iHackMyi News

Apple TV Updated With HBO GO, WatchESPN, Sky News, Crunchroll, Qello

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:46:15 +0000

Apple today announced that HBO GO and WatchESPN are now available directly on Apple TV joining the great lineup of programming offered to customers. iTunes users have downloaded more than one billion TV episodes and 380 million movies from iTunes to date, and they are purchasing over 800,000 TV episodes and over 350,000 movies per day.

“HBO GO and WatchESPN are some of the most popular iOS apps and are sure to be huge hits on Apple TV,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “We continue to offer Apple TV users great new programming options, combined with access to all of the incredible content they can purchase from the iTunes Store.”

Apple TV users can choose from an incredible selection of programming including over 60,000 movies and over 230,000 TV episodes, as well as the world’s largest collection of music on the iTunes Store. Apple TV also offers great content from Hulu Plus, Netflix’s streaming catalog, live sports from MLB, NBA and NHL as well as Internet content from Vimeo, YouTube and Flickr.

In addition to HBO GO and WatchESPN, three new content providers are also available today on Apple TV including Sky News, Crunchyroll and Qello offering live news, sports and current TV programming.

HBO GO users get unlimited access to their favorite HBO shows, including HBO original programming, hit movies, sports, documentaries, comedy specials and more. This includes full seasons of the best of HBO, plus bonus features and special behind-the-scenes extras. HBO GO on Apple TV requires a subscription to HBO through participating television providers.

WatchESPN on Apple TV delivers a one-stop video destination for sports fans with live access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 and ESPN Buzzer Beater/Goal Line to those who receive ESPN’s networks as part of their video subscription from affiliated providers. Popular sports and fan-favorite shows include college football and basketball, Monday Night Football, MLB, NBA, major golf tournaments, all four Grand Slam tennis events, SportsCenter, PTI and more. Additionally, curated on-demand video featuring the most recent and relevant content—including highlights and news clips from ESPN.com as well as short-form segments from programs such as E:60, Outside The Lines, SC Featured, Sport Science and others—will be accessible through WatchESPN for the first time via Apple TV to all users.

Sky News on Apple TV delivers a live 24/7 news feed to users in the US, UK and Ireland, including breaking news and headlines from business, politics, entertainment and more. In addition to the live feed, users can catch up on specific stories at any time via the extensive on-demand news library.

Crunchyroll, the leading global video service for Japanese Anime and Asian media, will allow subscribers worldwide to watch the latest HD shows one hour after they air in Japan. Qello, a leading on-demand streaming service for HD concerts and music documentaries, offers free or paid subscriptions to music fans worldwide. New users can sign up for Crunchyroll and Qello instantly on Apple TV.

Apple also notes that coming this fall, iTunes Radio will offer a personalized music experience directly on Apple TV based on your listening history and past purchases from iTunes.

You can get the new software update from the Settings menu on your Apple TV.

Source: iClarified

iOS 7 vs. iOS 6 Icon Comparison

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:01:22 +0000

Check out this interesting article from Redmond Pie. Click the main image to try to zoom in.

As has already been discussed in quite some detail over the past 24 or so hours since the WWDC announcement, iOS 7 has changed things in a big way. Essentially every facet of Apple’s mobile OS has been tweaked and altered, delivering a look scarcely recognizable from iOS 6. Through no aspect are the changes more apparent than in the new home screen icons, and to really offer some perspective as to just how much different the new icons are versus old, Twitter user @pawsupforu has delivered a comparative illustration.

As you will see below, each and every stock icon from iOS 7 has been placed alongside the corresponding icon from the preceding iOS 6. Not only is almost every little image a great deal brighter, but all of that omni-present skeuomorphic gloss has been rather unceremoniously dumped, and on top of that, nearly every icon has been given a redesign.

In terms of the actual designs, it’s unquestionable that Apple has done a good job. Every icon’s image represents a more contemporary look and feel, which is an ideal starting point when looking to pull a large user base into the next chapter.

The lack of skeuomorphism, allied to the increase in brightness (and contrast) leads us to believe that, after all, perhaps the glossy tiles weren’t so bad after all. The designs are slick, colors vibrant; but even when spaced out and placed on a plain background, those icons are just too darn bright. In my humble opinion, they’re a little too ‘in your face,’ and had Apple toned down the color saturation, I think those skeptical of the new icon design would be fewer and farther between.

