More than 2.6 billion personal records have been compromised in data breaches in the last two years – and it’s only getting worse – but it does emphasise the need for end-to-end encryption in the cloud.

Apple published an independent study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Stuart Mednick which showed data breaches have tripled in the last 10 years.

In the last two years alone, more than 2.6 billion personal records have been exposed.

The way companies are addressing these threats is by employing end to end encryption.

More than 80 per cent of breaches in 2023 involved data stored in the cloud with attacks targeting cloud infrastructure doubling from 2021 to 2022.

Last year Apple launched advanced data protection for iCloud which uses end to end encryption and offers Apple’s highest level of cloud data security with the ability to further protect your important data even in the case of a data breach.

iCloud can provide protection for 14 sensitive data categories using end to end encryption for things like passwords in iCloud Keychain, health data and even protecting your notes and photos.

“Bad actors continue to pour enormous amounts of time and resources into finding more creative and effective ways to steal consumer data, and we won’t rest in our efforts to stop them,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.

“As threats to consumer data grow, we’ll keep finding ways to fight back on behalf of our users by adding even more powerful protections.”

The report shows a dramatic rise in data breaches since companies started digitising users personal information – and hackers are using more sophisticated methods to get around security that previously held them back.

Cyber criminals steal credentials or information that allows them to target employees or systems within the organisation.

And even when customers do the right thing to secure their sensitive data, the risk is still there from hackers if their information is stored in a readable form by the organisation they trusted with that information.

Recent examples of global data breaches included 23andMe – a genetic testing company which potentially exposed 300TB of user data in October 2023.

Global clothing brand Forever 21 was hacked in early 2023 and exposed personal and health insurance information of more than half a million current and former employees.

MGM Resorts, the global hospitality and entertainment company, was the victim of a ransomware attack in September 2023 which resulted in operational outages across its properties in the US, China and Japan.

In Australia there were two major data breaches – one against Latitude Financial and the other targeting health insurance provider Medibank.  Together this impacted more than 23 million people.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre says reports of cyber crime have increased by 23 per cent in the 2023 fiscal year alone.

Apple developed Lockdown Mode for anyone being targeted with extreme threats like mercenary spyware because of who they are or what they do.

Apple also has Advanced Data Protection for iCloud which can protect against these growing threats and keep most user data in iCloud protected even in the event of a data breach.

The number of ransomware attacks in the first three quarters of 2023 has increased by almost 70 per cent compared to the same period in 2022.

And Australia is in the top four countries being targeted for ransomware alongside the U S, the UK and Canada.

The post Data breaches expose 2.6 billion personal records and highlights the need for end-to-end encryption appeared first on Tech Guide.

Christmas is less than three weeks away and there’s still time to nail the perfect tech present with the help of the Tech Guide 2023 12 Days of Christmas Gift Guide.

Today we’re focusing on smartphones and smartphone accessories.

Be sure to come back and check out the different categories we’re covering over the full 12 days of the Christmas gift guide.

Day 1: Cameras

Day 2: Smartphones

Day 3: Wearables/smartwatches

Day 4: Headphones/speakers

DAY 5: Gaming

DAY 6: Tablets/e-readers

DAY 7: Drones/Gadgets

DAY 8: Smart/IoT devices

DAY 9: In-car gadgets

DAY 10: TVs/Blu-Ray/4K

DAY 11: Appliances

DAY 12: Computers

DAY 2: SMARTPHONES

IPHONE 15 (from $1,499) & IPHONE 15 PRO (from $1,849)

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have taken a significant step forward in terms of power, performance, features and design.

Apple has intelligently upgraded the most popular parts of the iPhone including the camera, the display and added several convenient new features to make using the device faster, easier and more enjoyable to use.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have the same screen sizes 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch and start at $1499 and $1849 respectively.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW HERE

GOOGLE PIXEL 8 ($1,199) & PIXEL 8 PRO ($1,699)

The Google Pixel 8 and Google Pixel 8 Pro are pure Google smartphones. They are taking Google’s hardware and the latest Tensor processor and running Google’s latest Android 14 operating system.

In doing this, Google has taken a move from the Apple playbook where, since 2007, the company has been offering an end-to-end experience with their own hardware and software.

Google has raised the bar even further with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro with intelligent improvements to the camera and a boost in performance.

READ OUR COMPLETE REVIEW HERE

SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP5 (from $1,649) AND GALAXY Z FOLD5 (from $2,599)

Samsung’s new fifth generation foldable smartphones – the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 – will inspire people to take their first bold step into the world of foldables.

Samsung, of course, has been leading the way in this growing category and these latest models represent years of development and improvement.

The Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 are both foldable smartphones but they are aimed at totally different customers.

What they do have in common is the same design language, eye-catching colours and surprising durability.

For a folding device – that’s quite an achievement.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW HERE

GOOGLE PIXEL 7A – $749

The Google Pixel 7a has won a lot of fans with its affordable price and impressive feature set that makes it more than just another Android smartphone.

The latest device from Google has a 6.1-inch FHD+ display running at up to 90Hz and is powered by Google’s very own Tensor G2 chip.

That’s the same chip you’ll find on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, so performance is up there with these more expensive devices.

On the camera side, it has a 64-megapixel main camera and 13-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 13-megapixel front camera.

And naturally the Pixel 7a is running Android 13 with all the trimmings.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW HERE

SAMSUNG GALAXY A54 – $649

Samsung’s Galaxy A54 5G is a mid-tier smartphone with the design, display and features that makes it feel like a flagship product.

No, Samsung isn’t trying to put itself out of business – the A54 5G is no Galaxy S23 but the mid-tier device can still hold its own.

It’s ideal for the customer who wants something better than an entry level smartphone but that doesn’t want to shell out thousands of dollars for the top of the line products.

You can describe Samsung’s A54 5G as the Goldilocks smartphone – not too cheap, not too expensive – it’s just right.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW HERE

OPPO FIND N2 FLIP – $1,499

Oppo has entered flagship territory with the release of its new Find N2 Flip foldable smartphone and it’s now rubbing shoulders with Samsung the world’s number one manufacturer.

The Oppo Find N2 Flip looks a lot like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 – but in many ways it is better.

Oppo has been working on this technology for the last four years.

The Oppo Find N2 Flip has a slick design with polished aluminium sides and a fingerprint-resistant glass cover.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW HERE

NOKIA G42 5G – $449

Give the gift of affordable repairability with the Nokia G42 5G. The Smartphone has 5G connectivity, 3-day battery life and a large 6.56p-inch HD screen. With the 50MP camera paired with the 5G capabilities, creating, and sharing memories this holiday season has never been quicker or easier. The Nokia G42 5G is also repairable by you.

Together with iFixit, Nokia has created a self-repairable phone where aspects like dead batteries, broken screens and bent charging cables can be fixed at home by the phone user, without voiding the warranty.

SAMSUNG GALAXY A05S – $249 (64GB) $299 (128GB)

Samsung has released an impressive new Galaxy A05s smartphone priced under $250 which offers a notable line-up of features and an upgraded camera system.

This new product demonstrates that customers don’t have to break the bank to buy a decent smartphone especially at a time like this with rising interest rates and cost of living pressures.

Parents might also see the device as an ideal first smartphone for their child.

The Galaxy A05s has a slick design with a 6.7-inch Infinity-U display with FHD+ resolution (1080 x 2400) and fast reactive 90Hz refresh rate to make viewing high definition content an even better experience.

FIND OUT MORE HERE

ASPERA MOBILE R10 – $299

Rugged and affordable are not usually two words that appear together to describe a smartphone but Aspera Mobile’s R10 certainly fits the bill.

Priced at $299 the Aspera Mobile R10 has an IP68 rating which means its built to handle water and dust.

And with its rugged formulated rubberised outer body design and larger corners to absorb impact, it can also handle a drop as well.

FIND OUT MORE HERE

SAMSUNG GALAXY SMARTTAG2 – $55 EACH or $169 FOR FOUR PACK

Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag 2 is a small device that allows users to track valuables and other important items through their Samsung smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2 is like Apple’s AirTag, but it only works with Samsung smartphones.

