The Technology of Today Malaysia: Apple

Showing posts with label Apple. Show all posts

For years now, Visual Studio has been a Windows exclusive application but beginning later this month, Microsoft will be bringing their popular IDE to Apple's MacOS. At launch, the new Visual Studio IDE on Mac will not support everything that the Windows version supports but this first release will include support for languages like .NET, C# and F#. It will also include support for Android and iOS development through Xamarin.

The Mac version of Visual Studio is built through an open source MonoDevelop IDE platform. While the classic Visual Studio design from Windows will not be inherrited from this first iteration of Visual Studio for the Mac, features like IntelliSense code completion and powerful debugging are included,

Download a preview of Visual Studio for the Mac today.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: MICROSOFT

If you thought that the new 2016 MacBook Pro model is a little on the pricey side or you don't wish to try on the futuristic Touch Bar, Apple has got you covered. In addition to the new 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, Apple is also introducing a 13-inch MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar.

This less futuristic model still features the same thin and light design but does away with the Touch Bar and features only two Thunderbolt 3 ports. It also only has 2 microphone arrays. But other than that, the non Touch Bar version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro starts at US$ 1,499 (MYR 6,299) and is available today.

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro Key Specifications

— 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600 Retina Display
— Intel 6th generation Core i5/i7 processor
— 8/16GB 2133MHz DDR3 memory
— Intel Iris Graphics 550
— 256/512GB/1TB PCI-e SSD
— 720P Facetime HD camera
— Bluetooth 4.2
— Wi-Fi 802.11ac
— 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports.
— 54.5-watt-hour Li-Po battery
— 14.9 x 304.1 x 212.4mm
— 1.37kg
— macOS Sierra
— Silver/Space Gray

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

During Apple's special event in their Cupertino campus this morning, the company unveiled new Macs that are not redesigns of the existing ones but more of a feature upgrade. The announcement of the new Late 2016 MacBook Pros come in 25 years after Apple announced their first latop, the Powerbook 170. The highlight of the new 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro is the new Touch Bar which replaces the existing function keys on the keyboard.

Apple's new Touch Bar on the new 2016 MacBook Pros is essentially just a contextual touch screen that changes according to the application. First party apps like Photos, Safari and Final Cut Pro X will be able to take advantage of the Touch Bar when these MBP go on sale but Apple is opening the hardware to software developers to integrate their own features.

In addition to that, the new Touch Bar is also where the new MacBook Pro power button is located. Situated on the top right corner is Apple's TouchID sensor that allows users to securely sign into the device and also authenticate other things like Apple Pay. There's even the ability to sign in to a specific user's account just with TouchID.

All of these authentications with TouchID is managed by Apple's new T1 chip that stores and authenticates fingerprints in it's Secure Enclave.

Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar Key Specifications

— 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600 Retina Display
— Intel 6th generation Core i5/i7 processor
— 8/16GB 2133MHz DDR3 memory
— Intel Iris Graphics 550
— 256/512GB/1TB PCI-e SSD
— 720P Facetime HD camera
— Bluetooth 4.2
— Wi-Fi 802.11ac
— 4x Thunderbolt 3 ports
— 49.2-watt-hour Li-Po battery
— 14.9 x 304.1 x 212.4mm
— 1.37kg
— macOS Sierra
— Silver/Space Gray

Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar Key Specifications

—15.4-inch 2880 x 1800 Retina Display
— Intel 6th generation Core i7 processor
— 16GB 2133MHz DDR3 memory
— Intel HD graphics 530
— Radeon Pro 450/455/460 graphics
— 256/512GB/1/2TB PCI-e SSD
— 720P Facetime HD camera
— Bluetooth 4.2
— Wi-Fi 802.11ac
— 4x Thunderbolt 3 ports
— 76.0-watt-hour Li-Po battery
— 15.5 x 349.3 x 240.7 mm
— 1.83kg
— macOS Sierra
— Silver/Space Gray

But beyond that, the new MacBook Pros are also thinner and lighter than ever before. There's also a new Space Gray color option which adds upon the Silver color that we are accustomed with. In terms of other changes, Apple is also overhauling the keyboard on the new 2016 MacBook Pros that are now similar to the keyboard on the 12-inch MacBook. The trackpad in the other hand is still Force Touch but Apple has doubled the size of the trackpad surface area.

