Blue Marlin's 'Stoney Mac' takes Bradenton Beach title; money goes to F.E.L.T. charity - Bradenton Herald

BRADENTON BEACH — Some applauded as “gutsy” the Blue Marlin Restaurant’s unorthodox move Sunday to add chunks of stone crab and smoked Gouda cheese to its mac & cheese entry in a cook-off Sunday against four other challengers.

Others thought the Bridge Tender Inn couldn’t miss knocking out the Blue Marlin by blending sour cream, freshly sliced cheddar cheese, bacon and fried chicken into its mac & cheese creation.

When the final votes came in stone crab beat bacon — but not by much.

By 35-27, reigning mac & cheese champion, Blue Marlin Restaurant of Bradenton Beach, and its “Stoney Mac,” beat the Bridge Tender Inn’s “Southern Fried Chicken and Bacon Mac” to claim for the second straight year the “2016 Bridge Street Merchant’s Mac & Cheese Cook-Off Challenge” title.

“Our philosophy is to let the flavors do the talking,” said Blue Marlin Head Chef Joshua Drawdy.

To get that flavor to speak up, Drawdy added cheddar cheese, truffle oil, baked bread crumbs, scallions and sriracha, the chef said.

“And regular old elbow mac cooked to perfection,” Drawdy added with a grin.

The daring Nikki Campbell, a message therapist at Sea-renity Beach Spa & Eco Boutique of Bradenton Beach, decided to go up against the Bradenton Beach restaurants with her own special mac & cheese ingredients. She took third.

Campbell sautéed onions in bacon grease for her “Sea-renity Mac & Cheese.” No word if you can get an aroma of the recipe while getting a Sea-renity massage.

Walter Loos of Adventure Away AMI Adventure Center did not place with his “Canadian Mac & Cheese.” But when the competition kicked off, Loos felt his entry, which also had bacon, would win.

“I think someone copied us,” Loos said with a big grin.

Slim’s Place, known for cheese steaks and beers at 9701 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, rounded out the mac & cheese field.

The contest was at The Bridge Street Market, a popular and colorful addition to the Bradenton Beach scene with its jewelry, photography, art, bakery and produce vendors, just to name a few.

The market is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday on a lot near the western tip of Bridge Street.

The market hosts three food challenges a year for charity, including Sunday’s mac & cheese, said Cindy Johnson, Bridge Street Market Manager.

The next up is a bisque or crab chowder cook-off on Feb. 21 to benefit Manatee County’s Moonracer No Kill Animal Rescue, Johnson said.

The $ 257 raised during Sunday’s mac & cheese cook-off will all go to the not-for profit, Feeding Empty Little Tummies, also known as F.E.L.T., Johnson said.

“Feeding Empty provides food for homeless children on the weekends through a backpack program that is currently in 20 Manatee schools,” Johnson said.

Slim’s Place and Adventure Away on Anna Maria Island rounded out the mac & cheese competitive field.

The event had been rescheduled from Jan. 17 due to inclement weather.

Roughly 60 voters each paid $ 5 on a sunny and warm day to sample the five mac & cheese creations and cast their votes, Johnson said.

Fans of ‘Stoney Mac’

The Blue Marlin at 212 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach has “Stoney Mac” on its menu, Johnson said.

“This is the winner, Blue Marlin,” Jay Mandell of Clinton, Conn., predicted early in the two-hour competition when he first tasted Stoney Mac. “Oh yeah. It’s definitely the combination of the crab and smoked gouda.”

Mandell came to the competition with two other mac & cheese lovers, his wife, Geri, and friend, Roz Gold, from Glouchester, Mass.

Margaret Seggebruch, visiting Anna Maria Island from Urbana, Ill., thought the Bridge Tender’s Southern Fried Chicken mac & cheese was the best because it was more traditional.

“It was rich and creamy with the bacon and sour cream,” Seggebruch said. “It’s old-fashioned comfort food and we loved it.”

Margaret’s husband, Larry Seggebruch, said more mac & cheese is consumed in Urbana than anywhere else in the United States, a fact the Bradenton Herald has not been able to confirm. But, perhaps, what the Seggebruchs say about mac & cheese is not to be taken lightly.

“We eat a lot of mac and cheese because we are close to Wisconsin, which, of course, is the cheese capital of the world,” Larry Seggebruch said.

Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7072 or contact him via Twitter@RichardDymond.

mac – Google News

iOS 9.3 BETA 2 Available for iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone - Neurogadget

Apple has released the iOS 9.3 BETA 2 and it can be downloaded and installed on iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone devices that are registered to Apple's Developer program. We remind you that the iOS 9.3 BETA 2 comes almost two weeks later after the first beta of the iOS 9.3 was released for both developers and public beta testers.

Unlike other recent iOS update releases, the iOS 9.3 is a major update for the iOS 9.3 and it comes with a many new features for iPads and iPhones. You will notice a feature called "Night Shift Mode" which is mostly similar to the "f.lux". The new "Night Shift Mode" will reduce the blue light automatically in the evening in order to not stress your eyes while reading content on the display.

In addition, there is a new feature that allows you to connect multiple Apple Watch devices (that run on watchOS 2.2 or later) to the iPhone. You will notice that there is also multiuser support for iPad, which was especially made for the iPads that are in the educational sector.

In addition, the new iOS 9.3 BETA 2 comes with a revamped Control Center that will allow you to toggle the "Night Shift Mode" on and off.

The iOS 9.3 BETA 2 is now available for anyone who's registered to Apple's Developer program. To download the new update, you will need to do it via OTA update (by going to your device's Settings->Genera->Software Update) or via iTunes.

We're pretty sure that the iOS 9.3 BETA 2 will be available for those registered to Apple's public beta program, but it will take a few days before that happens.

Have you tested the iOS 9.3 BETA 2 yet? Did you notice any glitches? Tell us your thoughts about it!

ipod – Google News

Alleged 'iPad Air 3' case suggests Smart Connector coming to Apple's 9.7-inch tablet - Apple Insider

 

By Neil Hughes
Sunday, January 31, 2016, 10:46 am PT (01:46 pm ET)

Many of the features introduced in last year’s iPad Pro, including the new Smart Connector magnetic port and four-speaker array, may be coming toon to the third-generation iPad Air, if third-party cases being manufactured in China are accurate.

Cases allegedly designed for a new 9.7-inch iPad were spotlighted on Sunday by Macotakara. They show a design largely in line with the iPad Pro, including a space for the Smart Connector, suggesting support for connected keyboard and other accessories could be expanded.

Aside from the Smart Connector space and holes for four speakers, the design looks largely unchanged from the iPad Air 2, which itself is very similar to the iPad Pro. That includes a headphone jack and lock button up top, volume buttons on the right side, and a camera on the back.

The hole cut out for the camera does extend downward, which some have taken to mean the new “iPad Air 3″ could feature a rear camera flash. That’s in line with design illustrations supposedly for a next-generation iPad Air that leaked online earlier this month.

The iPad Pro does not have a rear camera flash, so if the iPad Air lineup were to gain one, it would represent at least one specification where the smaller model offers more features.

Apple is widely expected to introduce an “iPad Air 3″ in the first half of 2016, likely at a forthcoming March event where the company is also rumored to showcase a new 4-inch iPhone and more Apple Watch styles and bands. The company is also expected to introduce new MacBooks in the first half of the year, sporting Intel’s latest-generation “Skylake” processors.

ipad – Google News

Photographer Shoots Entire Wedding With an iPhone and The Results Are Amazing - ABC News

One couple let their wedding photographer take photos of their big day entirely on his iPhone 6S.

