for.
Adam Engst continues his deep dive into what the Apple Watch brings to the fitness world, looking this time at Apple’s apps.
Josh Centers argues that the Apple Watch has a place in gaming, but its role might not be immediately obvious, or even possible.
The TidBITS crew has discovered some alternative ways to wear your Apple Watch Sport. Try them out and see how you like them!
Last week Chuck Joiner convened a MacJury comprising TidBITS’s own Josh Centers and Michael Cohen to discuss their early experiences with Apple Watch. Tune in for a deep, serious, deliberative discussion of the new device’s pros and cons…ah, who are we kidding? We had a great and goofy time, and you might, too: you can find out — it’s just a click away!
Apple has released the first update for the Apple Watch, but the installation process isn’t immediately obvious.
The user-experience experts at the Nielsen/Norman Group have turned their eyes to the Apple Watch. Raluca Budiu criticizes the Apple Watch’s reliance on tiny touch targets, and notes that a left-right scrolling “deck of cards” interface works better than a list view that requires users to “pogo-stick” in and out of a detail view. Budiu also comments that Handoff would work better if your iPhone was automatically unlocked when the watch was in close proximity, as is true of the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch. Recommendations for developers include focusing on the essential, avoiding buttons and complex navigation, and creating bits of text that stand on their own, along with realizing that the watch is not merely a smaller phone.
The Apple Watch is going up against a wide variety of fitness trackers and sport watches. TidBITS publisher and competitive runner Adam Engst looks at how the Apple Watch’s hardware meets the needs of those who want to work out.
If you spend a lot of time behind the wheel, Automatic can help make you a smarter, more efficient, safer driver. Josh Centers explains how.
Steve McCabe tries to Apple Pay his way around the world, and turns up some interesting challenges along the way.
Apple has confirmed that it will offer a Made for Apple Watch program that will enable other companies to produce approved Apple Watch bands. While it remains to be seen what band creators will do, one thing is certain: approved bands will not charge the Apple Watch, at least not through magnetic charging. The Band Design Guidelines for Apple Watch document clearly states, “Bands must not integrate magnetic chargers.”
Some users have reported that the Apple Watch’s digital crown has become “sticky.” If your digital crown isn’t operating smoothly, Apple recommends rinsing the Apple Watch under running water for 10 to 15 seconds, turning and pressing the digital crown to free it up. If you have a leather band, be sure to remove it first, and don’t use any cleaning products on the Apple Watch.
Apple has released a new support document about the heart rate sensors in the Apple Watch, confirming what many had suspected: that some tattoos can interfere with the watch’s light-based sensors. If this affects you, is a significant problem, and can’t be solved by moving the watch to your other wrist, Apple recommends connecting the Apple Watch to a Bluetooth-based chest strap monitor instead.