fieldguide.gizmodo.com - Apple's latest OS X 10.11 software is out of beta and available as a free upgrade for your Mac later today. To help you find your way around the latest release from the coders in Cupertino, we've compiled a guide to the key features that are new this time around (besides some speed and performance improvements): From skipping the Trash folder to running natural searches in Spotlight, there's plenty to try out.
1. Split the screen
El Capitan apes Windows with a window snapping feature that helps you get applications quickly positioned on screen (it's also similar to the split view feature available for iPads in iOS 9). Either click and hold the green zoom button of a window and then drag it into place, or head to Mission Control (F3) and drag the relevant windows into the same thumbnail at the top.
2. Run natural searches in Spotlight
Spotlight now accepts natural language searches to make it easier to find the information or files you're after. What is a natural language search? Try entering "weather for tomorrow" or "spreadsheets about money" to get an idea of what's possible. Another minor tweak means you can now move and resize the Spotlight window anywhere you like on your screen.
3. Edit photo metadata
With so many photo apps relying on the location metadata stored with your pictures, it makes sense that OS X can now edit geotags from inside El Capitan as well as various other bits of metadata. When viewing a picture in Photos, click on the info button and then click and drag the location pin to a new spot. Choose Assign a Location if there isn't one already.
4. Send videos via AirPlay
Before El Capitan arrived, you had to share your entire browser window if you wanted to send an online video to an Apple TV via AirPlay, but now you can send the video on its own-inside Safari, click on the AirPlay button at the bottom of a YouTube video and pick your device. It should work with YouTube right away with support for other services coming soon.
5. Pin and mute tabs in Safari
Apple updates its own apps with its OS and that means a bunch of extra new features to talk about. Safari now includes the ability to pin browser tabs to the left-hand side of the tab bar for easy reference- just click and drag a particular tab to the left. Tabs that are making a noise display a speaker volume icon and you can quickly click on the same icon to mute them.
6. Create richer notes
The Notes app in iOS 9 was given a recent overhaul and it's the same in El Capitan too-it's now possible to create checklists, import maps and photos, add some extra text formatting to your notes and more besides. It's not quite up to the level of Evernote yet but the changes are welcome nevertheless, and they bring notes up to speed with iOS 9 and iCloud on the web.
7. Get public transit directions in Maps
As with Notes, Maps gets an upgrade to match iOS 9, and the most significant new feature is support for public transit directions (albeit limited to a handful of cities for the time being). When you're working out the directions between two different places, click on the Transit button and Apple Maps gives you a list of options to choose from (click Details for step-by-step instructions).
8. Use full-screen mode and gestures in Mail
The Mail app in El Capitan gets a number of upgrades and new tricks as well: In full-screen mode you can temporarily dismiss emails to the bottom of the display, for example, and (as in iOS) you can swipe with two fingers on items in a list to take action on them. Mail is also better at notifying you when it spots contacts or events in messages you might want to do something with.
9. Bypass the Trash
Some users prefer the security and finality of being able to delete files without the halfway house of the Trash folder-it's a feature that's been in Windows for a long time-and you can permanently delete files in El Capitan by pressing Option+Cmd+Delete. Alternatively, select the files, hold down the Option key and then choose Delete Immediately from the File menu.
10. Find the mouse more easily
Apple's Craig Federighi took great pleasure showing this one off on stage at WWDC back in June, and while it may not be the El Capitan feature to grab the most headlines, it's like to be one of the most useful. Move your fingers quickly on the trackpad or shake the mouse quickly and the cursor grows in size so you can locate it on screen (very handy for those hi-res displays).
11. Hide the menu bar
It's hardly going to change your life but Mac OS X 10.11 now lets you auto-hide the menu bar at the top of the interface in the same way as the dock at the bottom (or the side), giving you more room on screen. Go to the System Preferences screen on the Apple menu, open up the General heading and tick the box marked Automatically hide and show the menu bar.

