April Fools Day is coming Wednesday but Google has already gotten a head start on its planned pranks by adding an awesome new feature to Google Maps that will let you turn your entire neighborhood into a giant game of Pac-Man.
Photo: Microsoft
Microsoft's early attempts to the tablet crown from Apple hasn't really gone according to plan. All the Surfaces from the original to the Pro 2 were flops, but Microsoft seems to have hit its stride with the Surface Pro 3. Now it's ready to take on the iPad with an even cheaper tablet.
Today, Microsoft unveiled its thinnest and lightest tablet ever, the Surface 3. At 1.37 pounds it's just a little bit heavier than the iPad Air 2, but boasts a bigger screen and price tag that starts at $499.
Unlike previous crippled versions of the Surface, the Surface 3 runs full Windows. This isn't just another crappy Surface RT — it runs desktop Windows apps — which is what might make it a better option than an iPad for someone looking to get stuff done on the go.
Microsoft has ditched ARM processors in favor of a more powerful quad-core 1.6Ghz Intel Atom processor. Other features include 2GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, 8MP rear-camera, 10.8-inch screen, and the Surface Pen. Microsoft is also tossing in a one-year subscription to Office 365.
The Surface has been advertised as a tablet that can also replace your laptop, but specs and software have really held the product line back from being able to truly compete with the iPad and MacBook Air. With the lower price tag and improved internals, this could be Microsoft's best bet in years to take some shine away from Apple.
The new tablets ship on May 5th with preorders opening today. Maybe the third time really is a charm?
Apple has now opened the floodgates and is letting all developers submit Watch apps to the App Store. This means any of the 1.2 million apps can now submit updates including Watch apps (using the WatchKit framework), beyond the select partners Apple rolled out last week.
As a reminder, Watch apps come bundled as extensions inside normal iOS apps. This means customers can update the apps in the iPhone ready for the Watch's release on the 24th. Apple is pointing developers to the submission reference guidelines for more information on this process.
Apple Watch integration can consist of rich notifications, glances (analogous to Today view widgets on the iPhone) and WatchKit apps, which can offer a wide range functionality. However, the iPhone must be paired to the Watch for these third-party apps to run. A native SDK, which does not have this limitation, is expected later in the year.
Just this morning, we saw Apple Watch updates rolling out from companies like the New York Times, Uber and Flipboard. Expect many more of these updates to begin rolling out soon, once Apple approvals them, now that anyone is allowed to submit Watch extensions.
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Google has unveiled a whole new type of Chrome device, and it's one that can fit in your pocket. It's called the Chromebit, and it's essentially a Chromebook crammed in a dongle. This tiny little package contains a Rockchip 3288 SoC, 2GB of RAM, 16GB...
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Apple is still on the hunt for Android converts and it's just unveiled a brand-new program that will make it easier than ever for Android users to make the switch. Per MacRumors, Apple has expanded its Reuse and Recycling program to let people trade in their Android phones, BlackBerry phones and Windows Phones in exchange for a credit that's "in the form of an Apple Store gift card or bank transfer."
Yes, the rumors of Apple expanding its trade-in program were true -- the company's stores (both online and retail) are now willing to take your competing smartphone in return for credit toward a new iPhone. If you live in France, Italy, the UK or the... 
Image via Future Supplier
Some new photos posted by Future Supplier claim to show the leaked rear casing to the rumored "iPhone 6C." Recent reports have said that the device will sport a 4-inch screen like that of the iPhone 5, 5C, and 5S, allowing it to appeal to those who prefer smaller displays over the larger iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
While the veracity of these shots has not been confirmed, there are some interesting details to note that could give us some more clues about the design of the rumored device.
In the image above, there are a few notable differences between the purported iPhone 6C and the iPhone 5C provided for comparison. The cutout for the camera flash on the 6C is elongated, unlike the round one found on the iPhone 5C and current iPhone models. The elongated shape goes back to the introduction of the True Tone flash in the iPhone 5S.