With that said, the tech industry is famously incredulous when it comes to radical changes, but as Facebook has learned over the years, most tend to simply suck it up and get on with it. However, with an alternative like Android around offering customization right out of the box, it will be interesting to see whether those who’ve been quick to note of their distaste will still be queuing outside their local Apple Retail Store when iOS 7 makes its debut on a new device; presumably an iPhone 5S / 6 later this year.

What do you think of the new icons – are they forcing you into a squint? Or are tech fans simply getting a bit carried away?

Google Acquires Waze

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:26:11 +0000

Google has officially announced that it's acquired the Waze mapping application.

Brian McClendon, Vice President, Geo made the announcement:

---
We’ve all been there: stuck in traffic, frustrated that you chose the wrong route on the drive to work. But imagine if you could see real-time traffic updates from friends and fellow travelers ahead of you, calling out “fender bender...totally stuck in left lane!” and showing faster routes that others are taking.

To help you outsmart traffic, today we’re excited to announce we’ve closed the acquisition of Waze. This fast-growing community of traffic-obsessed drivers is working together to find the best routes from home to work, every day.

The Waze product development team will remain in Israel and operate separately for now. We’re excited about the prospect of enhancing Google Maps with some of the traffic update features provided by Waze and enhancing Waze with Google’s search capabilities.

We’ll also work closely with the vibrant Waze community, who are the DNA of this app, to ensure they have what’s needed to grow and prosper.

The Waze community and its dedicated team have created a great source of timely road corrections and updates. We welcome them to Google and look forward to working with them in our ongoing effort to make a comprehensive, accurate and useful map of the world.
---

You can download Waze from the App Store for free.

Source: iClarified

iOS 7 Brings Call Blocking

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:51:05 +0000

Apple has added the much requested Call Blocking (Blacklist) feature to iOS 7.

By pressing the (i) button next to an entry in your Recent Calls list you can choose to Block the caller.

You will not receive phone calls, messages, or FaceTime from people on the block list.

Take a look at the screenshots below...

Apple Introduces New Mac Pro

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 23:25:52 +0000

Apple Introduces New Mac Pro

For years, Apple has neglected its performance tower, the Mac Pro, leaving the design untouched and making only small, incremental specs refreshes. That is, until today. The company has just revealed its new, drastically redesigned tower, which has moved taken on a cylindrical chassis that is one-eighth the size of the previous generation, but 2.5 times the power.

It measures at exactly 9.9-inches tall and comes equipped with Xeon E5 12-core processors, dual AMD FirePro GPUs, ECC memory, and Thunderbolt 2. In fact, the system comes with 6 total Thunderbolt 2 ports which can support multiple displays and 4K support.

The new Mac Pro will ship this fall. Pricing information has not been disclosed.

Apple Debuts iTunes Radio Streaming Service

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 23:24:35 +0000

Apple Debuts iTunes Radio Streaming Service

Apple is finally ready to take part in the streaming radio market with the unveiling of iTunes Radio. Announced alongside iOS 7, the service will grant users access to over 200 stations when it launches this fall, with the ability to create new stations based on songs that they like.

Siri will also be integrated into the service, so if you want to know who is playing the song that you're listening to or if you'd like to skip to a different station, all you need to do is ask.

iTunes Radio will be available through the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, iPad mini, Mac, Apple TV, and PCs with iTunes. The service will be free with ads, or you can enjoy music ad-free if you are an iTunes Match subscriber.

iOS 7 Details

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 22:24:25 +0000

Apple today unveiled iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone, featuring a new skinny and flat user interface.

iOS 7 is completely redesigned with subtle motion, an elegant color palette and distinct, functional layers that make it feel more alive. The typography has been refined for a cleaner, simpler look, and the use of translucency and motion makes even simple tasks more engaging. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop, enhanced Photos, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes.

iOS 7 introduces Control Center. Now the controls you want to access quickly are all in one convenient place. With just one swipe from the bottom of your screen, you have access to controls for Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Do Not Disturb, and the ability to adjust screen brightness, pause or play a song, jump to the next track and stream your music with AirPlay. Control Center also gives you instant access to apps such as Clock, Camera, Calculator and the Flashlight.

With iOS 7, Notification Center is now available from the Lock screen so you can see all your notifications with a simple swipe, and the new Today feature in Notification Center gives you an at-a-glance view of your day with a summary of the important details such as weather, traffic, meetings and events.