Moving on to the screen of the new 2016 MacBook Pro models. Apple retained the screen resolution from previous generations but they made it thinner and the colors are now 60% better. What this means is that Apple managed to improve the battery life which now goes up to 10 hours on a single charge.

Last but not least is the new hardware. All 2016 MacBook Pros now come standard with 256GB of flash storage and they are all powered by Intel's new 6th generation Skylake processors. The new Intel processors also powers the MacBook Pro's 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports which is the only interface present on the new 2016 MacBook Pro. No SD card slot nor is there any video outputs.

Charging will be through the USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports and Apple says that these new ports will enable the MacBook Pro to output video to dual 5K monitors. In terms of other new hardware improvements, Apple has improved the speaker array on the new models and there's now 3 dedicate microphones on the MacBook Pro to enable better Siri voice recognition.

The 2016 MacBook Pros will be shipping in mid-November for a starting price of US$ 1,799 (MYR 7,599) for the 13-inch model and US$ 2,399 (MYR 8,399) for the 15-inch model. There's also a more affordable MacBook Pro model without the Touch Bar that begins at US$ 1,499 (MYR 6,299). You can learn more about that here

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

Today (October 14), Apple Malaysia is officially introducing the iPhone 7 series in Malaysia as well as several other countries like Macao and Turkey as part of their third wave of releases. Apple's iPhone 7 was announced in September and was initially available in September 16 in countries like Singapore and the U.S.

Apple iPhone 7 32GB — MYR 3,199
Apple iPhone 7 128GB — MYR 3,699
Apple iPhone 7 256GB — MYR 4,199
Apple iPhone 7 Plus 32GB — MYR 3,799
Apple iPhone 7 Plus 128GB — MYR 4,299
Apple iPhone 7 Plus 256GB — MYR 4,799

The prices for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models are as above and they start at MYR 3,199 and for the base 32GB iPhone 7 and goes upto MYR 4,799 for the 256GB iPhone 7 Plus. Both iPhone 7 models will come in 5 different color options ranging from the new Jet Black color all the way to the classic Silver option.

Apple will be selling the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in Malaysia directly from their website or through third party retailers like Mac Studio, Machines and Switch.

Apple iPhone 7 Key Specifications

— 5.2-inch 750 x 1334 IPS LCD display
— Apple A10 Fusion SoC
— 2GB RAM
— 32/128/256GB memory
— 12MP f1.8 rear camera w/OIS
— 7MP f2.2 front camera
— 1,960mAh battery
— iOS 10
— 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm
— 138g
— Jet Black (only 128/256GB models), Black, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold
— IP67 rating

Apple iPhone 7 Plus Key Specifications

— 5.5-inch 1080P IPS LCD display
— Apple A10 Fusion SoC
— 3GB RAM
— 32/128/256GB memory
— Dual 12MP f1.8 rear camera w/OIS
— 7MP f2.2 front camera
— 2,900mAh battery
— iOS 10
— 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm
— 188g
— Jet Black (only 128/256GB models), Black, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold
— IP67 rating

Apple always been had their own earphones and one of the most recent changes were made to the design of Apple earbuds. Today, alongside the announcement of the iPhone 7, Apple is introducing the next evolution of their earbuds. To accompany the iPhone 7 which does not come with the 3.5mm headphone jack, Apple is introducing their first wireless earbuds.

Enter the Apple AirPods which looks a lot like Apple's existing EarPods but the twist is that these earbuds are wireless while being intelligent. When fully charged, the AirPods will be able to stream audio from any Apple device for up to 5 hours. The case that the AirPods come in act as a wireless charging hub for the AirPods and Apple says that the case can provide up to 24 hours of battery.

But what makes Apple's new AirPods unique (and expensive) is the new Apple W1 SoC that is embedded inside the AirPods. According to Apple, this custom designed chip will enable the AirPods to intelligently switch to different Apple devices, automatically play and pause music and also automatically cancels background audio when calls are being made.

Whether or not the Apple AirPods is worth the US$ 159 (~MYR 643) price that it's going for is yet to be seen. Right now it's unsure if the AirPods will work with non-Apple devices but we'll update this article when the information about that arises.

