Category: Apple

5 Features That We Want In The iPhone 11
As we draw closer to the launch date of the iPhone 11 (iPhone XI), Apple fans are expecting a host of new features in the upcoming smartphone. The next generation iPhone is expected to be launched in the month of September 2019, alongside a new iteration of the Apple Watch. Triple rear camera set up in the device has already been revealed, thanks to countless leaks and rumours across the web. However, here are some upgrades that we are really looking forward to in the Apple iPhone 11.

More Internal Storage

iPhone XS

The memory requirements of smartphones are increasing with each new iteration since an upgraded camera and additional features imply that images will occupy a bigger chunk in the memory block. As mentioned before, the iPhone 11 will likely sport triple rear cameras, which is bound to result in larger-sized images. Moreover, with the introduction of native video editing in the iOS 13, users will tend to save videos on their device rather than the cloud. For the aforementioned reasons, it would be great if the company’s flagship smartphones feature 1 Terabyte of ROM. South Korean company Samsung was the first one to incorporate 1TB of internal storage in the Galaxy S10+ when it was launched in the month of February 2019.

Primary USB Type-C Port

iPhone X

It is expected that Apple will ship the iPhone 11 with a USB Type-C port instead of the Lightning port, which will improve the charging capabilities and unify connectivity across various devices. Apple’s MacBook Pro and iPad Pro both support charging via USB Type-C ports. As reported previously, the company may be planning a complete shift over to the USB Type-C environment. However, such a move may disrupt the sales of one of the highest selling Apple accessories, the USB-C to lighting cable adapter. Nonetheless, a Type-C port will be a nice and welcome addition to the new iPhones.

Faster Face ID

The announcement of iOS 13 brought forth a lot of exciting features, one of the prominent ones being a faster unlock speed via Face ID. The company claimed that Face ID authentication on the upcoming iPhone 11 will operate 30 percent faster than older devices. Apple is known for focusing on the performance statistics in all new iterations of operating systems. Hopefully, a combination of improved hardware (in the iPhone 11) and iOS 13 may result in even faster-unlocking speeds, which will be a delight for iPhone users.

Reverse Wireless Charging

iPhone XS Max

The presence of Reverse Wireless Charging (similar to the Galaxy S10+) in the iPhone 11 would be an added bonus for users. The feature will help users in charging their accessories with the help of their iPhones. For instance, the Apple Watch and the updated AirPods (with wireless charging) will be chargeable via Reverse Wireless Charging on the iPhone 11. Since the feature is hardware dependent, it will be exclusive to the new iPhones when they will be launched.

Smaller Notch

iPhone X

Multiple features of the iPhone X were welcomed warmly by users, except the wide notch up front on the display. Although Apple is justified in incorporating a large notch in the device (owing to the sheer number of sensors), it still affects the aesthetics of the handset. The iPhone X notch currently houses the following sensors
- IR Camera
- Flood Illuminator
- Proximity Sensor
- Ambient Light Sensor
- Speaker
- Microphone
- Front Camera
- Dot Projector
For this reason, it would be great if Apple reduces the size of the notch in the iPhone 11 by 10 to 15 percent, which would greatly improve the design factor of the next generation iPhones.

iPhone XR

Also Read: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X And Radeon RX 5700XT Leaked

The iPhone 11 is one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2019, and it would be really exciting to see if all the features mentioned above make their way to the device.
June 10, 2019
iOS 13 Beta Reveals iPhone 2019 May Ship With USB Type-C To Lightning Cable

Apple iPhones are the major buzz around this time each year, right before the launch of its flagship smartphones. The company is rumoured to ship the upcoming iPhones with an 18W charger with USB Type-C to Lightning cable. Apple has already moved the iPad Pro over to USB-C for its faster-charging capabilities and compatibility with a lot more accessories.

It is unlikely that Apple would shift its entire lineup to USB type-C as it still generates considerable revenue by selling Lightning cables to its third-party accessory makers. The USB-C to Lightning cable adapter is one of the highest selling accessories from Apple. Hence, the complete shift would cause the company to rethink its revenue strategy and might only ship the iPhone XI and XI Max with the port, skipping the XIR. Since the iPhone 5 launched in the year 2012, the American company has used its proprietary connector dubbed the Lightning port.

#IOS13 #iOS13Beta Plus de Lightning et d'iTunes sur l'écran de restauration, de l'USB-C ? et un futur utilitaire pour iPhone sur mac ? @LeoDuffOff pic.twitter.com/iTJj4Tp18O
— Comic Book Guy (@__JeffAlbertson) June 7, 2019

The switch to USB Type-C to Lightning cable will also allow connecting the upcoming iPhones to a MacBook much easier; Negating the need for purchasing a separate cable to make the connection. The latest leak showcases a recovery screen from the iOS 13 Beta that shows a USB-C cable pointing towards a computer. The past iterations of this mode had a Lightning cable pointing at iTunes. However, due to the discontinuation of the iTunes platform, Apple may have decided to change the icon with the latest update.

