Category: Apple

Oculus Rift Will Support Macs ‘When Apple Makes a Good Computer’

Oculus founder Palmer Luckey has voiced his opinion about Apple’s Macs and has clearly stated that the computers just aren’t powerful enough to support the Rift VR headset.

“That is up to Apple and if they ever release a good computer we will do it,” Luckey tells ShackNews when asked about Mac support. “It just boils down to the fact that Apple doesn’t prioritize high-end GPUs. You can buy a $6,000 Mac Pro with the top of the line AMD FirePro D700, and it still doesn’t match our recommended spec.”

Apple’s high-end MacBook Pro laptops come with pretty mighty specifications including dual-discrete GPUs. However, the Macs are primarily designed for professional applications and are not as equally proficient when it comes to gaming. The Oculus Rift, on the other hand, requires intense graphic processors that are gaming focused such as the Nvidia GTX 970.

“If they prioritize higher-end GPUs like they used to for a while back in the day, we’d love to support Mac,” Luckey continued. “But right now, there’s just not a single machine out there that supports it. So even if we can support it on the software side, there’s just no audience of people that can run the vast majority of software out there.”

Despite Luckey’s obvious criticism towards Apple, the Oculus founder also highlights that Apple has been focusing a lot on its professional applications, potentially losing a gaming-centric base that would choose laptops that are superior in graphics processors.

Moreover. Apple has already expressed keen interest in virtual reality and has hired a number of expert for its VR department. If Apple does want to get into the VR game, and indeed it is a technology that is quickly becoming mainstream, then it will have to make some serious changes to its future Macs in the hardware department.

March 4, 2016
Apple’s iPhone 7 to Skip 16GB for a Possible 256GB Variant

In news that will excite, as well as disappoint apple fans world over, the Cupertino-based tech giant according to latest reports is all set to bring its next flagship, iPhone 7 in an all new 256GB variant. What the company is going to skip on in returm is the 16GB storage variant.

This move will miff users in growing markets such as India who planned on buying the cheaper 16GB variant of the upcoming phone. The phone is expected to come in 32GB, 64GB,128GB and 256GB variants .No pricing details for the variants is avaialble currently.

Coming to the phone itself, the iPhone 7 is expected to come with an all new design scheme, and is expected to not come with a headphone jack. The phone will also be seeing a new full body speaker chamber that is expected to improve sound quality. For the rest of the specs, the phone will come with 2GB RAM,and the same TFT-LCD display. The processor on the phone should be the A9 SoC.

March 3, 2016
iPhones to get OLED Displays in 2017

According to reports from coming out of China, Cupertino-based tech giant, Apple, had reached out to rivals Samsung and LG towards the end of 2015 to strike a deal to produce OLED panels for Apple. Reports further claim that this deal with the South Korean tech companies could well run over $12 billion.

These Oled displays are expected to be for an iPhone 7s that Apple could launch in 2017, or could also be for the upcoming iPhone 7 if Apple plans to push back the date of launch a bit. The iPhone 7 is expected to come groundbreaking tech innovations and is looked as a device that Apple is banking heavily after the sub-par performance of the company in 2015.

OLED displays produce better colors, darker blacks, and offer more energy efficient operations than LCD panels have done in the past. Samsung has used AMOLED panels for many different Galaxy phones in the past several years, and probably it is time Apple also goes for the same displays.

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March 3, 2016
9.7-Inch Apple iPad Pro to Feature 12MP Camera

When Apple brought out the powerful, ginormous iPad Pro, it was certain that the 12.9-inch tablet would reach only the wealthy few (being priced at $1079). Cut to 2016 and rumours of a 9.7-inch iPad Pro variant began that reignited hope for a powerful yet affordable tablet for Apple fans. It is rumored that the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will feature essentially the same features as its elder sibling.

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is said to be powered by the A9X chipset, include 4GB of RAM, feature quad-speakers, and support both the Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard. The one area missing from speculations was regarding the rear camera, which today’s rumour claims will be at 12MP, much like the one found in the iPhone 6s.

Apple iPad Pro

While the original iPad Pro came with an 8MP rear camera, the new 9.7-inch version will get a major bump to 12MP and will also feature 4K video recording as well. Meanwhile, The new, smaller iPad Pro will be available in the same color options as the larger model (Silver, Gold and Space Gray). It also will be available in Wi-Fi (32GB and 128GB) and Wi-Fi+ Cellular (128GB) just like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be unveiled along with the iPhone SE and an updated Apple Watch at a media event on March 22.

