Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
The Transport Guy: Windows 10 fixes the disaster that was Windows 8 (MSFT)
Steve Kovach July 30, 2015 at 09:35AM
Microsoft's newest PC operating system Windows 10 is rolling out this week as a free upgrade to those running Windows 7 and above.
And if you're running Windows 8, you absolutely must download Windows 10 as soon as you can get it.
There's no way around it. Windows 8 was a disaster. With Windows 8, Microsoft completely reconfigured the classic desktop interface and gave users what it called a "Modern UI" instead.
But Modern UI was designed for touch devices like tablets and laptop/tablet hybrids. It's a pain to use with a mouse and keyboard, which is still how a majority of PC owners interact with their machines.
You could still work in a classic desktop mode in Windows 8, but you'd often have to go back to Modern UI to perform a lot of tasks and run certain apps. It was like having two operating systems in one. No wonder why most people kept Windows 7 instead of upgrading to Windows 8.
Luckily, Windows 10 fixes all the mistakes Microsoft made with Windows 8. If you're running Windows 8 now, it's time to jump in and fix everything Microsoft screwed up in the first place. You have nothing to lose. Microsoft will even let you upgrade for free.
The most important change in Windows 10 is the return of the classic Start menu. In Windows 8, clicking the Start button would take you to the Modern UI Start menu, which was difficult to use with a mouse and keyboard. (It was fine on tablets, but that's not how most people use Windows machines.)
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The Windows 10 Start menu looks cleaner and more modern, but should feel immediately familiar to anyone who has used Windows since 1995. Even better, the new Start menu means desktop users never have to look at Modern UI ever again. They can do everything, even running newer Windows apps originally designed for Modern UI, on the traditional desktop.
Other than that, Windows 10 adds several other great features like the digital assistant Cortana and frequent, free updates that continually improve your system.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Watch Microsoft's Insane Holographic Computer In Action
Windows 10 fixes the disaster that was Windows 8 (MSFT) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
The Transport Guy: Windows 10 fixes the disaster that was Windows 8 (MSFT)
Steve Kovach July 30, 2015 at 08:54AM
Microsoft's newest PC operating system Windows 10 is rolling out this week as a free upgrade to those running Windows 7 and above.
And if you're running Windows 8, you absolutely must download Windows 10 as soon as you can get it.
There's no way around it. Windows 8 was a disaster. With Windows 8, Microsoft completely reconfigured the classic desktop interface and gave users what it called a "Modern UI" instead.
But Modern UI was designed for touch devices like tablets and laptop/tablet hybrids. It's a pain to use with a mouse and keyboard, which is still how a majority of PC owners interact with their machines.
You could still work in a classic desktop mode in Windows 8, but you'd often have to go back to Modern UI to perform a lot of tasks and run certain apps. It was like having two operating systems in one. No wonder why most people kept Windows 7 instead of upgrading to Windows 8.
Luckily, Windows 10 fixes all the mistakes Microsoft made with Windows 8. If you're running Windows 8 now, it's time to jump in and fix everything Microsoft screwed up in the first place. You have nothing to lose. Microsoft will even let you upgrade for free.
The most important change in Windows 10 is the return of the classic Start menu. In Windows 8, clicking the Start button would take you to the Modern UI Start menu, which was difficult to use with a mouse and keyboard. (It was fine on tablets, but that's not how most people use Windows machines.)
The Windows 10 Start menu looks cleaner and more modern, but should feel immediately familiar to anyone who has used Windows since 1995. Even better, the new Start menu means desktop users never have to look at Modern UI ever again. They can do everything, even running newer Windows apps originally designed for Modern UI, on the traditional desktop.
Other than that, Windows 10 adds several other great features like the digital assistant Cortana and frequent, free updates that continually improve your system.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Watch Microsoft's Insane Holographic Computer In Action
Windows 10 fixes the disaster that was Windows 8 (MSFT) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
The Transport Guy: The one big problem with Windows 10 (MSFT)
Steve Kovach July 29, 2015 at 07:40AM
The new version of Windows, Windows 10, is a must-have if you're currently running Windows 7 or Windows 8.
But Windows 10 isn't just designed to run on laptops and desktops. Soon, it will power all kinds of devices, including augmented reality headsets, tablets, and phones.
It's the last one that's going to be the biggest challenge for Microsoft. As good as Windows 10 is, Microsoft is still going to have a problem making Windows Phones relevant this fall when they get the new software.
Windows Phones only have about 3% of the global smartphone market, so developers have very little incentive to invest in making apps for Windows Phone because very few people will actually use it. And because it doesn't have the best apps, there's no incentive for people to buy a Windows Phone.
Windows Phones are caught in a Catch-22.
Microsoft's hope is that Windows 10 will solve the app problem. The OS is a free upgrade for Windows 7 and 8 users, which means potentially hundreds of millions of people will have it within the next few months. And any Windows 10 PC app can be tweaked to run on a phone too. Microsoft thinks developers will realize it has access to all of these users and start building apps for Windows Phones.
But there's a flaw in that logic. The best and most popular phone apps are designed for the phone first. They're not PC apps reverse engineered to run on a small screen. Just because millions of people will be using Windows 10 on desktop soon doesn't mean mobile-only companies like Snapchat will start making apps for PCs and then phones.
In short, there's very little chance Windows Phones will suddenly take off thanks to Windows 10.
