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
Buyer’s Guide:
mac – Google News

6 quick tips to boost iPad Pro battery life - CIO

• Home
• Consumer Technology
• Mobile Apps

CIO.com’s resident reviewer, tech addict and fitness fanatic James A. Martin puts the latest apps, mobile devices, health gadgets and wearable technologies through the paces.

Credit: Reuters/Beck Diefenbach

Thank you

Your message has been sent.

Sorry

There was an error emailing this page.

CIO | Jan 15, 2016 6:45 AM PT

I exactly can’t prove it, because I haven’t done any formal tests, but I’m fairly sure my iPad Pro battery drains more quickly than my previous iPad’s batteries, even though Apple says all iPads get “up to 10 hours” of life. To make matters worse, the “Low Power Mode” in iOS 9 isn’t available for iPad.

To mitigate these challenges, I found a number of simple tweaks you can use to extend your iPad Pro’s battery life.

1. Turn on iPad Pro Auto-Brightness

An obvious way to reduce drain on your iPad Pro’s battery is to decrease the maximum display brightness setting. The Auto-Brightness setting automatically adjusts screen brightness based on ambient lightning conditions around you. To enable the setting, go to Settings > Display & Brightness. Or if you really want to conserve as much power as possible, manually turn your display brightness all the way down.

2. Keeps tabs on battery-hogging iPad Pro apps

If you go into Settings > Battery, you can see which apps used the most battery power during the last 24 hours or seven days. Tap on an app in the list, and you see how many minutes you used it and how long it worked in the background. With this information, you can either curb the use of certain apps, or follow the next step.

3. Disable iPad Pro app background refresh

Many iOS apps slowly sip battery power as they operate in the background. Background refresh can be convenient — new emails are already in your inbox when you open your email app, for example — but you might want to prevent some apps from constantly updating in the background. To adjust the settings, go to General > Background App Refresh.

4. Adjust iPad Pro notifications appropriately

The more notifications you receive, the more frequently your screen turns on when new alerts arrive (assuming you enable the screen-notification setting), and every on-screen alert reduces battery power. Go to Settings > Notifications to turn off notifications for non-essential apps, or tweak alerts settings for individual apps.

5. Turn on iPad Pro Airplane Mode when reading

Turning off your iPad Pro’s wireless radios when you need Internet access isn’t a good idea, but if you’re just reading a Kindle ebook or a downloaded magazine, consider putting your iPad Pro into Airplane Mode to reduce unnecessary drain on your battery.

6. External power for iPad Pro

If you regularly fly cross-country or internationally and want to be sure your iPad Pro battery goes the distance, consider an external charger. Lots of options are available. For example, I bought a RAVPower Portable Charger with a 9,000mAh battery, a built-in (and convenient) Lightning cable, and a USB port, so I can simultaneously charge another device, such as my iPhone. The power brick costs $ 40 on Amazon, it is Apple MFi-certified, weighs 8.64 ounces, comes with a protective bag, and it recharges my iPad Pro fairly quickly. For $ 10 more, RAVPower’s 3-Port External Battery Pack has a significantly larger 26,800mAh battery and three USB ports, but it weighs a bit more, at 1.01 lbs.

Previous Post

3 ways Fitbit missed the mark with its new Blaze fitness watch (updated)

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

Everything we know about the iPhone 7 - Tech Insider (blog)

Antonio Villas-Boas/Tech Insider

Recent iPhone 7 rumors help paint a decent picture of what we can expect from Apple’s next iPhone.

As of now, it looks like the next iPhone could change the way we listen to music, and we might see a brand new kind of material for its looks and feel. 

Check out the latest we’ve heard on the internet streets about the “iPhone 7″:

iphone – Google News