IPHONE 6S AND 6S PLUS HANDS ON With 3D Touch, Apple adds new depth to the iPhone 6S

This year’s new iPhones may look identical to the last (unless you buy one in Rose Gold), but Apple tucked some big upgrades under the screen. Or more importantly, in the screen, which can now detect pressure from your finger, opening the door to all sorts of new iOS navigation tricks. Apple also installed some major camera upgrades, and of course, a faster processor. 

3D Touch adds depth to iOS

There are a lot of small new features in the newly introduced iOS 9, and we’ve detailed them all here, but the major new feature you need to know about is 3D Touch. Much like Force Touch for the Apple Watch, this lets you press on the screen a little harder to perform new types of interactions. In typical Apple fashion, it has narrowed down two main operations, and it calls them Peek and Pop.

• Peek: If you lightly press down on a photo in your gallery, a link in iMessage, or any number of other items, you get a popup preview window allowing you to “peek” at the page ahead.
• Pop: Once you’re Peeking at an item, if you press a little harder, you’ll feel a vibration and then the next page will “pop” in.

Both of these interactions feel natural enough that they shouldn’t cause any trouble, though they do make iOS more complicated; adding functionality seen on Android phones with Press-and-Hold actions and the old Menu button (now extinct). Not everything follows a Peek-and-Pop model, though. You can 3D Touch icons on the home screen, and menus will pop out of them, much like right-clicking an item with a computer mouse.

If misused, 3D Touch could overcomplicate iOS. We hope Apple will keep developers reigned in. So far, it seems like a very useful, fun feature.

Live Photos and more megapixels

Existing right alongside 3D Touch is Live Photos. Now, when you take pictures on the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, the camera app will automatically record about 1.5 seconds before and after you take a photo. If you 3D press on a pic, it animates in front of your eyes, like something straight out of Harry Potter.

HTC pioneered features like this with Zoe, but it does add a nice lively touch to photos. The mini videos supposedly don’t take up much space, or so Apple says, and are only visible to those who look at the pics on an iOS device or Mac. If you’re not looking at your photos on an Apple product, you’ll just see the normal .jpg photos.

The cameras on the iPhone 6S also got an upgrade this year. The rear camera is 12 megapixels, allowing it to record 4K video, and the front got a necessary bump to 5 megapixels.

More power, crappy storage

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus looked nice, but they didn’t rock the boat when it came to processing power. That’s changing in 2015. The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are powered by Apple’s new A9 chip, which is a 2GHz dual-core 64-bit ARM processor. We don’t yet know the RAM, but we’re hopeful it has seen an increase as well. Apple claims this new processor is nearly twice as powerful as the chip in the iPhone 6.

Sadly, for the third straight year and fourth iPhone, Apple has stuck with 16GB as the base amount of memory for iPhone. Selling a 16GB phone is almost cruel in 2015. You will quickly fill it with photos and apps, which take up more storage space all the time. And since Apple’s updates require several gigabytes of free space to install, you likely won’t be able to keep your phone up to date after a year or so. Spend an extra $100 and get the 64GB model.

iPhone 6S Plus owners will also get a bonus of having sapphire crystal enhanced glass and optical image stabilization in their camera. Battery sizes have not changed, and weren’t mentioned during the keynote.

Conclusion

We know what we’re getting this year. The hardware of the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus is the same as last year. The big change is in the software, camera, and processing power. So far, we don’t think anyone with an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus should run out to buy the new models. Here’s why: the camera improvements appear to be fantastic, but the iPhone 6 camera was already pretty great, and should tide you over for another year.

As for 3D Touch, it will take at least a few months before a majority of apps support this new feature. In a year, it will be robust and useful, just in time for the iPhone 7, which will likely also come with a new hardware design.

On the other hand, if you’re still on an older Android phone or iPhone 5S, these appear to be a great upgrade. And if you want to get noticed, buy it in Rose Gold — the new color.

You can pre-order the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus starting at 12:01 a.m. PT on Sept. 12. They hit shelves on Sept. 25. They appear to be the same prices as before, starting at $650. You can compare all current iPhone models here.

Highs

• More powerful than iPhone 6
• 3D Touch adds a new layer to iOS 9
• Rear camera upgrade from 8MP to 12MP
• Selfie camera upgrade from 2MP to 5MP
• Rose Gold color looks splendid

Lows

• 16GB base model is insufficient memory
• No meaningful battery life upgrades
• Same design as iPhone 6 / 6 Plus
• No OIS on smaller iPhone 6S
• No sapphire on smaller iPhone 6S

APPLE OFFERS TO FIX DEFECTIVE DEVICES FOR FREE (iPHONE6 plus)

Apple said on thursday, it’s found that a “small percentage” of its iPhone 6 Plus devices have an issue with the rear camera that could result in “blurry” images. Devices with the fault were sold between September 2014 and January 2015, the company confirmed.

