Apple's Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro: Everything You Need to Know
The Magic Keyboard is similar in design to Apple's prior Smart Keyboard Folio for the iPad Pro, but there are some unique design elements worth noting.
The keyboard itself attaches magnetically and wraps around the front and back of the iPad and it is flush with the iPad when closed, but when open, the back part of the keyboard case angles forward to attach to the area in front of the keyboard, leaving the iPad Pro floating in the air above the keyboard portion.
In this floating position, the iPad Pro is secured to the case using a magnetic connection. A cantilevered hinge allows the iPad Pro to be adjusted to various viewing angles. When closed, the Magic Keyboard offers front and back protection for the iPad Pro.
The design of the Magic Keyboard does not allow it to be flipped around to the back of the iPad Pro for a sketching or drawing mode. Using the iPad Pro outside of a standard laptop mode requires the Magic Keyboard to be removed.
Weight
The new Magic Keyboard is heavier than the iPad Pro itself, which is something to consider before purchasing. The 12.9-inch version of the Magic Keyboard weighs 710 grams (1.6 pounds), heavier than the 641 grams (1.41 pounds) of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Combined, that's just about three pounds, which is heavier than a MacBook Air and close to the weight of a 13-inch MacBook Pro.
The Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch Magic Keyboard weights 601 grams (1.3 pounds), while the 11-inch iPad Pro weighs 471 grams (1.04 pounds), so the 11-inch keyboard is heavier than the 11-inch iPad Pro, but the combined weight doesn't make the setup heavier than a MacBook.
Trackpad
The trackpad on the Magic Keyboard is located below the keys, much like on a MacBook. It's smaller than the trackpad on a MacBook, but works in much the same way, allowing navigation throughout iPadOS with swipes, gestures, and taps.
Keys and Key Feel
The Magic Keyboard is a full-size keyboard that uses the same scissor switch mechanism that Apple has implemented in the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro and the 2020 MacBook Air.
Scissor switches are more reliable than the butterfly switches that Apple was using in prior keyboards, with the butterfly switches prone to failure due to dust and other small particulates.
The scissor mechanism offers 1mm of travel for a quiet but responsive typing experience that Apple says is the best typing experience ever on an iPad. Compared to the Smart Keyboard Folio that does not have a trackpad, the keys on the Magic Keyboard offer a more satisfying press thanks to the 1mm of travel.
The keys on the Magic Keyboard are backlit and the brightness adjust based on the ambient lighting in the room.
Trackpad Gestures
Apple designed a unique trackpad experience built for a touch-first interface for the iPad, introducing support for multi-touch gestures and the cursor.
When using the trackpad, the cursor displays on the iPad Pro's screen as a circle, a design Apple chose because it looked similar to the tip of a finger. The cursor displays only when the trackpad is touched and is in use, and it fades away when not in use.
The Magic Keyboard works across iPadOS, with the cursor transforming when there are elements on the display that can be interacted with. The experience of using the trackpad is similar to using a trackpad on Mac, and it feels just as natural as it does on a Mac.
Wed Apr 29, 2020
Apple to Pay $18 Million to Settle California Lawsuit Claiming Apple 'Broke' FaceTime on Older iPhones to Save Costs
Apple has agreed to pay $18 million to settle a California class-action lawsuit that accused it of intentionally breaking FaceTime in iOS 6 to force users to upgrade to iOS 7.
According to the lawsuit, originally filed in 2017, Apple forced users to upgrade so it could avoid payments on a data deal with Akamai.
Apple used two connection methods when it launched FaceTime in 2010: a peer-to-peer method that created a direct connection between two iPhones, and a relay method that used data servers from content delivery network company Akamai Technologies.
Apple's peer-to-peer FaceTime technology was found to infringe on VirnetX's patents in 2012, however, so the company began to shift toward the relay method, which used Akamai's servers. Within a year, Apple was paying $50 million in fees to Akamai, according to testimony from the VirnetX trial.
