Life: 7 Exclusive NYC Experiences Available To Only The Mega-Rich

New York is truly an incredible city, with an infinite number of experiences at the fingertips of everyone who lives there. But here are seven ultra-exclusive experiences available only to those for whom money is no object.

Easy Digital Photo Recovery 3.0

Easy Digital Photo Recovery is a photo recovery application that works with many picture formats, including BMP and RAW. The fully automated recovery engine locates and restores as much data as possible. The program is equipped with a preview that shows the potential results beforehand. Easy Digital Photo recovery works with all types of storage and is designed for Windows environment. Purchase a Personal license at 70% discount.

Review: HP Spectre x2

Introduction

With the Surface Pro 4 re-establishing Microsoft as the best Windows tablet maker, you can't find a slate that's not trying to emulate its design and success. From the Lenovo Miix 700 to the Dell XPS 12 and even the iPad Pro, everyone is getting into the pro-level tablet game with their own detachable device.

The Spectre x2 is HP's entry in the ever-expanding tablet-laptop hybrid category. While there's a striking resemblance between it and the Surface Pro 4, the Spectre x2 carves an identity of its own with a thinner body, fanless Intel Core M processors and a premium design.

Coming at a more affordable $799 (£799, AU$1,699) price point with a keyboard included, this 12-inch slate undercuts Microsoft's flagship tablet. But make no mistake: HP's 2-in-1 is a compelling device in its own right.

Design

The HP Spectre x2 undoubtedly takes some design cues from the Surface Pro 4, and its forbearer, the Surface Pro 3. It has an unmistakably similar silhouette if you're at all familiar with Microsoft's tablet line. That said, there are a few key differences that make HP's convertible approach slightly unique.

For starters, the Spectre x2 features rounded edges that make it look more like a smaller iPad Pro, complete with a chamfered edge that runs around the perimeter of the casing. The tablet also has a silver and black color scheme split between the stamped aluminum chassis and a black glass panel, which conceals the rear-facing camera and wireless radios.

While the Spectre x2 isn't built from one uniform piece of metal, every panel fits together seamlessly. It's a spectacularly solid and astonishingly thin device with a sandblasted metal finish that elevates its industrial quality.

Kick your leg out

Rather than going with the kick-out panel that spans the width of the device, the Spectre x2 has a U-shaped, 3.5mm stainless steel bar for its kickstand. If you remember the '80s and '90s fondly, the Spectre x2 looks a bit like an oversized portable television from that era, reinvented as a high-end electronic device.

The kickstand bar is a welcome deviation from other tablets with a pop-out rear panel, because it leaves more space for the battery. All the while, U-bar allows the Spectre x2 to be as flexible to use as the Surface Pro 4. You'll be able to tip the tablet back as far as a 150-degrees, a fair bit more than the 135-degrees you'll get on the Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700.

I just wish there were more ways to get at the kickstand. Because steel bar snaps into a trench on the back of the device when not in use, you have to rely on a single hinge release located on the lower left side of the tablet. The kickstand pops out with a satisfying spring-loaded action, but I would have preferred the whole assembly to extend to the edge of the device, so you could pull it open from three different sides.

Rocking out with the keyboard

HP knocked it out of the park with the Spectre x2's keyboard, and it even comes with the device at no extra charge. The keyboard is made with a solid sheet of aluminum, making flex virtually non-existent. Meanwhile, the fabric bottom is a soft texture to grip onto while toting the tablet around. The keys themselves are nicely spaced and offer a deep 1.5mm of travel. And the keyboard even magnetically clips to the Spectre x2's chin – just like the two most recent Surface tablets – to put it at an elevated angle for more comfortable typing.

However, the Spectre x2 keyboard's neatest trick is it incorporates an extra pair of speakers. With the keyboard attached, the HP Spectre x2 effectively has quad speaker audio setup. The extra pair of tweeters helps amplify the power of the tablet's two built-in, side-firing speakers. While this Windows 10 convertible can push out some major decibels, there isn't much depth to the sound.

