Category: Apple

Apple Finally Introduces its Very Own Music Streaming Service

Apple has always been about building a secure, healthy ecosystem. They’re now bringing this philosophy to their new music streaming service. At the Worldwide Developers Conference, the company announced ‘Apple Music’, a service that seems to have the capabilities to put several successful music companies out of business. Provided it’s successful, of course.

On Apple Music, all the ways you love music can live together.

Here’s how the company plans to do it – with the new app, millions of tracks will be available to stream, and can be saved offline (bye-bye Spotify.) This library will also give recommendations an the playlists would be curated by popular musicians such as Drake, Will I Am and Pharrell.

At the launch, the company emphasised on how they’d like established, as well as emerging artists to interact with the users. For this, Apple introduced ‘Connect’, where artists can share pictures, music and messages with their audience. Fans can then comment, like, or share it via Messages, Facebook, Twitter and email. This feature takes SoundCloud a step ahead.

Lastly, an introduction that seems the most refreshing, is Apple’s new 24/7 global music radio station – Beats 1. With the radio feature, more than 100 countries worldwide will be listening in to programming and stations created by some of the world’s most popular musicians. It will have genres such as Indie rock, Hip-hop classical, etc.

Apple Music will be available 30th June onwards. For the initial three months, the service is available for free. After which, there will be a charge of 9.99$ per month. There is also a family plan providing the service for up to six family members, for $14.99 per month.

June 9, 2015
With iOS 9, Apple Finally Brings Multitasking

The Side-by-Side multitasking feature has been sorely missed on Apple devices. At the Worldwide Developers Conference today, the company finally introduced how they plan on taking it forward. Apple has only introduced it on iPads, for now.

Multitasking has been broken down into three basic features – Slide Over, Picture in Picture, and Split View.

New multitasking features and tools on iOS 9 help you do more of the things you love — at the same time.

‘Slide Over’ allows you to open another app, without leaving the app you’re working on. All you have to do is, swipe the screen from the right to bring in another app. Next, using the ‘Split View’ Mode, two apps can be open and proactive on the same screen, at the same time. As expected, using the Split Screen, you can drag and drop between the two working apps. Lastly, the ‘Picture in Picture’ feature allows you to watch a video, while you work on another app on your iPad. These features will be available when iOS 9 releases. According to the company, the developer API will be made available for the three new features.

Stay tuned, more details coming up soon.

June 9, 2015
WWDC15 | Apple’s Biggest Stab at Android is Open Source Swift Code

Apple’s new launches at WWDC 2015 showed off many new features and capabilities of both the new iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan. However, the highlight of the evening was when Craig Federighi announced on the stage today that one of the most powerful coding languages, Swift, would become “Open Source”

Swift 2.0 adds a bunch of features that developers have been asking for, to ensure that apps written in Swift are faster and can do more.

“Open source” means that any developer, anywhere in the world, can contribute new features and updates to a software project — totally for free.

Google’s popular Android mobile OS, for example, is open source, which is how smartphone manufacturers can release devices with versions of Android that are slightly different from each other.

Does this mean other manufacturers will be able to make iOS devices – probably not. However with the code becoming open-source, bug fixes and features would develop faster. Swift becoming Open Source will also allow other operating system manufacturers including Google and Microsoft to utilise the features and apply them to their code if they so choose to.

This will allow Android forks like Cyanogen and MiUi to add enhancements to their performance and capability. However, this will also depend on inclination and need to do so from others.

June 9, 2015
With These New Features, Siri Might Actually Become Helpful

At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2015, Apple announced major software changes. Amongst other things, Apple threw light on how they’ve been spending time further improving their digital voice assistant. It seems that Siri is trying hard to keep up with Google Now, its arch enemy, which has speedily raced ahead in the game.

However, at the event Apple claimed that Siri takes over 1 billion requests per week. They expect the new and improved Siri to further improve this number. According to the company, on iOS 9, Siri is going to be 40% faster, as well as 40% more accurate.

Here’s how the company plans to achieve that:

Like we had suspected, Siri gets more ‘Proactive’. The easiest way to explain this would be the fact that the new and improved digital voice assistant not only answers to your requests, but is present at all times, noting your daily habits and patterns of how you use your phone. Apple gave an example, when you plug in your headphones, Siri would read the sign and automatically launch iTunes.

Siri can now also view the apps you’re viewing, and help you make plans accordingly. The Calendar app helps the cause. It gives you suggested times when you should leave your house, based on the traffic on your way to your destination.