March 2, 2016
iPhone SE Concepts: Pick a Favorite

We’ve entered the month of March, which means we’re just three weeks away from the first Apple event of 2016. This event will see the unveiling of a 4-inch iPhone, called iPhone SE, and a 9.7-inch iPad Pro variant. When it comes to the iPhone SE, there have been a lot of rumours regarding the specifications.

Going by the flagship models and seeing as how the iPhone SE is aimed at a mid-range market, it becomes a little easier to make a few guesses at what the specifications can be. However, the design of the iPhone SE is shrouded in mystery and there have been a lot of renders and concepts that have emerged ever since talk about the 4-inch iPhone began. While some feel that the iPhone SE will look like the iPhone 5 lineup (since initially the 4-inch handset was called the iPhone 5se), others feel it’ll quite simply be a miniaturised version of the iPhone 6 and 6s. Whatever may be the case, it is likely that the design of the iPhone SE will look like any one of these most likely contestants below.

These concepts are among the likeliest design language that the upcoming 4-inch iPhone could take after. The 9to5mac version shows a flat edged design, much like the iPhone 5 family while the other two show a curved edge design as the current generation of iPhones. A 4-inch iPhone that brings back the iPhone 5 design language would please Apple fans a lot and would bring back some favour as well. After all, The iPhone 5 series has been one of Apple’s most successful iPhones lineup, and the Cupertino giant could do well in reincarnating it with the iPhone SE.

Popular Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo expects the iPhone SE to feature a 12MP rear camera rather than an 8MP module as earlier expected. Kuo also added that the handset will fall between $400 to $500 and will be available in two variants – one with 16GB of internal storage and the other with 64GB. Lastly, the iPhone SE will pack a 1642mAh battery, and will be equipped with Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. The iPhone SE along with the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be unveiled at an event on March 22.

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March 1, 2016
Apple vs FBI : Federal Court Rules in Favour of Privacy

This are heating up in Apple’s fight with the FBI. On the eve of a Congressional hearing about the Department of Justice’s fight with Apple over unlocking San Bernardino terror suspect’s iPhone, a court in Brooklyn in a separate case has rejected an FBI request to order Apple to unlock the phone of a drug dealer.

The Department of Justice of the United States had first sought access to the phone in the Brooklyn case in October, months before a court in California ordered Apple to help authorities gain access to the phone of a terror suspect.

In stark contradiction to the San Bernardino terror case, Judge James Orenstein has ruled that “he did not have the legal authority to order Apple to disable the security of an iPhone that was seized during a drug investigation”

Although the judge in the San Bernardino case, will not be bound by Orenstein’s decision, analysts expect it to be influential. In both cases, the government relies on the All Writs Act.

Orenstein in his ruling indirectly gave support to the key arguments Apple is making in its other, higher-profile fight with the government. He hinted, the All Writs Act (AWA) can’t be used to order a technology company to manipulate its products. He further said. “The implications of the government’s position are so far-reaching – both in terms of what it would allow today and what it implies about Congressional intent in 1789 – as to produce impermissibly absurd results,”

March 1, 2016
iPhone SE First Live Images Leaked

Yesterday, we heard reports that the upcoming 4-inch iPhone that was being called the iPhone 5se so far, would, in fact, be known simply as the iPhone SE, dropping the ‘5’ in the title. The reason behind this being that Apple did not want the new iPhone to cause confusion for the customers, since we’re already in the sixth generation of iPhones. Today, first live shots of the iPhone SE have surfaced online.

Alleged iPhone SE next to iPhone 6s

The images give us our first look at what the front of the iPhone SE could look like. The differences from the iPhone 6 are very apparent. The 4-inch device clearly brings back the 5th-gen iPhone to mind with a squarish frame, which also confirms that the 3D Touch feature will not be present. You’ll notice the two-element integrated screen (for 3D Touch) is absent in the iPhone SE (marked in yellow cross).

The iPhone SE may not come with 3D Touch but it is likely to include the iPhone 6s’ Live Photos feature that creates a 3-second GIF-like video just before taking a picture. Furthermore, popular Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo expects the iPhone SE to feature a 12MP rear camera rather than an 8MP module as earlier expected.

