The Transport Guy: Finally. You can order condoms with the push of a button

Steve Kovach March 31, 2016 at 07:11AM

The future is amazing.

Amazon announced a bunch of new Dash buttons Thursday. Dash buttons connect to your Amazon Prime account and let you re-order common items like toilet paper and cleaning supplies.

There are now over 100 Amazon Dash buttons. The one that stuck out the most?

The Trojan button.

Yup, with the push of a button you can have Trojan condoms delivered to your door within two days. Free shipping!

Check out the other Amazon Dash buttons here.

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NOW WATCH: Ford is partnering with Amazon to let you control your house from your car

Finally. You can order condoms with the push of a button from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Tesla fans really are as crazy as Apple fans

Steve Kovach March 30, 2016 at 03:32PM

Few companies can get people to line up for a product that doesn't exist yet.

Apple is one of them. (There are plenty of examples of people lining up for the latest iPhone before Apple even unveils it.)

Tesla seems to be the only other.

Here's a photo of people lining up to reserve the Tesla Model 3 in Australia that was tweeted by Tesla CEO Elon Musk:

Model 3 order day starting in Australia http://pic.twitter.com/T6aUnG5BCv

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 30, 2016

We won't even know what the Model 3 looks like until 11:30 p.m. Eastern Thursday during Tesla's big unveiling. But there is a lot of hype around this car. Tesla has already said it'll start at $35,000, which is significantly cheaper than the $100,000 or so you can expect to drop on the Model S sedan. And down payments start at just $1,000.

The bad news? You'll have to wait until next year for your Model 3 to ship.

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NOW WATCH: We put Tesla's Autopilot to the ultimate test in the most stressful driving city in America

Tesla fans really are as crazy as Apple fans from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: REVIEW: This is Apple's best iPad

Steve Kovach March 30, 2016 at 02:18PM

I haven’t been an iPad user since I got my iPhone 6 Plus.

My iPad mini, which I bought to compensate for the tiny screen on my iPhone 5s, sat unused on my nightstand for months until I finally decided to give up and sell it.

For me, the best computing combo is an iPhone and MacBook. I just don’t need that “in between” device Steve Jobs pitched the world when he announced the original iPad over six years ago.

But Apple is no longer pitching the iPad as an in-between device.

Instead, the new 9.7-inch iPad Air Pro, which goes on sale March 31 starting at $599, is designed to be a laptop replacement. It's got loads of significant improvements under the hood, and an optional $149 keyboard cover. I don’t think it fully lives up to Apple’s promise, but it does come close. And for some people, it might be perfect.

It is without question the best iPad Apple has made, and it’s the one you should buy if you’re ready to upgrade. I’m even tempted to go for it.

Power for a price

There’s a bit of a sticker shock.

At $599, the iPad Pro costs $200 more than the iPad Air 2. But considering all the extra power and the fact you get double the memory, a better camera, and a more advanced screen makes it all worth it. You don’t need to replace an iPad every year or two like you do with an iPhone, so I always recommend getting the latest and greatest model when you buy. That $599 you spend will last you a good four years or so.

Don’t let the looks fool you either: though the iPad Pro is almost identical to the iPad Air 2, it’s running the same powerful A9x chip from last fall’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Some specs geeks have pointed out that the 9.7-inch model has less RAM than the 12.9-incher, making it slightly less powerful overall, but I’ve been assured most people won’t notice the difference. I certainly didn't.

The new Pro is more than capable of running advanced apps like 4k video editors and heavy-duty drawing programs. It's plenty powerful.

Besides all the invisible power, the screen has some significant improvements that even casual users will notice. It’s much brighter than before — Apple claims it’s the brightest tablet screen in the world — and it has sensors hidden in the bezel that automatically adapts the display to the lighting in the surrounding environment.

Apple calls this a “True Tone” display, and it really does work. The display gets warmer in indoor lighting, making it much easier on the eyes. You may not notice it at first, but switch True Tone off and you’ll immediately miss it.

Sound is a lot better too, thanks to four stereo speakers around the edges, just like the ones on the 12.9-inch model. (The Air 2 only has one speaker.) It’s loud, and makes watching videos or listening to music much more pleasant than before. The ultimate Netflix machine.

The Apple Pencil

I’m no artist. I can’t even legibly sign my name. The Apple Pencil, the same $99 accessory that launched with the big iPad Pro last year, isn’t for someone like me.

Instead, I had an artist friend test it out using an app called Procreate. She was blown away by how versatile the Pencil is, detecting pressure and shading as she sketched a drawing at a bar during happy hour the other day.

I think my tweet says it all:

My artist friend @aymeeleeah testing Apple Pencil. "Whoa that's amazing." http://pic.twitter.com/lmmAs3BV5y

— Steve Kovach (@stevekovach) March 25, 2016

If you’re like my friend, get the Apple Pencil. If you’re like me, skip it. Your fingers will do the trick for everything you want to do.

The big question

Here it is: Is the iPad Pro good enough to replace your laptop?

The short answer: No.

The long answer: It depends. There are plenty of people who could get by using the iPad Pro as their primary computer.

An example: My mother uses her 5-year-old iPad 2 more than any other gadget. I can’t even remember the last time she used a laptop. But then again, her computing tasks mostly involve emailing, checking Facebook, and playing endless hours of “Candy Crush.” If that sounds like you, you could probably get by using the iPad Pro as your only computer.

Plus, mobile apps continue to get more powerful and help you be more productive. And the PC market has been in decline for years as people have realized phones and tablets are good enough for what they need to do. (Meanwhile their old PCs gather dust.)

But I still can’t recommend most people switch to an iPad Pro instead of a regular laptop.