There are also changes to the cutout for the camera itself. Unlike the iPhone 6, the supposed 6c does not feature a "camera bump." The opening for the lens seems to be flush with the rest of the shell. Additional changes can be noted by looking at the device from another angle.
Image via Future Supplier
On the bottom of the handset, there are changes to how the mic and speaker grilles are designed. On the current iPhone 6, there are six speaker holes on the left side of the Lightning connector (when the phone is face down), and one microphone opening next to the headphone jack.
On the 5C, there were only four speaker holes, but the design is otherwise the same.
The new photos of the supposed 6C, however, show eight speaker holes arranged in two rows on what looks to be a noticeably thicker body that is found on the iPhone 6. The microphone has also gained a few extra openings, with six cutouts now situated next to the headphone jack rather than just one. Like the speaker grilled, those circular cutouts are stacked in two rows.
It's hard to say whether these images are real or fake just yet. While some of the changes seem to be a step backwards for Apple, like the seemingly thicker design and elongated camera flash, the redesigned audio grilles and the removal of the "camera bump" could indicate that it's actually a step forward. It's also entirely possible that this is simply one design Apple is considering, or an entirely fake shell.
Rumors of multiple next-gen iPhone models in varying sizes have been swirling for a while now, with some indicating that the 6S will receive Apple's new Force Touch technology and be available in the color pink—though it doesn't seem likely that the above photos are any indication of what that might look like on the higher-grade device.
Continue reading more about iOS Devices, iPhone, and iPhone 6 at 9to5Mac.
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While the 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition has been receiving a lot of attention due to its premium pricing and aesthetic, Apple will sell far more of the lower-priced Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport models, and has created a different customer journey for those customers, according to sources briefed on the plans. Most of the sales process will be familiar to buyers of other products from the Apple Store, but a number of steps are different, including the process of visiting a "magical" display case, trying on different models, playing with demo units, considering Apple Watch accessories, and actually finalizing the purchase. Below, we detail the entire customer experience for the upcoming Apple Watch launch…
After a customer books an Apple Watch try-on appointment via the Apple Online Store or iOS Apple Store app, Apple will walk him or her through a try-on and sales process in the Apple Store. First, a customer with an appointment will be greeted in the Apple Store by a specialist. If a customer does not have an appointment, she will be added to a walk-in queue. Like the new Genius Bar walk-in appointment system, customers in the queue can shop elsewhere in a mall and receive a notification via text message when it is time to return for an Apple Watch try-on appointment. After the customer is matched up with an Apple Store employee, she will be taken to the display table shown in the image above to pick out Apple Watch models that interest her. The Watches inside will run a demo loop showcasing their main features, "making it a magical display," as Apple puts it.
After the customer picks out up to two Apple Watch models to try on, they will be taken to a new try-on area. The try-on areas include fixed Apple Watch demo units as well as mats and cleaning cloths. Try-on tables (pictured above) have secure drawers that store up to 18 distinct Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport units. For security, these drawers can only be unlocked by Apple Store employees by way of a special RFID sensor and unlocking mechanism in the EasyPay point-of-sale machines. These try-on Apple Watches will run in demo loops, but features such as Haptic Feedback will be functional so customers can experience that feature. The Watches can actually be tried on the customer's wrist and are re-charged as necessary inside of the table's drawers. Each try-on table will have 4, 6 or 10 stations, depending on the store's size.
Some smaller Apple Stores do not have space for both a dedicated display table and a try-on table, so these stores will have only dedicated try-on cases instead of tables. These cases may also be used for larger stores that want to offer even more space for people to try on the Apple Watch, or need to reduce wait times for walk-in appointments. Each case holds up to 10 Apple Watches. Like the try-on tables, the cases include a padded try-on mat and cleaning cloths. After a customer goes through the display table and try-on process, they will be offered an opportunity to buy accessories such as additional bands, Bluetooth headphones via the new earphone Demo Kit system, and chargers. Apple's options will be more premium alternatives to the third-party accessories that are already starting to appear online.
