Category: Apple

‘FREAK attack’ Security Flaw Makes iOS and Android Devices Vulnerable to Hackers

Thanks to a newly discovered security flaw, millions of users surfing through mobile browsers of two top companies are now vulnerable to hackers. Codenamed as FREAK (Factoring RSA Export Keys) attack, the flaw allows hackers to intercept the electronic communication of Apple’s Safari and Andriod browsers from Google.

As of now, researchers haven’t found any evidence of the flaw being exploited by any hacker, but the companies don’t wish to take a chance. The internet search giant, as well as Apple, are working in a direction to fix it.

According to the researchers, the problem has its roots in a decade-old U.S. government policy that prevents consumers from having access to secure encryption.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Edward Felten” author_title=”Professor of Computer Science and Public Affairs at Princeton”]

This was a policy decision made 20 years ago and it’s now coming back to bite us.

[/quote]

The flaw is caused by poor implementation of the encrypted link between browsers and the websites visited by users. Researchers also found out that they could attack from websites that are considered secure, and make them use weaker encryption for easy hacking. These websites can range from official US government sites like Whitehouse.gov, NSA.gov and FBI.gov to banks.

Meanwhile, Apple has clarified that it will provide a software update to address the vulnerability by next week, while the former on will share the same through device makers and wireless carriers.

March 4, 2015
Indian Company Sues Apple for the ‘iPhone’ Trademark

The iPhone has been considered one of the most game-changing products in recent history. It truly began the age of smartphones by giving a clear direction for other companies to follow.It is the most prominent smartphone in the market and has brought a great deal of revenue for the Cupertino-based giant; making its name synonymous with Apple’s. Now, in a surprising turn of events, an Indian company is challenging Apple for the trademark of the “iPhone”.

iVoice Ventures, claims that it owns the trademark for ‘iFon’ and hence is going to challenge the patent application of the iPhone in India. The company has filed four cases against granted and pending rights of the iPhone brand name in India.

iVoice said that the company is planning to bring budget smartphones under the name of iFon. They added that Apple’s original challenge to the company’s brand name had caused it “insurmountable challenges and irrevocable losses in ramping business during 2008/2009.” iVoice stated that it wants to revamp their business and for that it is necessary to secure their intellectual property rights for the iFon brand name.

It seems like Apple’s legal trouble refuse to die down. The tech giant was recently ordered to shell out $532.9 Million in a case involving their iTunes app. Apple has been planning a major expansion drive in India and is planning to open 500 retail stores here. It might be an easy battle for Apple as the company has a barrage of lawyers and resources to win such cases or at least, come to an amicable settlement.

March 4, 2015
WatchAware Previews How Third-Party Apps Would Look on the Apple Watch

Apple Watch, the device which will mark the entry of the Cupertino-based giant in the wearable space, is scheduled to release few days from now. There have been certain disclosures about the Watch that points to the fact that this might just be the smartest wearable in the market. Now, more revelations are unfolding that have gotten us excited about getting our hands on Apple’s first smartwatch.

A site WatchAware has been developed that gives a demo of some of the many features of the new Watch. The website is built by the AppAdvice team that is dedicated to providing the media coverage of Apple Watch. WatchAware depicts some videos that inform us about the inclusion of selected third-party apps on the iWatch. Presently, the site includes 27 previews of applications like Run 5k, Todoist, Deliveries and Infinitweet.

.@_DavidSmith previews an interactive version of @FeedWrangler for Apple Watch: http://t.co/kRdyW1Trqb pic.twitter.com/yMW1cjURZe

— WatchAware (@WatchAware) March 3, 2015

These previews give users a fair idea of how the things are going to work and how Apple is trying to catch up with the present wearable market. The website includes a little description to give clues about its functionality. The features have been embedded on the Apple Watch prototype to showcase how the things would look like on the stainless piece. The touch seems as fluid and smooth as the iPhone screen; one can easily scroll up and down to view the content.

Beautiful jogging coach app 5K Run shares an interactive version of their Apple Watch app: http://t.co/kRdyW1Trqb pic.twitter.com/v5Ug9d6yL8

— WatchAware (@WatchAware) March 3, 2015

The WatchAware is a fresh initiative and an interesting platform that will help developers display their app inventions. It is learnt that the team will add more interactive previews about the apps coming on the Watch. The new proposal gives new developers a chance to exhibit to the world about the functionality of the upcoming apps.