With improved Multitasking in iOS 7, developers have the ability to enable any app to multitask in the background with a new API. Users have the ability to switch between their apps in a more visual and intuitive way, and iOS 7 pays attention to which apps you use most and automatically keeps your content up to date in the background.

AirDrop is an entirely new way to quickly and easily share content with people nearby. When you’ve got something you want to share, AirDrop shows you your contacts close by. Just select who you want to share with and AirDrop does the rest. AirDrop transfers are peer-to-peer so you can use it anywhere, without any network or set up required, and transfers are fully encrypted so your content is protected and private.

iPhones are used to take more photos around the world every day than any other camera, and with iOS 7 the new Camera app features filters so you can add real-time photo effects. The Camera app now includes a square camera option, and you can quickly and easily switch between your four cameras—video, photo, square and panorama—with just a swipe.

iOS 7 includes a redesigned Photos app that introduces Moments, a new way to automatically organize your photos and videos based on time and location. You can zoom out to see all your photos organized by Moments, Collections of Moments and Years. iOS 7 includes iCloud Photo Sharing, the easiest way to share just the photos you want with just the people you want. With iCloud Photo Sharing, family and friends can contribute their own photos and videos to your shared photo streams, and the new Activity view displays updates from your shared streams all in one place.

Safari’s redesigned user interface lets you see more of your content—starting with full-screen browsing. The new smart search field helps simplify searching, and there’s a new view for your bookmarks and your Safari tabs. With iCloud Keychain, your passwords and credit card information are securely stored and available on all your devices, so navigating password protected sites or autofilling during transactions is simple and secure. Enhanced Parental Controls allow you to automatically block access to adult websites or only allow access to a specific set of permitted websites.

Siri sounds better than ever with new male and female voices and includes Twitter search integration, so you can ask Siri what people are saying on Twitter*. Siri also now has Wikipedia integration, providing access to the world’s most popular Internet reference site. Siri offers Bing web search within the app and the ability to change device settings and play back voicemail.

The Music app has a beautiful new design and includes the new iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service featuring over 200 stations and an incredible catalog of music from the iTunes Store, combined with features only iTunes can deliver. iTunes Radio is the best way to discover new music. When you tune into iTunes Radio on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC or Apple TV, you’ll have access to stations inspired by the music you already listen to, Featured Stations curated by Apple and genre-focused stations that are personalized just for you. iTunes Radio evolves based on the music you play and download. The more you use iTunes Radio and iTunes, the more it knows what you like to listen to and the more personalized your experience becomes. iTunes Radio also gives you access to exclusive “first listen” premieres from top selling artists, Siri integration plus the ability to buy anything you hear with just one tap.

With over 900,000 apps, the App Store is the world’s largest app marketplace. iOS 7 now features Popular Apps Near Me, a new way to find apps based on your current location, and iOS 7 will automatically keep your apps up to date. The App Store also comes with a new Kids category, allowing teachers and parents to easily discover apps for children by age.

Additional new iOS 7 features include:

● a new Find My iPhone Activation Lock feature that requires your Apple ID and password before you can turn off Find My iPhone, erase data or re-activate a device after it’s been remotely erased;
● Night Mode in Maps that responds to ambient light when you use it in the dark;
● FaceTime audio for high quality calls over a data network;
● Notification sync, so when you dismiss a notification on one device it is dismissed on all of your devices;
● Phone, FaceTime and Messages blocking to prevent specific people from being able to contact you;
● Tencent Weibo support for users in China, a Chinese-English bilingual dictionary, and improved Chinese input including handwriting recognition for multiple Chinese characters;
● the ability for businesses to more efficiently deploy and manage iPhones and iPads; and
● enhanced in-car integration, bringing an Apple designed experience into the car for the first time.

The iOS 7 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iOS 7 will be available as a free software update for iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini and iPod touch (fifth generation) this fall. Some features may not be available on all products.

WWDC 2013 Recap

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:00:17 +0000

Here's a brief recap of what was shown at WWDC 2013. Read the comments for more.

New MacBook Air
New Mac Pro
OSX Mavericks
Safari Updates
New AirPort Extreme

iOS 7

New Design Overall
Notification Center Available In Lockscreen
Control Center (like SBSettings)
New Design to Messages, Calendar, Weather, Mail, iBooks, Newstand, Clock, Camera, Music
AirDrop (like DropBox)
True Multitasking
Siri Updated
Photos Updated
iOS In the Car
iTunes Radio

iOS 7 will be available for iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini and the 5th gen iPod touch.