Instead, everything from music to movies sounds flat, and there's a persistent tinny note that undercuts the whole audio experience. It's serviceable enough for movies, but if you're planning on listening to music for long stretches, you should plug in a pair of quality headphones.

Specifications and value

The HP Spectre x2 is one of the thinnest Windows 10 devices ever made, measuring only 0.31 inches (7.87mm) without the keyboard base attached. Comparatively, the Surface Pro 4 measures 0.33 inches (8.45mm) thick. HP's latest slate even comes close to being as thin as the Surface Book's 0.30-inch (7.7mm) thick Clipboard section.

Attaching the keyboard base adds a bit more bulk, bringing up the Spectre x2's total thickness to 0.52 inches (13mm). Still, not too bad overall when both the Surface Pro 4 with its type cover and the MacBook measure 0.52 inches (13mm) thick.

You'll also barely notice a difference in weight when you slip the 1.87-pound (0.85kg) HP Spectre x2 (2.68 pounds, or 1.22kg, with keyboard) into your bag. Comparatively, the Surface Pro 4 with Type Cover and MacBook are lighter at 2.37 pounds (1.07kg) and 2.03 pounds (0.92kg), respectively.

Here is the HP Spectre x2 configuration sent to techradar for review:

Spec Sheet

• CPU: 1.2GHz Intel Core m7-6Y75 (dual-core, 4MB cache, up to 3.1GHz with Turbo Boost)
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515
• RAM: 8 GB LPDDR3 SDRAM
• Screen: 12-inch, 1,920 x 1,280 WUXGA+ IPS WLED-backlit touch screen
• Storage: 256 GB mSATA SSD
• Ports: 2 x USB Type-C, microSD card reader
• Connectivity: Intel 802.11ac (2x2), Bluetooth 4.0, LTE
• Camera: 5MP HP TrueVision HD front-facing webcam, 8MP rear-facing camera, Intel RealSense 3D R200 camera
• Weight: 1.87 pound (tablet); 2.68 pound (tablet and base)
• Size: 11.81 x 8.23 x 0.31 inches (tablet); 11.81 x 8.23 x 0.52 inches (tablet and base) (W x D x H)

Between the quad-speaker audio setup, three different cameras and the included keyboard, the HP Spectre x2 comes with a lot of extra hardware you won't find on many other Windows 10 tablets. All this added tech doesn't come with an inflated price either.

The starting price for this device is $799 (£799), and it comes outfitted with a 900MHz Intel Core m3-6Y30, 4GB of RAM and 128GB solid-state drive (SSD). For Australian users, the AU$1,699 base configuration consists of a 1.1GHz Intel Core m5-6Y54 Processor with 8GB of RAM and an 128GB SSD. For the configuration above, the price is bumped up to $1,149 (£999, AU$2,299) – though 4G LTE-enabled models are only available from Best Buy.

For roughly the same price, you could also get a Surface Pro 4 with an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and an 128GB SSD for $999 (£849, AU$1,499). Keep in mind, though, the essential Type Cover you need to complete Microsoft's 2-in-1 tablet experience costs an extra $129 (£109, AU$199). Alternatively, the MacBook starts at $1,299 with an older generation 1.1GHz Intel Core M CPU with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM.

In terms of value proposition, the HP Spectre x2 offers the most bang for your buck at an affordable price point. To get the same amount of memory and RAM on the Surface Pro 4 you'll have to bump up to a more expensive model, but it's a more polished device worthy of its higher price tag. The MacBook is slightly outdated with an older generation Intel Core M chip, however, it's still quick on its feet for such a thin and light laptop.

Performance and features

Intel's first generation of power-sipping Core M CPUs got a bad rap for being underpowered in rigs like the Lenovo Yoga Pro 3. But this new generation of Skylake chips are a whole new bag. HP worked closely with Intel and Microsoft to squeeze every bit of performance out of the CPU, and it really shows when Lightroom runs as quickly and smoothly on the Spectre x2 as it does on some of the higher-end Ultrabooks I've tested.

