iOS 8.4 Officially Released with Apple Music, Messages Bug Fix

Apple has just started seeding the final version of the iOS 8.4 mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices worldwide, a major release that includes the highly anticipated Apple Music service.

Unveiled earlier this month during Apple’s WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) 2015 event, Apple Music is here to offer you a revolutionary music streaming service, a 24/7 global radio, as well as a way for music fans to connect with their favorite artists more easily. According to the internal release notes, which you can read by pressing the "Learn more" button under the iOS 8.4 update, by becoming an Apple Music member, you'll have access to millions of songs that you can listen to offline whenever you want. The new music service offers playlist and album recommendations that have been handpicked by Apple's music experts from all over the world, access to the latest and greatest new music, interviews, as well as exclusive radio shows on Beats 1.

Apple Music members will also be able to share music, photos, and videos from their favorite artists. You can also join conversations with other fans and share your thoughts on the matter..

Completely redesigned Music app

iOS 8.4 also introduces a redesigned Music app that boasts all-new features like MiniPlayer, Recently Added, Up Next, and many more. Please note that some features may or may not be available in your country. Moreover, iOS 8.4 brings various improvements to the iBooks app, such as the ability to browse, listen to, and download audiobooks from within the application, as well as a brand-new Now Playing feature designed specifically for audiobooks.

Among other under-the-hood improvements, iOS 8.4 addresses various issues that some users encountered with GPS accessories, repairs a problem with deleted Apple Watch apps, and fixes the famous iOS Messages app bug that could crash your device when a crafted text message with some specific Unicode characters was received.

iOS 8.4 released

iOS 8.4 update

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Music app - Radio

Music app - Connect

Music app - Playlist

Music app - New

Music app - Genres
Images credits to Apple

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Meizu MX5 Is Now Official with Metal Body and Advanced 20MP Camera

As was heavily anticipated for the past few months, Chinese device manufacturer Meizu has just pulled the veil off its latest flagship smartphone, called the MX5.

Meizu has become a pretty strong presence in the domestic ecosystems thanks to premium devices like the MX4 and MX4 Pro, but also value phones like the M1 Note, and recently the M2 Note. Today, the device maker is introducing its latest premium offering which arrives with a full metal build. The phone makes a debut with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display capable of 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and an upgraded (compared to the MX4 Pro) 64-bit octa-core MediaTek MT6975 chipset fitted with 3GB of RAM and 32/64GB of internal storage (good news, there’s a microSD card slot for memory expansion). Meizu also throws in a 20MP main camera that takes advantage of a Sony sensor with laser autofocus, plus a quite capable 8MP front-facing camera that will certainly snap the selfies you have been dreaming of.

Sorry folks, no Android 5.1 Lollipop for now

The phone ships out with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box with Flyme 5.0 overlay on top, but we should expect to see Meizu push out the Android 5.1 Lollipop update at some point in the future. Under the hood lies a 3,150 mAh powerhouse which is in charge of keeping the device alive. Meizu has also bundled the smartphone with the so-called mCharge tech, which basically offers fast charging and can juice up 25% of battery in only ten minutes. Sounds pretty neat! The phone is also quite sleek, boasting a 7.6 mm / 0.29 inch frame and breaking the scales at only 149 g / 0.32 lbs.

Last but not least, we should mention that the device arrives with a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button. Anyway, the Meizu MX5 looks pretty sleek, so you are probably wondering how much money you need to save up to get your hands on it. The basic 16GB version will go on sale for a pretty affordable $290 / €259, while the 32GB version can be yours for $322 / €288. The premium 64GB version will be offered for $387 / €346.

Meizu MX5 launches today

Meizu MX5 has a metal build

Meizu MX5 comes with fingerprint scanner

Meizu MX5 bundles fast charging

Meizu MX5 is a dual-SIM phone

Meizu MX5, frontal look

Meizu MX5, bottom view

Meizu MX5 in profile
Images credits to Meizu

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Windows 10 Build 10158 Now Available for Download

Microsoft has recently rolled out Windows 10 build 10158 to users enrolled in the fast ring of the Windows Insider program, giving them the option to try out one of the most refined versions of Windows 10 so far.

Most of the enhancements the company has introduced in this build are aimed at improving the overall performance of Microsoft Edge, the new browser that is replacing Internet Explorer in Windows and Project Spartan in preview builds. Edge finally makes its debut in build 10158 and comes with options to bring a home button that can be added via Settings > Advanced Settings > Show the home button. This was one of the most requested features in previous builds, Microsoft says.

Edge can also import favorites and bookmarks from other browsers, there are options to tweak the first screen when launching the app, as well as new customizations for the New Tab page, as you’re now allowed to choose to either see top sites and suggested content or only top sites. Microsoft Edge also comes with its very own password manager and form-fill support, and you can also drag and drop tabs to a new window, just like in Chrome and Firefox. Edge obviously features the dark theme we’ve seen in leaked builds, but also support for background audio, so sounds will keep playing when the browser is minimized or in the background.

Other improvements

Build 10158 also boasts other small tweaks, such as Cortana improvements and a dark theme for the personal assistant, the ability to send emails, and direct integration with Office 365. The Photos app has received its own bunch of enhancements, including support for GIFs, again one of the top requests from testers. And last but not least, there are also some subtle improvements that will make working on the desktop easier. Microsoft explains:

“On the Taskbar, when an app needs your attention, it will now flash in orange. And when you download something or move files around in File Explorer, the progress animation in the Taskbar has been changed back to green and back to animating horizontally (instead of white and animating vertically seen in the previous build - thanks for the feedback!).” As usual, you can get this new build via Windows Update if you are a Windows insider or wait for it to reach the slow ring and then perform a clean install with the new ISOs.

The new Windows 10 build is available via Windows Update for fast ring users
Image credits to Microsoft

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