Apple Watch Replies and Birthdays

If you receive a text message from someone whose birthday is that day, your Apple Watch will give a slightly different set of pre-written responses. The top response will read "Happy Birthday!" In addition, if the message was in a group chat, the top response will read "Happy Birthday, [First Name]!" I hope this helps!

Apple Watch Apps Must Be Native By June 1st

Apple Watch apps started out requiring the iPhone to run them. This made using apps on Apple Watch very slow and defeated the purpose of the smartwatch. Native apps fixed this. They are much faster than regular Apple Watch apps. Luckily, Apple is now enforcing that all Apple Watch apps must be native on the Apple Watch by June 1st, 2 weeks before WWDC 2016. Also, it's worth mentioning that watchOS 3 will likely be revealed at WWDC 2016. watchOS 2 actually introduced Native apps, so perhaps Apple has something up their sleeve this year to make Apple Watch apps even better.

What I Could Dig Up: Let Us Loop You In

Here's a quick roundup of rumors for tomorrow's Apple Event entitled, "Let Us Loop You In."

iPhone SE

• Similar to iPhone 5s in design
• Up to date processors
• No 3D Touch

iPad Air 3

• Regular sized iPad Pro
• Compatible with Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil
• Possible retiring of the "iPad Air" naming convention
• Could be named "iPad Pro"
• Similar design to iPad Air 2
• Starts at 32 GB for $599

Apple Watch Bands

• New color variations
• Sport Band
• Modern Buckle
• Leather Loop
• New Nylon Apple Watch Band
• Space Black Milanese Loop

iOS 9.3

• Night Shift
• More Quick Actions (3D Touch)
• New Health App
• Activity from Apple Watch
• Third party apps list shown in charts
• Password protected notes
• Apple School

watchOS 2.2

• Multiple Apple Watches to one (Developer only?)
• Revamped Maps app
• Quickly access home and work directions
• Search Nearby

OS X 10.11.4

• Performance improvements
• Password protected notes
• Import Evernote notes into Notes app
• View Live Photos in the Messages app

tvOS 9.2

• Supports Bluetooth keyboards and Dictation
• Folders for apps
• New Multitasking view
• Improved Photos App
• Support for iCloud Photo Library
• Live Photo Support
• Ask Siri to search for apps in the App Store
• MapKit support

Apple Watch Hermès Collection Now Available

Apple Watch Hermès, Apple Watch's first collaboration with another watch maker, is now available in select Apple Stores and Hermès retail locations. What makes these watches so cool in my opinion is the custom, exclusive watch face that comes pre-installed on the watch. These watches come in three styles: Single Tour, Double Tour, and Cuff. All of these come with the regular Apple Watch (Stainless Steel). It even comes with a custom orange-ish box. These are only available in stores.

watchOS 2 Released

After almost a week of delay, watchOS 2 is available to customers now. It allows for Apple Watch to gain more independence with native apps. This update was delayed due to a major bug found last minute. To update now, just go to the Apple Watch app > General > Software Update > and follow the prompts. I hope this helps!

watchOS 2 Delayed

Apple has announced that watchOS 2 will be delayed due to a significant bug. It was supposed to launch yesterday. Apple says it will launch soon, but has given no specific date. Apple also has not specifically stated what the bug is. The company told TechCrunch some of the details.

“We have discovered a bug in development of watchOS 2 that is taking a bit longer to fix than we expected. We will not release watchOS 2 [on September 16th] but will shortly.”

What I Could Dig Up: iPhone 6s and Apple TV

Tomorrow, Apple will announce their next generation iPhones and long awaited refreshed Apple TV, along with other products. Here's a quick rundown of what to expect.

iPhone 6s

• Force Touch
• A9 Processor
• 2 GB of RAM
• iPhone 6 had 1 GB
• iPad Air 2 has 2 GB
• New Cameras
• 12-Megapixel Rear Camera
• 5-Megapixel Front Camera
• 4K Video Recording
• 240 FPS slow-mo

Apple TV

• Motion sensitive remote control
• Nintendo Wii-like controller
• Siri
• App Store
• Parascope app will be one of the first on Apple TV App Store
• Search for Media Across Multiple Streaming Services

iPad Pro

• 12.93-inch Display
• Force Touch Stylus
• A9 Processor
• 2 GB of RAM
• Possibly USB-C Ports

iPad mini 4

• Small iPad Air 2
• 8-Megapixel Rear Camera
• Multitasking

Apple Watch

• watchOS 2 Refresh
• New Sport Bands?
• Monitors in the band for fitness information

Apple Watch 2 Rumors Start Surfacing

Although the Apple Watch was just released, Apple Watch 2 rumors are already showing up in the press. The Apple Watch 2 is expected to have a FaceTime camera, improved WiFi capabilities, and new models. The Apple Watch 2 will not have an improved battery. As myself and many others have discovered, normal use of the Apple Watch will keep a decent amount of battery life at the end of the day. I've even found that the Apple Watch's battery is better than a good amount of Android Wear watches. This new Apple Watch would be announced around the time watchOS 2 will be released in the fall.

WWDC 2015: OS X, iOS, and watchOS

In a huge announcement, we got a trio of OS updates and a few updates on other products. Let's take a quick look at what went down at WWDC today...

El Capitan

For OS X, the next update will be called OS X El Capitan. It includes minor improvements on Safari, Mail, and Spotlight. In terms of system architecture, it brings Metal to the Mac, allowing for 40% less processing power needed when rendering graphics.

iOS 9

iOS 9 was made to address four items: intelligence, apps, iPad, and foundation. It brings improvements to Siri, transit for Apple Maps, multitasking for iPad, and more. Wallet will replace Passbook with the addition of rewards cards. News app will also be added that will replace Newsstand. It is much better than Newsstand in the way that it is easier for publishers to use and maintain. Tech Talk 4 Geeks, if approved, will be supported by the News app. Battery life will be increased by about 4 hours with iOS 9 and the update will only take about 1 GB of space. 

watchOS 2

watchOS 2 improves on the things that people don't like about the Apple Watch now. For example, the reliance on iPhone has been reduced with native apps. Third party apps can access Apple Watch's microphone and speaker instead of using that of iPhone's, in addition to the Taptic Engine. Developers can also create custom complications for the watch face. 

There's a lot more to cover, so I'll be sure to go more in depth over the coming days. Until then, feel free to watch the keynote.