The Transport Guy: Your Mac is going to change this week

Steve Kovach September 29, 2015 at 08:29AM

If you're not paying close attention, you may miss some big changes coming to your Mac this week.

On Wednesday, Apple will release El Capitan, the latest version of OS X, the operating system for Macs, as a free upgrade.

But don’t expect a wildly new experience when you get it. El Capitan is all about refining and improving Yosemite, the current version of OS X that came out about a year ago. It looks and feels the same as before. You might notice some performance improvements, but most of the significant changes are updates to the Apple apps like Mail, Notes, and Safari that come preinstalled on your Mac.

Those changes make your Mac better, but they’re also designed to keep you locked into Apple’s ecosystem of apps and services, which have historically lagged behind what its competitors offer. But with El Capitan, Apple’s apps have caught up to many of the best features its competitors have, and a lot of them are worth revisiting if you’ve been using alternatives.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the most important changes.

Notes

At the risk of sounding boring, I think the Notes app got the biggest upgrade in El Capitan. I’m a diehard Evernote user, and I even spend $50 each year to get the app’s premium features. But Notes is almost on par with Evernote now, and it’s totally free.

Now you can use Notes to save images, web links, and to-do lists. You can also make sketches and drawings. It’s not the most robust note-taking app I’ve ever used, but it’s finally caught up enough that I find myself using it more on both my Mac and iPhone.

Safari

If you’ve been using other browsers like Chrome or Firefox, the new features in Safari won’t really surprise you. The browser now lets you know which open tab is playing sound, and you can mute it by clicking the speaker icon.

Safari also lets you “pin” tabs to the browser’s taskbar so they stay live and updated throughout the day. It’s best for sites like Gmail, Facebook, and Twitter that you check frequently.

Mail

Mail is my second favorite update. You can now search through older messages using natural language instead of precise search terms. For example, you can look up “messages sent from Henry Blodget yesterday” and get exactly that. It also recognizes content within messages like dates so you can them to you calendar.

These features won’t sound new to you if you use the web version of Gmail, but Apple says its advantage is that all of your information stays private in the Mail app. The app analyzes your message locally on your machine, not online like Google does so it can figure out which ads to show you.

Maps

Apple Maps has had a rough time since launching over three years ago. But it’s finally catching up to Google Maps now that it has public transit directions built into the El Capitan version. Unfortunately, it only works in a handful of US cities like New York and San Francisco at the moment. Apple says support for other cities will roll out in the future.

The changes in Apple Maps are great, but the app still isn't the best option for many until more cities get all the latest features.

Spotlight

Spotlight, the tool that searches files on your computer, has some new tricks too. Think of Spotlight as a cross between Google search and Siri. It can bring you specific information like sports scores and weather without having to launch your browser.

And like Mail, it lets you use natural language search, so you can look up something like “spreadsheets I worked on this week” and get exactly what you want.

New controls

Beyond the updated apps, there are a few new controls to learn in El Capitan.

The best one may seem simple and silly, but it’s incredibly useful. If you jiggle your mouse around, the cursor blows up so you can find it easily on your screen.

You can also run two apps in a new split-screen mode, which is really handy if you’re working on a Mac with a smaller screen. I tested El Capitan on the new 12-inch MacBook, and found this feature made managing windows a lot easier than cycling through them from the dock.

Finally, El Capitan makes it easier to manage all your windows into what Apple calls Spaces. If you have a MacBook or a trackpad mouse for desktop, a three-finger swipe up gives you a full view of all your open windows. You can then drag them around into separate Spaces, which keeps your desktop clean and clutter free.

Should you upgrade?

Of course.

I’ve been using early versions of El Capitan since the summer and a final version of the software since last week. It’s totally stable, and I didn’t run into any major bugs. You'll get a notification Wednesday if your computer is eligible for the upgrade. (Many, if not most, Macs in use today will be able to get it.)

However, don’t expect anything revolutionary with El Capitan. If you’ve been using Yosemite, everything will look and feel exactly the same, especially if you already use alternatives to Apple's apps like Gmail, Outlook, Sunrise calendar, Evernote, etc.  But if you want to give Apple's suite of software a try, you're going to like the improvements in El Capitan.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 6 best new features coming to Apple computers

Your Mac is going to change this week from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Your Mac is going to change this week

Steve Kovach September 29, 2015 at 08:00AM

If you're not paying close attention, you may miss some big changes coming to your Mac this week.

On Wednesday, Apple will release El Capitan, the latest version of OS X, the operating system for Macs, as a free upgrade.

