Apple’s New Magic Accessories Lineup

Apple's Magic Accessories

Along with a new iMac lineup, Apple has also today introduced an all new lineup for their Magic accessories for Macs. The company today launched an all-new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 and the Magic Trackpad 2, all of which now sport built-in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that can be charged with any Lightning cable. The company has given special attention to the batteries and power management, such that you get up to an hour of usage with just one minute of charging, while a full-charge takes around 2 hours.

These new accessories will be available in India in about two weeks, at prices mentioned below.

Apple Magic Keyboard

The Apple Magic Keyboard replaces the previous generation ‘Apple Keyboard’ and features an updated design and a re-engineered scissor mechanism that offers 33% more key stability. This new keyboard also sports full-sized keys with the new in-house San Francisco font seen in iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan.

The Apple Magic Keyboard is priced at ₹8,300 in India.

Apple Magic Trackpad 2

The new Magic Trackpad 2 is a much more substantial update compared to the Magic Keyboard. It is 29% larger than the previous generation and features an all-new design, similar to the new keyboard. The Magic Trackpad 2 also now features Force Touch, giving you access to more ways to interact with your Mac. Of course, you can still use Multi-touch to navigate.

The Apple Magic Trackpad 2 is priced at ₹11,200 in India.

Apple Magic Mouse 2

The Apple Magic Mouse 2 only changes internally to house the new lithium-ion battery. There are no new features added to the mouse, except for this ugly way to charge it.

The Apple Magic Mouse 2 is priced at ₹6,600 in India.

October 13, 2015 ✚ Permalink

Apple Updates its iMac Lineup, Adds 21.5″ Retina 4K Model (India Pricing)

Apple's New Retina iMacs

Apple has today announced a refresh of its entire iMac lineup by introducing a new 21.5″ Retina 4K model to the iMac family and updating the other iMac models with better hardware. The company now has three iMac models in 21.5-inch sizes, two of which feature a 1920×1080 Full HD display while the third features a 4096×2304 Retina 4K display. On the other front, there are three 27-inch models, all of which feature a 5120×2880 Retina 5K display.

The new iMacs also feature updated hardware, with the 27″ iMacs rocking the new Intel Skylake processors and AMD graphics while the 21.5″ iMacs still sport the older Broadwell chips and Iris Pro graphics. The displays feature a wider, “P3-based” color gamut that provides a 25 percent larger color space that enables more brilliant and true-to-life colors on the screen. The iMacs also feature two Thunderbolt 2 ports and newer Fusion Drive config that makes the lower-end iMacs more affordable.

Here is the pricing of the new iMacs for India:

21.5 inch models:

Intel Core i5 1.6GHz
8GB RAM
1TB (5400-rpm) hard drive
Intel HD Graphics 6000
1920×1080 LED-backlit display
₹91,900

Intel Core i5 2.8GHz
8GB RAM
1TB (5400-rpm) hard drive
Intel HD Graphics 6200
1920×1080 LED-backlit display
₹1,07,900

Intel Core i5 3.1GHz
8GB RAM
1TB (5400-rpm) hard drive
Intel HD Graphics 6200
4096×2304 Retina 4K display
₹1,23,900

27 in models:

Intel Core i5 3.2GHz
8GB RAM (2x4GB on four slots)
1TB (7200-rpm) hard drive
AMD Radeon R9 M380 Graphics
5120×2880 Retina 5K display
₹1,48,900

Intel Core i5 3.2GHz
8GB RAM (2x4GB on four slots)
1TB Fusion Drive
AMD Radeon R9 M390 Graphics
5120×2880 Retina 5K display
₹1,64,900

Intel Core i5 3.3GHz
8GB RAM (2x4GB on four slots)
2TB Fusion Drive
AMD Radeon R9 M395 Graphics
5120×2880 Retina 5K display
₹1,88,900

The previous generation 27″ Retina iMacs were priced at ₹1,59,900 and ₹1,79,900, so the pricing has gone up by ₹5000 and ₹9000 for the higher end models.

October 13, 2015 ✚ Permalink

India is the most expensive place to buy an iPhone 6s

Daniel Van Boom writing for CNET about the high pricing of the iPhone 6s in India:

[The iPhone lineup] will cost more in India than any other country, starting out at 62,000 rupees for the 16GB 6S — that’s the equivalent of $955, AU$1,310 or £620 for the entry-level model.

On the other end of the spectrum is the top-of-the-line 128GB 6S Plus, which will cost 92,000 rupees, which converts directly to about $1,415, AU$1,950 or £925.