Apple eventually solved the problem by creating new peer-to-peer technology that would debut in iOS 7. The class-action lawsuits, however, alleged that Apple created a fake bug that caused a digital certificate to prematurely expire on April 16, 2014, breaking FaceTime on iOS 6.
The lawsuit claimed that breaking FaceTime in iOS 6 allowed Apple to save money because it would no longer need to support users who did not upgrade to iOS 7.
According to Law360.com, Apple agreed to settle the case with the $18 million payout, although the majority of the money will go to paying attorney fees and expenses, with only a fraction going to the class action's representatives and claimants.
A court in Florida dismissed a similar consumer lawsuit earlier this year alleging Apple broke FaceTime on older iPhones to save costs.
Sun May 22, 2016
Siri for Mac’s Colorful Waveform Dock Icon Revealed Ahead of OS X 10.12 Unveiling
Rumors have indicated Siri integration will be one of the key features coming in OS X 10.12, and new screenshots of a Siri menu bar and Siri app icon suggest Apple is indeed working on bringing Siri to the Mac in its 2016 operating system update. The screenshots were shared with MacRumors by a source who has provided us with reliable information about Apple's software plans in the past.
In the menu bar, there's a simple Siri black and white icon that features the word "Siri" surrounded by a box, while the full dock icon is more colorful and features a colorful Siri waveform in the style of other built-in app icons. Clicking on either of the icons brings up a Siri waveform to give users a visual cue that the virtual assistant is listening for commands, much like on iOS devices when the Home button is held down.
In addition to accessing Siri through these two buttons, a hands-free "Hey Siri" activation command is also supported. "Hey Siri" is an option that's disabled by default at the current time, but it can be turned on in the Preferences menu.
Siri integration in the Mac is still in the early stages of development, but the assistant will presumably be able to answer many of the same queries and perform many of the same tasks it can on iOS devices - opening apps, conducting web searches, controlling HomeKit, sending text messages, reading emails, setting calendar events, and more.
Because work on Siri is far from complete, there's a chance these icons could be tweaked between now and when the feature is introduced as part of OS X 10.12 at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. The Menu Bar icon in particular looks like it could be a placeholder icon, with a finalized design, perhaps depicting a microphone or waveform, to come in the future. Apple has also been known to shelve expected features at the last minute if work is not complete and up to the company's standards.
WWDC is set to take place from June 13 to June 17, with a keynote event scheduled for Monday, June 13, which is where we'll see our first glimpse of OS X 10.12 and iOS 10.
Sun Nov 15, 2015
iPad Pro Tidbits: A9X Outperforms MacBook, Apple Pencil is Weighted, T-Mobile Financing and More
Apple released the iPad Pro on the Apple Online Store and at select Apple Retail Stores and resellers earlier today, and we have rounded up some interesting facts and news announcements surrounding the 12.9-inch tablet.
iPad Pro Delivers Notebook-Level Performance
MacBook-iPad-Pro
Geekbench results show that the iPad Pro's A9X processor is a dual-core chip running at about 2.25 GHz, as reported by Ars Technica.
The A9X chip had a 3,233 single-core score and 5,498 multi-score score in browser-based CPU tests, outperforming the iPad Air 2 and other recent iPhones and iPads by a significant margin.
iPad Pro also outperformed the 12-inch Retina MacBook, equipped with an Intel Core M dual-core processor clocked at 1.1 to 1.2 GHz, but the A9X chip's CPU performance falls short of devices like the 2015 MacBook Air and Surface Pro 4 with Intel's latest Broadwell or Skylake U-series processors.
The iPad Pro's GPU performance is much more impressive, with GFXBench OpenGL test results showing the A9X chip outperformed the 2015 15" Retina MacBook Pro with Intel Iris 5200 integrated graphics, in addition to the 12-inch MacBook, 2015 MacBook Air, 2015 13" Retina MacBook Pro, Surface Pro 4 and all recent iPads.
We’re looking at MacBook Air-class CPU performance and MacBook Pro-class GPU performance, so the iPad Pro ought to be able to handle more multitasking features with aplomb as Apple sees fit to add them. Professional 3D apps like AutoCAD and the Complete Anatomy app Apple showed off in September all seem to run just fine, too.