The iPad app ecosystem has gotten better, but still doesn’t match what you get on a Mac or PC when it comes to productivity. Most of it is a form factor problem. It's simply too tough to use touch-based apps to get things done when historically those programs are designed for a mouse and keyboard.

It’s annoying to reach up and tap and swipe at the screen to navigate because the keyboard cover doesn’t have a trackpad. And the keyboard cover itself doesn’t feel as polished as the rest of the iPad hardware. I found it flimsy and difficult to type on. Plus, it doesn’t hold up in my lap as well as a regular laptop and it’s impossible to adjust the angle of the screen.

The iPad doesn’t do enough to justify making those tradeoffs yet. And Apple already makes great laptops like the MacBook Air and the super-thin MacBook that are much better devices for getting things done.

Maybe the world is shifting to a tablet-centric computing era as Apple believes, but if it is, we’re still in the very early stages of that. And if Apple does make that dreamy all-in-one device, I imagine it’ll work a lot differently than the current iPad Pro.

Should you buy it?

Try not to get too caught up in the laptop replacement argument. It’s one that will continue for years as our computing habits evolve. If you need a new laptop, by all means get a new laptop.

The iPad Pro is an amazing device, and it’s easily the best iPad Apple has made. If you’re using an iPad that’s at least three years old and thinking about an upgrade, this is the device you should buy.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: There was a big surprise in Apple's new iPad unveiling

REVIEW: This is Apple's best iPad from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Microsoft thinks it's found the next big thing after the iPhone

Steve Kovach March 30, 2016 at 04:51AM

What comes after smartphones and apps?

Chatbots, according to Microsoft.

In this week's Bloomberg Businessweek cover story, Microsoft revealed its plans to go all in on chatbots, or programs powered by artificial intelligence that can help you do mundane tasks like book a flight or schedule your finances. The company will give more demos of its experiments with chatbots starting Wednesday during its annual Build developer's conference in San Francisco.

Chatbots are a growing trend in the tech world. Amazon's Echo speaker has a built-in digital assistant called Alexa that you can talk to and order items online, get traffic and weather alerts, or control your music. Facebook Messenger has a chatbot called M that can do just about anything for you, even prank your friends. And there are several smaller apps and services out there like Magic, which act as virtual concierges.

According to Bloomberg's profile, Microsoft's big push into chatbots is the first major project dreamed up exclusively by the company's CEO Satya Nadella since he took over about two years ago. Nadella's vision is that chatbots are "more natural for people to get things done" instead of having a separate app for each task. Nadella will show off new tools developers can use to build chatbots at Build, according to Bloomberg.

Microsoft's big push into chatbots could be because it pretty much missed the modern mobile computing trend dominated by apps. It was late with its Windows Phone launch, and developers pretty much ignore the platform. That world is owned by Apple's iOS and Google's Android now. 

Instead, Nadella wants to create an entirely new platform run by conversation, not apps you tap and swipe at on a screen. We're seeing the same thing with Amazon, which tried to muscle its way into the smartphone market with the Fire Phone in 2014, but the phone was a massive flop. Facebook is also expected to focus heavily on chatbots that work with Messenger at its F8 developer's conference in April.

Microsoft's first foray into chatbots didn't go so well. Last week, the company launched Tay, a Twitter chatbot designed to speak like a teenager. But Tay was flooded with abusive messages and eventually developed into a racist monster. Microsoft was forced to apologize and pull the plug on Tay.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's how the iPad Pro stacks up against the Surface Pro 4

Microsoft thinks it's found the next big thing after the iPhone from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: REVIEW: Apple pulled off something amazing with the iPhone SE

Steve Kovach March 29, 2016 at 03:36PM

Boring, right?

The new iPhone SE is basically the guts of the iPhone 6s stuffed into the body of an iPhone 5s. It’s a Frankenphone, a mix of the best Apple has to offer and a 3.5-year-old design that feels silly to write about weeks after Samsung released the best-looking phone you can buy.

But the iPhone SE wasn’t built for geeks like me who are obsessed with the latest and greatest phones with giant screens. It’s made for the 30 million people Apple says bought 4-inch iPhones last year. It’s made for the tens of millions who still haven’t upgraded their old, tiny iPhones for the 6, either because they don’t want a bigger screen or they don’t want to drop another $650 on an Apple product. It's made for first-time smartphone owners.

Moreover, iPhone SE is the greatest value of any smartphone. You get iOS, the best mobile platform in the world, the latest internal specs, advanced features like Apple Pay, and a top-of-the-line camera starting at a very reasonable $399.

It’s not for everyone, but if you can look past the the smaller screen and familiar design, you’ll realize you’re getting a top-notch phone for $250 less than the iPhone 6s. Not bad at all. You can pre-order the SE now and it goes on sale March 31.

Back to the small screen

I’m obsessed with big phones. After years of praying Apple would follow the rest of the industry and make a jumbo-sized iPhone, my wish was granted in 2014 with the iPhone 6 Plus. I immediately ditched my iPhone 5s and haven’t looked back since. I spend hours and hours a day on my iPhone, and the bigger screen and extra battery life in the Plus matter more to me than anything else.

The iPhone SE, on the other hand, looks and feels almost exactly like the 5s except for some very minor design tweaks. It also comes in pink.

So you can imagine how much of a shock it was to downsize back to the 4-inch iPhone SE last week. My favorite apps no longer fit on the first page of my home screen. Text was harder to read. Typing was more difficult on the tiny keyboard.

But I also forgot how useful it is to have a phone that doesn’t need two hands to operate or won’t jab into my side every time I sit down with it in my pocket. Those were minor nuisances I’ve learned to live with, but they disappeared with the SE. I can now see why there are so many people out there who want the smaller screen, even if it means sacrificing battery life and other features Apple has introduced over the years.

