Fitbit adds automatic exercise tracking for Surge and Charge HR

Fitbit Charge HR and Surge users no longer need to worry about whether they’ve remembered to log a workout beforehand.

With a new software update, both fitness wearables can record exercises automatically. The so-called SmartTrack feature can discern some specific activities such as biking, running, and the elliptical without any input. Other activities are filed into broader categories such as sports (covering basketball and tennis, for instance) and aerobics (for cardio-kickboxing, Zumba, and dance classes).

Users can set up SmartTrack through Fitbit’s companion app, defining the type of activities they want to track automatically, and how much active time it should take before Fitbit starts counting. By default, Fitbit triggers exercise mode after 15 minutes.

Apple gains US smartphone share in August at expense of Android, Samsung

The latest statistics from analytics firm comScore reveal Apple continued to chip away at Android's smartphone marketshare in the U.S. for the three-month period ending in August, while iPhone moved further away from second place Samsung.

iPhone 6s pushes iOS 9 adoption to 57% after 3 weeks of availability

According to Apple's latest statistics, iOS 9 is now installed on 57 percent of all compatible devices accessing the App Store, a 7 percent uptick over the past two weeks.

Apple acknowledges 'YiSpecter' iOS malware, says issue unlikely to affect most people

A piece of recently-identified iOS malware, known as YiSpecter, is not a major threat despite its ability to attack both jailbroken and factory stock devices, Apple said on Monday.

Microsoft debuts Lumia 950 & 950XL phones, Display Dock, Band 2 fitness tracker

In addition to showing off new Surfaces, Microsoft on Tuesday also revealed two high-end Lumia smartphones, a redesigned Band fitness tracker, and a Display Dock for Windows 10's Continuum feature.

Apple's 3D Touch displays make iPhone 6s, 6s Plus almost 11% heavier than previous models

According to Apple, 3D Touch display technology integrated into the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus accounts for the bulk of an 11 percent increase in weight over last year's models, not the use of 7000 series aluminum as some have speculated.

Always-on 'Hey Siri' does not offload audio, Live Photo buffering stays on device, Apple says

Two iPhone 6s features revealed this week, always-on "Hey Siri" voice monitoring and pre-buffered Live Photo camera functionality, raised concerns that Apple might be surreptitiously monitoring users, but the company allayed those fears in a statement on Friday.

Video shows 4th-gen Apple TV unboxed ahead of October debut

A video posted to YouTube on Friday claims to show the first unboxing of Apple's fourth-generation Apple TV set-top box with included Siri Remote, a device not due out until October.

Recap: All our iPhone 6s, iPad Pro, and Apple TV stories in one place

It was a huge week in the Apple-verse, with Wednesday’s special event packing in the new iPhones, the powerful iPad Pro, and the brand-new Apple TV. There was even a pretty big update to the iPad mini that barely got mentioned since the rest of the keynote was so packed. Plus, next week brings the launch of iOS 9, so there’s a lot to be excited about!

And we are definitely excited.

Tim Cook does a little recap at the end of every Apple special event, so we’re going to borrow a page from his playbook here. This list contains every story we wrote about this week’s news—perfect for catching up on anything you may have missed while you’re waiting to preorder your iPhone 6s.

Apple cuts prices & upgrades iCloud storage plans, eliminates 500GB option

This is Awesome As a part of sweeping changes to its product lineup, Apple has also restructed the prices and tiers for iCloud storage upgrades, making the service more competitive with alternatives like Google Drive.

iPhone 6s will have smaller 1,715 mAh battery, but Apple advertises identical battery life

Despite sporting a more powerful processor and other new technologies, the iPhone 6s will actually use a smaller battery than the one found in the iPhone 6, apparently squeezing out the same amount of uptime with new efficiencies in the handset.

Apple releases iOS 9 GM to developers ahead of Sept. 16 release

Following a huge special event on Wednesday, Apple released the golden master build of iOS 9 for developer testing ahead of an announced public launch date on Sept.16

Apple announces $199 iPhone 6s & $299 6s Plus with 3D Touch, A9 CPU, rose gold color, coming Sept. 25

Apple's new iPhone 6s series will offer users an entirely new way to interact with their handset, sensing pressure from fingertips to enable entirely new shortcuts in iOS 9. It also boasts an all-new 12-megapixel iSight camera, a souped-up A9 processor that nearly doubles performance over the iPhone 6, and a new rose gold color option.

