MacRumors

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming iOS 9.2.1 update to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, nearly three weeks after seeding the first beta and almost one month after the public release of iOS 9.2. iOS 9.2, the second major update to iOS 9, introduced a very long list of bug fixes, along with feature improvements to Apple Music, News, Mail, iBooks, and more.

The second iOS 9.2.1 beta, build 13D14, is available as an over-the-air update for those who downloaded the first beta and it's also available from the Apple Developer Center.

It is not yet clear what changes iOS 9.2.1 will bring to iOS 9, but as it's a minor .1 update, it's likely to focus on performance improvements and introduce fixes for bugs that have been discovered since the release of iOS 9.2. No significant changes were discovered in the first beta, but we'll update this post if anything new is unearthed.

Ahead of this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Samsung has announced its latest external solid state drive, the SSD T3. An evolution of the SSD T1, the Portable SSD T3 is Samsung's first SSD to include a USB 3.1 Type-C port instead of a standard USB B port.

Devices that use USB Type-C are proving popular at this year's CES, with multiple companies introducing new USB-C docks, connectors, and more. All of these products, including Samsung's SSD, are compatible with the 12-inch Retina MacBook, Apple's first computer to take advantage of USB-Type C.

Samsung's Portable SSD T3 features a body that's encased in silver and gray aluminum, an upgrade from the plastic body of the SSD T1. Internally, the SSD T3 features the same controllers with SSD TurboWrite technology and Vertical NAND flash used in each of Samsung's 2.5-inch SATA solid state drives.

The SSD T3 offers sequential read and write speeds of up to 450MB/s, and it's also lighter and more durable than most standard hard drives on the market. According to Samsung, it's smaller than an average business card. It can survive up to 1500G of force and will remain functional even after a drop of up to two meters.

Available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities with AES 256-bit hardware encryption, the SSD T3 ships with a USB Type-C to Type-A cable in the box, so it's able to be used with Macs that don't have a USB-C port. With its aluminum case, the SSD T3 is slightly heavier than the original T1, weighing in at 51 grams, and it measures in at 74mm x 58mm x 10.5mm.

Samsung has not unveiled pricing on the new SSD, which is expected to start shipping out in February of 2016.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles ahead of CES today announced the fourth-generation of its Uconnect infotainment automobile system, which will bring Apple CarPlay support to select cars manufactured by the company in 2016. The Uconnect system uses an 8.4-inch touch screen for users to interface with various Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models and control music, navigation, and phone calls.

CarPlay will allow FCA customers the ability to sync an iPhone to their vehicle and gain access to their music library, contacts list, navigation settings, and text messages all from the existing Uconnect touch screen. Besides CarPlay support, the 2016 update to UConnect will bring along a capacitive touchscreen, speedier startup times, enhanced processing power, heightened UI response, and better resolution and brightness.

In addition to Apple CarPlay, the fourth-generation UConnect system will support Android Auto for non-iOS users. With today's announcement, FCA joins a host of car manufacturers that are introducing CarPlay support in some of their latest 2016 models, including Chevrolet, Honda, and Ford.

Griffin Technology has announced a new BreakSafe Magnetic USB-C Power Cable for the Retina MacBook, which makes up for the lack of Apple's own MagSafe technology on the 12-inch notebook. The six-foot cable is also compatible with other USB-C notebooks like the Chromebook Pixel and will be available in April for $39.99.

BreakSafe has a patented quick-release magnetic connector that plugs into the Retina MacBook and safely disconnects from the rest of the cable when put under stress or strain -- for example, if someone trips over the power cord. The 12.8mm connector is small enough that it can be left in the USB-C port without using much space.

The Nashville-based accessory maker also unveiled a wider range of USB-C adapters and three-foot cables, including a USB-C to USB-A adapter ($19.99), USB-C to USB-A cable ($19.99), USB-C to Micro USB cable and USB-C to USB-C cable ($29.99). The adapters and cables are available now through Griffin's website.

Last, Griffin’s iMic USB-C audio interface will be available for $49.99 in Q2 2016.

Acer has announced all-new H7 series monitors as the first to support USB Type-C, making them compatible with Apple's newer 12-inch MacBook. The monitors will be able to charge the MacBook, transfer data and display content over one USB-C cable, eliminating the need for multiple cables and adapters.