Now, with the SE, they can have it all.

Big power, small phone

Over the last week, I haven’t found one thing that my iPhone 6s Plus can do that the iPhone SE can’t do. I took 4k videos. I shot Live Photos with the 12 megapixel camera. I used Apple Pay.

Those are all features people like me who use Apple’s latest iPhones have come to take for granted. But buying a smaller, cheaper iPhone used to mean you had to give up the best Apple features. That’s no longer the case with the iPhone SE. You get it all.

There are three notable exceptions though. The front-facing camera isn’t as good as the 6s camera. (My colleague Rafi Letzter has an explanation for that here.) It also has the older version of the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which is noticeably slower than the newer version in the iPhone 6s. Finally, it’s missing 3D Touch, a curious choice since Apple spent a lot of time last year trying to convince everyone 3D Touch is designed to revolutionize how we interact with the iPhone.

None of those are dealbreakers, but it does seem like Apple found some ways to shave off some of the cost of the phone. (3D Touch really doesn’t matter to me anyway. I almost never use it on my 6s Plus, and I didn’t even miss it going back to a 3D Touch-less device.)

I was also impressed with the SE’s battery life. Even though the battery is technically smaller, it outperforms the iPhone 6s in most tests thanks to the smaller screen and power efficiency of iOS 9 and Apple’s latest A9 processor. You no longer need a massive phone with a massive battery to get great battery life. That may be the SE’s single most important achievement.

Performance was great too. Since the SE has the same processor as the iPhone 6s, it’s capable of handling heavy gaming, video editing, and other intensive tasks you might want to do when you’re not Snapchatting and Instagramming. If you want to get really geeky, plenty of people have tested the processor and found it holds its own against any other premium, high-end phone out there. That’s crazy impressive for what’s supposed to be a mid-range phone.

Finally, as I said before, the camera can handle everything the 6s camera can. The only camera that beats it is the new Galaxy S7, but unless you’re a major camera snoot (I’m not), you’ll be perfectly happy with what the SE’s camera can do.

Should you buy it?

Apple pulled off something amazing with the iPhone SE: A high-end device, packaged and priced like a mid-tier phone. There are plenty of examples of that in the Android world, but I still think iOS trumps all. 

At the end of the day, I still think most people should buy the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus. The larger screen is that important for a device you carry with you 24/7. Yes, the iPhone 7 will be here in the fall. But that’s a good six months or so away, and you won’t be sorry later if you get a 6s today. 

The iPhone SE is ideal only if a smaller screen and one-handed use is more important to you than anything else. It’s an amazing phone that's packed with all of the the best iPhone features. And you’re getting it all of those features for an incredible price. But only buy it if you want the small screen.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's your first look at the cheapest iPhone ever

REVIEW: Apple pulled off something amazing with the iPhone SE from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: The company that was once Apple's biggest threat in China is making a rice cooker

Steve Kovach March 29, 2016 at 06:49AM

Chinese startup Xiaomi is moving past smartphones, tablets, and TVs and starting to make everyday appliances, the company announced Tuesday.

And it all starts with a rice cooker (yes, a rice cooker), which costs about $150, or 40% less than high-end Japanese rice cookers, the company says. It's the first product in the new "Mi Ecosystem" that will include other standard appliances built by 55 companies Xiaomi has invested in.

Xiaomi was once the biggest threat to top smartphone makers like Apple and Samsung in China. It made high-end phones but sold them for about half the cost of its rivals. At one point, it sold more phones than any other company in the country. (A lot of people called Xiaomi "the Apple of China" in its early days when Apple didn't have much of a presence there. It also didn't help that Xiaomi's devices looked a lot like the iPhone.)

That success spurred massive growth that attracted huge investments from venture capitalists. The company was last valued at $45 billion after raising $1.1 billion in late 2014. 

It turns out Xiaomi was really only a threat to Samsung, which continues to have its lunch eaten by cheaper Android phone manufacturers.

But things aren't as rosy for Xiaomi anymore. There are doubts it can hang onto its lofty valuation as sales of its core smartphone business shrinks, according to Bloomberg. Smartphones, especially Android phones like Xiaomi's devices, are easy to make these days, and it's nearly impossible to stand out without a software advantage like Apple has with iOS.

Xiaomi's answer?

A rice cooker.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's your first look at the cheapest iPhone ever

The company that was once Apple's biggest threat in China is making a rice cooker from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: I've been pleasantly surprised by the new iPad Pro

Steve Kovach March 25, 2016 at 08:57AM

I didn't expect to like the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

I wasn't that into its big brother, the 12.9-inch model that launched last fall, and I expected the 9.7-incher to be more of the same.

But this one is different. It feels like Apple took the already excellent iPad Air 2 and supercharged it with a better screen, more power, and the option to connect it to a keyboard or use it with the well-received Apple Pencil.

You can pre-order the iPad Pro now and it goes on sale March 31. It starts at $599.

I've only been using the iPad Pro for a few days, but my gut tells me this is the iPad to buy if you're ready to upgrade or get one for the first time. (Should you upgrade? That's a whole other issue, but I'd say say "no way" unless you're using an iPad that's at least three years old.)

For now, here are a few first impressions of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. I'll have a full review next week.

Size

I think my real problem with the first iPad Pro was that it was just too dang big. I don't think the iPad does enough to justify using it as a full-on laptop replacement, so it seems silly to buy one with a 13-inch screen.

But the 9.7-inch screen is the perfect size. The Pro model feels just as light and thin as the iPad Air 2, which is impressive considering how much more powerful and capable it is. 