Kuo added that the handset will fall between $400 to $500 and will be available in two variants – one with 16GB of internal storage and the other with 64GB. Lastly, the iPhone SE will pack a 1642mAh battery, and will be equipped with Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. The iPhone SE along with the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be unveiled at an event on March 22.

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February 28, 2016
Samsung’s Appeal Destroys Apple’s $120M Win in Patent Dispute

In what will come as bitter defeat for Apple, by the hands of the South Korean tech giant, Samsung, which earlier today saw the US Court of Appeals overturn the 2014 verdict of a California federal court that held Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple’s smartphone patents and directed the former to pay $120 million in damages.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., said Samsung Electronics Co Ltd did not infringe Apple’s “quick links” patent, and that two other patents covering the iPhone’s slide-to-unlock and auto-correct features were also invalid. Adding insult to the misery the court also said Apple was liable for infringing one of Samsung’s patents.

Samsung reacted to the statement with a spokeswoman stating: “Today’s decision is a win for consumer choice and puts competition back where it belongs – in the marketplace, not in the courtroom.” Apple spokesperson unsurprisingly declined to comment.

The particular verdict comes just days after Apple in a separate case asked the US Supreme Court not to take up the South Korean company’s appeal. That case has so far seen Samsung agreeing to pay Apple $548 million to settle it.

February 27, 2016
4-inch iPhone to Now be Called iPhone SE

We don’t think any phone has received as much hype and speculation regarding the name as much as the upcoming 4-inch iPhone has. in today’s news, it looks like the mini iPhone has undergone another name change. The upcoming 4-inch iPhone will now be called iPhone SE, dropping the number – a first for an iPhone since the first came out back in 2007.

Over the past few months, ever since talks about the 4-inch iPhone began, there have been a lot of names attached to the device. Initially, it was rumoured to be called the iPhone 6c, seeing as how this device comes following the iPhone 6 line and would borrow elements from the iPhone 5c. Soon fter, it got another name change and was called the iPhone 7c, seeing as how it would lead up to the iPhone 7 and might feature some next-gen specifications.

Lately, the name everyone stuck with and was thought to be the final name was the iPhone 5se, which stood for a ‘special edition’ of the iPhone 5s. However, it looks as though Apple may drop the ‘5’ in order to simplify things, since bringing back a ‘5’ variant after the iPhone ‘6’ lineup makes little sense and would only confuse the customers.

From what the rumours so far suggest, the iPhone SE will come equipped with an A9 chip found on the iPhone 6s. It will pack 1GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage, but the most interesting thing about the phone is its 4-inch display and its design which is said to mimick the iPhone 5s except for a few crucial changes like adding some curve around the edges.

Other features include an 8MP camera, always-on “Hey Siri” feature, Live Photos, all taken from the recent iPhone 6s. Pricing strategy of the phone should see us paying over Rs 30000 for the 16GB variant of the phone. The iPhone SE will launch along with a 9.7-inch iPad Pro variant at an event on March 22.

February 27, 2016
Apple’s Next iPad to be a 9.7-inch iPad Pro Variant

We’re less than a month away from the next Apple event that will see the launch of (at least) two new products – the iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3. Now, while we have a good amount of knowledge about the iPhone 5se, there’s very little that we know about the iPad Air 3 apart from rumours that it will sport the latest A9X chipset along with the iPhone 5se.

Latest rumours doing the rounds suggest that the new iPad is merely a 9.7-inch variant of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It will be powered by the Apple A9X SoC, carry quad-speakers, and contain 4GB of RAM, similar to that seen in the iPad Pro. In other words, the iPad Air 3 will, in fact, be an iPad Pro, only smaller.

iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro will support the Apple Pencil and a smaller version of the Smart Keyboard using the magnet-based Smart Connector seen in the 12.9-inch version. The new, smaller iPad Pro will be available in the same color options as the larger model (Silver, Gold and Space Gray). It also will be available in Wi-Fi (32GB and 128GB) and Wi-Fi+ Cellular (128GB) just like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

From what these new reports tell us, it seems that Apple is beginning to blur the lines between its various tablet models. We could be seeing a new iPad that borrows the USP from the Air, Mini and Pro, combining it into one light, small, and powerful tablet. If this is the case, then the upcoming 9.7-inch tablet may just see the end of the Mini and Air, eventually.