Learn more about Apple's new AirPods here

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

As expected, Apple has unveiled their new iPhone during their special September 7 event where they also showed off the Apple Watch Series 2. For starters, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is not a radical change in terms of design compared to the iPhone 6/6S series. Sure, it's missing the headphone jack and the antenna lines of the back are less pronounce but that's about it in terms of visual changes.

The screen size for both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus is still the same as before and so is the resolution but Apple says that they have improved the brightness and color gamut of the iPhone 7's display for better color reproduction. In addition to improving the screen, Apple has also swapped out the physical home button on the iPhone 7 with a static one.

In practice, the new home button on the iPhone 7 works a lot like how the force touch trackpad on the 12-inch MacBook works. Instead of physically pushing a button, Apple's Taptic Engine will simulate the button press of an actual home button.

This new home button does two things. One is that it solve the age old iPhone problem of a broken home button which caused many iPhone users to resort to iOS's assistive touch software menu. Another thing is that with this new home button, Apple can more easily seal the iPhone 7 from water and dust. And yes, just like Samsung's Galaxy smartphones, both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are capable of being submerged under water.

Also new on the iPhone 7 is a new audio setup. The removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack enables Apple to include a new stereo speaker setup on both the 7 and 7 Plus. And in case you were wondering, Apple will include a set of lightning Earpod headphones and a lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack in the box.

Apple iPhone 7 Key Specifications

Apple iPhone 7 Plus Key Specifications

Last but not least is the camera which is probably the biggest upgrade that the iPhone 7 is receiving. Unlike before, this time around there is a clear difference between the camera on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The regular iPhone 7 will come with a 12MP f1.8 camera that is optically stabalized and is paired alongside a Quad LED True Tone flash. It is also aided with Apple's new Image Signal Processor for better image processing.

But moving on to the iPhone 7 Plus, Apple has added a second 12MP sensor with a 56mm focal length that will do one of two things. At launch, the iPhone 7 Plus's camera will feature 2x optical zoom thanks to the dual camera setup but in the near future, Apple will be enabling the iPhone 7 Plus's dual camera setup to capture shallow depths of field (AKA Bokeh). The shallow depth of field effect is achieved by intelligent machine learning paired with the hardware available on the iPhone 7 Plus.

AFP

Apple will begin selling the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in 25 different countries beginning September 16 with pre-orders beginning this Friday (September 9). The iPhone 7 will begin at US$ 649 (~MYR 2,600) and the bigger iPhone 7 Plus begins at US$ 769 (~MYR 3,100). Additionally, Apple is also expanding their iPhone upgrade program to the UK and China with the launch of the iPhone 7.

Sadly, Malaysia is not part of the first two waves of iPhone 7 launches.

iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus availability on September 16 includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, the UK, US Virgin Islands and the US.

iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus availability on September 23 includes Andorra, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Learn more about the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus here

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

Besides the new iPhone 7, Apple took a good chunk of time to show off their second generation smartwatch called Apple Watch Series 2. The biggest feature of the new Apple Watch Series 2 is a new water resistant rating that Apple says is good for swimming, surfing or any water related activities.

But the new water resistivity of up to 50 metres is not the only new thing with the Apple Watch Series 2. Apple has included a GPS antenna on the new Apple Watch to enable better fitness tracking.

In terms of the actual design of the new Apple Watch Series 2, not much has changed. The water resistivity is a nice addition but Apple has also included a new Apple S2 processor that is up to 50% faster and couple with the power of watchOS 3.0 makes the new Apple Watch a pretty powerful computing device. Also, the screen now goes up to 1,000 nits to ensure that it's perfectly visible outdoors.

As for the options, the Apple Watch Series 2 will come in two sizes: 38mm and 42mm models. The color options available for the Apple Watch Series 2 include gold, rose gold, silver, space gray and space black. Prices for the Apple Watch Series 2 begins at US$ 369 (~MYR 1,490) and will be available (country list below) for pre-order on September 9 and will ship to customers on September 16.

