iOS 9.3 beta brings multi-user support to iPads, only in schools though

Yet another Android feature is coming to iOS, just on iPads for now. This time around it's multi-user support, which is now official with the release of the first beta of iOS 9.3 for developers. However, there's a big catch - at the moment multi-user support is only available for schools. Yet if Apple took the time to implement this, it's probably safe to assume that a wider release should follow in the future (with iOS 10 perhaps).

As the name implies, multi-user support (which Apple is calling Shared iPad) lets different people (or, in this case, students) use the same hardware, with all of their content being "ready to go" as soon as they log in. All their apps, books, and documents will just be there, thanks to "intelligent caching" - apparently there won't be a need to wait for anything to download.

watchOS 2.2 beta allows multiple Apple Watches to pair with one iPhone

The new iOS 9.3 beta for developers isn't the only thing Apple is releasing today. The company has also made the watchOS 2.2 beta available for developers. This latest iteration of the software running inside the Apple Watch comes with one big new feature.

You can now pair multiple Apple Watches with one iPhone. This is only possible if all of those wearables are running the watchOS 2.2 beta release, and if that iPhone has the iOS 9.3 beta installed.




The watchOS 2.2 beta also brings with it a new Nearby menu, which you can find in the Glances section of the Maps app. Nearby will show you sub-categories like Food, Drinks, Shopping, Travel, and Health, letting you choose which one you're interested in. Meanwhile, Glances will run searches and show you quick directions when you need them.

With watchOS 2.2, developers can create more detailed workout summaries in their apps. This means you may see things such as "active energy burned" or the amount of time spent exercising listed inside your favorite fitness apps.

Unlike for iOS, Apple doesn't currently have a public beta program for watchOS, so you'll only get these new features on your watch when the software is finalized. That's probably going to take (at least) a few weeks.

Source

iPhone #bendgate theater and Apple's respond to?

For the record, I have been counting the days until this stupid iPhone 6 Plus #bendgate nonsense would end ever since the first time I saw the video that kicked it all off from Unbox Therapy. When I saw the knuckles of Lewis Hilsenteger go white in his attempt to bend the iPhone 6 Plus, I was convinced that this was all going to be blown way out of proportion, and any chance to highlight a real problem with the iPhone 6 Plus would likely be lost. I'm sad to say that I may have already been proven right. 

There is obviously a structural flaw in the iPhone 6 Plus that Apple should be held accountable for, but there is a huge gap between confronting a company about a legitimate problem and what we've been seeing with #bendgate. Of course, I should have expected that exact reaction, because almost no one on Earth knows how to discuss Apple rationally and reasonably, and any issue with an Apple product, no matter how small, will become far bigger than it should, because irrationality breeds exaggeration (just check the comment section on any Apple-related article for evidence on that). 

Let's start right at the beginning, when the rumors first started going around about the iPhone 6 Plus bending. The first whispers came from iPhone users, obviously. But, were they finding out about the problem because of normal usage? At first, yes, but quickly afterwards, not so much. The first reports came from people who had put the iPhone their front pocket only to find it bend, which is unfortunate and a real issue. But, those reports were overtaken by jokes about skinny jeans, and complaints from those who put their new iPhones in their back pocket and then sat on them. Look, I don't care if you're wearing skinny jeans or Hammer pants, and I don't care if you have an iPhone, a Galaxy Note, or a NoPhone. If you put a smartphone in your back pocket and then sit on it, any damage that occurs is your fault and yours alone. That's just a mistake waiting to happen, especially when the phone in question is large enough to be affected by the shape of your ass. 

After those initial reports, the mess took an even more silly turn, and for this we have Mr. Hilsenteger to thank, because since then there have been almost no reports from actual consumers with legitimate problems. The vast majority of the "coverage" has been from people who are actively trying to bend the iPhone. The coverage has been flat out ridiculous and has turned into a mess of noise that is obscuring any possibility of getting Apple to answer the real complaints. And, that's a big problem, because there are legitimate concerns which need to be addressed. 

Jony Ive about companies that copy Apple's designs: it's not flattery, it's theft

Jonathan Ive, the man who designs Apple’s iPhones and iPads (among other things), isn’t particularly happy about the fact that other companies often copy his designs.

Present at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit today, Jony Ive was asked how he felt about Xiaomi’s products - some of which look a lot like Apple’s. He said he doesn’t see this (i.e. mimicking Apple’s designs in general) as flattery. “I see it as theft, and it's lazy," declared Ive. He continued by saying that “a beautiful product that doesn't work very well is ugly.”

Sapphire crystal maker for Apple Watch goes bankrupt!

In a bit of baffling news, GT Advanced has released a statement saying it is filing for bankruptcy under Chapter 11. GT Advanced, in case you didn't know, is the company tasked with making those sapphire crystal screen covers for the Apple Watch.

Apple also uses sapphire from the same company for the camera covers and the Touch ID fingerprint sensors of its iPhone lineup.

You may obviously be wondering what effect this bankruptcy filing will have on the release timeframe of the Apple Watch. That's still unclear, but just a few hours ago we heard that Apple's first wearable could be delayed slightly, arriving on the market in February in limited quantities. That might be related to GT Advanced's situation, but there's no more information right now.

Apple iPad Air 2 dummy photographed extensively leaked!

The new generation of iPads may be as close as a week away but rumors have been trickling in for a while. Yesterday we reported on a number of updates for the iPad Air 2, now it's time to look at some pictures of an Air 2 prototype.

They come from Vietnam and seem to show a dummy used to develop cases. The design seems to be unchanged from the previous generation, which suggests the iPads will not follow the iPhones in shedding last year's design. The new iPhones do take some cues from the rounded aluminum design of the iPad Air.

   

iPad Air 2 front and close-up detail