But don’t expect a wildly new experience when you get it. El Capitan is all about refining and improving Yosemite, the current version of OS X that came out about a year ago. It looks and feels the same as before. You might notice some performance improvements, but most of the significant changes are updates to the Apple apps like Mail, Notes, and Safari that come preinstalled on your Mac.

Those changes make your Mac better, but they’re also designed to keep you locked into Apple’s ecosystem of apps and services, which have historically lagged behind what its competitors offer. But with El Capitan, Apple’s apps have caught up to many of the best features its competitors have, and a lot of them are worth revisiting if you’ve been using alternatives.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the most important changes.

Notes

At the risk of sounding boring, I think the Notes app got the biggest upgrade in El Capitan. I’m a diehard Evernote user, and I even spend $50 each year to get the app’s premium features. But Notes is almost on par with Evernote now, and it’s totally free.

Now you can use Notes to save images, web links, and to-do lists. You can also make sketches and drawings. It’s not the most robust note-taking app I’ve ever used, but it’s finally caught up enough that I find myself using it more on both my Mac and iPhone.

Safari

If you’ve been using other browsers like Chrome or Firefox, the new features in Safari won’t really surprise you. The browser now lets you know which open tab is playing sound, and you can mute it by clicking the speaker icon.

Safari also lets you “pin” tabs to the browser’s taskbar so they stay live and updated throughout the day. It’s best for sites like Gmail, Facebook, and Twitter that you check frequently.

Mail

Mail is my second favorite update. You can now search through older messages using natural language instead of precise search terms. For example, you can look up “messages sent from Henry Blodget yesterday” and get exactly that. It also recognizes content within messages like dates so you can them to you calendar.

These features won’t sound new to you if you use the web version of Gmail, but Apple says its advantage is that all of your information stays private in the Mail app. The app analyzes your message locally on your machine, not online like Google does so it can figure out which ads to show you.

Maps

Apple Maps has had a rough time since launching over three years ago. But it’s finally catching up to Google Maps now that it has public transit directions built into the El Capitan version. Unfortunately, it only works in a handful of US cities like New York and San Francisco at the moment. Apple says support for other cities will roll out in the future.

The changes in Apple Maps are great, but the app still isn't the best option for many until more cities get all the latest features.

Spotlight

Spotlight, the tool that searches files on your computer, has some new tricks too. Think of Spotlight as a cross between Google search and Siri. It can bring you specific information like sports scores and weather without having to launch your browser.

And like Mail, it lets you use natural language search, so you can look up something like “spreadsheets I worked on this week” and get exactly what you want.

New controls

Beyond the updated apps, there are a few new controls to learn in El Capitan.

The best one may seem simple and silly, but it’s incredibly useful. If you jiggle your mouse around, the cursor blows up so you can find it easily on your screen.

You can also run two apps in a new split-screen mode, which is really handy if you’re working on a Mac with a smaller screen. I tested El Capitan on the new 12-inch MacBook, and found this feature made managing windows a lot easier than cycling through them from the dock.

Finally, El Capitan makes it easier to manage all your windows into what Apple calls Spaces. If you have a MacBook or a trackpad mouse for desktop, a three-finger swipe up gives you a full view of all your open windows. You can then drag them around into separate Spaces, which keeps your desktop clean and clutter free.

Should you upgrade?

Of course.

I’ve been using early versions of El Capitan since the summer and a final version of the software since last week. It’s totally stable, and I didn’t run into any major bugs. You'll get a notification Wednesday if your computer is eligible for the upgrade. (Many, if not most, Macs in use today will be able to get it.)

However, don’t expect anything revolutionary with El Capitan. If you’ve been using Yosemite, everything will look and feel exactly the same, especially if you already use alternatives to Apple's apps like Gmail, Outlook, Sunrise calendar, Evernote, etc.  But if you want to give Apple's suite of software a try, you're going to like the improvements in El Capitan.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 6 best new features coming to Apple computers

Your Mac is going to change this week from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: The iPhone 6s has a clever new feature that makes it easier to switch between apps

Steve Kovach September 25, 2015 at 07:07AM

The biggest new feature in the iPhone 6s is 3D Touch, which can detect how hard you're pressing on the screen to give you an extra layer of control beyond swiping and tapping.

So far, there are limited uses for 3D Touch because most developers haven't had time to implement the feature in their apps. But Apple has some clever uses for it.

One of my favorite new 3D Touch gestures lets you launch the app switcher without having to double tap the home button. (I stumbled on this accidentally in my early tests of the iPhone 6s.)