Prior to purchase, Apple will also offer an opportunity for a customer to purchase AppleCare+, which adds a second year of hardware protection for the stainless steel and Sport models; Edition models come with two years of protection, and can jump up to three years with AppleCare+. Interestingly, we are told that Apple will soon offer a combined coverage program for customers who buy both a new iPhone and an Apple Watch from an Apple Store. From here, a customer with a reservation can purchase the Watch, or if they don't have a unit reserved, they can make a reservation or order via Apple's Online Store. Apple, at launch, won't have stock for customers without reservations, as we reported last week.
If a customer wants to try out the Apple Watch without going through the try-on and sales process, they will be able to use a new demo unit connected to an iPad mini. These demo units will be mobile and will be able to be used anywhere in the store. Additionally, customers who already know which Apple Watch they would like to purchase can buy one via a dedicated purchase station called the Landing Zone. Following the completion of the purchase, customers can access the Personal Setup station to setup the Watch, sync with their iPhone, fit bands, and install Apple Watch apps. We previously detailed how Apple will handle Apple Watch Edition sales and provide fashion advice to customers.
For more news on AAPL Company, Apple Store, and Apple watch continue reading at 9to5Mac.
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這部由前 HTC 團隊成員在今年 CES 上讓大家驚呆驚豔的 Gogoro Smartscooter 智慧雙輪電動車，在今天正式宣布要在熟悉的家鄉台灣開啟全球首個示範營運網，讓這個 100% 台灣製造的品牌產品能率先在本地開始測試服務。Gogoro 在今天的記者會上正式宣布，將會與台北市與新北市合作，將這款支援快速交換電池的智慧電動車的能源網路基礎建設，推廣至大台北通勤圈，並成立全球首座Gogoro 全球體驗中心（信義區威秀）。Gogoro 認為自己並不只是間電動車製造商，而是一間提供完整解決方... 多謝高登、感謝黃金，多年來的潮流電子產品，滋潤着所有香港人的精神生活。在香港大部份電腦場還在苟延殘喘之際，這裏的電子產品一哥地位，多年來仍屹立不倒！翻查香港電腦史，黃金與高登是香港最早出現的電腦主題商場，是從石頭爆出來的嗎？歷史非偶然，黃金與高登的發迹，原來從一部Apple II開始。
說黃金與高登歷史，不得不提老翻Apple II。Apple II可算是世界上首部走入家居的個人電腦，好多人初學電腦也由此機開始。在那些年，進口原裝機很困難，價格亦昂貴，所以衍生了老翻機，據維基百科的資料顯示，Apple II曾出現逾一百九十種複製機，香港當然有份。但何解在深水埗的黃金與高登出現？這涉及地理因素，話說深水埗鴨寮街是原子粒、電阻及電容等「電子零件」集散地，好多人會在這裏購入零件自行焊接擴音機、收音機及喇叭等高級音響，當Apple II熱潮衝擊香港時，這裏的電子零件，就組裝了第一台港版老翻Apple II。
想當年這類老翻Apple II為逃避法律與版權問題，多會改名Pineapple II，而裝載的OS會簡稱為AP II，由於鴨寮街的舖頭地方所限，所以多移師至新開業不久的黃金及高登商場，向顧客展示電腦的文書與打機功能，這其實帶點現代showroom概念。