Aside from some oddly slow performance that crops up a few minutes after startup, the Spectre x2 is consistently fast. Applications launch quickly and I can multitask like a boss. The power-sipping nature of the Core M architecture also comes in handy for long Netflix binging sessions and other light computing tasks when you're on the go.

Benchmarks

Here's how the HP Spectre x2 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

• 3DMark: Cloud Gate: 4,660; Sky Diver: 2,813; Fire Strike: 669
• Cinebench CPU: 209 points; Graphics: 29 fps,
• GeekBench: 2,903 (single-core); 5,701 (multi-core)
• PCMark 8 (Home Test): 2,396 points
• PCMark 8 Battery Life: 3 hours and 54 minutes

According to HP's claims, the Intel Core m7 chip built into this review sample I'm testing should offer the same level of performance as an Intel Core i5 U processor, and the benchmark results confirm that.

Just looking at the PCMark8 score, we can see HP's hybrid is right on the heels of the Surface Pro 4's 2,406 point score, which was achieved with one of Intel's latest Skylake Core i5 processors. The Spectre x2 is even able to keep in step with the Microsoft's flagship tablet on the graphics end. In the most difficult 3DMark Fire Strike benchmark test, the HP slate scored 669 points, not terribly far from the Surface Pro 4's 856 point performance.

Though the Apple MacBook was released just earlier this year, it's already starting to show its age with a last generation, mid-range Intel Core M CPU. The ultralight Mac was only able to achieve a Geekbench 3 multi-core score of 4,423. Meanwhile, the Spectre x2 surged ahead with 5,701 points and the Surface Pro 4 racked up 6,649 points.

Thick edges

The display on the Spectre x2 offers a gorgeous picture, with vivid colors and distinct shades of contrast. However, it's not the brightest display I've ever seen. I find that the screen doesn't shine brightly enough to combat the sun whenever I try to use it outdoors.

Another major knock against the display is that the Spectre x2 is limited to only a 1080p panel. The Full HD display is still sharp, since it's only a 12-inch device, but you can't ignore the fact that the Surface Pro 4 features a resolution of 2,736 x 1,824 and the Dell XPS 12 incorporates a 4K display.

It's even harder to look past the massive bezels around the display. The Surface Pro 4 has spoiled me with its slimmed-down sides, so it's just tough to look at the inch-thick black bars that wrap around the Spectre x2's screen.

Making non-sense with RealSense

HP has made a big point to include Intel's RealSense cameras in the Spectre x2. The company has even gone so far as to incorporate the depth-sensing imaging technology into both the front and rear cameras.

For the times when you would normally take a shot with a smartphone, I wouldn't recommend taking photos with the regular 8-megapixel (MP), rear-facing camera. (Since you'll look like a dork, for starters.) The few photos I did take with the tablet looked awful, with off colors, an extremely shallow dynamic range and visibly fuzzy resolution.

All said, the other rear-facing Intel RealSense 3D camera is a bit more fun to use. After downloading a few applications, I scanned a few of my friends' faces and playfully stuck their visages to 3D busts of the terminator, Ghostbusters and some unsung superhero. There are also a handful of amusing games to play around with using your body as the controller, much like the Xbox Kinect.

However, aside from a few goofs, there still aren't many practical uses for RealSense cameras. Surprisingly, the high-quality, front-facing camera can't be used for signing in with your face through Windows Hello. This sorely missing feature aside, there simply aren't many uses for RealSense technology built into the Windows 10 interface and apps, not to mention most third-party programs.

HP is forward thinking for including these bits of hardware today, but for now, you'll hardly ever use it outside of the apps specifically programmed to utilize the depth-sensing technology.

Pinch runner

Battery life on the Spectre x2 is all over the place, ranging from four to eight hours. Our PCMark8 battery test benchmark easily drained the tablet in just four hours. Meanwhile, I got 5 hours of regular usage (including Microsoft Word, Firefox, a client for Google Music, HipChat and roughly 30 minutes of Lightroom and Photoshop usage).