Here's how you do it:

Firmly press the left side of your screen. You'll feel the 3D Touch vibration as confirmation. Then you'll be taken into the app switcher.

Like this:

Pretty cool, right?

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NOW WATCH: The 2 best features coming to the new iPhone cameras

The iPhone 6s has a clever new feature that makes it easier to switch between apps from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: There are 2 major complaints with the new iPhone (AAPL)

Steve Kovach September 22, 2015 at 07:03AM

Click here to read the full article.

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There are 2 major complaints with the new iPhone (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: There are 2 major complaints with the new iPhone

Steve Kovach September 22, 2015 at 06:59AM

The first round of iPhone 6s reviews are out, and the critics love it. It sounds like a worthy upgrade, especially if you're using an iPhone 5S or earlier model.

But reviewers have two consistent complaints with the new iPhone: The entry-level model starts with just 16 GB of storage, which won't be enough for many (if not most) people. It also has a smaller battery, but still manages to last just as long as last year's model.

Joanna Stern of The Wall Street Journal had the best take on the the new iPhone batteries. In her tests, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus lasted just as long as last year's models did. But the real problem is that the phone has a smaller battery, when she'd prefer a larger one:

Here’s the real kicker: To accommodate the phone’s new touchscreen technology, the new iPhone 6s is an unnoticeable 0.01 inches thicker, and a slightly noticeable half-ounce heavier, but the battery is actually slightly smaller. I’d happily buy a thicker iPhone, if it meant more time away from the power outlet.

Brian X. Chen of The New York Times was also disappointed with the iPhone 6s battery life and said you may want to wait for the next model, which will hopefully show a bigger improvement in battery life.

As for storage, reviews were almost unanimous in their disdain that the iPhone 6s starts with just 16 GB. That's not enough considering the improved camera now shoots at 12 megapixels, takes 4K video, and has the new Live Photos feature. All of those take up more storage than before.

Lance Ulanoff of Mashable writes that Apple essentially forces you to shell out an extra $100 for the model that comes with 64 GB:

The iPhone 6S Plus comes in 16GB ($749), 64GB ($849) and 128 GB ($949) storage options. Considering the kind of content the iPhone 6S Plus can create, it would be insane to buy the 16GB model. For many, 64GB might seem like overkill, but if you plan on shooting 4K video -- any 4K video -- you may wonder why you didn’t spring for the 128GB model.

Meanwhile, most other major smartphone makers like Samsung start devices with 32 GB of storage, which is perfect for most people. And some smartphone makers even let you add storage with a memory card. Apple's argument for keeping the 16 GB model is that a siginificant number of users don't need more storage than that. Those who do can store files online through a cloud service like iCloud.

To be clear, neither of these complaints mean the iPhone 6S a dud. It's probably still the best phone you can buy. But if you were hoping for improved battery life or more storage for your money, you'll be disappointed this year.

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NOW WATCH: The biggest mistake Apple made with the new iPhone

There are 2 major complaints with the new iPhone from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: 6 examples of what a pro photographer can do with the iPhone 6s camera

Steve Kovach September 21, 2015 at 02:53PM

One of the biggest iPhone improvements this year is the camera.

It now takes 12-megapixel photos, up from the 8-megapixel shooter on the iPhone 6, and its image sensor has improved to take overall clearer photos.

Sports photographer Brad Mangin was able to test the iPhone 6s camera before its launch on September 25 and gave Tech Insider some examples of what he was able to do with it. (Check out his website here.)

We'll let the photos speak for themselves.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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6 examples of what a pro photographer can do with the iPhone 6s camera from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Google is going to announce some new Android products on September 29

Steve Kovach and Matt Rosoff September 18, 2015 at 04:44PM

Google sent out invitations to the press on Friday night for a September 29 event. The company will likely introduce new Android smartphones and an updated version of the Chromecast.

The invitation has a clever play on words: "Join us for some tasty new treats and much s'more" – a reference to Android M "Marshmallow," the newest version.

Google's new gadgets have leaked several times in recent weeks. First, we'll get two new Android phones, one made by LG and another made by Huawei. The Android new blog Droid life reported this week that the LG model will be called the Nexus 5X. The Huawei model will be called the Nexus 6P.

Google is also expected to announce an updated version of the Chromecast, the device that plugs directly into your TV and lets you stream content from services like Netflix. 9to5Google was the first to report that a new Chromecast is coming.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Dial this secret number to see how good your iPhone signal really is

Google is going to announce some new Android products on September 29 from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Can't download iOS 9? Be patient.