These announcements seem reminiscent of Google’s introduction of Android M. Android’s new feature ‘Now on Tap’ can also be used while you’re viewing a particular webpage or an app. For example, if you’re viewing a friend’s Facebook profile, you can use Now on Tap to find out more details about the person. It may then link you to the person’s Twitter and Instagram profile.

While the world squabbles about which company came up with the idea first, we feel that Google, as well as Apple may have found the perfect formula on making their digital assistants more useful.

June 8, 2015
iOS 9’s New Low Power Mode to Allow an Additional 3 Hours on iPhones

Apple at the WWDC 2015 has just announced the new iOS 9, with many new enhancements to the OS and new apps including the new News App. One of the most important issues addressed at the launch was the battery life of iPhone devices.

Apple claims that the new iOS 9 will reduce overheads and improve battery life in general by upto 1 hour. A new low power mode will allow for devices to reduce power consumption and restrict to only phone call capability, hence improving the last few minutes of battery to as much 3 hours of usage.

June 8, 2015
Apple Launches Mac OS X El Capitan

The new OS for Apple’s personal computers is out and it’s called El Capitan. The new update numbered 10.11 brings not only new visual and usage changes, but also performance improvements.

Mac OS X El Capitan features a newer Safari web browser, which allows you to pin windows with web addresses that you visit frequently. The websites that you pin to Safari will remain active and consistent on the same page.

Pinned Sites
New Spotlight features allow you to do custom searches that work for you. These searches can be based on what is in your documents, current events or even weather conditions.

Enhancements to mission control and the way windows are laid out improve productivity. Pulling windows to the top right allows them to be added to a new desktop. If you want to make a window full screen, dragging it in between two active desktops will launch a full screen desktop for that particular window.

New Mission Control
Adding another app/window to the fullscreen desktop will allow split screen.

Full Split Screen
The mail app gets gestures to archive or trash emails with two finger swipes on the Mac trackpad. New Spotlight search capability will also be available on the new mail app in OS X El Capitan. Left you perform conversational searches like : “Mail that I ignored from Jack”.

New Mail App
When you put the Mail app in fullscreen mode, you can actively pause your drafts, just like in iOS. You can also drag and drop attachments between mail windows.

Mac OS X Yosemite was the most adapted OS for personal computers. With over 55% Mac users shifting to Yosemite since its launch in Oct 2014. Apple has included Mac OS X El Capitan in their public beta in July and will ship as a free update to all Mac users later this year.

On the performance front, Apple claims that opening windows or apps is considerably faster on El Capitan due to the reduction in processes that are performed before executing an action. Bringing Metal to Mac from iOS has allowed Apple to replace OpenGL and enable enhanced graphics for developers and gamers while reducing the CPU overhead by upto 70%. This will also considerably improve battery life on portable computers.

June 8, 2015
What Happened to the iPod?

The annual Worldwide Developers Conference begins tonight at 10.30PM IST, with a special event hosted by Apple. Every year, the company hosts the event in the first week of June, to unveil major changes in software and relatively minor hardware upgrades. While the iPhone launches are slated for later in the year, the company uses this event as an opportunity to announce the upgrades they’ve made to their various software offerings. Last year, Apple introduced us to the iOS 8, OS X Yosemite and a range of continuity features. This year, we expect them to announce iOS 9, a revamped music service and something more. Having tracked Apple’s movements closely, we’re wondering if we’re in for a surprise iPod announcement.

The Apple iPod, when it was first introduced by Steve Jobs in 2001, single-handedly took over the online music industry, subsequently killing the MP3 CD movement. A music device, which could hold a 1000 songs and portable, was unheard of at the time. Much like the iPhone, it was a game-changer in its own field.

Apple Computer Inc. chief executive Steve Jobs gestures as he introduces the new iPod during Apple’s launch of their new online “Music Store” in San Francisco, Monday, April 28, 2003. (AP Photo)

Since our smartphones are now compact devices that have been designed to cater to our every need (including music), the spotlight on the iPod has faded. Apple continues to retail the iPod Touch, iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle, however, the last time the Cupertino-based tech giant announced an iPod was back in 2012. The 5th Generation iPod arrived the same year iPhone 5 did. In the past three years, the company has advanced by leaps and bounds, to say the least. We’re now impatiently waiting on the next iteration to arrive.

The 5th generation Apple iPod Touch comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants, with a 4-inch retina display. The device comes with a 5MP iSight Camera and a 1.2MP FaceTime camera.