老翻Apple II正確出現年期眾說紛紜，唯一舊文獻是一九八四年的一份德國雜誌《CHIP》，報道了一間名為「SUPER-8 COMPUTER」的電腦店開張賣翻版Apple II。賣老翻還敢張揚？實情是大家語言不通，店主好開心拍完照片，待報道刊登後才得悉自己中伏，據稱美國的蘋果電腦還跟據報道中刊登的卡片，致電香港查詢，詢問甚麼？對不起！都是言語不通，店主到今天都是不知情的。據雜誌刊登日期估算，老翻Apple II熱潮應在一九八四至一九八五年之間，約持續兩年，其間共開了十間「專賣店」。
想當年玩電腦的人可算非富則貴！一部64K RAM、24K ROM的老翻Apple II，索價二千一百元，再加四至五百元的單色橙/綠十二吋顯示屏及二百元一部的錄音機……為何需要錄音機，因為當年未有磁碟及手指等記憶體，如果想抄食鬼一類老翻遊戲，就要透過錄音帶作為儲存媒體了，所以全套合計是二千八百元。須知當年在腦場剛入職的銷售員月薪僅一千六百元，一般勞苦大眾更未達此數，但當年銷售量仍相當高，以SUPER-8 COMPUTER為例，日售近十台，而且還供不應求。
據知早期老翻Apple II的底板貨源來自台灣及日本，不過由於供貨運輸需時，所以有人在鴨寮街買零件自行組裝售賣。當中最出名的是一間名為「ABC」的香港供貨商，它以香港為基地，首年開設一千呎山寨廠，次年開設五千呎生產線，製造老翻Apple II，可見當年對老翻Apple II需求的殷切。
老翻禁無可禁，何以老翻Apple II只風行兩年這麼短？因為IBM PC出現了！此機打正「個人電腦」之名，機身有八條插槽，可加入顯示卡、聲效卡等不同功能，而且文書及打機能力表現更勝Apple II。
IBM PC王朝在八十年代中蓬勃，當年不少大公司以IBM PC取代打字機，香港真正的電腦年代由此開始。如果說老翻Apple II是黃金及高登的爆發點，那IBM PC則將黃金與高登推至頂峯！在老翻Apple II年代，賣電腦軟硬件的商舖到最後期約有二十間，約佔全商場租舖比率百分之十，到IBM PC年代，則提升至約四十間，約佔全商場租舖比率約百分之四十，何以比率上升如此大，因舖租隨電腦行業的興旺而上調，售賣其他貨品的商舖陸續遷出，在IBM PC進駐香港的第五年，電腦店已經強佔商場五成商舖，而且在極速的十年內，把黃金及高登變成純粹售賣電腦、電子商品的主題商場。
黃金與高登原本是綜合式購物商場，開初主力售賣男士服裝、牛仔褲及精品，五金用品、理髮店及曬相舖樣樣有齊，想看當年相片有難度！不過據場內「訊達科技」經理Terry聽老行專說，大家可翻查邵氏《毀滅號地車》，這是一九八三年上映的港產片，劉德華主演，現時在碟舖已非常難找，尾段殺科戲一場汽車追逐戰，一部mini就曾駛入黃金大廈商場地庫與地面商舖，更凌空飛出商場。
說起 Casio 的自拍相機，相信大家的腦海中第一台出現的裝置必然是 TR 系列的自拍神器了。該公司現在為了進一步追趕自拍的潮流，把旗下的 ZR 系列都加入各項自拍用的新功能，得出的就是今天抵達香港的三台新 ZR 相機產品：ZR3500、ZR2000 和 ZR50。三台雖然同是以自拍為主要賣點，但它們的風格和定位各異，符合不同要求的使用者。 ... 
Steve Jobs was a total narcissist. And that's a good thing. Photo: Ben Stanfield/Flickr CC
The new Steve Jobs biography, Becoming Steve Jobs, rests on the premise that Jobs' wilderness years outside Apple somehow helped turn a once-reckless co-founder into a seasoned leader.
Just how accurate the book's kinder, gentler portrayal of Steve actually is, is something that will be discussed over the coming days and weeks — but a new study from Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management backs up the idea that brash, narcissistic qualities can be a "net positive" for CEOs, so long as they are counterbalanced by an added dose of humility.
The study's illustration of the perfect mixture of these qualities? None other than Jobs himself.
Published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, the study defines narcissistic leaders as those who are self-centered, self-confident, and execute bold, disruptive strategies with their work rather than favoring the kind of incremental changes seen in other types of leader.