The Galaxy SmartTag2 has a ring-shaped design so they can easily add to keyrings and attached to bags and luggage.

It also has an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance which means you can track your valuables while travelling anywhere.

FIND OUT MORE HERE

ASUS ZENFONE 10 – from $1,499

The ASUS compact yet powerful Zenfone 10 has a 144Hz AMOLED 5.9-inch display yet, despite its smaller size, it offers a powerful performance thanks to the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform.

On the camera side, the Zenfone 10 now includes a 6-axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabiliser 2.0 which works with new algorithms to provide rock-steady videos.

Also under the hood is a new adaptive EIS (electronic image stabilisation system) plus OZO Audio-powered 3D surround sound recording capabilities.

FIND OUT MORE HERE

NOKIA XR21 – $799

The Nokia XR21 is designed to be virtually indestructible, with the phone being made up of 100 per cent recycled aluminium and being certified to MIL-STD-810H and IP69K standards.

This marketed durability has been tested and is dust-proof, water-resistant and can withstand drops of 1.8 metres. However, just because the phone is tough doesn’t mean you have to miss out on capturing life’s soft moments, the XR21 comes with a 16MP front camera and a 64MP main camera with 8MP ultrawide.

The internal 128GB of storage (with room to upgrade) means you can keep the memories you make in your back pocket to re-watch later.

FIND OUT MORE HERE

NOKIA 2660 FLIP – $129

The Nokia 2660 FLIP has a classic design and contains all the necessities of a phone and keeps you connected and contactable whilst also being present in the moment. The lightweight phone means you can connect with your surroundings without even realising you’re carrying the device.  Relive your younger years with access to classic mobile phone games like Snake, Tetris, Arrow Master, and Air Strike. Whilst also being able to listen to the radio with the build in wireless (or wired) FM radio

BOOST MOBILE REFURBISHED PHONES – From $259

Get your hands on big brands including Apple or Samsung, but at a fraction of their original prices as high quality refurbished smartphones continue to deliver great value including new models from various big brands like iPhone, iPads, Samsung, Google Pixel and more, Boost Mobile refurbished phones offer great savings on near new devices, a perfect gift-giving for all who are looking for an upgrade.

All refurbished phones sold through Boost Mobile go through a stringent 72 point check to ensure the device meets their high functional and cosmetic standards. Each refurb comes with a 12 month warranty and a 30 day satisfaction guarantee.

STM FOCUS iPHONE CASES – $69.95

The new Focus iPhone cases were specifically designed to promote mindfulness, improve focus and restore personal wellbeing. This game-changing collection (including the Relax, Reawaken, and Reveal cases) come with a variety of designs that incorporate tactile materials, serene colour palettes, and interactive features that encourage users to be in the moment.

Made from impact resistant, high-quality materials that are comfortable to the touch yet durable for everyday use, they not only look great but will make its recipient feel great.

STM MAG POD – $69.95

Simple, functional and user friendly, the MagPod (RRP $69.95) is the ideal elevated phone pad. Keeping devices safe from the chaos of work and life with its magnetic marvel disc atop of a pivoting socket, this collapsible mini tripod gives iPhones a neat and nifty parking spot.

The post Tech Guide’s 2023 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas – Day 2: Smartphones appeared first on Tech Guide.

The App Economy in Australia – the workforce creating and working on mobile apps – has grown by 61 per cent since 2017 according to a report from the Progressive Policy Institute.

Apple has also revealed the App Store Award winners – rewarding the best apps and games in 2023.

Australia is playing an important role in evolving the app economy with Australian apps among the best in the world including Sydney-based Canva, Tasmanian-based Savage Interactive – the company behind art app Procreate – and Melbourne-based fintech company AfterPay.

15 years ago, when Apple’s App Store kicked off on July 10, 2008, none of these jobs existed.

Today more than 182,000 people (as of August 2023) work in Australia’s App Economy – that’s 61 per cent more than the 113,000 from 2017.

And if you break things up based on operating systems, there are 174,000 employed in the iOS ecosystem – that’s an 81 per cent increase from the 96,000 from 2017.

There are also 166,000 jobs in the Android ecosystem which has grown 90 per cent since 87,000 in 2017.

Apple has also unveiled the list of winners for the 2023 App Store Award winners.

The 2023 winners include developers from all parts of the world.

Their apps were chosen by the App Store’s Editorial team for offering users meaningful experiences and inspiring cultural change.

“It’s inspiring to see the ways developers continue to build incredible apps and games that are redefining the world around us,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

“This year’s winners represent the limitless potential of developers to bring their visions to life, creating apps and games with remarkable ingenuity, exceptional quality and purpose-driven missions.”

THE 2023 APP STORE AWARD WINNERS

Apps

iPhone App of the Year: AllTrails, from AllTrails, Inc.

iPad App of the Year: Prêt-à-Makeup, from Prêt-à-Template.

Mac App of the Year: Photomator, from UAB Pixelmator Team.

Apple TV App of the Year: MUBI, from MUBI, Inc.

Apple Watch App of the Year: SmartGym, from Mateus Abras.

Games

iPhone Game of the Year: Honkai: Star Rail, from COGNOSPHERE PTE. LTD.

iPad Game of the Year: Lost in Play, from Snapbreak Games.

Mac Game of the Year: Lies of P, from NEOWIZ.

Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Hello Kitty Island Adventure, from Sunblink.

The post Apple names the best apps of 2023 as the app economy continues to grow appeared first on Tech Guide.

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s M3 processor under the hood is an absolute powerhouse that will change the working life of professional users.

I am typing this review on the Space Black 16-inch MacBook Pro which won’t go anywhere near testing the capabilities of this laptop but for creative professionals, coders, film makers and researchers who are dealing with high end applications and terabytes of data this is an absolute game changer.

The model we were loaned for review is running Apple’s M3 Max chip with 48GB unified memory (what we used to call RAM) and a 1TB SSD (solid state drive).

We received the new Space Black model which is stunning.

Apple says it was created with a new chemistry that forms an anodize seal to repel fingerprints.

In the time we’ve been using the MacBook Pro we’ve noticed there are less fingerprints and other marks, but it hasn’t eliminated them altogether.

But the good news is one easy wipe with a cloth and it’s back to looking brand new again.

To be fair, there is no way our workflow would bring the MacBook Pro with M3 Max above any sort of level that would raise a sweat.

But if your job is editing 4K and 8K videos, rendering 3D graphics, using Photoshop to edit huge images, going through mountains of data as a researcher or creating cutting edge games, then you are in the right ballpark.

We’ve been told that some tasks for professionals are so intensive they could only be performed on a desktop computer connected to power.

But what if I were to tell you the new MacBook Pro with M3 Max can allow you to perform those same tasks anywhere you want while running on battery power, that would really provide the type of freedom you wouldn’t have known before.

This flexibility alone makes the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max worth every penny.

And we’ll tell you up front, these laptops aren’t cheap but for the power, performance and flexibility they provide, to the appropriate user it is a “shut up and take my money” situation.

Our review model with the above specs is priced at $6,899.

What Apple has been able to achieve with its M3 family of silicon is groundbreaking.

The Holy Grail of computing is being able to provide high performance, tremendous capabilities and power efficiency. Apple has achieved this with M3.

The power and performance speak for themselves but it’s the power efficiency that everyone can truly appreciate.

We were already impressed by the capabilities of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max but what you get on top of that is an incredible 22 hours of battery life.

In our years of reviewing laptops we’ve never seen power and performance backed with such high power efficiency.

The M3 Max chip aboard our review unit has a 40-core GPU which means it can deliver up to 20 per cent faster graphics performance than M2 Max and 40 per cent faster than M1 Max.

It also includes a new feature called Dynamic Caching which is like a high tech traffic cop that intelligently designates what resources your applications and tasks require to maintain overall efficiency.