With local video playback, which consisted of a continuous loop of Guardians of the Galaxy playing at 50% screen brightness and volume, the Spectre x2 lasted for 5 hours and 47 minutes – more than enough to last a flight across the continental US. This 12-inch slate was also able to last me through a 7 hour and 47 minute session of Netflix bingeing.

Overall, the HP tablet lasts surprisingly long, considering how little space there is for batteries in its thin frame. Comparatively, the longest battery life we were able to squeeze out of the Surface Pro 4 was 5 hours and 15 minutes with local video playback. The MacBook, meanwhile, ran for 7 hours and 5 minutes while looping HD video over Wi-Fi.

Bundled software

Thankfully, the HP Spectre x2 comes with relatively little software preloaded on the SSD. Better yet, there are only two bits of annoying software (McAfee Security and the HP Welcome Message) you'll want to uninstall immediately.

For the most part, the device comes with a basic build of Windows 10, which is ideal if you just want to get started with setting up the tablet exactly how you want it.

Verdict

For anyone who has been on the fence about paying the premium for a Surface device, the Spectre x2 is an affordable and well-built Windows tablet alternative. After being spoiled by the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4, I didn't think there would be another device compelling enough to pull me away. But the Spectre x2 offers a mix of luxury and features that's too hard to pass up.

We liked

The hardware itself is simply stunning. Made almost entirely with metal complete with shiny accents and a sandblasted finish, the Spectre x2 feels luxe to the touch. At the same time, thanks to its thinner frame and a bar-shaped kickstand, it riffs on some of the conventions for Windows tablets set by Microsoft in an attractive way.

What's more, the Spectre x2 has redeemed the reputation of Intel Core M processors, offering nearly the same performance as the Core i5-powered Surface Pro 4 while being even more economical with battery life.

We disliked

Though I love the design of the design of this tablet, it could use a number of improvements. Namely, I would love the kickstand to be reengineered so that it reaches all the way to the edge of the device, so users don't have to go searching for the spring-loaded release switch. And this seems completely possible after seeing the Elite x2 1012.

Then, there are also the large bezels, which can't be ignored. Though I find the 1080p screen to be serviceable enough, the lack of a higher display resolution option might turn you off from this device to seek out the multitude of other sharper Windows tablets.

Final verdict

Ultimately, the HP Spectre x2 is an excellent device, though with some caveats whenever it tries to differentiate from the crowd. It's the only Windows tablet to feature a quad-speaker setup, but it only helps pump up volume without adding depth to the audio experience. HP's is also the only 2-in-1 to feature dual RealSense cameras, but for now they're only useful for playing around in games or messing with the scanned faces of your friends.

If money is no object and you want the very best, I would still pick the Surface Pro 4, because of its refined design and greater performance. Regardless, the Spectre x2, at its core, is a very affordable Windows 10 tablet-hybrid that sacrifices very little, if anything, to achieve its approachable price tag.

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Men need to get off the sofa and do some housework, data show

You may have spats at home about who is doing more housework, and those can be pretty hard to resolve. But it’s hard to argue with data.

The chart above shows cross-country data from the OECD National Time Use surveys on how many minutes men and women around the world spend each day on unpaid work and leisure activities. On average, men around the world spend more time watching TV, listening to the radio, and playing sports than women do. Women spend more time caring for family members and doing housework.

The only real debate seems to be who sleeps more — in most, but not all, countries, women get more shut-eye.

Review: UPDATED: iOS 9

Siri, design and Apple Maps

iOS 9 launched this week and it's already a lot better than iOS 8, thanks to new features that make the iPhone and iPad software easier to use.

Siri is smarter, Apple Maps has been improved and the notifications drop-down menu is now sorted logically. Best of all, every device that works with iOS 8 works with iOS 9.

iPads get benefit big from this year's operating system update. New iPad multitasking functionality, especially for the iPad Air 2, finally fulfills the tablet's promise of productivity on the go.

