OS X Yosemite Design Updates

Over the past year, the Mac user base grew by 12%, even while the PC industry declined by 5% as a whole. Apple answers the market’s love of Mac with Mac OS X “Yosemite,” named for the beauty and power of the National Park. Apple is improving the desktop experience with a more refined design involving some elements iOS7 users are already familiar with, like translucency and simpler, more symbolic icons.

Can Safari get us to stop using Chrome?

Like Yosemite, Safari has a leaner look. To declutter, the Favorites bar has been made optional and Favorites now pop up when you click into search. Tabs have been reorganized and Tab view provides a “birds-eye” view of all open tabs, organized according to site.

Safari’s functional improvements include private browsing similar to Chrome’s “Incognito Mode,” holistic searching that includes results from multiple search engines, and improved sharing options. Finally, because so many of us think the internet is best used for binge watching TV shows on Netflix, Yosemite will support HTML5 video, which allows for 1080P video streaming without plugins. This can provide up to two hours of additional battery life while you catch up on House of Cards.

More mail, and even better Mail

A past pain point, the updated mail application will provide more reliable syncing and speedier switching between inboxes. The new MailDrop feature allows users to send huge attachments–up to 5GB. The coolest new Mail feature is markup, which allows for all important in-email doodling.

Get whatever you want, whenever you want it with Spotlight

Yosemite helps you do less searching and more finding. Spotlight now pops up in the middle of the screen and can search apps, content, files, maps, and more with inline previews. Notification Center has been updated with “Today” view, providing users with an at-a-glance overview of their day including calendar notifications, weather, and content from third party widgets.

Continuity is a marriage of desktop and mobile

Application integration across devices

A major focus of Apple’s new operating system is a new level of integration between mobile and desktop systems. AirDrop will work between iOS and Mac. iCloud Drive will allow you to find and sync content across all your devices, and even supports Windows. With Handoff, folks using both a Yosemite and an iOS device will seamlessly transition work between the two devices in close proximity–if you begin writing an email on an iPhone and go to your Mac, the Yosemite machine will pick up where you left off on the phone and allow you to finish typing on the desktop email application.

Cross functionality

In addition to integrating work between systems, Yosemite allows computers to take on some of the functionality of the iPhone– a Yosemite machine can receive and make calls and texts when connected to an iPhone, even if that phone is several rooms away.

Apple is pairing the Photos app with iCloud so photos are available on all devices. The update to iOS brings new “Smart Editing” for light, color, and auto straightening and cropping. A similar, “grounds up photo solution” will be available for Yosemite in 2015. All changes go live to iCloud photo library so improved photos are available across devices as soon as you’re finished editing. To store all these photos, Apple is offering expanded iCloud storage: 5GB for free, 20GB for $0.99/month, and 200GB for $3.99/month.

iOS 8 multitasking and communication

The keynote touted that iOS 8 is the largest update since the launch of the App Store. Like Yosemite, iOS 8 has a improved notification center. Multitaskers will be able to reply to notifications without leaving an app in use– replies are even enabled on the lock screen. Messaging, iOS’ most frequently used app, is being updated with features like at-a-glance attachment viewing, thread-level “do not disturb,” and in-line audio and video messages. Like desktop, mobile Mail is also improving with gesture flagging, tagging, and deleting. You can also access the rest of your email history while composing a message.

At long last, keyboard options!

Apple’s keyboard was innovative when initially developed, but with a slightly clumsy interface and a sometimes hilariously incorrect autocorrect, it’s gotten a bit behind the competition. iOS 8 will bring QuickType, which supports predictive suggestions and learns how you like to communicate to make those suggestions. More important, users will finally be able to install third party keyboards, like Swype.

Family Sharing

We share everything in our home with our family, and Apple wants us to be able to share in our virtual space as well. You can automatically share photos, events, reminders, and even purchases (if all accounts are linked with one credit card) with family members using iOS.

Hands-free Siri

Similar to Google Now’s “OK, Google,” you’ll be able to say “Hey, Siri” for touchless voice control. With the update come Shazam-powered song recognition, faster, streaming voice recognition, and 22 dictation languages.

A more connected home and healthy life

Apple is releasing interface tools for connecting your health and home. HealthKit and the accompanying application “Health,” combine the many metrics from various sensors and health and fitness applications in one place to provide you, and potentially your doctor, with usable, real-time health data. Similarly, HomeKit connects many home automation devices and allows total control of your home via iOS.