Though there are no details on the exact nature of the defect, it seems it may have something to do with the Plus’s optical image stabilization capability, a feature absent from the smaller iPhone 6.

Apple says that anyone with an affected phone can have the camera unit replaced free of charge.

So, how do you know if your handset has the issue? Well, an abundance of blurry images should offer a big clue, though there’s also a surefire way to find out.

Simply visit this page on Apple’s website and enter your phone’s serial number in the eligibility box. You can find the serial number either by going to Settings/General/About on your phone, checking the packaging that came with the handset, or by connecting the device to iTunes and viewing the phone’s summary tab. If you still can’t find it, you’ll find detailed instructions here.

Once you have the serial number, enter it in the eligibility box and hit the submit button.

If your phone’s in need of repair, you’ll be told to take it to your nearest Apple Store or authorized Apple service provider, or to call Apple support for further guidance.

The company notes that carriers are not participating in the scheme, and advises affected users to back up their phone’s data before taking it for repair. In addition, it says that any additional issues, such as a cracked display, will have to be fixed before the phone’s camera can be replaced.

RALPH LAUREN'S NEW SMART POLO SHIRTS COMBINE FASHION AND TECHNOLOGY

High-tech, meet high fashion. With Ralph Lauren’s introduction of its new “smart” PoloTech shirt, high-tech fashion is now synonymous with high-fashion technology. For a cool $295, you can be a proud owner of one of these luxury items, made all the more impressive by their next generation material (or, if you’re a purist, their name brand design). With the silver fibers that have become a mainstay in smart clothing, included in radiation protecting underwear. Ralph Lauren’s PoloTech shirt tells you how to work out, and records information about your exercise routine so that you look as good out of the shirt as you do in it.

The PoloTech, first debuted at the 2014 U.S. Open, was initially worn by ball boys and American tennis player Marcos Giron to test the technology’s effectiveness. It marked the first time a major fashion label had delved into the realm of smart clothing — previously, only accessories had been breached by designers of a similar caliber, like the Tory Burch-designed FitBit. David Lauren, the Ralph Lauren’s executive vice president of global advertising, marketing and corporate communications noted that their latest release appears as “the first major luxury fashion brand to come to market” with such a technologically advanced piece of clothing.

Related: Protect your fertility with Wireless Armour, the new smart underwear for men

Thanks to the silver fibers and a tiny “black box” sensor that attaches into the shirt close to the wearer’s rib cage, the “second-skin” PoloTech expertly tracks health metrics like steps taken, heart rate, breathing rate and depth, and energy expenditures. This data is then transferred to a Ralph Lauren iOS app — sorry Android users, no fun for you. Still, the PoloTech shirt believes that it and its app set themselves apart by not only aggregating information, but then going a step further and providing the user with advice on how to improve workouts.

  

While the PoloTech will only be available for men when it launches on August 27, the company is also looking toward a women’s version, and expanding its line of smart wear to include other types of clothing — maybe even a smart suit. Of course, given the price point of the shirt alone, you’ll have to be prepared to shell out some major change for this personalized workout device, but just think of it this way — at $295, it’s still $55         cheaper than the Apple Watch.

VIVO X5 MAX

 We haven't had a chance to fully test this product yet, but we've assembled this helpful overview of relevant information on it.

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The Vivo X5 Max launched this past December in China and has the distinguishing characteristic of being the world’s thinnest smartphone. The X5 Max is only .19 inches thick, or 475 mm, with a 5.5″ Super AMOLED 1080p display. The X5 Max runs the Android based Funtouch OS 2.0. Internally, the X5 MAx features a Snapdragon 615 processor, an adreno 405 GPU, 2 Gb of ram, and 16 GB of storage space with microSD support up to 128 GB. The phone features a 13MP rear camera with 1080p recording at 30fps and a 5MP front facing camera.