On the other hand, Microsoft has another smart mobile strategy. It's been systematically snapping up the best mobile productivity apps like Wunderlist and Sunrise, regardless of the platform they run on. For example, I had zero Microsoft apps running on my iPhone's home screen. Now I have three. Microsoft has slowly been taking over iPhone.
Over time, that could build loyalty toward Microsoft and hook people back into the Windows ecosystem.
But for now, Windows 10 won't be able to save Windows Phone.
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NOW WATCH: Watch Microsoft's Insane Holographic Computer In Action
The one big problem with Windows 10 (MSFT) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
The Transport Guy: REVIEW: You're going to love Windows 10 (MSFT)
Steve Kovach July 28, 2015 at 02:22PM
It’s been a rough three years for Windows.
Windows 8, which launched in 2012 with the promise to revolutionize the way we use computers, didn’t even come close to that ideal. It was designed to run on devices that are primarily controlled by touch at a time when most people still needed to use a keyboard and mouse.
Users were forced into a touch-based interface called Modern UI for most tasks, and would have to switch back to a classic desktop mode for everything else. It was like running two very different operating systems on one machine, making Windows 8 frustrating at best. At worst, Windows 8 was an unmitigated disaster that kept people clinging to Windows 7, which is now six years old.
It’s time for Microsoft to start over again, and that’s just what Windows 10, the new operating system that launches Wednesday, does. It fixes everything.
Windows 10 isn’t just a refresh of Windows. It’s a big, ambitious product that will run as a universal operating system on an array of devices. It’ll power everything from phones to tablets to 80-inch touchscreens. It’ll power a new array of household appliances that connect to the internet. It’ll even power computers you strap to your face.
But at first, Windows 10 will be all about PCs, and it's as close to a perfect PC operating system as you’ll ever get.
Yes, it’s that good.
I’ve spent the last week testing Windows 10 on a Surface Pro 3, and can say right off the bat that the new OS will be an essential upgrade for all Windows 8 users. (Seriously, get it ASAP.) Windows 7 users will want it too for its cleaner interface and new features. Plus, if you upgrade within the first year, you get it for free.
You have nothing to lose.
Starting over
The most important feature in Windows 10 is the return of the classic Start menu we’ve been using since good old Windows 95. It’s sleeker and more modern-looking, but instantly familiar to anyone who has used Windows in the past 20 years. Its return is an admission by Microsoft that it tried too hard with Windows 8 to force a tablet-centric future on the world before it was ready.
Now we’re back to the basics, and Windows 8 users are going to love it when they upgrade to Windows 10. With the Start menu, desktop users never have to go to tablet mode if they don’t want to. Everything, including running the so-called modern touch apps from Windows 8, can be done on the desktop. And yes, almost all of your older apps from Windows 7 and earlier will work too.
But there are some relics from Windows 8 in the new Start menu. You can pin your favorite apps to the menu and get real-time snippets of information from them at a glance. Microsoft calls these Live Tiles, and they’ve been the standard icons in Microsoft products since the introduction of Windows Phone.
If you’re someone with a Windows tablet or a hybrid device like the Surface, Windows 10 has a new feature called Continuum that makes it a lot easier to bounce between desktop mode and the touch-friendly tablet mode.
For example, when you detach the keyboard on the Surface, Windows automatically asks if you’d like to go into Tablet Mode. (You can also set it to switch to Tablet Mode without a prompt.) In Tablet Mode, the Start menu extends into an iPad-like home screen for your apps, which will now run in full-screen.
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Tablet Mode works great, and it’s especially useful if you have a Windows tablet or hybrid device. But because there aren’t many good tablet apps for Windows, even three years after Windows 8’s debut, there really isn’t much you can do in Tablet Mode besides stream video from apps like Netflix or Hulu.
The good news: Unlike in Windows 8, you never have to go into Tablet Mode in Windows 10 if you don’t want to. Perhaps one day tablets will replace traditional PCs. But for now, it’s all about the desktop. And Windows 10 does desktop computing really well.
A digital assistant
Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant, is the next major feature in Windows 10. It’s such a core part of the operating system that it's embedded in the taskbar, staring you right in the face when you start your machine.
If you’ve used a Windows Phone, you’re already familiar with Cortana. Like Siri, Google Now, and the rest, Cortana acts as a hub for everything in your digital life. It can proactively give you information like sports scores, weather, news, and restaurant recommendations based on your personal information you share with it. In fact, there’s a virtual notebook that you use to share your personal tastes with Cortana, just like a human assistant would have for his boss.
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On the desktop version of Windows 10, it’s more of the same. You can activate Cortana with the keywords “Hey Cortana…” before giving a command. From there, there’s not much you can do with Cortana that you couldn’t do before. But I did find it useful for searching for files and apps stored on my PC. Cortana uses what’s called natural language search, so you can ask it something as simple as “show me all the spreadsheets I worked on yesterday” and get exactly that. Pretty cool.
Cortana is a great tool, and it outperforms Siri and Google Now in many respects. But I didn’t find it that handy on desktop. By now, I’m used to talking to my phone, but it feels strange shouting commands at my PC.
I imagine it’ll be much more useful once Microsoft brings Cortana to iPhone and Android later this year. Digital assistants work better on the go, and it’ll be nice to have one that syncs both with your desktop and whatever device you carry with you. I think a lot of Windows 10 users will be tempted to dive into Cortana instead of Siri or Google Now when it comes to other platforms. For now though, only Windows Phone users get that benefit.
Internet Explorer has been replaced
Remember Internet Explorer? You probably ditched it long ago in favor of Chrome or Firefox. But even though Explorer has gotten a lot better over the years, the damage to its brand has been done, and Microsoft decided to start over with a new browser called Edge.