The company has made fast charging feature available in its smartphone lineups since 2017s iPhone 8. However, the devices were never bundled with the fast charger but had to be separately purchased. Apple has since bundled the 18W fast charger along with the iPad Pro in late 2018, a first for the company. This move might be mirrored in the newer releases in Q3 2019.

Also Read: Everything We Know About The Samsung Galaxy M40

The faster charging rates and better port compatibility in the future iPhones might take away from exclusivity but provide a healthy addition to the lineup. Although considering Apple’s tendency for a smooth and steady transition, it may entirely skip the USB-C to lightning cable for the new iPhones but instead offer the USB Type C port as a standard going forward in future iPhones.

June 10, 2019
iPhones Valued At $19 Million Stolen By ‘Fraud Ring’

A gang of fraudsters have reportedly stolen $19 million (approx. Rs. 132 crores) worth of iPhones over the past seven years in the United States of America. The FBI and NYPD aptly named the gang ‘Fraud Ring’, which was run by six people that called themselves ‘Top Dogs’. The gangs used counterfeit debit cards and fake IDs to buy new iPhones to be sold for high prices in the black market.

The payment method that involved instalments enabled the scam to go undetected. A detailed report has been uploaded online regarding the fraud case. The victims of the scam included customers whose accounts were compromised along with respective carriers. The gang, possessing the debit cards and fake identification bought iPhone units from stores posing as the original account holders. The reason listed by the scammers was to upgrade to a newer handset on their previously existing accounts. Fraudsters stretched the scammed devices instalments over many months, that later showed up on the actual customer’s bill.

The perpetrators are being charged with felony counts of mail fraud, conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft. A total of 34 states in the US were affected while the exact number of individuals have yet to be disclosed. One of the accused co-operated with the authorities and revealed the workings of the Fraud Ring in exchange for a reduced sentence. It has been reported that the ‘Top Dogs’ took the largest chunk of the revenue, while the middlemen were responsible for all illegal activities like stealing identities by scamming customers. The bottom level involved drivers and runners that made rounds to various destinations to commit the fraud and ship the iPhone units back.

The co-operating witness claimed to have joined the gang in 2013 and has made about 18 trips in total. Fraud Ring paid $100 for each iPhone that was stolen by him during that period. A shipping company (back in 2014) was discovered in possession of 250 phones, fraud cards, driver’s licenses, and passports after an employee opened one of the packages.

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This incident is reported to be one of the largest smartphone scams to date in terms of the value of stolen devices. Similarly, a group of scammers was accused of stealing 1,300 iPhones worth $1 million in 2018. Many such scams have been surfacing recently as fraud is being taken more seriously by the Government and investigating agencies.

June 6, 2019
How ARKit 3, RealityKit And HomeKit Will Help Developers In Creating Apps

The first day of the WWDC 2019 saw some radical updates being brought forth by Apple. The American multinational company announced the iOS 13, the all-new Mac Pro and iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS and macOS. Furthermore, since the event was a ‘developers’ conference’, Apple also unveiled new software frameworks, especially for developers. The development kits include ARKit 3 and RealityKit frameworks. Additionally, Homekit will now be added to security cameras and wi-fi routers. HomeKit is a software framework by Apple that helps iOS-based devices to communicate with smart-home appliances.

ARKit 3

Developers will find it much easier to formulate AR-based applications with the updated ARKit iteration, which receives a fair overhaul in features from the ARKit 2. Using Motion Capture, developers can track human movements and feed them directly into the applications. Motion Capture will also be able to accurately track the limbs and torsos in real-time. People Occlusion is another feature being included in the ARKit 3 framework. It will ensure that all the Augmented Reality based content will show up naturally in front or behind people.

RealityKit

RealityKit was also introduced by the company, and it enables developers to fabricate ‘photorealistic’ AR experiences, Apple states. This implies that real-world environments can easily accommodate virtual objects. Effects such as motion blur can be manually added into scenes, which will simulate a real-world environment instead of a virtual environment. The company also announced the integration of RealityKit with Swift’s Application Programming Interface (API).

HomeKit

Also Read: Samsung Collaborating With AMD For Radeon Graphics On Its Smartphones

Regarding Apple’s interface to make Home-based Apple devices more accessible via devices running iOS, HomeKit will undergo two new developments. HomeKit Secure Video will ensure that the security cameras connected to the HomeKit network will process and analyze security feed directly on the user’s device rather than on the cloud. Furthermore, the 10-day feed will be encrypted and uploaded to the user’s iCloud account. Alongside, HomeKit-enabled routers will create a virtual firewall between the complete network and the devices connected to it. This will make sure that the network will remain secure even if one of the devices is breached.

