Category: Apple

iOS 7 To Bring About “Dramatic Changes” To Email And Calender App

More details of iOS 7 continue to emerge ahead of Apple’s WWDC 2013 event in June. The latest information comes from Bloomberg, confirming that Apple has been overhauling the visual aesthetics of the user interface and even tweaking several core applications. Most notably, the publication hints towards redesigned email and calendar apps in iOS 7.

Bloomberg says that the design lead on the iOS 7 changes, Jony Ive, has been “exploring more dramatic changes to the e-mail and calendar tools.” It’s unclear if any major changes will make it into the final release, however. 9to5Mac recently stated that Apple would change the icons of its core apps, for instance, but didn’t mention any significant usability changes in those crucial apps.

Insiders say that Ive is now encouraging more communication between hardware and software teams, which previously – such as under former CEO Steve Jobs – would have been kept in isolation. That interaction also apparently includes bringing some members of the Mac team on to help the mobile software redesign, a temporary measure which has some history given Apple did the same thing in the run up to the original iOS release.

The worry is that drastic changes to applications and functions that have remained relatively stagnant since 2007 — things like email and calendars – could push back the release of iOS 7. While the revisions will move away from lifelike images and shift towards a “flatter” design, there will also be a greater emphasis on cleaning up software interactions. Ive and co. are also exploring new forms of gesture control for the next iteration of the iPhone and iPad operating system.

Apple is expected to announce iOS 7 at the world wide developer conference next month.

[Bloomberg, Recombu]

May 1, 2013
Original iPhone To Be “Obsolete” From 11 June

The original iPhone will soon reach “obsolete” status at Apple retail stores. Obsolete status means that a product is not eligible for repairs or parts replacement even if the customer pays for it. The date the original iPhone reaches obsolete status is June 11, 2013, according to 9to5Mac, which obtained a leaked memo revealing the date. More than 6.1 million units of the device were sold during its lifecycle.

Other Apple products that will be considered ‘vintage’ as of June 11, 2013 include the mid-2007 models of the iMac, the late 2006 model Xserve, and the original Mac Pro. 9to5Mac has the list of newly minted vintage and obsolete products, while Apple maintains a list of all products named vintage or obsolete going back to the Apple II.

Steve Jobs officially introduced the iPhone at Macworld on January 9th, 2007. This ‘revolutionary’ smartphone came with a 3.5-inch touchscreen display (320 x 480), 2MP camera, iOS, and weighed in at 135 grams. Since this date we’ve seen the device progress and become thinner, more powerful and come with a larger screen. At the upcoming WWDC 2013 Apple will finally show off the new version of iOS – which apparently has a ‘flat’ design.

The end of an era. The original Apple iPhone is headed to the museum.

April 30, 2013
Google Now Lands On iOS, Works Seamlessly!

Starting right now, iPhone and iPad owners can get Google Now on their devices.

Google Now is a personal assistant, Siri’s rival, if you may, which brings on a combination of Google Search and personalized everyday “cards” showing what a user wants to know about every day elements like weather, sports, and calendar items.

Google announced on Tuesday that the service, which has been available for about nine months on Android phones and tablets running Jelly Bean, will be available for free as part of an update to the Search App in the iTunes App Store.

Get just the right information at just the right time with Google Now.

– weather and traffic conditions before you start your day
– updates on your favorite sports teams and breaking news stories as they happen

The app appears to be exactly the same as the Android version with the exception of users being able to swipe up to launch the Now application. Google, though, reports that 22 of the 29 card types found on the Android version of Google Now are making their way to the iOS version, with airline boarding passes, Fandango, and local events being among those not making the transition.

Google Now pulls information from all of your Google services like Search, Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Chrome browser history, and anything else that is connected to your Google account, then it provides pertinent information to the smartphone owner before they know they need it.

Our initial impression of the service is that it works seamlessly! It picked up our commands with ease and returned accurate information.

Job well done Google!

April 29, 2013
OS X 10.9 Rumoured To Have “Tabbed Finder”, Faster Safari, And iOS Like Multitasking

According to sources speaking on condition of anonymity with 9to5mac, the new Mac OS includes major Finder enhancements, like “application such as tags and tabbed browsing modes.”

Code-named “Cabernet,” OS X 10.9 is expected to focus on various “power-user enhancements” and Safari will feature a completely redesigned back end that improves speed and efficiency. Users will also gain the ability to open different Spaces on connected monitors, 9to5Mac says. Some minor user interface changes are expected as well.