Also on board is hardware-accelerated rendering features Mesh Shading and Ray Tracing which not only allows film makers and game developers to create more realistic light and shadows in their projects but also makes those games on the MacBook Pro with M3 Max even more enjoyable to play.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max was able to offer noticeable performance improvements when using high end applications like Redshift, Affinity Photo and DaVinci Resolve Studio.

With redshift the new M3 Max MacBook Pro offered a 5.3x improvement for faster rendering when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9.

Image processing in Affinity Photo was also 3.6 times faster and noise reduction performance in Davinci Resolve Studio was 2.7 times faster.

These improvements can help improve a professional’s workflow and the sheer amount of work they’re able to get through in a single sitting.

Anything that can save you time while maintaining the same level of power and performance is well worth paying attention to – and that’s exactly what the M3 Max powered 16-inch MacBook Pro can provide.

The 16.2 inch liquid retina XDR display has a resolution of 3456 x 2234 which gives you a grand total of more than 7.7 million pixels.

The screen has up to 1600 nits of peak brightness thanks to more than 10,200 Mini LEDs which provide 2,554 local dimming zones.

So you not only get a great view of your work but when it’s time to relax and watch a movie you can enjoy the amazing picture quality which includes HDR, so you see amazing detail in the lighter and darker areas of the screen.

It also sounds great thanks to the six speaker sound system with four force-cancelling woofers and two tweeters which can create a three dimensional sound stage with Spatial Audio.

You can enjoy this sound quality whether you’re listening to music or watching a movie with Dolby Atmos.

On our travels, we used the 16-inch MacBook Pro as not only our work device but also to watch movies and the experience was remarkable.

We also used the MacBook Pro to cross for our Sky News technology segments while we were overseas and took advantage of the 1080p FaceTime HD camera which automatically optimises the quality so we were looking our best.

We were also able to connect over Wi-Fi 6E which can tap into that standard’s 6Ghz band to achieve even faster wi-fi speeds.

On the connectivity side, there are three Thunderbolt 4 ports – two on the left and one on the right along with the HDMI port which makes it easy to connect to TV or a HDMI display without an adapter and the SD card reader. It also has a 3.5mm headphone Jack.

The M3 Max MacBook Pro offers full native resolution on the included display and up to four external displays – up to three with 6K resolution over Thunderbolt and one external 4K display over HDMI.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is available now and starts at $5,999. The 14 inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is available for $5,599.

VERDICT

Apple has come up with a standout product in the 16 inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max. It has created the perfect mix of power, performance, software and power efficiency that will enable professional users to do so much more in less time anywhere they want. It has truly set an all-new standard.

The post Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max review – a gamechanger for professional users appeared first on Tech Guide.

Electronic ticketing systems have chosen PDF as the ideal format for issuing tickets, passes, and other documentation. The high security of this format guarantees the companies that produce them that users will not be able to fake them or make any changes.

That is why if you are going to take additional personal documents with you on a trip, it is also better to save them in PDF and protect them with a password from changes.

However, if you use an iPhone or Apple Watch and store your traveling and other documents in the Apple Wallet, adding PDFs may be a challenge. Apple Wallet demands .pkpass files, and your PDF tickets may be incompatible with it. Still, it is better to use an Apple Wallet for the storage of documents because it has a high level of security and ensures that unauthorized persons will not be able to open it, even if they get their hands on your iPhone or Apple Watch. Find out how to add PDF to Apple Wallet, so that when traveling, you can be completely confident in the safety of your documents and focus on enjoying new places.

Step-by-Step Guide for Adding Travel Documents

To save PDF to Apple Wallet, you will need one of the officially supported apps compatible with it. For example, this could be the free GetPassbook app from the App Store. Download and install this application and then proceed to implement the algorithm for how to add PDF to Apple Wallet:

1. Download a PDF document or PDF ticket to your device.
2. Open the GetPassbook app and upload the required PDF.
3. The application will immediately begin converting the PDF file into a format compatible with Apple Wallet.
4. The converted file can be easily added to the Wallet by clicking on the “Add to Wallet” button.

If you are interested in how to add PDF tickets to Apple Wallet from email, then the procedure will be the same. The only difference is that first, you will need to download the PDF file from the email to your device.

Benefits of Storing Travel PDFs in Apple Wallet

• Apple Wallet provides easy access to all documents for the owner but is also reliably protected from intruders.
• You won’t have to search for your documents in different folders, since they will be stored in one wallet.
• By adding your most important PDF documents to Apple Wallet, you won’t have to collect them every time you travel. They will always be kept in one certain place.

Tips for Organizing and Managing Travel Documents

• Sometimes, while traveling, you will need to change a PDF document on the go or, for example, fill out a PDF application form. This can be done easily using the Guru PDF web application, which works on all devices, including iPhones and iPads.
• Apple Wallet offers the ability to install two-factor authentication. Take this opportunity to ensure that all your personal information is securely protected.
• Periodically clear your Apple Wallet of tickets and documents that are no longer needed. This will make it easier to use the information that is truly relevant at the moment.

Enjoying a Stress-Free Travel Experience with Apple Wallet

If a person is not organized, their journey can be full of stressful situations. They may lose credit cards, forget tickets at a hotel, or stuff necessary documents at the very bottom of their suitcase. If you use Apple Wallet, it perfectly optimizes document management due to the fact that all credit cards, tickets, passes, and other information are stored in one place. Now that you know how to add a document to Apple Wallet, you can easily transfer the function of storing your documentation to this smart app and get rid of unnecessary hassle. Spend your travel time to enjoy life, and not to rummage through all the pockets of your bag in search of the right document!

The post Adding PDF to Apple Wallet: A Traveler’s Guide for Safe PDF Document Storage appeared first on Tech Guide.

Australian consumer electronics company Laser has unveiled and a new in-car touch screen display which allows drivers to enjoy the complete Apple CarPlay an Android Auto experience.

The Navigh8r 7-inch Portable Wireless Touchscreen is priced at $169 and brings Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto to vehicles which previously didn’t support these interfaces.

The device offers convenient and safe access to your smartphone while you’re driving including navigation and music streaming apps.

While more recent vehicles already support CarPlay and Android Auto, drivers with older vehicles and many second hand car buyers now have an easy plug and play way to access this latest technology to make their cars smarter and to improve the driving experience.

The Navigh8r 7-inch Portable Wireless Touchscreen is a snap to install and intuitively easy to use.

Drivers can even use their voice with Siri or Google Assistant to access features and issue commands and even send and receive messages.

The integrated apps include navigation apps like Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze and more along with music through Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon and many more.

On the messaging side users can access WhatsApp, text messages and easily make and receive calls and access their favourite podcasts.

“With road trip season just around the corner, and the rising demand around in-car smartphone integration, the role of portable options is becoming incredibly popular,” said Chris Lau, Managing Director of Laser Corporation and Head of the Navig8r brand.

“We see this as a handsfree extension of your phone, great for gifting and ideal to make any ‘dumb’ car a smart one.

“It also continues our ongoing commitment to deliver such a compelling option that is well under $200.”

Navig8r 7” Portable Wireless Touchscreen – Key Features:

 – Navigation – Whether the user prefers Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, or another mapping product, latest maps can be integrated with real time features just as would be seen on your smartphone. The user can issue voice instructions to get directions while driving.

– Music – stream, cast, or play favourite songs, playlists, and podcasts. Any app on the users smartphone such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and so on can be displayed on the touchscreen, and songs and actions undertaken with voice command.

– Messaging – touchless and by voice. Whether using WhatsApp, SMS, WeChat or other messaging platforms, the user can have messages read aloud, or simply speak aloud speech to be converted to text ready to send.

– Handsfree calling – Leave your phone in your pocket and dial numbers or contacts simply by talking. Use voice commands to check your calendar, play podcasts or engage in a team’s meeting.

– AirPlay and MiraCast – cast content from your phone (or tablet) onto the screen. Kids can watch streaming services from your phone on the screen when used in the backseat. While this feature might be restricted in cars with CarPlay built-in, the Navig8r Portable Wireless Touchscreen has multiple uses even out of the car thanks to its portability.