While iOS 9 lacks some key Android features, there's a lot to like about iOS 9 ahead of the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus launch next week, and iPad Pro release date in November.

• Here how to download iOS 9 on your iPhone or iPad

iOS 9 compatibility and download size

iOS 9 isn't about a fresh coat of paint like iOS 7 was, it's about rust-proofing glitchy software that launched alongside iOS 8 last year. Everything is designed to run smoother, and it does.

There are fewer app crashes and hard restarts required compared to when iOS 8 first came out. I've experienced no white screen of death problems so far, just occasional design flaws.

Even better, iOS 9 works with devices as old as iPhone 4S and iPad 2. Apple didn't axe any old phones or tablets from its compatibility list in the transition to the new operating system.

It was also a relief to see that this free update is a 1.4GB file and doesn't require the 4.7GB free of space to install on your tiny, 16GB devices.

Siri and search

The most obvious iOS 9 change involves Siri and spotlight search. Sliding to the left-most menu reveals a robust list of "Siri Suggestions," filled with your most recent contacts and apps.

It provides quick access to your four most recent contacts and four most recent apps. There's a "show more" and "show less" toggle to increase that to the eight most recent. Sadly, you can't unpin and disallow certain apps from showing up before your parents see you're on Tinder.

Apple Maps gets some attention here, too. "Nearby" shortcuts are a fast way of finding Parking, Restaurants, Gas Stations and even Desserts, which all link to a Yelp review-filled Maps menu. In true Apple fashion, there's no customization or option to re-sort which shortcuts come first.

iOS 9 concludes this Siri-run search menu with news snippets from sources like the New York Times and CNN. Strangely, there are four headlines, but if you hit the rather stingy "Show More" text, it reveals a total of five. A glitch to be solved in the future, perhaps?

The news presentation here isn't as flashy as Samsung's Flipboard-based menu, which is also the leftmost Android menu on the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Apple saves the magazine-style stories for its new iOS 9 News app.

Holding down the iPhone or iPad home button to issue normal Siri commands leads to smarter answers. I randomly asked "Bring up photos from May 28, 2015" and Siri immediately opened the pictures I took at Google IO on that date.

I still find Google Now to be more advanced overall, but this same phrase on an Android just leads to my Samsung Galaxy S6 Active opening up random web results. That... doesn't really help, Google. Apple is catching up and boasts that Siri is 40% faster and 40% more accurate. It shows.

Notifications, recent and photo scrubbing

Smaller iOS 9 menu changes have solved big pet peeves I've had with iOS 8, one of which I felt Apple should just steal from Android.

Notifications are now sorted chronologically instead of illogically grouped by app. This was always a problem when I accidentally put my finger on the Touch ID home button, forever sending all time-sorted lockscreen notifications into the app-sorted notifications menu. Now they all reside in the swipe-down-from-the-top menu once the phone is open.

Apple re-stylized its Recent menu, which is the one you see when double pressing in the Home button. It now sports a larger Cover Flow format, rather than its former zoomed out look.

The more important change to the Recent menu is that there's a shortcut icon tucked away at the bottom for Continuity (an app open your nearby Mac, iPad, etc) and location-based apps (if you're at a store like Starbucks and have the app installed).

Previously, these icons were stuck on bottom left corner of the lockscreen, which meant locking your phone just to press the wake button again to access the lock screen shortcut. Now it's available in two spots, whether or not your phone is in a locked state.

Finally, flipping through the default Photos app is less of a hazard, because there's a mini slideshow at the the bottom of the app. It's the fastest way to scrub through photos and reduces the chance you'll bring up that embarrassing picture while showing someone other photos.

Apple Maps

iOS 9 is the company's big push to improve Apple Maps, and it does just that... to some extent. Namely, this comes through with long-overdue public transit directions.

Routes for buses, trains, subways and even ferries are here, and I put it to the test on the New York City subway while navigating Manhattan. I survived this Apple Maps expedition without booting up Google Maps.