Keyboard cover

On Monday, Apple made the argument again that the iPad Pro can replace your laptop. That might be true for some people. (My mother's primary computer is a five-year-old iPad 2, for example.)

But what really kills Apple's argument is the optional keyboard cover, which costs an extra $149. It's simply not that great to type on compared to a standard laptop keyboard. And the keyboard for the 9.7-inch model is slightly smaller than a full-sized keyboard, which feels even more awkward. Luckily, Apple lets third parties make keyboards for the iPad Pro, so hopefully someone comes up with something better.

Power and value

The iPad Air 2 is already 1.5 years old, and it probably won't get another update until this fall at the earliest. It's a pretty good value at $399, but the iPad Pro blows it away by every performance measure. Spend the extra $200 on the iPad Pro now, and it'll last you several years.

Great screen

Even though the iPad Pro line is just a few months old, the 9.7-inch model has some tricks the 12.9-inch doesn't. The best one: The display can adapt to the color temperature in the room thanks to sensors hidden in the bezel around the screen. Apple calls this a "True Tone" display. I didn't notice it at first, but when you toggle the feature on, you can see the display become warmer as it adapts to indoor lighting. It's a subtle, but significant improvement.

(I wish I could show it to you, but it doesn't photograph that well. You have to see it in person.)

Camera bump :(

A significantly improved camera that shoots 4k video also means there's an unsightly bump protruding from the back of the iPad Pro. Bummer!

Stay tuned next week for the full iPad Pro review.

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I've been pleasantly surprised by the new iPad Pro from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Here's what it's like switching from the giant iPhone to the tiny iPhone SE (AAPL)

The Transport Guy: Smartwatch company Pebble is laying off 25% of its staff

Steve Kovach March 23, 2016 at 10:53AM

Pebble, the buzzy startup credited for being one of the first companies to launch a modern smartwatch, is laying off 40 employees this week, CEO Eric Migicovsky told Tech Insider in an interview. That's about 25% of its total staff.

Migicovsky also said the company has raised $26 million over the last eight months on top of its $20 million Kickstarter campaign that started in February 2015. He wouldn't disclose the investors, but did say Pebble has raised a mix of debt and venture capital from private investors.

Migicovsky blamed a chilly fundraising environment in Silicon Valley for the layoffs.

"We've definitely been careful this year as we plan our products," Migicovsky said. "We got this money, but money is pretty tight these days."

Moving forward, Migicovsky said he wants Pebble to focus on the health and fitness aspects of the company's wearables, which he says most users are interested in. The company will also start selling its products in India next month through a partnership with Amazon.

The Pebble layoffs come at a shaky time for the wearable technology market. FitBit, the leader in the wearable category, has seen its stock fall dramatically in recent months. Apple dropped the price of the Apple Watch by $50 to $299 on Monday, a sign that it's not selling as well as hoped.

"We want to be careful," Migicovsky said. "Pebble is in this for the long haul. We have a vision where wearables will take us in five to 10 years, and this is setting us up for success."

Migicovsky wouldn't disclose sales figures for Pebble. The last time the company announced sales was in February 2015 when it said it had sold 1 million smartwatches since 2013.

By contrast, estimates for Apple Watch sales are all over the place — Apple has never disclosed sales figures — but even the most conservative analysts think Apple sold about 10 million units in 2015. (The Apple Watch isn't even a year old yet.)

Pebble targets the lower end of the smartwatch market. Its watches start at $100 and go up to $250.

SEE ALSO: February was a bad month for tech layoffs

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NOW WATCH: 5 clever iPhone tricks only power users know about

Smartwatch company Pebble is laying off 25% of its staff from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: The FBI may be backing out of its case against Apple

Steve Kovach March 21, 2016 at 03:44PM

The FBI has moved to vacate the court hearing in its case against Apple that was scheduled to take place Tuesday.

In a motion filed Monday, the FBI says it has discovered a new way to unlock the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone without Apple's help.

The FBI has asked to postpone Tuesday's hearing so it can determine whether or not it'll be able to unlock the iPhone using this newly discovered method without compromising the data.

Previously, the FBI said the only way it could access the iPhone was to order Apple to rewrite iOS to allow it to bypass its security passcode. Apple refused the FBI's order, setting off a tense legal battle. The two sides are scheduled to meet in court on Tuesday, but it appears the FBI wants to hold off, at least for the time being.

It's unclear who provided the FBI with a method to potentially unlock the iPhone, but the filing does mention it came from someone outside the US government. It's also unclear whether or not Tuesday's hearing will still go through. However, it sounds like the FBI wants to give this a method a shot before going through a long legal battle with Apple.

Assuming the method the FBI wants to use does work without Apple's help, that means there's a potentially serious flaw in the iPhone's security and it can be unlocked even if it's protected with a passcode.

Tech Insider has reached out to Apple for comment.

Developing... refresh this post for the latest.

Here's the full text of the motion:

FBI Apple motion to vacate

SEE ALSO: Here's what it's like using the new iPhone SE

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This trick fixes your iPhone if it's acting slow — and it takes less than 30 seconds

The FBI may be backing out of its case against Apple from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Here's what it's like using the new iPhone SE (AAPL)

Steve Kovach March 21, 2016 at 01:12PM

Apple announced its new iPhone, the iPhone SE, on Monday.

Think of it as the iPhone 6S stuffed in the body of an iPhone 5S. It has most of the features of the 6S, but in a smaller, 4-inch frame.

We got to briefly test the iPhone SE at Apple's event at its campus in Cupertino, California. Here's our hands-on look:

This is the iPhone SE. It looks almost identical to the iPhone 5S.