However, the iPad Mini is still Apple’s most affordable tablet among the three, so it may not kill that off just yet unless it manages to price the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro right. It is also unconfirmed whether the smaller iPad Pro will fall under 440 g in order to fall under the ‘Air’ category as well. It begs one to question whether the iPad Air ($499 – $799) will be appealing once a more powerful iPad Pro with the same size and weight enters the market and is priced closer to the former.

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be available in Silver, Gold and Space Gray and will also be available in Wi-Fi (32GB and 128GB) and Wi-Fi+ Cellular (128GB) just like the 12.9-inch Pro. The new iPad Pro and iPhone 5se will be announced at a press event on March 22.

February 26, 2016
Apple to Launch iPhone 5se on 22nd March

The iPhone 5se has become one of the most talked about upcoming phones these days, and one of the worst kept secrets of the industry as leaks ranging from design schematics to internal hardware have already leaked on the Internet.

But, that said and done, for the ones who are waiting eagerly for it, the wait has just gotten a bit longer. New reports coming out of South Korea suggests that the phone’s launch has been pushed back a week now, and it will now be unveiled at an Apple even event on 22nd March, 2016.

For the one’s who don’t know, the iPhone 5se will come equipped with an A9 chip found on the iPhone 6s. It will pack 1GB of RAM, but the most interesting thing about the phone is its 4.7-inch display and its design which is said to mimick the iPhone 5s except for a few crucial changes.Pricing strategy of the phone should see us paying over Rs 30000 for the 16GB variant of the phone.

February 26, 2016
Apple to Bring Siri for Mac with OS X 10.12 Launch

It has always been clear that Apple’s main focus has been towards its iPhones. Yes, the Cupertino giant has a bunch of other products as well that sometimes tend to get pushed into the background, like its Macs. But that won’t be the case four months from now when Apple launches the OS X 10.12 that will introduce Siri for Mac.

Siri, the personal voice assistant for the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch will now come to the Mac as well. Apple has been busy testing versions of OS X with Siri for the past 3 years. After working out and polishing the interface, Apple will be ready to launch the feature publicly. Over the years, Apple has improved Siri’s functionality a lot, making it faster, smarter, more responsive and more personalised.

Back in September, news about Apple hiring Artificial Intelligence experts to improve Siri’s functionality made the rounds. Apple had hired at least 86 AI experts to work on machine learning alone, as well as employees with doctorates specializing in AI. It turned out that Apple’s effort did pay off as it launched a new and improved Siri during its September event. In terms of accuracy, Siri beats Google Now and Cortana, according to reports that came out in November.

Coming back to Siri for Mac, the voice assistant will have an icon placed in the OS X menu bar (next to the Spotlight magnifying glass icon) that will activate once clicked. Similar to the way it works on the iPhone, the Siri interface with the trippy colored sound waves will appear on the top right of the screen to indicate speech command.

Siri on the Mac will also have its own option in System Preferences. Siri will be able to respond to “Hey Siri” when the Mac is plugged to a power source, much like it is with the iPhone 6. The upcoming update to OS X is not likely to feature too many changes, but will rather come with some performance tweaks and minor software updates. It is also rumoured that Apple has begun development of iOS 10, and details on that may start pouring in, in the weeks to come.

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February 25, 2016
iPhone 5se Schematics Reveal Similarities with iPhone 5S

The upcoming 4-inch iPhone 5se from the stables of Apple which is expected to be unveiled at an Apple event in March according to latest reports will look very similar to the iPhone 5S. Schematics revealed courtesy of a case maker hint that the upcoming 5se will be heavily influenced by the design scheme of the iPhone 5s.

The schematics point out that the upcoming product’s dimensions are indistinguishable from the iPhone 5s, meaning that the new device will fit inside of the existing iPhone 5s cases except for a couple of changes to the body of the phone.

These schematics reveal that the sleep/wake/power button has been relocated to the side.This change would be understandable given that Apple made the shift on the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 2014 only.

Sources also reveal the iPhone 5se will also come with a slightly curved display, but it won’t be as curved as the displays found on the iPhone 6s. Besides these particular changes, the iPhone 5se when it comes to externals is essentially an iPhone 5s: a design nearly identical to the 2012 iPhone 5 with metal plates on the back, glass caps on the top and bottom of the back, and a FaceTime camera centered above the front facing speaker.

