TSMC or Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp will be the next company to manufacture the Apple A6 Chips that will go in the upcoming iPhone 5 / iPad 3. According to rumors Apple is looking for a high performance chip with a much more smaller topography than Samsung can manufacture. Samsung already had difficulties in the A5’s 45nm process. While it is suggested that TSMC will manufacture the processor on low power 28nm ARM chips.
The iPhone 3Gs was a hardware revision device for the iPhone 3G, bringing more CPU power and Ram to the equation. The iPhone 3GS also brought about a better 3.2mp camera with tap to focus.
We got information of the impending re-launch of the iPhone 3Gs on 24th June. Without fail the 3Gs reappeared at the new price point of 20k. Now the question remains does the iPhone 3Gs qualify as a good option? Does is present a value for money deal?
Here is what we think.
The iPhone 3GS was originally launched in 2009 in the US and 2010 in India. The Device features a 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, PowerVR SGX535 GPU, 256 MB RAM, and upto 32GB of storage. The device also currently features iOS 4 and works brilliantly with iOS 5 (we’ve tested it and can verify, that till beta 2 iOS 5 works great on 3GS).
Reading a whole bunch of articles written by Tech – Bloggers , I was shocked at how blatantly the iPhone 3GS was being shot down. Though in a personal opinion the 3GS is an old hardware based device and has specs which would disgruntle almost anyone looking for souped up smartphone. The iPhone 3Gs bring a lot more, than any device at the price point can.
Lets look at it point by point.
iOS by far is the simplest of operating systems, designed to be used by a finger. The UI is fluid and begs you to interact with it. Currently multitasking between apps is great on iOS where most Android handsets in that price range don’t support true multitasking, the iPhone 3GS has it and it works great. Using the right setup you can do a lot of things on your device. Wireless sharing of emails, pictures and music, streaming internet radio and movies, home automation, wifi printing and even controlling a quadro-copter the hundreds of thousands of apps from the App Store let you make your imagination run wild, and then, there is an app for that. The Apps are designed to run perfects in harmony with the iOS infrastructure.
The best part (according to me) of iOS for someone who does not understand or have the time to understand the intricate details of technology, is that the system is safe and bug free. Because third party apps go through a strict verification process, seldom do you find an App which would slow your device down. So no matter what you install or how many you install, Apps will not slow down the OS. That makes perfect sense for someone who is not a techie.
On the other hand Android brings the ability to customize the OS, and play around with it, the more you edit and tweak the OS, the more your chances of a system restore appear. Now there is no need to throw a banter, you can be extremely safe with Android, you just have to know what you are installing and what all does it access. But in Android, third party apps can have a built in snooper sending all your information back to the designer of the app.
While it isn’t an iPhone 4, the 3Gs is pretty solid when it comes to construction. One of the most beautiful phones available today the 3Gs is available in black and white and millions of customization options are available, from skins, decals to plain covers, flip covers, leather covers, plastic covers, branded covers and hard cases. The most number of accessories ever made for a phone? the iPhone stands at number one in that record.
When we first heard rumors of the iPhone 3Gs being relaunched, we heard a price point of about 16,500/-. But, when the actual price came to be 20,000/- we lost confidence that Apple would do well selling its last year legend. Sure there are those who would love to buy the 3GS for its “Brand” and its simplicity, there are also those who will buy it for the sheer number of apps and usability features that these apps will give.
There are better options in terms of hardware specs, the rugged motorola defy is much cheaper and its water proof, the Galaxy S, the Nexus S, The Galaxy Sl, Wave 2, Blackberry Bold 3, Nokia N8. Sure these devices have better hardware, But we can promise one thing No operating system in our opinion comes close to the smooth and lag free experience of the iOS running on the iPhone 3GS (Of-course we mean at that price point)
So if you don’t have time to mess with your device / Smartphone get the iPhone 3GS because it doesn’t get any better than this. But if you are more of a tech friendly person get an Android device you will be much happier with the open-ness of Android infrastructure.
[polldaddy poll=5183813]
The app is simple to use and has a minimalist menu with just the right amount of selections. You select the layout and theme of your Postale card, place your photo just right, then type in your message. When you’re ready to share it, select one of the twelve retro-styled postage stamps to place on your postcard.