Sephi Bergerson, who has been a professional photographer for more than 30 years, said he often works with his space gray iPhone 6S with 128 gigabytes on the job and told ABC News he “got lucky” when he found Ayushi and Abhishek (who asked that their last names not be used), who believed in his vision.

“I asked the couple and of course they were a little hesitant in the beginning, but eventually they said, ‘Listen, we’ve seen your work, we trust you,’” Bergerson recalled.

These Put Your Wedding Photos to Shame

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Sephi Bergerson

Photographer Sephi Bergerson shot an entire wedding in Udaipur, India entirely with his iPhone 6S.

Bergerson, 50, said it was “actually quite easy” to shoot the three-day wedding, located in Udaipur, Rajasthan, in India, on his iPhone “because you have this huge five-and-a-half inch TV in front of you. You never get to shoot like this with any other camera so I got a very good sense of the composition.”

The India-based photographer also loved the fact that he got instant gratification and was able to share the photos on his social media accounts immediately.

Still, Bergerson did admit there were drawbacks to using his cell phone to shoot.

“It’s got its own limitations as far as working in low light and on the dance floor you get a lot of motion blur,” he detailed.

Sephi Bergerson

A wedding in Udaipur, India was shot entirely with an iPhone 6S.

Bergerson, who recently released a book on Indian weddings titled “Behind the Indian Veil,” said the couple didn’t have to compromise on their wedding images as he was the lead photographer in a team he collected to shoot the wedding. His other team members had “regular cameras,” he noted.

“It’s not like their wedding coverage suffered,” he added. “…[It] sounded a little crazy in the beginning but what they did get is something that’s never been done before and I think they valued they got something unique. And that also has a value.”

Bergerson said the couple was very pleased with how his photos turned out. In fact, he was able to show the photos to them immediately, which created “a lot of excitement already throughout the wedding.”

iphone – Google News

How to flip your Apple Watch for surprise benefits - Cult of Mac

Turn that crown upside down!
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

The Apple Watch is designed with the Digital Crown in the same place as where traditional watches have their own crown to set the time. It's a design choice that helps us think of this new tiny computer on our wrist as something comfortable and familiar.

But there's no reason the Digital Crown should remain on the right, as it defaults to if you're wearing your Apple Watch on your left wrist.

In fact, flipping it around can make things on your Apple Watch even better. Check it out.

App and web developer extraordinaire Craig Hockenberry tried this and found that the ergonomics of the Apple Watch got better. He found that using your thumb to scroll and press the Digital Crown was just better, and didn't block the screen as much as when in the default orientation. In fact, using your index finger to brace the Apple Watch when you press either of the buttons on the left side made it more convenient to tap on the screen with it.

iMore's Serenity Caldwell recommends the switch to move the Apple Watch microphone closer to your face when you raise your wrist, which should help Siri be more accurate, especially if you're wearing a heavy coat or several layers.

A simple setting could make your Apple Watch even better.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of MacTo make this happen for your own Apple Watch, tap into the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, then tap the General button. Find Watch Orientation and tap through to set the side you want the Digital Crown on. You'll want to leave the wrist selection alone if you want to keep your watch on your preferred hand.

If wearing your Apple Watch on your right hand, the idea is similar, if mirrored a bit. Leave the Apple Watch set to Right Wrist, but then put the Digital Crown on the right, as well. That way, the crown will be closer to your elbow and the microphone will be nearer your hand.

Of course, any new way of doing things will require some getting used to. Give it a few days and see if your own experience is improved. If not, just pop back into the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and set things back to the more traditional.

Source: furbo.org
Via: iMore

Rob LeFebvre is an Anchorage, Alaska-based writer and editor who has contributed to various tech, gaming and iOS sites, including 148Apps, Creative Screenwriting, Shelf-Awareness, VentureBeat, and Paste Magazine. Feel free to find Rob on Twitter @roblef, and send him a cookie once in a while; he’ll really appreciate it.

mac – Google News

Criminals really are using iPods to steal bank cards - Geek

News By Lee Mathews Jan. 12, 2016 12:48 pm

The humble iPod nano isn't as popular with the general public as is once was, but there's one group still finding new uses for it: criminals. They're using them to steal people's PINs.

An iPod nano might seem like a ridiculous way to do it, but it's actually an ideal device for capturing button presses. It's got a decent camera and its battery can keep it powered for two to three weeks depending on usage. It's also very slim, which makes it easy for a criminal to hide one above an ATM keypad. Slap a piece of plastic that matches the fascia of the ATM, and most users will never notice it's there.

Fortunately, some folks are starting to check for signs of tampering before they use bank machines. A British woman who stopped to use a Barclay's ATM in Radcliffe noticed something that look out of place on the machine. She grabbed a loose section of plastic and gave it a tug and discovered a modded iPod nano affixed to it. She immediately turned it in to the local police, who urge the public to follow her lead. There's been a rash of iPod scamming going on in the Manchester area in recent months.

The big problem is that not all point-of-sale equipment and ATMs support chip technology yet. So even though it's right there on your card, a lot of machines just ignore it — making skimmer that steal stripe data and iPods that capture PIN entry a workable system for creating duplicate cards and making fraudulent purchases and withdrawals.

Image courtesy Manchester Evening News

ipod – Google News

Apple iPad Pro review blog: Apple Pencil plus Smart Keyboard equals productivity - The Indian Express

Written by Nandagopal Rajan | Updated: January 19, 2016 10:59 am

Apple iPad Pro is the big 12.9-inch productivity tablet: Read on to follow our weeklong review.

I know a lot of people who consider the iPad, or any other tablet for that matter, a pure consumption device. I, on the other hand, have been using an iPad 2 as my primary mobile computing device for around four years now. I use the iPad for my assignments, recording interviews, taking down notes and writing from the spot when needed. It has never failed me.

Watch ipad Pro First Look Video

However, the near 10-inch iPad 2 has started feeling too large these days, as I can do all of the above work on a good phablet, be it the Apple iPhone 6s Plus, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 or any other Android. This is why I have been tempted of late to switch to an iPad Mini, smaller but just as productive. That is when Apple announced the iPad Pro, and now I'm confused.

This week I will try and come to a conclusion on whether this is my next iPad, or maybe the MacBook Air replacement. Read on:

Apple iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil and special Apple keyboard cover.

The add-ons aka accessories

You can't improve productivity by just improving screen quality or adding more real estate. And that is where Apple has brought in the new Smart Cover and the Pencil. There is nothing unique or innovative about both of these products, but they like other Apple devices just work out of the box. The keyboard for that matter just yokes to the iPad and the cover morphs into a holder keeping the screen where it should be.

However, the keyboard takes some getting used to. For one, it is just half the height of the screen and you don't have a lot of area to move your fingers. It works really well for those used to an iPad onscreen keyboard, but for others you need to learn to rein in your fingers. The keys have good travel, but it's not as comfortable as a MacBook Air's, at least not initially.

The Apple pencil charges is less than a minute.

The Pencil, meanwhile, uses the charging port to pair with the iPad. Push its charging tip into the port and you are ready to go in a minute or so. You can use this feature to also charge then pencil in a hurry, but it's better to use the full charger.