zdnet.com - Apple has sold more than one billion iOS devices since 2007, Microsoft is chasing one billion Windows 10 devices by 2018, but Google is way ahead now with 1.4 billion active Android users.
The new official figure for active Android users is up 400 million from the one billion active users it announced in June 2014 and the 900 million it counted in mid-2013.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the new milestone on Tuesday as the search giant unveiled the new Nexus 5X from LG and the Nexus 6P from Huawei, which both ship with Android Marshmallow 6.0, the latest version of the mobile operating system due for release this week.
Pichai said many of the users are coming from emerging markets such as Vietnam and Indonesia, ZDNet's sister site CNET reported.
He also noted that 10,000 companies have adopted Android for Work, as part of Google's effort to deliver a more secure and manageable Android for the enterprise.
Are Android smartphones finally poised to conquer the enterprise?
Android has long ruled the consumer smartphone market - but can it make an impact on the business market too?
The new figures comes amid some turmoil among established Android OEMs, such as Samsung and HTC, which have seen their share of shipments slip to not just Apple but also relative newcomers such as China's Xiaomi, which runs its own flavour of Android, and Huawei.
As analyst firm Gartner noted in its second-quarter smartphone report, Android unit shipments grew 11 percent year on year -- the lowest in Android's six year history -- and its over all share fell from 84 percent to 82 percent off the back of a weak quarter in China.
Still, the number of active Android users makes Google's ecosystem by far the biggest on earth. Apple announced at the beginning of this year it had sold one billion iOS devices but that doesn't equate to active users. Asymco mobile analyst Horace Dediu estimated when iOS unit sales reached 700 million units in 2013 that the number of devices actually in use was about 500 million. He predicted it would take until 2018 for Apple to crack the one billion active user mark on the assumption that each iOS device owner had two iOS devices.
Another way to look at it is though version fragmentation, by comparing how many devices are using the most current OS. On that count Apple may be ahead of Android in total active users, thanks to the swift uptake of each new software update when it's released.
With Google's new figures out, and 20 percent currently running Lollipop, it means just under 300 million Android users have installed the latest version. However, Andreessen Horowitz partner Benedict Evans estimated that with iOS 9 already running on 52 percent of Apple mobile devices, Apple has 350 million to 400 million on its latest mobile OS.
Besides that, iOS owners spend more on apps than Android users do. Mobile analytic firm App Annie noted in its second quarter report that App Store revenues are about 70 percent higher than Google Play, thanks largely to Chinese consumers who are both keen on the App Store but also don't have access to Google Play. If a report from The Information earlier this month is correct, the Huawei Nexus device could help change this.

androidheadlines.com - For the busy corporate executive seeking a secure smartphone for handling sensitive communications, an Android device may not be on the shortlist. Sure: Google and, especially, Samsung have developed, enhanced and promoted Android's security features, but many businesses either still use BlackBerry devices or have moved to the iPhone. Silent Circle, a specialist Android smartphone manufacturer, have a competitive product for the security aware market in the shape of the Blackphone. The second generation model has just been released but the source website have been using a pre-production model for some time.
In terms of device specification, the Blackphone 2 is nothing special. It's based around the mid-range 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, backed up by 3 GB of RAM and the Adreno 405 GPU. There's a 5.5-inch full HD display, protected by Gorilla Glass, 32 GB of internal storage plus a MicroSD card that can handle an additional 128 GB. The device has worldwide 3G HSPA and LTE networking functionality, dual band WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. There's a 5MP front facing camera, a 13MP rear camera and a 3,060 mAh rechargeable battery, which includes Qualcomm's QuickCharge 2.0. The device runs Silent OS 2.0, which is based around Android 5.1.1 with a number of modifications designed with security in mind. It costs $799 and comes with one year of Silent Phone's encrypted communications technology. In terms of design, the Blackphone 2 is a significant improvement over the first generation product: it's sleek and well made, and these improved looks are backed up by significant under-the-skin improvements.