Apple planning 2016 'iPhone 7' to be thinnest yet, in-line with new iPod touch & iPad Air 2

While all eyes are on this week's "iPhone 6s" unveiling, Apple's 2016 iPhone upgrade is already in the works, with the company said to be aiming to make the device as thin as 6 millimeters, which would be even thinner than the latest iPod touch and iPad Air 2.

Large Apple logo goes up at Bill Graham Auditorium ahead of iPhone event

Apple is putting a legion of carpenters, electricians, security personnel and other contractors to work this Labor Day weekend as it readies San Francisco's Bill Graham Auditorium for what is expected to be a massive iPhone event next week.

Rumor: Apple to launch 21.5-inch iMac with 4K Retina display in October

Apple's iMac lineup will gain a smaller 21.5-inch model with a 4K-resolution Retina display in the coming months, likely at the company's annual October media event, a new report claims.

Supposed 'iPhone 6s' display and logic board powered on with help from iPhone 6 hardware

A video and photoset published Tuesday claim to show a partially assembled Frankenphone with "iPhone 6s" display and logic board powered by a host iPhone 6 battery, chassis and other integral components.

Google reopens Map Maker with new safeguards to block controversial edits

Google on Tuesday reopened Map Maker access in 45 more countries, including the U.S., with a new moderation system designed to prevent a repeat of the offensive Google Maps edits that forced it to disable the system in May.

Apple releases Logic Pro X 10.2, MainStage 3.2 updates with Alchemy synthesizer

Apple on Tuesday released updates of Logic Pro X and MainStage 3, both of which include support for Alchemy, a synthesizer plugin acquired through the company's takeover of Camel Audio in February.

Apple redesigns Workshops scheduling system in minor website update

Apple on Tuesday rolled out a small change to its newly integrated website, allowing customers to easily browse and schedule Workshop appointments with in-store staff at participating brick-and-mortar stores.

Apple to update Magic Mouse & wireless keyboard with Bluetooth LE, integrated batteries, FCC reveals

Two newly published filings with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission reveal that Apple is planning to release a new Magic Mouse and wireless keyboard with support for the power sipping Bluetooth Low Energy specification.

Best Buy to offer AppleCare and AppleCare+ warranties ahead of 'iPhone 6s' launch

Electronics retailer Best Buy has inked a deal with Apple to begin selling authorized warranty extensions for its products, and employees have been told that the new addition will be announced to the public on Sept. 10.

Apple TV service pushed back to 2016, new hardware expected in September

A report on Thursday claims Apple has been forced to delay the announcement of a hotly anticipated over-the-top streaming television service to sometime in 2016 as content licensing talks sputter.

Apple updates iCloud with new features to restore lost data

If you’ve ever accidentally deleted a document you saved to iCloud, Apple has a new way for you to restore your data. This new method can be used to restore lost iCloud files, Contacts, or data from Calendar and Reminders.

You’ll find the new restore features when you log into your iCloud.com account and go into Settings. At the bottom of the Setting page, there’s a new Advanced section, with links to Restore Files, Restore Contacts, or Restore Calendars or Reminders.

When you delete a file from iCloud Drive, you have 30 days from the day of deletion to recover it via the Restore Files feature. After 30 days, the file is permanently delete and cannot be recovered. When you restore a file, it reappears in your iCloud Drive.

Samsung teases round smartwatch with heavy Apple Watch influence

Samsung's Unpacked event on Thursday brought more than a blown-up S6 Edge and a new Note -- the company also gave a sneak peak at the next version of its Galaxy Gear smartwatch, a significant update that takes more than a few cues from Apple's own wearable.

Killer Deal: Free AppleCare on these mid-2015 15" MacBook Pros, plus cash discounts & a free accessory (up to $450 off)

For our final back-to-school MacBook Pro promo of the season from Apple Authorized Reseller Adorama, readers can get free AppleCare (a $349 value) on 7 different mid-2015 15" MacBook Pro configurations, plus additional instant discounts, a free accessory, free shipping and no sales tax collected in 48 states. Or use exclusive coupons to discount all other configurations to the lowest prices anywhere.