Evidently, Apple currently has an empty canvas to paint on. There is a buzz that the 6th generation iPod will be made available in two sizes – a choice between a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch display. The multimedia device would come with iOS 9, out of the box; and may even come with the Apple Pay feature. There is also a high possibility we will see more action from Apple’s go-to ingredients such as USB Type-C, Force Touch and their ever-favourite, Finger-Print Scanner.

According to the rumour mill, the sixth-generation iPod is expected to arrive until later this year, along with the iPhone 6s. However we suspect otherwise; although tonight’s conference focuses on developers, Apple is known to make surprise hardware announcements. While the company is yet to confirm the details, we think it’s about time that Apple unveils another consolidated entertainment device. One with an endless battery life and a massive storage capacity.

June 8, 2015
Apple Expected to Fine-Tune its Music Service

As the WWDC excitement continues, we can see that Apple is expected to make new announcements of its breakthrough in technology. The tech giants always make new disclosures at the Worldwide Developers Conference and this year, we hope to see the company’s new revamped streaming service, against the likes of Spotify and Pandora.

Apple’s acquisition of Beats for $3.2 billion had a reason last year in May. We can now see what the reason was. The company’s new streaming music service- Apple Music- will be based on the service of Beats Music. Explaining how Beats will reshape Apple’s digital music, the company has made a musician the main man for overhauling the music streaming service. Trent Reznor, frontman of Nine Inch Nails, who was the chief creative officer for Beats, had been playing a major role in designing the music app, along with two other Apple employees.

Sony Chief Executive, Doug Morris, who also shares a long history with Beats Co-Founder and Apple Music Boss, Jimmy Iovine, announced ‘It’s happening tomorrow’ to the audience at the Midem Music Conference in Cannes.

Apple plans to retain the idea of asking people their favourite genres of music when signing up. Not much detail was revealed by Morris, but it is expected to be priced at $9.99/month for individuals and $14.99/month for the family plan with a three-month free trial period with ads. Morris said that Apple’s entry into the paid subscription market would majorly shift the industry from downloads to streaming.

Morris said:

What does Apple bring to this? Well, they’ve got $178 billion dollars in the bank. And they have 800 million credit cards in iTunes. Spotify has never really advertised because it’s never been profitable. My guess is that Apple will promote this like crazy, and I think that will have a halo effect on the streaming business.

If the service is stashed along with the upcoming iOS 9 and is being offered for a free trial, this could guarantee millions of customers for Apple.

While iTunes had changed the way music was sold, the new streaming service will help Apple build an exclusive relationship with artists and labels. Apple has been approaching big name artists reportedly, like Taylor Swift, to sign up to guest DJ on a revamped iTunes Radio service, or enter into an exclusive streaming partnership.

June 8, 2015
What We Can Expect From iOS 9

With the much awaited Apple Developers Conference that is ready to kickstart tonight (10:30 pm IST) the world awaits the unravelling of new features and software updates. While we wait for the formal announcements, here is a list of 7 updates that we might get to see in iOS 9.

Are you ready?

1. Proactive to Stay True to its Name

Siri and the Spotlight search are set to undergo changes that will make them ‘Proactive,’ which is currently what the update is tentatively named. It is touted to become an extremely efficient personal secretary. According MacWorld, the update will be able to “offer a range of additional information and features based on user habits and intelligent contextual prediction.”

This means that Proactive’s interface will firstly, be able to open from the left of the home screen and will also come in the form of a pull down which is how Spotlight opens right now. Furthermore, it will access information that is most suited to your needs based on the kind of apps you use on a daily basis or depending on what time you use them. For example, if you wake up in the morning and access Facebook or Instagram or if you browse through it, before you go to bed, Proactive will have a small bubble that will appear on your home screen, that will allow you to access a particular app/ contact etc in just one tap. It not only serves as a good reminder, but also keeps a track of your everyday needs.

2. iCloud

[pullquote_right] iCloud Drive syncing should lead to faster syncing between the apps as well as stronger security (thanks to the system’s end-to-end data encryption) [/pullquote_right]

Apple will be syncing all IMAP-based apps from iCloud instead of the IMAP back end. While it hasn’t been clear as to which apps will be synced, one can assume it will include Notes, Reminders and Calendar. Macworld says, “iCloud Drive syncing should lead to faster syncing between the apps as well as stronger security (thanks to the system’s end-to-end data encryption).”