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, the UK and the US

In addition to that, Apple is also including two special edition Apple Watch Series 2 models, one of them is the Apple Watch Edition that come in a unique ceramic case and pricing for that begins at US$ 1,249 (~MYR 5,060). The other special edition Apple Watch Series 2 is from Nike. The Apple Watch Nike+ will come with a special gray/green band design and some Nike specific feature pre-loaded. The Apple Watch Nike+ will also start at US$ 369 (~MYR 1,490) but will only be available in late October

Finally, with the launch of the new Apple Watch Series 2, the original Apple Watch is getting a slight upgrade in terms of performance and also a permanent price cut. The Original Apple Watch which is now referred to as the Apple Watch Series 1 will not begin at US$ 269 (~MYR 1,088) and will be available for purchase beginning September 16.

Learn more about the Apple Watch Series 2 here

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

A couple months back, Nintendo and Niantic Labs made a splash when they launched Pokemon Go. The game has since then dwindled down from it's initial hype but today at Apple's special September 7th event, Shigeru Miyatomo (creator of Super Mario) revealed that Nintendo will be bringing Super Mario to a smartphone for the very first time.

The game is called Super Mario Run and will launch exclusively on iOS by December 2016. According to Nintendo, Super Mario Run will be (one-time) paid app and right now, the app is expected not to include any form of in-app purchases like other mobile games do.

Generally speaking, this new Super Mario Run game is a lot like the original games that were exclusive to Nintendo consoles in the past. The biggest difference is that the game has been designed to be played with one hand. In addition to that, Nintendo has also added a couple of new game modes to spice things up.

At launch, Nintendo's Super Mario Run game that features a 2.5D map will be available only on iOS devices but the company has expressed that they do have plans to bring the game to Android sometime next year.

Yesterday, Apple announced their third quarter results which saw declines in sales across the board especially with the iPhone. The drop in sales is likely due to the anticipated launch of the next generation iPhone in September. But despite the lackluster iPhone sales in the last three months, today Tim Cook revealed that Apple has recently sold it's 1 billionth iPhone.

While there is no indication who actually bought the billionth iPhone from Apple, it is still a big achievement for Apple. Compared to Android which hit 1 billion active users in 2014, Apple's number doesn't sound too massive. But just remember that Apple has only launched 13 iPhones since 2007 whereas Google has hundreds and thousands of Android powered devices.

To recap, the original iPhone was announced back in 9 January 2007 by Steve Jobs during Macworld 2007. From a small 3.5-inch screen paired with a single core processor all the way to the 4.7-inch screen paired with the 64-bit Apple A9 processor that lives in the current generation iPhone 6S, it is clear that Apple's smartphone has come a long way.

Apple will be celebrating the iPhone's 10th anniversary next year (in 2017) and expect to see a new iPhone this September.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

Alongside the announcement of the Redmi Pro, Xiaomi also slipped in the unveiling of their latest creation which is a Windows 10 laptop. This is indeed Xiaomi's first laptop and to no surprise, the Chinese firm has chosen to take inspiration from Apple for their new thin and light laptop. The Xiaomi Mi Notebook comes in two sizes and two colors.

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 13.3" Key Specifications

— 13.3-inch 1080P display
— Intel Core i5 6200U processor
— 8GB DDR4 RAM
— 256GB PCIe SSD
— Nvidia GeForce 940MX graphics

— Gold/Silver

— Windows 10 Home

— CN¥ 4,999 (~US$ 750 / ~MYR 3,000)

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 12.5" Key Specifications

— 12.5-inch 1080P display
— Intel Core M3 processor
— 4GB DDR3 RAM
— 128GB SATA SSD

— Gold/Silver

— Windows 10 Home

— CN¥ 3,499 (~US$ 525 / ~MYR 2,100)

According to Xiaomi, their new Mi Notebook air is in every way better than Apple's MacBook Air. Xiaomi's Mi Notebook Air features a premium aluminium build and comes with all the essential ports including a USB Type-C port that can charger the 13.3-inch Mi Notebook Air from 0 to 50% in just 30 minutes.

For what it's worth, the smaller 12.5-inch Mi Notebook Air will theoretically get 2 hours more battery life compared to the biggest 13.3-inch model mainly due to the use of a Core M3 processor. As for the actual hardware, both models come with 1080P displays, a full sized backlit keyboard with 1.3mm key travel and AKG custom dual speakers paired with Dolby digital surround sound.