– Powered by USB – take it anywhere and keep it powered through any USB power source

– 7″ LCD screen with IPS – Using a high quality In-Plane-Switching LCD panel, the 7″ screen offers improved colour accuracy and consistency as well as a wider viewing angle.

– Bluetooth & Wi-Fi – Wireless connection from your smartphone means the phone can be left in the users pocket, handbag or backpack. Once connected, the pairing is saved so that next time the user gets into the car their phone is automatically re-connected.

– FM transmitter – with a choice of preset stations on the device, it can be simply tuned to FM radio to be enjoyed via the cars audio system or the device’s built-in speaker.

– Extendable Windscreen mount – offers a variety of installation options from close to the driver to a centrally located position. The extendable windscreen mount is adaptable for all windscreen types.

Add-On Accessory Available – Navig8r Reverse Camera – $29.95

Small enough to be mounted in the tightest of spaces, the Navig8r universal reversing camera is suited for any monitor device accepting a 3.5mm phono plug. Once installed, it offers the driver a clear view of what’s behind the car… night or day, rain or shine. The camera has HD 720p resolution and night vision and has an IP67 weatherproof rating.

Pricing and Availability:

The Navig8r 7” Portable Wireless Touchscreen is priced at $169 and is available now at Harvey Norman. The Navig8r Add-On Reverse Camera is priced at $29.95.

The post Laser’s new Navig8r Touchscreen brings Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto to your vehicle appeared first on Tech Guide.

Fetch TV has added Apple TV+ to its platform to expand the content offering for customers which brings free-to-air TV and premium channels together with the most popular streaming services.

Apple TV+ offers some of the most popular TV shows including Ted Lasso, Morning Wars, Silo, Foundation and Hijack along with award-winning films including Greyhound starring Tom Hanks, Palmer starring Justin Timberlake the Oscar Best Picture Coda.

Customers can subscribe to Apple TV+ through the Apple TV app for $12.99 a month after a free 7-day trial.

They can then log in to their Apple TV+ account on the Fetch Mighty and Fetch Mini 4K hardware.

The addition of Apple TV+ brings together free-to-air, free TV apps, subscription channels, a movie and TV store and streaming apps including Netflix, Stan, Prime Video, Paramount+, BritBox, hayu and more.

The feature like Ways to Watch makes it quick and easy find what you’re looking for no matter where the content is located.

For example, if you want to watch a movie – type in the name of the movie and Fetch will give you the option on where you can watch it – whether you can buy it or rent it on the Movie Store or watch it through one of the services you’ve subscribed to for free.

“Apple TV+ has quickly established itself as a market leading SVOD service with some of the most acclaimed and buzzworthy content available anywhere,” says Sam Hall, Chief Content and Commercial Officer, Fetch TV said.

“Fetch is committed to providing a compelling aggregation experience and no platform is complete without Apple TV+.

“We know Fetch users will be delighted with the addition, and we look forward to further solidifying our position as “The Way to Watch.”

Fetch TV is available through Telstra, Optus and TPG Vodafone (iiNet, Internode, and Westnet), Vocus (Dodo and iPrimus) and Aussie Broadband along with leading retailers Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, Bing Lee, and The Good Guys.

The Fetch Mighty is priced at $399 and the Fetch Mini 4K is $199 in stores and available through your internet service provider.

The post Apple TV+ now available on the Fetch TV platform appeared first on Tech Guide.

Apple had its streamed event to launch its M3 MacBook Pros and upgraded iMac yesterday but the tech giant did something it doesn’t normally do – it took us behind the scenes of the slick shoot where we discovered the whole thing was shot on the iPhone.

Apple’s events now consist of a brief in person introduction by CEO Tim Cook before they roll a high quality video to announce its new products and features.

The production value of all these videos are top shelf and yesterday’s “Scary Fast” event was no exception.

But what made it even more remarkable was that it was shot with the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max which enables new workflows through its USB-C ports.

https://www.youtube.com/live/ctkW3V0Mh-k?si=b8nHQbTIN_ryuzR0

This includes recording ProRes video up to 4K 60 frames per second (fps) directly to an external drive so you can record for longer than ever before.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max also offer Log encoding so you have even more options on post production.

“We were able to get the same complex shots with iPhone 15 Pro Max,” said director Broan Oakes.

“It’s amazing to see that the quality from a device that is so small and so portable can rival a large $20,000 camera.

“There’s cranes, there’s dollies, there’s all the toys that you want as a filmmaker, and everybody’s moving and has their job to do, and it’s just a very exciting and lively environment.”

“iPhone is great new tool in the palette of filmmakers.”

Apple also used the Australian company Blackmagic Design’s Camera app – an iOS exclusive and Beastgrip accessories.

And naturally the whole 30 minute video was edited on a Mac.

The post Apple’s “Scary Fast” launch event was shot on the iPhone – take a look behind the scenes appeared first on Tech Guide.

Apple’s beloved 24-inch iMac has just been upgraded to the latest M3 silicon to make it the fastest all-in-one computer the company has ever produced.

Announced at the Apple launch event alongside new MacBook Pro M3 models, the all-new M3 iMac retains its remarkably thin design but take a huge leap in performance.

It will also be available in the same seven colours – green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver.

“We’re excited to give iMac a big boost in performance with the M3 chip,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.

“Millions of users absolutely love iMac for its stunning design and expansive 24-inch, 4.5K Retina display that’s the perfect size to spread out with all their favourite apps and get things done.

“And now M3 brings even more speed to everything users do, whether multitasking, creating captivating images and videos, working on a business plan, or playing their favourite games.

“The new iMac with M3 is incredible for anyone, especially those who haven’t yet upgraded from Intel, providing a giant leap in performance and capabilities only possible with Apple silicon.”

The M3 chip aboard the new iMac has an 8-core CPU, up to a 10-core GPU and support for up to 24GB of unified memory.

Customers will notice the added speed and performance of the M3 when they are multitasking, editing multiple streams of 4K video and high resolution images and 3D design.

The iMac will also support Mesh Shading and Ray Tracing so your gaming experience will be next level.

Whether you’re a small business owner, student, gamer or just in everyday customer you will notice address the improvement in the gnu iMac M3 including:

– Safari, the world’s fastest browser, performs up to 30 per cent faster.

– Productivity apps like Microsoft Excel perform up to 30 per cent faster.

– Games load even faster, and users will experience up to 50 per cent faster frame rates.

And for content creation, photography and video editing the iMac can achieve:

– Edit and play back up to 12 streams of 4K video, which is 3x more than before.

– Produce video projects in Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro up to 2x faster.

– Process photos in apps like Adobe Photoshop up to 2x faster.

Still on board the iMac is the 4.5K retina display along with the latest Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, a 1080p FaceTime camera and studio quality mic.

All accessories of the iMac are colour-matched including the keyboard, mouse and trackpad and customers have the option of choosing a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID that will allow four users to securely unlock the computer, use Apple Pay and download apps.

And if you’re already an iPhone user, iMac customers will be able to enjoy Continuity so you can share content between devices and even send and receive messages and make and receive phone calls right from the iMac.

Users can also scan a document with their iPhone and see it instantly appear on their iMac desktop.

PRICING

The new 24-inch iMac with M3 can be pre-ordered today ahead of the release on November 7.

The M3 iMac with 8-core GPU is priced from $2,199 and $2,109 for education and is available in green, pink, blue, and silver.

This version of the iMac features an 8-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Mouse.

iMac with 10-core GPU starts at $2,499 and $2,329 for education and is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver.

This 10-core GPU iMac features an 8-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, two additional USB 3 ports, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Mouse, and Gigabit Ethernet.

The post Apple upgrades its popular 24-inch iMac with the new blazing fast M3 chip appeared first on Tech Guide.

Apple has launched a powerful new range of MacBook Pro laptops which feature Apple’s latest M3 line-up of processors which take performance and efficiency to an all-new level.

In its first evening launch event which lasted for 30 minutes, Apple unveiled the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max family of 3-nanometer chips which offers a new level of performance and power efficiency.