Steve Kovach September 16, 2015 at 10:13AM

It happens every year. Apple releases a new version of iOS, its operating system for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, and millions of users rush to download it at once.

But because so many people are hammering Apple's servers requesting the update, a lot of you are probably getting error messages.

Like these:

Hey, not cool. http://pic.twitter.com/Tcxzl6Ks1g

— Pete Pachal (@petepachal) September 16, 2015

 

Umm? http://pic.twitter.com/25H7OiWn2n

— Christina Warren (@film_girl) September 16, 2015

 

Owns http://pic.twitter.com/tgNgFN2tr1

— WARNING: Ed Zitron (@edzitron) September 16, 2015

The best thing to do? Just wait. Be patient. Go outside. Read a book. Browse Tech Insider.

Give Apple a few hours to catch up with the demand and everything should be just fine.

If you're really, really impatient, try plugging your iPhone into your computer and launching iTunes. You may be able to get the iOS 9 update faster that way.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Apple has completely changed the way you pay for your iPhone

Can't download iOS 9? Be patient. from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: How to get the new software update for your iPhone

Steve Kovach September 16, 2015 at 10:03AM

Apple's new mobile operating system, iOS 9, is available now. 

It's free for most iPhone and iPad models still in use today. 

Here's how to get it:

On your iOS device, go to Settings > General > Software Update and follow the prompts to install iOS 9. If it doesn't show up right away, try again in a few minutes.

Make sure your device has been backed up (instructions here), you have almost 2 GB of free space, and you have plenty of charge in your battery.

If you don't have enough free space in your iPhone or iPad, you can install it by plugging your device into your computer and syncing with iTunes (instructions here).

Apple released iOS 9 Wednesday afternoon. Since so many people are upgrading at once, it may be a slow download. If you're having problems, just wait a few hours and try again.

iOS 9 isn't a huge upgrade over the current iOS 8. It's designed mostly to address bugs and other performance issues. However, there are a few noticeable changes like more Siri features and a new multitasking tool.

Join the conversation about this story »

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How to get the new software update for your iPhone from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: There's a better way to use apps on your iPhone, but Apple won't let you do it yet (AAPL)

Steve Kovach September 15, 2015 at 01:56PM

There's good news if you don't like to use those preinstalled Apple apps on your iPhone.

The company's CEO Tim Cook told BuzzFeed this week that it's exploring options to let you remove some of them from your device.

That's great!

But it's not good enough.

Apple gives you all the basic apps like Mail, Calendar, and Weather, but there's a better third-party alternative for each one. My home screen is littered with alternatives to the apps Apple gave me with my brand new iPhone.

I use Outlook instead of Mail. Spotify instead of Music. Sunrise instead of Calendar. And so on. Most of my Apple apps live in a junk folder that I labeled with a poop emoji.

Even though I mostly use alternatives, my iPhone forces me to use Apple apps when I click a link from an email or text message. That's because the iPhone still doesn't let you choose default apps for basic functions like you can on a Mac or PC.

So, for example, if someone sends me an email with an address and I click the link, I'm taken to Apple Maps instead of Google Maps. There's nothing I can do about it.

Apple may be good at making incredible devices, but its apps are pretty bad compared to what third-party developers have come up with over the years. In fact, the best way to use your iPhone is to ignore most of Apple's apps and use something else like I do.

But that won't be ideal until Apple allows users to choose their own favorite apps as defaults for basic functions like web browsing and directions instead of forcing you back into its own apps.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Apple has completely changed the way you pay for your iPhone

There's a better way to use apps on your iPhone, but Apple won't let you do it yet (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Microsoft is going to announce the new Surface tablet on October 6

Steve Kovach September 14, 2015 at 08:13AM

Microsoft sent invitations to the press Monday for a Windows 10 event on October 6 in New York.

The event is likely going to be when Microsoft announces the next version of its Surface tablet, the so-called Surface Pro 4. The Surface Pro hasn't been updated since spring of 2014. Now that Windows 10 is here, it's a good time for Microsoft to release some new hardware.

According to Mary Jo Foley of CNet, Microsoft will announce a new Surface tablet, two new smartphones running Windows 10, and an updated version of the Microsoft Band fitness tracker.

Tech Insider will have live coverage from the event on October 6.