"However, the very traits that enable a leader to successfully launch a startup or enable a leader to emerge, can be the very traits — if not tempered — that cause a leader to derail," Bradley Owens, assistant professor of business ethics at BYU, notes.
This is pretty much exactly what happened to Jobs during his early years at Apple and NeXT, before a variety of setbacks caused him to re-evaluate his approach to business.
"Although Jobs was still seen as narcissistic, his narcissism appeared to be counterbalanced or tempered with a measure of humility, and it was this tempered narcissist who led Apple to be the most valuable company in the world," the study reads.
Humility is shown by leaders who admit their own mistakes and limitations and highlight the contributions of others. "[It] is not meant to replace strong or typical leadership characteristics, but rather complement them in an important way," Owens says.
Fortunately, unlike the kind of narcissistic traits that cause people to think in terms of disrupting and "putting a ding in the universe" (as Jobs himself said), humility is a trait that can be developed.
It's an interesting theory, which certainly fits better with the view of Steve Jobs presented in Becoming Steve Jobs than the uncompromising jerk portrayal of the late Apple CEO seen elsewhere. It was certainly a balance Jobs occasionally struggled to pull off, though, as seen from the time he dissed Jony Ive for showing something approaching this combination of traits.
Source: EurekAlert
Ten One Design has released an updated version of its drawing plug-in, Inklet, adding pressure-sensitive drawing on the new Force Touch trackpad in all Mac drawing apps, including Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture and Illustrator. The new trackpad was introduced by Apple on the 12-inch MacBook and 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.
This means MacBook owners with the new trackpad will enjoy enhanced, highly-accurate pressure sensitivity when drawing on the trackpad whether drawing with a stylus or with a finger.
Inklet for Mac adds an icon to your menubar that you click when you want to draw on your trackpad in your chosen app …
Ten One Design said that the Force Touch trackpad plus Inklet allows people to leave their external drawing tablets behind when working away from the office.
"I did a quiet fist-pump when the new trackpads were revealed," said Peter Skinner, a founder of Ten One Design. "They align perfectly with our vision for Inklet and mobile drawing without the hassle of external tablets."
The company offers the app only for $24.95, or bundles it with its Pogo stylus for $34.90, both available from tenonedesign.com.
Apple recently updated iMovie to add haptic feedback via the Force Touch trackpad.
For more information about Apps, MacBook, and MacBook Pro continue reading at 9to5Mac.
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Several years after Steve Jobs' untimely death, journalists — particularly ones who previously interviewed or covered Jobs — are still combing their archives for underreported facts or quotes that might justify new books on Apple's enigmatic CEO. Naturally, the overlap with earlier works is significant, as new authors repeatedly acknowledge leaning on Michael Moritz's (Return to) The Little Kingdom and Owen Linzmayer's Apple Confidential 2.0, among many others. But there's still an opportunity to bring new details to light, which is why Brent Schlender and Rick Tetzeli's Becoming Steve Jobs ($12+/Amazon, $13/iBookstore) exists. Over 400 pages in length, it aims primarily to set the record straight about one key facet of Jobs' life — he was a better man at age 56 than he was at 21 — but includes enough interesting anecdotes about Apple and Jobs' other pursuits to be worth reading.