The Pencil is, as the name suggests, built like a pencil. But it doesn't really feel like one as the body is hard, almost as if it's carved out of marble. A softer grip would have been better appreciated. This smooth, stony feel also makes it a bit slippery. But like a good A R Rahman song, it will grow on you and you will get used to it.

Apple Pencil with the lightning charge point.

Helping you along is the fact that this scribbler is super responsive and pressure sensitive. In fact, there is a bit of innovation in its ability to shade with the sides, like you would with a lead pencil. The battery lasts 12 hours, which means you could work with it for a week, unless your primary use is to sketch or draw.

Another thing to remember while committing yourself to the iPad pro is that both these key accessories have to be bought extra and together will cost you around Rs 23,000 more. So, I think the Pencil should strictly be for those who will use the iPad Pro creatively. For those who want to scribble for fun, just buy a simple stylus for around Rs 1,000.

The iPad Pro next to an older MacBook Pro.

What's with the size?

It is really hard to overlook the fact that this is a really large tablet, the type Moses would have been holding on the Mount. It can be a bit intimidating, especially for those who have used a smaller iPad. But that is because we are comparing it to a tablet. And I think Apple is thinking more top down. More in terms of whether this device can actually make you forgo a PC or even a MacBook Air. In that sense, this is a thinner, more comfortable computing device.

A full desktop style view of a website is possible on the iPad Pro thanks to its giant screen space.

Despite its size, the iPad Pro is slim. May be a bit too slim for something this big, so a good cover is recommended. It comes with a fingerprint scanner that is identical to that on the new iPhones. I think this is a good feature, as a lot of people will be doing serious work on this device.

You will take time getting used to the size. I kept asking myself if it was better to hold this horizontally or vertically. But let me tell you, there is nothing that gives you a better view of a website that a iPad Pro held vertically. You can see much more than you would see with any other screen. Being a web editor, I can already see value in this screen size.

As you would have realised by now, the size is all because this device has a stunner of a screen. It is not always that you get to stare into a 2732×2048 screen, which stands our from anything on any tablet so far. A lot of people who will be using the device will be buying it for the screen, to be used with the pencil. For creative folks, this screen will offer some serious pull.

Have questions? Shoot them to me at @nandu79

© The Indian Express Online Media Pvt Ltd

ipad – Google News

Apple investigating iPhone battery percentage freezing bug - CNET

The bug means that what appears to be 100 percent battery could actually be anything but.

Sarah Tew/CNET

If your iPhone 6S seems to be displaying the incorrect battery percentage, it could be affected by a known bug.

Apple says it is investigating an issue with its iOS software that appears to be preventing the battery percentage icon from accurately updating on the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. The problem has lead some users to believe they have more battery power remaining than they do.

Shortly after the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were released in September, it emerged that different versions of the phone had varying battery life, depending on which of two chip variations they had inside. Apple admitted that this was possible, but said the difference in battery life was only between 2 percent and 3 percent.

This latest battery issue might be superficially misleading, but it ultimately doesn’t affect the total amount of juice you can get out of the phone on one charge.

The problem seems to be closely linked to the iPhone’s clock and is in particular affecting users who have recently traveled through several time zones or manually adjusted the time on their device.

“This was happening to me but I figured out it was me changing the system time. It was freezing the battery percentage. Hasn’t happened to me since I stopped changing the time/date,” said Reddit user Sonnyspak.

Apple said it “is aware of this issue and is investigating the cause and a solution.” In the meantime it advises users affected by the problem to reset their iPhones and then go to Settings > General > Date & Time and ensure that “Set Automatically” is turned on.

It’s unknown how many users have experienced the problem. Apple usually pushes out fixes to such issues in the next iteration of its iOS software, but the company has not said when we can expect to see this.

Apple did not respond to request for further comment.

iphone – Google News

Roundup: The best Mac email clients for push Gmail - Apple Insider

 

By Marty Edwards
Sunday, January 17, 2016, 04:09 pm PT (07:09 pm ET)

Mac owners who use Gmail know Apple’s Mail app for OS X is less than perfect when it comes to pushing emails from Google’s service. AppleInsider weeded through a forest of third party apps to find the fastest, cleanest and most reliable push Gmail clients for your desktop.

Google’s Gmail is one of the most popular email products around, and with generous storage allotments, reliable service and easy web or client integration, it’s not difficult to see why. There is one negative, however, in that push email support for iOS and Mac is lacking. If you depend on Gmail and need instant access to your messages, you’ll want to look beyond Apple’s first-party offerings.

In evaluating the following Mac applications, each was loaded one-by-one and tested by sending emails from a second Gmail account running in a Web browser on another computer.

MailPlane

MailPlane offers the best OS X experience of any third party mail application. It’s easy to configure, handles multiple accounts and was by far the quickest to push Gmail to the Mac. Testing from one account to another, MailPlane never once failed on a push operation.

The interface is nearly identical to the Gmail Web interface, with the addition of some larger icons at the top for quick email composition, message management, access your contacts and more. Just above an integrated Google search bar are tabs for adding multiple Gmail accounts, as well as Gmail Calendar and Contacts.

If you don’t like Gmail’s Web interface, you probably won’t like MailPlane as it’s basically an OS X-coded wrapper. However, that same interface makes MailPlane a familiar work environment, while feature additions make it much more functional and easy to use compared to the regular Web client.

For example, I really liked the menu bar icon — a black M in the Mac menu bar that turns red when you have new mail. You can click on this M to get new mail, compose mail, or set do not disturb. When you select do not disturb, the M turns upside to look like a W.

MailPlane, according to the website has been around for 8.8 years and has had 156 updates. The app is available for a single user for $ 24.95 but can be installed on any Mac you personally use. There is a family license for up to five people in the same household for $ 39.95. MailPlane is not available on the Mac App Store but can be downloaded from the developer’s website. There is a 15-day trial if you want to check it out first.

CloudMagic

CouldMagic has fielded apps for iOS and Android for some time, and this month the company launched a version for OS X. CouldMagic is much more than a simple email app. It combines all your emails accounts into one app and synchronizes them across all devices on which you have the app installed whether iOS, Android or OS X.

Setup with Gmail was quick and easy. After Gmail asked for the standard permissions, all my folders and gmail synced up automatically. You can also add Exchange, Yahoo, Outlook, iCloud and other IMAP email accounts. Google Apps are also supported.

One feature I really enjoyed with the CloudMagic iPhone app is that you can select the options to show when you swipe from the lock screen. With Gmail’s native app, I’m limited to read or archive (I prefer delete or archive, as many emails don’t need to be saved). The iPhone app also lets you assign different tone alerts to each account helping you know which account received an email before you even look. You can set many preferences for each account such as signature and color, all of which syncs across devices.

On the Mac — and iPhone — pushing of Gmails was practically instant most of the time. Any delays we experienced were a few seconds at most.

You do not need to set up a CloudMagic account, but if you do, you obtain additional benefits. You can log into multiple devices and all your email account credentials will sync. Your preferences like signatures and account colors also sync and CloudMagic gives you the ability to remotely wipe data if you lose your phone or tablet.

CloudMagic is a very powerful tool in simplifying email and making it “one” across all devices, whether it be Mac, iPhone or even Android hardware. If you primarily use just one email account such as Gmail, CloudMagic might be more than you need, but the extras — syncing signatures, look-up, remote data wiping — make the program well worth the price. I set up an Outlook account on my iPhone and in moments it was synchronized to my Mac desktop via “cloud magic.” If you have many email accounts with many devices, CloudMagic is certainly worth a look.