Besides New York City, transit directions are available in Baltimore, Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto and Washington D.C. About 300 cities in China, including Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai, are also getting the transit treatment.

Does it fix everything? No. The problem with Apple Maps wasn't just its lack of transit directions or too-often wrong routes, it was the fact that the app's design just couldn't compete with Google Maps. That's still the case.

Google is busy adding ridiculously minute details, like chalking out your vacation dates to the map overtop of your hotel. Apple's cumbersome app won't let you finger ahead to see the next directions. It just springs you back into place. I can go from Los Angeles to London on Google Maps while in the middle of turn-by-turn directions if I wanted to. With Apple Maps, I can't look ahead one block.

While I appreciate its new Nearby feature that lets you discover stops along the way, Apple Maps' foundation is a little too flawed for me to give up on Google Maps just yet. It doesn't matter if Siri insists on opening up Maps whenever I ask for direction by voice.

iPad multitasking, new keyboard and notes

iOS 9 is very much an iPad-focused update, with several of the most exciting new features only available on Apple's 7.9-inch and 9.7-inch tablets.

Multitasking

True multitasking finally comes to the newer Retina-class slates: the iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad mini 3 and iPad mini 2. This may help Apple's sluggish tablet sales among enterprise users.

Slide Out opens a second app from the left, working a lot like the drag-from-the-bottom Command Center gesture, and gives it about a third of the screen. That's been enough space to check my email while already surfing the web, or to respond to iMessages while in the middle of writing a certain iOS 9 review in a Google Doc.

While the main portion of the iPad screen can consist of any app, the one-third panel is limited to Apple's app suite of 19 apps. I get it. It's clearly because the apps here are tweaked ever so slightly to fit the abnormal layout, but it's still disappointing.

I should also note that while Mail, Reminders, Notes and Photos are useful in this Slide Out view, it's hard to understand why Apple's 19 multitasking apps includes Tips and Feedback. (Actually, scratch that, I may use that last one right now.)

Picture-in-Picture is another multitasking mode, one that's focused on continuing to allow you to play videos and and stream FaceTime calls while still using the tablet.

It puts the video in the corner of the home screen as soon as you hit the home button, and the small window can be resized and dragged around while you work in other apps. This works fine for all videos playing in Safari, just don't expect it to work in the native YouTube app.

Split View is the closest thing there is to computer-grade multitasking on a tablet running iOS 9, and it's only available on the iPad Air 2. It converts the small Slide Out panel into two apps running side by side with equal space. Both are active, with full multitouch support.

All three multitasking modes give iPad a much-needed productivity boost and they right the wrongs of Apple's "multitasking" iOS 4 announcement, which ended up being apps kind-of, sort-of running in the background.

All of this is limited to the iPad. As much as you may want on a phone in exchange for lugging around that 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, there's no such multitasking in the iOS 9 update for Apple's phablet. Maybe when the iPhone 6S Plus launches.

New keyboard

The iPad takes the lead here, too, but there are still important changes that makes the iPhone's QuickType keyboard even better in iOS 9.

First, it's easier to tell the difference between capital letters and non-capital letters, thanks to the new San Francisco font type. I no longer have to look at the shift key to try to determine whether it's on or off.

Second, Apple turned off the pop up animation for every key press. You can still turn it on in the settings menu by following Settings> General > Keyboards and and checking off "Character Preview." However, I found it much less of a distraction without it on.

iPad gets the most out of the keyboard changes with new shortcuts that flank the suggestion word bar at the top. They depend on the app, but I found cut, copy and paste almost always appear on the left, and sometimes undo and redo, too. Bold, italics, underline and attachment shortcuts hog the right side of the bar and are sometimes join by up and down arrows.

Previously, this was unused space, and now it's put to good use. I really wanted iOS 9 to add right and left arrow keys in this space, but Apple went in another direction. It made the entire keyboard a trackpad whenever two fingers touch down on the display.

It turns off the keyboard and lets you move the cursor all around without your finger having to be over top of it (read: in the way of it). This works especially well when trying to highlight text right before hitting that copy and paste shortcut.