According to 9to5Mac:

The new operating system includes major enhancements to the Finder application such as tags and tabbed browsing modes. Those additions are notable as many pro-users have relied on third-party solutions and hacks to enable these features. Additionally, the new operating system will include a new Safari web browser with a redesigned backend for improved page loading, speed, and efficiency…

The most interesting notes in the report pertain to the possible inclusion of some “core features” from iOS in addition to the iOS features already present in OS X, such as iMessage and AirPlay.

According to one source, Apple has been testing a new multi-tasking system for OS X that is similar to the quick-app-switcher function on iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches. The multitasking feature will be functional for applications in the background, according to this person.

Additionally, Apple could use app-pausing technologies from iOS to pause background application processes in OS X. This is significant as full performance could be given to foreground apps, which could help optimize battery life on Apple’s notebook computers. It is unclear if this feature will make the cut for 10.9?s public release.

[9to5Mac]

April 29, 2013
Apple iPad Tops Tablet User Satisfaction Survey In The US
The Apple iPad tablet has once again taken the top spot for consumer satisfaction. The team at J.D. Power and Associates ranked the iPad at the top of its 2013 US Tablets Satisfaction Study.

J.D. Power spoke with 1,857 owners who owned their devices for less than one year. Apple devices finished on top of the survey for both tablets and smartphones.

Satisfaction is measured across five key factors (in order of importance): performance (26%); ease of operation (22%); styling and design(19%); features (17%); and cost (16%).

The iPad scored 836 out of a possible 1,000 points. The Kindle Fire wasn’t far behind with 829 points.

Samsung devices received a score of 822 points. This was six points off the survey’s average score of 828 points.

This is only the second time that J.D. Power and Associates has released a U.S. Tablets Satisfaction Study. After the iPad was awarded the top spot in 2012, Apple began advertising the win online.

The study also revealed that :
- Tablet owners who also have a smartphone spend 36 percent more time browsing the Internet on their tablet than on their smartphone.
- Twenty-seven percent of tablet owners say they are likely to buy a new tablet within the next 12 months, compared with 37 percent in 2012.
- Ninety-four percent of highly satisfied owners of tablets are likely to purchase additional consumer electronic devices from the same manufacturer.
[MacDaily News, J.D. Power and Associates]
April 29, 2013
Apple Celebrates iTunes 10th Anniversary With Timeline

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of iTunes, Apple has put together an entertaining multimedia timeline of the digital music store.

The iTunes’ formal birthday isn’t until Sunday, but the timeline, which is called “A Decade of iTunes,” is online now in the music section of the store.

The timeline marks the period from the time iTunes was first launched on April 28 2003 right up to the release of Justin Timberlake’s new album on March 19 this year. Peppered along with the milestones are the best selling song and album on the day of the milestone (for e.g. on 10 May 2005 when the iTunes store was officially launched in European countries like Denmarak, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, ‘Speed of Sound’ from Coldplay’s X & Y was the best selling song, while Morcheeba’s ‘The Antidote’ was the best selling album).

“The sky was falling, and iTunes provided a place where we were going to monetize music and in theory stem the tide of piracy. So, it was certainly a solution for the time,” said Michael McDonald, who co-founded ATO Records with Dave Matthews and whose Mick Management roster includes John Mayer and Ray LaMontagne.

The iTunes music store became much more than a solution; it changed how we consume music and access entertainment. It’s not only music’s biggest retailer, it also dominates the digital video market, capturing 67 percent of the TV show sale market and 65 percent of the movie sale market, according to information company NPD group. Its apps are the most profitable, it has expanded to books and magazines, and it is now available in 119 countries. This week, iTunes posted a record $2.4 billion in revenue in first-quarter earnings.

The app store now reaches 90 percent of the world’s population, Oppenheimer said, and is available in 155 countries. There are now over 850,000 iOS apps in the store, 350,000 of which are tailored for iPad.

As of the second fiscal quarter of 2013, iTunes now offers 35 million songs in 119 countries, 60,000 movies in 109 countries and 1.7 million iBook titles.

Apple also said that payouts to app developers has reached $9 billion since the App Store initiative launched in 2008, and the company is currently meting out some $1 billion per quarter to app makers.