March 4, 2015
Apple Watch Will Have the Power to Replace Your Car Keys, Says Tim Cook

Just when we thought that we knew everything important about Apple’s much-awaited Watch, there was another significant disclosure by the company. The CEO of the organization, Tim Cook, took to the stage to enlighten the audience about the magnitude of the Apple Watch and informed that it has the power to replace your car keys.

Cook further stated in an interview given to The Telegraph that the Watch is designed in a way to replace car keys, so as to get rid of the clumsy, large fobs used for vehicles. Commenting on the battery of the wrist gadget, Tim elaborated its battery will go on for a full day and the charging time will be lesser than that of the iPhone.

Bearing another primary feature of the iPhone, the Watch will embed the company’s digital wallet service Apple Pay, which hoped to replace credit cards. This is not the first time Apple has dived into the automobile segment. Last March, it showcased CarPlay that lets drivers perform essential features like browse contacts, make calls and more without leaving the steering wheel.

Well, hearing all this, we are much more excited about the official launch than ever. The company has scheduled a special event for 9th March where the Watch will be finally unveiled.

February 28, 2015

Indian E-commerce Sites Go on a Price Slashing Spree on All iPhone 6 Variants

Apple’s latest flagship costs some serious money to own. You can buy a Bajaj Pulsar at the price of a 128 GB iPhone 6 Plus. The devices are of course well made and have added some amazing features like seamless transfer of files and the best camera in the business. Now these great devices will be accessible to more new consumers as Flipkart and Amazon have gone on a price slashing spree on all the iPhone 6 variants.

Flipkart and Amazon and a few other third party sellers have unveiled the new pricing. The price cuts range from anywhere between Rs.1,500 to Rs. 6500. Below are the rates as available on the various sites.

iPhone Variant	Launch Price	New Prices
16 GB iPhone 6	Rs 53,500	Rs 48,595 (Flipkart)
64GB iPhone 6	Rs 62,500	Rs 57,448 (Flipkart)
128GB iPhone 6	Rs 71,500	Rs 70,045 (Flipkart
16GB iPhone 6 Plus	Rs 62,500	Rs 55,999 (Flipkart)
64GB iPhone 6 Plus	Rs 71,500	Rs 65,999 (Amazon)
128GB iPhone 6 Plus	Rs 80,500	Rs 73,999 (Amazon)

Apart from the cuts in prices the company are also offering schemes to make it easier to buy the device. Amazon is offering cash back of Rs 8,400 on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to HDFC credit card users. On the other hand, Flipkart is offering 10% cash back to Citibank credit card users.

If you were one of those folks who were saving up to get the new gen iPhone, your target just got closer.

February 28, 2015

It’s Official, Apple to Launch its Watch on 9th March

The when and where questions about the Apple Watch have finally come to an end. Last night Apple announced that its much-anticipated smartwatch Apple Watch will launch in an event on March 9 titled as ‘Spring Forward’. The Cupertino-based firm has started sending out media invites for the show to be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

Well, we have a basic idea of how the Apple Watch functions, but there will be much more that the company would have kept undercover for the big day. As already stated, the Watch will cost $350 in the US for the aluminum Sport model and will start shipping in April. The prices of the Watch for other countries are expected to be announced on 9^th March. The other two superior variants of the Apple Watch are bound to be priced significantly higher. One of the two is a mid-level stainless-steel Watch and the other is a 18-karat-gold edition.

The Watch by Apple is fixed for the event, but the firm may throw other big surprises along with it. Rumours have been whirling about the 12-inch MacBook Air that is sleek, stylish and in line with other previous generation MacBooks. It is speculated to feature a Retina display with a refurbished design. Another notable rumour is that Apple is working on a larger 12.9-inch iPad Plus. Many more devices like Apple TV box and more may follow the Apple Watch.

It’s just a matter of a few days before Apple raises the curtains to reveal its newest offering for the year 2015.

February 27, 2015
Features Samsung Galaxy S6 Needs to Take on the iPhone 6 Plus

Samsung is just a few days away from launching its magnum opus, the Galaxy S6. This will be a make or break device for Samsung. Consumers, as well as industry experts, have been losing their patience with Samsung’s products. Samsung’s claims of having designed the Galaxy S6 from scratch has intrigued the market and now everyone wants to see what the electronics giant means by a complete revamp. We look at some of the features that the Galaxy S6 needs to take on its prime adversary, the iPhone 6 Plus.