Apple also plans to make iCloud easily accessible by introducing a new iCloud Drive app for users. This app would let you directly get to your stored files and folders and will be a huge convenience. While Mac owners can access the App through its finder, iPhone and iPad users currently don’t have the easier way out, yet.

3. ‘Rootless’ to get Ruthless

Redmond Pie reports that this system “is aimed at preventing even administrator-level users from gaining access to certain file systems on an iPhone, iPad or Mac

This might be terrible news for jail breakers but doesn’t make a difference to normal users. The security system called ‘Rootless’ is set to become extremely strict and will not allow the device to be easily broken into. Therefore, if you were planning on buying an Apple device from anywhere outside India and unlocking it in our country, think twice. It’s going to be very tough to do so.

image courtesy: 9to5mac.com

Rootless is expected to be announced at the WWDC 2015 but, it will be a while before it shows up as an update.

4. ‘Swift’ Language Programming to be Updated

Although this news is more for app developers, we might eventually benefit from this update too. Swift that was introduced in iOS 8 is speculated to embed code libraries into the iOS itself rather than into Swift based apps. While, this might mean a larger iOS file to install, it will also avoid the duplicating of data and therefore create more space on your device.

5. HomeKit

We expect to see the Homekit app which is likely to be called ‘Home’, and will operate on iOS 9. Thus, we will be able to control all our home appliances without looking at them and will be able to turn off our electricity while sitting at work. This is going to turn out to be an extremely useful component to have on your Apple device and we can’t wait for it to be formerly executed.

6. Public Transport Direction in Maps

After the criticism that Apple maps faced, the Redmond giant has done a lot to try and improve their Maps as well as give tough competition to its daunting rival; Google Maps. Even after that though, directions and durations through public transport have been unavailable. Now, with iOS 9, we are likely to see the inclusion of Public Transport in Apple Maps. This service will witness a lag in countries other than the USA.

7. Contact Availability

In the past there has been backlash about the ‘Delivered’ and ‘Read’ option, thanks to iMessage. If that wasn’t enough, we now might get to see a particular contact’s phone status (that is, Switched Off, Airplane Mode) as well as the availability of our friends and families, who also own iPhones. Don’t worry too much, this is said to be optional for both parties.

Along with the updates mentioned above, we also expect to see the iOS 9 to have more speed and stability, a problem which some users previously struggled with with the previous iteration. While we continue to speculate, watch this space for more information and updates on the WWDC 2015.

June 8, 2015
6 Announcements Apple Could Make at the Developers’ Conference Tonight

Since the beginning, Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) has been an epicentre of new-fangled and breakthrough technological advancements. The California-based tech giant discloses its latest software and hardware at the grand conference, and this year will be no different. Apple is expected to introduce a revamped operating software for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with some revised and brand new tools like Proactive, Beats Music, and so on.

The WWDC 2015 will kick off on June 8 and will continue for five days. Here is a list of announcements Apple could make at the annual developers conference:

1. iOS 9 Bringing Support to Older Phones

Definitely, an upgraded mobile operating system will be introduced in the upcoming event, but it won’t be a major overhaul as the previous versions, iOS 7 or iOS 8. It is learnt that iOS 9 would be a much more stable version, compatible with even older devices like iPhone 4s and iPad Mini. Instead of being loaded with all the bells and whistles, the new version will iron out current bugs and lags.

Apple Maps would be a major fix with iOS 9. The renovated tool will be a complete guide to travel by subways, trains and bus routes.

2. OS X 10.11 Would be Security-Centric

A refreshed version of OS X is anticipated to unveil on Monday. The newest upgrade OS X 10.11 will have a page from the design language of the Apple Watch that will supplement new a typeface to Mac’s operating system. It will reportedly have a Control Centre Panel popping up from the left side of the screen, probably like the Start Menu on Windows.

OS X 10.11 will be focused majorly on quality, small-sized apps, and a new security system called ‘Rootless’. It is said to be a kernel-level feature to prevent malware and secure sensitive files, blocking access to even administration-level users. The security measure is considered to be a major blow to the jailbreak community.

Rootless security and an Apple Watch typeface will be included on iOS 9 as well.

3. New Digital Voice Assistant ‘Proactive’

Apple is aiming to take on Google Now with an improved version of Siri – codenamed ‘Proactive’. Unlike Google Now, users don’t even need to ask Proactive and it will keep you informed with required information throughout the day. Proactive will work integrating with apps like Siri, Spotlight, Maps, Calendar and more.