The software improvements follow a year of regeneration from Silent Circle. The business has upgraded its encrypted voice and text communications infrastructure over the time and replaced the original Blackphone's NVIDIA hardware with the Qualcomm Snapdragon. The Blackphone 2 will include Silent Circle's full suite of security and privacy applications and services, which will also be rolled out to the original Blackphone model, plus other customers with the standard Silent Phone application for iOS and Android (this is included for the first year but otherwise costs around $25 a month). Silent Phone is an encrypted end-to-end communications service that can operate in two modes: the fully encrypted mode is between two Silent Phone numbers, and a secured mode, which is between a normal number and the Silent Phone application. The secured mode encrypts the call at the local (smartphone) side of things rather than the full end-to-end coverage; it should prevent local eavesdropping. Silent Phone's texting service includes the ability to expire old messages and delete the message or image, plus location verification as standard.
For the first time ever, the Blackphone 2 includes the Google Play Store and over-the-air updates, as the original device did not include these features. Silent Circle have included their own application store (Silent Store) with access to applications such as the Ghostery web browser, SpiderOak (encrypted file sharing).
As I've written, Silent OS 2.0 is based around Google's Android 5.1.1 with a number of changes to shore up the security. One key feature is how Silent Circle have improved Google's multiple user mode. The software includes the ability to have multiple identities on the one device - it's possible to have your personal and work 'phones completely separate from one another, as well as create temporary numbers for specific purposes via the Silent Phone service. There's a built-in Security Center designed to allow customers to set application access levels across the board: it's possible to customize the experience either on the device or via a mobile device manager service (and the Blackphone 2 supports several major mobile device manager services out of the box). Silent Circle's treatment of user spaces runs much deeper than Google with full and remote control over these areas as necessary: plus you can create user spaces with mobile device management enabled, and create a non-MDM space giving the user full as much control as you see fit. Silent OS 2.0 includes full location-aware networking technology, so a device can automatically enable and disable its internet connection depending on where it is.
Silent Circle have provided a comprehensive way to destroy sensitive data on the device if it is lost or stolen - including rendering all data on the device or userspace inaccessible by deleting the decryption key, powering down the device (thus requiring the key to access), or stopping sensitive applications from running (a feature called "brace for impact" by Silent Circle) in order to prevent them from being compromised.
As a smartphone, the Blackphone 2 presents itself as something of an expensive mid-range device. When we consider the likely cost of the Silent Phone service for a year, at around $300, things start to look a little more reasonable. Silent Circle has also improved the services it offers and has an improved relationship with Google. Silent Phone's bug bounty scheme has been a success but the product is constantly and quickly evolving, but it's still very much a niche product. That it will only be available as an unlocked GSM smartphone, rather than readily available via your carrier, highlights that this is a different type of smartphone: but one that could be ideal for corporate IT departments seeking an alternative to a BlackBerry with access to the Android ecosystem. It will be interesting to see what BlackBerry release in the coming months.

mobileworldlive.com - BlackBerry chief John Chen said he is "confident in our strategy and continued progress" despite a 47 per cent fall in fiscal Q2 revenue, as the company also confirmed it is set to offer its first smartphone powered by Android.
It will launch a "flagship slider device", called Priv, which will run Android alongside "the best of BlackBerry security and productivity". It is expected to be available in Q4, and more details will follow in the coming weeks.
On a conference call, Chen said the device is targeted at ex-BlackBerry users who miss the physical keyboard but enjoy Android apps. He called it "the most secure Android device on the market."
Chen said that the second quarter of fiscal 2016 was its fourth consecutive period of year-on-year double-digit growth in software licensing revenue and sixth consecutive quarter of positive free cash flow.
"In order to expand our leadership in cross-platform software and services, we are investing strategically - organically through new products and services based on the BES platform, and through acquisitions like AtHoc and Good," he continued.
BlackBerry announced its $425 million acquisition of Good Technology after the close of the quarter. It is expected to complete toward the end of the current period, subject to closing conditions and regulatory approval.