And probably one of the coolest things about the Xiaomi Mi Notebook is that both models come with a SSD expansion slot for future upgrades. This is 'cool' because ultrathin laptops these days sacrifice upgradeability for the thin form factor.

Xiaomi will begin offering the Mi Notebook Air in China on August 2.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: XIAOMI

Mechanical keyboards used to be only for desktop computer but in the recent years, it has trickled down to gaming laptop and now Razer is showing off the first mechanical keyboard for the iPad Pro. The Razer Mechanical Keyboard Case is designed to work with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and when connected, the keyboard will make the iPad Pro look like a Razer laptop.

The Razer Mechanical Keyboard Case looks strikingly similar to their Razer Blade laptop keyboard but the difference is that Razer has removed the trackpad and included a new ultra-low profile Razer keycaps that has an actuation force of 70g. Additionally, the keyboard also features a backlighting system that has 20 brightness levels.

Probably the biggest disadvantage of the Razer Mechanical Keyboard is that it connects through Bluetooth and not through the iPad Pro's Smart Connector. This means that you will need to separately charge the keyboard case but Razer says that the battery will last up to 25 days on a single charge when the backlighting is turned off.

For what it's worth, the Razer Mechanical Keyboard Case is priced at US$ 169 (~MYR 665) which is same price as the official Smart Keyboard from Apple.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: RAZER

Probably the most surprising thing that came out of Apple's WWDC keynote this year is Apple's upcoming Swift Playground application. The app which will be available later this year on the App Store as a free download is aimed at children.

This new app is Apple's initiative to educate the next generation on how to read and write code. Through the free app, children or anyone can write code through the tutorials which include nice graphics to educate them about the fundamentals of programming like loops and variables. Besides that, there is also a 'playground' mode that is like a sandbox mode where you can experiment with the code without any boundaries

At launch, Apple will be the sole provider of the programming lessons but Apple is opening up the app to educators for them to create individual lessons through Xcode.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

The next software release for Macs will be called macOS Sierra and this new release marks the departure of Apple's previous numbering scheme. Similar to what Apple is doing with iOS 10, macOS Sierra is not a major overhaul but more of a improvement to the overall interface. An example of this is that you can now securely sign in to your Mac with an Apple Watch.

RIP OSX
Welcome to macOS pic.twitter.com/rUJGvGCdkg
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) June 13, 2016

Most notably is that Siri is finally making it's debut on the Mac and Apple has designed several features that are specific to the Mac. This comes to no surprise as Microsoft has brought Cortana to the desktop with Windows 10. Siri on the Mac works a little differently and besides the usual questions, you can also ask Siri to do things like search for photos or send messages.

Another new feature that Apple is introducing is Copy & Paste. Apple clearly didn't invent this but they are sprucing up the feature on macOS Sierra by creating a digital clipboard that is tethered to the cloud. This means that you can copy a string of text on your iPhone and easily paste it on your Mac.

Additionally, macOS Sierra will also come with a new utility feature that allows users to take advantage of their storage. This is a combination of intelligence and the power of the cloud. The new feature on macOS Sierra will intelligently sync items to iCloud and help clear up junk on your Mac with a single click.

macOS Sierra will arrive in the Fall as a free upgrade and developers can take advantage of the beta software today and just like with iOS 10, Apple is also opening up a public beta in July. Sign up for that here

Learn more about all the features and improvements made in macOS Sierra here

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

"The biggest release ever", that is what Apple is calling iOS 10. Unveiled during their opening keynote for this year's WWDC developers conference, the new version of iOS simply called iOS 10 will mainly focus on underlying changes that improve upon the overall experience.

As usual, this new version of iOS will be available in the Fall alongside the release of the new iPhone but developers can try out the developer preview today and Apple will be testing out a public beta in July. You can sign up for the iOS 10 beta here

Starting from the lock screen, there is a new glance feature which displays the lock screen alongside notifications each time you pick up the device. iOS 10 comes with an updated focus on the notifications cards which propagate all throughout the operating system and Apple is also improving how 3D Touch works on iOS 10 with new interactions like being able to activate it through the lock screen.

Besides that, Apple is also opening up Siri, Apple Maps and the Messages app to developers. This new integration will enable developers to build apps for the iOS Messages app and also build Siri right into their application (with SiriKit) that will enable rich interaction between the user and the app.

