APPLE SHARPENS UP THE GADGETS

Apple revealed upgrades for all their popular toys yesterday— a new Apple TV box with app functionality and voice commands, fresh iPhones that respond to pressure of a finger tap and a giant new iPad, the Pro, with an interesting accessory, the Apple Pencil.

Photos are a priority with new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus versions, which will have lens and flash capabilities to help you push those selfie skills forward. The camera will also record a few “live” frames before and after each shot to give your pics "movement." The iOS 9 upgrade is scheduled to reach the public on 9/16—get ready for those new taco and burrito emojis, people.

The Apple Watch will get integration from Facebook Messenger, along with some decorative options of gold and rose gold—those warm new Fall colors for all you band junkies. A forthcoming partnership with fashion house Hermes will produce a swaggy new collection—fashion—with luxe upgrades like hand-stitched leather straps and a custom face. Prices for such weren’t even mentioned; we look for similar detailing on Donald Trump's plane.

The iPad Pro stretches the screen out to 12.9 inches and, packed with 10 hours of battery life, is reworked to accommodate gaming and entertainment. With a cover that doubles as a keyboard accessory this will function nicely as a travel computer at a fraction of laptop costs. The Pro starts at $799 for a Wi-Fi version with 32GB of memory, $949 for Wi-Fi with 128GB, and $1,079 for 128GB with Wi-Fi and cellular data.

The Apple Pencil caused a bit of a stir, mostly since its very existence in the world was in direct opposition to a directive the departed deity Steve Jobs himself had made in 2007: “if you see a stylus, they blew it.” For design and art professionals however, it's not such a bad idea, and it signifies that the Tim Cook era is boldly moving ahead.

And that vision was made clear. “We believe the future of television is apps,” announced Cook.

The Apple TV box was the star of the event. A fantastic upgrade to the remote adds a Bluetooth connection, voice command with Siri, and a touch pad so its able to double as a gaming console. But most importantly, by powering the Apple TV box with a brand new operating system called TVos it opens the hardware up to third party developers to create apps for the big screen.

This makes Apple competitive with Roku and Chromecast, as a potential new platform could emerge. And how will Apple Music exist here? Time will tell. Netflix, HBO Now, Hulu, and Showtime are all early adopters. Let the gaming begin.

"Our vision for television is simple and perhaps a little provocative,” said Tim Cook.

The new Apple TV will sell for $149 for 32GB and $199 for 64GB in October.