June 5, 2019
Apple CarPlay Update Makes It A Better Travel Partner

At the WWDC 2019, Apple announced a planned refresh to its pre-existing CarPlay feature installed in vehicles across the world. The company also announced the iOS 13, tvOS, watchOS, the redesigned Mac Pro, and the iPadOS. With the new upgrades to CarPlay, Apple seeks to enhance the user-cum-driver experience with various practical functionalities.

The announcement for the aforementioned system focused mainly on upgrades from previous iterations. The company is giving CarPlay an aesthetical overhaul. With iOS 13, a new dashboard that can show multiple applications in a single view is now possible in CarPlay. Applications like Music and Maps will be more accessible by users. With the new updates, Apple’s CarPlay would have a more informative Calendar app that relays even more relevant details. The Music app will now highlight the featured album art more noticeably alongside favourites and music discovery.

With the refreshed visual design and UI, CarPlay will also feature improved support for Siri and a new ‘light mode’. Notifications and Siri suggestions are more seamless and cleaner with the new update. iOS 13 will feature numerous compatibility and utility integrations with the new CarPlay.

A significant change to the system is that apps launched in the connected smartphone will not be mirrored on CarPlay. As per the company, this change was introduced so that the smartphone can be used for more than one function at a time. Now, a passenger can simply play music without any interference with applications such as Maps. The new update also allows CarPlay to appear on other digital screens in the car. A new ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ mode will also debut with the new update that blocks notifications, a feature derived from iPhones.

Also Read: Samsung Collaborating With AMD For Radeon Graphics On Its Smartphones

With the new CarPlay, Siri will be able to run third-party applications for music and navigation. Apple has also integrated fully hands-free ‘Hey Siri’ support that works with the car’s in-built microphone. Lastly, Apple also announced the system’s ability to automatically adapt to different screen sizes and resolution. The company believes that the new CarPlay update will ensure that users can seamlessly make use of the various new features bundled with the same.

June 5, 2019
As Apple Retires iTunes, Here Is How It Paved The Way For Modern Music Platforms

When Apple first unveiled iTunes back in the year 2001, it revolutionized the music industry. Changing the way people purchased music and digital albums, iTunes remained as an iconic music symbol until now, because Apple has decided to break iTunes apart. iTunes is splitting into three different applications, namely Music, TV and Podcasts. However, the application will stay intact as a standalone iOS application and on Windows PCs. Let’s have a look at the interesting journey of iTunes through the years.

Formally launched on 9th January 2001, iTunes was introduced at a time where music was hugely downloaded via pirated websites and file-sharing platforms. The application had a fairly simple user interface, which made it easy for users to get accustomed to it. It had a simple billing procedure and a detailed yet vast catalogue of music and albums for users to pick from. In a nutshell, the iTunes application provided one of the best user experience at its time.

In the year 2003, iTunes made its way onto the Windows platform. This drastically expanded the reach of the application and made it accessible to a lot more users. This also removed the doubts regarding iTunes being an Apple-only service. However, Apple’s strategy regarding iTunes has always been closely linked with its devices, including iPhones, iPads and MacBooks.

Almost two years later, iTunes started offering TV shows for purchase. This marked one of the most defining eras for iTunes, where music was sold alongside videos, making iTunes the perfect go-to entertainment platform. If that wasn’t enough, Apple also introduced movies on iTunes in the year 2006. Apple was tasting a lot of success with its entertainment platform, so it decided to launch the ‘Genius’ feature within iTunes, which recommended new music to users based on previous listening patterns.

2008 was a really big year for Apple since iTunes became the largest music retailer in the United States. This literally marked the death of record stores, since most users were directly purchasing music from the iTunes store. To enhance the “music anywhere” functionality, the company launched iCloud almost 3 years later. It allowed users to back up their music files and other documents to the cloud. This meant that with an internet connection, users could access their music from any location.

With The launch of the iPhone in subsequent years, Apple required an initial setup and sync to be done using iTunes, and while this process has been reduced to device restores and wireless updates. iTunes will always be remembered as the pain point and the weak link for iPhone Jailbreakers.

In 2010 Apple also attempted to create a music social network dubbed “Ping”. This allowed users to follow artists and see short, timely postings by both friends and artists. This didn’t work as expected and Apple shut it down in 2012.

Skip forward to the present year, a lot of users were skeptical about iTunes’ departure from the scene. However, analysts stated that the iTunes shut-down is an integral part of Apple’s strategy to focus on subscription content and services. This will help Apple in radically boosting its revenue based on selective content delivering. Statistics exhibit that subscription services made up for about 80 percent of all online music and video revenue in the year 2018. Stats further reveal that Apple currently boasts of almost 56 million paying customers, indicating why it decided to branch out to three different applications instead of a single application.