Edge replaces Explorer as your default browser, but Explorer is still there if you want to use it. And of course you can always choose Chrome or something else if you prefer.
Edge has a simple, clean look, along with a few extras. Cortana is also baked into the browser, so you can highlight a word you see and right-click to get more information and context about it. It’s clever, and has the potential to reduce people’s reliance on Google, but it didn’t really feel natural to use. Maybe I’m just used to searching for stuff the old-fashioned way.
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Other than that, there’s a new reading mode, which strips out a lot of the ads and other graphics from news sites, making articles easy to read. It’s nothing new, though — other browsers like Apple’s Safari have had a similar feature for years.
Finally, Edge lets you highlight text or scribble on web pages and save clips to Microsoft’s online file-storage service OneDrive. It works best with a touchscreen device and even better if you have a stylus like the one that comes with the Surface Pro 3.
I wish I had something else special to say about Edge, but it’s just a browser. It’s perfectly fine and capable of surfing the web, but it’s hardly a revolution in the way we browse. My only criticism is I think the annotation features are unnecessary for just about everyone. I don’t see many people highlighting and doodling over things they see on the web when they can just quickly share a link on Facebook or Twitter.
If anything, Edge is a way for Microsoft to fix the branding issue it had with Explorer. If you've been using Chrome or Firefox all this time, there's no good reason to switch to Edge. But if you've been using Explorer, you might want to give Edge a shot now that it's the default browser in Windows 10.
One big problem
With Windows 10, Microsoft has finally undone all the damage Windows 8 did to the desktop. It’s wonderful.
But it also ignores the same challenge Microsoft has had since the rise of the iPhone and Android devices: How can it compete in mobile?
Windows 10 will be coming to Windows Phones in a few months, but the platform still faces the same problem it’s had since the beginning: With such a tiny market share, there’s no incentive for developers to bring their best apps to Windows Phone. And with no good apps, there’s no reason for most people to buy a Windows Phone, no matter how good the operating system is. (And Windows 10 is really great on the phone. I’ve been testing an early version of it.)
Microsoft claims that since developers can write an app for Windows 10 and have it run on any device, there’s room for its app selection to grow once millions of people upgrade. But I don’t see that happening. Desktop apps are fundamentally different than phone apps, and I don’t see developers taking the time to reconfigure programs to work on a phone relatively no one uses.
I think Microsoft’s best bet in mobile is to do what it’s been doing for the last year or so: snapping up the best mobile productivity apps like Sunrise and Wunderlist, regardless of what platform they were designed for. That gives Microsoft a better chance at getting people hooked on Windows down the road.
Should you upgrade?
Absolutely.
If you’re running Windows 8, Windows 10 is essential. Even if you’re running Windows 7 and love it, Windows 10 is still worth the upgrade, not just because it’s free, but also because you it’ll enhance everything that already makes Windows great.
And if you’re worried you’ll hate Windows 10 (you won’t), you can always go back to your previous version.
It took us three years to get here, but Windows 10 brings back everything people originally loved about Windows, but with a modern twist. You'll love it.
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Watch Microsoft's Insane Holographic Computer In Action
REVIEW: You're going to love Windows 10 (MSFT) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
The Transport Guy: 5 reasons why everyone should upgrade to Windows 10 (MSFT)
Steve Kovach July 28, 2015 at 09:32AM
If you heard the horror stories from Windows 7 desktop users who upgraded to Windows 8 a few years ago, then you're rightfully skeptical about Windows 10, the new PC operating system from Microsoft launching this week.
No one blames you. Windows 8 was a mess, which is why most still clung to Windows 7.
But the good news is that Windows 10 fixes just about everything that went wrong with Windows 8, and it's a worthwhile upgrade for practically all Windows users. And if you're running Windows 8, Windows 10 is a must-download. Get it as soon as you can.
Here's a quick look at why you should upgrade to Windows 10:
1.) It's free
If you're running Windows 7 or higher, you can download Windows 10 for free as long as you do it within the first year. That's it. There are no gimmicks, hidden fees, or charges down the road. You get the full version of Windows 10 for $0. You have nothing to lose but the time it takes to download and install.
2.) The Start menu is back, making Windows 10 an essential upgrade for Windows 8 users
Windows 10 brings back the classic Start menu, which was killed in Windows 8 in favor of an iPad-like touch interface that didn't work well on most PCs. This was one of the biggest frustrations with Windows 8. Those who upgraded to Windows 8 from Windows 7 or earlier were shocked to find the Start menu had disappeared in favor of Microsoft's so-called Modern UI.
Even worse, Windows 8 forced you to constantly switch between two very different modes — the classic desktop mode and the Modern UI. That was a horrible experience.
With Windows 10, you never have to look at the touch interface if you don't want to. You can do everything in the classic desktop mode, and it should feel familiar to any Windows user. If you have a Windows 10 tablet, you can switch to Tablet Mode with one tap from the Action Center menu that you access by swiping over from the right side of the screen.
3.) You get Microsoft's excellent digital assistant Cortana
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Cortana, Micorosft's Siri-like digital assistant that originally debuted on Windows Phone, is a core feature in Windows 10. Cortana can do all the basic stuff digital assistants do like answer basic questions about weather, traffic, or sports scores. You can also give it information about yourself such as what kind of food and entertainment you enjoy so it delivers things you want without asking.