Get ready for people to click the Galaxy Note 5's stylus like a ballpoint pen

Do you love styluses but hate not having something on your writing utensil to compulsively play with? Then Samsung has some very good news for you: the Note 5's stylus — the S Pen, as it would really like us all to call it — has a clicky back that you can keep on clicking endlessly. It's basically like having a retractable pen, only there's no tip to retract or unretract when you press it. That said, the clickiness does have some purpose; the S Pen's slot inside the phone appears to be spring loaded, and you need to click the pen's back to make it pop out. It's definitely a nicer way of handling the stylus than having to drag it out with a fingernail. 

New Apple TV expected, but streaming video service questionable for Sept. 9 event, Piper Jaffray says

Apple is expected to unveil a brand new Apple TV in less than a month, but consumers waiting for a new companion streaming video service from the Cupertino-based company may have to wait longer, according to investment firm Piper Jaffray.

Apple brings Windows 10 support to Mac in Boot Camp update

Apple announced through a Support Pages document published Wednesday that the latest version of Boot Camp, which is currently rolling out to OS X Yosemite users as a system update, now comes with support for 64-bit versions of Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system.

Apple invention lets iPhone owners AirDrop encrypted data to a friend's device for safekeeping

According to an Apple invention published Thursday, the company is looking into forms of data sharing that would allow an iPhone owner having connectivity issues to offload files normally stored in the cloud to a "friendly device" for later retrieval.

Apple recalls small batch of 3rd-gen Apple TVs over defective part

In what appears to be a targeted recall program, Apple this week notified an unknown number of customers that their recently purchased third-generation Apple TV unit would be replaced due to a faulty part.

How iOS 9 fixes HealthKit's woman problem

One major highlight of iOS 8 was HealthKit, a framework designed to centralize the health information collected by the third-party apps you use. But there was a huge hole: The native Health app that acts as a database for all that information didn’t collect any data around women’s reproductive health, despite the fact that a slew of iOS apps are dedicated to helping women track periods, sexual activity, and other stats. Not surprisingly, women noticed this glaring oversight and said to Apple: “Really?”

Apple is fixing its mistake in iOS 9 with a Reproductive Health section in the native Health app. The app as we’ve seen it in the iOS 9 public beta collects the following data points: basal body temperature, cervical mucus quality, menstruation, ovulation test result, sexual activity, and spotting. You can enter your own data here if you don’t use a period-tracking or sexual health app, and Health really drills down into specifics (we’re talking mucus clarity).

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Latest iOS 9 betas automatically detects, switches away from weak Wi-Fi signals, adds AT&T Wi-Fi calling

Two small but critical additions to the new iOS 9 betas released on Thursday include "Wi-Fi Assist," a feature built to prevent iPhones from latching onto poor Wi-Fi connections, and Wi-Fi calling for AT&T network customers.

The best camera apps for iOS

Not only is the iPhone one of the most popular point-and-shoots on the market, if you had to pick one feature that sets it apart from its smartphone competitors, it would have to be the camera. The secret is in Apple’s proprietary image signal processor, which handles things like autofocus, face detection, and noise reduction to reduce the strain on the main processor and optimize the camera for iOS.

But while the iPhone takes exceptional pictures right out of the box, Apple’s Camera app only scratches the surface of what its 8-megapixel sensor can actually do. Through a set of powerful APIs, Apple has given developers far more control over the camera than it offers in its own app. Access to professional-caliber controls like shutter speed, ISO, and white balance have brought out the very best in Apple’s innovative iSight camera, elevating it beyond the expectations of a humble smartphone.

New iOS 9 public beta prompts users to install iCloud Drive app

Apple's dedicated iCloud Drive iOS app for managing cloud assets, introduced with the first developer iOS 9 beta in June, is being advertised as ready to install on public beta builds released on Thursday.

Apple Music reaches 11M trial members after five weeks

 Just After five weeks of availability, Apple Music has gathered an impressive 11 million trial users, two million of whom opted in to the more expensive multi-user family plan, according to Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue.

Apple Pay adoption and usage rates suffer despite strong iPhone 6 sales, Study Finds

According to a study published this week, the number of iPhone owners willing to try out Apple Pay has declined over the past three months alongside a drop in usage rates from both casual and previously committed users.

Judge denies group status for lawsuit targeting Apple over lost iMessage texts

A California lawsuit over texts lost in Apple's iMessage network can't proceed as a group case, a judge ruled, as it isn't clear all of the proposed members were impacted by a "contractual breach or interference" originating from iMessage.

TestFlight gets support for iOS 9 features, improved notification options

Apple on Wednesday updated its TestFlight beta-testing app with support for various iOS 9 features, while also giving users more control over incoming notifications.