4. Revamped Music Streaming Service

Apple is expected to enter the music streaming ring with the much-awaited Beats Music service. Last year, Apple perplexed the tech industry with the buy out of Beats for $3 billion, but soon the picture began to take shape. It won’t be like other free music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora that offer unlimited tracks without any charge, and is estimated to charge $9.99/month for individuals and $14.99/month for the family plan.

5. Apple Pay to Enter More Countries

Apple Pay was a huge success in the US. The mobile payment system will reportedly make way to the new markets like India, China, Europe, Africa and many more. Besides this, a new reward programme is said to debut for the payment service.

6. Brand New Live TV Service

It’s confirmed that Apple is not ready to introduce a new version of Apple TV in the developers’ conference. But the segment won’t be untouched. The company plans to unveil ‘live TV’ services that would have almost 25 channels, according to Wall Street Journal. Apple is in negotiations with broadcasters to provide streaming rights for the local broadcast stations across different markets. The service will cost $15/month.

Stay tuned tonight at 10.30PM IST, iGyaan will be covering the event live.

June 8, 2015
Apple HomeKit Explained | Everything You Need to Know

The smartphone evolution is on the verge of touching zenith by bringing all chief developments in a compact device. The tech industry is now swiftly gearing into diverse segments that would soon become a norm in the coming future. Apple has been struggling to catch up and is making attempts to fill up the gap. The March 9 event by Apple answered many questions about the HomeKit, but it soon faded in the backdrop with the launch of the Apple Watch and the new MacBook. Nonetheless, it gave a fair idea of Apple’s plan to let users build their personal Internet of Things (IoT) using HomeKit-compatible connected devices.

What is HomeKit?

Before we begin with how HomeKit works and how it can ease your life, let’s take a look back at what is HomeKit. HomeKit is a specialised language understood by appliances; a framework that works in combination with apps for communicating with and controlling connected accessories in a home. Users can set up actions to control home automation accessories like lights, gate, garage door, music, TV, etc and group them together.

HomeKit devices are stored in a database on the iOS device, which is synchronized to other iOS devices over iCloud. An admin is allowed to add more users to adjust the characteristics of accessories. The integration of voice assistant Siri makes it all the more fun and actions can be triggered by Siri at a single call. The arrangement works with devices like iPhone, iPad and iPod that runs iOS 8 and above.

How Does it Work?

Since connected devices in your home communicate with each other, each one of them needs to have a definite name. Assign a name to all the HomeKit-enabled devices and functions like ‘Living Room’, ‘Curtains’, ‘House’, ‘TV’, ‘Switch on’, ‘Brew’, so that Siri could interpret your command. Remember to use names and not general terms in your command.

Once you are done with storing names, the appliances can be controlled individually. Apple has also provided a grouping feature that can put together two or more appliances to manage at a time. This way you don’t have to give a command to every single object and one command will apply on all. For example, if there are many lights in your house and you want to switch off all, give Siri a pre-determined command and all the lights will turn off.

Official Home App to Debut on WWDC 2015

For now, there is no official app by Apple and users need to download a suitable application from the App Store. But there have been reports of Apple strengthening the connected home initiative through its own app dubbed ‘Home’. The tool would list all the HomeKit-enabled items and will be a remote point to manage everything.

HomeKit-Compatible Devices

As HomeKit is a conversational language of electronics, it could work with devices produced by any manufacturer, considering that it’s HomeKit-enabled. Apple has tied up with many consumer electronics brands to produce conversable appliances. Some of them include Haier, Philips, Belkin, Honeywell and a few more. There are several devices available in the market right now, but almost all of them are for sale in the US. The accessories are yet to hit the Indian market. It is speculated that Apple would release more of HomeKit-enabled devices in the forthcoming annual WWDC.

HomeKit is secure and doesn’t allow electricity abuse. It includes end-to-end encryption between iOS devices and smart devices, making them secure.

The Future of HomeKit

The HomeKit concept was introduced last year and even after a year, it has a crawling progress rate. Google too announced its latest smart home platform, Brillo, at the recent annual developer’s conference, but it’s a year behind Apple. The Cupertino-based firm has already thrown its hat in the respective ground. There has been a slow roll of HomeKit-compatible products in the market, but this year’s WWDC is expected to accelerate the process.