Key Features:

• Worlds thinnest smartphone
• Funtouch OS 2.0
• 13Mp camera
• 5.5″ AMOLED display

SPECIFICATIONS:

Design

Thickness	0.19 in
Height	6.06 in
Width	3.07 in
Color	White

Display

Screen size	5.5 in
Resolution	1,920 x
Display technology	AMOLED
PPI	401

Connectivity

4G (LTE)	Yes
Bluetooth version	4.0
Wi-Fi compatibility	802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile hotspot	Yes

Processor

Manufacturer      Qualcomm
Model                 Snapdragon 615
Speed                1.7GHz
Cores                 4

Graphics

Manufacturer     Adreno

Model                405

Storage

Internal	16 GB
External	Yes
Type	microSD
Maximum external storage         128GB
MicroSD  support                        Yes

Ports

Headphone jack          3.5mm

Battery

Capacity                      2,000mAh

Type                            Lithium ion

Release Information:

• Available now in China
• $485

                          

TOYOTA'S HYDROGEN-POWERED MIRAI EXPOSES THE PROMISE AND PITFALLS OF FUEL CELLS

Toyota Mirai,  the first hydrogen fuel-cell car that will actually be sold to customers — earlier hydrogen vehicles were only leased to customers for short periods. It was an exciting moment, after all, it’s not often you get a chance to get a glimpse into the future. Since then we have had the chance to learn a lot more about hydrogen fuel cells and their technological promise, and also their pitfalls, such as the cost – both financial and potentially environmental, of hydrogen production.

So it was with a somewhat jaded mindset that we came back for our second bite of the Mirai. Even so, getting behind the wheel and talking to members of Toyota’s team was an important reminder of just what hydrogen has to offer the automotive world.

The Mirai

Beneath its angry-looking face and sharply contoured body, the Mirai is essentially a restyled Toyota Avalon. Inside, you’ll find some fancy spaceship-like controls, and a silly “gear” lever, but there are plenty of familiar sights too, like Entune infotainment and the same steering wheel you might find in any Toyota sedan. The contrast is conveniently symbolic of the whole Mirai experience: It may be at the forefront of technological development, but what it excels at most is simply being a car.

Since the hydrogen tanks and fuel cell stack have been placed low in the vehicle, the Mirai also has a much lower center of gravity and better weight distribution than most gas-powered cars. The result is a car that can punch above its 4,078-pound curb weight, and doesn’t represent any kind of sacrifice when compared to a gas-powered family car. In fact, just about the only missing element in the Mirai is a third rear seat.

Where it fits

This is the point where if I were writing about an electric car, I would have to bring up the inevitable caveats, like price, or range, or practicality. But the Toyota Mirai shows how hydrogen can be different.

According to the specs released by Toyota, the Mirai’s hydrogen tanks can be fully fueled in under five minutes and deliver a range of around 300 miles. If those stats sound familiar, it’s because they are essentially the same as any normal gasoline-powered car.

Customers don’t need to worry about running out of battery within sniffing distance of a suburban Ikea. Owning a hydrogen car isn’t that big of an adjustment.

There are even some practical side benefits. The Mirai will be offered with precisely one option when it goes on sale: a power take-off unit. This shoebox sized transformer allows for 220-volt power to be drawn off the car. 

The energy drawn off in this way is enough to run the average family home for up to a week, or something smaller like power tools for considerably longer. This not only has direct uses, like luxury outdoor adventures, but also could prove to be a supplement to home solar or wind power. Especially when you consider that, home hydrogen generation is already in the wings.

But wait,

As some of the critics reading this will no doubt want to point out at this point, hydrogen is hardly a flawless technology.

To begin with there is the infrastructure. When the Mirai goes on sale in late 2015, it will be available only in California, where there will be less than 20 fully operational hydrogen filling stations. This is a paltry number, but it represents by far the largest concentration of such stations in the country. This means that despite the Mirai’s range, it will still be hobbled.

Toyota is undaunted by this, and while a representative told me that the company “wants to be in the mobility, not the fueling business” it will be working to expand the number of stations in California and with partners to build a network in the northeastern United States.

This process will be expensive and difficult, as these stations require strong tanks and machinery capable of pumping hydrogen at an outrageous 10,000 psi, or greater. However, there is one advantage not immediately obvious. 

Hydrogen and similar gases are already extensively used in industrial processes, and the network for shipping them is more robust than it may initially seem.

The real concern is whether this development is worth it. The main argument for hydrogen is that the fuel is renewable and can generate electricity with only water as a byproduct. That is all true, but producing hydrogen may not be all that green.

The current method for producing industrial hydrogen is steam reformation, a process by which natural gas is broken down to produce both pure hydrogen and methane and carbon dioxide, both greenhouse gases. Some estimates say that this process from production to use in vehicles is still about 50 percent more efficient than gas vehicles, while others including a former 

Department of Energy employee Joseph Romm say that it is actually worse.

Toyota of course says that the lower number is more accurate, but even if the number skews worse, there is still cause for hope. Each Toyota Mirai produced today will live on for more than a decade. During that time, more advanced and greener methods of producing hydrogen are likely to be developed, meaning that the Mirai will actually get to be more efficient as it goes.

Gas vehicles, even very efficient ones will only ever be as efficient as they are when they are designed. Battery-powered vehicles will be able to take advantage of improvements in the power grid,  the production of batteries is environmentally costly, and shows no immediate signs of improving.