Apple announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros which can be configured with the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max processors.

Apple also introduced a new Space Black colour for the latest MacBook Pro M3 Pro and M3 Max models which are made with a new chemistry that forms an anodized seal to repel fingerprints.

The 24-inch iMac has also had an upgrade to the M3 chip to make the all-in-one desktop computer the fastest and most powerful it has ever created.

The new products are available for pre-order from today and will go on sale on November 7.

The M3 family of silicon has taken a giant leap forward in the two years since the M1 chip was announced.

It includes a next-gen GPU (graphics processing unit) that’s faster and more efficient and includes a new industry first technology called Dynamic Caching which can optimise the way the GPU is allocated by your applications and tasks.

The chips also have new hardware-accelerated rendering features Mesh Shading and Ray Tracing.

These features allow for faster and more powerful processing for filmmakers and game developers to create more realism with light and shadows in scenes.

In rendering performance, the new M3 chips are up to 2.5x faster than the M1 and up to 1.8x times faster than M2.

On the CPU (central processing unit) side, the M3 have performance cores that are up to 30 per cent faster than M1 so things like compiling and testing millions of lines of code in Xcode is even faster.

It also means musicians can use hundreds of audio tracks, plug ins and virtual instruments in Logic Pro.

The M3’s efficiency cores are up to 50 per cent faster than the M1 efficiency cores so not only is it faster – is it also even more energy efficient so it makes battery life of up to 22 hours on the new MacBook Pro a reality.

The trademark of Apple’s silicon is the unified memory architecture with each M3 chip delivering higher bandwidth, low latency and even greater power efficiency.

The M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips include an enhanced Neural Engine to power and accelerate machine learning (ML) models – it is now up to 60 per cent faster than M1.

M3 includes 25 billion transistors – 5 billion more than M2 and a 10-core GPU.

M3 Pro takes it up to 37 billion transistors with an 18-core GPU while M3 Max takes the transistor count to a massive 92 billion with a 40-core GPU that makes up to 50 per cent faster than the M1 Max.

MACBOOK PRO

The MacBook Pro line-up now includes 14-inch and 16-inch with M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 starts at $2,699 and is ideal for a student, a creator, business owners and video editors and includes an advanced thermal system so nothing will hold users back from unleashing its full potential.

With M3 MacBook Pro:

– Render performance in Final Cut Pro is up to 7.4x faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Core i7,3 and up to 60 per cent faster than the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with M1.

The 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro takes things to another level and can improve and speed up workflows for researchers, creatives and coders.

With M3 Pro MacBook Pro:

– Filter and function performance in Adobe Photoshop is up to 3x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro,5 and up to 40 per cent faster than the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro.

– Basecalling for DNA sequencing in Oxford Nanopore MinKNOW is up to 20x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro,5 and up to 36 per cent faster than the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro.

The 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max is aimed at AI developers, 3D modellers, video editors and supports up to 128GB of unified memory.

With M3 Max MacBook Pro:

– Simulation of dynamical systems in MathWorks MATLAB is up to 5.5x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro,5 and up to 2x faster than the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max.

– Noise reduction in Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve Studio is up to 2.7x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro,5 and up to 65 per cent faster than the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max.

PRICING

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 is priced from $2,699 and $2,529 for education.

The 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro starts at $3,499 and $3,239 for education.

The 16‑inch MacBook Pro is priced from $4,299 and $3,949 for education.

The post Apple launches new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros powered by its latest M3 chips appeared first on Tech Guide.

Double tap – the breakout new feature for Apple Watch – is now available on Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 with the release of the watchOS 10.1 update today.

This new feature will allow users to interact with their Apple Watch like never before.

Double tap means users will be able to control Apple Watch with one hand simply by double tapping their index finger and thumb.

Usually, an Apple Watch user would have to use their other hand to answer calls, view notifications and reply to messages.

Not anymore.

They can simply use double tap to do things like answer and end calls, view a message from a notification, pause, resume and end a timer or stop and resume a stopwatch, snooze an alarm and even take an iPhone photo with the camera remote app on the Apple Watch.

We gave it a try when answering a message.

After we saw and read the message on Apple Watch, we were able to use double tap to reply.

This activated the microphone to allow us to dictate the reply and then send with another double tap.

Double tap also allows users to open and scroll through the widgets in their Smart Stack so they can see their next appointment, the latest news, the weather and check their exercise rings.

Double tap only works on the latest Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 which are both powered by the S9 SiP which includes a new four-core neural engine and 25 per cent more power efficiency than the previous generation.

Double tap was created after Apple developed an algorithm that can detect the tiny wrist movements and changes in blood flow when you tap your index finger and thumb together.

The onboard neural engine processes this data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and optical heart sensor to trigger the action.

Double tap will only work when you raise your arm and the display is awake.

By default, double tap automatically activates the primary action for most apps and notifications.

But for Smart Stack you can either advance through the widgets or select the first available widget. This can be adjusted in the settings within the Apple Watch app.

Users can also customise media playback with double tap to either play/pause your music or skip to the next track.

To use double tap you need to update Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to watchOS 10.1.

To do this, go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone > General > Software Update and you should see the watchOS 10.1 update.

Click download and install and place your Apple Watch back on its charger to complete the update.

The post New Double Tap gesture available now for Apple Watch – and its a game changer appeared first on Tech Guide.

Apple will be holding a virtual launch event on October 31 which is likely to introduce a new line-up of Macs including new iMacs and new MacBook Pro laptops.

The invitation sent to media features a glowing Apple logo with the words “Scary fast” which alludes to the fact the event is being held the day before Halloween and that what we’re expecting to see will include even faster chips.

What confirmed the event will be centred around the Mac was the Apple Events website which showed the same invitation, but the Apple logo morphs into the Finder symbol – the central menu spot on the Mac.

The event is also taking place in the late afternoon – 5pm October 30 Pacific Time in the US – which is 11am October 31 Australian Eastern Daylight Savings time.

This is the first time we can recall an Apple launch event being held in the early evening.

There will be no in-person in attendance – it will be streamed on the Apple website and on YouTube.

We’re expecting to see a new 24-inch iMac with an M2 processor.

The last time we saw an iMac refresh was back in April 2021 when Apple introduced the new 24-inch iMac powered by the M1 chip and available in a range of colours.

The logical upgrade would be to the M2 chip but there are reports the M3 chip is also due to be announced.

We think the M3 chip will be used firstly with a MacBook Pro or the next version of the Mac Studio.

There have also been strong rumours in the last year of a 30-inch or 32-inch iMac being developed so there’s an outside chance we may see that as well.

Apple may also use this event to launch new 13-inch, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with the latest Apple M3 silicon which would play into the “scary fast” promise.

The Apple event will be streamed live at 11am October 31 Sydney time.

Stay tuned to Tech Guide for all the announcements as they happen.

The post Apple announces “scary fast” virtual launch event to unveil new Macs appeared first on Tech Guide.

Your iPhone holds a huge potential to make money easily. From taking surveys and sharing your internet connection to delivering food and fixing a leaky faucet, various profitable apps are waiting for you on your iPhone. 

Continue reading if you’re interested in learning more about money-making apps waiting for you in the App Store!

Honeygain

Would you like to get paid without standing up from your couch? With the help of websites like Honeygain, starting a side hustle online and making money online has never been easier.

Honeygain is an innovative app that lets you earn free money for sharing your unused internet connection. After you download the app to your Apple device, you get paid for sharing your internet connection and become part of a global network that helps make the internet safer.

Honeygain uses the highest levels of security and employs your shared internet to perform various tasks. Honeygain works quietly in the background without disturbing your regular scrolling adventures.

This app works on mobile data and your home Wi-Fi, making it incredibly convenient. If you want to increase your earnings with Honeygain, you can refer your friends for extra credits, participate in social media contests, and open up your Lucky Pot daily!

With Honeygain, you’re getting paid for your internet connection and contributing to valuable online data-driven projects worldwide.