BlackBerry 10 support
In a statement, the company said that despite its support for Android, it "remains committed to the BlackBerry 10 operating system, which enables industry-leading security and productivity benefits". Some observers had suggested that the company would be better off in abandoning its own platform, due to its limited device shipments and the resources required to maintain it.
BlackBerry said it will "continue to develop and enhance the BlackBerry 10 operating system" and is confirming plans to release platform updates focused on security and privacy enhancements, with version 10.3.3 scheduled for March 2016.
However, on the conference call, Chen didn't rule out merging or replacing the BlackBerry 10 business with Android. And Chen has admitted there are no plans for a new BlackBerry 10 device this year.
For the quarter to 29 August, the company reported a profit of $51 million, compared with a prior-year loss of $207 million, on revenue of $490 million, down from $916 million.
On a non-GAAP basis it saw a loss of $66 million, when excluding the impact of various financial transactions and charges.
The revenue breakdown was approximately 15 per cent for software and services, 41 per cent for hardware, and 43 per cent for service access fees.
It said it had 2,400 enterprise customer wins in the quarter, with approximately 60 per cent of the licences associated with them being cross-platform.
During the quarter, BlackBerry recognised revenue on more than 800,000 BlackBerry smartphones, with an average selling price of $240.
Looking forward, it "anticipates modest sequential growth in total revenue" for the remaining quarters in fiscal 2016. Chen added that the company is on track to achieve $500 million in software and services sales by year end.

fieldguide.gizmodo.com - It may have come to your attention that there's a fresh version of iOS in town. But aside from a font change, what's different about this new edition of Apple's mobile OS? To help you navigate around iOS 9, we've listed all the tricks that it can do that were beyond the capabilities of iOS 8.
1. Get public transit directions
23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn't Do in iOS 8
Unlike Google, Apple updates all its stock apps with iOS, so there are some new goodies to be found: Apple Maps now includes bus, train and subway schedule information for a handful of cities worldwide (like New York and London). You can also see right on the map if your ride is currently delayed.
2. Read the news
While you could get the news in iOS 8, you couldn't get the new news-reading News app Apple has bundled in with iOS 9. It features some carefully curated content from a group of partner publishers, with articles specially formatted for iOS devices in an easy-to-follow layout.
3. Access iCloud more easily
23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn't Do in iOS 8
iCloud has never been the easiest cloud storage service to actually get at (most of what it does happens behind the scenes) but iOS 9 makes it a little more visible: Go to Settings, iCloud then iCloud Drive and toggle the switch marked Show on Home Screen to enable the icon shortcut.
4. Split the screen
Attention iPad owners! You can all take advantage of the Slide Over feature in iOS 9 that brings in a second app as a sidebar-just slide your finger in from the right. iPad Air 2 (and iPad Pro) users can also activate the more advanced Split View by tapping and dragging the Slide Over border line.
5. Go back quickly
23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn't Do in iOS 8
Were Android users right all along? If you look up in the top-left corner of the iOS 9 interface you'll often see a Back button there for those times you're jumping between apps to check maps or links. It can be a quicker way of navigating around than double-tapping on the Home button.
6. Run smarter searches
As Spotlight in iOS 9 learns more about you, it will make smarter search recommendations-swipe left from the main home screen to test it out. Your most frequently used contacts, apps, locations and more will be shown first, but you can keep scrolling down to see further options.
7. Write on email attachments
23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn't Do in iOS 8
If you've always wanted to doodle on the attachments your friends and colleagues send you, then now's your chance: Look for the Markup button when you open or press and hold on a particular attachment (where it appears depends on the file format of the attachment you're opening).
8. Take better Notes
Notes is another stock app with a lot of new stuff to show off with iOS 9. The revamped app lets you add web links, photos, checklists and drawings to your notes now, and everything can be synced via iCloud. There are now more formatting options to play around with, so watch out Evernote.
