iOS 9 Beta 5 On iPhone 6: Nearing The Home Stretch

As September draws ever nearer, so does the expected release date of Apple’s new iPhones and long with them iOS 9. It’s a tried and tested pattern for Apple to follow, with new iPhones bringing with them a big new release of iOS and this time is no different. Up to the ninth iteration, iOS is now maturing with features being added and existing ones being tweaked. If you own an iPad or an iPhone, then iOS 9 is going to be of big interest to you.
As with all of Apple’s big software releases, iOS 9 is currently in the midst of a beta program, with developers and some of the general public getting the opportunity to test the software as it moves through the development process. I’ve been testing iOS 9 myself since its first beta release, and it’s fair to say that this iteration is Apple’s best. We’ve already covered the individual changes that have arrived in this fifth beta release, and I expect to see a few more before the final version is ready for prime time.

As with all beta programs, iOS 9 has seen its fair share of show stopping bugs, and with iOS 9 beta 5 these appear to have been ironed out. Performance seems to have improved significantly in this release compared to beta 4. Battery life is as stable as iOS 8 has been for me, and I’ve yet to experience any of the network connectivity dropouts that plagued earlier releases of the beta. My iPhone 6 hasn’t needed any restarts in general either, which is streets ahead of where iOS 9 beta 3 and beta 4 was. It’s more stable, it’s more responsive and as lofty as it may sound, it feels less…..beta. If it wasn’t for some apps crashing on launch – not Apple’s fault, not the app’s developer’s fault, just a fact of beta life – then you could almost be forgiven for thinking this is a shipping version of iOS.
Having used iOS 9 beta 5 for the weekend, it is clear that Apple is starting to lock things down before new iPhones and of course iOS 9 itself arrive in September. I’d expect to see at least two new beta releases before the final version is ready, but if the last few days are anything to go by then Apple is already starting to add some polish to the software that we will all be using come late-September time.

You may also like to check out:

• iOS 9 Beta 5: Here Are All The New Features And Changes
• Download iOS 9 Beta 5 And Install On iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 5s, 5c, 5, 4S, iPad, iPod touch [Tutorial]

Read More

Windows 10 Product Key And Activation: How To Find It And How It Works

Here’s everything you need to know about how to find your Windows 10 product key and how activation works on free upgraded versus new retail copies of Windows 10.
Whether you used Microsoft’s free Windows 10 upgrade offer or got a new license off retail, MSDN and the likes, here’s what you need to know about Windows 10 product keys and activation process.

Windows 10 free upgrade product key and activation:
If you upgraded your PC to Windows 10 from a genuine copy of either Windows 8/8.1 or Windows 7, your license will be tied to the hardware you upgrade on, not your Microsoft account, and you won’t get any new product key either. You can verify this using any third-party product key fetching software like ProduKey or The Ultimate PID Checker. They will show you generic product keys like TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99 for Windows 10 Home and VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T for Windows 10 Pro edition.
So what if you want to clean install Windows 10 on the same machine? Yes you can do that by downloading an ISO file, turning it into a USB drive or DVD media and then running the setup for clean install. During install, when Windows setup asks you for product key, simply skip the step and let it complete the installation. Once Windows 10 clean install is complete, your copy of Windows will activate automatically as soon as you connect to Internet. This is because Microsoft knows you clean installed on the same hardware. You can always check your activation status from either Settings (WinKey+I) > Update & security > Activation:

or from Control Panel > System and Security > System:

Now if down the road you decide to change the hardware, you will need to call Microsoft support, inform them about the change to get your copy activated.

• How To Create Bootable Windows 10 USB Flash Drive [Guide]
• Download Windows 10 Pro ISO File Without Product Key From Microsoft
• How To Clean Install Windows 10 On Your PC The Right Way [Guide]

The TL;DR version of this is: If you used Windows 10 free upgrade option, you won’t get a unique product key. Your license will be tied to the hardware you upgraded Windows 10 on, not your Microsoft account. Clean installs will activate automatically as long as they are done on the same hardware.
Windows 10 retail product key and activation:
If you bought retail license of Windows 10, or got a product key either from MSDN, DreamSpark, TechNet and the likes, you obviously have a unique product key that you can enter in Windows setup during clean installations. In case you lose this number, you can use third-party softwares like ProduKey (download from here) to find it on an existing installation.