The race of turning homes to ‘smart homes’ is a tad long and it would take next several years to replace the already fitted appliances with smart gadgets. Besides that, Apple has merely sprung its plan of home automation into action and it needs to institute an entire set up of automated products. Surely, it would be slow and extended, but it’s a preview of how the future would be like. The day is not far when homes would be interacting like your smartphone.

June 5, 2015
Best Smartphones to Look Forward to in 2015

The smartphone train keeps on moving forward as time passes by. With almost half of this year gone by, we’ve seen many new devices like Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and HTC One M9. But the year is far from ending, and many companies have given out hints of their new unnamed devices. Let us check them out below:

Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung raised the standards of the Samsung smartphones in March when they launched the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Now, fans of the devices have already started to speculate about the next Galaxy phone that is touted to be released by the end of 2015. If these rumours are to be believed, Samsung will feature a massive 30MP primary camera and a 10MP front camera with the device. The device is also rumoured to have a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 8K resolution. The device may also include an 8GB RAM, according to the rumours. The processor might be a 64-bit Exynos processor. Following the Galaxy S6 line, we might see Samsung to releasing a Galaxy S7 Edge too. Some other features include Retina Scanning, Advanced Touch ID and Fast Charge technology.

Huawei Honor 7

After Huawei launched the Honor 6 a year ago; the Honor series has been due for quite some time. A new teaser by Huawei indicates a launch of a new product on 8^th June, which we think is most likely the Honor 7. The teaser showed a nicely drawn banner with the date and a quote that read ’Imagination is Everything’. According to TENAA, there will be two variants of the 5-inch full HD Honor 7 and will be powered by an in-house Kirin 935 chipset. One of the variants will have 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, and the other will have 4GB of RAM and 64GB of memory. Not many details were revealed about the device for now.

OnePlus Two

OnePlus One was one of the most successful Chinese electronic startup stories of 2014. This handset captured an enormous chunk of the mid-segment smartphone market. OnePlus announced a new device on June, which is expected to be the next OnePlus handset. As per the details leaked by the company CEO Liu Zuohu, OnePlus Two will run on Snapdragon 810 chipset along with 4GB RAM. A 5.5-inch 2K display will enhance the viewing experience of the user. There is a high possibility of OnePlus Two running on Cyanogen OS, as the differences between Cyanogen and the Chinese smartphone firm have been sorted out. In the major disclosure yesterday, OnePlus’ Zuohu spilled the beans on the release time of OnePlus Two. The much-awaited device will make a debut in the third quarter of this year. India will be one of the first countries to see the launch of the next probable flagship killer.

Mi5 and Mi5 Plus

Reports from Gizmochina claim two more devices will be joining Xiaomi’s line-up later in June 2015. These devices are larger copies of the Mi 4, expected to be named Mi 5 and Mi 5 Plus. The claimed specs of the devices were leaked on the Chinese social media site, Weibo. The Mi 5 is touted to have a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 1440×2560 pixels. It is believed to be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset with either 3GB or 4GB RAM and will be juiced by a 3,000mAh battery. Its camera specification includes a 16MP primary camera.The device will also be infused with fingerprint technology. Its larger cousin, named as Mi 5 Plus, will feature a 6-inch screen with 4GB RAM, 32GB internal memory and a 16MP primary camera. No details were revealed about its processor, display, etc. Xiaomi has yet to announce the date of release, but reports mention that the two handsets will be out in June.

LG G5

Rumours say that LG is now working on the successor of the G4, and will be bringing iris recognition system into play. Reports from Korean publications state that LG has teamed up with local biometrics specialist Irience to implement this feature in its next smartphone. Reports also indicate that the phone will be released in the last quarter of 2015. For now, this is the only information we have found out.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

After a year of the release of Samsung Galaxy Note 4, rumours of its successor have started to flow in. Considering their launch pattern, the Galaxy Note 4 successor may launch sometime in September this year. The Note 5 will come with a model number SM-N920F. It is likely to feature 5.4-inch or 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with curves on both the edges. Let us remind you that the Note 4 was the first smartphone with which the curved edge display was included. Other rumours speak of a 5.9-inch screen with 4K resolution. The company has been preparing to venture into the 4K technology and the forthcoming Galaxy Note 5 may be the first to embed it. Other buzz suggests of a 16MP rear camera, 8MP secondary shooter, 4GB RAM and 16GB internal storage.