But most importantly, Cortana acts as a universal search engine for everything on the web or stored locally on your PC. It makes it a lot easier to find what you're looking for.
Even if you don't use a Windows Phone, Microsoft will bring Cortana to iPhone and Android soon. If you're using a Windows 10 PC, but carry an Android phone or iPhone with you on the go, you'll want to get Cortana as soon as it's available.
4.) You'll get free, frequent updates over time
Windows 10 won't have updates with new version numbers like older versions of Windows did. Instead, you'll get free, frequent updates that fix bugs, add new features, and provide overall stability.
5.) You can always go back to your older Windows version if you don't like Windows 10
Just in case you're worried you'll hate Windows 10, Microsoft will let you go back to your older version for free. Just go to Settings > Updates & Security > Recovery and you'll see the option to go back to the last version of Windows you were using.
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NOW WATCH: The 6 best new features coming to Apple computers
5 reasons why everyone should upgrade to Windows 10 (MSFT) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Monday, July 27, 2015
The Transport Guy: An iPhone feature most people never find is doing something amazing for the visually impaired (AAPL)
Steve Kovach July 27, 2015 at 12:48PM
You wouldn't expect Luis Perez to be an amateur photographer.
Perez, a higher education learning consultant in Florida, has retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that essentially gives him tunnel vision. He only has about seven degrees of total vision, and his condition could progress to the point where he's completely blind. Even with his limited vision, Perez is already considered legally blind.
But he's still able to take photos like the ones you see below with his iPhone and share them on Instagram:
Perez makes this happen with a setting called VoiceOver, a setting built into all Apple devices that makes Perez's iPhone almost as functional for him as it is for a sighted person.
Apple first introduced VoiceOver in the Mac operating system OS X Tiger about 10 years ago. Back then, it would have cost a visually impaired user hundreds of dollars to bring similar accessibility settings to a PC. But it's been a standard, free feature in Macs ever since, even if the majority of Mac users never use it or know it exists.
In 2009, VoiceOver came to the iPhone for the first time in the iPhone 3GS and has been included in all Apple products — even the Apple Watch — ever since.
The concept behind VoiceOver is pretty simple: Make it so visually impaired users can do everything on Apple devices that a sighted person can do. That may not sound like a big deal on a traditional desktop or laptop where you can feel your way around with a mouse and keyboard. But iPhones and iPads are controlled almost entirely through a touchscreen, which is nearly impossible to use if you're visually impaired.
In June, The American Foundation for the Blind gave Apple a Helen Keller Achievement Award for its work including VoiceOver in all of its products.
With VoiceOver enabled on an iPhone and iPad, a digital voice narrates almost every move you make. You can swipe around the home screen to highlight certain apps, and then tap anywhere on the screen when the voice says you've highlighted the app, menu item, etc. you want.
VoiceOver has helped Perez discover his calling as an amateur iPhone photographer. VoiceOver can use facial recognition to let him know who's in the frame and give cues like how many people are in the shot. With stills and landscapes, Perez told Tech Insider he likes taking lots of shots so he can go back to his Mac or iPad later and pick the best photo of the bunch.
It's not just Apple apps and software that work with VoiceOver and all the other accessibility options in iOS devices. When developers get the software from Apple that lets them make iPhone and iPad apps, they also get tools to add similar options to their own apps.
The developers behind the productivity app Workflow did just that. When the app first launched, Workflow didn't have any accessibility options. But after listening to user feedback following the launch, the developers decided to add VoiceOver and Apple's other accessibility settings in a new version that launched a few months later, Ari Weinstein, one of the app's developers, told Tech Insider.
In June, the development team behind Workflow won an Apple Design Award at Apple's annual developers conference because of how it used accessibility options in the app. Workflow requires a lot of dragging and dropping, something that's easy enough for sighted users but can be especially challenging for the visually impaired. Now Weinstein says there's nothing visually impaired Workflow users can't do in the app thanks to VoiceOver.
"For the vast majority of apps, a visually impaired person can do basically anything other users can," Weinstein said, referring to VoiceOver controls. "And if they can't, then there's a way [for developers] to reimagine how to get it done."
Here are some members of Apple's accessibility engineering team, Dean Hudson and Ryan Dou, giving a demo of the Workflow app following its Apple Design Award win:
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NOW WATCH: How to make text bigger on your iPhone so you can actually read it
An iPhone feature most people never find is doing something amazing for the visually impaired (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
The Transport Guy: The iPhone is unstoppable (aapl)
Steve Kovach July 21, 2015 at 03:27PM
Wall Street may be disappointed with the iPhone's performance last quarter, but don't look at Apple's stock price for guidance on how things really are.
Apple sold 47.5 million iPhones last quarter, which is up 35% year over year, or three times as much as the overall smartphone market, Apple says. Even though Apple didn't meet analysts' expectations, that kind of growth is incredible.
Despite threats from young startups like Xiaomi and Android's dominance of the smartphone market, the iPhone still appears to be unstoppable.
But there are some doubts that the iPhone can continue its incredible run, especially when new models that look similar to the current phones launch this fall.
Some analysts, like those at Macquarie and Piper Jaffray, believe that the iPhone 6 had a ton of pent-up demand because users were holding out for big-screen devices. They think iPhone growth will slow down because the next iPhone, the so-called iPhone 6S, will have the same screen size and design as the iPhone 6. Apple will still sell a boatload of iPhones, the analysts say, but sales growth won't look the same as it did for the past year.
But that argument won't play out, and there's plenty of evidence available now that proves it.