You may also like to check out:

• How To Download And Install Windows 10 Free Upgrade [Tutorial]
• Force Download Windows 10 Free Upgrade Right Now, Here’s How [Tutorial]

Read More

Set Default Finder Window Size In Mac OS X, Here’s How

Finder is undoubtedly one of the most commonly used applications within Mac OS X. Finder affords you the ability to navigate through all of the files and folders that are stored on your machine. It’s the app that lets you browse installed apps, connected drives and folders in a way that best suits your needs and visual tastes. It’s also the app that lets you organize things how you want. While it’s extremely powerful, it can be equally annoying to work with, often displaying serious inconsistencies with launch behavior. We’re going to take a look at how to solve Finder’s launch size issues.
It’s generally not the end of the world when you open a Finder window and it decides to resize itself however it wants. Sometimes it’s huge and consumes the screen, and at time it’s so tiny that it requires user interaction to resize it and actually find the files and folders hidden within. Not the end of the world, but extremely annoying nevertheless when it happens every time. There’s a handy little tip that seems to trick OS X into launching Finder with a consistent size attached to it, so let’s jump right into the simple step-by-step.

Step 1: Launch a Finder window and prepare to be amazed at the random size that it chooses. Using the normal methods, set the Finder window to your own preferred size.
Step 2: Close all open windows by holding down CMD+Option+W and clicking the Close button in the top-left corner.
Step 3: Now, hold down the Option key on the Mac keyboard and right-click on the Finder icon.
Step 4: Select the Relaunch option from the contextual menu that appears.

It seems a little bizarre that given that we are currently in the middle of a beta testing phase for Apple’s next major release of OS X, El Capitan 10.11, that relatively minor but hugely annoying bugs like this have been allowed to remain ever present on the platform. Still, the mysterious Finder sizing issue is always going to be one of those polarizing niggles that will frustrate and anger some people while other users won’t even notice that a problem exists. If you fall into the former category, then there’s now one less thing to be frustrated about.

Read More

iTunes Won’t Install On Windows 10? Here’s How To Fix It

Windows 10 may have been publicly available since the end of July but it’s only now that we’re starting to see the full corporate might of Microsoft ramping into gear. The push to get as many users as possible installing and interacting with Windows 10 has begun with advertising campaigns appearing on television, print, and radio. Windows 10 is here, and Microsoft wants you using it; that much is clear. However, what’s also clear is that as time progresses, and as more individuals dig deeper into Windows 10, more problems are beginning to appear. The latest issue appears to be with those trying to install latest version of Apple’s iTunes on Windows 10.
A number of disgruntled users have been voicing their concerns, complaining of very similar installation issues when trying to get up and running with iTunes on Windows 10.

It seems that as part of the installation process the platform is regurgitating errors such as “An error occurred during the installation of assembly Microsoft… HRESULT: 0x80073715″. In addition to those intra-installation issues some users are also receiving alerts, informing them that “Apple application support was not found (Windows error 2)” and Apple Mobile Device Service failed to start when the app is launched.

Now even if you try and run the whole process in Administrator mode, with and without a firewall, disable running anti-virus software, it still likely won’t work. But fear not, as there is a way to resolve this issue. Turns out, Apple’s standard download page on apple.com/iTunes maybe providing you with wrong file installation file which is not suitable for your version of Windows 10. Rather than download it from iTunes page, get the installer directly off Apple’s servers tailored for your version of Windows 10.

• iTunes 12.2.1.16 for Windows (32-bit): iTunesSetup.exe
• iTunes 12.2.1,16 for Windows (64-bit): iTunes6464Setup.exe
• iTunes 12.2.1.16 for Windows (64-bit – for older video cards): itunes64setup.exe

If you have a 64-bit Windows 10 and are having issues installing iTunes, simply download iTunes 12.2.1.16 for Windows (64-bit – for older video cards) directly from the link given above. This particular version of iTunes should most definitely fix your problem.
In addition to solving the reported issue it also seems to resolve a number of issues that were being experienced down the line, such as QuickTime compatibility, playback and interaction with other third-party applications installed on the machine, and more. This version does not exactly offer the best user-experience, but at least it works.

You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.

Read More

iPhone 6s Vs iPhone 6: New Leak Compares Display Assembly On Video

With the iPhone 6s launch near imminent next month, we’re witnessing a surge in image and video leaks of Apple’s upcoming smartphone. The latest to be making rounds on the Internet is an extremely close-up look at the September-bound smartphone’s display assembly, being compared to the one on the iPhone 6, all caught on video.
We’ve seen quite a few leaks in the past few weeks regarding the iPhone 6s, including the display assembly, but never got to see the details this close. As can be seen in the video embedded below, both parts look the same in the first instance here but there are quite a few minor changes going around. Apparently, that tiny gray colored rectangular thing on the panel is part of the Force Touch technology. We can’t be sure, but that’s what MacManiack believes, who managed to get a hold of the new assembly.

