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Nintendo’s first iOS game Miitomo will launch in US & other countries on March 31

Update: The Miitomo app is now available on the U.S. App Store.

The game is already available in Japan— that’s how Jeff managed to go hands-on in our first look video earlier this month— but today Nintendo confirmed that its first iOS game, Miitomo, will officially arrive in the US on March 31st.

The game isn’t exactly bringing over any of Nintendo’s very popular first party franchises to iPhones and iPads, but it does feature known Mii characters and, as we noted in our review, the release feels very much like a Nintendo title:

When you first start Miitomo, it’s immediately recognizable as a Nintendo title. It feels like someone took my Nintendo Wii and shrunk it down to fit inside of my iPhone 6s. The music and sound effects, most notably, are of the characteristic Nintendo style. The Miis themselves look just like the Miis on the game-maker’s handheld and home consoles. The writing — witty, with just a hint of corniness thrown in for good measure — is classic Nintendo.

Nintendo noted in its press release today that Miitomo was downloaded over a million times in the first three days after launch in Japan and it also managed to become the #1 most downloaded free app in both the App Store and Google Play.

While Nintendo didn’t mention other countries by name today, it did say that “several other countries” will receive the title on the 31st alongside users in the US.

Check out our review of the game from earlier this month to get a first look before it officially arrives in the US and other countries on the 31st.

Video roundup: Hands-on with the new iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro

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Apple earlier today officially took the wraps off of the iPhone SE and iPad Pro 9.7-inch. While the two devices are largely similar to devices we’ve seen in the past, there are a few tweaks here and there that people have been requesting to get a look at. Members of the press who were in attendance of the event at Apple’s campus in Cupertino had an opportunity to go hands-on with the new iPhone and iPad and videos have been rolling in…


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Adobe creative professionals offer first hands-on impressions using iPad Pro [Video]

Adobe is one company patiently waiting for the launch of the new iPad Pro as the firm in recent months has prepared for what it expects to be a big user base of professionals interested in its various creative mobile apps on the device. Sharing in the excitement for the launch scheduled for later this week, Adobe just released the video above showing off some of the possibilities of its apps on the new iPad and giving us one our first looks at hands-on impressions with the iPad ahead of product reviews going live.

In addition to offering some previews of upcoming mobile app improvements at its Max conference earlier this year, the company has worked hard to optimize several of its apps that are bound to be popular on the new larger iPad. Apps ready to go for the launch include Photoshop Fix, Photoshop Sketch, Photoshop Mix and Comp CC.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TVywEv2-0E]

Apple confirmed earlier today that the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro will go on sale Wednesday, November 11th in 40 countries, while the device will hit Apple retail stores sometime later this week. In Apple’s press release, Adobe’s vice president of Products Scott Belsky called the company’s work on software for the device an “industry-advancing collaboration that millions of Adobe and Apple customers will benefit from.”

“iPad Pro enables new forms of mobile creativity that will help transform how creatives work,” said Scott Belsky, vice president of Products at Adobe. “With the larger iPad Pro screen and lightning-fast performance, creatives will be able to take full advantage of Adobe’s family of Creative Cloud mobile apps. For example, the ability to manipulate a 50-megapixel image right on iPad Pro in Photoshop Fix and then send that image to Photoshop CC on a desktop, for further refinement, is the kind of industry-advancing collaboration that millions of Adobe and Apple customers will benefit from.”

While there haven’t been many hands-on videos since Apple first unveiled the device at its press event in September, we did get a look at Disney and Pixar animators playing with the device and offering their first impressions last month.

iPhone 6s review roundup: 3D Touch is ‘fun and useful’, Live Photos hit and miss, significant camera upgrade

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are launching in just four days time and right on schedule the embargo on reviews have been lifted. Apple is touting the new phones as major updates over the 6 and 6 Plus, with 12-megapixel camera and 4K video recording, ‘3D Touch’ pressure-sensitive display to enable quick actions across the OS, Live Photos and more. We’ve already seen an early hands on with the iPhone 6s thanks to an early delivery but now the official tech reviews are live.

So what’s the verdict? We’ve rounded up the highlights below from those lucky enough to get the phones early …


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Apple TV (4th Gen) unboxing + exclusive in-depth hands-on guide [Video]

Today we’re taking the first really deep look at Apple’s fourth-generation Apple TV, which will hit stores next month. In our exclusive video, we explore the upgraded hardware, the Siri Remote, and dig down into tvOS, the new UI that brings the entire experience to life.