JumpTask

JumpTask is a mobile app that offers a way of earning money straight from your smartphone. The app allows you to complete simple tasks like taking surveys, completing offers, and playing mini-games to earn real cash.

All JumpTask platform transactions occur in cryptocurrency JumpToken ($JMPT). You can earn from 0.05 to 5 $JMPT (10ct – $20) daily. JumpTask has already paid out more than $2.7 million!

JumpTask is a reliable and user-friendly app that lets you earn real cash from your smartphone. The app’s high payout rates, easy-to-complete tasks, referral program, and commitment to user safety make it a top contender among similar apps.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is the right app to earn gift cards with little effort. Swagbucks is an app that rewards users for connecting their accounts to routine services like Amazon.

Alternatively, you’ll get rewards for playing mobile games, taking surveys, and browsing the internet. You can cash in these rewards for gift cards or pay out as cash through a linked PayPal account.

With daily tasks and surveys, the average user can earn up to $10-20 per week, but some users make over $300 monthly. Swagbucks has been active since 2008, and App Store users have rated Swagbucks an average of 4.4 starsfrom over 87k reviews.

Fiverr

Fiverr is an app for freelancers from various backgrounds, such as writing, design, programming, and many more, including household chores like fixing a leaky faucet.

Sellers can set prices and get commissioned for jobs within the specified deadline. A certain level of quality for professional work is required by Fiverr, but an easy-to-use payment system is guaranteed.

Each task you complete pays you a minimum of $5, but as you gain more experience, you get to raise your prices.

DoorDash

DoorDash is a food delivery app. If you’re hungry and don’t want to cook, DoorDash lets you order food and skip out on cooking. And if you want to make money, DoorDash is always looking for food delivery drivers.

The app provides users with a flexible way of making money by signing up as delivery drivers. Once registered, users can earn by picking up and delivering food to customers across the city.

How much you can make using DoorDash can be affected by many factors, but you can earn up to $25 an hour.

The app’s algorithm calculates the total pay based on distance traveled and customer tips. In addition, the platform also offers incentives and bonuses for drivers who deliver during peak hours and complete a specified number of requests.

With the earning potential and flexibility the DoorDash app offers, it’s undoubtedly becoming a favorite among many people looking for a side hustle or part-time job.

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a mobile app allowing users to earn money by online surveys. To make money with Survey Junkie, you must sign up, complete your profile, and take surveys. The app allows users to select from various surveys within their interests and skill levels.

Survey Junkie stands out from other survey apps because it’s easy to navigate and takes a shorter time to complete each survey.

On average, users of Survey Junkie get paid $0.5-$3/survey. That may not seem like much, but these dollars can really add up depending on how much time you’re willing to spend on the app.

Additionally, Survey Junkie allows users to redeem earnings as low as $5 through PayPal or gift cards. Survey Junkie also enables users to participate in other online tasks like watching videos, making phone calls, and product reviews. Overall, Survey Junkie is a great option for anyone earning extra cash flexibly and conveniently.

The post The 6 iPhone Apps to Make You Money in 2023 appeared first on Tech Guide.

Apple has announced a new and more affordable Apple Pencil to allow even more iPad users the ability to take notes, sketch, draw and mark up documents on their device.

The new Apple Pencil has a matte finish and a flat edge so it can attach magnetically to your iPad for storage.

It also pairs and charges with a USB C cable and will work with any iPad model with a USB-C port.

“Apple Pencil has revolutionised note taking, sketching, and illustrating, unleashing endless possibilities for productivity and creativity,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

“Combined with the versatility of iPad, the new Apple Pencil unlocks another great option to experience the magic of digital handwriting, annotation, marking up documents, and more.”

Apple Pencil opens a lot of possibilities for iPad users whether you’re a student, an artist or someone who just likes writing and drawing rather than typing.

Apple Pencil offers pixel perfect accuracy and low latency along with tilt sensitivity so it’s a responsive tool with your writing, drawing, painting or when marking up documents.

The tool also works well with built in iPad OS features like Scribble, Quick Note and Freeform.

The new Apple Pencil has a sliding cap to reveal the USB-C port and allows customers to use a USB-C cable to connect to their iPad for pairing and charging.

And when Apple Pencil is magnetically attached to the iPad for storage, it automatically goes into sleep mode to maintain the battery life.

This latest Apple Pencil with USB-C is the most affordable in the line-up and joins Apple Pencil 1^st Gen and Apple Pencil 2^nd Gen.

Apple Pencil 1^st Gen supports pressure sensitivity for a free flowing and natural experience and has a Lightning port under the cap for pairing and charging.

Apple Pencil 2^nd Gen has a streamlined design and a range of tools to streamline a professional workflow including pressure sensitivity, double tap and Apple Pencil Hover when used with the iPad Pro models with M2.

The new Apple Pencil is compatible with all iPad models with USB C ports. These include iPad (10th generation), iPad Air (4th and 5th generations), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generations), and iPad mini (6th generation).

The new Apple Pencil USB-C will be available in early November and will be priced at $139.

The post Apple unveils new and more affordable Apple Pencil with USB-C appeared first on Tech Guide.

Apple has issued a software update today to address a bug that may cause the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to run warmer than usual.

Apple confirmed last week the issue was affecting some customers.

The issue was caused by third-party apps, including Instagram and Uber, working in the background and overloading the system which causes the elevated operating temperature.

To run the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update and you’ll see iOS 17.0.3.

Users will have the choice to run the update immediately or run overnight.

The notes of the update says: This update provides important bug fixes, security updates and addresses an issue that may cause iPhone to run warmer than expected.”

When the issues surfaced last week, Apple released a statement to confirm the bug: “We have identified a few conditions which can cause iPhone to run warmer than expected.

“The device may feel warmer during the first few days after setting up or restoring the device because of increased background activity.

“We have also found a bug in iOS 17 that is impacting some users and will be addressed in a software update.

“Another issue involves some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system.

“We’re working with these app developers on fixes that are in the process of rolling out.”

The post Apple releases software update to address iPhone 15 Pro overheating bug appeared first on Tech Guide.

Apple has admitted there are iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issues affecting some customers with plans to release an iOS 17 update to fix the problem.

Apple identified a bug that may be causing the problem with its latest iPhones – the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Some customers have been reporting the new iPhones operating warmer than usual since their release on September 22.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are both running Apple’s new A17 Pro chip and initially there were questions about whether the new silicone has contributed to the overheating issue.

Apple’s reported response was that it would not be throttling the A17 Pro chip as a short-term solution.

Apple also dismissed theories that it was a design issue to do with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max’s new titanium construction.

The likely cause of the issue, according to Apple, are third-party apps working in the background and overloading the system which causes the elevated operating temperature.

Instagram and Uber have been identified as some of these apps along with racing game Asphalt 9: Legends.

It’s possible the new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max were running warmer after being restored by customers from their older iPhone backups which would also result in increased background activity.

Apple released a statement about the issue: “We have identified a few conditions which can cause iPhone to run warmer than expected.

“The device may feel warmer during the first few days after setting up or restoring the device because of increased background activity.

“We have also found a bug in iOS 17 that is impacting some users and will be addressed in a software update.

“Another issue involves some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system.

“We’re working with these app developers on fixes that are in the process of rolling out.”

Apple is working on iOS17.1 which will address the overheating bug, but this isn’t expected to be released until late October.

It’s possible Apple will issue a smaller software update sooner to put the overheating issue to be once and for all.

For the record, Tech Guide has been using the iPhone 15 Pro Max for the past couple of weeks and have not experienced any overheating.

The post Apple confirms iPhone 15 Pro overheating bug and will fix it with an iOS 17 update appeared first on Tech Guide.

If you’re not planning on upgrading to the new iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro, you can still get that new iPhone feeling by upgrading to iOS 17 which is now available to download and install.

And iPad users can also upgrader to iPadOS 17 as well to unlock a range of new features and capabilities.

If you’re thinking of installing the new iOS 17 and the iPadOS 17 on your iPhone and iPad – be sure to back up your devices before installing – just in case.