Additionally, the iOS Messages app also comes with several new features that Apple borrowed from Google's two new messaging app that they unveiled during Google I/O several weeks back. Messages on iOS 10 will feature things like powerful animations that covers up the entire screen, invisible ink that allows you to share surprises, handwritten notes that can be animated, rich links and a new keyboard that features emoji prediction.

Finally, there is a new Memories feature baked into the Photos app on iOS 10 that works strikingly similar to the Google Photos app. The Memories feature will automatically group your images based on different criteria and each grouping will also be combined into a Memory Movie that can be customized with different themes.

Apple says that all these automatic grouping and any other intelligence processing is all done locally by taking advantage of the processing power of iOS devices. This technology is called Differential Privacy and Apple uses this approach to safeguard data of iOS devices.

iOS 10 will be available this Fall as a free update for iPhone 5 and later, iPad 2 and later, and iPod Touch 5th gen and later. Learn more about all the new features of iOS 10 here

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

The Apple Watch is just about a year old and later this year, Apple will be updating it to watchOS 3.0. Straight out of the WWDC 2016 keynote, this new version will replace the existing watchOS 2.0 which was announced during last year's WWDC keynote and the biggest change in this new version is the interface which is now faster and simpler.

Most significantly is that apps for the Apple Watch will now launch instantaneously in watchOS 3.0 and Apple has also took the time to streamline tasks like replying to messages or controlling music. There is also a new Control Center and Notification Center which is works just like it does on iOS. Additionally, watchOS 3.0 also comes with the messaging features found in iOS 10 like the invisible ink and full screen effects.

Besides general improvements to the overall experience, watchOS 3.0 also improves upon fitness and health features. There is a couple of new watch faces which bring fitness data front and center and Apple is also updating their "time to stand" feature to allow wheelchair users to be properly addressed. Instead of saying "time to stand", the Apple Watch will instead display "time to roll" when it is time to exercise.

Finally, a new app on watchOS 3.0 called Breathe takes advantage of the heart rate sensor on the Apple Watch to encourage users to take deep breaths throughout the day to calm their minds.

watchOS 3.0 will be available to all Apple Watch users in Fall 2016 as a free upgrade. But developers will be able to try out the new version of watchOS today at developer.apple.com.

Learn more about watchOS 3.0 here

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

A little over a year ago, Apple unveiled the next generation of the MacBook which is just called the MacBook. Today, the company is announcing a refreshed version of the 12-inch MacBook and to no surprise at all, Apple did not fix the biggest issue that the original version had but they did include new 6th generation Intel Skylake processors in this new ultrathin computer and as expected, there is also a rose gold color option to complement your rose gold iPhone 6S.

Apple MacBook (2016) Key Specifications

12-inch Retina Display (2304 x 1440)
6th generation Intel Core M3, M5, M7
8GB RAM
Intel HD Graphics 515
256/512GB flash storage
USB Type-C port
802.11ac Wi-Fi
Space Gray, Gold, Silver, Rose Gold

The biggest change to the new 2016 MacBook might be the new Rose Gold color option but under the hood, Apple also upgraded the flash storage to make it a little quicker and alongside the new Skyle processors is a new graphics package which is 25% faster than last year's model. The display is still a pretty high end Retina Display and Apple claims that the new 2016 MacBook will be able to do 10 hours of web browsing and up to 11 hours of video playback on a single charge.

Apple's new 2016 MacBook is now available for purchase online for $1,299 (RM 5,499) for the Core M3 model with 256GB of flash storage and $1,599 (RM 6,699) for the Core M5 model with 512GB of flash storage. The Core M7 model in the other hand will be built to order.

UPDATE 19/4/2016: Reflect official pricing in Malaysia

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

It was just a short week or two that Apple held their signature Spring event where they unveiled two new hardware offerings, the iPhone SE and the more sizeable 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Apple announced that the iPhone SE will be coming to over 110 countries by May 2016 and it looks like they have delivered as both these device are about to arrive in Malaysia.

