The selfie has gained social, political and global recognition in the past two years, given its high popularity and almost contagious qualities, Apple may be coming up with a plan to up the selfie quotient in the next iPhone or tablet.
Hamza Sood, a developer, said that the phone or tablet will have, not just a front facing camera flash, but also the ability to record 1080p videos along with recording slow-motion videos in 720p. Referring to the codes, Sood also derived that one might be able to take panorama shots using the front facing camera.
iOS 9 is hinting at future device front cameras having: 1080p resolution, 240fps slow mo, panoramamic capture, flash pic.twitter.com/NkMjdsUZEX
So far, all the features that we mentioned, are only present in the rear cameras of smartphones. But with the new set of devices, Apple hopes to makes the selfie game, even stronger. Although these reports seem frivolous, Sood was previously right in recognising that Apple was coming out with fingerprint recognition two months before it actually came to the markets. He also identified slow motion shooting, before it finally made an appearance in the iPhone 5S.
Even though the iPhone 6s is expected to arrive later this year, we’ve already heard several rumours about the upcoming device. 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 also likely that Apple will release two variants of the iPhone 6s.
While we don’t know if the phone camera, that is slated to be bigger and better, will actually succeed, we hope to be clearer in September, when the announcement might be made.
Apple is in the process of setting up a new campus in Cupertino, California and its architectural design is what’s drawing the attention of the world. Their second campus, which has been under construction since 2013, will reportedly the biggest with exceptional “spaceship-like” structure. Thanks to Nearmap, we now got a glimpse of sleepy Cupertino transforming into a fully developed space centre from the future.
Nearmaps, which is a geospatial mapping and visual analytics company, made public some images of Apple’s new headquarter that illustrates the campus taking shape in the sand. The released GIFs given below give a bird’s eye view of the under construction site. The developments happened in the past few months can be seen below:
The idea of a spaceship-shaped property was proposed by the then-CEO Steve Jobs on June 7, 2011. The new campus, built on 175 acres, is said to house 13,000 employees, a cafe with 3,000 strong seating, extensive landscaping and a parking – both underground and in a parking structure.
Other services include an auditorium with 1,000 seat, R&D facilities on 300,000 square feet, a fitness centre, an orchard, and a dedicated generating plant to produce electricity. The power plant will generate electricity through natural gas and other environment-friendly measures. It will reportedly cost Apple $5 billion, up from $3 billion estimated in 2011.
At the Worldwide Developers Conference last night, Apple introduced to the world its new music streaming service. Over the past few months, we’d heard multiple rumours that this service was in the works, and last evening, Apple finally threw the covers off.
There’s a lot going on with this service. You can use Apple Music to stream songs, listen the Beats 1 radio, watch music videos, follow your favourite artists. The company claims that they’ve managed to combine the best ways of consuming music, into one consolidated app. While this all sounds super, our first reaction to the Apple Music was, how is this going to affect its competitors?
Just like us, Apple Music rivals not only followed the event minute-by-minute, but also decided to comment on it.
Daniel Ek, CEO and Founder of one of the successful music service, Spotify, was the first to publicly snark Apple music. He tweeted a sardonic ‘Oh ok.’
The tweet was deleted minutes later, but the damage was done.
Rdio, an online music and radio streaming service, perhaps gave the most brutal response to Apple. They copied Apple’s old advertisement from 1981, and welcomed Apple to the party as a latecomer. The original Apple ad was released two weeks after the debut of IBM PC back in 1981 by Apple, in a way to ‘welcome’ IBM into the PC marketplace.
While it’s easy to conclude that Apple Music may not be the “revolutionary” service the company claims it is. The music service has, however, managed to consolidate various forms of music consumption into one single widget on our phones. Not only that, it will be available for Android and Windows, later this year.
With the absence of services like Spotify in India, we’re quite excited to find out if Apple Music will arrive in our country.
The WWDC 2015 kicked off in style. Along with introducing iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan, another set of important announcements made by the tech giant were about Apple Pay, the company’s NFC and Touch ID-based mobile payment solution.
Jennifer Bailey, Vice President of the Online Store of Apple, came up on stage to talk about the service. She announced that it will finally be made available in the UK, from July 2015. People will now be able to make quick transactions at Boots UK, BP, Costa Coffee, Dune, JD Sports, KFC UK & Ireland, Liberty, LIDL, Marks & Spencer (M&S), McDonald’s UK, Nando’s, New Look, Post Office, Pret A Manger, SPAR, Starbucks, SUBWAY stores, Wagamama and Waitrose.
Apple is partnering along with HSBC, Santander, Natwest, Nationwide, First Direct for the UK launch, and many more. Users will also be able to redeem reward cards from Kohl’s, Walgreens and Dunkin’ Donuts. The biggest news of all was that Apple even managed to rope in Transport for London to accept Apple Pay. So you can use your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for your travel or daily commute.
Physical stores aren’t the only places where this service comes of use, you can use Apple Pay to pay within apps; cutting short the procedure. Apps that will accept Apple Pay in the UK, include Addison Lee, Airbnb, Argos, Booking.com, British Airways, Domino’s, easyJet, Hailo, HotelTonight, hungryhouse, JD Sports, Just Eat, lastminute.com, Miss Selfridge, Ocado, Stubhub, thetrainline.com, Top 10, Topshop, Uncover, Vueling, YPlan, Zalando and Zara, among others. To pay within apps, Apple Pay is compatible with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. Another important advancement to Apple Pay is that later this month, Pinterest will launch ‘buyable pins’ that will allow you to buy things from Nieman Marcus and Macy’s using the Apple Pay.