Since the launch of the iPhone 6 last September, Apple has consistently pointed to higher-than-normal rates of people switching from Android to the iPhone, meaning there's still plenty of opportunity to snap up Android users in the years to come. (It seems like Android phone owners were holding out for the big-screen iPhone too.) Apple said it saw the highest rate of Android switchers ever last quarter.
To be fair, Apple didn't give specifics on how many new iPhone owners switched from Android, but we do have some other evidence.
China is the perfect example. The country was practically all Android users before Apple made a big push there. Now, Apple is the top-selling phone maker after getting a big boost from the iPhone 6. In the last quarter, Apple said it saw 87% revenue growth in China.
That's been particularly bad news for Samsung. Without a key differentiating factor like a large screen, those who want a pricey, high-end device have started choosing the iPhone 6 over Samsung's Galaxy phones. If they don't buy an iPhone, they buy an Android phone like those made by the Xiaomi, which makes phones with specs just about as good as what you'd find in a Samsung but for half the cost. Xiaomi ranks second behind Apple in China in terms of smartphone unit sales, according to most estimates.
On top of that, Apple said in April that only 20% of iPhone users had upgraded to the iPhone 6, so there are still a lot of people who will be ready to upgrade during the 6S cycle this fall and beyond. If you want to take an even longer view, the overall smartphone market is supposed to grow to nearly 2 billion devices over the next few years, meaning there's still opportunity for first-time smartphone owners to choose the iPhone.
So now you have several big factors that will keep Apple's magic iPhone money machine chugging along: Android users who want a high-end experience will continue to switch to the iPhone, those who haven't upgraded from an iPhone 5S or earlier will do so soon, and first-time buyers will be able to get the iPhone in the coming years.
SEE ALSO: You're going to have to wait a long time before good apps come to the Apple Watch
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: The 2 best features coming to the iPad
The iPhone is unstoppable (aapl) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Monday, July 20, 2015
The Transport Guy: Your iPhone is getting a new feature that'll make it easier to use Apple Pay
Steve Kovach July 20, 2015 at 12:49PM
The upcoming operating system for iPhone, iOS 9, has a new addition Apple Pay to Apple Pay that'll make it easier to use.
From your phone's lock screen, you can double tap the home button to launch Apple Pay. Then you can enter your fingerprint so it's activated and ready to go when you get to the checkout.
In the current version of iOS, Apple Pay only activates when you tap your iPhone against a special near-field communication (NFC) reader that's compatible with the service. The new system in iOS 9 will save you an extra step.
It's also similar to the way Apple Pay works on the Apple Watch.
Since the Apple Watch remains authenticated after you strap it on and put in your passcode, all you have to do is double click the button on the side to arm Apple Pay.
iOS 9 will be available as a free download for most iPhones and iPads in the fall.
SEE ALSO: Apple made a tiny change to the iPhone keyboard that everyone has been begging for
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: How to make text bigger on your iPhone so you can actually read it
Your iPhone is getting a new feature that'll make it easier to use Apple Pay from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
The Transport Guy: You're probably going to have to wait a long time before good apps finally come to the Apple Watch
Steve Kovach July 20, 2015 at 10:48AM
We may never know how many Apple Watches Apple ends up selling, but one thing is clear: the apps need a lot of work.
The New York Times has a new story that perfectly sums up that sentiment. The story says some developers haven't made apps for the Apple Watch yet because they're not sure enough people own the device to make it worth the effort.
Even Facebook and Snapchat, which make two of the most popular mobile apps in the world, says they haven't embraced the Apple Watch yet because they haven't figured out how to make a useful app on the tiny screen.
That's the right attitude, and one all developers should adopt before rushing to make apps for a new, unexplored platform like the Apple Watch.
The watch is fundamentally different than the iPhone or iPad. The best Apple Watch apps — and there are very few of them — adapt to the traditional way people use watches, meaning they give the user quick information at a glance. But many, if not most, Apple Watch apps try too hard to cram a smartphone app onto a tiny screen. Plus, third-party apps tend to run slowly because they're powered by the iPhone, not the watch itself.
Oddly enough, Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, is one of the biggest offenders. It had an Apple Watch app ready to go when the device launched in April. But like so many other apps, it doesn't adapt well to the tiny screen. It doesn't make sense forcing users to squint at tiny photos on their wrist when they have a big-screen phone with them.
I've been using an Apple Watch for almost three months now, and I almost never use apps. For me, the watch is mostly useful for telling the time, viewing notifications (I love getting text messages and calendar alerts on my watch), and fitness tracking. I deleted almost all of the third-party apps from my device and will probably keep it that way until something great comes along.
Things could get better though. In the fall, Apple will release a new version of the Apple Watch operating system that will let developers store their apps directly on the device, which will, at least in theory, help them run faster.
But that only fixes half of the problem. Developers still need to come up with clever ways to make use of a smaller screen strapped to your wrist instead of mimicking what you already have on your iPhone. I'm guessing we'll have to wait a lot longer before someone comes up with a truly innovative app for the Apple Watch.
SEE ALSO: The 17 best smartphones in the world
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: How to use Apple's Spotify killer — now on everyone's iPhone
You're probably going to have to wait a long time before good apps finally come to the Apple Watch from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Thursday, July 16, 2015
The Transport Guy: Apple's biggest rival in China says it plans to start selling phones in the US
Steve Kovach July 16, 2015 at 10:40AM
Xiaomi, the startup that makes wildly popular Android phones in China, has plans to start selling its devices in the US, the company's vice president Hugo Barra told Bloomberg's Emily Chang.
