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Apple Releases iOS 8.0.1 [Update: Pulled]

A week after the launch of iOS 8, Apple has released the first update to the new OS – iOS 8.0.1. Available now through software update, iOS 8.0.1 fixes a number of bugs including an issue that prevented HealthKit apps from working correctly and a problem that caused custom keyboards to become deselected after entering a passcode.

iOS 8.0.1 also improves Reachability on the new iPhone 6, fixes a bug that disabled file uploads in Safari, and brings better support for the Ask to Buy feature in Family Sharing.

iOS 8.0.1 can be downloaded now from iTunes or software update on an iOS device.

Update: Following reports of iOS 8.0.1 causing issues with broken cellular connections and Touch ID on some iPhone models, Apple has pulled the update and instructed affected users to restore through iTunes.

One Week After iOS 8, Developers Comment on App Bundles

With the release of iOS 8 last week, Apple launched app bundles, a new way for users to buy up to 10 apps from the same developer with a single purchase at a discounted price.

Officially introduced at WWDC 2014 as a feature of the new iTunes Connect, bundles mark a significant change for Apple’s App Store since its opening in 2008: for the first time, developers can market their apps through discounts that can be configured in iTunes Connect rather than organize independent promotions based on price drops; from a user’s perspective, app bundles are reminiscent of Apple’s Complete My Album feature of the iTunes Store.

Shortly after the debut of iOS 8, Apple created a special App Store page showcasing popular bundles for apps, games, and apps for kids. Bundles are easy to spot on the App Store: like folders on iOS, a bundle’s icon is a container of apps inside the bundle, showing a preview of the first four apps included in the bundle; a special badge indicates the number of apps in the bundle; and, only paid apps from the same developer can be part of a bundle – you won’t be able to find games from EA and Ubisoft or apps from Readdle and Runtastic in the same bundle. Since last week, Apple has been heavily promoting productivity bundles from Readdle and Pixite, games from Square Enix and Disney, and apps by Toca Boca and Diptic.

Following the launch of bundles, I’ve been talking to several developers who collected some of their apps in bundles, gauging their reactions to this new feature of the iOS 8 App Store and their thoughts on Apple’s promotional push so far.

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iPhone 6 Camera Compared to Previous iPhone Cameras→

Lisa Bettany:

In the past seven years, each new advancement in iPhone camera technology has made dramatic improvements to image quality. The iPhone 6 is no different. Besides being faster to shoot and easier to focus, the images taken with the iPhone 6 camera show greater detail and are significantly better in low-light.

In this follow-up post to my iPhone 4s and iPhone 5 comparisons, I present an 8 iPhone comparison from all iPhone versions taken with Camera+ including, the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, and the new iPhone 6 in a variety of situations to test the camera’s capabilities.

Great compilation. Check out the lowlight and backlit galleries to really get the differences.

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How Time-Lapse Mode in iOS 8 Works→

Cool findings by Studio Neat, makers of Frameographer:

What Apple means by “dynamically selected intervals” is they are doubling the speed of the time-lapse and taking half as many pictures per second as the recording duration doubles. Sounds complex, but it’s actually very simple.

Make sure to check out the table with numbers and the videos. In typical Apple fashion, the default solution is clever and simple, leaving room for third-party apps to offer more.

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Apple Airs New iPhone 6 Commercials – “Huge” and “Cameras”

Apple aired two new iPhone commercials last night, showcasing the new size of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus as well the improved cameras on both devices.

Narrated by Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake, the ads are called “Huge” and “Cameras”. In the first ad, Fallon tries to explain the additions to the new iPhones with Timberlake simply remarking that they’re “huge”. In the second ad, they go into more detail about new features such as time-lapse mode, Slo-Mo at 240 fps, and image stabilization, showing various parts of iOS 8’s UI from the Camera and Photos apps.

Apple announced yesterday that 10 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units were sold over the opening weekend, a new record for the company. You can watch both ads below.

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Evernote 5.6 for Mac→

Evernote released version 5.6 of their Mac app today. Hidden behind a seemingly minor update is a series of important changes to the desktop app that make it faster to sync and that bring welcome new features not available in Evernote for iOS.

The Evernote blog has the details, but, to sum up, I’ve found Evernote 5.6 (public beta testing started a few months ago) to be faster and more reliable than before both in terms of sync and startup times. I’ve seen less conflicted copies of notes (they used to be a problem in shared notebooks) and there’s a ton of other fixes and improvements in the note editor. For instance, images can now be resized and checkboxes are larger and easier to click.

Two of my favorite changes include an easier way to create tables inside notes…

…and the ability to look for specific notes with Spotlight. Here’s how an Evernote search looks like in Yosemite:

Combined with version 7.5 for iOS (which added a great share extension), it’s been a good month for Evernote on Apple platforms. I like that the company is making good on their promise of improving their apps throughout 2014.

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iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus for One-Handed Use→

Georgia and Rene have made the best video about one-handed use for the new iPhones I’ve seen to date. Short, practical examples (replace the Starbucks cup with an espresso in my case), and I’ve finally seen what Reachability looks like in motion.

For someone with relatively big hands, this gives me hope:

The iPhone 6 holds up relatively well. Even with my tiny hands I can still walk, type, and drink effectively. I do have to alter my grip slightly, in the same way I had to alter it when I went from the iPhone 4s to iPhone 5, but it remains extremely doable. Part of that is the thinner, rounder body, which is larger than the iPhone 5 but lighter even than the iPhone 4s. So, it might take some getting used to, and you might have to give your brain a few days to wire in new habits, but you you be just fine.

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