CloudMagic is not completely without issue, however. Because I run OS X in a slightly reduced resolution to better accommodate my eyes, the right side of the app always fell off the screen. Resizing the window was a no go, and enlarging it simply amplified the problem. I also use Windows machines quite often and CloudMagic is not yet available on Microsoft’s platform.

Some might be concerned having another cloud service accessing their email. If that is a concern, you can use the app(s) without creating a CloudMagic account. The company says this makes notifications less reliable and you are not able to sync preferences.

CloudMagic is available on the Mac App Store for $ 19.99.

Unibox

Unibox is the cleanest looking of all the applications tested and certainly looked the most “Apple-like” in appearance, but not so in function. Setup of a 2-step verification Gmail account was very quick and easy, but an interface so clean and minimalist did add somewhat to the learning curve. Unibox approaches viewing your email quite differently.

Even though the general look of Unibox was familiar, the way the application deals with email is quite different. On the left pane you have a list of contacts in the order you last communicated with them. The latest contact is always at the top and when you click on that contact, all their messages are on the right. It is a very interesting and fresh approach to viewing email, but after literally decades of viewing emails the “traditional” way I found the Unibox approach somewhat cumbersome at first.

After a few hours, however, it became second nature to look for email by person and not by timeline. But, if you are switching from computer to computer or a device with a traditional email layout, coming back to Unibox will possibly be more confusing than helpful.

A nice feature was that Unibox placed the logo of each company (when available) or Google portrait in the left column, which made finding email threads visually easy and fast.

Unibox provides a view that shows all attachments exchanged with a particular contact. That was extremely useful for looking for an attachment from a client.

Replies were simple without the formatting options of the other applications. The pushing of new gmail was quick but not nearly and instant as some of the other applications, but should be fast enough for day to day usage.

Unibox is available on the Mac App store for $ 9.99, but you can download a 15-day trial from the the Unibox

iPad Pro vs iPad Mini 4 vs iPad Air 2: Which iPad should you buy? - The Week UK

At its launch back in 2010, the iPad was regarded as something of an oddity – sitting somewhere between mobile device and personal computer. But Apple went on to create and then dominate the tablet market, which initially grew rapidly but gradually, in recent years, has begun to recede.

As Apple hopes to turn its flagging tablet sales around, the company is offering consumers three choices going into 2016. The small iPad Mini 4 serves as the entry level device, alongside the medium range iPad Air 3 and recently introduced range topping iPad Pro. New devices are rumoured to launch later this year, but how does the current line-up look, and if you have your heart set on an Apple tablet, which one should you buy?

iPad Pro

The iPad Pro was launched to some fanfare last month, offering a range of improvements over previous iPads including higher specs and swifter performance. The new A9X chip has twice the memory bandwidth of the iPad Air 2 and significantly greater storage as well. Apple claims that the new processor means the iPad Pro is more powerful than 80 per cent of portable PCs sold last year. That claim is key to understanding the iPad Pro’s target audience – consumers who want the productivity of a laptop but in tablet form. The screen is 12.9 inches and is optimised for Apple's latest addition, the Apple Pencil, a £79 stylus which allows users to draw onto the screen with accuracy. 

The high-end specs and larger size – it is 80 percent bigger than the previous model both in terms of screen size and weight – come at a price. The cheapest iPad Pro is £679, considerably more than the starting price of an iPad Air 2.

However according to Digital Trends, the premium price could be worth it: “Aside from portability, there is really no category the iPad Pro doesn’t excel at. It is certainly costly, but anyone who can afford it will likely find it to be the best tablet on the market.”

Following its release reviewers have expressed a range of views on the iPad Pro, not all of them positive.

Forbes’ Patrick Moorhead focusses on the design of the iPad Pro.

“The iPad Pro feels like what you would expect with an iPhone or iPad with its brushed aluminum body, beveled edges, edge to edge glass and a physical home button with Touch ID. It's as thin as an iPhone at 6.5mm and feels lighter than you would expect for a device with a 12.9-inch display. The iPad Pro weighs nearly the same as the original iPad at 1.57 pounds, which means that you can use it easily with two hands, but it could be a challenge with one hand for extended periods of time.”

Moorhead praises the tablet’s four speakers which, which compare to just one in both of the smaller iPad models. “My audio experience was really good,” he says “with a much deeper bass response than I've ever experienced on an Apple iOS product. I really appreciated the new speaker system while playing games and movies.”

One of the greatest disappointments for many reviewers though is the iPad Pro’s keyboard.

“I was disappointed with Apple's optional keyboard case, says tech reviewer Walt Mossberg on The Verge. “It's essentially a shallow Mac keyboard, with keys like Command that mean something only in Mac OS X, but not a single shortcut key to an iPad function, like Home or Search. It's also not backlit, and it has only one angle in which it holds the screen. Additionally, it's so light and small compared to the screen that I find it difficult to balance properly on my lap for typing.”

It is also very expensive, he notes, at It's also really costly, at £139 in the UK, making it an expensive addition on top of its already high price compared with the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 4.

Those considering getting an iPad Pro as a replacement for a laptop may be turned off by the issues with the keyboard and the device’s sheer scale. According to Kurt Marko writing for Forbes “Unlike the original iPhone or Apple Watch, the iPad Pro isn’t a revolutionary device, however with a few evolutionary tweaks, it has the potential to push more people into an utterly post-PC existence.”

Jeremy White writing for the Daily Telegraph is less sceptical that the Pro suffers from an identity crisis saying that it can be “whatever you want it to be. Transform it into a writing tool, a technical design platform, an artist’s sketchbook, professional video editing suite – all at the touch of a button or swipe of that Pencil.” Those looking for a regular tablet may feel the Pro is too much, but it remains the biggest and most powerful offering from Apple you can slip into your satchel… as long as your satchel is not tiny. 

The size of the iPad Pro means its only real competition comes from outside the Apple line-up. Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 is another large tablet and is the iPad Pro’s key rival. The Surface Pro has a slightly smaller screen than the biggest iPad at 12.3 inches. This doesn’t sound like a huge difference, but in a head to head, Pocket Lint feel that ”side by side, the iPad Pro really does look quite a lot larger.” The Surface Pro is thicker too, but its 8.4mm width means it comes equipped with a full USB 3.0 port. Overall, its dimensions and hardware mean it weighs 766g, 53g more than the larger-screened Apple product.

iPad Air 2

The iPad Air 2 was, until very recently, the newest and brightest of the iPad contingent. Even a year on from its release, the iPad Air 2 is a very impressive piece of kit, beating this year’s Samsung tablet offering, the Galaxy Tab S2, in a recent performance comparison by Tablet PC Review.

The iPad Air 2 is also much more portable than the iPad Pro. On its release it was described as “ludicrously thin” by TrustedReviews and critics praised its ergonomic design and “lightweight feel”.

Despite receiving a 5/5 review from Stuff, the publication’s reviewers still found the removal of the mute switch from the side of the iPad a little annoying, and criticised the Air 2′s camera, saying “the iPad Air 2 doesn’t have the megapixels, aperture or flash of almost any recent decent smartphone.”

With a starting price of £399 the Air 2 also offers much greater value for money for those not looking to replace their laptop or home computer but who still want significant power and functionality from a tablet.