Here's a look at the invitation Microsoft sent:

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Microsoft is going to announce the new Surface tablet on October 6 from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: I used Apple's new '3D Touch' feature on the iPhone 6s, and now I'm convinced it's going to be a big deal

Steve Kovach September 11, 2015 at 08:51AM

The iPhone's home screen has always been boring: a menu of static icons that did nothing but tell you how many notifications you have or launch an app.

It's become a joke in the tech world. The iPhone gets better every year, but even the Weather icon can't show you the current temperature unless you open the app.

Former Bloomberg editor Josh Topolsky summed it up pretty well in a tweet on Wednesday:

All this and they still can't get the Weather icon to show the temperature

— Joshua Topolsky (@joshuatopolsky) September 9, 2015

But Apple has an answer with a new feature coming to the iPhone 6s called 3D Touch. 3D Touch is a new technology built into the iPhone's screen that can detect how hard you press down on the glass. We're already used to tapping, swiping, and pinching on the iPhone for certain actions, but 3D Touch opens up a whole new layer of controls.

Right now, only Apple apps and a few select apps that got early access to the iPhone 6s have 3D Touch features, but what I've seen so far is promising.

It's the most useful on the home screen. Instead of opening an app, you do a hard press on app icon to bring up relevant information. For example, pressing down on the Messages app pulls up a list of the people you frequently text and an option to jump into a blank message.

Inside apps, you can use 3D Touch to preview a website from a link or an email. The website preview was my favorite. It's much better than opening a new web page in a separate app.

It works well in Mail too. Here's what it looks like when you preview an email:

via GIPHY

Keep in mind that 3D Touch only works on the iPhone 6S, so it's unlikely most developers will make much use of it in the near term. It'll be years before the majority of iPhone users have a 3D Touch-enabled device, so that gives developers little incentive to use the extra time to come up with clever ways to utilize the new features. 

But in a few years, it'll feel just as standard and natural as swiping or tapping on your phone's screen. 3D Touch makes the home screen more dynamic and interesting, while enabling developers to come up with clever controls inside their apps, especially for things like games that need more controls than simple taps.

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NOW WATCH: Apple has completely changed the way you pay for your iPhone

I used Apple's new '3D Touch' feature on the iPhone 6s, and now I'm convinced it's going to be a big deal from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: The new Apple TV is an excellent device except for one thing (AAPL)

Steve Kovach September 10, 2015 at 09:04AM

I tested all the new products Apple announced Wednesday, but one stood out the most: the new Apple TV.

I only spent a few minutes with the device, but I can already tell this thing is a home run.

The interface is cleaner. The remote, which has touch and motion controls, is intuitive and easy to use. I imagine game developers are going to go wild with this thing and give Nintendo's Wii a run for its money. Siri search and controls will change the way we interact with our TVs and find new stuff to watch.

I'm impressed. Except for one thing.

I don't buy Apple CEO Tim Cook's argument that the future of TV is apps.

The biggest new feature of the Apple TV is its new App Store. Developers can now write apps for the Apple TV just like they can for the iPhone or iPad. But I'm not sure opening the Apple TV to every kind of app was the right move. 

I don't think the future of TV is apps. I think the future of TV is the right kind of apps. Today we saw apps that make sense for the Apple TV: Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and some really cool games.

But there were also apps like the one from shopping site Gilt, which feel like they don't fit on a big-screen TV in your living room. Is shopping on TV really a better experience than it is on your computer or phone? I don't think so.

Then there are the reports that companies like Airbnb and the live streaming video app Periscope have their own Apple TV apps in the works. Neither of those feel right on a TV either.

The TV isn't meant to be a computer. It's a passive entertainment device. You find something to watch, sit back, and relax. From what I saw Wednesday, Apple TV does that better than any other set-top box I've used, but you're better off ignoring the majority of the incoming TV apps that don't fit into that paradigm.

I think Apple has another hit coming with the new Apple TV. But I also think most people will be better off using it the old-fashioned way: just watching stuff.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A hands-on look at the coolest new feature coming to the iPhone

The new Apple TV is an excellent device except for one thing (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: The new Apple TV is the perfect device except for one thing

Steve Kovach September 09, 2015 at 05:01PM

I tested all the new products Apple announced Wednesday, but one stood out the most: the new Apple TV.

I only spent a few minutes with the device, but I can already tell this thing is a home run.

The interface is cleaner. The remote, which has touch and motion controls, is intuitive and easy to use. I imagine game developers are going to go wild with this thing and give Nintendo's Wii a run for its money. Siri search and controls will change the way we interact with our TVs and find new stuff to watch.

I'm impressed. Except for one thing.

I don't buy Apple CEO Tim Cook's argument that the future of TV is apps.