Coming to the internals of the iPhone 5se, earlier reports have claimed that the new device includes the A9 and M9 chips from the iPhone 6s, an upgraded camera hardware system, and an NFC chip for Apple Pay, and will be avaialble in Rose Gold, Silver, and Space Gray options from the iPhone 5s. The new device will come in 16GB and 64GB storage options and sell for the same prices as the 5s.

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February 25, 2016
Apple vs FBI : Bill Gates Ditches Apple in the iPhone Encryption Case

As the plot thickens in this complex saga of privacy vs security, Apple has seen a lot of big names put their weight behind its argument but today in a change of trends, one of the biggest names that the tech industry has ever seen has come out surprisingly in open support of the FBI.

Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has backed the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its legal battle against Apple over encryption in an iPhone used by one of the shooters in December’s San Bernardino attacks.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Gates dismissed the notion that Aple’s CEO Tim Cook is propagating that granting the FBI access would set a legal precedent for future cases such as this one. Bill Gates argued that the FBI is “not asking for some general thing, and is asking for a particular case.”

Adding to this, the Co-Founder of Microsoft goes on,

“It is no different than [the question of] should anybody ever have been able to tell the phone company to get information, should anybody be able to get at bank records. Let’s say the bank had tied a ribbon round the disk drive and said ‘don’t make me cut this ribbon, because you’ll make me cut it many times.’”

As it stands, Microsoft communications chief Frank X. Shaw declined to comment on Bill Gates’ comments which sees him alienating himself from other Silicon Valley top executives, such as Facebook Inc chief Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter Inc founder Jack Dorsey and Google head Sundar Pichai, who have all backed Cook’s decision, the newspaper added.

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February 23, 2016
iPhone 5se : Everything We Know So Far

In what will be a major shift from tradition, Apple has set its sights on launching three iPhones in a calendar year. It had almost become a tradition for Apple to release two variants of its flagship phone, a cheaper variant along with a more expensive one in the past years. It was the case for the iPhone 5 series, and so was the strategy followed for the last set of iPhones from 2015.

For weeks now we have been hearing rumours that Apple is working on a 4-inch iPhone. The device is likely to be called the iPhone 5se and according to reports will be unveiled at an Apple event on 18th March 2016. Here’s a roundup of everything we know so far from the various rumours that have been going around about this still to be confirmed phone.

Design

This device which is believed to be a replacement for the current entry-level iPhone 5s, has already managed garner a lot of attention. Many analysts predict that it could even turn out to be the years hottest model. The 4-inch display is expected to be a great asset to the iPhone 5se’s design. The idea behind this small form factor is what the company’s founder Steve Jobs believed was to give the user a comfortable experience of navigating across the phones display with just one hand.

According to reports, the sharp, angular edges of the iPhone 5s are rumored to be replaced by smooth, curvier designs that Apple debuted on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The phone is expected to come out in three color variants, “Rose Pink”, “Space Grey” and ” Silver”. The Gold hue is expected to be given a miss for the cheaper iPhone 5se.

Processor and Other Specification

The new iPhone 5se, as rumours suggest, will come with solid processing power so that it can keep pace with the best flagships available in the market. The phone is said to pack under the hood either an A8+ M8 combo, or the more poweful A9 SoC which is currently used on the latest and greatest iPhones that Apple can offer in 2016. The phone will come equipped with 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB internal storage. A 1642 MaH will come housed inside the phone.

Having said that, taking in perspective the phone’s relatively small 4-inch display, and Apple’s previous track record of being a bit economical with the firepower they add to their phones, betting on the new smartphone to be equipped with the A8 would seem more plausible.

Camera

Apple which has always been known for bringing to the users phones with great cameras, plans to shower the iPhone 5se with good specs. Reports suggest the iPhone 5se to get the same 8-megapixel rear and 1.2-megapixel front-facing cameras from Apple’s iPhone 6. Sadly, the better 5-megapixel front camera from the 6s will fail to make the cut.

The new phone though will be able capture large panorama shots, along with getting the capability of capturing Live Photos.

Display

An interesting rumour doing the rounds about the iPhone 5se is that the phone will support a sapphire display, which is highly scratch and shatter resistant. In fact, some of the higher-end Apple Watch models have sapphire display as well as OLED technology, which Apple is rumoured to bring to its next flagship device, but will not likely be seen in the iPhone 5se.

One thing that is also expected is the phone to miss out on the 3D touch display which the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus come equipped with, which shouldn’t come as a big surprise considering the expected low price point of the iPhone 5se.

February 21, 2016