It now comes in rose gold, just like the iPhone 6S.

It has a 4-inch screen, which is much smaller than the 5.5-inch screen on the iPhone 6S Plus.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's what it's like using the new iPhone SE (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: What to expect from Apple's 'boring' iPhone event

Steve Kovach March 19, 2016 at 05:10AM

The tech world had one thing on its mind this week: virtual reality.

We saw a load of intriguing games from Facebook's VR company Oculus. Sony announced pricing for its PlayStation VR headset, and it's poised to be the early favorite in the category. And we got a look at the impressive HTC Vive.

VR is supposedly the next big thing in consumer tech, and everyone is geeked out on the possibilities. It's going to change gaming. It's going to change social networking. One day, it's going to eliminate most of the screens in your life.

Exciting, right? Yeah!

Now let's fast-forward to Monday, when Apple is expected to announce a new iPhone that looks exactly like the 2.5-year-old iPhone 5s and a new 9.7-inch iPad that's launching into a market that just doesn't seem interested in tablets anymore.

Boring, right? Yeah.

This week we got a look at the future. Next week will feel like we're stuck in the past.

But let's get ahead of the gloom-and-doom Apple headlines bound to hit Monday and put things in perspective.

First of all, it shouldn't be surprising that Monday's Apple event will be low-key compared to the mega-event it held last fall to announce the iPhone 6s, new Apple TV, and iPad Pro. This time, Apple is holding the event in its modest auditorium at its headquarters in Cupertino, the same place it introduced relatively minor products like the iPad Air 2. The venue alone is a sign from Apple that it isn't about to knock our socks off with some sort of revolutionary new gadget.

Then there's Apple's absence from the VR/AR space at a time when all of its competitors are dabbling in it. But the reality is this: We're still a few years away from VR/AR becoming mainstream. The technology is prohibitively expensive — the Oculus Rift costs $599 and requires a $1,000+ PC to run, for example — and is almost exclusively focused on gaming right now. Plus, the headsets are far too cumbersome to be worn all the time or outside the home.

Would you want to be seen in public like this?

Probably not.

That doesn't mean Apple isn't thinking about VR and augmented reality. As Tim Bradshaw of The Financial Times reported in January, Apple has a team of hundreds looking into AR and VR. You don't dedicate those kind of resources to a project unless you think there's real potential there, and Apple CEO Tim Cook himself said in January that he thinks "it's really cool and has some interesting applications."

Apple's approach to new technology is the opposite of the open-door policy you see from competitors like Google and Samsung, which test new concepts in the public. Apple's R&D takes place behind closed doors and layers of security. Just because we're not seeing it doesn't mean Apple isn't dabbling in it.

For now, Apple is a one-trick pony, but it just happens to have the most important trick in technology today: the best smartphone you can buy. As long as Apple continues to lead with the iPhone, it's impossible to call the company boring — even if Monday's event is a snoozer.

Tech Insider will be reporting live from Apple's event on March 21. It starts at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern. Follow all the news on Twitter, our home page, and Snapchat (techinsider).

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NOW WATCH: Here’s your first hands-on look at Samsung’s newest phones — the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

What to expect from Apple's 'boring' iPhone event from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: TIM COOK: Actually, there's plenty of data the FBI can use to spy on people (AAPL)

Steve Kovach March 17, 2016 at 10:16AM

Apple CEO Tim Cook has gone public again with a big, splashy cover story in Time, where he talks about Apple's battle with the FBI over whether or not to unlock the iPhone belonging to the suspected shooter in the San Bernardino killings.

Most of the story repeats the same public arguments Apple has made since the FBI's demand dropped about a month ago.

But Cook did make one new philosophical point in Apple's case against the FBI: Law enforcement doesn't necessarily need direct access to devices when people are freely giving away so much personal information to social networks and other services that store data in the cloud — Apple included.

The FBI claims Apple's stance on encryption means the company wants to "go dark" and remove any possibility that law enforcement can get its hands on the data of a suspected criminal, no matter what.

But Cook countered that claim, pointing to all the data that's already available to the FBI.

For example, Apple will give law enforcement access to data stored on iCloud with the proper warrant. iCloud can store iPhone backups that include everything from text messages to contacts to photos.

Here's what Cook said, according to a transcript of Time's interview:

And so my only point is, going dark is not — this is a crock. No one’s going dark. I mean really, it’s fair to say that if you send me a message and it’s encrypted, it’s fair to say they can’t get that without going to you or to me, unless one of us has it in our cloud at this point. That’s fair to say. But we shouldn’t all be fixated just on what’s not available. We should take a step back and look at the total that’s available.

Because there’s a mountain of information about us. I mean there’s so much. Anyway, I’m not an intelligence person. But I just look at it and it’s a mountain of data.

In other words, a lot of the data law enforcement typically wants in cases like this is already available without rewriting a new version of iOS to break into the phone. Apple is willing to cross that line. But it's not willing to allow direct access to iOS.

Join the conversation about this story »

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TIM COOK: Actually, there's plenty of data the FBI can use to spy on people (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: There are 2 big questions ahead of Apple's next iPhone event (AAPL)

Steve Kovach March 14, 2016 at 12:17PM

Next week's Apple event is going to be a strange one.

On the docket for March 21: A 4-inch iPhone called the iPhone SE and a new 9.7-inch iPad that's said to be a smaller version of last fall's iPad Pro.

It'll probably be a subdued product launch, which is why Apple is holding it at its headquarters in Cupertino instead of a massive venue like the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium where it announced the iPhone 6s, iPad Pro, and new Apple TV.