Also Read: Apple Showcases The Updated watchOS 6 and tvOS 13 At WWDC 2019

Apple shutting iTunes doesn’t imply that all the content owned by users will be deleted in one go. The company will release some information shortly regarding the downloaded content. Expectedly, the content will be managed via Apple Music and other applications. Nonetheless, iTunes will always be one of those applications that revolutionized the whole culture of the entertainment when it was turning digital. And it did so in a way that a huge chunk of users depended on it for their daily dose of music and movies. Hopefully, Apple continues to introduce similar overhauls to the newly formed applications that can make up for the removal of iTunes from the Apple ecosystem.

June 4, 2019
Here Is How Apple Watch Covers All Bases In Modern Healthcare

In a world where health concerns are on the rise, each step taken in the right direction may save lives. Apple recognised the need for a device that brings genuine utility for its consumers. Rather than making an entirely new product, it has added new layers of functionality that enables the device to be a small but impactful health partner.

Apple has focused on making the Watch a standalone experience with its own unique functions. With the inclusion of an ECG sensor on the Apple Watch series 4, health took an active role with the device. Incorporating many of the health monitoring features that have been popular in the mobile industry such as tracking the number of steps taken. With individuals becoming more self-aware and conscious with their health, the industry soon adapted to provide the market with their current demands.

Health partner bands and companion wearable devices are not a new concept now, but Apple with its inclusion of functions like noise detection and menstrual cycle tracking made the experience a lot more streamlined and rounded. ECG sensor that brought real-time monitoring of heart rate, in countries like India where heart conditions affect nearly one-third of the entire adult population, makes it more than a useful tool for everyday use. (ECG is presently only available in limited countries)

The latest update to watchOS 6 had Apple say, ‘why stop there?’ The company along with its new ‘faces’ has seamlessly integrated pro-health functions to the Apple Watch. The ‘Loud Noise’ detecting app is one such application that passively records and measure sound levels in the users surrounding ambience. Noise pollution has become a real epidemic in the modern world and areas where sound levels cross 90 decibels are immediately notified to the user as harmful and unsafe. This function has yet to be reproduced by other manufacturers that target health-conscious consumers.

Apple, for its women userbase, has added a uniquely interactive app that lets them track their menstrual cycles. With the new Cycle Tracking App, women can log important data related to their menstrual cycles. The application with data inputs is also capable of predicting future cycles beforehand along with current period flow, symptoms and results from ovulation prediction kits. Fertility and ovulation can also be tracked by Apple Watch.

Also Read: Apple Mac Pro Is The Productivity Machine Apple Promised

No wearable device/companion, even the ones specifically made for health monitoring feature such degree of functionality at this size. Apple succeeded in making the best wearable device in the market in this regard. Users can get a full picture of their health right on their wrist without ever needing an iPhone.

Apple has also made the Apple Watch a more stand alone device, which means it can function without requiring input from the iPhone. The Apple Watch offers Fall detection and emergency auto dial for the elderly, Heart Rate monitoring, and ECG, along with several other features like, Breathe reminders and fitness tracking which include auto exercise detection. The Apple Watch has already saved a lot of lives with some of it’s features and with more being added with WatchOS 6, the Apple Watch has now become the most well developed fitness and health tracker.

June 4, 2019
Apple Showcases The Updated watchOS 6 and tvOS 13 At WWDC 2019

Apple at WWDC 2019 has delivered on the many requests made by its consumers and fans. Many of the initial rumours were also confirmed within the event. With the company’s focus shifting away from its star player, iOS, and towards the improvement of its other products. In WWDC, the company officially unveiled the new and improved watchOS and tvOS to its audiences present in the event and those watching it live online.

Apple tvOS 13

Apple announced changes for its already revamped Apple TV app with its latest tvOS 13. The new redesigned home screen brought some welcomed aesthetical changes with live previews and cleaner organization. The biggest addition to the tvOS is the ability to add multiple users. Each added member receives personalized recommendations for both Apple TV app and Apple music.

The music app will also be fully synced with complete lyrics displayed alongside the music that is being played. tvOS is scheduled to launch this fall and will feature native support for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 game controllers for its Apple Arcade lineup of games. Apple is set to launch its streaming service later on in the year 2019. Showcasing the service with the reveal trailer of ‘For All Mankind’ as one of the first shows that will be in the streaming service.

Apple watchOS 6

WWDC saw the split of Apple’s core focus from iPhones and shift it towards other devices such as Apple Watch. However, it does make changes for a better standalone experience rather than being just an iPhone peripheral.

The company adds more layers of options and functionality to the new watchOS rather than radically redesigning everything. The biggest design changes are the new ‘Faces’, meant for showcasing the graphic designs with details added for more information on the screen. ‘Faces’ deliver customisation on supported apps with custom notifications.

One of the key announcements for watchOS was definitely the addition of certain apps such as Calculator, Audiobooks and Voice memos. With the latest update apps run natively on the wearable device. This means applications will no longer require a companion app on iPhones to pair with. The introduction of new streaming API will allow apps to stream audio directly to the watch.

