Tag: apple latest

Rumour : Apple Hiring Former Texas Instruments Engineers in Israel

Apple is taking full advantage of the recent layoffs at Texas Instruments in Israel.

In November, Texas Instruments laid off about 250 employees in Israel as part of a worldwide effort to reduce its workforce by 1,700 people.

A fresh rumor is trying to convince us that Apple is on a hiring spree in Israel, where the company’s hunting for some talented engineers. What’s interesting about this particular story is that Apple is said to be hiring the same former Texas Instruments employees to work on its system-on-chip technology.

According to TI Israel’s website, the Ra’anana campus was responsible for wireless connectivity solutions like WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS and OMAP products. OMAP, or Open Multimedia Applications Platform, is a type of system-on-a-chip developed by the Texas-based company currently being used in portable devices like Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD.

Apple in April was reported to be gearing up for a major hiring campaign to fill spots at its Israel R&D center located in Haifa’s Scientific Industries Center, which boasts a collective of high-tech companies like Google, Intel and IBM. The recent TI Israel hires won’t be the first for Apple, as former Deputy CEO Etai Zaitsman is said to be working on the Haifa initiative headed up by Aharon Aharon, a veteran of Israel’s tech industry.

December 4, 2012
Scam! Fake Apple Apps Show Up On Google Play Store

In case you were browsing the Google Play Store and found supposedly Apple-made mobile apps inside, apps that would be usually found in its own App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch use, then you should probably stay away from them.

A said “Apple Inc” developer has uploaded a series of popular iLife and iWork applications in our beloved Google Play Store. These include Garage Band, iPhoto, iMovie, Keynote, Numbers and Pages. The “apps” were just released in the Play Store with no announcement from Apple, making it seem like a very well-elaborated scam.

Not only does the developer’s name take Apple’s identity, but the developer’s website directs you to Apple’s homepage, the email is [email protected] and the descriptions seem rather convincing. To the unexperienced Android user, this may very well seem legit. But do you really think Apple would release such apps in their largest competitor’s app store? No way.

It seems some users have already paid for and downloaded these apps, so please beware.

Somebody at Google must have been tipped off because all of the fake apps have been removed. But the real question is, how did they get into the Google Play Store in the first place?

This is where Apple strict monitoring of the Apps they put up in the App Store is appreciated.

November 18, 2012
Apple : 3 Million iPads Sold Over The Past 3 Days

The iPad mini and the “fourth generation iPad” went on sale last Friday. The iPad mini is smaller, thinner and lighter than any previous version of the 10-inch iPad and Apple sent out a very interesting press release today. Usually when a product launches they boast about the millions of sales it produced in 3-days. This time around they did – claiming that “Three Million iPads in Three Days” – but that number combines both the iPad mini and the fourth-gen iPad with Retina display.

[quote]No clear numbers on how the iPad mini specifically performed. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, noted that“Customers around the world love the new iPad mini and fourth generation iPad. We set a new launch weekend record and practically sold out of iPad minis. We’re working hard to build more quickly to meet the incredible demand.”[/quote]

This “practically sold out of iPad mini” is somewhat new for Apple. They have repeatedly sold out of product on launch weekend. The iPad mini was released in 34 countries on Friday. Perhaps people are waiting for the 3G version to be released in a couple weeks.

Regardless, 3 million iPad sales in something to be proud of.

November 5, 2012
Apple sells 5m iPhone 5’s in first three days

Apple has said that it’s sold more than 5 million new iPhone 5s in the three days since the latest smartphone was launched.

It said orders for the phone exceeded the initial supply it had available, something confirmed by several carriers and stores, which reported selling out over the weekend. The iPhone 5 went on sale Friday in the U.S., Australia and elsewhere.

[quote]“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date.”[/quote]

That device was seen as a smaller technological step forward compared to the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 also had a bigger launch, going on sale in two more countries than its predecessor.

The company has aggressive rollout plans for the newest iPhone. Nine countries are now selling the iPhone 5, and that will grow to more than 100 by the end of the year.

Apple says it has shipped most of the phones that were ordered in advance. But it plans to ship many of them in October.

Check out the Press Release below :

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Apple today announced it has sold over five million of its new iPhone 5, just three days after its launch on September 21, and more than 100 million iOS devices have been updated with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. iPhone 5 is available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK, and will be available in 22 more countries on September 28 and more than 100 countries by the end of the year. Demand for iPhone 5 exceeded the initial supply and while the majority of pre-orders have been shipped to customers, many are scheduled to be shipped in October.

“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone.”

iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology*—all while delivering even better battery life.**

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and is available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 is available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, select Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S is also available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 is available for free with a two-year contract.***

iPhone 5 will be available on September 28 in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

* LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
** Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
*** Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year rate plan, sold separately.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices

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September 24, 2012
iPad Stats Revealed at Keynote! Blows Competition Away

Before the launch of the iPhone 5, Apple revealed some interesting facts and statistics related to the iPad! Here are the major ones :-

1. Apple had 62% market share last year for tablets, this year so far it’s at 68%.

2. iPad accounts for 91% of traffic from tablets.

3. Almost all of the Fortune 500 are getting in on the iPad action.

4. Apple sold “more iPads than any PC manufacturer sold of their entire PC line”.

5. Apple has 700,000 apps in the App Store, 250k are tablet-optimized.

6. Apple sells 17 Million New iPad’s : Tim Stevens :”We sold more iPads than any PC manufacturer sold of their entire PC line”.

September 12, 2012
Apple To Unveil 4-inch iPod Touch?

According to the latest rumours, Apple is expected to announce new products in its iPod Touch lineup at a major press event on Wednesday (September 12), including a new model featuring a larger 4-inch display.