But it's not going to happen any time soon. Barra said it would take at least a year for the company to build out the necessary distribution and customer support to start selling phones in the US.
Xiaomi is Apple's biggest rival in China. It sells phones with specs that are just as good as high-end iPhones or Samsung Galaxy phones, but typically cost half as much.
Apple and Xiaomi consistently sell more phones in China than any other manufacturer, with Apple on top in recent quarters since the launch of the iPhone 6.
The company is often criticized for borrowing heavily from Apple's designs. The critics say that Xiaomi gets away with copying Apple because China has looser restrictions on patents. But if Xiaomi does come to the US, it risks lawsuits like the high-profile Apple versus Samsung case from a few years ago.
Barra told Chang that Xiaomi is building up the protections it needs to battle any potential lawsuits like that.
Xiaomi phones are pretty good too, and if they do come to the US they'll give you a premium experience at a fraction of the cost of the iPhone.
However, it would likely be a bigger threat to companies like Samsung since Xiaomi phones also use Android. Samsung has seen smartphone sales rapidly decline over the last two years mostly because people are buying cheaper premium phones like those made by Xiaomi. iPhones sales continue to grow despite the higher price.
In the meantime, Xiaomi will continue to focus on selling its phones in emerging markets where most people don't have smartphones yet. China is still the company's biggest market, and it has recently made a big push in India.
Xiaomi announced a few weeks ago that it has sold 34.7 million smartphones so far this year.
You can watch Chang's interview with Barra here:
SEE ALSO: You can try all the latest features coming to your Mac right now
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Here’s the newest phone from Xiaomi — the company that’s outselling Apple and Samsung in China
Apple's biggest rival in China says it plans to start selling phones in the US from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Monday, July 13, 2015
The Transport Guy: One of the most iconic "Star Wars" characters is coming back in the new movie
Steve Kovach July 13, 2015 at 09:38AM
If you don't want any potential spoilers for the next "Star Wars" movie, stop reading now.
In a new behind-the-scenes video of the upcoming "Star Wars" movie, "The Force Awakens," we briefly get a look at a familiar face:
That's Admiral Ackbar. Ackbar was the leader of the Rebel military in the final battle scene of "Return of the Jedi." He's a relatively minor character with very little screen time, but he's most famous for belting "It's a trap!" when the Rebels realize the Empire lured them into a trap.
Here's the scene:
It's also a scene that has spawned meme after meme on the internet over the years.
There's a small chance this is just another alien that's the same species as Ackbar, but an earlier leak appears to show the character in the movie. There's a very good chance we'll get to see Ackbar again when "The Force Awakens" comes out on December 18.
SEE ALSO: We just got a bunch of new hints about what's coming in the next 'Star Wars' movie
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One of the most iconic "Star Wars" characters is coming back in the new movie from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
The Transport Guy: We just got a bunch of new hints about what's coming in the next 'Star Wars' movie
Steve Kovach July 13, 2015 at 09:06AM
We didn't get a new trailer for the upcoming "Star Wars" movie, "The Force Awakens," at Comic-Con this year, but we did get a look behind the scenes.
In a three-minute video released at Comic Con, Disney and Lucasfilm gave the world a look at behind-the-scenes footage from the new movie.
The main takeaway: "The Force Awakens" will rely on practical special effects and costumes instead of computer-generated (CG) effects. Critics of the last three prequel "Star Wars" movies hated that the movies relied so heavily on CG.
There are some other hidden gems in the video too. Let's break it down. But stop reading now if you're afraid of potential spoilers.
SEE ALSO: An explanation for everything you see in the latest "Star Wars" trailer
Here's one of the desert sets from the movie. We already know it's a new planet called Jakku.
This is the inside of Han Solo's ship, the Millennium Falcon. It looks just like it did in the original movies from the 70s and 80s.
Next we get a look at the inside of what's likely a Star Destroyer, the big ships used by the bad guys.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
We just got a bunch of new hints about what's coming in the next 'Star Wars' movie from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Sunday, July 12, 2015
The Transport Guy: Your iPhone is getting a new feature that makes it a lot easier to go back to the last app you were using (AAPL)
Steve Kovach July 12, 2015 at 02:06PM
At first, the upcoming operating system for iPhones and iPads, iOS 9, looks the same as before.
But there are a lot of tiny differences coming that'll make your device easier to use. In the iOS 9 beta, which anyone can test now, there's a new feature that makes it easy to go back to the last app you were using.
Let's say someone emails you a link to an article. After you read the article, you may want to go back to your email app. In earlier versions of iOS, you'd have to close your Safari browser and open up your email app again. But in iOS 9, a new "back" button appears at the top left of your screen that takes you back to the last app you were using.
It looks like this:
It's pretty handy.
The final version of iOS 9 will be available for most iPhone and iPad users this fall. You can try the beta version now, but just know it might have some bugs and glitches. Most people are better off waiting for the final version.
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Your iPhone is getting a new feature that makes it a lot easier to go back to the last app you were using (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Friday, July 10, 2015
The Transport Guy: You'll be able to save a ton of battery life on your iPhone soon (AAPL)
Steve Kovach July 10, 2015 at 11:08AM
One of the new features in iOS 9, the upcoming operating system for iPhones and iPads, is a low power mode that will extend your device's battery life.
For years, iPhone users would have to manually tweak settings in order to preserve juice. But the new low power mode does all the work for you. In fact, Apple says the feature adjusts settings you didn't even know you had.