Apple typically saves new iPhones and iPads for the fall, just before the holiday season. But the new gadgets appear to be modest devices, not major flagships. That itself is a significant departure for the company.

Then there's the timing of the event, which takes place just a day before Apple goes to court to argue its case against the FBI, which wants the company to unlock the iPhone belonging to the suspected shooter in the San Bernardino killings.

Weird, right?

Here are the two big questions looming over the event.

1.) Why is Apple making a smaller iPhone?

For years, tech pundits were begging Apple to make an iPhone with a larger screen. We finally got our wish in 2014 with the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Those phones kicked off a huge upgrade cycle, helping Apple smash its iPhone sales record.

There's no question those big phones were a success, so why would Apple turn around and make another phone with a smaller screen? And how will Apple justify the device's existence?

The opportunity here is obvious. About one-third of all iPhones in use have screens four inches or smaller, according to analytics firm Mixpanel, and there's a good chance many of those people are hanging on to their phones because they prefer the smaller screen.

If I had to guess, those are the people Apple will court with the iPhone SE. The millions of 4-inch and smaller iPhones out there are all at least two and a half years old, meaning they're missing a lot of the key features Apple has added recently like Apple Pay, Live Photos, and a powerful camera. The iPhone SE would be a way to bring those premium features to those who may not want a large screen.

2.) Will we hear anything about the FBI?

It's hard to believe it's a coincidence that Apple's next product event will take place a day before the first of what will likely be many court battles with the FBI. The original date for the event was supposedly March 15, as reported by 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman, who has a pristine track record reporting Apple news.

But some have speculated Apple decided to push the event back a week because it wants to use the buzz of a product launch to elevate its case in its very public war against the FBI. If that happens, the question is how Apple addresses the issue without detracting from its new products.

So will Tim Cook use the event to make another impassioned case for encryption and the right Apple customers have to keep their data private? Or will the argument be more nuanced with a simple mention that the new iPhone and iPad are just as secure as any other gadget Apple makes?

It'll certainly be on everyone's mind. After all, the battle with FBI will have implications on how we use our personal computing devices for decades to come. The iPhone SE will probably be replaced next year with something shiny and new.

Tech Insider will be reporting live from Apple's event on March 21. It starts at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern. Follow all the news on Twitter, our home page, and Snapchat (techinsider).

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There are 2 big questions ahead of Apple's next iPhone event (AAPL) from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Now we know where Obama stands on the Apple vs. FBI case

Steve Kovach March 11, 2016 at 02:43PM

Barack Obama just gave his first public statement on the debate over smartphone encryption since the public spat between the FBI and Apple began a few weeks ago.

Speaking at the South By Southwest conference in Austin Friday, Obama gave his view in general terms about where he stands on phone encryption and the right to privacy since he can't comment on the Apple/FBI case specifically. But his stance can easily be applied to the FBI's demand that Apple create a new version of iOS to unlock the iPhone that belonged to one of the suspected shooters in the San Bernardino killings.

In short, Obama thinks tech companies should create a way for law enforcement agencies to access locked devices, assuming they have probable cause for such access.

"I am of the view that there are very real reasons why we want to make sure the government can't just willy nilly get into everyone's smartphones," Obama said.

But he did say he believe tech companies need to create a "key" to their devices for when the government has a legitimate reason to access one.

"If it's possible to make an impenetrable device where encryption is so strong that there is no key... then how do we apprehend the child pornographer... how do we disrupt a terrorist plot... how do we do simple things like tax enforcement?" Obama said. "If we can't crack that and can't get in... then everyone is walking around with a Swiss bank account in their pocket... there needs to be a way to get in somehow."

Obama proposed that tech companies work with the government to create a system where a key exists to unlock devices, but that key should be heavily guarded and only accessible to those qualified to have it.

"I suspect it comes down to how do we create encryption that is as strong as possible and the key is as secure as possible," he said.

Obama also spoke repeatedly of the need to strike a balance between the right to privacy and the right to safety. He compared this to law enforcement's right to search someone's home with a warrant or the TSA's right to search passengers about to board a plane. All those things are done with safety in mind, and the same concept should be applied to digital devices, he said, warning against taking an "absolutist" view one way or the other.

"You cannot take an absolutist view on this," Obama said. "That, I think, does not strike the kind of balance we have had for 200, 300 years and it's fetishizing our phones above every other value."

Apple has repeatedly said it's fighting the FBI's request because it believes creating a key to the San Bernardino's phone will set a precedent allowing the government to unlock even more phones whenever it wants. The FBI says it only wants to unlock this one phone, this one time, under Apple's supervision.

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Now we know where Obama stands on the Apple vs. FBI case from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Apple sends out invitations for a new iPhone event on March 21

Steve Kovach March 10, 2016 at 09:02AM

Apple sent out invitations for an event on March 21 where it’s expected to announce a new iPhone called the iPhone SE. The event will be at Apple's campus in Cupertino, Califinoria at 10 a.m. Pacific.

As many outlets, including 9to5Mac and Bloomberg, have reported, the iPhone SE (SE stands for "Special Edition") will have a 4-inch screen, the same size as the screen on the iPhone 5s. In fact, the new iPhone is said to look a lot like the iPhone 5s only with a slightly modified design like curved edges.

According to Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac, the iPhone SE will have many of the premium features found in the iPhone 6s like Apple Pay, Live Photos, and voice-activated Siri. It’ll also have the same powerful processor as the iPhone 6s. 

The iPhone SE will presumably be cheaper than the iPhone 6s, so it'll be a way for people to get the best iPhone features without spending as much. It could also entice people still using the iPhone 5s or earlier to upgrade to a new iPhone.