The US technology giant is thought highly likely to unveil its new iPhone 5 smartphone at the product launch this week, offering various improvements, including a larger screen, 4G connectivity, NFC etc..

However, the event is also expected to feature new generations of the iPod Touch, iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle.

Last week, Rene Ritchie from the iMore website reported that the upcoming iPod Touch will come with the 4-inch, 16:9 display that is rumoured to feature in Apple’s iPhone 5 – an increase on the current 3.5-inch screen in Apple devices.

The Verge speculates that Apple will fit its larger display panel in both the new iPod Touch and iPhone 5, potentially bringing the high-resolution Retina display with IPS – a technology offering improved colour contrast and viewing angles – to the media player.

As well as a larger screen, it is believed the higher priced models could feature a smaller dock connector, more storage and come with Apple’s recently launched iOS 6 pre-installed.

The updated iPod Shuffle will reportedly come in eight different colours, while a larger Nano with Wi-Fi capabilities has also been rumoured.

It forms part of a strategy by Apple to boost sales of its iPod which have dwindled in recent years, due to the overwhelming success of the iPhone and iPad.

September 10, 2012
Apple planning Pandora-like music service?

Apple is planning a Pandora-like music service, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, as part of a bid to become a major player in the online music space.

According to people “familiar with the matter,” the report says Apple would like to create stations similar to the ones on Pandora or Spotify, which play genres of music and are interspersed with ads from sponsors.

The Wall Street Journal said Apple’s service would work on the company’s hardware, including the iPhone, iPad and Mac computers, as well as potentially on PCs using Microsoft’s Windows operating system.

In recent years, though, with the proliferation of smartphones, iPads and wireless Internet access that perpetually connects those devices to online sources of music, Apple’s iTunes approach to selling songs for $1 or so apiece has come to seem antiquated in comparison with music streaming services like Spotify and others.

September 7, 2012
Google says voice is the future of web search, introduces Siri-like app for iOS

Google Inc showed off enhancements to its voice-based search technology for Apple Inc’s iPhone and said it was testing a new service that will combine its Web-based email with its search engine.

The new version of Google’s search app for the iPhone and iPad, expected to be available within a few days, will let users find information about everything from the weather to nearby movie showings by speaking into the devices, matching some of the capabilities offered by Apple’s own Siri technology.

Google’s new app recites answers to search results in a human sounding voice, similar to Apple’s Siri, which some analysts and technology observers believe could make iPhone users less reliant on Google’s search service.

The news comes as the relationship between the two companies grows increasingly competitive. On Monday Apple said it would no longer offer Google’s YouTube app as a pre-loaded app in future versions of its iPhone.

Google, which unveiled a version of the voice-based search app for its Android software earlier this year, showcased the version for Apple devices at a press event at its San Francisco offices on Wednesday.

The company also announced a test version of a new service that will integrate users’ personal emails into searches on the Google website. The service, which Google said will initially be available to 1 million users, aims to make it easier for consumers to access information such as flight schedules or shipping orders.

A truly universal search will “have all the information that humanity has put on the Web and information that’s your information,” Amit Singhal, senior vice president of Google Search.

The initial “field trial” will work with Google’s Gmail, but Singhal said the company was open to working with other email providers.

Source : Reuters

August 9, 2012
Sharp to start shipping iPhone screens to Apple this month

Apple’s component suppliers seem almost eager to stoke iPhone rumor fires, and all the hot, hot consumer anticipation surrounding them.

On Thursday, Sharp’s new president, Takashi Okuda, said that his company will begin shipping iPhone displays starting this month, according to a report from Reuters. Okuda made the statement at a press event following the release of Sharp’s quarterly earnings report. Sharp’s president didn’t make note of the display’s size, but Reuters reports that the screens are destined for the next version of the iPhone.

[quote]“People are expecting a new iteration of the iPhone to hit the market sometime in the September-October time frame, so this kind of comment fits in to what we’ve been hearing in the market, generally,” IHS analyst Vinita Jakhanwal told Wired. Sharp, Japan Display, and LG Display are the three likely suppliers for the next iPhone’s display.[/quote]

The display of the next iPhone is expected to be larger than that of the iPhone 4S, stretching to 4 diagonal inches. The current iPhone has a 3.5-inch display. The new iPhone display will also reportedly be manufactured using in-cell technology, which means it will be thinner, lighter and more power efficient than current displays.

Okuda didn’t confirm the size or technology used in the production of Apple’s next iPhone display.

Various sources are reporting the next iPhone will be unveiled on September 12, so we should know soon if Okuda’s Thursday statement bears any weight.

August 3, 2012
Rumor : Apple to announce iPhone 5, iPad mini at September 12 event

The iPhone 5, iPad mini and perhaps two other Apple devices could be announced at a Sept. 12 event, according to a new report.

Long rumored to premiere in October, the sixth-generation iPhone is now reportedly expected to be announced in September, including a new report Monday by iMore.

The report says Apple will announce the new phone and the iPad mini, a 7-inch screen version of the iPad, six weeks from now, citing “sources who have proven accurate in the past.”

Though the report is unsure about the iPad mini’s actual launch date, it gives a specific launch date for the iPhone 5: Sept. 21, which is a date that’s been rumored before.

Along with the two iOS devices, iMore also reports Apple will use the event to launch a new iPod nano.

Along with the nano, iMore speculates that a new iPod Touch could also be announced. Recent reports have said the Touch could be in for a fairly substantial redesign as is expected for the new iPhone.

The next iPhone is expected to have a better and longer screen, at 4 inches, as well as other redesigns, including a new back plate and a smaller dock connector.

July 30, 2012