Apple iPhone 6S

Hardly a few months after releasing the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, rumours of the new iPhone models are already trickling in. According to Macrumors, Apple will be releasing two iPhones under the ‘S’ naming category, namely the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. Apple will be concentrating more on internal performances rather than external looks. At most, Apple may add Pink colour iPhones to its lineup. According to rumours, the new devices will have a faster A9 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel camera, an additional microphone to enhance voice quality, and a new internal mechanical design to address some bending issues users experienced with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini and Galaxy S6 Plus

It seems like Samsung is on the move to expand its range of Galaxy line-ups. The Korean company is reportedly working on a smaller version and a larger version of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, namely, Galaxy S6 Mini and Galaxy S6 Plus respectively. Both the rumours emerged this week.

According to GSMArena, the smaller version, Galaxy S6 Mini, or ‘SM-G9198’, the device will be an iPhone 6 competitor. It will have a 4.6-inch HD display and run on Snapdragon 808 chip with 2GB of RAM. It will be equipped with a 15MP primary camera and a 4.7MP front camera.

Meanwhile, Italy’s HDBlog revealed that the company is working on a bigger version, possibly a phablet, on the Galaxy S6 line. For now, the device has been codenamed as ‘Project Zero 2’. Interestingly, the S6 and S6 Edge were codenamed ‘Project Zero’. According to the rumours, the device will just be like the Galaxy S6, only bigger and with a more powerful battery.

Xolo Black

On Wednesday, Xolo announced that they are working on a new handset named Xolo Black. This device will come with a dual camera set up that will be able to capture images and their dimensions in an instant, thus creating 3D images. The phone will come along with HIVE 1.5 or above, along with Android Lollipop, and its price is expected to come in the sub-Rs 15,000 segment. Not many details were revealed about the phone and it is said to launch in the month of June.

Microsoft Lumia 940XL

Microsoft had launched the Lumia 930 almost a year ago, and now, the company is back with its newest smartphone, the Microsoft Lumia 940XL. According to NokiaPowerUser, the device is a larger version of the Lumia 940. The device is expected to have a bigger 5.7-inch display with a slim design and a metal frame. The processor will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot for expandable storage, a 5MP front-facing camera, a 20MP main PureView camera for photos and videos, and will feature native pen support as well.Further, it will also support USB C-Type and an Iris Scanner too. The specs sound very exciting, but the company has not officially confirmed the existence of such a device.

Motorola Moto X (third-gen)

Motorola may launch the third generation of its flagship Moto X smartphones in the coming few months. According to STJS Gadgets, the third-generation Moto X is leaked by a Motorola insider, who claims to have a hold of details about the next Moto X. The upcoming smartphone on the Moto X series will sport a 5.2-inch QHD AMOLED display, used on the Droid Turbo. Under the hood will be a Snapdragon 808 chipset bundled with a massive 4GB RAM. The device will come pre-installed with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.The front camera will be 5MP while the back will house a 16MP snapper with Clear Pixel Technology. The battery powering the device will also be mammoth at 3280mAh. The device will come in two storage variants – 32GB and 64GB.

Keep on checking iGyaan for more updates regarding these future devices!

June 4, 2015
If Rumours are to be Believed, Then This is the Next Apple iPhone

Apple’s future iPhone series has already become a trending topic for all the Apple fanatics around the world, that too, only eight months after the iPhone 6 launch. There are already many speculations and rumours surfacing about the future iPhone such as the design, specifications and features.

No matter how secretive a company is about its next version, they have to issue a list of patents to USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office), which in turn provide hints of the features of the next flagship. Here are some key patents that were filed by Apple, let us check them out:

Apple iPhone Sidewall Display

Apple was granted a patent for ‘Electronic devices with sidewall display’ on May 2014. This patent very well suggests that the next iPhone may have its display screen extended to the edges as well. The patent suggests that the side screen will work as the primary screen extension with touch sensitive portions.

This screen can eliminate the use of traditional physical keys that are used for volume and locking the device. Apple suggests the side display could be used for slide-unlock functionality, music player control, called ID, etc.

Waterproof Design

A patent signed in March 2015 by Apple may allow you to take a bath and use your iPhone without the risk of electrocuting its circuits and without compromising the stylish looks of the device. Apple is working on a new protective coating that can prevent the iPhone from getting damaged from water or any liquid entering beyond the chassis of it.

Flexible iPhone

This patent may very well take the new iPhone over the edge. In January 2015, Apple signed a patent that the company may very well consider the idea of a flexible device. It was written in the patent that by making the iPhone flexible, certain applications could be opened by bending it in a particular way.