HOW TO INSTALL

On your iPhone and iPad go to Settings > General > Software Update – and you should see iOS 17.

iOS 17 will work on the following iPhones: iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max. iPhone SE (second generation and later), iPhone 14 (including Plus), iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Here are the most popular new features of iOS 17 for iPhone:

LIVE VOICEMAIL

Users can see a real time transcription of an incoming call and decide whether they want to answer the call. This feature also makes it possible to take a call during a meeting to see what it’s about and if it’s urgent without disturbing anyone around you.

CONTACT POSTERS

iOS 17 lets you express yourself with an enriched contact poster which can be configured like a lock screen.

NAMEDROP

This lets users share their contact information and contact posters simply by bringing their iPhones together or bringing an Apple Watch and iPhone together.

FACETIME MESSAGES

If you can’t get through on FaceTime, iOS 17 now offers a way to leave a video message that can be enjoyed later.

FACETIME CONTINUITY

If you receive a FaceTime call on your iPhone, you can hand off to your Apple TV so you’re using your TV to see your friends and family.

iMESSAGE

There is a new expandable menu to share content and stickers while a new catch-up arrow brings you back to where you left off in a conversation.

CHECK IN

iMessage also introduces Check In so friends and family members can be notified when you arrive safely at your destination.

STANDBY

When you’re iPhone is not in use and resting on a MagSafe charger, simply place it on its side to turn it into a display for the kitchen counter, night stand or desk with a larger clock, notifications and calendar events.

JOURNAL

This is a brand new app to reflect on your day and includes photos and people and is curated from recent activity and locations.

Here are the new features of iPadOS 17

LOCKSCREEN

The iPad now offers similar configurable locks screens like the iPhone with your choice of fonts and images.

IMPROVED WIDGETS

Widgets on the iPad are now more powerful and interactive on the lock screen and the home screen.

PDFs

It is now a lot easier to work with PDFs so you can easily write on them and annotate them with Apple Pencil. You can also find and fill in text areas and easily sign a document with a saved signature or a fresh signature with Apple Pencil.

HEALTH APP

The Health app is now on the iPad so you can see your health data in even more detail. It has been re-designed and optimised for the larger display so you can interact with charts and other information.

The post Not upgrading to iPhone 15? You can still get the new iPhone feeling by updating to iOS 17 appeared first on Tech Guide.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have taken a significant step forward in terms of power, performance, features and design.

Apple has intelligently upgraded the most popular parts of the iPhone including the camera, the display and added several convenient new features to make using the device faster, easier and more enjoyable to use.

iPhone 15 an iPhone 15 Pro have the same screen sizes 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch and start at $1499 and $1849 respectively. They go on sale on September 22.

DESIGN

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro have had subtle re-designs.

The iPhone 15 is made from durable colour infused rear glass which is finished with a colour-matched aluminium band.

The display now has a rounded top edge so it gives it a softer look than the iPhone 14’s more angular look.

Available in yellow, pink, green, blue and black, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 plus have subtle muted colours which don’t look to garish or bright.

Even the pink iPhone 15 Plus, which we received for review, is impressively understated.

The blue iPhone 15 is so light it’s almost white.

The rear panel of the iPhone 15 has more of a matte finish which prevents ugly fingerprints and makes it easier to grip.

The iPhone 15 Pro has undergone the biggest transformation with a new titanium finish.

Apple says it uses Grade 5 titanium which offers strength and durability but is noticeably more lightweight than the surgical grade stainless steel used with the iPhone 14 Pro.

In fact, the iPhone 15 Pro is 19g lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro – it might not sound like much but for a device you carry with you everywhere every day it’s a big deal.

The iPhone 15 Pro is available in natural titanium, black titanium, white titanium and blue titanium.

Gone is the shiny surface that’s a magnet for fingerprints and in its place is an impressive, brushed metal look with a matte finish.

For our review we received the Natural Titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Blue Titanium iPhone 15 Pro.

The Natural Titanium has more of a grey tinge but it’s a colour we haven’t seen before with the pro model iPhones – and we’re expecting it to be the most popular.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have the same size screens as the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max yet have dimensions that are a couple of millimetres smaller.

This is because of the display on the latest iPhone have noticeably thinner bezels which means it can fit the same size screen in a smaller space.

DISPLAY

The iPhone 15 Super Retina XDR display now includes the dynamic island first introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro last year.

Those new to the dynamic island will find it provides an interesting way of displaying your notifications and providing updates.

For example, if you booked an Uber ride, the time before the driver arrives and other information is displayed within the Dynamic Island.

Other airlines like united also use dynamic island to give passengers a countdown two boarding time add a reminder of your gate and seat number.

And that’s all provided on the main display without you even having to open the app.

The iPhone 15 Pro display includes 120Hz ProMotion technology, so your content is smooth and clear.

And there are also those thinner bezels we’ve already mentioned which gives the screen a more edge to edge look.

PERFORMANCE

The iPhone 15 is powered by the A16 bionic chip – the same silicon that was first seen with last year’s iPhone 14 Pro and this powers onboard features like computational photography, voice isolation for phone calls and power efficiency for even better battery life.

The iPhone 15 Pro introduces the new A17 Pro processor which does the heavy lifting for providing improved graphics performance that’s 20 per cent faster now thanks to its six cores.

The A17 pro incorporates 3Nm processor with 19 billion transistors on board.

It has a 2x faster neural engine with 16 cores that can perform 35 trillion operations per second.

It is powerful enough to offer hardware accelerated rate racing for the very first time so graphics and gameplay on the latest games a more fluid and lifelike than ever with lighting effects that matched the real world and immerse you even further into the game.

CAMERA

On the camera side, Apple has truly excelled itself.

The iPhone 15 camera has been upgraded to 48 megapixel main camera so you can shoot in a higher resolution than ever before and capture stunning detail.

A cool new feature on the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro is the ability to turn any photograph into a portrait image.

If you’re shooting a person, dog or cat, the iPhone 15 will go about capturing depth information so you can see your photo as a portrait which includes a tasteful blur effect and the ability to switch focus between two subjects in the same image.

But if you’re really into your photography then the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max should be at the top of your list.

The onboard 48-megepixel camera has a quad pixel sensor that can optimise whatever you’re shooting in real time including in low light situations while still capturing remarkable detail.

The iPhone 15 Pro camera is designed to appeal two real photographers whether they enthusiasts or professionals.

These customers would know the main focal lengths including 24mm, 28mm or 35mm because that would be lugging around these lenses with their main camera.

Now they can go into the camera settings on the iPhone 15 Pro and choose their default main camera focal length – 24mm, 28mm or 35mm thanks to the power of computational photography.

The Photonic Engine also does a fair amount of the heavy lifting to bring out the detail in your subject including in darker environments by increasing dynamic range.

The photos the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro produce a truly remarkable and it takes little effort by the user. All you need to do is aim and shoot.

It really nails skin tones and colour and is easily the best camera you’ll find on a smartphone.

What sets the iPhone camera apart from other smartphone cameras is Apple’s insistence of staying faithful to the traditional principles of photography rather than using smoke and mirrors and gimmicks to produce an exaggerated shot.

But Apple didn’t stop there.

On the iPhone 15 Pro Max they have included a Tetra Prism lens system that can bounce the light four times before hitting the sensor to achieve a 5x optical zoom to get you even closer to your subject.

Would have liked to have seen even higher zoom but in typical style, Apple kept this feature to a level where it can maintain the quality and accuracy without going overboard.

For professional photographers the new iPhone 15 Pro an iPhone 15 Pro Max now includes log encoding to make shooting in ProRes even more powerful and flexible for colour grading in post and even adding visual effects.

The iPhone 15 Pro models are the first to support ACES (Academy Colour Encoding System) which is a global colour standard used in major movie productions.

Users of the iPhone 15 Pro could also capture Spatial Video which will be able to be enjoyed on the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset which can put you right in the middle of that moment and make those special moments even more memorable.