9. Abandon poor wifi connections
23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn't Do in iOS 8
The new Wi-Fi Assist feature in iOS 9 lets you hop onto a speedy LTE connection if the wifi connection you're using isn't up to scratch (quite likely if you're out and about). Head to Settings then Cellular and tap on the Wi-Fi Assist toggle switch at the bottom to make use of the feature.
10. Zoom in on your videos
You can now pinch and zoom on your video clips as well as your photos-go ahead and try it. There's also a different way of choosing video and slo-mo recording modes, as long as your device supports them (open up Settings, tap on Photos & Camera and look under the Camera heading).
11. Get listening faster
23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn't Do in iOS 8
Try plugging your headphones into your newly updated iOS 9 device-notice anything different? Your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad should show a small icon depicting the music player app you most recently used, which you launch with a tap (or a slide upwards if the screen is locked).
12. Add events from your emails
Part of Apple's new, smarter, more proactive Siri and iOS strategy involves spotting events in your email messages and automatically adding them to your calendar (very Google Now-esque). Prompts should appear in both the Mail and Calendar apps when potential events are spotted.
13. Search through Settings
23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn't Do in iOS 8
Finding what you need in the iOS Settings app has never really been a walk in the park, but help has arrived with iOS 9. You'll notice a new search box at the top of the front screen in Settings: Enter your query here (e.g. "Bluetooth" and all of the matching options appear in a list underneath.
14. Block out the ads
Controversially, Safari on iOS now supports mobile ad blockers, so you can browse the internet at large free from memory-hogging, attention-grabbing promotions. If you go into the Safari section of Settings, you'll see a new Content Blockers option, though you need to install one (or more) first.
15. Select multiple photos
23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn't Do in iOS 8
Forget split views, forget new apps, forget a more proactive Siri, because iOS 9 lets you select multiple pictures more easily than before. After you've tapped Select in the Photos app, you can tap and drag to pick the images you want to work with, rather than having to tap on them individually.
16. Hide photos
While we're on the topic of pictures, iOS 9 lets you hide more sensitive material from view as well (just in case your friends grab your iPhone). On the Share menu you'll find a handy new Hide option, though images are still visible (and can be unhidden) through the Albums view inside the app.
17. Manage battery life
23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn't Do in iOS 8
iOS 9 wants to ease your battery life woes with a new low power mode that you can activate from the Battery menu inside Settings (it switches off a few background processes and can add up to an hour of life). Your battery icon turns yellow and you get a percentage view of the juice that's left.
18. Add a Find my Friends widget
Find My Friends isn't a new app but it's now a stock app that appears on your iOS device whether you like it or not. It also gains a Notification Center widget with iOS 9, so you can see where all your pals are right from the Today page (drag down from the Home screen and tap Edit to set this up).
19. Call up Siri from anywhere
23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn't Do in iOS 8
"Hey Siri!" is the new "OK Google!" now iOS 9 is here. Previously the voice shortcut only worked when your iPhone was charging, but you can enable it anywhere via Siri under General in the Settings app. It only works on the latest iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus handsets though, unfortunately.
20. Turn the keyboard into a trackpad
One of the iOS 9 keyboard changes is the switch to lower case letters when you're actually in lower case, which makes sense. What's more, if you're on an iPad, you can turn your touchscreen keyboard into a handy trackpad simply by pressing and holding two fingers on any of the keys.
21. Find your selfies more easily
23 Things You Can Do in iOS 9 That You Couldn't Do in iOS 8
Good news for selfie lovers (just about all of us then): Pictures taken with the front-facing camera get their own folder in the Photos app, enabling you to find them more easily. For the tech journalists out there, screenshots get their own folder too, which should save a substantial amount of time.
22. Use picture-in-picture
Assuming you're running iOS 9 on an iPad, and you're using a supported app (they should all be, given time), then you can take advantage of the picture-in-picture technology embedded in the new software: When viewing a video full-screen, tap the icon in the lower right-hand corner to shrink it.
23. Attach any kind of file to an email

macworld.com - Apple's newest iOS is far from a drastic overhaul, and that's OK. Sometimes it's the most subtle tweaks that have the biggest impact. And iOS 9 proves that.