The takeaway

The Toyota Mirai is most of all a reminder of why hydrogen technology is so exciting. It offers a direct one-to-one replacement for internal combustion in a way that electric cars do not. The Mirai may be a first step, but from a driver’s perspective it is already nearly indistinguishable from a gas-powered car.

The technology that gets hydrogen to the few filling stations may or may not pan out, and electric cars may completely eclipse all alternatives before competing technology can be developed; but that doesn’t mean we should be ignoring a glimpse at the future.

THE 6 BEST IPHONE6 EXTENDED BATTERY CASES TO KEEP THE POWER FLOWING

It’s always frustrating when your iPhone runs out of juice and there’s no charger or outlet nearby. If you find your iPhone 6 simply isn’t keeping up with you, why not consider snagging yourself one of the best battery cases on the market? We’ve got a range of different options for you to consider right here.

Incipio Qi Ghost Wireless Charging Battery Case ($100)

Our top pick is the Incipio Ghost. The smart thing about this case is that it supports Qi wireless charging. That means you can place it on any Qi wireless charging pad and the case will charge up – no plugging in required. It also supports Incipio’s offGrid dock, which is another wireless charging solution, and you can use a standard micro USB cable, which is included, along with a headphone extender. You can almost double your iPhone 6 battery life, thanks to the high capacity 2,100mAh battery. It looks good, and has a slim, one-piece design with a brushed aluminum finish on the back. There’s a circular, silver power button that will light up the four white LEDs to give you an idea of remaining power. If you’ve been looking for a battery case and like the idea of wireless charging – this is the one for you. 

Lenmar Maven Undead Power Battery Case ($90)

This slim and stylish battery case is a two-piece affair, which makes it easy to slide your iPhone 6 into place. It has a 3,000mAh battery inside which should fully charge the iPhone and still have a little left over in reserve. There are generous cut-outs for the camera and controls, a lip to protect the screen, and a port to redirect speaker audio to the front. The case has a soft touch, matte black finish, making it very comfortable to hold. If you want something brighter, it also comes in get blue, red, or silver versions. The only real detail on the minimalist body is the rear-mounted power button, which includes an LED to show remaining power. It’s fast to charge up thanks to a 2A input, and there is a microUSB cable and a headphone extender in the box. A desirable case.

Anker Ultra Slim Extended Battery Case ($40) 

Anker is a popular brand for portable batteries, so we’re not surprised to find that the iPhone 6 battery case it offers is good. It’s not the most stylish or full-featured offering, but where this case really stands out is the low price, and its capacity. The large 2,850mAh capacity more than doubles your iPhone’s battery life, and there are four LEDs on the back to indicate the internal battery’s remaining power. It’s not a problem to fit or remove the case, due to its two-piece design, plus it’s slim — a rarity in the world of extended battery cases. The matte finish is plain, but it does have a pleasing soft touch feel. Inside the box is a headphone extender and a short micro USB cable. 

Tylt Energi Sliding Power Case ($80)

This Tylt power case has a 3,200mAh battery inside, which is going to offer a good bit more than double your usual iPhone 6 battery life. The unique selling point here is the two piece design – there’s a thin shell for your iPhone 6, like a minimalist case, and it slides into the “Power Sleeve”. That means you can discard the battery portion when it’s out of charge and still have some protection for your phone. The four LED array on the back indicates remaining power. The downside with this case is that it is big and bulky with the Power Sleeve on. It also doesn’t ship with a headphone extender, but you’re going to need one. There is a micro USB cable included.

Mophie Juice Pack Ultra Case ($150)

There are a few reasons to look carefully at the Mophie Juice Pack Ultra. This battery case has a large capacity of 3,950mAh, so you’re looking at 150% extra life for your iPhone 6. It’s relatively slim considering the size of that battery, and it’s also protective, so you won’t have to worry about bumps and falls. You’ll find four LEDs on the back to show remaining power, but there’s also a switch so you can decide when to charge and when to save juice for later. Like most of the cases here, you can charge and sync your iPhone with the case on. It comes with a headphone extender and a micro USB cable.

Uno DX Charging Case ($70)

The Uno DX has a big, 3,000mAh battery, so you can add around 125% extra life to your iPhone 6 once its own battery has expired. It’s another two-piece sliding design which makes it easy to fit, plus there’s a power button and a three color LED array on the back, so you know how much juice is left. In addition to a handy headphone extender and micro USB cable in the box, Uno also supplies a screen protector. It’s a bit bulky and plain-looking, but it delivers plenty of extra juice and it will do a solid job of protecting your phone from damage.