The Air 2 might not be around much longer though. Rumours on the internet suggest that the Apple iPad Air 3 could be on the way in March 2016, and according to Macworld, the next Air could be even thinner and be offered in a range of colours, akin to the iPhone. It is possible the camera will not improve, but the screen resolution should, possibly approaching the pixel density seen on the iPhone 6S Plus.

iPad Mini 4

The new iPad Mini 4 is “better in nearly every way” than its predecessor, the Mini 3, says The Verge. “It has the best-looking screen Apple’s ever put on a small iPad, which alone is worth the step up from iPad mini 2 or 3.” According to the International Business Times, it’s the “best small tablet yet.”

The iPad Mini 4 offers the same functionality and performance as the iPad Air 2 and repackages it in a smaller form. A much smaller form. The iPad Mini 4 weighs just 298.8g, compared to the 496g iPad Air 2 and the mammoth 713g iPad Pro.

However, the iPad Mini 4 is not actually the smallest iPad Apple has ever produced. It measures 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1mm so it is actually slightly bigger than the iPad Mini 2, but it is also slimmer and less heavy at just 298.8g.

The iPad Mini 4 offers a fully laminated display which, coupled with its anti-reflective coating, makes it much easier to use when it is sunny.

As Pocket-Lint notes, Touch ID is included on the iPad Mini 4, making it Apple Pay compatible. For anyone hoping to use their tablet as a mobile wallet, the Mini’s size means that you can more easily slip it into a handbag or coat pocket – the iPad Pro and iPad Air 2 are more likely to require a larger bag to carry around.

Like its larger siblings, the camera on the iPad Mini 4 features both burst mode and slo-mo video. And again, given that it is much more portable than the other two iPads, these features are more likely to be useful for taking pictures or videos in public. But for making video calls all three tablets have the same front-facing 1.2Mp cameras – so none will edge out the other in terms of their FaceTime abilities alone.

The main difference between the iPad Mini 4 and the iPad Air 2 comes in the detail of the screen resolution. As iDigitalTimes explains: “both iPads have the same screen resolution, but because the iPad Air 2′s display is bigger, the iPad Mini 4′s screen is more detailed.”

The iPad Mini 4 is, however, the cheapest of Apple’s tablets, starting at £319 – so if price is your main concern, this is probably the iPad for you.

New iPads in 2016

The strongest 2016 rumour so far indicates that the iPad Air 3 could be launching in spring. Typically, the device is rumoured to be thinner than its predecessor, and could be offered in a range of colours.

According to Alphr, the iPad Air 3 could come with a new processor, an 8-megapixel camera, fingerprint sensor, and possibly even a 4K resolution display. The site says that the device could be as slim as 5mm.

However, Alphr also highlights possible pitfalls in the upcoming device. It’s entirely feasible that the small size means the battery performance of the next iPad Air won’t improve, and could possibly even decline. It also points to strong rumours suggesting that the Air 3 isn’t going to come with a 3D touch display like the one introduced on the iPhone 6S. Such displays are gaining traction with consumers, but it seems an iPad with 3D touch is still some time off owing to the difficulties the technology is proving for Apple’s supply chain.

Initial rumours suggested that the iPad Air 3 would be revealed in September 2015, but certain factors point towards a difficult birth for the tablet. Apple’s current range could be bloated, and the company needs to give new devices like the iPad Pro market space. In June 2015, Apple’s iPad sales hit a four year low, and they cannot afford a clash between products within their own stable.

If the iPad Air 3 does go on sale this year, a pricetag of around £399 is likely. 

Conclusion

The choice of which iPad to choose is really down to how much money you’re willing to spend and how portable you want your tablet to be. There is a reason why the latest device has Pro in its title, reviewers say. The large-format iPad Pro, while undoubtedly the most powerful of the three devices, is more expensive or may be too big for many users, in which case the iPad Air 2 or the iPad Mini 4 would be appropriate. Still, as Digital Trends concludes, one tablet clearly comes out on top: “The Pro is certainly costly, but anyone who can afford it will likely find it to be the best tablet on the market.”

ipad – Google News

Apple investigates iPhone 6s battery bug - Telegraph.co.uk

Many users have vented their frustration on Apple Support Community forums, with one user JonBonn claiming their iPhone may report an 87 per cent charge all day, and still display the same amount despite being plugged in charging for an hour.

“The only fix I’ve found is to power the phone off and then turn it back on. Then the percentage will update correctly, and will usually continue to update properly for awhile. But eventually it gets stuck again,” they wrote. “In the three days since it was delivered on Friday, I’ve had to reboot my iPhone 6s Plus at least four times to fix this issue.”

The bug may occur when you manually change your iPhone’s time zone, or as the time zone changes automatically as you travel between countries. This can lead to the battery percentage not updating, meaning it’s likely to display a higher level of charge than in actuality.

Apple recommends users restart their phone and go to Settings > General > Date & Time to check the handset’s clock is setting itself automatically. The company said it was aware of the issue, and was investigating the cause and a solution.

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus use built-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and one of two chips created by Samsung and TSMC.

Shortly after the phones’ release in September last year, it was reported the battery life of a model varied depending on which of the two processors was used in production.

Apple denied the claims, saying the tests put the models under an unlikely amount of strain, and that battery percentage between the two types of phone should only differ by up to 3 per cent.

iphone – Google News

Criminals really are using iPods to steal bank cards - Geek

News By Lee Mathews Jan. 12, 2016 12:48 pm

The humble iPod nano isn't as popular with the general public as is once was, but there's one group still finding new uses for it: criminals. They're using them to steal people's PINs.

An iPod nano might seem like a ridiculous way to do it, but it's actually an ideal device for capturing button presses. It's got a decent camera and its battery can keep it powered for two to three weeks depending on usage. It's also very slim, which makes it easy for a criminal to hide one above an ATM keypad. Slap a piece of plastic that matches the fascia of the ATM, and most users will never notice it's there.

Fortunately, some folks are starting to check for signs of tampering before they use bank machines. A British woman who stopped to use a Barclay's ATM in Radcliffe noticed something that look out of place on the machine. She grabbed a loose section of plastic and gave it a tug and discovered a modded iPod nano affixed to it. She immediately turned it in to the local police, who urge the public to follow her lead. There's been a rash of iPod scamming going on in the Manchester area in recent months.

The big problem is that not all point-of-sale equipment and ATMs support chip technology yet. So even though it's right there on your card, a lot of machines just ignore it — making skimmer that steal stripe data and iPods that capture PIN entry a workable system for creating duplicate cards and making fraudulent purchases and withdrawals.

Image courtesy Manchester Evening News

ipod – Google News

Tech review: iPad Pro just might replace your laptop - Dallas Morning News

Every time a new iPad is introduced, I have the same conversation with myself.

"Maybe this one will replace my laptop," I muse.

But alas, each time I've been disappointed.

"Not yet," I mutter. "Maybe someday."

Third-party keyboard cases do a good job at helping the iPad look like a laptop, but a few basic things keep me from my dream.

For my writing, I need a comfortable keyboard, a decently fast processor and screen and a way to easily move, copy and paste among my writing program, a browser and my email.

The iPad has been able to do most of these things, but recent iOS upgrades have added the ability to show two apps at once on the screen for the most recent iPads.

Late last year Apple introduced the iPad Pro, which looked very promising.

For the first time, Apple made an iPad with a bigger screen.