The monitors will be available in 25-inch and 27-inch screen sizes with 2,560×1,440 pixels resolution, Acer TrueHarmony and DTS Sound, HDMI 2.0 ports and 100% sRGB coverage. The H7 series launches in the U.S. and other North American markets in February with prices starting at $499.99. Availability in other regions will follow.

Lenovo has also announced the ThinkVision X24 Pro and ThinkVision X1 as its first two USB Type-C monitors, per AnandTech. The bezel-free ThinkVision X24 Pro features a 1,920×1,080 resolution IPS display, USB-C and Mini DisplayPort, an Intel RealSense 3D camera, two 3W speakers and more. The monitor starts at $399 and ships in May.

The 27-inch ThinkVision X1 has an ultra-thin 7.5mm design, 3,840×2,160 resolution, USB-C and DisplayPort 1.2 ports, HDMI 2.0, 99% sRGB coverage and more. Apple's 12-inch MacBook includes support for DisplayPort 1.2 through USB-C, so it will be able to power this Ultra HD monitor at 60 Hz. The ThinkVision X1 will cost $799.

Ford has announced it is adding CarPlay and Android Auto to all 2017 vehicles in North America equipped with BlackBerry's QNX-based SYNC 3 platform, starting with the new Ford Escape. CarPlay and Android Auto will also be available in 2016 vehicles with SYNC 3 as an upgrade later this year.

Ford is also adding new SYNC AppLink apps for AAA/CAA member services, Concur expense report tracking, Eventseeker for nearby events and Cityseeker for nearby restaurants. New 4G LTE SYNC Connect technology will allow drivers to remote start, unlock doors, check fuel levels or locate a parked vehicle via their smartphone.

In December, Ford retroactively added Siri Eyes Free support to 5 million 2011-2016 vehicles through a SYNC 3.8 software update. The U.S. says more than 15 million SYNC-equipped vehicles are on the road worldwide today, although that figure likely includes older SYNC platforms incompatible with CarPlay and Android Auto.

Ford has been added to our list of 2016 U.S. CarPlay vehicles and CarPlay roundup.

Apple's next-generation iPhone 7 Plus may feature a 256GB storage option and larger 3,100 mAh battery as two differentiating features over the smaller iPhone 7, according to Chinese website MyDrivers [Google Translate].

The report does not specify if the iPhone 7 Plus will still have 16GB base storage, or if Apple will opt for larger storage options such as 32GB, 128GB and 256GB, compared to the iPhone 6s Plus lineup of 16GB, 64GB and 128GB models.

The claimed 3,100 mAh battery would be approximately 12.7% larger than the iPhone 6s Plus's 2,750 mAh battery, but the rumor is questionable following reports claiming the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be nearly as thin as the new iPod touch.

The report also corroborates previous rumors claiming the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will retain 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screen sizes respectively, but does not offer any other new details about the smartphones.

Chinese website MyDrivers, which earlier this week said the so-called "iPhone 6c" will have a 1,642 mAh battery and 2GB of RAM, has a mixed track record at reporting on Apple's upcoming product plans, so this rumor should be treated with caution until or unless other reports substantiate these claims.

Apple may remove the 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in favor of an all-in-one Lightning connector, possibly helping the smartphones achieve between 6.0mm and 6.5mm thinness and a waterproof design. The devices may also have a faster TSMC-built A10 chip and Intel 7360 LTE modem and non-metallic casing with hidden antenna bands. iPhone 7 Plus models could have 3GB of RAM.

Read more about the iPhone 7 Plus in our What's Coming From Apple in 2016 roundup.

With the launch of the Apple Watch, the iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus, the new Apple TV, and the iPad Pro, 2015 was a major year for Apple. The Apple Watch introduced a whole new category, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus saw the debut of 3D Touch, and the iPad Pro brought Apple's largest iOS device yet.

iOS 9, watchOS 2, and OS X 10.11 El Capitan brought refinements to Apple's operating systems, and the fourth-generation Apple TV came with a brand new operating system, tvOS. 2015 saw a huge number of new products and software updates, and 2016 promises to be just as exciting.