Are there surprises? Oh yes. The new Apple TV actually supports Bluetooth headphones and Bluetooth speakers, a special Night Mode, and radically improved accessibility options inspired by iOS. You can learn about all of the great new features below…


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Video roundup: Hands-on with the new Apple TV, iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and iPad Pro

Apple earlier today took the wraps off of a handful of new products, including the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Pro, iPad mini 4, a new Apple TV, and several new accessories. Members of the press who were in attendance of the event at the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco got the opportunity to try out many of Apple’s new products and as you’d expect, they all shared their thoughts.


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Hands-on with Apple’s News app in iOS 9 [Gallery]

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Apple earlier today pushed iOS 9 beta 3 to developers, and this build includes the company’s new News app. The app was unveiled back at WWDC last month, but was not included in the first two beta builds of iOS 9. News is designed with a Flipboard-like magazine interface with large images and minimalistic appearance.


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Hands-on with an affordable alternative to Apple’s Link Bracelet for Apple Watch

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When Apple first announced Apple Watch, one of the things I was most excited about was the ability to use third-party bands. I was surprised when Apple announced the capability and even though I was pretty sure I was going to buy an Apple Watch, third-party band support solidified my choice. Apple Watch has now been on the market for two months and so far, companies have been slow to release their aftermarket bands. With iPhone, companies usually have cases available the day the device launches, but Apple Watch has presented a whole new set of challenges for accessory makers.

When I purchased Apple Watch, I went with the stainless model with the classic buckle. Since my initial purchase, I have also bought a black Sport band, a Milanese Loop and now, an aftermarket stainless steel Link Bracelet. I love the idea of the band for my Watch matching the Watch itself, but Apple’s Link Bracelet offering seems absurdly high-priced at $449. Looking to save money, I went with an aftermarket solution


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A look at iOS 9’s comprehensive support for right-to-left languages [Gallery]

A feature that went unmentioned during Apple’s main WWDC keynote this morning was the addition of comprehensive support for right-to-left languages in iOS 9. While Apple didn’t mention the addition this morning, it detailed the support during its Platforms State of the Union address this evening. Apple also notes of the feature in the official iOS 9 changelog:

iOS 9 brings comprehensive support for right-to-left languages, which makes it easier for you to provide a flipped user interface. For example:

  • Standard UIKit controls automatically flip in a right-to-left context.
  • UIView defines semantic content attributes that let you specify how particular views should appear in a right-to-left context.
  • UIImage adds the imageFlippedForRightToLeftLayoutDirection method, which makes it easy to flip an image programmatically when appropriate.

To learn more about providing a flipped user interface, see Supporting Right-to-Left Languages.

While this feature may not seem incredibly useful for everyone, it will definitely be welcome in areas of the world where right-to-left languages are more widely used and it’s certainly nice to see Apple working to add support for features that are maybe not as headline worthy, but undoubtedly needed.

Below are some screenshots of the comprehensive support for right-to-left languages in iOS 9:


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Hands-on with iOS 9’s split-screen multitasking on the iPad [Gallery]

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During its WWDC keynote this morning, Apple announced new “Slide Over” and side-by-side features that allow users to run two iPad apps in a single window. The features, which we originally reported on more than a year ago, are similar to a feature also available in the latest Mac operating system, OS X El Capitan.


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Review: Is the added protection of the LifeProof Nüüd for iPhone 6 worth the trade-offs?

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LifeProof has become a household name in the iPhone accessory world since debuting its first ultra-protective case in 2011. The company has continued improving its waterproof cases with each new version of the iPhone. With the iPhone 5, LifeProof introduced its Nüüd series, which offers protection from water, snow, dirt, and shock while still exposing the display. We took a look at it last summer, noting that its an excellent choice for the adventurous iPhone user, albeit a bit bulky. It’s still available for $48.

