PowerSkin announces first portable battery solution for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

With millions of consumers already purchasing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus there is an immediate need for on-the-go charging solutions for these new devices.  To meet the incredible demand, PowerSkin announced that the company’s popular PoP’n battery packs now includes PoP’n 2 for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, available for only $69.99.

Utilizing state-of-the-art, patented suction adhering technology, the PoP’n 2 suctions onto the back of the iPhone for an easy to hold, seamlessly integrated charging experience. That means no dangling cords or having to awkwardly juggle around two different devices. Featuring a 4000 mAh battery and 2.1 amp charging equipped, the PoP’n 2 charges the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus faster than any other battery pack and the reinforced hard shell plastic helps stabilize and protect the phone.

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The Apple Beat: Why Apple Pay is sending shockwaves through the payments industry

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

 Apple Pay is actually a very big deal. More than just enabling mobile payments in a handful of partner retailers, the entire system is designed to ‘just work’ once the switch is flipped. Apple Pay will hope to become as prevalent a payment option as Visa, MasterCard or any debit card that people are already using. 

The first public Apple Pay transaction is still a few weeks away from happening, but news that Apple’s solution to mobile payments is coming, is sending shockwaves through the payments sector.

A key feature of the new iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch, Apple Pay has the backing of major credit card companies, over 800 million ready-to-go credit cards on iTunes, various debit cards plus 220,000 retailers and businesses have already signed up or, at the very least, already have the necessary infrastructure to accept Apple Pay without any large investment in hardware or training.

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webOS returns to mobile as a smart watch OS

LG has had the good sense to make good use of webOS as a Smart Watch operating system. The once pioneering Palm mobile OS was recently used in LG's Smart TVs and now it seems there's an earnest move to create webOS SmartWatch for developers.

One one hand, it's great to see webOS back in some form but on the other hand, manufacturers spinning off their non Android Wear wearable operating systems (Samsung's got Tizen), means fragmentation in the still-emerging wearable market. This could pose some issues for users and also for developers choosing alliances. This also tells us that manufacturers aren't keen in having Google control the whole ecosystem.

Source: Engadget

Vogue profiles Jony Ive, gets rare insight into the designer's mind

Vogue just published a rare and lengthy profile on Apple's resident design icon Jony Ive. The piece kicks off on the Apple Watch and then rather thorougly covers various aspects of Ive's personal and professional life. There's lots of information about taste, approach and passion for building things as well as Ive's partnership with Australian industrial desigenr Marc Newson who also recently joined Apple. Check out the piece here.