Improved developer tools = improved user experience

There are 1.2 apps currently available in the App Store, and this WWDC provides application developers with more tools to create and distribute high quality applications. With the update to iOS adn the App Store, folks looking for good apps will be able to find them more easily as Apple is adding better browsing, application previews, curated recommendations, and bundling to the App Store. Developers even have the option to allow users to Beta test apps with TestFlight.

To some extent, Apple is opening up its “walled garden,” and allowing apps to extend services to other apps. This means you will be able to translate content with Bing while browsing with Safari, use third party photo filters in the Photos app, and do your mobile living in a more fully integrated ecosystem. Third party apps will even have access to the convenience of the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, meaning you will finally be able to log into your bank account using only your finger.

Good news for Games

Game developers and gamers will be excited by Metal, a feature which dramatically reduces graphical overhead. Metal will allow game creators to make beautiful, console-worthy 3D games for iOS. Additionally, casual games will see improvements with an updated SpriteKit and get beautified with SceneKit– tools that allow easy development of more simple games.

Swift: The language of Apple

Apple has always championed efficiency, security, and usability. To take it one step further, Apple is now providing developers a new programming language (based on a slimmed down version Objective-C, if you’re curious) that they claim is safe from many common programming errors. In addition to the language itself comes Playgrounds, a testing environment where developers can display the content of their code alongside the code itself. A faster, easy-to-use programming language means that app development will be a simpler task. Ultimately, this will lead to more content and an even more robust app ecosystem.

At last, Apple is bringing many of its most beloved features together in ways users have been asking for for years. Better integration between systems and applications, plus the promise of great new software made with convenient, efficient developer tools may mean that Apple is positioned to reclaim much of the market lost to more open platforms.

Tim Cook made a point to thank all the developers who create content for Apple devices. iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite will be available to the public in the fall. Meanwhile, the beta version is available for developers to work on that great content until autumn. Thanks, developers, for making September even more exciting!

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The post WWDC14 Roundup: OS X Yosemite, iOS 8, & The Coolest Thing in Development Since WWDC 2013 Alyssa Voorhis appeared first on Gazelle The Horn.

The “iPad Laptop” story

Propagated by the likes of Asus and Microsoft, the concept of tablet/PC hybrids is patently un-Apple. Tim Cook voiced his aversion to the convertible category during his October 2013 Apple Keynote when he stated that Apple’s competitors “are confused…trying to make PCs into tablets and tablets into PCs.” Despite Cook’s naysaying, the clicking of a traditional keyboard is much more satisfying than the weak haptic feedback of a virtual one. Brydge’s relative success indicates that the market might agree.

Although it’s a couple years old, the Brydge+ is worth a second look. In March, the superior iPad 4 was resurrected to replace the incumbent iPad 2 as Apple’s mid-range tablet offering, meaning more people may be buying new, Brydge+ compatible iPads in need of accessories. Additionally, Brydge recently dropped keyboard prices by over 20%. The price drop may herald the coming of an iPad Air-compatible Brydge keyboard but, in the meantime, the folks at Brydge sent the Gazelle Lab an example from the current Brydge iteration for review, an aluminum Brydge+® iPad® Laptop + Built-in Stereo Speakers. Three models of Brydge+ are currently available: the Brydge+ with Speakers ($150) which is highlighted in this review, Brydge+ Speakerless ($140), and a less expensive Brydge+ Polycarbonite ($100).

The box

• Brydge+ Keyboard with Built-in Stereo Speakers
• Shims for iPad 2 and iPads 3 & 4
• Cover stickers (if matching is your thing)
• MicroUSB Charging Cable
• Paperwork: Manual and Shim Compatibility Warning Message

The look, the feel

Brydge went to great lengths to Apple-ize their keyboard, even mimicking minute details like the hallmark, “Designed by Brydge in California Assembled in China” on the bottom of the device. The overall result is a product that impresses at a distance, but falls short of Apple’s unparalleled build quality upon closer examination. The Brydge+ is made of anodized “aerospace grade” aluminum that does a fine job of matching the shade of the iPad’s housing; however, it’s not brushed like that of the iPad and lacks the iPad’s silkiness. The seam running around the underside of the keyboard is noticeably wider at the corners than along the edges—a machining flaw that would be insignificant if Brydge hadn’t invited comparisons to Apple manufacturing. Four rubber feet underneath the Brydge+ prevent slipping and two identical rubber bumpers suspend the screen safely above the keyboard, but I’m led to question the durability of the feet by the fact that spares are sold in a “Rescue Pack” on the Brydge site.