The company is a reseller of Apple parts, and points out a few other intricacies within the iPhone 6s assembled display that differ from the current iPhone 6, but to general consumers these changes don’t matter much do they? What does matter however, is its thickness, and behold; if this indeed is the display assembly for the iPhone 6s, it is as thick as the one on the iPhone 6. This potentially debunks the entire speculation that Apple would opt for a thicker display owing to the Force Touch tech.

Since the dimensions of the two iPhone displays are identical, the iPhone 6s may just measure up to the existing iPhone 6, as had been speculated over and over again. The FaceTime camera and proximity sensor have not moved at all either, and we can safely assume that the mic and speaker will stay housed at their original location as well.
The ‘s’ moniker has always remained true to its history, with Apple usually churning out the year older iPhone design with a bumped up CPU and camera, but with Force Touch on the cards, it could very well be breaking that tradition. A recent report has suggested that the iPhone 6 may be announced on the 9th of September, with an all new A9 CPU, a 12MP rear-facing camera, Force Touch, and more.
For more details, here’s the video.

Read More

Leaked Render Shows iPad mini 4 Will Be As Thin As iPad Air 2 [Video]

Another day is upon us and we have yet another leaked set of 3D CAD files that purportedly show one of Apple’s upcoming hardware products. A number of reports over the last few weeks have suggested that the fourth-generation iPad mini will fall in line visually with the current iPad flagship model, the iPad Air 2. This change would involve in reduction in thickness from 7.5mm to 6.1mm. The latest 3D CAD files to make an appearance on the web seem to support that speculation by showing a device that measures in at just 6.13mm in thickness and looks a lot like its bigger brother.
A video of the CAD render has made its way online thanks to the @onleaks Twitter account that comes equipped with a fairly commendable record of predicting the future of Apple products. It’s also notable that KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an equally formidable prediction record, has recently gone on record as stating that his company also believes that Apple will bring the next-generation iPad mini more in line with the iPad Air 2. This progression would extend to the technical specification of the device as well as the overall aesthetics and form factor.

There’s no denying that an overhaul of the iPad mini exterior to match that of the slender iPad Air 2 would be welcomed by potential consumers. Speculation is also suggesting that Apple has plans to integrate the same forward-facing 8-megapixel camera that is found in its current flagship iPad, as well as improving the Retina display with an anti-glare coating for those who love to read and interact with content when out and about. Of course, this is all hypothetical and actually relies on the leaked CAD render being an official Apple creation.

Additional conjecture pertaining to Apple’s miniature 7.9-inch iPad suggests that we could welcome it into our lives during the month of October, based on the three previous generational releases. The device could potentially come equipped with Apple’s powerful A8 processor, as well as 2GB of RAM which should give it a significant performance increase over its predecessor. With a number of different sources all saying the same thing, it’s pretty much nailed on that the fourth-generation iPad mini will be one to keep an eye on.
Here’s the CAD render on video!

Read More

iPhone 6s Will Put An End To Bendgate Once And For All, Here’s The Proof [Video]

The measure of any company exists in how it handles and grows from any mistakes that have been made in the past. Apple, who has found itself in the middle of multiple consumer controversies since launching the iPhone back in 2007, is said to have learned from last year’s “Bendgate” scandal with the hope of it never being repeated again, that’s according to Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy.
Hilsenteger has a vested interest in this year’s iPhone 6s launch. Especially when it comes to determining if the Cupertino based company has managed to learn and grow from the mistakes it made last year with the construction of the current iPhone 6. He was the individual who is famed with starting “Bendgate” after managing to bend an iPhone 6 Plus using nothing but his bare hands and human might.

After getting his hands on a rear backplate – part of construction of the upcoming iPhone 6s, Hilsenteger is keen to point out that Apple has made a number of key structural changes to the design of the device to prevent the same issues from occurring. A comparison between the leaked backplate of iPhone 6s, courtesy of Sonny Dickson, and the rear of the current iPhone 6 shows that Apple appears to have strengthened the internal walls of the case. A number of location changes for screws has also helped to make the iPhone 6s a much stronger, more resilient device that should be resistant to the type of damage that we’ve previously seen occur.

 iPhone 6

A number of previous reports have pretty much confirmed this finding by suggesting that Apple is extremely keen to introduce a new aluminum bond into the structural make-up of the iPhone 6s. The Apple Watch Sport version uses a 7000 series aluminum that Apple has been waxing lyrical about in the pursuit of proving its strength. It’s this same type of aluminum that is supposedly set to make an appearance come September when the iPhone 6s is expected to land on the store shelves. Apple is clearly keen to prevent anything like the “bendgate” scandal from happening again, although it could be argued that a lot more was actually made of the issue than should have been.

 iPhone 6s

It seems that Apple is leaving no stone unturned as it attempts to break the records with the number of 6s units shipped during the holiday season.
For more details, check out the video.

Read More