Also Read: Apple Launches The All New Revamped Mac Pro Alongside The Pro Display XDR 6K Monitor

A notable announcement on-stage was the inclusion of the App Store integration in the watchOS 6. This will let users pay, browse and download apps directly from their wrists. Apple also made software downloads a direct process on the Apple Watch. Building on its pre-existing health-related features, the company has added a myriad of monitoring and informative functions that will also be available on iPhones. These include apps for monitoring sound levels and menstrual cycle tracking for women.

June 4, 2019
Apple iPadOS Is Well Designed To Enhance iPad Usage

The first day WWDC 2019 was a huge one for Apple. The company launched the much-awaited iOS 13 for iPhones and announced the all new redesigned Mac Pro, which packs top-of-the-line specifications for content creators. Apple was also rumoured to launch a dedicated operating system for iPads, and so it happened. For the first time, the iPad received its own Operating system, known as the iPadOS. It packs a set of helpful and features that aim to enhance the productivity of the device. Here are some of the major iPadOS features which will improve the user experience on the iPad.

A Redesigned Home Screen

The all new iPadOS has a refreshed home screen with widgets support. Users can expand the widgets on one side of the screen, while the application icons take up the rest of the display. A host of multitasking gestures has also been introduced in the new operating system, so that users can simply ‘glide’ through their task list. For instance, users can drag the applications they intend to use and drop them alongside other applications. This will increase the ease with which users perform multiple tasks over different applications.

The Revamped Files Application

One of the biggest additions to the new iPadOS is undoubtedly the new redesigned Files application. It has been tweaked with a column view that provides users with high-resolution previews of files without even opening them. The app has support for Quick Actions like mark up, rotate and create PDF. A local storage has been introduced where users can organize their files and zip/unzip documents. In order to make the iPad equally functional as notebooks, the iPadOS supports external drives (USBs, SD Cards). Lastly, improved iCloud Drive support implies that anyone with access to a shared folder on the iPad will be easily able to access the latest version of the same on his device.

Upgraded Safari Browser

Another intuitive upgrade in the iPad’s functionalities has been brought to the Safari browser, which automatically presents the desktop version of a website on the iPad. Apple claims that the webpage is aptly scaled as per the iPad’s display. Moreover, the website is optimized for touch usage, so that web applications such as WordPress are seamlessly accessible. Apple has also included a whole new download manager within the browser alongside 30 new keyboard shortcuts.

New Split View And Slide Over

Apple claims that the all new Split view will enable users to work with multiple files from the same document at the same time. Using the slide over functionality, users can also view the window they want and smoothly switch between them. For instance, a user can jot down an email while looking at another email from the same application, all at the same time. Another feature called App Exposé helps the users in getting a quick view of any open windows with just a single tap.

Additional Features

Alongside the aforementioned features, Apple also introduced system-wide Dark Mode to the iPadOS that is applied across all applications. Users can install third party custom fonts which can be used while creating documents. Moreover, Apple’s iPad keyboard can now shrink down to a floating keyboard that can be moved across the screen. Pinching the regular keyboard will instantly convert it to the said floating mode. Performance boosts will ensure that users can launch their applications faster, unlock the iPad faster and reduce download sizes by up to 50 percent.

Availability

Also Read: Xiaomi To Launch The Redmi K20, K20 Pro In India Within The Next Six Weeks

The developer preview of iPadOS is now available to members of the Apple Developer Program. The public beta program will be available to iPadOS users in the month of July 2019. The operating system will be available for iPad Air 2 and later, all iPad Pro models, iPad 5th generation and later and iPad mini 4 and later variants.

June 4, 2019
Apple Mac Pro Is The Productivity Machine Apple Promised

When Apple launched the previous version of the Mac Pro a lot of prospective buyers were excited for the new “trash can” design. However, even though it turned out to be an exciting device for pro-consumers, professionals didn’t like the design or the lack of expandability. Especially since Mac Pro’s originally offered expansion and flexibility.

Apple last year clarified that they were working on a redesigned Mac Pro that would live up to the name, and boy has Apple delivered. The new 2019 Mac Pro offers a pro focused approach towards productivity.

The Mac Pro will have Xeon processors up to 28 cores with 64 PCI lanes that will allow for ample expansion for improved graphics cards, capture cards or fast storage. Users can also use the six lane memory which is expandable up to a whopping 1.5TB.

The new pro includes an option for the Radeon Pro Vega II, and Duo cards which were also debuted with the Mac Pro. Users can utilize the dual MPX Modules for 2 Vega II Duos to achieve 56 Teraflops of Graphics performance and upto 128 GB of Graphics Memory.

But all these specifications are only an added plus to the new design of the Mac Pro which is clearly one of the best cpu case designs for pro usage. While aesthetically pleasing the case is designed with cooling in mind . A fully vented front and three fans at the back mean that air moves through the Mac Pro in a singular direction at all times. The open nature of the machine means users will be able to add Liquid cooling into the mix and that may end up in some improved throttle free performance.