Although Becoming Steve Jobs follows a mostly familiar storytelling arc, Schlender and Tetzeli's strengths come from two sources: direct access to Jobs from the mid-1980's until 2011, and interviews with major players conducted after Jobs' death. While their quotes tend to be short and in service of the larger narrative, the list of participating heavy hitters is non-trivial: Laurene Powell Jobs represents the Jobs family, alongside current Apple executives Tim Cook, Jony Ive and Eddy Cue, ex-Apple executives Jon Rubinstein, Tony Fadell, Katie Cotton, Fred Anderson and Avie Tevanian, Jobs' top ad men Regis McKenna and Lee Clow, Pixar's Ed Catmull and John Lasseter, Microsoft's Bill Gates, and Disney CEO Bob Iger. Given that access, it's perhaps not a surprise that the book paints a largely sympathetic portrait, but the authors also gave participants room to speak candidly about how Jobs' "sharp elbows" affected them personally and professionally…
Broadly, four topics are covered extensively in Becoming Steve Jobs:
Steve's evolution as a person. Discussed in more detail here, this is the central theme of the book and the key to its title: "everything, and every individual, is ceaselessly in the process of" evolving — "becoming" — rather than static, a fact that later media accounts of Jobs didn't fully capture. While the book never attempts to portray Jobs as a saint, it provides ample evidence to suggest that the brash, perpetually impatient young millionaire learned how to control his worst tendencies, eventually becoming a loving father and respected mentor. Early in the narrative, Jobs repeatedly micromanages and overloads projects to the point where they're all but impossible to sell, but over time, he's described by ex-retail executive Ron Johnson as the "best delegator I ever met," trusting key employees to execute on his visions. He remained obsessed with perfection and beauty until his death, but learned to chase those goals iteratively with Jony Ive:
Each product somehow fell short, which meant that the next version not only could be better but had to be better. Looking at their work this way, Steve turned the incremental development of products into an ongoing and impossible quest for perfection. What got left out of each product merely served as the basis for the next, improved edition.
Still, Jobs isn't spared criticism — albeit in a mostly concentrated manner within Chapter 16, "Blind Spots, Grudges, and Sharp Elbows" — for abandoning former friends to focus on growing Apple. As just one example, Fred Anderson, a self-described "Boy Scout" who Jobs once acknowledged as "the World's Greatest CFO," was left to twist in the wind when the SEC investigated backdated stock options Jobs received from the company. "Anderson deserved better treatment than he got from Steve and from Apple," the authors say, part of an alternating pattern of warmness and coldness that continued to cast clouds over other former Apple employees, as well.
Jobs' personal life, including family, friends, and enemies. One of the most emotional themes in the book is its discussion of Jobs' personal life, which the authors observed first hand during many years of bachelorhood and marriage. There are numerous tidbits about his friends and enemies, including his close friendship with Disney CEO Bob Iger and dislike of Iger's predecessor Michael Eisner, as well as his occasional interactions with frenemy Bill Gates, but the emotional core of Becoming Steve Jobs is his quest for a family.
After acknowledging the profound mistake Jobs made by denying the paternity of his daughter Lisa, the book suggests that Jobs felt the weight of that error — and having missed Lisa's birth — for years thereafter, making genuine efforts to repair his relationship with Lisa while becoming a loyal husband and father. Even Jobs watchers who recall his occasional late-night emails to customers probably didn't know that he made it a priority to be home for family dinners, continuing to work through the evening from his home computers, and took twice-annual vacations to spend time with his wife and children. In that context, it's heartbreaking to read Laurene Jobs' final tribute to her husband at his funeral:
"He proposed with a fistful of freshly picked wildflowers on a rainy New Year's Day. I said yes. Of course I said yes. We built our lives together. …Like my children, I lost my father when I was young. It was not what I wanted for myself; it is not what I wanted for them. But the sun will set and the sun will rise, and it will shine upon us tomorrow in our grief and our gratitude, and we will continue to live with purpose, memory, passion, and love."
His early professional life at Apple and his wilderness period with NeXT and Pixar. As spotlighted here, Becoming Steve Jobs has quite a few nuggets regarding Jobs' failures and successes with early Apple, NeXT, and Pixar, each of which fueled his evolution into one of the world's most admired CEOs. Few people will be surprised that the Apple II's approachable, appliance-like design was an influence on all later Apple products. But readers who didn't follow Jobs' career mightn't know that Louvre pyramid-designer I.M. Pei's floating staircase for NeXT's headquarters inspired similar work at Apple's retail stores, or that Pixar's initial flailing as a product company led to its reimagining as a producer of animated films — and Jobs becoming a billionaire. Schlender and Tetzeli appeared to have had their greatest period of direct access to Jobs during this time, crediting Pixar with reversing Jobs' fortunes and teaching him the value of collaborative, hands-off management.