The form, the function

The Brydge+ uses friction to physicallyconnect to the iPad and Bluetooth® to pair wirelessly. Two rubber shims stick into each hinge and cradle the tablet snugly in place. Each Brydge comes with two sets of shims for the two supported form factors, aswell as a warning against using incompatible shims. Once I connected my test iPad—an iPad 2—to the Brydge+, I gave it a few good shakes and dangled it upside down. The keyboard stayed securely in place. When attached to a Brydge keyboard, the iPad can be tilted nearly 180°, offering plenty of viewing options. The snugness of the connection and the wide range of viewing angles allowed the iPad to reach its true potential as Netflix-in-bed delivery method.

Except for a cramped left shift key, the keyboard itself is comfortably laid out. I was able to type within a few words of my average laptop words-per-minute after a few minutes familiarizing myself with the Brydge+. The keys did feel stiffer than I would like and I noticed occasional letter-dropping when I didn’t apply a significant amount of pressure when typing.

Brydge touts the built-in speakers as “a huge improvement over the limited iPad speaker,” but it’s difficult not to feel that the speakers were added as a mere margin-boosting upsell feature. The current $10 price difference between the speaker and speakerless models indicates either a lack of demand for the speaker-toting version or very inexpensive speaker components, or both. The Brydge+ speakers were marginally louder than the iPad’s, but also treble-heavy and grating.

The Competition

There is a slew of other iPad keyboards available. The Clamcase Pro provides a similar laptop-like experience and also prescribes to a machined aluminum aesthetic. Unlike Brydge, the Clamcase protects the iPad housing with an outer shell, but such protection does come with additional bulk. At 1.7 pounds, the Clamcase is about six ounces heavier than the Brydge+. Other popular cases, Zagg’s Zaggfolio and Logitech’s Ultrathin Keyboard Cover are thinner, lighter keyboard options; however, they each have only one viewing angle and both look very much like a third party accessories.

The Final Word

All told, the Brydge+ is not spectacular. Brydge takes cues from Apple’s aesthetic, ease of use, and, unfortunately, over-pricing. The result is a tolerable, if expensive, product that doesn’t quite live up to Apple standards. If Apple wanted into the convertible game (yet) and created an iPad keyboard dock of its own, I’d guess that the Brydge would turn into something like a high quality knockoff. That said, if you’re shopping for a keyboard, it’s lighter than the Clamcase, and offers more viewing angles than other competitors.

Despite its shortcomings, if mobile applications cover your productivity needs, the Brydge+ just might be the pieces of hardware you need to wean you off a traditional computer and de-clutter your desk. Joined to an iPad, Brydge+ does resemble a full-fledged MacBook Air. In fact, while reviewing the Brydge, someone approached me to ask “What is that crazy*** laptop?”

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The post Review: Brydge+ iPad Laptop + Built-in Stereo Speakers Alyssa Voorhis appeared first on Gazelle The Horn.

We’re starting to treat our smartphones and tablets the same way. We trade in older devices and use the money to offset the cost of the new one.

Gazelle was the first company to see the value and the need for a comprehensive gadget trade-in service as smartphones started to hit critical mass. Over the past few years, Gazelle has accepted nearly 2 million devices. In the process, we have gained enough experience, knowledge, and data to launch the Orange Book, a guide to help consumers predict the future trade-in value of their devices before they even purchase them.

In our first edition, relying on historical market trends, we reveal when to trade-in your phone as well as what brands retain their value over time. Here are some tidbits: You might be surprised to learn that buying a phone with more memory for photos and videos doesn’t actually help its resale value. And, we dispel the myth that broken phones are worthless.

Time is money

As sleek and special as today’s phones have become, they are not fine wine or art. They lose value as they age. By leaving a handful of phones in a desk drawer as “backups” you leave money on the table. You wouldn’t keep your old car as a backup when you get a new one, so trade in your phone as soon as possible to earn back the most cash. Much like cars, phones are worth less as new models are introduced and the older models age.

So, which brands depreciate the fastest?