FEATURES
• 3 card layouts and 3 card themes
• Choose a photo from your Photo Library or snap a picture with your device’s camera from right inside the app
• Position, rotate, and scale your photo right onto the card
• Optionally change the color of your photo to Black & White or Sepia-Tone
• Type in your own custom title and message
• 5 fonts to choose from
• 12 retro-styled stamps
• Send right from the app via email, Facebook, or Twitter
It literally takes a few seconds to create a beautiful postcard and share it with your friends or favorite social networking sites.
Download
According to several reports, Apple plans to ship more than 8 million units of the current gen Macbook Air in Q3 of 2011, Thats more than double of the totla number of Macs sold in Q2. Sources also cite that Apple has bumped up production for the Air and is expected to yield 2.7-2.8 million units in July alone.
There are also expectations of a new version of the Macbook Air featuring Sandy Bridge Processors and Thunderbolt IO ports just ahead of the MAC OSX lion release. With the revamped model the company plans to ship upto 8 Million units in the upcoming Quarter. The sources have also raised the projected shipments of MacBook notebooks for 2011 to 15 million units, compared to 13 million forecast previously.
[Via]
Apple inc. has filed a suit for the second time, against Samsung for copying the iPhone’s design. The suit claims that the Samsung Galaxy S copies the third-generation iPhone.
“It is no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging,” an Apple spokesperson said regarding case
The suing war started back in April when Apple sued Samsung claiming it copied “Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products.” Samsung responded just one week later by filing countersuits.
The interesting aspect behind all of this is that Apple is currently Samsung’s largest buyer of LCD components. Go figure !
This is it, exclusive news for those waiting to spend up-to 20k on their smart-phones. Apple has just made the choice tougher. The iPhone 3Gs will be re-launched in India and go on sale tomorrow for 20 thousand. Whats more its going to be completely factory unlocked and will work with your carrier of choice.
The iPhone 3GS was originally launched in India in 2010 approximately 10 months after its launch in the United States. the 3Gs was sold locked to Airtel and Vodafone at full pricing. this in turn led to a lot of controversy in Apple’s Indian Market strategy. This year Apple started to sell the iPhone 4, again after 10 months of its US launch, but this time around the device was factory unlocked and ready to use worldwide.
The pricing of the iPhone 3Gs seems very competitive especially when 20 thousand is a decent budget for a smartphone these days.
We will get you more news on this as and when we gather.
The Apple iPhone sales in India are under the Indian Governments scanner for alleged anticompetitive behavior. The main reason for this probe is Apple’s ability to limit the sale of their handset via only two major carriers – Namely Airtel and Aircel.
A Competition Commission of India official said on Wednesday that a case was filed against Apple about a month ago. The complaint alleges that the company violated competition law by selling the iPhone 4 through only two mobile operators, Bharti Airtel and Aircel. The official, speaking anonymously, said the Commission would look into the complaint’s merits. He did not disclose the complainant.
Apple had this to say :
Both carriers sell unlocked iPhone 4s with optional data plans. Some third-party retailers also carry the handset separate of any wireless contract, so there is no anticompetitive activity being carried out.
The Bluetooth SIG group announced yesterday that it’s added both Apple and Nordic Semiconductor to its board of directors.
Companies that it says will help it :
“drive Bluetooth technology’s expansion into platform and sensor markets.”
[toggle title_open=”COLLAPSE” title_closed=”READ THE PRESS RELEASE” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Bluetooth SIG Adds Apple and Nordic Semiconductor to Board of Directors
Industry Leaders Support Expansion of Bluetooth Technology into New Markets
KIRKLAND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) today announced two new members to its board of directors from Apple and Nordic Semiconductor. Leaders in their perspective markets, Apple and Nordic join household names Intel, Motorola, Lenovo, Nokia, Microsoft, Ericsson AB, and Toshiba on the Bluetooth SIG board. These companies, plus the more than 14,500 additional Bluetooth SIG member companies, will drive Bluetooth technology’s expansion into platform and sensor markets.
“We see the importance of platform development and ultra-low power sensor silicon for Bluetooth technology and believe guidance and board participation from Apple and Nordic, industry leaders in these perspective fields, is essential,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “We have set the ambitious goal of shipping five billion devices in 2015 – to get there we must continue to build a technology that will offer a simple and secure solution that can be found everywhere, in every type of device. These additions to our board will ensure we succeed in new markets we have targeted for growth.”
