Apple

Why on earth bother with the cost and the weight of a Leica Q when you have a super set of cameras in your constant companion, your trusty iPhone 7 Plus? We think we know the answer, but USAToday aims to gives you the definitive response......

Macfilos visits Berlin's huge IFA, the Internationale Funkausstellung, to find out what's happening in the world of consumer electronics. First, though, he grinds a few ideas through Apple's rumour mill.

Times are looking bleak for the OS know-alls who delight in telling us it is OS TEN and not OS Eks. It’s a godsent opportunity to demonstrate your prowess with Roman numerals when talking knowledgeably about operating systems. Not much longer, it seems. Hidden in the latest build of El Capitan is a reference to MacOS, the successor to OS X. Apple, it seems is leaving Rome to the pedants.

After a long wait, Mike has now been able to order his Apple AirPods. Will he look super geeky or super sensible?

Eleven years ago today Mike found his spiritual home in the Regent Street Apple Store. Buying a test Mac mini brought about a sea change in his computing life and led directly to the start of Macfilos.

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Interesting to read on Gizmodo today that Apple's third founding father (after Steve J and Steve Wozniak) decided to leave ten days after the company started and accepted $800 in payment for his 10 percent share. If he'd only held on he would now be 22 billion dollars to the good.  Ron Wayne, apparently, treats the whole business without bitterness. The most interesting aspect, though, is the colossal rise in the company's value in 34 years. Almost certainly cashing in his chips was a rational decision on his part in 1976, but I must say I would be feeling less than charitable were I in his shoes now. Poor guy.

After two weeks with my new iPhone 3G I agree with other commentators about the limited battery life. A day out and about and I'm down to the last 10% of power. In fairness to Apple, the iPhone is just so handy and useful that I am using it for far longer than any previous phone or PDA. It's a fully-fledged computer, not just a phone. And my old Treo 750 wasn't much better on battery life if I'm being honest.

I am currently testing an auxilliary battery which plugs into the iPhone and can give up to two full charges. The small and neat Power Monkey, which looks nothing like a monkey, is proving to be a valuable addition to my portable arsenal. There are a number of similar devices such as the 3GJuice and the Kensington but on paper the Power monkey has the highest power capacity. It is British designed and you can see details at PowerTraveller UK.

Although the monkey is expensive at £65 it does come with an array of connectors for many mobile devices and a quality carry case. A bonus is a solar-panel charger so, in theory, you can have power wherever you go. I won't hold my breath for solar charging performance in Britain, but I am looking forward to trying out the device when I get back to Athens in October.

I know I have been banging on about the late arrival of my Apple Watch. I had foolishly expected it on...

Can't let today, September 13, pass without comment. Exactly ten years ago the public beta of OS X was made available. Happy birthday!