The biggest new feature of the Apple TV is its new App Store. Developers can now write apps for the Apple TV just like they can for the iPhone or iPad. But I'm not sure opening the Apple TV to every kind of app was the right move. 

I don't think the future of TV is apps. I think the future of TV is the right kind of apps. Today we saw apps that make sense for the Apple TV: Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and some really cool games.

But there were also apps like the one from shopping site Gilt, which feel like they don't fit on a big-screen TV in your living room. Is shopping on TV really a better experience than it is on your computer or phone? I don't think so.

Then there are the reports that companies like Airbnb and the live streaming video app Periscope have their own Apple TV apps in the works. Neither of those feel right on a TV either.

The TV isn't meant to be a computer. It's a passive entertainment device. You find something to watch, sit back, and relax. From what I saw Wednesday, Apple TV does that better than any other set-top box I've used, but you're better off ignoring the majority of the incoming TV apps that don't fit into that paradigm.

I think Apple has another hit coming with the new Apple TV. But I also think most people will be better off using it the old-fashioned way: just watching stuff.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's your first hands-on look at 3D Touch — the coolest feature coming to the iPhone

The new Apple TV is the perfect device except for one thing from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Here's your first hands-on look at 3D Touch — the coolest feature coming to the iPhone

Will Wei and Steve Kovach September 09, 2015 at 04:19PM

Apple made a whole bunch of announcements today, but the coolest one might be the 3D Touch feature coming to the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. We got a first look at how it works.

Produced by Will Wei and Steve Kovach

Follow TI: On Facebook

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Here's your first hands-on look at 3D Touch — the coolest feature coming to the iPhone from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: The biggest mistake Apple made with the new iPhone

Darren Weaver and Steve Kovach September 09, 2015 at 03:11PM

Apple just unveiled the highly anticipated iPhone 6S and while the new device has a slew of new and enhanced features, there's just one glaring thing they fell short on.

Produced by Darren Weaver

Follow TI: On Facebook

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The biggest mistake Apple made with the new iPhone from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: There are 3 killer features in the new iPhone 6S

Steve Kovach September 09, 2015 at 03:03PM

The new iPhone 6S may look the same on the outside, but there are a lot of new tricks on the inside.

After spending a few minutes with the iPhone 6S following Apple's big event Wednesday, three features stood out the most: 3D Touch, Live Photos, and the new camera.

Here's a quick look at each.

This is the iPhone 6S. It looks the same as last year's iPhone 6.

But it has a new feature called 3D Touch, which can detect how hard you press down on the screen.

For example, when you press down hard on the Phone app icon, you get a list of recent contacts.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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There are 3 killer features in the new iPhone 6S from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Apple is about to announce a ton of new products (AAPL)

Steve Kovach and Dave Smith September 09, 2015 at 09:43AM

Apple is about to hold one of its biggest events ever on Wednesday.

We're expecting the company to announce two new models of the iPhone — the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. We're also expecting a giant new iPad, a refreshed iPad mini, and an all new Apple TV, complete with an App Store and an all new remote control with Siri support for easy navigation.

Tech Insider is attending today's event, and we'll be regularly updating this story with new information.

Our stories so far:

Here's how to watch a live stream of Apple's event

Here's what it's like to attend a big Apple event in person

10 new features coming to the Apple Watch

This story is developing... refresh for the latest or just click here.

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NOW WATCH: Apple might unveil a stylus-powered iPad — something Steve Jobs never wanted on the iPhone

Apple is about to announce a ton of new products (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: The 17 best smartphones in the world (VZ, T, S, TMUS)

Steve Kovach September 06, 2015 at 07:31AM

As we approach fall, just about every company is getting a jump on the holidays to announce new phones.

Here's our ranking of the best phones you can buy right now in the US based on factors including design, software and hardware features, content selection, carrier availability, and price. We've included the approximate unsubsidized cost for each.

#17 BlackBerry Passport

The BlackBerry Passport is a funky-looking phone. It's almost perfectly square with a narrow physical keyboard at the bottom.

A lot of people like to scoff at the Passport, but BlackBerry fans seem to love it.

Price: Around $550

#16 BlackBerry Classic

The BlackBerry Classic looks a lot like the BlackBerry Bold from a few years ago. It has a physical keyboard, trackpad, and larger touchscreen. If you want a phone with a keyboard, the Classic is the best phone to buy.

Price: Around $330

#15 Nokia Lumia 830

The Nokia Lumia 830 is one of the most recent phones from Microsoft. It runs the Windows Phone 8 operating system and has a sharp 5-inch screen.