[LATimes]

April 25, 2013
Apple Dealt Blow As Top Chip Designer Raja Koduri Leaves For AMD

Raja Koduri has returned to a position with GPU company AMD from a 4-year appointment with Apple.

For the past 4 years Raja Koduri has been working on all things graphics at Apple, but now thanks to a great offer and a fear of getting too comfortable at Apple, he’s back at AMD.

Raja Koduri, 44, will lead engineering efforts in visual computing, reporting to Chief Technology Officer Mark Papermaster, another former Apple executive, Sunnyvale, California-based AMD said in a statement today.

Mr. Koduri was instrumental in the past, with ATI Technologies winning over the Xbox deal from Nvidia, as well as paving path to future business wins with Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and so on. However, in 2009, Mr. Koduri was disillusioned about the path AMD-ATI was taking, and left the company – taking the role as Chief Technology Officer for Graphics at Apple Inc. That role later moved to Director of Graphics Architecture, Apple.

AMD Chief Executive Officer Rory Read is remaking the company to develop new processor technology, part of an effort to differentiate its products from those of larger rival Intel Corp. and open up new markets outside of PCs. Global PC shipments fell 14 percent in the three months that ended in March, the steepest quarterly drop on record and worse than the 7.7 percent decline forecast by research-firm IDC.

Raja believes there’s likely another 15 years ahead of us of good work in high-end discrete graphics, so we’ll continue to see AMD focus on that part of the market. However, Raja’s efforts will span everything from discrete GPUs to its own APU/SoC strategy.

After the company bled numerous brilliant minds, seeing people like Jim Keller, Roy Taylor, Colette LaForce, John Gustafson and now Raja Koduri all joining AMD – it is clear that the company is rebuilding itself.

[AnandTech]

April 20, 2013
Apple Keeps Your Siri Data For Two Years

Apple has revealed that it holds on to voice data that users submit to Siri for up to two years.

Siri keeps your personalized data collected and stored on its servers whenever you pick up your iPhone and ask her a question. The Cupertino firm also assured customers that the files it retains become disassociated from the user after six months, or if they deactivate the personal assistant.

Responding to questions raised by the American Civil Liberties Union yesterday, Apple on Friday dispatched its spokeswoman Trudy Muller who explained to Wired the firm’s data retention policy governing Siri.

Apple may keep anonymized Siri data for up to two years. If a user turns Siri off, both identifiers are deleted immediately along with any associated data.

Based on the information Muller provided, Wired’s Robert McMillan explains exactly what happens when you use Siri:

Whenever you speak into Apple’s voice activated personal digital assistant, it ships it off to Apple’s data farm for analysis. Apple generates a random numbers to represent the user and it associates the voice files with that number. This number — not your Apple user ID or email address — represents you as far as Siri’s back-end voice analysis system is concerned.

Citing the Apple spokeswoman, the site reveals that the company makes sure the data is anonymized. Apple “only collects the Siri voice clips in order to improve Siri itself,” it says.

However, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who had previously raised privacy questions about Siri says Apple should take additional steps to protect its users’ privacy.

According to Nicole Ozer, “There is no good reason for Apple to not include information about privacy practices on their Siri FAQ page.”

[Wired]

April 19, 2013
Leaked : Alleged Low-Cost iPhone’s Rear Plastic Shell

Despite nothing resembling an acknowledgment from Apple that the company is indeed planning to unveil a low-end iPhone, the rumor just won’t go away. Now, we have our first look at what may in fact be the shell of the budget iPhone.

Spotted by case manufacturer Tactus apparently during a factory tour of a plant that provides parts to Foxconn, the shell shown is a polycarbonate build, finished in white, and not dissimilar to the back casings of the iPhone 3G and 3GS.

Where it differs is in its flatness – the 3GS and 3G had curved designs – which could effectively cut manufacturing costs due to the simplicity to produce such shapes, as well as setting the style apart from the older models in what would be set to become Apple’s premium range. The people at Tactus also say that this shell is a bit taller, wider and thicker than the iPhone 4, but shorter than the iPhone 5.

The source of this leak is also claiming it’ll come with an A5 chip, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and come in five color options: black, white, blue, red and yellow. Its release date is being expected to be on October 15 and priced at only $300, which is certainly a much lower price than the current iPhone 5.

Last week Tactus leaked a purported iPad 5 mold case.

We’re still treating budget iPhone rumours with a pinch of salt, but at least this time there’s a physical object to go with the rumours, regardless of whether its been faked or not!