Notes

Notes has never been the most compelling app, but Apple's iOS 9 update makes it less of an Evernote-afterthought with a few new tricks.

I was able to add checklist icons for a quick and simple to-do list and include photos thanks to a new attachment icon in the shortcut bar. Maps and URLs can be included, too, but the need for these two tools isn't as pressing in such a "jot something down" app.

Right next to the little camera attachment icon is a squiggly line, which of course means I could draw a sketch by using my finger. It's complete with different pen sizes and colors.

iOS 9's enhanced Notes app isn't enough to drop my subscription to the more feature-packed and easily searchable Evernote, but it's an important step forward for Apple's ecosystem loyalists.

Apple News, Wallet and Verdict

Apple is giving two of its existing pre-installed apps a complete overhaul and a name change in iOS 9, and both are improvements over the old way of doing things.

Newsstand has been revamped as Apple News, or just News, and it gives us a free, magazine-styled layout. Passbook has become Wallet, and expands instead of changes the idea behind it.

Apple News

Really, you should get all of your news straight from TechRadar, but if you need to learn about other events happening in the world, Apple has a News app within iOS 9. It has launched in US, UK and Australia when the final version of the operating system releases.

It's a slick-looking news aggregator, but, truthfully, it's not the most ground-breaking app design because it does exactly what Flipboard does: lays out RSS content in a magazine-style format.

It collects stories from publications and topics I favorite, then does its best to deliver a rich newsfeed I actually care about. It has two things going for it over traditional Safari browsing: it's fast and it keeps my personalized data separate from my Apple ID.

Wallet

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users have been waving their phones in front of NFC stations to pay for stuff in the US since last October, and as of July 14 they're doing it throughout the UK.

iOS 9 expands Apple Pay by adding gift and loyalty cards, therefore the app that contains it, Passbook, is being renamed Wallet. Goodbye, cumbersome QR codes that few retailers even used.

Loyalty cards aren't a part of iOS 9 today, with the first retailers like Whole Foods, Walgreens and JC Penney promising to launch Wallet-integrated app updates later this year.

However, the new app icon is here and so is this handy trick: double pressing in the home button on a locked iPhone (but not an iPad) brings up the Apple Pay menu.

This is convenient because the Wallet app is so tempting to hide in a folder. There's no reason to keep it on the home screen until you really need it. But it's nice to have quick access to it the few, precise times you actually do need to pull something out of your "Wallet."

With loyalty cards launching, shortcuts like this are going to become even more important. I just wish Apple devised a way to access a flight boarding pass when my iPhone screen isn't locked.

I have to lock my always-in-use device in an airport line, then press the lock button again to wake it in order to access the lockscreen notification. Apple Watch does it correctly with a shortcut that always rests in the notification dropdown right before a flight. I'm hopeful I don't have to wait for iOS 10 for something similar.

Verdict

iOS 9 is already worth downloading today? The keyboard is easier to use, Siri suggestions make menu navigation faster, notifications are rightly sorted by time and, on the iPad, there's actual multitasking.

Not everything that's new is perfect or worthwhile. Apple Maps still needs a lot of design work, Apple News is a clone and the same old Apple ecosystem problems persist. You still can't delete useless pre-installed apps (and now we know why) and Siri still loves opening Safari and Maps, even if you loyal use Chrome and Gmail. Even with all of the iPad advancements, you won't find multiple accounts like you would on Android, and good luck switching to Google's operating system. Apple makes it tough to leave iMessages, as group conversations fall apart when you switch to those ugly green bubbles your Apple-loving friends hate.

• Here's how to download iOS 9 on your iPhone or iPad right now

That said, iOS 9 is an incremental advancement over iOS 8, which is exactly what Google is doing in the transition from Android 5.0 Lollipop to Android Marshmallow later this year. Much of it is behind the scenes improvements, but we're already seeing the positive effects ahead even more changes in iOS 9.1.

• Here's our take on the Apple Watch