Brand name matters

According to Gazelle’s historical data, iPhones tend to hold their value longer than most other smartphones, with Samsung Galaxy phones coming in a close second. Both Apple and Samsung beat other manufacturers by a large margin because of strong global demand. Let’s take a look at how other brands stack up against them.

As seen in the chart above, even after a new iPhone has been out for a full year, it still retains almost 40% (or more than $240) of its retail value. That figure drops to 24% ($156) after two years, when most people are eligible for an upgrade. That means if you bought the iPhone 5 when it came out in September 2012, you could still earn a significant amount of money this fall when the highly anticipated iPhone 6 is expected to be released.

Samsung Galaxy phones retain their value similar to iPhone. After one year, a Galaxy is worth almost 30% (or about $160) of its original retail price and almost 20% (or about $100) after two years. So Galaxy owners can expect to receive about $100 after two years when their carrier contracts have expired and a new model comes out.

While HTC phones are the third best in terms of holding value, there is a tremendous drop-off between a Samsung Galaxy and HTC. On average, HTCs retain just 20% of their initial retail price after the first year, followed by Blackberry (16%) and Motorola (13%). But all three manufacturers retain only 3-6% of the phone’s initial value after two years, far less than the average 24% for iPhones and 19% for Galaxy phones.

So, if trade-in value is a priority, iPhones and Galaxy phones should be at the top of your list, especially if you plan to upgrade consistently.

When $200 is really only worth $70

Brand is not the only factor that impacts value retention. An iPhone’s base memory capacity is 16GB or you can pay an additional $100 for 32GB of capacity, or $200 for 64GB. But think carefully before you buy that extra storage.

According to our historical data (see chart below), the $200 you spend for 64GB of capacity is worth only about $70 of trade-in value the moment you leave the store. After one year, the extra capacity is worth less than 5% of its initial cost on the trade-in market. That’s about $9 of the original $200 paid for those 64 gigabytes, and it drops to $6 after two years.

*Apple frequently introduces lower priced, 8GB versions a year later. Those models are excluded from this analysis.

Buying additional storage may make sense if your playlists read like novels or you are a shutterbug who takes (and keeps) a ton of pictures and video. But given the low rate of return on capacity, consider online storage (“the cloud”) rather than paying for an asset that will diminish sharply in value immediately. The dollars you invest in gigabytes will, in fact, look like pocket change when you trade your phone in.

Take care of your asset

Obviously, a phone that looks brand new is going to be worth more than one that has taken a bath in the washing machine. But you may be surprised that even broken phones have value.

So, what kind of damage does breaking your phone do to your wallet and what is it worth to get a really protective—if unattractive—case to help keep it safe?

When it comes to phone cases, in the battle between fashion and function, function always wins. Despite an initial investment of $20-60, a quality case is a wise purchase when it comes trade-in time.

According to our data (chart below), a Galaxy or iPhone is only worth about 16% of its retail price, or less than $100, if it’s broken when traded in after just six months on the market. That value drops to 11% of its original value if broken by its one-year anniversary.

Before the phone is two years old, that smashed screen has cut your phone’s value down to only 8% of its initial retail cost. Compare that figure with 24% of retail value for a two-year-old iPhone in good condition and 19% for a Galaxy. You could lose as much as $100 by breaking your two-year-old phone. But don’t forget, your broken phone is not worthless it’s just worth a lot less.

A case is a worthy investment, even if it makes your phone look like it’s wearing the technology equivalent of a bicycle helmet. It can save you a headache down the road.

Bottom line

Always consider what is most important to you when purchasing a new phone or taking care of your current device. But if you want to maximize the value of your next phone purchase, remember that brand has a tremendous impact on a phone’s trade-in value. Our historical data indicates that Apple and Samsung currently lead the pack. Keep in mind that more storage capacity does not correlate with greater trade-in value. And remember, once you purchase your phone, treat it gently. Breaking your phone will significantly decrease its trade-in value — but you can still recoup some cash for that destroyed device.

Ultimately, when buying a phone, it comes down to personal preference, needs, and priorities. However, with a greater understanding of maximizing trade-in-value, we aim to help you make an informed decision. No matter which phone you choose and when, remember that your old device holds some value and should never wind up in a drawer….Or worse, the trash (see Gazelle’s recycling policy).

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The post Insider Secrets for Getting the Most Bang for your Smartphone Buck: The Gazelle Orange Book Alyssa Voorhis appeared first on Gazelle The Horn.