AppleMagazine

the ipad grows up: the tablet entering a new phase of ‘classic’ status

WHY IT MAY FINALLY BE STARTING TO LOOK LIKE A ‘LAPTOP ALTERNATIVE’ While the announcement of a new-generation iPad was one of the less expected developments of Apple’s recent big keynote at Steve Jobs Theater, it would be a mistake to imagine that the long-running tablet line isn’t a significant focus for the Cupertino firm these days. Indeed, you could argue the opposite – that the venerable device is actually now primed for a new lease of life, thanks to a combination of hardware, software and cultural developments. WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? Well, you might have noticed that iPads soon won’t even continue running on iOS – the operating system they have long shared with the iPhone – for much longer. Instead, the tablet is getting its own platform by the…

google ads: effective, a little frustrating, businesses say

For many small business owners, Google is a necessary and successful way to advertise although it can also be expensive and frustrating. Jeff Moriarty sees both sides. Moriarty, marketing director for his family’s jewelry business, has handled its online ads for 20 years. With competition for the limited number of high-visibility ads intense, advertising costs are rising because “we all have to play their (Google’s) game,” he says. But Moriarty has learned how to get results for Moriarty Gem Art, which has an online store and a physical location in Crown Point, Indiana. Along with buying ads, he uses the strategy known as search engine optimization to boost the company’s visibility. “The good thing is our website does rank well in searches,” he says. “It offsets some of the costs we have through…

facebook slashes price, size of portal video call gadget

Facebook is slashing the price and the size of the Portal, its screen and camera-equipped gadget for making video calls with friends and family as it attempts to get the device into more homes. A smaller version will now cost $129 and will come with an 8 inch display. A larger version with a 10 inch display will cost $179. A new screenless Portal device that attaches to a television set will be $149. Last year’s models were bigger and cost more — $199 for a 10.1 inch display and $349 for at 15.6 inch screen. Facebook isn’t saying how many Portals it’s sold since it launched the first models last fall. It remains unclear how many people want a Facebook-branded smart camera in their homes, given the company’s history of privacy problems. Facebook executives…

apple awards $250 million to supplier of glass for iphones

Apple this week deepened its ties with a Kentucky manufacturing plant by awarding $250 million to support Corning Inc.’s continued work to develop glass for iPhones and other devices. The award builds on the $200 million that Corning received from Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund in 2017, the tech giant said. The combined investments support Corning’s research and development that will be crucial for next-generation consumer devices, Apple said. Scratch-resistant glass for every generation of iPhone has been made at Corning’s plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Corning also supplies glass for iPads and Apple Watches. “Apple and Corning’s rich history dates back more than a decade and our partnership revolutionized glass and transformed the technology industry with the first iPhone,” Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, said in a release. “This award underscores Apple and Corning’s shared…

apple watch 5: time for an upgrade

With Apple lifting the lid on the new Apple Watch Series 5 at last week’s September Event, featuring an always-on display, built-in compass, and new titanium casing options, we delve deeper into the world’s most advanced smartwatch and explore its impressive functionality… WATCH OUT As predicted, Apple used its September Event to show off a bunch of updated consumer hardware, including new iPads, the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, and of course, a brand new Apple Watch range. The fifth iteration of the smartwatch may, on the outside, appear very similar to the Series 4, released in 2018, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts, with Apple working to elevate the smartwatch experience through software and hardware for the year ahead. Still sporting the thinner, smaller bodywork of the Series 4,…

vegas area, casinos charge ahead with electric vehicle spots

As more electric vehicles hit the streets, additional places to charge them are popping up in Las Vegas. Casino companies, Clark County, shopping centers and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, now offer charging stations. Las Vegas city planners are exploring ways to make the city more electric-vehicle friendly as they put together a 2050 master plan, the Las Vegas Sun reports. “We’re moving toward electric,”Tom Volk, a businessman from Phoenix, said as he charged his Tesla Model 3 at the Railroad Pass Travel Center in Henderson. The car has a maximum range of 310 miles (498 kilometers), a little more than the 300-mile (483-kilometer) distance to Las Vegas, so Volk said he also stopped to charge the car in Arizona. But he said the decision to go with an electric car over a…