ACTION BUTTON

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have ditched the silent switch on the side left edge and replaced it with an Action Button which can be programmed to do things like turn on the camera, activate silent mode, open your favourite app, open the voice recorder to record your thoughts or trigger a series of shortcuts.

When pressed, the Action Button provides haptic feedback to let you know the interaction has been successful.

Users can dive into the settings to easily set the function of the Action Key.

We would have liked to have seen even more Action Button options perhaps with long presses and double presses expanding the possibilities.

USB-C CHARGING PORT

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro now have USB-C charging ports.

It’s the first time in 11 years Apple has moved away from Lightning which was introduced with the iPhone 5.

A braided USB-C to USB-C cable is provided in the box.

This move brings the iPhone into line with each other products which have already transitioned to USB-C including the iPad and iPad pro and the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

In fact, Apple made a point of saying you could now charge the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro with the same cable you would use with the iPad and the Mac.

The iPhone 15 Pro models will enjoy faster data transfers add up to 10Gbps thanks to a USB-C controller on the device’s new A17 Pro chip.

On the charging side, we found it to be slightly faster than Lightning.

The new USB-C connection can now be used for faster transfer of ProRes video and ProRaw images.

With the new port it is also possible to shoot and transfer to Mac with a cable and shoot ProRes video directly to a connected external storage drive in 4K at up to 60fps.

PRICING

The new iPhone 15 will be priced at $1,499 (128GB), $1,699 (256GB) and $2,049 (512GB).

iPhone 15 Plus is priced at $1,649 (128GB), $1,849 (256GB0 and $2,199 (512GB).

iPhone 15 Pro is priced at $1,849 (128GB), $2,049 (256GB) and $2,399 (512GB) and $2,749 (1TB).

iPhone 15 Pro Max is priced at $2,199 (256GB) and $2,549 (512GB) and $2,899 (1TB).

These prices are slightly higher than last year but that won’t stop customers flocking to it and hanging on to it for years.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro go on sale on September 22.

VERDICT

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are impressive upgrades that set a new standard with a stunning design, unrivalled performance and a camera that raises the bar for what we can expect from a smartphone. If there is a better phone on the market – we haven’t seen it yet.

The post iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro review – Apple has set a new standard for flagship smartphones appeared first on Tech Guide.

Apple’s AirPods Pro (second generation) just got even better with the introduction of a range of new features that have been enabled by iOS 17.

These new features include Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness and Personalised Volume.

Since the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro announcement about the inclusion of USB-C, Apple has also released an updated AirPods Pro (second generation) earphones with a MagSafe Charging Case with USB-C.

Tech Guide has been using these new AirPods Pro (second generation) for a few days paired with an iPhone running the iOS 17 beta.

We understand the official version of iOS 17 will be out this week so users can enjoy these new AirPods Pro (second generation) features whether they own the current model or the brand new AirPods Pro that come with the new MagSafe charging case with USB-C.

If you already own the AirPods Pro (second generation) which came with the Lightning charging case, you can still enjoy these new features that come with iOS 17.

The earphones included with the USB-C charging case themselves are identical to the earphones included with the previous lightning case.

That means this review is as much about the AirPods Pro (second generation) with the MagSafe charging case with USB-C as it is about the new features which iOS 17 has made possible.

Adaptive Audio is a combination between active noise cancellation and transparency mode which can adjust the level of noise cancellation based on the noise around you.

This feature is powered by the H2 Apple silicon aboard the AirPods Pro (second generation) which can adjust the listening experiences as your environment changes.

The good thing about it is that is intelligent enough to be able to tell what sound to suppress and which to enhance.

For example, if you are cooking and using all your appliances, the adaptive audio feature will suppress the annoying blender sound while still letting you still hear when the doorbell rings.

It’s this same intelligence that’s applied throughout your day whether you are alone in a park, in the centre of a large busy restaurant or on your commute.

Another new feature is Conversation Awareness which basically means the AirPods Pro (second generation) with lower your media’s volume as soon as it hears you speaking.

And not only that, it will enhance the voices of the people in front of you and reduce background noise at the same time.

During our review we ran into a friend while listening to your AirPods Pro (second generation).

When we said hello the music lowered and our friend’s voice was enhanced so we could hear extremely clearly even without taking the AirPods Pro (second generation) out of our ears.

We also noticed the background noise had been turned down a few notches to make the conversation even clearer and easier to hear.

And then when we said goodbye, our media automatically returned to its original listening mode and volume.

Personalised Volume can take control of fine tuning your media experience by learning your listening preferences overtime and matching that with the conditions of your environment.

All of these new features or in addition to the outstanding active noise cancellation, remarkable transparency mode and the personalised spatial audio which changes the way you listen to your music.

The AirPods Pro (second generation) H2 chip also enables another feature – lossless audio with ultra-low latency.

And it can be used as a wireless audio solution with Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset.

The H2 chip in Apple’s Vision Pro will unlock 20-bit 48kHz lossless audio with a huge reduction in wireless audio latency.

This means AirPods Pro (second generation) will be a perfect companion for the Apple Vision Pro when it’s released next year.

Battery life listening with ANC is up to six hours and up 30 hours of listening with the case.

VERDICT

The already excellent AirPods Pro (second generation) just got even better with a number of new enhancements that will not only deliver stunning audio but also make the earphones to fit in with your life.

The post We take a look at the new features unlocked for AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) with iOS 17 appeared first on Tech Guide.

Australian company Blackmagic Design has released the Blackmagic Camera app which can add powerful film camera tools and controls to the iPhone.

The free Blackmagic Camera app is based on the same operating system as Blackmagic Design’s award-winning digital film cameras.

The app can put some powerful tools into the hands of iPhone content creators.

These same tools already being used in feature films, television and documentaries.

And when linked with Blackmagic Cloud, creators can collaborate and share media with editors and colourists around the world in an instant.

Blackmagic Camera can make the iPhone even more powerful by offering digital film camera controls to create a true cinematic look to your videos.

Users can adjust things like frame rate, shutter angle, white balance and ISO with a single tap.

It’s also possible to record directly to Blackmagic Cloud in 10-bit Apple ProRes files up to 4K.

When recordings are shared to Blackmagic Cloud storage, users can collaborate on DaVinci Resolve projects with editors anywhere in the world.

The Blackmagic Camera app puts all the controls at the user’s fingertips so they can easily set up quickly and begin shooting.

It’s possible to instantly change settings without having to go into a confusing multi-layered menu system.

It’s also easy to see the status and recording parameters, histogram, focus peaking, levels, frame guides and much more at a glance.

It’s also possible to hide the HUD (heads up display) simply by swiping up or down on the screen.

Autofocus is achieved by simply tapping the screen in the area where you need to focus.

The Blackmagic Camera app allows customers to shoot in 16:9 or vertical aspect ratios.

In the Settings tab, users will be able to unlock the full potential of the iPhone’s camera with quick access to advanced settings including monitoring, audio, camera setup, recording and more.

In the Record tab, users will find control over video resolution and the recording format including industry standard Apple ProRes or more space efficient H.264 and H.265.

There are even professional audio options which includes EU or PPM audio meters and AAC, IEEE Float and PCM formats.

It’s also possible to add external microphones.

Users can browse or scrub clips in the Blackmagic Camera’s Media tab and select clips to upload to the Blackmagic Cloud.

“Blackmagic Camera is a truly revolutionary workflow for creating feature film quality content using an iPhone,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO.

“Blackmagic Camera adds professional camera features like frame rate, shutter angle, time of day timecode, ISO and white balance to the iPhone so our customers have similar controls as our professional cameras.

“Plus, the Blackmagic Cloud workflow lets customers record to Blackmagic Cloud Storage and automatically sync with DaVinci Resolve.

“Now they can get their footage to the newsroom or post production studio in minutes! I think it will be really exciting to find out how Blackmagic Camera will change traditional news and post production workflows.”

The Blackmagic Camera app is available now for free on Apple’s App Store for iPhone.

The post Blackmagic Design releases a free app to unleash powerful film camera controls on iPhone appeared first on Tech Guide.