Jobs' return to Apple, including its slower-than-remembered rebuilding and subsequent ascent. While Becoming Steve Jobs isn't objectively weak in its second half, and is buoyed in the middle by two very nice collections of photographs, there's no question that its coverage of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad isn't as deep as it could have been. One of the book's several major revelations, namely that Jobs and the Apple executive team hurriedly copied Bill Gates' January 2000 concept of connected consumer electronics for Apple's 2001-vintage Digital Hub strategy, follows a reminder that Apple remained on shaky ground despite Jobs' tentative return to and rebuilding of the company. Yet the company's recent successes are presented mostly in the context of some of their participants, and mixed with considerable discussion of Jobs' ongoing health concerns.
Apart from spotlighting Apple's once highly secretive acquisition of SoundJam as the basis for iTunes, little new is shared about the development of iTunes and the iPod, except to spotlight Eddy Cue's interesting role in crafting a brilliant microtransaction-processing system that enabled the iTunes Store's numerous 99-cent purchases. The iPhone, Apple's most significant current product, is most compellingly discussed in early prototype forms including a never-produced music player and an overambitious video and photo player that relied on an immature cellular data network, killing its viability. And very little is said about the iPad, beyond to note that Jobs was involved in its creation and early marketing, with the iPad 2's introductory ad as the last one he crafted before his death. If there's any major criticism of Becoming Steve Jobs, it's that this recent and critically important stretch of Apple's history is only modestly illuminated by the numerous primary sources who were interviewed for the book.
That issue, however, ignores the fact that Becoming Steve Jobs is more about the evolution of a man than the equally fascinating evolutions of his companies. To the extent that Schlender and Tetzeli have succeeded at covering all of these topics with unique material, the book will appeal to pretty much anyone with an interest in Jobs, Apple, NeXT, or Pixar. Like other good books that have been written about Jobs, it doesn't provide the definitive story of his life, but instead adds some new and interesting details that are worth considering alongside what was previously known. After reading Becoming Steve Jobs, it's clear that there are still compelling Apple and Jobs stories yet to come.
Becoming Steve Jobs has a cover price of $30, and can be purchased today through Amazon for $12 and up, or at Apple's iBookstore for $13.
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As the current Apple TV continues to add countless new and sometimes unfamiliar channels to the home screen, the out-of-the-box experience grows increasingly complex for new and existing users. The Apple TV home screen consists of colorful rectangles that represent various content providers for serving up entertainment over the Internet to your television, but actually finding something to watch can prove difficult and intimidating for even a seasoned Apple TV owner. Many of the channels require authenticating an active cable or satellite subscription to unlock full access while others are interest-specific likes sports or culture.
Apple TV's user interface is meant to simulate an iPhone or iPad home screen with apps being channels and the theme optimized for the living room, and you can customize the app arrangement on your Apple TV similarly to your other iOS devices. While you cannot explicitly delete channels from your Apple TV, you can rearrange or even hide all but the very top row of channels in a few short steps provided in this How-To guide.
Whether you're new to Apple TV or you've been using the streaming media box for years, these tips will help you wrangle the dozens of channels bundled into shape. When gifting or setting up an Apple TV to a non-technical friend or family member, I highly recommend taking into consideration which channels will be useful and which may not be. Follow up the process by sharing this tutorial or teaching them how to unhide existing channels or hide new channels in the future as Apple continues to add new partners.
Important to note before we jump in: Apple TV includes a dock-like row of channels that break out iTunes services into Movies, TV Shows, Music, iTunes Radio, and Computers (for Home Sharing content from iTunes on your Mac or PC). These channels are considered core to the Apple TV experience and cannot be rearranged or hidden. Additionally, the Settings app is required for adjusting preferences and managing the Apple TV; it can be rearranged anywhere below the top docked row of channels, but it cannot be hidden.