Apple Puts Up Banner Confirming iOS 7

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 17:29:07 +0000

Apple has put up a banner at Moscone West that confirms iOS 7 will be unveiled at WWDC and as expected suggests a much simpler design, reports MacStories.

It’s been three days since Apple started decorating Moscone West with WWDC 2013 banners, and today the company has started publicly showing off new signage hinting at the next iteration of iOS, iOS 7. In a press release published in April, Apple said developers attending WWDC would learn about the future of iOS and OS X. Using a very simple layout compared to last year, Apple is simply saying “7″ on the banner that’s being put up at Moscone West right now.

Apple Announces New 16GB iPod Touch for $229

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 01:26:03 +0000

Apple Announces New 16GB iPod Touch for $229

You now have a slightly cheaper option when purchasing a fifth-generation iPod touch.As reported by The Verge, the 16GB device with 4-inch Retina display is currentlyavailable via the Apple online store and is available for shipment within 24 hours. And while most of the features of its larger 32GB and 64GB cousins are present, the 16GB model lacks a rear-facing camera.

Apple revealed its redesigned iPod touch almost a year ago. The devices received an upgrade in the form of a larger widescreen display, an A5 processor chip, and a variety of bright color finishes. Previously, Apple continued to sell a 16GB fourth-generation iPod Touch, which appears to be discontinued as of today.

Not including the rear-facing camera on the 16GB iPod touch was an odd decision, as is the lack of a loop lanyard included with higher-capacity models. The 16GB model is also only available in silver or black finish. Apple has sold over 100 million iPod touch units since launching in 2007, according to The Loop.

Tim Cook Talks At All Things Digital Conference

Wed, 29 May 2013 11:24:58 +0000

Tim Cook discussed a number of topics at the All Things Digital Conference yesterday. Here's the important stuff that was covered.

Apple is content to make the best phones, not the most phones

When asked about the relative popularity of the iPhone compared to Android, Tim Cook responded in typical fashion, saying Apple isn't concerned about the most, only the best.

Cook gave some historical context for his comments. Apple believes the Mac is the best PC, but they never made the most PCs. They made the best MP3 player, and did make the most, and the best tablet, and did make the most, but the phone, like the PC, while still the best in Cook's opinion, isn't the majority of units in that space.

Usage metrics, where iOS has usually dominated Android, was also brought up by Cook. Like others before him, Cook floated that many Android phones aren't used as smartphones, but as feature phones.

We're not opposed to porting Apple apps to Android (but they're not going to)

Tim Cook said Apple wasn't religiously opposed to porting iOS apps to Android (or presumably other platforms). Cook claimed that, if it made sense, Apple would indeed consider bringing apps to Android. However, and especially in the case of iCloud, Cook doesn't currently think it makes that kind of sense.

In other words, they could but they won't. Not now, and not in any near future Cook can see. So, unlike Windows, Android gets no glass of cool iTunes water in their particular hell.

Announces 13 million Apple TVs sold to date, still playing coy about the future

he has dropped some interesting figures into the conversation, namely that Apple's set top box has sold 13 million units to date, and more impressively, half of those were in the last year.

Cook also says that it continues to be an area of great interest for Apple, and that the TV experience hasn't yet been brought up to this decade. Kara Swisher took a punt and asked what Apple plans to do about it, to be told:

No specifics were given, of course -- it's the wrong venue for that entirely, especially with WWDC 2013 less than two weeks away -- but Cook did say Apple had a grand vision. In other words, yes, there's a plan.

Apple Will Roll Out the Future of iOS and OS X at WWDC 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that Apple will be 'rolling out the future of iOS and OS X' at WWDC 2013.

Cook was asked if this is what Jonathan Ive has been working on.

He replied: "Yes. What we did last fall was change things up — to really ramp up our innovation. The key in the post-PC era for having a great product is incredible hardware, incredible software, and incredible services, and to combine them so you can't tell what's what. The magic is at the intersection."

"So what we did was amp it up. We recognized that Jony had contributed significantly to the look and feel of Apple over many many years, and he could do that for our software as well.

Cook didn't want to comment when asked about former SVP of iOS Software at Apple.

"I don't want to talk about people who aren't there. The whole concept is to tighten the groups even more, so we could spend more time finding magic at the intersection. Now it's seven months later, and I think it's been an incredible change. Craig is running iOS and OS X, which has been fantastic. Eddy is focused on services. It's been great."