So what do you guys think? Would you be disappointed if Apple released an iPhone looking like that?

[Tactus]

April 18, 2013
Apple Named In China Porn App Probe

Apple has been named in an article listing several websites and app stores being investigated in China for providing pornographic content.

The People’s Daily article is not featured prominently in Wednesday’s paper, nor does it make efforts to emphasize Apple, which is listed next to the names of other app stores singled out in the middle of the second paragraph of the article. According to Apple’s terms of use, pornographic content is not allowed on its app store.

Apple has been scrutinized by the Chinese government over pornographic content before, and it’s not the only major company to come under fire for this. Back in 2009, Chine Central Television accused Google of spreading pornography, leading to hacks that cause Google to move its operations to Hong Kong the following year.

As the Wall Street Journal reports, the Chinese government is better known for its crackdowns on politically sensitive content, but it has also long sought to keep pornography off the web in China. To accomplish this quixotic task, it has launched repeated campaigns to block illicit material online, shuttered hundreds of websites and blog accounts, and even called Internet executives into industry-wide meetings to call for greater vigilance. Occasionally the Chinese government will use bans on pornography to censor politically sensitive content, according to analysts.

Apple was recently criticized by Chinese media over its hardware warranty policy, forcing CEO Tim Cook to publicly apologize and announce a few changes to that policy.

[Wall Street Journal]

April 17, 2013
Rumour : Apple Nearing iRadio Deal With Universal Music

The Verge reports that Apple may be close to signing a deal with Universal Music, the largest of the major record companies, that would advance the “iRadio” cause. The report also notes that a deal with Warner Music may follow.

Apple is expected to sign its first internet radio licensing agreement with a major record label perhaps as soon as next week, multiple sources with knowledge of the talks have told The Verge. Universal Music Group, the largest of the major record companies, has reached the final stages of the negotiations and Warner Music is close behind, the sources said.

Earlier reports noted that Apple had aggressive plans to launch their said radio service this summer. It was reported earlier by the New York Post Apple had tried to negotiate lower prices to stream songs, at a rate which undercut Pandora at $0.06 per 100 songs, which record labels had rejected.

While this is a step in the right direction, the report also notes that Apple’s “iRadio” still has some significant hurdles left to jump, such as reaching a deal with Sony Music Entertainment and various music publishers. Those arrangements are reportedly not as close to being reached as the Warner and Universal deals.

Streaming music is the only place that Apple has no foot-hold, with Spotify and Pandora taking the lead. Pandora reportedly has over 200 million users, while Spotify claims 20 million total users, 5 million of which pay.

Provided that Apple does strike deals with all the necessary publishers and labels, we will likely see this new streaming service later this year, with some rumours pointing to WWDC as the big unveiling.

[The Verge]

April 12, 2013
Apple To Pay $53 Million To Settle iPhone Warranty Lawsuit

According to a leaked PDF acquired by Wired, Apple has agreed to pay a $53 million class action settlement for its failure to honor warranties for iPhones and iPod Touch devices which were seemingly damaged by water. The issue is that the strips inside those iOS devices (called “Liquid Contact Indicators”, or simply “LCIs”), which were made by 3M, could be triggered even if there wasn’t necessarily actual water damage. Humidity, for example, could give a false positive on the LCIs, which were located in the headphone jacks and dock connectors.

The settlement, which should be filed in San Francisco federal court in the next couple of weeks, provides cash payouts to possibly hundreds of thousands of iPhone and iPod Touch customers that say Apple did not honor either their one-year standard or two-year extended warranty.

According to several lawsuits combined in San Francisco, no matter what the problem, Apple refused to honor warranties if a white indicator tape embedded in the phone near the headphone or charging portals had turned pink or red. However, the tape’s maker, 3M, said humidity, and not water contact, could have caused the color to at least turn pink.

In November 2010 Apple adjusted their damage assessment procedures so that repair staff had to inspect devices even if a device’s indicator tape was “triggered” and changed color. Prior to that change, Apple would rely on the indicator tape when determining a liquid damage event, which would not be covered by Apple’s warranty.

The devices encompassed in the lawsuit include the original iPhone, the iPhone 3G, the iPhone 3GS, and the first three generations of the iPod Touch. The ballpark estimate for payouts is about $200 per claim, but that figure could either rise or decline depending on how many affected users actually submit a claim. The type of device affected will also influence the extent of individual payouts.