The case design also allows for quick all around access the machined aluminum frame sits on solid pipe frame which while reminding us of the original “cheese grater” Mac Pro, is much more simpler to access and customize.

Apple has not held back with performance and expandability and it is evident that the company wants the professionals, movie makers and pro consumers to accept the Mac Pro back into their workflow. Expansion options will also include thunderbolt 3 ports which will allow for EGPUs and displays including the new 6K Apple Pro Display XDR.

The Mac Pro’s Afterburner is also another feature designed to lure big video creators and movie makers. The programmable ASIC is capable of decoding up to 6.3 billion pixels per second. Which means it can live decode upto three 8K Pro Res streams. This also translates to 12 4K streams, means that production houses won’t have to rely on fast proxy media, eliminating production storage costs.

The Apple Mac Pro is more a legend reborn, almost like a cult classic revamped. Ever since the first Mac Pro was introduced it became a staple for video editors and movie producers. Major motion pictures were created on these machines and that legacy may continue yet again for the foreseeable future.

Needless to say Apple will also allow full customization and professionals are already drooling over their favorite specification builds. The Mac Pro will ship in fall and will be available to customize from Apple’s website. In India the Apple Mac Pro will be available in certain pre-configured builds, but Apple is working on bringing full customization to India, and we might see that soon.

June 4, 2019
Apple Launches The All New Revamped Mac Pro Alongside The Pro Display XDR 6K Monitor

Alongside the launch of the highly-anticipated iOS 13 operating system, Apple finally unveiled the long-promised Mac Pro with a modular design. The company also announced the 32-inch Pro Display XDR 6K monitor. The first look of the Mac Pro can be very clearly attributed to Apple’s classic “Cheese grater” design. Since the trash can design (previously released in 2013) wasn’t previously accepted very warmly by Apple consumers, the company has decided to choose a much more elegant and modern design. The company claims that the Mac Pro is designed to focus on modular computing and ease of expansion.

Apple Mac Pro: Features & Specifications

The Apple Mac Pro runs on the 28 core Intel Xeon processor with 300W of power and state-of-the-art cooling. Apple claims that the cooling system will enable the system to run at maximum power and efficiency. In terms of memory, the Mac Pro supports up to 1.5TB of RAM, which is staggering at the least. Expansion can be done via six-channel memory across 12 DIMM (Dual In-Line Memory Module) slots.

Another highlighting feature of the machine is the presence of eight PCI Express slots. Four out of those eight slots are double-wide, implying that they can house larger expansion cards. Regarding connectivity, the Mac Pro sports 2 USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports and two USB-A ports that are present on the front of the case.

Additionally, Apple also launched the MPX module, which is a custom expansion module. In order to provide the components with more power and connectivity speeds, the MPX utilizes the dedicated Thunderbolt 3 module embedded in the motherboard. It can accommodate two graphics cards and sports a custom Thunderbolt connector to plug into the backbone of the motherboard. It also has its own dedicated heat sink for effective heat management.

In terms of graphics, the MPX module can be kitted with AMD’s Radeon Pro Vega 2 or Radeon Pro Vega 2 Duo cards. This will consequently add a total of 4 GPU chips to the Mac Pro, summing up to around 128GB of High Bandwidth Memory graphics. Alongside the MBX module, Apple will also sell an I/O module that will equip the Mac Pro with two more Thunderbolt 3 ports and two USB-A ports, in addition to the 3.5mm headphone jack. A special feature of the I/O module is the “Afterburner”, which is a dedicated video card for graphics and editing. It uses the FPGA (field-programmable gate array) that enables it to process up to 6 billion pixels a second.

The components of the Mac Pro are powered by a 1400W power supply. Apple claims that the the three large fans present at the front cool the system at the rate of 300 cubic feet per minute. The case can be fitted with optional wheels to enable mobility of the system.

Apple Pro Display XDR

The company also unveiled a 6K monitor at the WWDC, which is named the Pro Display XDR. The 32-inch LCD display has a 6016 x 3384 px Retina HD screen. The monitor has ultra narrow 9mm bezels. The XDR stands for Extreme Dynamic Range. The display supports Apple’s True Tone automatic colour adjustment for ambient lighting.

The display is 40 percent larger than the 5K display present in the iMac. It has a matte variant called Nanotexture and features an anti-reflective coating. The back of the monitor has a similar design to the Mac Pro, which acts as a heatsink. Apple claims that the screen can hit brightness levels of 1600 nits which will assist during the editing of HDR content. It connects to the Mac Pro via a Thunderbolt 3 cable. Moreover, the Pro Stand included with the monitor is extremely modular and functional. The display can be rotated into vertical mode using the Pro Stand.