The way consumers utilize digital devices is undergoing a fundamental shift – mobile phones, laptops and tablets, TVs and even cars now stand to serve as hub devices that capture data from small sensors monitoring everything from footsteps, heart rate activity, blood pressure and sugar levels to house temperature. Hub devices turn that data into useful information at the application layer, then may push that information to the cloud. Apple and Nordic understand this shift; insight from Apple on platform development and Nordic for sensor silicon demands will ensure a smooth growth trajectory of Bluetooth v4.0 into these new areas.
Nordic Semiconductor’s Svein-Egil Nielsen brings extensive experience in R&D as well as his entrepreneurial spirit to the Bluetooth SIG. Nielsen’s vast understanding of the ultra-low power space and its demands will help guide continued development of the Bluetooth v4.0 specification.
“Bluetooth technology has been the main R&D focus at Nordic for the last six years and we are now in a position to enable new and exciting products for consumers,” said Svenn-Tore Larsen, CEO Nordic Semiconductor. “With our success in ultra-low power wireless technology, we know the market, applications and the customers. Nordic is proud to have the opportunity to extend this knowledge to the Bluetooth community.”
Apple and Nordic’s two-year appointments were agreed upon by unanimous vote of the current board of directors and will officially begin on July 1, 2011.
About Bluetooth® Wireless Technology
Bluetooth wireless technology is the global wireless standard enabling simple connectivity for a broad range of electronic devices. Version 4.0 featuring Bluetooth low energy technology creates new application opportunities for products within the mobile phone, consumer electronics, PC, automotive, health & wellness, sports & fitness and smart home industries. With nearly two billion devices shipping annually, Bluetooth technology is the only proven wireless solution for developers, product manufacturers, and consumers worldwide. Backed by industry leading companies, the Bluetooth SIG empowers more than 14,500 member companies to collaborate, innovate and guide Bluetooth wireless technology. For more information please visit www.bluetooth.com. Bluetooth wireless technology: Simple. Secure. Everywhere.[/toggle]
Apple has just released version 10.6.8 of Mac OS X Snow Leopard. Mac OS 10.6.8 prepares Macs for the Lion upgrade through the Mac App Store and also fixes some errors and bugs in the current build.
[Apple]
iGyaan got images from the popular supplier website Alibaba.com, for cases/screen protectors of the upcoming iPhone 5 ahead of time giving clear indication of the iPhone 5’s design.
As speculated the camera and flash module appear to be separate. and the rumors of dual led round flash seem to be true as well. Several vendors seem to be dealing in products pertaining to the iPhone 5. A quick look at the images reveals the form factor and the design elements as discussed in rumors prior to this.
Although the device in the images has the name iPhone Pro, which puts a big question mark on the authenticity of these images. But, the fact that these vendors are selling products and using a render image means that the device possibly is similar looking to the images if not precisely same.
The image below was found in May, this case had appeared on Alibaba.com which was later taken down.
Several sources are reporting that the new iPhone 5 will come earlier than expected. There are several rumors suggesting that apple will hold a special event with a major overhaul in the hardware and design of the iPhone 5, killing all existing speculations and rumors. thisismynext.com rendered the iPhone in a unibody tear shape which might be thicker along the top and may reduce to bezel along the bottom part.
Higher specs are being quoted as always , A5 chip, 1GB of ram, Dedicated GPU performance, 32/64GB capacities , NFC, 8 mega pixel camera and of course iOS5. What needs to be seen is whether or not Apple will actually host an iPhone 5 /4s event in August and if it does, a new unibody iPhone with a larger screen and bumped up specs would definitely hold down competition for another year.
Heres Hoping….
Apple launched the original Time Capsule with 2TB of storage for your happiness in 2009. This year Apple has upgraded the Device to offer 3TB of wireless backups for your Apple machines and added Wireless – N capabilities.
Time Capsule is also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station. It operates in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously.
Prices
2TB : US$ 299 : Rs 13500/- approx
3TB : US$ 399 : Rs 18000/- approx
Apple finally and on time launched the much awaited Final Cut Pro X today. Possibly the most awaited Video Editing software in a long time. Final Cut Pro X brings simplicity of the iMovie interface with advanced features of Final Cut along with multi-core performance.