Price: Around $400

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The 17 best smartphones in the world (VZ, T, S, TMUS) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: I've never been impressed with a Samsung smartwatch until now

Steve Kovach September 05, 2015 at 08:59AM

For Samsung, the seventh time is the charm.

This week, the company announced its seventh smartwatch in two years, the Gear S2. But unlike its predecessors, which were chunky, unattractive slabs of silicon and metal you strapped to your wrist, the Gear S2 is stylish and features intuitive controls.

In a lot of ways, it’s a step ahead ahead of the Apple Watch, the current category leader by most estimates. (None of the companies that make smartwatches have shared sales numbers, so we’re left with guesses from analysts and research firms.)

I spent some time with the Gear S2 this week, and liked a lot of what I saw.

Controls

My favorite part of the Gear S2 is the rotating bezel, which you use to navigate through menus and apps. Whereas it took me a day of poking around to get used to navigating through the various menus, submenus, and app screens on the Apple Watch, I was able to pick up the Gear S2 and find my way around from the get go.

It’s simple: You rotate the S2’s bezel clockwise to move forward or scroll through menus and then tap anywhere on the screen to select what you’ve highlighted. There’s also a home button the side that’ll bring you back to the main watch face. The Apple Watch, on the other hand, requires you to use a mix of controls: rotating the digital crown, tapping various buttons, or swiping the screen to get around. It’s fine once you get used to it, but doesn’t feel as natural as the Gear S2’s controls.

Design

Design choices are always subjective, but there’s no arguing that the Gear S2 is a leap forward from Samsung’s other smartwatches. The circular screen is bright and sharp, and it comes in a variety of color and strap options. It seemed thick and chunky at a distance, but it looked great and felt comfortable when I put it on, even though I have abnormally scrawny wrists for a six-foot man.

I also like how the Gear S2 looks a lot like a normal watch. If someone passed you on the street, they’d have to clue you had a mini computer strapped to your wrist.

Customization

Finally, I liked the watch faces that come with the Gear S2. There are several to choose from, and unlike the Apple Watch, third parties are free to design their own for users to download. ESPN and CNN have already made nice Gear S2 watch faces that gives you updates on scores and news, for example. I think that’s a key feature for a smartwatch — not everyone has the same taste, so it’s nice to be able to have a lot of customizable options.

The caveats

But — there are always a few buts — the Gear S2 only works with Android devices, which is good news if you’re an Android user because most of the compatible watches have been lackluster so far. I have a feeling this will be the best smartwatch for Android users. iPhone users are out of luck.

Another but: The apps stink. This problem isn’t exclusive to the Gear S2 either. Just like on the Apple Watch, the S2 apps I saw try too hard to mimic the smartphone experience on a tiny screen. It just doesn’t work, and you're better off pulling out your smartphone instead. Very few people have created apps that work well on the watch form factor, which is why I still think smartwatches are best used for checking notifications, the time, and other at-a-glance information like upcoming calendar events.

The third and final but: I don’t think smartwatches are for most people. They’re nice to have, but they're not essential gadgets like a smartphone. For example, I’ve worn my Apple Watch almost every day since I got it in April and love using it, but whenever someone asks if they should buy one, I tell them no. Smartwatches are still accessories that depend on your smartphone to work. And while I love using mine to quickly check notifications or track my fitness stats, I don’t think that’s going to be enough for most people.

Buts aside, Samsung has an impressive device with the Gear S2. I’ll have more detailed thoughts for you after it launches. 

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NOW WATCH: Samsung unveils two new phones to rival the iPhone 6 Plus — and they are gigantic

I've never been impressed with a Samsung smartwatch until now from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Samsung has a convincing case for turning your home into a smart home

Steve Kovach September 04, 2015 at 08:53AM

In January of this year, Samsung made a bold promise.

By 2020, everything the company makes will connect to the internet.

For companies that only make a handful of products, that wouldn’t seem like a big deal. But Samsung makes a lot of stuff. TVs. Irons. Phones. Computers. Humidifiers. Washing machines. If it runs on electricity, Samsung has it.

So when the company’s CEO BK Yoon stood on stage in front of hundreds of people at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and told the world that all Samsung gadgets will be controlled over the internet within five years, it sounded crazy.

It didn’t help much that Samsung’s pitch for the so-called “Internet of Things” — which included examples such as smart chairs and a rambling speech by the famous economist Jeremy Rifkin — was way off. The keynote ended without a clear answer as to why we need to connect our everyday gadgets to the internet.