It also introduced a few accessories, like the Apple Pencil and the keyboard cover, that make it even more compelling.

Would this be the model to replace my MacBook Pro?

Big screen

I'm still making that decision, but let me tell you how it's going so far.

The first thing you'll notice about the iPad Pro is its 12.9-inch screen.

This is an iPad on steroids.

Apple sells laptops with similarly sized screens.

My own iPad is a 7.9-inch iPad mini, so stepping up almost 5 inches in screen size feels quite luxurious.

The iPad Pro's screen has a resolution of 2,732 by 2,048 pixels (264 pixels per inch).

It runs Apple's A9X processor and has 4 gigabytes of RAM.

You can configure the iPad Pro with 32 or 128 gigabytes of internal storage. Pricing is $ 799 for the 32gb model and $ 949 for 128gb.

You can add a cellular radio to the 128gb model to bring it up to $ 1,079.

Those prices are right in the range of the MacBook Air.

Camera and stylus

The main camera has an 8-megapixel sensor with a five-element f/2.4 lens.

The iPad Pro can record 1080p HD video at 30 frames per second and slow-mo video at 120 fps.

There is a 1.2-megapixel front-facing 720p HD camera for FaceTime.

The larger screen makes the iPad Pro a great movie viewer, and Apple has placed two stereo speakers on either side of the display.

Apple released a new line of accessories for the iPad Pro, including a $ 99 stylus called the Apple Pencil.

At a 2010 iPad event, former CEO Steve Jobs said of the competition's offerings, "If you see a stylus, they blew it."

Jobs was very vocally anti-stylus, but Apple is not afraid to reverse course and release products if it sees demand.

The artists I know have been champing at the bit to give the Apple Pencil a spin.

Sorry to say, the Pencil works only with the iPad Pro, which has better touch-screen technology.

The pressure-sensitive Pencil communicates with the iPad Pro at a rate of 240 times per second, for very precise drawing and no lag. It has an internal battery that's charged by plugging into the iPad's lightning port or a regular lightning charging cable.

Apple also took a page from the Microsoft Surface playbook and released a cover with a built-in keyboard.

Keyboard options

The Smart Keyboard for iPad Pro costs a hefty $ 169. It combines a Smart Cover with a very thin keyboard that folds up to hold the iPad Pro at a very nice angle for typing.

The iPad Pro has a new connector on the side that allows peripherals like the Smart Keyboard to magnetically connect to provide for data and power.

Apple is also letting third parties use the connector, and there are other keyboards already available.

Apple also introduced a new $ 29 SD card reader that connects via the iPad Pro's lightning port. The card reader lets users import photos or videos from their cameras directly to the iPad Pro.

I tested the card reader, and it worked perfectly. It also works on other iOS devices with a lightning port.

The iPad has always been a good consumer gadget — meaning it's designed to consume information, like Internet surfing, email, watching videos and playing games.

What it has not done well in the past is create content.

There's no user addressable filing system, so each app has its own way of saving your data and sharing it.

It's easy enough to create a text document, but iPad keyboards are designed to the width of the iPad, which means the keys are crammed together and typing is slow and uncomfortable.

The iPad Pro's 12.9-inch screen means the Apple Smart Keyboard case is wide enough to comfortably type.

Critique of reviewing

This is my first review typed entirely on an iPad, and I typed it as fast as I would on my regular keyboard.

This is the first iPad I've had that seemed big enough to show and use two apps at a time on the screen, although today very few apps are optimized to take advantage of the split-screen multitasking feature.

I had been using a free writing program called iA Writer for the iPad. When I launched it on the iPad Pro, I found it was not compatible with the iOS split-screen multitasking.

A quick trip to the iOS App Store showed the $ 4.99 iA Writer Pro app was a nice step up, including the ability to go split screen.

The combination of typing on a keyboard and navigating a browser with my finger on a screen took a while to become comfortable.

I also found the iPad Pro the perfect way to read magazines and newspapers online. I subscribe to Time magazine, and the electronic edition looks great on the larger screen.

If I can toot my own horn, The Dallas Morning News' e-edition looks great on the iPad Pro as well.

I fired up Sling TV and the four speakers worked really well for watching videos.

As for the iPad Pro replacing my MacBook Pro? Almost, but not quite.

What Mom thinks

I could use it to do my writing and Internet surfing, but at work, I have to use programs and log into systems that I can't do on an iPad just yet.

So while Jim the columnist could get along with an iPad Pro, Jim the IT guy still needs a laptop.

I took the iPad Pro home over the holidays and let my Mom try it out. She uses an iPad Air 2 as her only computer. While she loved the big screen of the iPad Pro, she found it a bit heavy. I also thought it was be a bit heavy to hold, especially in portrait mode. Turning it on its side was much better.

When the iPad was introduced at $ 499, it really was a cheaper way to get online.

With three sizes of iPad, Apple has a screen size (and price point) for everyone. I'm really happy with the iPad Pro, but the configuration Apple let me try costs $ 1,347 for the iPad, Pencil and Smart Keyboard.

A 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $ 999, so there really is a hard decision to be made.

I'm still thinking about it.

Pros: Great screen, super fast, Pencil input, four speakers

Cons: Expensive

Bottom line: This is a high-end iPad aimed at users who don't mind paying a high-end price.

On Twitter:
 @jimrossman

ipad – Google News

Criminals really are using iPods to steal bank cards - Geek

News By Lee Mathews Jan. 12, 2016 12:48 pm

The humble iPod nano isn't as popular with the general public as is once was, but there's one group still finding new uses for it: criminals. They're using them to steal people's PINs.

An iPod nano might seem like a ridiculous way to do it, but it's actually an ideal device for capturing button presses. It's got a decent camera and its battery can keep it powered for two to three weeks depending on usage. It's also very slim, which makes it easy for a criminal to hide one above an ATM keypad. Slap a piece of plastic that matches the fascia of the ATM, and most users will never notice it's there.

Fortunately, some folks are starting to check for signs of tampering before they use bank machines. A British woman who stopped to use a Barclay's ATM in Radcliffe noticed something that look out of place on the machine. She grabbed a loose section of plastic and gave it a tug and discovered a modded iPod nano affixed to it. She immediately turned it in to the local police, who urge the public to follow her lead. There's been a rash of iPod scamming going on in the Manchester area in recent months.

The big problem is that not all point-of-sale equipment and ATMs support chip technology yet. So even though it's right there on your card, a lot of machines just ignore it — making skimmer that steal stripe data and iPods that capture PIN entry a workable system for creating duplicate cards and making fraudulent purchases and withdrawals.

Image courtesy Manchester Evening News

ipod – Google News

What it's like to use a $1000 titanium iPhone 6s case - BGR

Unbox Therapy's Lewis Hilsenteger has really been bringing it with the fancy iPhone 6s cases lately. Earlier this week, I highlighted the Unbox Therapy video about the Prong PWR Case, which I thought looked like the ultimate iPhone 6s case thanks to its ability to serve as both a detachable battery and a cord-free charger. And today, Unbox Therapy is back with yet another high-end iPhone 6s case that costs $ 1,000 and is made of titanium.

MUST READ: 10 offensive products that Amazon refuses to sell

Called the Advent, the case costs ten times as much as the Prong PWR Case I highlighted on Thursday, but it really doesn't seem to be ten times as useful. All the same, it does come with a special note that lets its buyer know just how special it really is.

