Heather Kelly

iOS 11: Secret features you’re probably not using

Posted by Heather Kelly | Sep 25, 2017

If you’re still dismissing pop-ups from apps asking for reviews, or writing your Wi-FI password on a Post-It note, you’re not living your best life. In addition to a new design and big features like augmented reality support, Apple has added a number of solid smaller changes and settings options to iOS 11, the latest mobile software for iPhones and iPads. From recording your FaceTime calls to silently communicating with Siri, here are some hidden iOS features worth trying: 1. Add the buttons you want to control center This is one of the best changes in iOS 11. You...

The iPhone 8 has landed

Posted by Heather Kelly | Sep 22, 2017

An Apple Store in Sydney, Australia, was the first in the world to sell an iPhone 8. The store opened its doors at 8 a.m. Friday, local media reported, and ushered in a few fans who had camped out, along with others who woke up early. They were there to buy the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, as well as the updated Apple Watch and Apple TV. Lining up outside Apple Stores has become a tradition for Apple product launches. But the usual excitement is expected to be muted this year, with many customers choosing to wait...

Nest branches out with alarm system and face-detecting doorbell

Posted by Heather Kelly | Sep 20, 2017

Nest wants to keep you from being robbed, as well as help you track your kids and let your dog out to pee at 3 am. The Alphabet owned company announced a trio of new products on Wednesday, all designed keep your home safe with a combination of motion sensors and constant video monitoring. They include optional face detection to tell who is outside your house, ringing your doorbell, or making waffles in your kitchen. It’s launching Nest Secure, a home alarm system, Nest Cam IQ, a new version of its outdoor camera, and Nest Hello, a doorbell that...

Amazon mistakenly sends baby registry emails

Posted by Heather Kelly | Sep 19, 2017

Finding out that someone has bought you a present is almost always awesome. Unless that gift is for your unborn child and you are, as far as you know, not expecting. Amazon sent out some very confusing emails on Tuesday, telling a large number of customers that someone had bought an item off their baby registry. Many of the recipients did not have a baby registry — let alone a baby gestating or any plans to have or adopt a baby. “A gift is on the way” read the email, which was impersonally addressed to “Amazon Customer.” The email...

iOS 11 is now available on iPhones and iPads

Posted by Heather Kelly | Sep 19, 2017

It’s the gift to iPhone and iPad owners who don’t want to buy a new gadget. Apple’s latest mobile operating system iOS 11 is now available as a free download. The redesigned software packs in big changes and minor tweaks, some you may never even see. The update is available on smartphones as far back as the iPhone 5S. (For iPad compatibility, see here). Or you can wait and buy an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, which hits stores on Friday, or hold off for the iPhone X coming later this year. Here are a few highlights and...

Review: iPhone 8 cuts the cord and prepares for the future

Posted by Heather Kelly | Sep 19, 2017

Apple has put its new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in a tight spot. As with pretty much every Apple upgrade, they will be the best iPhones available when they hit store shelves this Friday. But they exist in the shadow of the possibly superior iPhone X, in all its face-detecting and home-button killing glory. That more expensive device won’t be available until Nov. 3, leaving many iPhone buyers wondering if they should upgrade or wait. After a week of testing, it’s clear the 4.7-inch iPhone 8 and 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus offer solid if moderate improvements, including...

New August smart locks know who’s coming and going

Posted by Heather Kelly | Sep 19, 2017

If you’re not getting a push alert every time someone opens your front door, you’re living in the past. Smart-home technology company August just announced new versions of its connected locks and doorbell camera. The company’s newest locks have a sensor that can tell when a door is open or closed and send you alerts on your phone. Similar features are already available with smart home kits like SmartThings. The locks still have the classic features as previous generations, like unlocking automatically when your phone is within a certain distance and virtual keys for guests. To lure more people...

Order an iPhone 8 today or wait for the X?

Posted by Heather Kelly | Sep 15, 2017

You can preorder an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus starting Friday. But Apple has created something of a conundrum for customers by postponing the release of its higher-end iPhone X until Nov. 3. Do you buy an 8 or wait? It’s a difference of $200 to $300, six long weeks and the ability to animate yourself as a cartoon poop. You have to dig through a lot of superlatives and made-up marketing terms (Bionic chip, Super Retina, deeper pixels) to find what’s really new in the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. To help you decide...

Salesforce to give $12.2 million to Bay Area public schools

Posted by Heather Kelly | Sep 12, 2017

Tech titan Marc Benioff’s philanthropic group, Salesforce.org, is donating another $12.2 million to Bay Area schools to improve computer science education, and possibly make the next generation of Salesforce employees. The gift of $7 million to San Francisco public schools and $5.2 million to Oakland public schools brings the total amount of money invested in the two school districts by Salesforce to nearly $35 million over the past five years. In addition to funds that pay for things like teacher training and classroom math coaches, some of education donations come with very few strings attached. That’s by design. Five...

Posts by Heather Kelly