In addition to the iPhone SE, Apple is expected to announce a new iPad with a 9.7-inch screen, the same size as the current iPad Air 2. Details are fuzzy on the new iPad, but it sounds like it’ll have improved speakers, a connector for a keyboard accessory, and work with the Apple Pencil. Basically, it’ll be a smaller version of the iPad Pro that launched last fall.

Finally, Apple may also announce some new software features for the Apple Watch along with new wristband accessories.

Tech Insider will be reporting live at Apple's event on March 21. Follow all the news on our home page, Twitter, and Snapchat (techinsider).

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Apple sends out invitations for a new iPhone event on March 21 from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Here's why the iPhone is still better than the Galaxy S7

Steve Kovach March 08, 2016 at 08:25AM

The reviews are unanimous: Samsung's new Galaxy S7 is an amazing phone.

In my own review, I had nothing but nice things to say about the S7. It looks great. It's waterproof. It has the best camera ever put in a smartphone. It makes the incredible world of VR accessible to more people than any other gadget.

But as much as I loved the Galaxy S7, there's still one thing that keeps me from recommending it over the iPhone.

iOS.

iOS is Apple's greatest weapon against the competition, and it's the main reason why the iPhone continues to be such a massive success even though anyone can make a smartphone that's just as good hardware-wise.

iOS has the best apps, the most consistent updates over the lifespan of your device, and the most dedicated army of developers dreaming up new ways to unlock the potential of your iPhone.

You can't say that about any Android phone. And you definitely can't say about Samsung phones, which have a terrible track record with timely software updates and come bloated with unnecessary software from the carrier and Samsung itself. In fact, newer Samsung phones only just started getting the latest version of Android this month, even though Google released it last fall.

That never happens with iOS. Apple does an excellent job at keeping its devices up to date with the latest software and features. In fact, the iPad 2, which is about five years old now, is compatible with iOS 9, the current version of iOS. You won't find a single Samsung device that old that's still supported by the company's software. (Yes, older devices tend to slow down over time, no matter who makes them, but the fact remains that Apple continues to add new features and improve older iOS devices over time.)

As for apps, developers still tend to make the best new apps and significant updates to iOS before Android. It's not uncommon for Android users to have to wait months for something iPhone users have always enjoyed. Plus, Android versions of popular apps never to seem to have the same clean design and as their iOS counterparts.

This might sound like I'm nitpicking to a lot of you, but I disagree. I love having access to the best of the best apps and services, and the only way to guarantee that is to stick with iOS.

And even more important than that: security. Android owners learned a hard lesson last summer when the "Stagefright" bug affected nearly every Android phone on the planet. Whereas Apple can patch a bug with a single software update to all its devices, the fragmented Android ecosystem can take months to fix a major issue.

The Galaxy S7 is a great phone. It's damn near close to perfection. But until Samsung can build an ecosystem on par with iOS, the iPhone will always win.

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Here's why the iPhone is still better than the Galaxy S7 from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: REVIEW: You're going to love Samsung's Galaxy S7

Steve Kovach March 08, 2016 at 06:00AM

Don’t be disappointed when you look at Samsung’s newest phone.

At first glance, the Galaxy S7 looks almost exactly like the phone Samsung gave us last year, except for the rounded back and slightly larger display on the curved-screen “Edge” model.

Boring, right?

Nah.

Here’s the real story with the Galaxy S7.

Samsung made huge, significant improvements to all the stuff you really care about. It’s water resistant. It has a bigger battery that charges quickly. It has a memory card slot so you can expand the storage. A lot of the clunkiness has been stripped out of the software. It has the best camera ever put on a smartphone.

And, like last year, the Galaxy S7 is more beautiful and unique looking than the iPhone.

What else could you want from a phone?

Aside from the qualms I have with Android phones in general (more on that later), the Galaxy S7 is about as perfect as a phone can get. It starts around $690 and the curved-screen Edge model starts around $790, but pricing will vary depending on your carrier. You can pre-order it now and it’ll be in stores on March 11.

Design and hardware

It’s an amazing feat of engineering that Samsung was able to build a phone this beautiful, yet this functional. Even though it has an all metal and glass design, Samsung figured out how to make the Galaxy S7 waterproof for up to 30 minutes under a meter of water, without needing to seal the charging port with a plug like on other water resistant phones. If you’re scratching your head over how Samsung out-engineered Apple on that one, you’re not alone. But it works. It’s the kind of feature that should be standard on all premium phones.

I tested the Edge version of the S7, which has a larger, 5.5-inch screen than the standard version. That’s the same size as the screen on the iPhone 6s Plus (the phone I normally use), but Samsung’s design is much more svelte and easier to hold than Apple’s unwieldy phone. When I carry my iPhone 6s Plus in my pocket, it feels like I have a slab of metal stabbing into my hip. The S7 Edge is barely noticeable.

The curved screen doesn’t do much more than look pretty and give you the illusion there aren’t any borders around the display. Samsung did include a slide-over menu that has shortcuts to your favorite apps, contacts, and news bulletins, but I never found that feature very useful. It’s best to just switch it off.

If you’re going to get the Galaxy S7, you might as well spend the extra $100 and get the Edge. It’s that good.

The battery is impressive too. While last year’s Galaxy model could barely make it a day on a charge, the S7’s battery lasted well over a day for me. Plus, you can charge the phone using a standard wireless charger, which is handy if you want to keep one at your desk and top up during the day. It also has a wired quick-charging feature, which charges your battery a few times faster than normal.

The latter feature is probably the most important. I woke up the other day and realized I forgot to charge my phone overnight and I was at a dangerously low 35%. So I plugged the S7 into the quick charger while I got ready. I was at 85% by the time I left for work less than an hour later. Perfect.