"The Advent was created to turn your fantasies into a reality," Hilsenteger reads the note aloud, unable to keep a straight face. "It is a case that redefines design and elegance. Each case goes through a time-consuming machining process where a solid block of Aerospace Grade 5 Titanium alloy is transformed into a being of such complexity and precision, inheriting the strength and lightweight properties of titanium."

As for the case itself, it consists of two titanium braces that attach to each side of the iPhone. It doesn't cover the entire back of the device as most cases do and instead serves mainly to prevent it from bending. The braces are also elevated, which means you can place your iPhone down on a flat surface without any fear of it scratching.

It seems nice but… $ 1,000 nice? I really don't think so, especially when you consider that it costs significantly more than the iPhone itself.

At any rate, be sure to check out the whole video below.

iphone – Google News

4K and 5K Display Buyer's Guide for Macs - Mac Rumors

4K displays are becoming increasingly popular as they come down in prices, and even some 5K displays have been released over the past year, but there are lots of variables to consider before purchasing one for your Mac.

This buyer’s guide will help you determine the ideal 4K or 5K display for your MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro or Mac mini, based on compatibility, price, display technologies and more.

Choosing a Resolution: Ultra HD vs. 4K vs. 5K

The resolution of a display is simply the number of pixels on a screen based on its width and height. The term 1080p, for example, refers to a 1,920×1,080 display, which translates to 1,920 pixels along the horizontal axis and 1,080 pixels along the vertical axis. Just like TVs, higher resolution displays have sharper, crisper images.

Displays continue to advance at a quick pace; currently, the most common resolutions are between 1,920×1,080 and 2,880×1,800. 4K and 5K displays take a big step beyond that, packing millions more pixels than lower-resolution displays of the same size. Apple coined the marketing term “Retina displays” to describe these ultra-high resolutions.

A true 4K display has a resolution of 4,096×2,160 pixels, but most 4K displays you will find are actually “Ultra HD” displays with slightly lower 3,840×2,160 resolutions — sometimes called 2160p. 5K displays have a resolution of 5,120×2,880 pixels, or about seven times the pixel density of a 1,920×1,080 display.

• Ultra HD: 3,840×2,160 pixels
• 4K: 4,096×2,160 pixels
• 5K: 5,120×2,880 pixels

Bottom Line: Purchase an Ultra HD 4K (3,840×2,160) display if you want the widest selection and lowest prices. The resolution is still considered 4K-class and will be a significant step up from 1080p or 2K monitors.

Choosing a Port: Thunderbolt vs. HDMI

4K and 5K displays can be connected to Macs using Thunderbolt or HDMI cables.

Thunderbolt

Thunderbolt ports on your 2011 or later Mac support Mini DisplayPort, a common technology for connecting external displays.

Many external displays have Mini DisplayPort, meaning all you need to do is connect a Thunderbolt cable between your Mac and the monitor. Some displays, however, have full-size DisplayPort ports that require a DisplayPort-to-Mini DisplayPort (mDP) cable — sold on Amazon for under $ 10.

Most early 2011 to mid 2013 Macs use first-generation Thunderbolt, which supports DisplayPort 1.1a for a max video throughput of 8.64 Gbps. Simply put, virtually all pre-mid-2013 Macs are not powerful enough for 4K or 5K displays at a 60Hz refresh rate.

• What is a refresh rate? A display’s refresh rate is the number of times per second it can redraw the entire screen, which essentially determines the display’s max frames per second (FPS). A refresh rate is typically measured in Hertz (Hz), with three common frequencies: 60Hz, 30Hz and 24Hz.

  Ideally, if you are purchasing a 4K or 5K display, you will want to ensure that you have a Mac capable of driving the monitor at 60Hz — find your model at the end of this guide. Running an external display at 30Hz or 24Hz over Thunderbolt or HDMI can result in mouse lag and choppy performance.

  Macs with Thunderbolt can support a refresh rate up to 60Hz, while HDMI can support 24Hz or 30Hz due to bandwidth limitations of the HDMI 1.4 spec. Apple has yet to release Macs with HDMI 2.0, which can drive 4K and 5K displays at up to 60Hz. More details about HDMI can be found below.

In 2013, Apple adopted Thunderbolt 2, which supports DisplayPort 1.2 for a doubled max video throughput of 17.28 Gbps — more bandwidth to push all those millions of extra pixels on 4K or 5K displays.

Macs refreshed in Late 2013 or later have Thunderbolt 2 ports, allowing for one 4K display at up to 60Hz, or in some cases multiple ones with a powerful enough graphics card. Macs with Thunderbolt 2 ports include the following models:

• MacBook Pro (Retina, Late 2013 and later)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013)
• iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014 and later)
• iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)
• iMac (27-inch, Late 2013 and later)
• iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015)
• Mac mini (Late 2014)
• MacBook Air (Early 2015)
• MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015)

In June 2015, Intel announced Thunderbolt 3 with a USB Type-C connector, instead of Mini DisplayPort, and an increased 40 Gbps throughput across two channels. Thunderbolt 3 continues to be based on DisplayPort 1.2. Apple will likely release the first Skylake Macs with Thunderbolt 3 later in 2016, and those models will be able to drive up to three 4K displays at 60Hz or one 5K display at 60Hz.

For those wondering, Apple could release a 5K Thunderbolt Display alongside Skylake Macs, but it may choose to wait until Intel’s processor lineup supports DisplayPort 1.3. Macs with DisplayPort 1.3, which may not launch until at least late 2016, will be able to drive a 5K display over Single-Stream Transport (SST), eliminating the need for Apple to worry about syncing two channels over Multi-Stream Transport (MST).

• What is SST and MST? In order to achieve 4K resolution at 60Hz, most early 4K displays on the market used Multi-Stream Transport (MST), a technology that stitches two halves of a display together into one large surface — also called a “tile” — in software. MST, supported on Thunderbolt 2 Macs, can carry a signal for two or more monitors on a single cable, allowing for daisy chaining or hub configurations of multiple 4K monitors.

  More recent 4K displays have started using Single-Stream Transport (SST), eliminating the need for stitching two halves of a display together in software. Instead, SST monitors feature scalers that support 4K resolution at 60 Hz over a single tile. Ideally, if you are purchasing a 4K display, you should look for one that supports SST, since MST can cause issues with in-game menus, BIOS screens and scaling.

• What is daisy-chaining? Thunderbolt 2 Macs can daisy-chain multiple 4K displays using one Thunderbolt cable between each, as long as they have both a DisplayPort input and a DisplayPort output. Both the Mac and all displays in the chain must support DisplayPort 1.2, except for the last display which can be DisplayPort 1.1.

  In the image to the top right from StarTech, for example, Screen A, B and C are connected using a single DisplayPort cable between each. Screen A is then connected to the Mac, which recognizes the three as separate displays. The capabilities of the Mac’s video card determines how long the daisy chain can be.

HDMI

4K displays and Ultra HD TVs can also be connected to compatible Macs with a built-in HDMI port, including select MacBook Pro, Mac Pro and Mac mini models listed below:

• MacBook Pro (Late 2013 and later)
• iMac (27-inch, Late 2013 and later)
• Mac mini (Late 2014)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013)

The latest Macs have HDMI 1.4, which can only drive one Ultra HD display at 30 Hz or one 4K display at 24 Hz with no mirroring. Apple has not released any Macs with HDMI 2.0, which can drive a 4K display at 60Hz.