Display

Apple’s big boy, the iPhone 6 Plus sports a 5.5 inch Full HD display with a pixel density of 401ppi. Samsung’s previous flagship, the Galaxy S5 too flaunted a Full HD display with a pixel density of 432 ppi. This time around Samsung is expected to go for an increased screen size as well as to introduce a Quad HD (2K) which will be advantageous over the iPhone 6 Plus. Samsung is known for good displays especially on the higher end devices with Super AMOLED panels. So Samsung will have an easy win here. Some reports have also mentioned the possibility of a 4K display, which we hope the company doesn’t abide by as it would be a tremendous waste of resources. A 4K display would consume a lot of battery and processing power and the average users won’t be able to tell the difference anyway.

Design

A design makeover has been in order for a long while now. Samsung has answered the heavy criticisms for plastic based devices by introducing the metal frame design with the Galaxy Alpha series. The company is now expected to go full metal with the new S6, which is a welcoming news. The teaser of the device unveiled by T-mobile also shows a curved edge screen like the Note Edge, but it feels gimmicky and doesn’t have too much use as of now.

Battery

With an increased screen size and the rumored Quad HD display, the Galaxy S6 is bound to get a bigger battery. But what it does need to offer is a prolonged battery life that lasts for at least a week without using features like ultra power saving modes. This, of course, sounds like a heavy demand, but for once we’d rather the company invest in the state of the battery. The iPhone 6 Plus has a great battery backup that can last up to two days, and we hope Samsung has something good in store for us in this arena.

Camera

iPhone 6 Plus undoubtedly has the best camera in the business. Features like Time-lapse, slow-motion shots have made the device a one stop production tool. Samsung has to bring something at least comparable in this aspect. With the Note 4, the company brought wider selfies to its list of camera features, but this fell short of what Apple had to offer. An AnTuTu leak has hinted 20-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel selfie snapper for the Galaxy S6, which is decent spec listing. But we are more interested in finding how Samsung makes use of the hardware to provide improved shooting features with the camera.

Software

Galaxy S5 used as illustration

This is one area where Samsung needs to show real promise with the S6. It’s time Samsung shelved the boring TouchWiz UI for good. Samsung has updated the UI a bit over the past few years, but the market now expects a complete makeover. The UI update also needs to add advanced customizability features too so that users shouldn’t have to look for third party launchers or custom ROMs. Samsung has been cutting down on its bloatware too so it’s time it left just the bare essentials so that the user have control over what they choose to install on their device.

To Conclude

Samsung needs to give it all its got to the Galaxy S6. It needs to once and for all prove to the audience that it is still capable of delivering unique innovation to the market. Samsung being one of the pioneers of the smartphone business, has a responsibility to take the market further. If the device is appreciated by the market, Samsung needs to bring the design and feature down its ecosystem and update the new line of devices accordingly. Apple has done a good job with its flagship, now the world is looking at you Samsung, show us what you got!

February 26, 2015
Apple Might Be Working on Updating iTunes as a Music Streaming Service

Ever since Apple acquired beats for a massive sum of $3.2 billion, there have been various speculations about what the company intends to do with the company. It is now being reported that the Cupertino-based tech giant might join the forces of iTunes and Beats Music app to create an all new streaming service.

According to a report by Business Insider, the Apple might be secretly working on a new streaming service. This will let the users play the music online for a fee instead of just downloading them as they did with iTunes.

The new service will absorb the powers of curation from the Beats music app and will give users the ability to find easily what they’re looking for. It is also looking to partner with musicians to let them curate its music stream. Apple has already hired BBC radio DJ Zane Lowe to lead the curation service.

Apple needs to come up with a competitive service as music streaming is fast gaining ground with increased access to the internet. Services like Spotify rule the market unchallenged, and a home cooked service from Apple that comes with all its devices might be a formidable contender in the streaming market. We shall wait for the official word on the service from Apple though to reach a final judgement.

February 26, 2015
Apple to Pay $532.9 Million For Patent Infringement

Electronics giant, Apple has found itself on the losing end today after a court found that its iTunes software infringed the patent of a Texas-based company. Apple has been asked by the court to pay Smartflash LLC a massive sum of $532.9 million.

The US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas found that Apple’s iTunes software violated three patents owned by Smartflash. The actual compensation demanded by Smartflash was $852 million. It claimed that it was entitled to the percentage of sales of all the devices such as Macs, iPad and iPhones that were used to access iTunes.

A visibly bitter Apple team said that it did not respect Smartflash’s inventions, as the patents were invalid and weren’t infringed. It had claimed that the patents were at most worth $4.5 million adding that Smartflash demands were excessive and unsupportable.

The court found Apple guilty of infringing 3 patents of Smartflash and using them in iTunes.