Apple is set to deliver is WWDC 2013 keynote address on June 10th. The new iOS is said to be 'black, white, and flat all over'.

Wearables is Incredibly Interesting. It Could be a Profound Area

Cook was initially asked about Google Glass. He said, "It's probably likely to appeal to certain vertical markets. The likelihood that it has broad appeals is hard to see."

However, Cook is positive on the wearable tech market: "I think wearables is incredibly interesting. It could be a profound area."

Cook notes that he wears a Nike Fuelband and thinks "Nike did a great job" with the product.

"There are lots of gadgets in the space. I would say that the ones that are doing more than one thing, there's nothing great out there that I've seen. Nothing that's going to convince a kid that's never worn glasses or a band or a watch or whatever to wear one. At least I haven't seen it. So there's lots of things to solve in this space. It's an area that's ripe for exploration, it's ripe for us to get excited about. Lots of companies will play in this space."

When asked if Apple will play in the space, Cook said, "I don't want to answer that one. But I see it as a very important branch of the tree. I think the iPhone pushed us forward fast and the tablet accelerated it. I think wearables could be another branch. I think this group will be very involved in this."

Kara Swisher asks Cook what type of wearable tech product Apple might be interested in. He responds by saying that from a mainstream point of view, glasses are risky. "I wear glasses because I have to. I don't know a lot of people who wear them because they don't have to." He also suggests that to get customers to wear a smartwatch it will have to be incredible. "If we asked a room of 20-year olds to stand up if they're wearing a watch, I don't think anyone would stand up." Finally, he suggests that wearable ideas could also include sensors.

Best Buy Discounting iPhone By $50

Tue, 28 May 2013 11:35:59 +0000

Best Buy is launching a new four week promotion that will drop the price of new iPhone purchases by $50. The sale applies to the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S, and the iPhone 5, when purchased with a two-year contract from Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint.

An iPhone with two-year contract typically costs $200 for the 16GB entry level phone, so with the sale, the price will drop to $150. The discount applies to all phone models.

Best Buy has offered similar sales in the past, most recently discounting the iPhone 5 by $50 during the holiday season. Other retailers have also offered significant discounts on the iPhone 5 in the past, with Walmart selling the device for $127 at one point.

Best Buy's current sale will begin on Sunday, May 26 and it will run for four weeks.

iOS 7 Overhaul Reportedly Causing Delays at Apple

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:33:00 +0000

iOS 7 Overhaul Reportedly Causing Delays at Apple

Recent rumors state Apple's design guru, Jony Ive, has stayed busy in his new role over the company's software. The forthcoming iOS 7 is reportedly receiving major updates in the form of user interface changes, but according to a report from Bloomberg, those alterations don't arrive without a cost. Namely, the collaboration between Cupetino's engineers and designers may be hindering the company's ability to get the new mobile OS out the door on time.

People with knowledge of iOS 7 development say Ive is interested in nixing the real-world textures found in past iOS versions like the faux wood grain of first-party apps like Newsstand. And more importantly, the Apple design lead has the software and hardware teams collaborating. Forcing the two departments to speak to one another, amazingly enough, is apparently a departure from the ideals of late CEO Steve Jobs.

But in finding ways to "flatten" the interface design and -- one has to hope -- bring entirely new ideas to the table for iOS 7, testing has apparently fallen behind schedule. According to the sources, Apple still expects its next mobile OS to be ready for primetime in September when the next iPhone will allegedly debut.

The bigger question is whether or not Apple will show off some new features or look of iOS 7 during Worldwide Developers Conference. The event is scheduled to take place June 10 through 14.

~IGN

A Decade of iTunes

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:57:45 +0000

The iTunes Store turns 10 this Sunday, April 28, and Apple is celebrating with a new area in the store chronicling a decade of selling music, movies, TV, and apps. “A Decade of iTunes” commemorates the store’s milestones in a separate section for each year.

Quote

Celebrate 10 years of iTunes-a decade marked by stunning musical and technological evolution. From the historic iPod releases to the debut of groundbreaking artists, our timeline captures key moments in our history. Plus, take a look back at the defining albums and songs that hit the top of the charts each year.

Forum Rules

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:15:17 +0000

Click here to see the forum rules.

New Desktop Theme

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:57:22 +0000

We have a new desktop theme for iHackMyi! We've put together something that is simple and functional, yet unique to our site.