But there’s a lot more to Samsung’s “Internet of Things” initiative going on besides what we saw in January. Much of it is fueled by a company called SmartThings, which Samsung bought last year for a reported $200 million.

SmartThings is now an independent subsidiary of Samsung, operating out of a former local movie theater in Palo Alto, California under CEO Alex Hawkinson. The company only makes a few products, and its main one is a hub that connects to your home’s internet connection so it can control all of your “smart” gizmos.

On Thursday, SmartThings and Samsung announced an update to the hub: It’s now more powerful and can run your appliances even if you temporarily lose power or an internet connection. It also supports video monitoring from a variety of web-connected cameras from companies like D-Link and a new app for managing all your connected devices from your phone.

It’s the first big step in Samsung’s radical vision for a future where every appliance, screen, and gadget we own connects to the internet and talks to each other. And the people behind SmartThings have a pretty good pitch for how that vision could and should become a reality. It’s much better and more coherent than what we saw at CES.

But the question still remains: Do we need all our stuff connected to the internet? Samsung made it sound like we do, but the real answer is much more nuanced than that.

SmartThings came to Samsung through the Global Innovation Center (GIC), an incubator of sorts for pie-in-the-sky projects that could eventually be spun into Samsung’s larger ambitions. GIC’s boss David Eun, helped put the SmartThings acquisition together.

Within a few months, SmartThings became the focal point for Samsung’s biggest initiative following smartphones. Hawkinson, the SmartThings CEO, even appeared on stage during the Samsung CES keynote.

“I think you’ll see more homes and devices with that built-in connectivity,” Eun told Tech Insider in a recent interview. “What SmartThings saw was most people will mix and match. Instead of an app for each device, why don’t we create one platform that’s open?”

That’s the unique pitch for Samsung’s smart home initiative. It’s totally open.

Right now you can buy a bunch of smart home gadgets, but you need a separate app or service to run them. SmartThings is designed to talk to those gadgets and control them from a single app. It even works on devices made by Samsung’s bitter rival Apple.

The idea isn’t to immediately convert every appliance in your home to a smart gadget either. SmartThings sells starter kits that include devices like motion sensors and wall plugs. But the overall philosophy of the company is to let people convert their homes into smart homes at their own pace.

“People get started with a simple problem and then expand from there,” Hawkinson told Tech Insider in an interview.

So just because Samsung’s vision earlier this year made it sound like our homes will suddenly become connected by 2020, doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how it’ll happen. Hawkinson says people will focus on things that matter most like security and home monitoring.

From there, they can move on to smart lights, door locks, or whatever else. The SmartThings hub and app will help all those things talk to each other. And if something doesn’t fit into their lifestyle or they have privacy or security concerns, they can live just fine without it.

That’s the real vision. You don’t need to trick out everything in your house to have a smart home. A few gadgets targeting a few key areas can go a long way and will likely be enough for most people. But if you want to go all in, you’ll be able to do that too. 

“People don’t buy all at once,” Hawkinson said. “They start with an individual solution. They start in, and then look for things that are compatible for what they got. That influences downstream purchases of other products.”

But Hawkinson is also realistic about where the connected home is going. Not everyone is going to suddenly adopt smart gadgets in their homes, which is why SmartThings is remaining focused on key areas like security, the kinds of things most people will care about before they take the dive into buying appliances like smart washing machines or humidifiers.

"We're building a pretty big business now. It's not so early adopter," Hawkinson said. "The timing feels good. It's still going to be millions of house holds, not billions. But it's not that far out. For me, the race is that this tech is available now and it solves real problems."

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NOW WATCH: Samsung unveils two new phones to rival the iPhone 6 Plus — and they are gigantic

Samsung has a convincing case for turning your home into a smart home from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: How to download Amazon videos to your iPhone so you can watch them when you're offline

Steve Kovach September 01, 2015 at 11:30AM

If you're an Amazon Prime subscriber with an Apple or Android device, you can now download movies from Amazon Instant, the company's streaming video service that's similar to Netflix.

This is perfect if you're on a plane or in an area with a spotty internet connection.

Here's how to download Amazon Instant videos for offline viewing on the iPhone. It's a similar process on Android.

If you don't have the app, download it for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Open the Amazon Instant app and find the video you want to download.

Tap the icon that looks like an arrow pointing down.

Wait for the download to finish.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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How to download Amazon videos to your iPhone so you can watch them when you're offline from Business Insider: Steve Kovach