Wireless Wednesday for 9/30/15: The New iPhones and Hot Holiday Gifts

The new iPhones came out last Friday and report say there have been 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus units sold.

What's different about the "6s" models?

Like every other "S" year, the new 6S and 6S Plus look the same as 2014's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models -- until you start touching them. But the changes underneath are plentiful: new front and rear cameras, upgraded processors and RAM, always-on Siri, and -- most importantly -- a pressure-sensitive "3D Touch" screen similar to the Force Touch screen on Apple Watch, giving you contextual options depending how hard you press the display.

Things to consider:

1. There is a new color now, called rose gold (it basically looks like a blush pink, same as the new Apple Watch cole

2. 3D Touch, and a faster processor all combine to keep the next-generation phone looking competitive enough to counter other top-tier handsets as we approach the year-end holiday rush.

3.  Made stronger. They call it Series 7,000, and it's the same aluminum alloy Apple puts into its Apple Watch Sport.

4. Improved camera and thumbprint reader

---  Expected Hot Gadgets for the holiday season

Have a listen:

1.  Flat Screen HDTVs for $75?

Yes, doorbusters this year could have 32" HDTVs for as low as $75

2.  Apple Watch  - Many have put off buying the Apple Watch until the holiday season
 No other device is going to gather a crowd of people around when worn in public—and it’s not just due to the hype. The design of the Apple Watch is fantastic and immediately iconic, not unlike what Apple has done time and time again with its new product launches. The Apple Watch has a long way to go in terms of realizing the dream of a smartwatch that actually earns its spot on your wrist.

 
3. Virtual Reality Headsets

Occulus and Samsung are openly hoping it becomes one of the year’s hot gift items. Samsung opens the platform up to anyone who owns one of Samsung’s four new flagship phones: the Galaxy Note 5, the Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 Edge, and the Galaxy 6S Edge+. And at $99, it’s selling at half the price of the Innovator Edition.
 


App of the Week:

Jackpot app

Playing the lottery in New York just got even easier than “a dollar and a dream” for millions of iPhone users — and the timing couldn’t be better.

With the Powerball jackpot at $301 million and climbing, a new app for Apple’s iOS devices is eliminating the need to stop by the corner store to buy a ticket.

The Jackpocket app, whose release will be announced Monday, allows users to simply tap and swipe their smartphone screens to play Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto and three other games.

The Soho-based company behind the software expects its app to “significantly increase” this week’s sales of Powerball tickets and boost the pot even higher ahead of Wednesday’s drawing.

Jackpocket founder Pete Sullivan said his target market was people in their 20s and 30s, especially women “who are intimidated to walk into a bodega.”

A credit card is kept on file and winnings up to $600 get credited to your account