He adds:

Ironically, the high pricing could prove a costly move for Apple, with analysts saying that such expensive smartphones will alienate almost all of its prospective userbase in India. Though Samsung and its Galaxy S flagship devices have a presence in the Indian market (with the S6 starting at around 40,000 rupees — $615, AU$840 or £400) the most popular smartphones are budget, sub-$200 devices like Chinese handset maker Xiaomi’s RedMi range and products made by local brand Micromax.

I don’t know about others, but I’m fairly certain that I’m waiting it out for iPhone 7. Unless something happens to my current iPhone 6 and these prices drop over the next few months.

October 12, 2015 ✚ Permalink

Enhanced Editions of Harry Potter Series Available Exclusively on iBooks

Apple today sent out a press release announcing that enhanced editions of all seven books in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series are now exclusively available on the iBooks Store.

These enhanced editions contain the full original text, interactive animations and elaborate artwork, as well as annotations throughout the series.

Until now, the Harry Potter digital books have only been available for readers to purchase through the Pottermore Shop. Starting today, iBooks® users can experience the books with all new exclusive custom covers for each title, and typography including the custom Harry Potter typefaces and new section headers and drop caps.

These books are priced at $9.99 each and are available in 32 countries starting today. Additionally, Apple has also begun accepting pre-orders for French, German and Spanish versions of these editions are they’ll be available starting November 9 in 18 additional countries.

Apple has even setup a custom landing page for Harry Potter fans at www.itunes.com/HarryPotter.

October 8, 2015 ✚ Permalink

TwelveSouth introduces an all new BookArc for MacBooks

TwelveSouth BookArc for MacBooks

TwelveSouth, makers of some of the most amazing and drop dead gorgeous accessories for Mac and iOS devices, today announced a redesigned version of the BookArc for MacBooks. The BookArc is an all aluminum stand that lets you prop your MacBooks upright in a closed-clamshell mode, thus freeing up space on your desk and additionally making your workspace look a lot cooler.

The new BookArc has been redesigned to have gorgeous chamfered edges and a slightly tweaked shape. The interchangeable silicone inserts allow you to fit in any current generation MacBooks in the BookArc, including the new 12-inch Retina MacBook. Each BookArc ships with three inserts, so even if you buy a new MacBook, you won’t have to purchase a new BookArc.

TwelveSouth BookArc on the Desk

The TwelveSouth BookArc with a MacBook on a Desk

I had the original BookArc, released almost 7 years ago and loved using it with my 15″ Unibody MacBook Pro and 24″ Apple Cinema Display. I had quite a narrow desk back then, so it was great being able to pop the uMBP upright, just behind the Cinema Display and free up the space for other stuff.

The new BookArc has been priced at $50, similar to what the old model was priced at. If you’re in the US, you can also enjoy Free Shipping on your order. In India, Apple Premium Resellers like Imagine and Unicorn do stock TwelveSouth products, but it’s going to be a while before the new BookArc shows up there.

October 7, 2015 ✚ Permalink

Porsche chooses Apple CarPlay because Google reportedly asks for too much data

Rich McCormick writing for The Verge:

[Motor Trend] says that Android Auto tracks variables including vehicle speed, throttle position, fluid temperatures, and engine revs, information that is collated and then sent back to Google. Apple’s CarPlay, on the other hand, only checks with the car’s powertrain control module to ensure that the vehicle is moving. Porsche was apparently unwilling to enter a deal that would send reams of information back to Google — partly, Motor Trend says, because the manufacturer thinks those details make its high-end autos special, and partly because Google itself is in the midst of building its own car.

I can’t possibly imagine why Google would want all that data. Can you?

October 6, 2015 ✚ Permalink

Apple’s New Safari Extensions Gallery

Apple has had an Extensions Gallery for Safari, a place where you could discover and download 3rd party extensions for your browser. With the recent launch of Safari 9.0 along with OS X El Capitan, Apple has now moved the Extensions Gallery to a new place and URL. The Safari Extensions Gallery is now available at https://safari-extensions.apple.com and with Version 9.0, Apple has changed the way Safari Extensions are built, distributed and updated. A brief summary of the changes is that:

1. To be able to build and distribute Safari Extensions, you now have to sign up for the Apple Developer Program, which costs $99/year. Previously, you could develop and self-sign your own Safari Extensions. That is no longer possible.

2. Apple now hosts and serves Safari Extensions directly from the above linked Extensions Gallery. The extensions are neatly categorized and are manually approved by Apple. You can download and install the extensions with a single click.

3. Only those Safari Extensions that are downloaded directly from Apple can be updated automatically. This means that the extensions you have downloaded from 3rd-party website, or a developer’s own website, will **not auto-update**. Developers can still sign their own extensions and make them available for download, but users will have no way to updating them.

Popular Safari Extensions like 1Password, Ghostery, Pocket are already available on the new gallery.

October 4, 2015 ✚ Permalink