Sat Nov 14, 2015
Microsoft to release Quantum Computing Simulator to the public, letting you explore the future on your laptop
Microsoft today made its LIQUi|> (Language-Integrated Quantum Operations) simulator available to the masses, letting virtually anyone with a modern laptop or desktop explore the capabilities of quantum computing.
Researchers believe that with quantum computing, super complex problems that would take our most powerful computers eons to complete, could be completed with ease.
According to a blog post on blogs.microsoft.com:
The researchers are hoping that, using LIQUi|>, computer scientists at Microsoft and other academic and research institutions will be able to perfect the algorithms they need to efficiently use a quantum computer even as the computers themselves are simultaneously being developed.
At this point in time most of the ideas as far as the capabilities of quantum physics are theoretical, but this simulator brings up one step closer to making it a reality.
If any of our readers are interested in getting their hands on the LIQUi|> software suite, you can download it HERE
Thur Mar 21, 2015
Apple Watch Apple's long rumored wearable
AT A GLANCE
Apple's Watch is designed to be both fashionable and functional, available in an array of different color and materials with six different types of watch straps that are easily interchangeable. Prices for the device, which will be available for pre-order and in-store previews on April 10 ahead of an April 24 launch, start at $349 and go as high as $17,000.
SPECS
Two sizes: 38mm and 42mm Options: Stainless Steel, Silver Aluminum, 18-Karat Yellow Gold, Space Black Stainless Steel, Space Gray Aluminum, and 18-Karat Rose Gold S1 processor Starting at $349 for Watch Sport, $549 for Watch, and $10,000 for Watch Edition April 24 Launch
Thur Mar 20, 2015
New Apple TV Set Top Will Debut This Summer With App Store, Siri
As for the new Apple TV box itself, expect an updated design and new innards: the company’s latest A8 system-on-chip — or a variant of it: a dramatic increase in on-board storage to accommodate app — well beyond the 8GB in the current device; and an improved operating system that will support Siri voice control of Apple TV, and enable it remotely for a selection of Homekit-enabled home automation devices, as earlier reports have suggested. Presumably it will also feature a new remote.
No word yet on price, though it will obviously be more than the current Apple TV, which recently had its price trimmed to $69 from $99 to make room for its successor. Note that Apple’s Web site now lists the device as “starting at $69.”
Thur Mar 19, 2015
Microsoft Band: tour of Microsoft's new 'smart' wearable
Late last night, Microsoft in a surprise move announced the Band, a new health and fitness wearable that includes a heart rate monitor, UV sensor, Cortana integration and a gorgeous color touch display.
Perhaps even more impressive, the $199 is available today from Microsoft Stores and online. Stock is limited and, unfortunately, the Band is U.S. only for now as Microsoft tests out the waters.
I can only speculate on how this will compete against Apple's version of the smart watch, the iWatch.
Fri Apr 18,2014
Alleged iPad Air 2 Front Panel with Integrated Display Shown in New Photos
Following the leak of an alleged iPhone 6 front panel earlier this week, the iPad is now getting its turn with a pair of photos showing what is said to be a front panel for the next-generation iPad Air, shared by Dutch site One More Thing [Google Translate]. Notably, the part appears to include an integrated display in contrast to the separate panel and display parts used on the current model. A move to an integrated front panel/display would reduce overall thickness, potentially allowing Apple to further slim down the iPad Air or make room for other components such as a slightly larger battery.
ipad_air_2_panel_back
MacRumors spoke with iFixit co-founder Kyle Wiens, who noted that the assembly could indeed be legitimate and use a manufacturing process similar to that seen on the Retina MacBook Pro. The move to an integrated panel/display would increase repair costs, but ease of repair has not been a particularly major focus for Apple and the company already uses an integrated display on the iPhone.
ipad_air_2_panel_front
The next-generation iPad Air is expected to launch later this year, with notable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicting that upgraded iPad Air and Retina iPad mini models will debut in the third quarter of this year and adopt the Touch ID system introduced on the iPhone 5s last year.
To see my old news click HERE