The Apple Pro Display XDR is priced at US$ 4,999, whereas the Pro Stand will be sold separately for US$ 999.

Apple Mac Pro: Availability And Price

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The Mac Pro will be available in Fall 2019 at a starting price of US$ 5,999 for the most toned down variant. The aforementioned variant will pack an 8-core Intel Xeon CPU, 32GB of RAM, Radeon Pro 580X GPU and 256 gigs of SSD.

June 4, 2019
iOS 13 Launched By Apple, Features Dark Mode, Privacy Upgrades, Performance Boosts

At WWDC 2019, Apple finally launched the highly-anticipated iOS 13 operating system for iPhones. The new update brings a ton of improvements to the Apple ecosystem. It is touted to be the next great release that will bring improvements all across the board for popular iPhones alongside various UI overhauls and apps revamps. Here are some of the major changes that Apple introduced with the all new iOS 13.

Dark Mode

The feature that had been long rumoured and asked for by iPhone users was finally showcased. This has been one of the single most anticipated changes ever occuring on the the iOS. It marks the second major aesthetic change to the UI after iOS 7. The true system-wide dark mode is supported by all Apple apps such as Photos, Calendar and multiple others.

Reminders

Apple has introduced a new update to the Reminder application in iOS 13 at the WWDC 2019. Users can filter their tasks using various filtering options such as “Today”, “Scheduled” and “Flagged”. Additionally, the app has recieved a visual overhaul and will include AI integration, which will automatically suggest users when they would like to be reminded. Users can also tag their contacts and upon opening the respective thread in messages, they will be reminded of the same.

Performance Boost

Similar to the iOS 12 update, the company has designed iOS 13 in order to upgrade the performance statistics of older devices as well as upcoming iPhones. Apple has stated that features such as FaceID will operate 30 percent faster with the new update. Also, applications will open twice as fast on iOS 13 as compared to iOS 12. New updates will also be 60% smaller, while downloads will be 50 percent smaller than the previous OS.

Privacy

Since privacy forms an integral basis of Apple’s ecosystem, the company has introduced a multitude of security features to iOS 13 at the WWDC 2019. For instance, users can decide to grant access to location services “just once”, which will not send their location data every time they use the concerned application. Also, using the “Sign in with Apple” feature, users can log into applications and services using their Face ID and simply create a new account without divulging personal data. Furthermore, users can get new private email addresses made every time they log into a new app using Apple Accounts, which will reduce the amount of spam emails accumulating in users’ inboxes.

Revamped Photo And Video Editing Tools, External Storage

The company has introduced a new editing interface to iOS 13 for photos and videos, which will allow the users to enhance their clicks and snaps in a much detailed scenario. Users can edit vignette, brilliance, shadows, contrast, saturation, white balance, sharpness, highlights, definition, and noise reduction in their images. Videos can now be rotated directly in the new operating system update. The refreshed Photos app UI will ensure that duplicates and clutter-like images will be automatically removed from the storage. Talking of storage, iOS 13 will enable users to directly copy files from SD cards and USB drives to the Files application.

Swiping Keyboard And Memojis

Users familiar with third party keyboards like Swiftkey and Swype will be delighted to know that Apple has finally updated its own stock keyboard with a swiping functionality. Users can simply “glide” through the letters to draft a word and eventually, sentences. Apple calls the new keyboard the “Quick Path” keyboard, and it will help users replace any third party keyboards with the redefined Apple keyboard. Furthermore, Apple also added the option to use Memojis as a profile picture. Apple is also adding more options for customizing Memoji, as well as adding the ability to use Memojis as iMessage stickers in chat.

Availability

Also Read: Microsoft Teases A New Dual-Screen Surface Device

The developer preview of iOS 13 is available to the members of the Apple Developer Program. Noteworthy, a public beta program will be also available to iOS users next month. iOS 13 will be available this Fall as a free software update for iPhone 6s and later iPhones. This rollout is expected to occur at the same time when the company will reportedly announce the next generation of iPhones.

June 4, 2019
Apple iPhone 2019 Lineup To Have 128GB Base Storage, Leaked Cases Confirm The Smartphone’s Design

Rumours regarding the latest generation of iPhones are countless and varied, however, certain reliable sources have come forward with more concrete information regarding the upcoming devices. The Apple iPhone lineup, in a market where most phones start with either 32GB (budget) or 64GB of storage (mid-range to flagships), is reported to start from 128GB of internal storage. This along with iPhone cases being seen out in the open, confirm renders that have been leaked.

Apple’s long-awaited flagship smartphone and its variants have already been making headlines all across the tech world. The latest iPhone XI is still four months away from being showcased to the entire world, yet half a year prior to the launch event and renders of the smartphone have already surfaced online. The leaks showcase an entirely unique triple camera setup, that has received mixed reception with Apple’s fan base.

