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iPadOS: Everything You Need to Know

Apple has made some distinct changes to its mobile operating system by introducing a separate OS for the iPads: iPadOS. Although the basic foundation for iOS and iPadOS is nearly the same, iPadOS distinguishes the tablet experience from the iPhone experience by adding some new features and redesigning the user interface to better suit the bigger screen on the iPads. Here are some of the major features that are unique to iPadOS. We’ve also compared these features between both iOS and iPadOS. iPadOS Home Screen On iPadOS, you’ll find a redesigned home screen in which… Read more

How Does the Apple Credit Card Work?

Apple is getting into the financial services game with its new Apple credit card. Insider sources say they added a port just so they could take it away again, in keeping with Apple’s time-tested design philosophy. Okay, I’m just kidding about the port, but they did remove everything except the user’s name from the physical titanium card, opting instead to store all sensitive info in the Apple Pay app. Classic Apple. The rest of the card’s features also feel a lot like what you would expect from an Apple financial product: simple, private, secure, user-friendly, and only available to iPhone users. It’s another step by… Read more

Why did Apple’s AirPower fail?


ARTICLE – In 2017, Apple made a rather astonishing and equally exciting announcement during the iPhoneX/8 launch event. It would be bringing an innovative Qi-enabled wireless charger to market called AirPower.

Wireless chargers were nothing new at the time — they’re certainly rampant now — but the AirPower stood out because it could simultaneously charge several devices. Purportedly, it would be able to charge one of the newer iPhone models, an Apple Watch and the company’s second-generation AirPods all at once.

Another reason the Apple-branded charger was significant is that most third-party chargers require a special adapter or configuration to work with Apple devices. With the AirPower, one could simply place their devices on the pad.

However, on March 29, 2019, Apple officially announced its plans to cancel the product. It’s no longer coming, ever, and that’s a huge bummer. The company says it’s because it could not deliver the quality of products it is known for. Then again, that is changing — considering more recent developments about the longevity of Apple AirPods and misconceptions about the company’s planned obsolescence with its smartphones.

What Really Happened to the AirPower Charging Pad?

It’s unlikely we’ll ever know the full story behind AirPower, but it must be long and convoluted considering how much time transpired before Apple canceled the project. It was originally announced in September 2017 and meant for release in early 2018, yet the company didn’t cancel it until March of this year. More importantly, during that entire time, product demonstrations, updates and information were almost nonexistent.

Apple’s official statement is not very telling, either. “After much effort, we’ve concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards and we have canceled the project. We apologize to those customers who were looking forward to this launch. We continue to believe that the future is wireless and are committed to push the wireless experience forward,” said Dan Riccio, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering.

Some reports have suggested that overheating was a major concern, which does happen with powerful chargers of this caliber. Another possibility is that because the charger had to accommodate so many devices, it required more coils and that meant RF exposures would be too high — unable to stay below FCC limits.

Whatever the case, this is a pretty embarrassing event for everyone at Apple headquarters. Mistakes and errors happen, of course, but it’s the fanfare with which the charger was announced that is so questionable. The company went so far as to include references on other products — the second-gen Apple AirPods were delayed and even teased the AirPower on its packaging — and also promote the new product on its official site.

This does bring up one important question: How early should Apple be announcing products?

Sometimes, it is beneficial to know a new product is on the way, as this can prevent people from upgrading to an older or obsolete model shortly before launch. With things like AirPower, however, announcing too early causes confusion and embarrassment. It could have avoided this simply by not talking about the product until it was ready for distribution.

However, when you have a tech giant like Apple constantly pushing the envelope, these things are bound to happen eventually. The AirPower was not the only problematic launch for Apple, and it won’t be the last.

What’s Next?

Undoubtedly, this is an opportunity for Apple to reflect on the future development of its products and the company’s engineering process. It may be a little more conservative about announcing products early — at least, one can only hope.

The worst-case scenario is that rampant errors and failed launches become a normal occurrence, but it’s still way too early to say whether or not that’s a possibility. It’s more likely this is a rare event, and the company will continue to launch successful, innovative products its customers enjoy.

Photo by Ben Kolde

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Why did Apple’s AirPower fail? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 12, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

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Apple’s Macbook Keyboard Issues – Which Models Are Affected?

Apple’s new “Butterfly” mechanism keyboard has been the subject of constant criticism since it was released back in 2015. The butterfly mechanism keyboard replaced the traditional scissor-key-mechanism-based keyboard, by replacing actual hard-clicking keys with butterfly-shaped hinges beneath the new keys, which leads to each key moving less distance when pressed. The keyboard is nowhere as good as it sounds, with it being plagued by constant noise and dust entrapment issues since it was released. Apple initially launched a Keyboard Service Program for Macbook and Macbook Pro that offers a free repair for Mac devices made between 2015 and 2017 that have keyboards with letters… Read more

Apple Airpad cancelled, Nomad offers alternative

NEWS – Apple has just announced that they are putting the final nail in the AirPad coffin. (Photo credit for above shot goes to The Verge.) Matthew Panzarino at TechCrunch has the dirty details: “After a delay of over a year since it was first announced in September of 2017, the AirPower charging mat has become something of a focal point for Apple’s recent habit of announcing envelope tickling products and not actually shipping them on time.” Sometimes, Physics wins over engineering hubris. So it goes.

So, what shall we do, if we want a single device that can handle the terrific trio of charging (iPhone, Apple Watch, and wireless AirPods)? Our friends at Nomad have an answer. Their Nomad Base Station Apple Watch Edition has three Qi-certified charging coils across the charging pad. (The photo below is a promo shot from Nomad’s product listing.) The pad itself can charge two iPhones or an iPhone and AirPods in a wireless Charging Case at the same time thanks to 7.5 watts of power across those coils, according to an iMore review.

Did you, like me, rush to buy the wireless AirPods, thinking that the AirPad was just over the horizon? Are you going to use a different wireless solution, or take advantage of Apple’s 14 day return policy and fall back to a wired charging pair and spend the extra $50 on a nice steak dinner? Let’s discuss the Nomad solution and any others in the comments. Maybe we can get some of these solutions into the hands of willing Gadgeteers to test and review.

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Apple Airpad cancelled, Nomad offers alternative originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 31, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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