A second-generation Apple Watch is in the works and could launch in early 2016, while new flagship iPhones, the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, are coming in late 2016. Those who love smaller devices will be excited to hear a 4-inch iPhone 6c may be coming early in 2016, and Apple's Mac lineup is expected to gain Skylake chip updates.

New software, including iOS 10, OS X 10.12, watchOS 3, and an upgraded version of tvOS are all expected in 2016, and Apple will undoubtedly work on improving services like HomeKit, Apple Pay, and Apple Music.

As we did for 2014 and 2015, we've highlighted Apple's prospective 2016 product plans, outlining what we might see from Apple over the course of the next 12 months based on current rumors, past releases, and logical upgrade choices.

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Starting on January 8, 2016, AT&T plans to introduce a "pricing simplification effort" that will see the end of device subsidies and two-year contracts. According to an internal training document shared by Engadget, new and existing AT&T customers will only be able to purchase a smartphone at full price or with an AT&T Next payment plan going forward.

As outlined in the document, the new rules apply to all of the phones that AT&T sells, including smartphones and more basic devices, which will be paid for using new installment plans. More information on how AT&T will handle corporate accounts and non-smartphone devices like tablets and wearables will become available after an official announcement from AT&T, but it appears certain corporate users will be able to continue making two-year contract purchases.

The shift away from two-year contracts and iPhone subsidies began with T-Mobile in 2013, when the company introduced its Un-carrier payment plans uncoupling device costs from plan costs. Verizon followed suit in August of 2015, debuting new smartphone rate plans and eliminating its subsidized two-year contract option for new users.

Existing Verizon customers can still renew their two-year contracts, but AT&T's no-contract implementation is more extreme and will not offer existing customers the option to keep their contracts once they expire.

AT&T has already been working on shifting away from two-year contracts by pushing its Next plans. In June of 2015, AT&T forced Apple and other third-party retailers to remove the option to purchase AT&T phones with a two-year contract, leaving customers with AT&T Next or a full-priced smartphone as their only third-party purchase options.

Update: AT&T has confirmed its plans to stop offering two-year contracts in a statement given to Re/code.

"With $0 down for well-qualified customers, the ability to upgrade early and down-payment options available with even lower monthly installments, our customers are overwhelmingly choosing AT&T Next," AT&T told Re/code. "Starting January 8, AT&T Next will be the primary way to get a new smartphone at AT&T."

One of the Apple Watch features Apple often highlights is the device's precise timekeeping, which Apple says is within 50 milliseconds of the global time standard. Apple's VP of Technology, Kevin Lynch, today spoke with Mashable and The Telegraph to share some details on how Apple achieves that level of accuracy.

Lynch told Mashable that the Apple Watch is so accurate that the hands of two Apple Watches placed next to one another will move in perfect unison. This is achieved primarily through 15 Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers that Apple has around the world, kept inside of buildings with GPS antennas that connect to GPS satellites broadcasting time data from the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. The Observatory houses an ultra accurate atomic clock, which uses electronic transition frequency to measure time.

Apple's time servers communicate the time to iPhones across the world, and the iPhone in turn syncs with the Apple Watch via Bluetooth to provide the exact time. Communicating a GPS signal from a server to an iPhone to an Apple Watch over Bluetooth has its own delays, which Apple corrects for via software. Apple's NTP servers make sure iPhones and Apple Watches keep time at "Stratum One" accuracy, within milliseconds of "Stratum Zero" devices.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Lynch also described the hardware inside of the Apple Watch that makes sure the time remains accurate. Each Apple Watch has a temperature-controlled crystal oscillator inside to combat time drift that clocks and watches see. The oscillator also makes sure the Apple Watch remains warm enough to keep accurate time in very cold climates. Thanks to this hardware, the Apple Watch is even more accurate than the iPhone.

"The second hand on every Apple Watch is perfectly in sync, and each device is accurate to 50 milliseconds of Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC), the world's time standard, which is below human perception, so when you look at it you can't tell the difference," he explains.

With New Year's Eve approaching, Lynch says Apple Watch owners will have the most accurate watches in the room. "If you're in a room on New Year's Eve wearing one, you will be the best reference for when the New Year actually begins," he said.