With the iPhone 6, Apple presented LifeProof with a new challenge. The large, thin form factor of the iPhone 6 meant that LifeProof would have to work incredibly hard to develop a case that maintained a manageable form factor, while offering the same protection that users of the case have come to expect. We reviewed the LifeProof Fre for the iPhone 6 earlier this year and pointed out that it was a well thought out option, but that the Nüüd model would be very much welcomed. I’ve recently been testing the LifeProof Nüüd case for the iPhone 6. Here’s what you need to know:


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Hands-on: Apple’s all-new Music app in iOS 8.4

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With the release of the first developer beta of iOS 8.4 this evening, Apple gave us the first look at the oft-rumored redesign of the Music app. With the expected announcement of Apple’s streaming music service happening in June, the Music app redesign has been expected for several months now. The newly introduced Music app offers a handful of new features in the first beta of iOS 8.4, as well as a redesigned interface that’s similar to iTunes on the Mac. Let’s take a brief look…


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Sources offer hands-on Apple Watch details: battery life, unannounced features, and more

Just ahead of the finalized Apple Watch’s presentation at Apple’s March 9th “Spring Forward” event, sources with hands-on Apple Watch experience have revealed a collection of new details about the device’s features to 9to5Mac. Our sources have offered new information on the Watch’s real-world battery life, health and fitness features, apps, and experiences using Apple’s next-generation touchscreen hardware…


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CES 2015: Pinć VR headset for iPhone 6 hands-on and first impressions

A few months ago, we visited Toronto-based Cordon Labs for some hands-on time with the work-in-progress Pinć VR headset case for the iPhone 6 and Android-based smartphones. Fast forward to CES 2015 and we’ve once again had a few minutes to check out a new and improved prototype of the headset, now 20% slimmer and closer to becoming an accessory that could actually be pocketable without protruding through your pants. Read ahead for my first impressions of the Pinć and a brief overview of where I think it is headed.
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Inbox for Gmail: hands-on and first impressions

Google this afternoon announced Inbox for Gmail, its all-new emailing solution that is intended to coexist with the regular Gmail platform (Think Paper for Facebook?). Inbox for Gmail is available on an invite only basis for Android, iOS and Chrome. I am fortunate enough to have received an invite to Inbox for Gmail, and I have been giving the iPhone app a rundown to see how it works. For the most part, Inbox is everything that you know and love about Gmail in a sleeker package.


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Hands-on with the new Notification Center and Spotlight in OS X Yosemite (Video)

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Two of the great updated features in OS X Yosemite are improved versions of both Notification Center and Spotlight, both of which have become staples on OS X. Both of these features have received substantial updates, dropping their old user interfaces entirely, and gaining quite a few new features.

In this video, we’ll take you on a little tour of the new interfaces and their features.

Hands-on with iOS 8 [Video]

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Today at their annual WWDC Keynote, Apple announced iOS 8, the next major version of iOS, which includes features like an all new Photos app, a much improved Messages app, custom keyboard support, Family Sharing, and more.

Here at 9to5Mac, we’re all busy trying out the new software on our phones, so in the meantime, here’s a brief hands-on look at Apple’s new version of iOS. Stayed tuned for more in depth coverage of both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite later today.

 

Hands-on with OS X Yosemite [Video]

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Alongside the brand new iOS 8, Apple today unveiled OS X 10.10 Yosemite today at WWDC 2014. OS X Yosemite is by far the biggest change to OS X since its introduction itself, well over a decade ago. Of course, the biggest news here is the all new, iOS 7-inspired UI.

Above you’ll find a hands-on with the new software, taking a look at the new UI, feature set, and more. Stay tuned to 9to5Mac for more coverage of both OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 today and in the coming days.
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Roundup: Hands-on with the new iPad Air & iPad mini with Retina Display

Earlier today Apple unveiled the new iPad Air as its fifth generation full-sized iPad and the new iPad mini with Retina display alongside new MacBook Pros, the new Mac Pro, and OS X Mavericks. We have a roundup of all of today’s announcements in our NewsHub here, but below is a roundup of some hands-on videos of the new iPads live from Apple’s event today:

Cnet:

AnandTech:

TheVerge:

Slash Gear:

LaptopMag:

PCMag:

LATimes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gzlRGoWcf4

Engadget:

TechCrunch:

Hands-on video: Apple’s iOS 7 for iPad

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Earlier today, Apple launched new beta releases of both iOS 7 for iPhone/iPod touch and the iPad. We have provided full screenshot tours and change logs for the need software seeds. Additionally, we have created the video below that demonstrates how iOS 7 works on the iPad. We previously posted a video of how iOS 7 runs on the iPhone.

iPad video below:


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