Tesla's Model X will launch in September

The Model X will indeed launch in September, Tesla confirmed today in its quarterly letter to shareholders. Deliveries to the crossover's first buyers will begin in late Q3, although Tesla expects only a "small number" will make it out during the quarter. "We are building more validation vehicles, executing final engineering and testing work, enabling our new manufacturing equipment and finalizing arrangements with our suppliers," CEO Elon Musk wrote in the letter. "We have been producing release candidate Model X bodies in our new body shop equipped with more than 500 robots as we fine-tune and validate our production processes."

The Model X is being built alongside the Model S at Tesla's Fremont, California plant, with both cars sharing the same assembly line. Tesla says it recently wrapped up a weeklong shutdown of the plant, during which it manufactured "several" test Model X vehicles. Production has been pushed back numerous times; at one point, Tesla originally aimed to start Model X deliveries by the end of 2014. But September has been the new target for several months running — Musk said "two months" back in July — and the company seems very confident that it'll arrive on schedule.

That's not to say there aren't challenges; Tesla says unforeseen issues with even a single supplier, should any arise, "could reduce Model X production by approximately 800 units for the quarter." The automaker is also cautioning that any Model X production difficulties could potentially slow the rate at which Model S vehicles leave the assembly line. “The Model X is a particularly hard car to build. Maybe the hardest car in the world to build," Musk said during Tesla's earnings call later in the afternoon. But he seems largely unfazed. "I think it’s going to blow people away."

Apple issues third OS X 10.10.5 beta to developers with minor changes

Late on Wednesday Apple seeded a third beta of OS X 10.10.5 to developers, further paving the road for what may be the last major update of OS X Yosemite.

Mac 911: Does Spotlight reveal other users'Files?

Scott Trezza is frustrated with Spotlight in Yosemite:

Spotlight searches on my MacBook Pro running Yosemite always reveal files on other users’ accounts. If I put the other users’ home directory into the Privacy section of Spotlight in System Preferences, then those same users are unable to enjoy the convenience of smart mailboxes in Mail and other conveniences of Spotlight when they are on their own accounts. Is there a way to tweak Spotlight from revealing the contents of other user accounts?

I looked for documentation or other complaints about this issue, and was unable to find any. I tested whether I could replicate this on my own system, as I don’t routinely work on computers that I share with others.

T-Mobile adds Apple Music to list of streaming services for cap-free Music Freedom

T-Mobile U.S. on Tuesday added Apple Music to the list of streaming services under Music Freedom, a perk for carrier subscribers that excludes those services from counting against monthly data caps.

Apple Seeds Second iOS 8.4.1 Beta to Developers

Apple today seeded the second beta of iOS 8.4.1 to registered developers for testing purposes, just over two weeks after releasing the first iOS 8.4.1 beta and a month after launching iOS 8.4 with the new Apple Music service. 

Today's beta, build 12H318, is available via an over the air update and it can also be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center. 

No outward facing changes were discovered in the first iOS 8.4.1 beta, and it's a .1 update, so it's likely that it includes only minor bug fixes, security enhancements, and performance improvements designed to prepare the update for its upcoming retirement. 

iOS 8.4.1 may be one of the last updates to iOS 8 as Apple is working on its successor, iOS 9. iOS 9 builds on many of the features introduced with iOS 8 and adds new content and underlying performance improvements. iOS 9 is currently in beta testing and will be released in the fall.

Canadian Best Buy stores to start Apple Watch sales on Aug. 14

Hot on the heels of Best Buy's announcement that it will start selling Apple Watch in the U.S. on Aug. 7, the big box electronics retailer confirmed its Canadian outlets plan to commence sales of the wearable one week later.

24 Hour Deal: $500 off Apple's mid-2014 13" MacBook Pro (3.0GHz, 8GB, 512GB); $200 off iMac 5Ks

For the next 24 hours, B&H has Apple's mid-2014 13" MacBook Pro (3.0GHz, 8GB, 512GB) for $1,499 ($500 off), plus $500 off two 15" MacBook Pros, $200 off both of Apple's current iMac 5K configurations, and $480 off unlocked 128GB iPad Airs.

Windows 10 launches to favorable reviews, cautions about bugs and feature gaps

Early reviews of Microsoft's latest operating system -- released on Wednesday -- have been generally positive, suggesting that it solves problems with Windows 8 while advancing the Windows platform towards the future.