For example, it blocks apps from loading data in the background, stops the Mail app from receiving new messages, slows down the processor, and turns off some animations, all so you can get a little extra time out of your charge. You'll still be able to use your phone for most tasks though.
If low power mode isn't your thing, iOS 9 has also been optimized to use less power overall. Apple says the typical user will get about an extra hour of battery life just by installing iOS 9.
An unfinished beta version of iOS 9 is available now. If you have it, here's how you turn on low power mode. First, open your settings app.
Go to the battery section.
Flip the switch next to "Low Power Mode" to green and tap "continue" when you get the warning.
The battery icon will turn yellow so you know you're in low power mode. Now hurry up and find a charging cable.
SEE ALSO: Apple made a tiny change to the iPhone keyboard that everyone has been begging for
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You'll be able to save a ton of battery life on your iPhone soon (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
The Transport Guy: Apple made a tiny change to the iPhone keyboard that everyone has been begging for (AAPL)
Steve Kovach July 10, 2015 at 06:49AM
iOS 9, the upcoming operating system for iPhones and iPads, has a seemingly minor new addition to the on-screen keyboard, but it's something users have been begging for.
Now, when you press the shift key, the letters on the keyboard change to either lowercase or capital. Before, the shift key arrow would only turn black or light gray to let you know if you were typing in capital or lowercase letters, which was confusing to a lot of users.
Here's what the keyboard looks like when you press the shift key in iOS 9.
Capitals:
Lowercase:
iOS 9 will launch to most iPhone and iPad users in the fall. But if you want to try an early version now, you can sign up for Apple's beta program. Warning: the iOS 9 beta might have some bugs and glitches, so it's best to test the software on a secondary device, not the one you use every day.
SEE ALSO: You can test all the new features coming to your Mac now
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Apple made a tiny change to the iPhone keyboard that everyone has been begging for (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Thursday, July 9, 2015
The Transport Guy: These are all the changes coming to your Mac in a few months (AAPL)
Steve Kovach July 09, 2015 at 11:57AM
Apple will have a new software update for many Mac computer models this fall called OS X El Capitan.
While the current version, Yosemite, came out last year with many noticeable tweaks, you probably won't notice much of a difference this time around. El Capitan wasn't built to revolutionize the way you use your Mac. It's an iteration of what already exists.
Apple's preinstalled apps like Mail, Maps, and Notes have all been improved. Spotlight, the feature that lets you search for files on your Mac, can now search the web for information like sports scores and weather. And Apple Maps can finally give you public transportation directions in certain cities, something that's been missing since the app was first launched on the iPhone in 2012.
I've been testing an early version of El Capitan on a MacBook Pro. A lot of the new features are nice to have, especially if you rely on Apple's apps and services to do everything. But those who use alternatives like Gmail, Google Maps, Evernote, Wunderlist, and the slew of other third-party apps and services out there won't see a huge difference. In most cases, there are better third-party apps than the ones Apple gives you with your Mac.
Then again, El Capitan will be a free upgrade for a large portion of current Mac users, and it includes a lot of useful performance boosts. You'll probably want to get it. If you're unsure, you can try an early beta version of the operating system now if you sign up through the company's website. Fair warning: the beta version of El Capitan might have bugs and glitches, so it's best not to install it on your primary computer.
The features in El Capitan aren't final, but here's a quick look at what you can expect when you get the new operating system as a free download in a few months.
When you wiggle your mouse, the cursor blows up so you can find it easier. It seems minor, but it's one of my favorite features.
You can run two apps in a split view so they run side-by-side and take up your entire screen. You can resize each window too. This is very similar to how split-screen apps work in Windows 8.
If you have a lot of apps running at the same time, you can swipe up on the trackpad with three fingers to view your Mission Control, which shows all of your app windows.
Spotlight lets you search for stuff like sports scores and weather. You can also use natural language searches to find files and other stuff stored on your computer. For example, you can search for "photos I edited yesterday." However, it can't do everything that Google search can do. You're better off using Google for most web searches and Spotlight for finding files stored on your machine.
Here's what it looks like when you search sports scores:
The Notes app is more robust, letting you drop in pictures, PDFs, and other file types. Other Apple apps like the Safari browser can sync with Notes, so you just click a button to send content like a web page to Notes. However, Notes is not as robust as other note apps like Evernote.
The Safari browser is pretty much the same as before, but it does have a useful feature that lets you "pin" your favorite sites so they always stay open. These tabs work differently than regular tabs. Whenever you open a new link from a pinned site, Safari opens a new tab so you don't lose your spot. Think of pinned tabs as a cross between a bookmark and an open tab. You can keep your favorite sites running at all times. It's especially useful for sites like Twitter, Gmail, and Facebook that are always updating.
You can see a few pinned tabs in the screenshot below. They show up as tiny icons instead of a full tab.
Mail has a bunch of minor new features, and they're very similar to what you'd find in the web version of Gmail.
For example, if someone sends you a message about a meeting, you can add it to your calendar just by clicking on the time and date. You can also add someone to your contacts if she's emailing you for the first time or has updated contact information. Mail also lets you compose multiple messages at once in a tab view.
Finally, search in Mail is a lot better. It uses natural language just like Spotlight, so you can search for something like, "messages from Jay Yarow sent last week."
Apple Maps can now give you public transit directions in select cities like New York and San Francisco.
The iPhone version of Apple Maps will get this feature soon too. But Google Maps is still a better option for a lot of people living in cities that Apple doesn't support yet.