Check it out and join the many discussions going on!

Apple Reports 65% Increase in iPad Sales

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:34:56 +0000

iPad Sales Make 65% Annual Jump, Apple Reports $9.5 Billion in Profit

While Apple may be struggling to maintain momentum in the stock market, the company has just reported quarterly revenue of $43.6 billion with a net profit of $9.5 billion. The company's continued financial success was driven by over 37.4 million iPhone sales, 19.5 million iPads, and 4 million Macs. iPhone sales were up nearly 7%, while iPad sales were up over 65% over the same quarter last year. Mac sales, on the other hand, were flat. Overall revenue and net profit was expectedly down over the previous quarter, which included heightened holiday sales.

Apple's Q2 earnings continue to defy analyst commentary, which has suggested that the company has lost momentum amidst stiff competition. While new and upcoming products from Samsung, HTC, and Microsoft are certainly growing in influence and marketshare, Apple continues to hold a commanding lead in the tablet market and represent a majority of smartphone revenues.

~IGN

Apple Announces WWDC 2013: June 10-14

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:16:36 +0000

Apple has announced that this year, WWDC 2014 will be held on June 10-14. Apple says they we'll get an in-depth look on whats next for iOS and OS X.

Tickets for the conference will go on sale tomorrow, April 25th at 10 AM Pacific / 1PM. Last year tickets sold out in less than 2 hours! With an overhaul for iOS 7 expected, this year's demand could be even more.

Apple® today announced that it will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 10 through June 14 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. At the five-day conference, developers from around the world will learn about the future of iOS and OS X®, enabling them to create incredible new apps with innovative features. WWDC will also feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by over 1,000 Apple engineers, hands-on labs to help developers integrate new technologies, as well as the popular Apple Design Awards, a showcase of the most outstanding apps available through the App Store℠ and Mac® App Store. Tickets for this year’s WWDC go on sale Thursday, April 25 at 10 a.m. PDT.

“We look forward to gathering at WWDC 2013 with the incredible community of iOS and OS X developers,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Our developers have had the most prolific and profitable year ever, and we’re excited to show them the latest advances in software technologies and developer tools to help them create innovative new apps. We can’t wait to get new versions of iOS and OS X into their hands at WWDC.”

Source: iClarified

Apple iPhone budget model glimpsed in leaked photo?

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 22:55:37 +0000

Apple iPhone budget model glimpsed in leaked photo?

Apple's much-rumoured budget iPhone has been glimpsed in what is said to be a leaked photograph of the device.

Case-maker Tactus provided the image, which appears to show a handset with a polycarbonate body, claiming to have captured it at a factory that provides parts for Apple manufacturer Foxconn.

The device is allegedly made of similar material to the iPhone 3G and 3GS, with a flat back instead of a curved one to reduce manufacturing complexity and therefore cost.

Other differences from the iPhones of old include two separate buttons for volume control and the inclusion of an LED flash.

The body of the device is reportedly taller, wider and thicker than the iPhone 4 and 4S, and will also come in black, blue, red and yellow.

Apple has been tipped to unveil a budget iPhone alongside the next-generation iteration of the smartphone this summer.

~DS

Apple Allegedly Cuts Ties with Samsung over A7 Processors

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:04:09 +0000

Apple Allegedly Cuts Ties with Samsung over A7 Processors

Amidst rising tensions between the two constantly embittered tech giants, the Korea Times is reporting that Apple has plans to sever its ties with Samsung when it comes to producing its A7 processors, Apple’s next generation of mobile CPUs. An unnamed executive working for a Samsung partner revealed that Apple is looking to move its business to Taiwan, as the company has allegedly shared information regarding the A7 processors with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

The processors are expected be to available in the first half of 2014 for use in mobile devices and it’s looking like Apple is preparing to decrease its dependence on Samsung for its component parts. Despite the fact that a recent $1 billion settlement between Apple and Samsung was slashed nearly in half, Apple still pays billions of dollars a year to its primary competitor for components like processors and displays.

Moving their business to TSMC might prove to be a strategically sound move for Apple as the Taiwanese-based company has recently boasted of success with producing 20-nanometer chips while expecting a sharp uptick in shipments of their 28-nanometer design in 2013. The same source said that Samsung is looking to deepen its relationship with NVIDIA as Apple gradually cuts the ties that bind them.

~IGN