Apple also agreed to set up a website where users can learn about the case and access all documents needed to either submit a claim via the web or by printing out a mailable form.

[Wired]

April 12, 2013
Blackberry Ahead Of iOS And Android! In A ‘Don’t Want’ Poll.

Blackberry finally has the lead on Android and iOS! Well at least in a poll where people voted for the things they “didn’t want”.

71.4% of the respondents agreed that “nothing would get them to buy a BlackBerry.” Only 31.3% said the same thing about Android and for the iPhone the number was even lower at 19.7%. Interestingly, Windows Phone does not appear in that survey conducted by research house Raymond James.

Here is a brief excerpt from the piece, explaining in greater detail:

“Here’s a novel way of polling consumer sentiment in the smartphone market: Don’t ask people which handset they prefer to use; ask them which one they would never use.

Research In Motion/BlackBerry is having a difficult time convincing consumers that its new operating systems, coupled with fresh smartphones, is an alternative to the top players in the market. This Raymond James survey appears to back up that claim.

As AllThingsD reports, it’s interesting to see purchasing sentiment gauged in terms of what smartphones consumers are adamantly opposed to using. If the smartphone market is truly so factionalized that some consumers say that nothing could convince them to switch away from their preferred device, then upstart platforms like Windows Phone and the like have a steep uphill climb, indeed.

What do you think about the operating system, do you feel the same way about it as the respondents of this survey?

[All Things D, Raymond James]

April 11, 2013
Leaked : Alleged iPad 5 Front Panel In White

A new batch of pics of what is supposedly the iPad 5’s bezel have emerged, showing off a design that resembles the iPad mini more than the iPad 4.

We’ve heard a lot of rumors about the iPad 5 lately, especially regarding the debut of its production and its sales, so it was about time we got a picture to match the rumors. What you see below comes from France, courtesy of nowhereelse.fr.

With the design having been largely unchanged for the past three generations, it’s time for Apple to come up with something new, and to make it fit in with the design language of the iPad mini, sleek and slim.

There is nothing really revealing about the leak apart from the thinner bezel, as expected it has slimmer bezels than the current 9.7? models. There’ll still be a front-facing camera, still be a home button and still be a white edition of the iPad when it launches.

Thinner bezels would not be a problem for people, as Apple has improved iOS so that accidental screen actions on the sides of iPads don’t register as actions/gestures which facilitate these narrower bezels.

The new iPad is expected to launch at WWDC in June alongside the “revamped” iOS 7 or even in September with the iPhone 5S.

[nowhereelse.fr, Engadget]

April 10, 2013
Report : Apple, Yahoo Hold Talks For Deeper iOS Integration

In addition to powering iOS’s Weather and Stocks apps, Yahoo is reportedly in talks with Apple to play a more prominent role in the Cupertino company’s ecosystem. According to the Wall Street Journal, the two companies are discussing “new arrangements, including possible deals to get more content from Yahoo Sports, Yahoo News” and other properties.

While the report does not provide any true specifics regarding what an increased partnership could entail, the report notes that discussions have surrounded increased Yahoo integration into Siri.

Currently, Yahoo’s presence on iOS is limited to the Stocks app, the Weather app, a search option in mobile Safari and sports scores as accessed through Siri.

Yahoo was one of Apple’s initial partners with the iPhone and iOS. Google had a bigger foothold in key areas like Maps and as the default search engine in Safari, but Apple did away with the company’s mapping service as part of iOS 6 last year.

Data from Yahoo Finance and its weather site already come preloaded onto iPhones and Yahoo data like sports stats help power Apple’s voice-activated “assistant” Siri. But the companies continue to discuss new arrangements, including possible deals to get more content from Yahoo Sports and Yahoo News, among other Yahoo Web properties, preloaded onto Apple devices or available through an expanded partnership with Siri, one of these people said.

Yahoo does not have a rival operating system for mobile devices, unlike Google, which has soured the relationship between Apple and Google. That said, Google has been one of the most active major third-party developers on Apple’s iOS platform, bringing many of its services over in app form.

Yahoo’s motives are apparently to grow the company’s mobile presence, and a deeper partnership with Apple could certainly achieve that. The window of opportunity to rely less on Google seems to be opening for Apple, but whether the company will capitalize remains to be seen.

[Wall Street Journal]

April 10, 2013