Rearranging the channel lineup is the easiest way to customize your Apple TV home screen to better serve your experience. This allows you to move the channels you actually use near the top of your home screen anywhere below the core channels mentioned in the previous section. New channels tend to plop themselves freely among your current arrangement when they come in, so you'll likely want to repeat this process as new content is added. There's also not much rhyme or reason to the standard Apple TV channel arrangement which makes remembering which channels are located a bit difficult without practice.
Aside from completely hiding unused channels to remove the clutter from the home screen which we'll discuss in the next section, my preference for arrangement tends to use an alphabetical system save for a few frequently used channels. If you can remember the channel name, you can easily decide whether it's higher or lower on your home screen. Alternatively, you may decide to organize channels in rows based on categories like news, sports, music, or movies and TV shows.
Using the included black and silver Apple TV Remote, you can move a channel by holding down the silver center button on a highlighted icon. This will prompt the icon to animate in a wobbling motion signaling that you've selected it for an action. Using the black ring D-Pad on the Apple TV Remote, you can now move the selected channel left, right, up, or down. Clicking the silver center button once more will save the channel's location on your home screen when you decide its place. This allows you to move channels between rows and columns in the arrangement that best suits you. The same technique can be used with the Remote app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and likely the Apple Watch when it debuts next month.
While rearranging channels can help with moving your favorite channels higher on your home screen and demoting unused channels to the lonely depths of the fourth or fifth row, hiding channels is ultimately the most effective way to remove clutter from your Apple TV home screen. Limiting the channel lineup to the core six channels plus a half dozen more offers a refreshing experience relative to the overwhelming out-of-the-box grid of rectangles we're all familiar with. You can even go to the extreme of easily hiding all but the docked channels and Settings app then add channels back as you notice the need for more content.
My personal preference includes displaying a few apps that have quality free content that interests me or channels where I have an active subscription for service. Authenticating my cable subscription isn't supported by most of the channels and many wouldn't be of interest even if they were completely free so hiding these is an easy decision. The result is a sleeker, more personalized home screen resembling the early iPhone that even visiting friends and family can recognize and navigate.
There are two methods to hiding channels from your Apple TV home screen. If you just want to hide one or two channels, you can do this quickly from the home screen. Select a channel by holding down the Apple TV Remote's center silver button until the icon jiggles. The next step is a little less obvious, although the Apple TV briefly presents a banner with a hint: press the Play/Pause button to activate a model sub-menu of options when a selected icon is animated. The current menu has only two options: 'Hide This Item' or 'Cancel'. Selecting the former option will do just what it says, and your home screen will no longer present the hidden channel. This process is fine if you're quickly hiding a channel or two, but there's a faster method that you'll want to know for the next section, restoring channels, as well.
Moved to a less buried location on Apple TV last September alongside the release of iOS 8.0, the Settings app now contains an easy-to-find Main Menu section for choosing which channels are visible and which are hidden. Previously, this menu was located under the Restrictions menu. The list is alphabetical (thoughtful, right?) so you can quickly jump through the 60 and counting channels without having to hunt, and the channel icon is presented left of the channel title so you know exactly what you're hiding or unhiding. This process is simple: click the channel title to hide a visible channel and the status label will change from 'Show' to 'Hide'. The status label is a little confusing once you start toggling because Show and Hide, for me at least, but here's the rule: a channel is hidden if the label says Hide, and a channel is visible (by default) if the label says Show.
You may change your mind about hiding a channel or want to restore a mistakingly hidden channel that you meant to keep. While there is no way to do this directly from the home screen, the process is as simple as hiding a channels from the Main Menu section in the Settings channel. Find the channel within the list and click it to toggle its state from hidden to visible. Hiding and restoring a channel is harmless and will not sign you out of any services as the Apple TV isn't actually deleting any information.
Now that you know how to personalize your Apple TV home screen and remove any channels that you may never watch, your Apple TV should feel as new as the day you bought it … unless you bought it recently and opened the box to the 60+ channels offered on the home screen in which case your new, simpler home screen is better than new.
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