Ahead of that, the Apple Malaysia online store has listed official pricings for both devices and the iPhone SE starts at just RM 1,949 and you can now own an iPad Pro for just RM 2,699. Make sure to top it up with the RM 469 Apple Pencil. So, if you fancy yourself some new Rose Gold Apple gear, head on over to the Apple Store to get yourself some new hardware

iPhone SE Key Specifications

Apple 64-bit A9 SoC
2GB RAM
12MP iSight camera
1.2MP FaceTime HD camera
Wi-Fi ac
Bluetooth 4.2
16/64GB
1,624mAh batter
Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold
RM 1,949 / RM 2,449

Apple iPad Pro 9.7-inch pricing

Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 32GB Wi-Fi — RM 2,699
Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi — RM 3,399
Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 256GB Wi-Fi — RM 4,099
Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 32GB Wi-Fi + LTE — RM 3,299
Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi + LTE — RM 3,999
Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 256GB Wi-Fi + LTE — RM 4,699

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

Alongside the brand new iPhone SE, Apple also took the opportunity to unveil it's brand new tablet offering which is the downsized iPad Pro. The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro (yeah, that's what Apple is calling it) packs all the features that came with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro into the size of a 9.7-inch iPad. Impressively, Apple managed to pack all the new features like the smart connector, a new 12MP iSight camera, 4 stereo speakers and a new optical stack into the exact same form factor that the iPad Air 2 came in. The downside is that there is a camera bump on the back.

The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro still comes with an impressive display that clocks in at 264 ppi but Apple is putting focus on the new display technology included with this regular sized iPad Pro. They are calling it True Tone Display technology and this hardware feature enables the iPad Pro's display to intelligently adapt to the surrounding lighting conditions. Apple says that this feature will help prevent glare and improve usage in all lighting conditions.

9.7-inch iPad Pro Key Specifications

9.7-inch Retina Display (2048 x 1536)
64-bit Apple A9X SoC
12MP iSight camera
5MP FaceTime HD camera
32/128/256GB
169.5 x 240 x 6.1mm
437g

In terms of big features, that is about it for this new 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Unlike it's bigger 12.9-inch sibling, the smaller iPad Pro comes with a 12MP iSight camera that is seemingly similar to the one on the iPhone SE and iPhone 6S and Apple has also tossed in a TrueTone flash.

Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 32GB Wi-Fi — $599 (~RM 2,400)
Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi — $749 (~RM 3,025)
Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 256GB Wi-Fi — $899 (~RM 3,630)
Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 32GB Wi-Fi + LTE — $729 (~RM 2,950)
Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi + LTE — $879 (~RM 3,550)
Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro 256GB Wi-Fi + LTE — $1,029 (~RM 4,155)

Starting at $599 for the 32GB model, and going way up to $1,029 for the 256GB model with cellular capabilities, the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro isn't as affordable as older 9.7-inch iPads but just remember that this iPad Pro will work with the $99 Apple Pencil and will be able to tap into the world of accessories with Apple's Smart Connector. Just like the new iPhone SE, Apple is also adding a Rose Gold option with the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

Learn more about the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro here

ORIGINAL SOURCE: APPLE

Apple has just concluded it's first presentation of 2016. As expected, one of the hardware products being announced this morning is Apple's newest 4-inch iPhone SE that packs the same great hardware that the iPhone 6S announced last fall came with. Just like the bigger 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6S, the new iPhone SE is powered by Apple's A9 processor with the M9 motion coprocessor.

iPhone SE Key Specifications

Apple 64-bit A9 SoC
2GB RAM
12MP iSight camera
1.2MP FaceTime HD camera
Wi-Fi ac
Bluetooth 4.2
16/64GB
Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold

Starting at just $399, the iPhone SE comes with signature iPhone features like TouchID which enables Apple Pay, the same great 12MP iSight camera capable of 4k video, hands free siri all in the form factor of the iPhone 5S design from 2013. No 3D touch on the new iPhone SE but it is pretty impressive that Apple managed to bring new life back to the iPhone 5S's design.

In terms of availability, Apple will begin accepting orders for the iPhone SE starting this Thursday and the iPhone SE will be available to customers on March 31. Unlike the iPhone 5S, the new iPhone SE comes in 4 color options, the latest being the Rose Gold option introduced with the iPhone 6S. The 16GB iPhone SE starts at $399 (~RM 1,600) and goes up to $499 (~RM 2,000) for the 64GB model. Apple says that they plan to roll out the iPhone SE to over 110 countries by May 2016.

Learn more about the iPhone SE here