Those are the most important changes you'll notice in El Capitan. Again, it's really an upgrade for people who already enjoy using Apple's preinstalled apps and services for everything. They're not the best, but they are pretty good if you use them on all of your Apple devices.
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These are all the changes coming to your Mac in a few months (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
The Transport Guy: Even Microsoft is giving up on Windows Phones
Steve Kovach July 08, 2015 at 02:22PM
Windows Phone is all but dead.
On Wednesday, Microsoft gutted what was left of its handset business by announcing it will cut another 7,800 jobs in the division and take a $7.6 billion writedown on its 2013 acquisition of Nokia.
In an open letter to employees, CEO Satya Nadella said Microsoft will no longer focus on building a "standalone phone business." Instead, it will concentrate its resources on supporting the Windows software that powers Windows Phones and release limited flagship models.
Through its acquisition of Nokia, Microsoft was the last major manufacturer taking Windows Phone seriously. Over the years, everyone from HTC to Samsung to LG experimented with Windows Phones, but with little success. Almost all of them have abandoned the operating system. Now Microsoft has too.
Nadella's decision to chop off the remains of Nokia is a sign that Microsoft realizes Windows Phone is pretty much toast and will never go mainstream. It's stuck at just 3% of the global smartphone market, which isn't enough to attract developers to the platform, which in turn means users won't get the same great apps iPhone and Android users enjoy. And that gives people no incentive at all to choose Windows Phone over iPhone or Android.
So, what will the future of Windows Phone be like?
Microsoft's smartphone business will likely be similar to its Surface business. The Surface tablets aren't necessarily built to be major sellers. (Although Microsoft wouldn't complain if that happened). Instead, Surface serves as a model for what Microsoft belives displays the full potential of Windows. It's supposed to be a versatile machine that serves as both a tablet and a regular PC. Whether or not the Surface actually achieves that goal is up for debate.
Windows 10, the new version of Windows that launches July 29, is designed to run on all types of hardware, from mobile phones to giant TV-sized computers you mount on your wall. Microsoft has already said Windows 10 won't be ready for phones this month, but you can bet it'll have some sort of new flagship device of its own to show off what the operating system is finally ready for mobile.
And that's all you can probably expect from Windows Phone moving forward: The ocassional new smartphone from Microsoft acting as demonstration of what could be possible if other manufacturers decided to start making Windows Phones again.
But they won't.
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Even Microsoft is giving up on Windows Phones from Business Insider: Steve Kovach
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
The Transport Guy: The real reason behind Samsung's slump
Steve Kovach July 07, 2015 at 12:17PM
Samsung is about to report another disappointing quarter.
According to the company's guidance posted Monday, profits will be down about 4% for the last quarter due to disappointing sales of its latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S6.
It's the same story we've seen over and over again for the last year or so, but with a slight twist. Samsung is struggling to sell its high-end Android phones against cheaper models that have similar specs, from companies like Xiaomi. But this time Samsung says sales aren't as good as expected because it can't make enough phones to keep up with demand. Specifically, Samsung says it can't keep up with demand for the Galaxy S6 Edge, the more expensive version of the Galaxy S6 that has a curved screen.
But even if there were supply issues with the Galaxy S6 Edge early on, they appear to be gone now. A quick search shows you can have one shipped to you within 24 hours through most retailers. Samsung rarely reports smartphone sales, so we'll probably never know how many Galaxy S6s are sold. All we can go by are the company's earnings reports, which have shown dwindling profits for seven consecutive quarters, mostly because of sales declines in the mobile division.
Alleged supply issues aside, Samsung faces the same problem it has for the past year. Even though the Galaxy S6 is a great phone, it doesn't have anything special to differentiate from the dozens of other Android phones out there. Many Android phones can do just about everything the Galaxy S6 can do, but for a fraction of the price.
There's very little incentive for someone to buy a $650 Samsung phone over a $300 Xiaomi phone, especially in developing countries like China where most people can't afford a high-end phones. And if someone does want to spend $650 or more, they're better off buying an iPhone, which has a unique experience you can't find on other phones. In fact, Apple has been crushing it in China since releasing the new big-screen iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Samsung had a short reign as king of the smartphone world, but it's over now. The Galaxy S6 was an attempt to put more focus on build quality and design to attract more users, but that's clearly not enough. (Previous Samsung phones felt cheap and plasticky.) Samsung's mistake with the Galaxy S6 was trying to make it look like an iPhone in order to justify the higher price. Instead, it should've focused on software or services to help build a unique ecosystem around Samsung phones.
That's what makes the iPhone so appealing to those who want a high-end phone. Apple continues to improve the iPhone with extras like Apple Pay, Apple Music with free streaming radio, and the upcoming News app. On top of that, iOS has a much more robust ecosystem because developers tend to make the best apps for iPhone first.
Samsung, on the other hand, mostly focuses on hardware specs. Samsung did announce Samsung Pay, its mobile payments system for the Galaxy S6 was supposed to launch this summer, but it has reportedly been delayed until the fall. But that probably won't be enough to catch up to Apple's ecosystem advantage.
It's important to keep in mind that even though Samsung's smartphone business is shrinking, it doesn't mean the company as a whole is toast. Its chip business is growing nicely. And Samsung makes practically anything that runs on electricity. There's plenty of opportunity for Samsung to experiment or find another major profit generator like its smartphone business once was.
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The real reason behind Samsung's slump from Business Insider: Steve Kovach