Bottom Line: Thunderbolt is better than HDMI because it can drive 4K and 5K displays at up to 60Hz, whereas HDMI is limited to 30Hz or 24Hz on current Macs. Thunderbolt is also compatible with DVI, HDMI and VGA monitors using Mini DisplayPort adapters, whereas HDMI only works with DVI.

Choosing a Display

While most 4K displays should work with compatible Macs, Apple officially supports the following models — some of their direct successors are listed:

• ASUS PQ321Q: 31.5″ LED-lit Ultra HD IGZO display with 3,840×2,160 resolution at up to 60Hz. Includes 1 DisplayPort 1.2 port and dual HDMI ports. Not stocked directly on Amazon, but still available from some resellers like B&H for $ 1,223.99.
• Dell P2415Q: 24″ LED-lit Ultra HD IPS display with 3,840×2,160 resolution at up to 60Hz. Includes 1 DisplayPort 1.2 input, 1 DisplayPort output, 1 Mini DisplayPort and 1 HDMI port. DisplayPort-to-Mini DisplayPort cable included in the box. Supports SST in landscape or portrait viewing mode. $ 417 on Amazon.
• Dell P2715Q: 27″ LED-lit Ultra HD IPS display with 3,840×2,160 resolution at up to 60Hz. Includes 1 DisplayPort 1.2 input, 1 DisplayPort output, 1 Mini DisplayPort and 1 HDMI port. DisplayPort-to-Mini DisplayPort cable included in the box. Supports SST in landscape or portrait viewing mode. $ 544 on Amazon.
• Dell UP2715K: 27″ LED-lit IPS 5K display with 5,120×2,880 resolution at up to 60Hz. Includes 2 DisplayPort 1.2 ports and 1 Mini DisplayPort. 2 DisplayPort-to-DisplayPort, 2 DisplayPort-to-Mini DisplayPort and 1 Mini DisplayPort-to-Mini DisplayPort cables included in the box. Supports MST in landscape or portrait viewing mode. $ 1,649 on Amazon.
• Sharp PN-K321: 31.5″ Ultra HD IGZO display with 3,840×2,160 resolution at up to 60Hz. Includes 1 DisplayPort 1.2 port and 2 HDMI ports. DisplayPort cable included in the box. Supports SST and MST in landscape or portrait viewing mode. Sharp appears to have discontinued this model, but its MSRP was around $ 3,100 and it remains available through some resellers for upwards of $ 4,000.

Bottom Line: Dell’s 24-inch P2415Q or 27-inch P2715Q have received favorable reviews, and they are among the best 4K displays based on price and quality. Both displays have up to a 60Hz refresh rate, support both SST and MST and include the necessary DisplayPort cables in the box.

OS X 10.9.3 or later is required. OS X 10.10.3 or later is recommended for full 4K support.

Supported Macs

MacBook Pro

13″ Early 2015: This model is equipped with two Thunderbolt 2 ports that can drive one 4K display at 60Hz or two 4K displays at 30Hz. This model also supports one 4K display at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one 4K display at 30Hz over HDMI.

15″ Mid 2014 or Later: This model can drive up to two 4K displays at 60Hz with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M. The Mid 2015 15″ MacBook Pro with AMD Radeon R9 M370X graphics can also drive one 5K display connected with two Thunderbolt cables.

15″ Late 2013: This model is equipped with two Thunderbolt 2 ports that can drive one 4K display at 60Hz or two 4K displays at 30Hz. This model also supports one 4K display at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one 4K display at 30Hz over HDMI.

15″ Mid 2012 and Early 2013: These models with dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics can allegedly drive one 4K display at 30Hz with some tweaks.

MacBook Air

Early 2015: This model’s upgraded Broadwell processor and Intel HD Graphics 6000 enable it to drive one 4K display at 60 Hz over Thunderbolt. MacBook Airs do not have HDMI ports without the use of adapters.

Early 2014 and older MacBook Air models have older Thunderbolt 1 and DisplayPort 1.1 specs, and outdated Haswell processors with Intel HD Graphics that are unable to drive 4K displays, although there appear to be some partial solutions in our discussion forums that we have not independently confirmed.

12-inch MacBook

Early 2015: This model can drive one 4K display at 30Hz, or one 4,096×2,160 display at 24 Hz, when you connect the display to your Mac using a USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.

The 12-inch MacBook has no built-in Thunderbolt or HDMI ports, and the USB-C port does not supply enough bandwidth to drive a 4K display at 60Hz. Even if 4K at 60Hz was possible, it is unlikely the notebook’s Intel Core M mobile processor would be able to efficiently power millions of additional pixels.

iMac

21.5″ Late 2015 Retina 4K iMac: This model can drive one 4K display at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one additional 2,560×1,440 display.

27″ Late 2015 Retina 5K: This model can drive one 4K display at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one additional 2,560×1,440 display, and with optional AMD Radeon R9 M395X graphics, it can also drive up to two 4K displays at 60 Hz over Thunderbolt. This model can also drive one 5K display when connected with two Thunderbolt cables.

27″ Late 2014 Retina 5K: This model can drive one 4K display at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one additional 2,560×1,440 display. This model can also drive one 5K display with two Thunderbolt cables.

Mac Pro

Late 2013: This model is equipped with six Thunderbolt 2 ports, which can drive up to three 5K displays — two Thunderbolt cables per connection — or up to six Apple Thunderbolt displays. Apple also supports up to three 4K displays — two over Thunderbolt and one over HDMI — but it has been proven that connecting up to six 4K displays is possible with an external GPU.

Early 2009 to Mid 2012: These models are not equipped with Thunderbolt 2 controllers to drive Ultra HD displays, but the original Mac Pro can be upgraded with an appropriate graphics card, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, which has three DisplayPort 1.2 ports for connecting multiple 4K displays. Mid 2006 and Early 2008 Mac Pros may also be upgradeable, but performance could be limited due to old hardware.

Late 2009 Mac Pro with upgraded NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 running dual 4K displays

Mac mini

Late 2014: This model can drive one 4K display at 30Hz over HDMI or Thunderbolt, or one 4,096×2,160 display at 24 Hz over HDMI. 60Hz is not supported because of the Late 2014 Mac mini’s integrated Intel Iris 5000 graphics.

Late 2012 and earlier Mac minis do not support 4K displays.

Choosing to Buy Now or Later

In most scenarios, buy later. Apple will likely release the first Skylake Macs with Thunderbolt 3 later in 2016, and those models will be able to drive up to three 4K displays at 60Hz or one 5K display at 60Hz.

Those are the high performance thresholds that Mac users have patiently been waiting for since 4K and 5K displays reached the market three or four years ago. Plus, in the meantime, new displays could launch at lower price points.

Many have been asking about Apple’s own entry into the 5K display market, but due to the bandwidth limitations of current Macs, Apple may not release a standalone 5K display until late 2016, if ever. Even then, you would likely need the latest Macs to power such a screen.

If you do not plan on upgrading your Mac in the foreseeable future, and are okay with using one 4K display with most models, find yours in the supported Macs list above. If you do buy a 4K display now, and eventually upgrade to a Skylake Mac, it will still be compatible. Just remember that a 60Hz refresh rate, SST and DisplayPort 1.2 are highly recommended specs.

Related Roundups: iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Retina MacBook
Tags: DisplayPort, 4K displays, 60Hz, 5k displays, Ultra HD, Thunderbolt, HDMI
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mac – Google News