Home Button Joystick

Apple signed yet another patent on January 2015, which sounds good for iPhone gamers. This patent describes the Home button of the iPhone with a spring beneath it. The new Home button will be able to be used as a multifunctional button and comes in two modes. One is the standard functionality mode and the other will transform it into a joystick.

Password

In the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, we have the finger print scan lock system. But in December 2014, Apple signed a patent that would make your face the password. Yes, in the process of digging deeper into a personal computing device, Apple’s new device in the future, can soon be unlocked using facial recognition.

Camera Patents

Interchangeable Camera Lens:

Apple filed two patents back in January 2014 that could make it possible to change an iPhone’s camera lens, a possibility. One patent read that the device, possibly the next iPhone may have a removable case that would allow camera attachments. The second patent offers an alternative method of attaching new lenses to the iPhone using magnets.

Super Resolution Photos:

Apple signed a patent in May 2014 that would improve picture qualities taken by iPhone at different heights. The patent describes a series of slightly tilted photographs at different angles and stitches them together to create Super-Resolution photographs.

June 2, 2015
5 Nifty Tricks Every Mac Owner Should Know

Do you think you’re taking full advantage of using one of the best computer systems in the world? Apple has hidden a few interesting hacks on your Apple MacBook, which are worth taking note of.

Here’s a list of 5 fun things you could do with your MacBook:

1. Have Your Emails Read to You, in an English Accent

Not only is it super simple to get your Mac to read out text for you, you can even pick and choose the voice/accent you like. To have text read out to you, highlight the text, right click and pick the ‘Speech’ option, followed by ‘Start Speaking’. To change the voice, visit ‘Diction and Speech’ in System Preferences. Since we’re partial towards English accents, we like ‘Daniel’ from United Kingdom read out our articles to us.

2. No, you don’t need to print a document to sign it.

In this age of technology, did you really think you had to print a document, sign it, and then scan it again? No. Those days are long gone. You can have signatures saved up on your Mac for quickly sending out a document.

To save your signature, launch the Adobe Reader, pick ‘Tools’ from the top bar and then ‘Annote’. Which will then give you the option to manage your signatures. Now ‘Create Your Signature’ by signing a white piece of paper and holding it up for the camera which has been launched.

This might sound like a tedious procedure, but it’s way better than relying on your printer/scanner in the future. Not just that, you can save multiple signatures at the same time.

3. Too Lazy to Open the Calculator? No Problem.

You can use the search bar of your computer to work out a quick calculation. It isn’t too hard to locate a calculator on your desktop, but this trick saves that extra second.

4. Selective Screenshot

We’re all aware that by using Command + 3, you can screenshot the entire screen, but have to tested out Command + 4? You can pick and choose exactly the area of the screen you’d like to grab, without getting the unnecessary background of your desktop.

5. Quickly hide your browser

For times when you’re sneakily keeping up with the Kardashians, this is a nifty trick everyone should know. Command + H, and your browser is instantly hidden. We suggest you keep an official looking document in the background, just to add authenticity.

May 21, 2015
Apple iPhone 6s Leak Confirms Major Camera Overhaul

Apple hasn’t said anything about the next iPhone 6 iteration, but rumours about Apple’s upcoming flagship are spreading like wild fire. Until now, speculations surfaced about the much-awaited iPhone 6s, but today, 9to5mac has confirmed the improved version under works. The online publication reporting Apple’s developments showed off some pictures of the rumoured iPhone 6s alongside other features that gives us a fair idea of what the device will look like.

The leaked pictures show iPhone 6s in a rose gold colour with a dual-lens camera at its back. It packs the most radical camera in the history of iPhone. Huawei Honor 6 Plus was the first smartphone to boast a parallel dual lens.

Next to the dual lens is a True Tone flash, which would supplement light in low-light conditions. The rose gold variant is in line with the previous rumours, which suggest that the upcoming iPhone will come in colour options to match the Apple Watch Edition. That means, we will soon come across silver and space grey variants as well.

As reported earlier by an analyst from KGI Securities, the forthcoming iPhone 6s will sport a bumped up camera of 12MP. Powered by a next-gen A9 processor, 2GB RAM will equip the device with newfangled features like Force Touch. Some of the changes the ‘iPhone 6s’ is said to include is a new design using an improved casing material and a newly resurrected inner design. One more microphone is said to be added near the new handset’s speakers in an attempt to improve sound quality.

It is highly likely that Apple will release two variants of the iPhone 6s. More leaks will emerge until Apple comes out with an official announcement.

May 20, 2015