The best camera

Samsung has leapfrogged the competition with the Galaxy S7 camera. Simply put, it’s the best camera ever put on a smartphone.

It has the widest aperture of any smartphone camera, which means it can pull in more light for better shots in dark settings. But my favorite feature is the quick auto-focus, which lets you take photos faster without having to worry about missing a shot. By comparison, my iPhone feels like it takes an eternity to auto-focus, or I have to deliberately double-tap the screen to get it to focus on what I want. With the Galaxy S7, I just point and shoot without waiting.

Tech Insider’s camera expert Rafi Letzter put the S7 camera through its paces, and it beat the iPhone 6s (our previous choice for best smartphone camera) in just about every way. Check out his camera comparison for even more details.

Software

Over the years, my problem with Samsung phones has been that they usually come packed with far too many complicated features and quirks in the software that make it difficult to find what you want to do.

Almost all of that has been stripped out of the Galaxy S7. The software is clean and easy to navigate, and Samsung did a good job at making sure a lot of the junk has either been hidden or removed entirely.

There is one handy feature Samsung did add though. The lock screen stays on with basic information like the time, date, and incoming notifications, so you don’t need to constantly switch on your phone to see what’s happening. Only part of the screen lights up, so it uses almost none of the battery.

Other than that, the Galaxy S7 feels like any other Android phone. The Galaxy S7 isn’t going to revolutionize the way you use a smartphone, but that’s ok. By now, smartphone innovation has matured to the point where we only see incremental improvements every year, and the Galaxy S7 made significant improvements to all the features that matter.

Virtual reality

Ever since I tried an early version of the Oculus Rift in 2012, I’ve had a tough time explaining just how amazing and transformative VR is as a computing platform. While the high-end VR headsets from Oculus and HTC will cost several hundred dollars, Samsung teamed up with Oculus to give you a similar experience for just 99 bucks.

The Gear VR headset turns the S7 into a virtual reality machine, and it’s the most important distinguishing feature Samsung’s Galaxy phones have over other devices. Although the resolution isn’t as crisp as high-end VR headsets, Gear VR is more than worth the extra $99. (You can get one for free if you pre-order the S7 now.)

There are already a handful of interesting games and VR videos in the Oculus app store, but many of them are in the experimental phases. VR is a very new platform, and developers are still experimenting.

But boy is it a blast to use. As crazy as it sounds, my favorite VR app so far is Netflix. It puts you in a virtual living room in a snowy cabin in the woods. In front of you is a big-screen TV that runs the standard Netflix app you see on smart TVs or streaming boxes like Apple TV or Roku. You really do get the sense that you’re binge-watching the latest season of “House of Cards” in someone’s exclusive vacation home. Incredible.

Words don’t do the VR experience justice, and Samsung has the best, most accessible VR platform available today. It’s your entry into a whole new world of computing and entertainment. Try it.

The problem with Android phones

I just said a bunch of nice things about the Galaxy S7, and I mean every single one of them. The phone is incredible.

But there’s still one thing that keeps me from recommending it over the iPhone, and that’s Apple’s key advantage to the iPhone’s roaring success over the years: iOS. iOS is simply the best smartphone platform. It has the best apps. The best developer support, and the most consistent updates throughout the lifespan of your device.

You can’t say that about Samsung phones. Since Samsung makes a lot of modifications to Android, it can take months to get the latest updates, assuming you get them at all. The newest version of Android came out last fall, and only a small fraction of Samsung phones started getting it this month. (Only Google’s own Nexus phones get updates as soon as they’re available.)

For a lot of people, that may seem like an insignificant complaint, but when security flaws like last year’s major “Stagefright” scare hit Android, or when a hot new app launches only on the iPhone, I can’t feel confident using a smartphone platform that’s always a step or two behind iOS.

Conclusion

The Galaxy S7 is Samsung’s best phone yet, and easily a strong contender for the best phone available today. If you want an Android phone and don’t mind spending a lot of cash (you can get a lot of great Android phones for about half the price of the S7), this is the first device you should look at.

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REVIEW: You're going to love Samsung's Galaxy S7 from Business Insider: Steve Kovach

The Transport Guy: Macs have been hit by a scary form of malware for the first time

Steve Kovach March 06, 2016 at 02:47PM

Macs have been hit with a nasty form of malware for the first time, Reuters first reported, citing a report from researchers at Palo Alto Networks.

This weekend, Macs using the popular file-sharing app Transmission were infected by ransomware, according to the report. Ransomware is a type of program that hijacks files on your computer until you pay a ransom to the hackers who created it. Hackers typically ask for the ransom in Bitcoin or another type of online currency.

This is the first time ransomware has been known to affect Macs, according to Palo Alto Networks. (Ransomware usually targets Windows PCs.)

The Mac ransomware is called KeRanger and takes three days to activate and hijack the files on your computer.

An Apple spokesperson told Tech Insider Sunday that the company has revoked the certificate that would allow KeRanger to work on Macs, which means it should be impossible for it to find its way onto your Mac now.

But what do you do if you think you've been infected?  

Transmission's website advises users to upgrade to the latest version of the app, version 2.92, to remove KeRanger from their Mac. KeRanger infected the last version, version 2.90, on Friday. Updating to version 2.92 should fix everything. Do it now before KeRanger activates after the three-day mark.

Transmission is an open source program, meaning anyone can collaborate on it. Palo Alto Networks' report speculates that the ransomware could've snuck into Transmission when a new version was released on Friday. Representatives from Transmission were not available for comment.

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Macs have been hit by a scary form of malware for the first time from Business Insider: Steve Kovach