Smartflash is not a device maker; it licenses the patents issued to it between 2008 and 2012. It has also sued Samsung, Google and Amazon for patent infringement. The jury found that Apple didn’t just infringe the patents; it did so willfully.

iTunes is one of the central softwares in the Apple ecosystem. It is not just a music player but is also a major e-commerce player as users can download content through it.

The case might be important in terms of patent reforms. The American system of patents allows developers and creators to gain patents on slightest dissimilarities with other products. This leads to a vast numbers of patent hoarders, whose sole business model is based on the licensing income.

February 25, 2015
Apple to Enable Siri to Understand Indian English

English is a really fluid language. It takes the shape depending on the person who is speaking it. Folks from all parts of the world add their bits to language in terms of accents, slangs, and references. While this diversity makes it unique, it also makes it hard for a voice detection system to understand these various different shades of one language. Apple is trying to make its voice assistant more competent in this regard and is giving it an ability to understand Indian English.

If you are wondering what Indian English is, we suggest you go watch a couple of Russell Peters stand-up acts and get back here. Now, coming back to the story, according to 9to5mac, in the latest iOS 8.3 beta release, Apple has added support for Siri to grab Indian English.

This feature will be available for devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This update also adds support for Russian, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, Thai and Turkish.

One really useful feature of this new update is that it will allow Indians to use the dictation feature without faking a douche-y American or British accent.

Google has a larger user base in the country, and so they have already released support for Indian English on Google Now. Google also plans to offer support for Hindi soon which would help to further grab the market, especially in the mid and affordable segments. All this seems to project the importance of the Indian consumers for smartphone makers. It also indicates that support for Indians will keep getting better in the coming future.

February 25, 2015
Life of Jobs: The Man Who Designed the Future

Today marks the 60th birth anniversary of Steve Jobs, the founder of the revolutionary technology institution, Apple. Steve Jobs is a cultural icon and is credited with giving a second life to Apple and establishing it as Silicon Valley’s royalty. He died on October 5, 2011, aged 56, but left a lasting legacy.

Steve did not just change the world of computers but led the way in changing the way we watch movies, stream music and consume content on various devices. He is also credited for giving the world some of the best-designed consumer electronics. We look into some of the greatest achievements of this phenomenal individual.

It’s a Mac Mac World

When you talk about the history of personal computing, Apple comes out as one of the major pioneers of the revolution. Their desktop computers that employed a graphical user interface and a mouse were instrumental in creating more engaging interaction with the digital machines. Steve had also founded NeXT computers that boasted technologically advanced features. In fact, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web on a NeXT computer at CERN. Apple’s computers are considered the most sought after machinery by creative as well as corporate consumers.

iPhone to Rule Them All

There are many claimants for the spot of the first smartphone maker. Companies like HTC, Nokia, Microsoft had been in the field of portable computing, but Apple will be considered the standard bearer for the smartphone revolution. With the iPhone, Jobs sold to the world the idea of a key-less, touch-based device that would be at the core of the new age economy. The app market for smart devices also mushroomed all over the world. The recently launched 6th generation iPhone handsets were a major success in the market and gave the company their most profitable quarter ever. iPhone’s features inspired Google’s Android ecosystem which brought smartphone access to a larger population.

Music On-The-Go

“One more thing” is one of the most identifiable catchphrases from Steve Jobs. The iconic three words were spoken before the launch of a game-changing device, the Apple iPod. The portable music player revolutionized the world of music; it set the tone for a plethora of handheld music players, a concept later absorbed into smartphones.

Stream The World

Apple’s iTunes service also led to a major shift in the manner in which people consumed video and music content. Through the iTunes store, subscribers could buy music, music videos, television shows, audiobooks, podcasts, movies, and more. We now have services like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify and others who have risen to become the major forces in the streaming business and used by people worldwide.

Animated Story

In 1986, Steve purchased Pixar Animation Studios from George Lucas. The studio rose to prominence with the release of Toy Story in 1995. It also released several box office hits such as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL-E, andUp. Pixar was purchased by Disney in 2006.

Apple Computers Company was founded in 1976. It was named in remembrance of a happy summer Jobs had spent picking apples. Apple recently launched the new generation of its iPhone line of devices and with that it had its best quarter earnings ever. Steve had been defined by many as “the master evangelist of the digital age” and a “futurist.” Hopefully, he would have appreciated the path Apple is treading on right now.