The software is available in the Mac AppStore for $299. Add-ons Motion 5 and Compressor 4 are also available today for $49.99 each from the Mac App Store.
DOWNLOAD
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We will have a full review on the Final Cut Pro X Shortly!
[toggle title_open=”COLLAPSE PRESS RELEASE” title_closed=”READ THE PRESS RELEASE” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Apple Revolutionizes Video Editing With Final Cut Pro X
CUPERTINO, California-June 21, 2011-Apple® today announced Final Cut Pro® X, a revolutionary new version of the world’s most popular Pro video editing software which completely reinvents video editing with a Magnetic Timeline that lets you edit on a flexible, trackless canvas; Content Auto-Analysis that categorizes your content upon import by shot type, media and people; and background rendering that allows you to work without interruption. Built on a modern 64-bit architecture, Final Cut Pro X is available from the Mac® App Store™ for $299.99.
“Final Cut Pro X is the biggest advance in Pro video editing since the original Final Cut Pro,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “We have shown it to many of the world’s best Pro editors, and their jaws have dropped.”
“I’m blown away by what Apple has done with Final Cut Pro,” said Angus Wall, Academy Award-winning film editor. “Final Cut Pro X is incredibly modern and fast, but most importantly it lets you focus on telling your story in the most creative way, while it actively manages all of the technical details.”
At the heart of Final Cut Pro X is the Magnetic Timeline, a trackless approach to editing your footage that lets you add and arrange clips wherever you want them, while other clips instantly slide out of the way. You can use Clip Connections to link primary story clips to other elements like titles and sound effects, so they stay in perfect sync when you move them. You can even combine related story elements into a Compound Clip that can be edited as a single clip. The groundbreaking new Auditions feature lets you swap between a collection of clips to instantly compare alternate takes.
Content Auto-Analysis scans your media on import and tags your content with useful information. Final Cut Pro X then uses that information to dynamically organize your clips into Smart Collections, so you can easily find the clips you want by close up, medium and wide shots as well as media type and the number of people in the shot. You can also tag parts of clips with Range-based keywords to add custom search criteria to your media.
Completely rebuilt from the ground up, Final Cut Pro X is a 64-bit app that takes full advantage of the latest Mac hardware and software so you never have to wait for the next edit, even if you’re working with 4K video. Final Cut Pro X uses multi-threaded processing and the GPU on your graphics card for blazing fast background rendering and superb real-time playback performance. Additionally, a ColorSync-managed color pipeline ensures color consistency from import to output.
Final Cut Pro X also includes powerful tools for audio editing and color correction, and is complemented by two companion apps, Motion 5 for professional motion graphics and Compressor 4 for advanced media encoding, available from the Mac App Store for $49.99 each.
Pricing & Availability
Final Cut Pro X is available today for $299.99 from the Mac App Store. Motion 5 and Compressor 4 are available today for $49.99 each from the Mac App Store. Full system requirements and more information on Final Cut Pro X can be found at www.apple.com/finalcutpro.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.[/toggle]
The iPad 2 Jailbreak has been long overdue. Many iPad 2 users have lost hope of there ever being a jailbreak. In response to a tweet from Whyike, jailbreak developer Comex said that ‘Its almost Ready’. There has been no information from Comex about which firmware the jailbreak will unlock.
With the release of iOS 5 around the corner, there is speculation that the release of the 4.x jailbreak would be pointless. The only thing that would make this jailbreak worthwhile is if it is a hardware related, which iOS5 would not be able to patch. The more plausable reason for it not being released is that the new iOS has patched whatever exploit Comex has found for the jailbreak.
According to sources from within Apple, iTPro were able to find out that Apple is reducing the orders on current model of the iPhone 4 camera, indicating that both the camera and flash modules will come from somewhere other than the current supplier – Philips. Samsung CEO was caught quoting in the past that they are making the additional quantity
Recently Taiwanese website Apple.pro got hold of the iPhone 5 camera sensor which does not have an attached led flash. Rumors suggest that Apple may include a dual LED flash system which is further away from the primary camera lens adding to greater image – subject – illumination without bothering the lens cap. This additional hardware change would only set Apple back by a maximum of 2$ in component costs, but would drastically improve their camera and brand value as – already considered- best Camera phone in the market.