Now that iOS 9 is getting ready for its official release on September 16, here are some of our favorite features-both big and small-that could make using your iOS device a lot easier.
What iOS 9 features are you most excited about?

techcrunch.com - The convenience and versatility offered by mobile devices and the ubiquity of connectivity has caused a shift in the way we live and work. Gone are the solitary cubicles and stodgy desktops of yore, replaced by the mobile workforce user.
A 2014 IDG Enterprise Mobility Survey showed that 66 percent of smartphone users, and 46 percent of tablet users, are using their devices for work-related tasks ("Hey John, can you Snapchat me that expense report?"). Companies are adopting strategies like BYOD (bring your own device) and deploying better governance policies to harness the increasing demand for enterprise mobility, a market that is expected to grow from $71.93 billion in 2013 to $266.17 billion by 2019.
The landscape of enterprise mobility has changed drastically since its inception. BlackBerry, the once dominant power in the industry, has handed its crown to Apple (72 percent) and its scepter to Android (26 percent). Though it was the most secure platform during its heyday, BlackBerry's lack of innovation and its software, hardware and user experience crippled their ability to compete. Left to rot, fruit will do just that (let this be a lesson for Apple).
Despite holding 78 percent of the global market share for smartphones, Android has yet to gain major ground within workforce users. Concerns over security vulnerabilities and operating system fragmentation has stunted Android's growth, until the recent release of Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and Android for Work. Here are a few reasons why Android is poised to take over the enterprise mobility game ...
A More Secure Operating System
The introduction of the latest operating system, Android 5.0 Lollipop, brought with it massive security fixes, including default device encryption and control over access to data and system services using Security Enabled Linux (SE Linux).
The "sandboxing" structure of SE Linux prevents malicious software from accessing sensitive data or applications. Recently, Google has also committed to monthly security updates for its Nexus line of devices. Many OEM's are following suit.
A New Suite Of Enterprise Products
Unveiled last year at Google I/O, Android for Work is finally here. Android for Work is a platform built to provide security and control for IT while allowing a simple experience for users. Android for work has a dashboard for IT departments that integrates with Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions, allowing complete control over enterprise data, application permissions and device management (i.e., setup and remote wipe).
For fans of BYOD, in addition to having an enterprise-specific play store and suite of productivity tools, Android still allows work and personal apps to co-exist peacefully. Gone are the days of having to carry both a work and personal phone.
Global Platform Dominance
Because of Google's commitment to bring Android to emerging markets, Android has maintained its global dominance. In a BYOD culture, options such as screen size, battery life, stylus and cost are driving factors when choosing a device. Android boasts nearly an unlimited selection of phones and tablets with their own unique features. Comparatively, Apple has a selection of six phones and six tablets supported by the current operating system.
Innovation
As BlackBerry learned the hard way, innovation is key to survival in the mobile ecosystem. Android has stayed steps ahead of Apple when it comes to iterating and innovating its mobile software. Features such as notification drawers, custom keyboards, integrated stylus and multitasking debuted on Android devices sometimes years before Apple; smartwatches were on the wrists of Android users one year before the Apple Watch arrived.
The future of enterprise mobility is in the hands of the consumers. If history has shown us anything, it will be shaped by innovative hardware and enterprise software. Android, with its army of users and growing enterprise solutions, is poised to dominate the market.

telecompaper.com - Only 17 percent of US organisations have taken the step to business mobility by shifting at least once core process to mobile, according to VMware's latest annual Business Mobility Report, which surveyed 1,182 business decision makers and IT practitioners in June. Another 61 percent are actively re-engineering or planning to re-engineer a core business process to mobile in the immediate future. According to the study, 44 percent of companies require employees to work with company-owned devices and the remainder allow BYOD. The top three goals for investing in business mobility innovations include increasing mobile workforce productivity (45%), streamlining business processes (34%) and reducing the cost of supporting a mobile workforce (31%).