February 24, 2015
Former GM Boss Says Apple Should Refrain From Making Cars

Former General Motors(GM) boss, Dan Akerson has warned Apple to stay away from manufacturing their own car, instead he advised the Cupertino based giant to focus on making in-car technology (something like CarPlay). He also suggested that profit margins on cars are relatively meager in comparison to iPhone which is practically a money minting machine.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Dan Akerson” author_title=”Fomer GM Boss”]

A lot of people who don’t ever operate in it(automobile manufacturing) don’t understand and have a tendency to underestimate. They’d better think carefully if they want to get into the hard-core manufacturing. We take steel, raw steel, and turn it into car. They have no idea what they’re getting into if they get into that.

[/quote]

Reports of Apple prepping its own electric vehicle surfaced last week. The report further stated that the Cupertino-based giant has a team of up to 1,000 employees working on a secret project code-named ‘Titan’. Anonymous sources also suggest the possibility of a car that resembles a minivan.

Meanwhile, earlier it was also reported that Apple’s market value stands at a whopping $745 billion, making it the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization, could be a factor that prompted CEO Tim Cook to venture into a new territory.

February 19, 2015
Apple’s Upcoming 12-inch MacBook Air May Feature Touch ID Fingerprint Scanner

The highly anticipated next generation MacBook Air is said to boast a 12-inch display along with Intel Broadwell chipsets, but its other specs are still behind the veil. A Taiwanese website Apple.club.tw has made an announcement that the Cupertino-based giant will embed the future MacBooks and desktops with Touch ID fingerprint scanner. This includes the rumoured 12-inch MacBook Air as well.

According to the source, Apple will infuse the Touch ID in the trackpad of the purposed 12-inch laptop and next-gen MacBook Pro. As for desktops, the fingerprint scanner is likely to be implanted in the Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.

The website also stated that the next sleek and thin MacBook Air may come in three colour variants – silver, space grey, and gold. The colours may remind you of the last released iPhones and iPads.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that these are just rumours, and the company hasn’t come forward with any statement confirming these reports. If the speculations turn out to be true, then it may give a push to the company’s payment system, Apple Pay. The users will be allowed to make safe online purchases using Apple Pay. The mobile payment, as for now, is limited to the two top-end handsets, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. In future, it will be compatible with iPhone 5 series when paired with Apple Watch.

The reported 12-inch MacBook is said to be thinner than its predecessor and will come with a Retina display. It is expected to launch this year by the end of the second quarter.

February 18, 2015
Apple Might Step in the VR Headset Space With an iPhone Centric Device

Virtual reality is the newest trend in the market that every firm wants to foster. Samsung and Facebook are already making headlines with their offerings in virtual reality space. Now, Apple is attempting to jump into the battleground to make a space way for itself in this budding market.

Today, the Cupertino based tech giant has been granted a patent titled ‘Head-Mounted Display Apparatus for Retaining a Portable Electronic Device with Display.’ The patent describes a Samsung’s Gear VR-like portable electronic device, which will be powered by the high definition screen of the iPhones. The patent was first filed back in September 2008 and the company is now awarded the same after five years.

According to images registered with the patents, the iPhone will be placed within the headset frame, and its screen will act as the primary display for viewing the virtual reality content. The pictures also depict a remote that could be used to control the content on screen.

Electronic headset concept is not new as Samsung and Google have gone far ahead in VR headset game. Samsung Gear VR is a commendable product which is compatible with Galaxy Note 4 and the new Galaxy A7 for now. The company is also exploring the virtual reality space with Project Beyond, which is a 360-degree camera for recording VR content.

Meanwhile, besides a VR headset, the patents speak of one more feature called picture-in-picture (PIP). This tool will aid users in keeping an eye on the real world when the headset is on. A total of 41 patents have been granted to Apple on Tuesday, which came to light today. These patents are related to optics, design and accessories. So, users can expect a pinch of new innovation with Apple’s VR headset.

February 18, 2015
Apple Might Be Working on an Electric Car

Electric cars seem to be the future of the way we commute, no wonder it has become a prime area of interest for Silicon Valley giants ranging from Google to NASA. According to several sources, we can add Apple to the list.

A new report suggests that Apple is prepping its own electric car. The report further states that the Cupertino-based giant has a team of up to 1,000 employees working on a secret project codenamed ‘Titan’. Anonymous sources also suggest the possibility of a car that resembles a minivan.

The report also claims that Apple has appointed executive and former Ford engineer Steve Zadesky as the head the project.

Though the journal also mentions that this could be just an R&D effort, and Apple may not complete the project. So, launching the vehicle in the market is still years way.

Meanwhile, a report from Financial Times claims that Apple has also been hiring automotive experts to work on this secret project. A LinkedIn search also suggests that atleast 46 former employees of Tesla are now working for Apple.

February 14, 2015