Multiple sources had already confirmed the renders of the Apple iPhone XI design with a video being uploaded on YouTube, that had an unboxing of clear cases for the upcoming Apple flagships. The clear cases had cut-outs for the triple camera set-up that was seen prior with slight changes in button placements due to dimensional differences with the iPhone XS, on which the case was tried on for reference in the video. The three prototype cases received in the package may possibly be for the iPhone XI, iPhone XI Max, and iPhone XIR (names not conclusive).

Also Read: Under Display Selfie Camera Technology Showed Off By Oppo And Xiaomi

The Apple iPhone XI will probably have the same screen size as its predecessor iPhone XS that was equipped with a 5.8-inch OLED display. Reports also point towards a 12MP selfie camera, a welcome improvement over the 7MP sensor used in the current generation. Finer details can only ever be discerned when Apple finally unveils the smartphones, but the 128GB of base internal storage is one of the features that may have already been confirmed.

June 3, 2019
Apple To Focus On Devices Other Than The iPhone In The Future

Apple, in a bold step of decentralizing focus, has decided to shift its vision towards the ‘peripheral’ products with more operational independence. Since the dawn of the iPhone, each new generation of the handset saw the inclusion of new technology within or alongside it. Products made by Apple were only in rare cases focused on providing an entirely standalone experience overall.

The iPad serves as a great example, marketed as a laptop replacement with more freedom in mobility while not sacrificing power. In most other cases devices developed like the Apple Watch only seemed to exist for the sake of supplementing the iPhone and its user experience.

Apple’s upcoming developer conference seeks to draw a road map for the company’s plans on moving away from the iPhones glory, around which products were based. The keynote presentation will have the upper echelon of the tech giant showcase the latest generations of Apple devices and software in San Jose. Going forward Apple seeks to make the Watches more independent, iPads that will actually reduce the needs for laptops, and cross-platform applications to run on every Apple products.

Future Of Apple Watch

Made to be the next great leap in innovation after the iPhone in 2015, the device has yet to reach the level that the handset has achieved years prior. Apple Watch which had the potential to push computing to even smaller frames while still providing the functionality to users had ended up relying on the iPhone.

However, with the inclusion of cellular connectivity support to the device two years ago and the upcoming software update with watchOS 6, the company will further branch off the Watch and the iPhone. The new update will bring features like an on-board App Store with calculator and voice recorder alongside new messaging capabilities.

iPad’s Potential

As brought up previously, the iPad has been marketed often being tagged as the worthy replacement for laptops. Apple has a more than capable hardware lineup which has beaten laptop grade processors in the past in performance but lacks severely when discussed by the software aspects.

The company seeks to improve on the OS that’ll give users more functionality and not something that would seem like a tweaked version of the iPhone iOS. Planned updates to include features like using multiple apps simultaneously and a refreshed Home Screen have been announced.

Also Read: Alphabet’s New AI Defeats Human Players In A Multiplayer Game

Cross-Platform App Ecosystem

Seeking to aid developers, Apple will soon provide tools for iOS applications to be made available to other platforms within the company’s ecosystem. Applications will now be ported over to the Mac desktops and MacBook laptops, following the example of the iPad receiving its own versions of Apple’s News, Voice Memos, Home, and Stock apps from the Mac. This points towards a future with a single version of an App being available across every platform by Apple.

June 1, 2019
Apple Planning On Removing 3D Touch Feature In Future iPhones

Apple’s latest generation of smartphones has been shrouded with plenty of rumours and speculations. The renders seem to strike the right chord with some but fail to impress others, regardless Apple is set to take centre stage with its latest lineup. Amongst the many leaks that have yet to be confirmed, the latest reports point towards the removal of 3D Touch input. The 3D touch is a feature that the company introduced in its handsets back in the year 2015 that has made a recurring appearance since and is now receiving a rain check with the latest generation of iPhones.

The exclusive pressure sensing technology from Apple has always been a cut above the rest was made possible by the company’s proprietary Taptic Engine. The seamless integration of 3D Touch within iOS added a varying degree of functionality to the user interface that saved time for users.

3D Touch allowed users to perform many useful ‘quick functions’ like ‘peak and pop’ where pressure on emails or other text-based apps allowed previews of messages and URLs without actually opening the said application or links. Apple, however, has been reported to have removed the Taptic Engine for cost efficiency and space management.

Apple’s Taptic Engine that powers the 3D touch is reportedly expensive to implement and takes up a lot of space inside the device. The company has sought to increase its profit margins and use the space for other potential components, like a larger battery. One of Apple’s best-selling iPhones the iPhone XR lacked the 3D Touch feature and still sold commendably. This is probably one of the major reasons that reassured Apple on its decision to make the feature optional.

Also Read: OnePlus 7 Unboxing And Hands On Video

Apple users have to, regardless of their stance on this decision, accept the removal of the Taptic Engine and lack of the 3D Touch functionality that was offered on previous iterations of iPhone models.

May 31, 2019