Other than the UK, Apple also announced Apple Pay will be adding support for rewards programs and store-issued credit and debit cards. Apple Pay has managed to expand merchant acceptance to over one million locations in the coming month. With this addition, Apple Pay will accept credit and debit cards across all major card networks, issued by the most popular banks, representing 98 percent of all credit card purchase volume in the US.
Paying using Apple Pay is as simple as holding your iPhone near the contactless reader in the store, while keeping a finger on the Touch ID. With Apple Watch just double click the side button and hold the face up to the contactless reader to make a purchase right from your wrist. For now, Apple Pay is currently supported for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and the new Apple Watch, allowing you to pay for items. Apple uses the NFC technology and the Touch ID fingerprint reader to authenticate purchases for buying goods in a store. Keep on checking iGyaan for more updates.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As of yesterday, the internet was in a frenzy with people saying how fed up they were with a code that shuts down their iPhones, Macs and Apple Watches. The hardy giant that is known for its immunity against any virus, witnessed an obstinate bug take over its OS.
The ‘Unicode of Death’ as it is called, is said to have a code that contains Marathi and Arabic symbols. When sent as a text message, it shuts down your iPhone, causing it to reboot without prior notice and even crashes apps. The bug is so effective that it can even work when the message shows up on your home screen.
The crashing seems to occur in iOS 8.1, iOS 8.2 and iOS 8.3 versions and can be transferred from Android to iOS.
We are aware of an iMessage issue caused by a specific series of unicode characters and we will make a fix available in a software update.
While Apple issued a statement acknowledging the problem, they also gave tips for a temporary solution.The company even promised that an upcoming software update will fix the problem permanently. Until then, here are the official instructions from the company:
Ask Siri to “read unread messages.”
Use Siri to reply to the malicious message. After you reply, you’ll be able to open Messages again.
In Messages, swipe left to delete the entire thread. Or tap and hold the malicious message, tap More, and delete the message from the thread.
9to5Mac, an online magazine dedicated to Apple, also suggested three more ways to combat the bug. Keep yourself armed with these tips:
1. Tell the offender to immediately send another message thereby cancelling the effect of the initial strand.
2. Send yourself a message via Siri, the share sheet or your Mac.
3. Some users said that sending a photo via the photo app can allow them to access the message history and delete the conversation.
Most people are using the code as a revenge tool against their ex-boyfriends and girlfriends and some are enjoying pranking their friends. While the problem seems to annoy some, it’s leaving others amused.
However, The ‘Unicode of Death’ can adversely affect your device if not handled with caution. Beware.
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.
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.
Just a month ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple has unveiled two newest additions to its Mac family, the new 15-inch MacBook Pro and the huge 27-inch iMac in India.
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro features Force Touch trackpad that promises of a new level of interactivity to the Mac. Simply put, Force Touch is a mechanism that senses pressure. It is an entirely novel innovation that merges the previously released Multi-Touch with force sensors.
This Mac also has new PCIe-based flash storage that provides up to 2.5 times better performance than its predecessor. It has an Intel Iris Pro graphics and offers additional hours of battery life, with up to 9 hours of wireless web browsing and 9 hours of movie playback. Other than this, standard options include a 2.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of flash, with, of course, Intel Iris Pro graphics.
The new iMac boasts of Retina 5K Display, which has 67% more pixels than a 4K Display. It features a 3.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost Speeds up to 3.7 GHz and AMD Radeon R9 M290 graphics. It includes 8GB of memory and 1TB of storage, along with four USB 3.0 ports and two Thunderbolt 2 ports that are capable of delivering up to 20Gbps each.
Every Mac will come along with OS X Yosemite. The updated 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is accessible from today on selected Apple Authorised Stores and is priced at Rs 1,59,900. Configure-to-order options include faster quad-core Intel Core i7 processors up to 2.8 GHz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 4.0 GHz and Flash storage up to 1TB.
The 27-inch iMac is also available on selected Apple Stores and is available for Rs 1,59,900. Configure-to-order options include faster quad-core Intel Core i7 processors up to 4.0 GHz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 4.4 GHz and Flash storage up to 1TB.
Apple has been facing stiff competition on its Maps services from Google Maps. But, according to MacRumors, one company has been added to Apple’s roster to help it improve its Mapping service exponentially. The Silicon Valley technology company has confirmed the purchase of Coherent Navigation, a Bay Area global positioning company that will help Apple to further boost its location technology and services.
Google maps has always been ahead of the game
Coherent Navigation was formed back in 2008 and focused on creating commercial navigation services that were based on partnerships with companies like Boeing and Iridium, a satellite network operator. This company has worked on highly precise navigation technologies, which are accurate to up to 3-5 metres. Coherent Navigation had also worked on autonomous navigation and robotics previously. The company is known for its High Integrity GPS system, which combined signals from mid-earth orbit GPS satellites with low-earth satellites to offer improved precision and accuracy.
According to MacRumors, some key employees have started working for Apple, including CEO Paul Lego in January and co-founders William Bencze and Brett Ledvina in April. Their Linkedin profile also confirmed that they are working at Apple. The company’s website is currently offline but was updated to Apple servers on 30th April.
For now, neither Apple nor Coherent Navigation has provided any information about how this partnership will be moved forward or what technology would be used. It is likely that Apple may show off the new navigation system at the WWDC next month. Watch out, Google Maps!
The first smartwatch to mark the debut of Apple in the wearable segment was struck by manufacturing hiccups at the time of its release. The elusive Apple Watch which was to go up for sale from April 24 onwards, was missing from the Apple retail stores. Only customers of a few countries have access to order the same via the Apple online store. But it looks like Apple has sorted the initial issues. A supplier responsible for producing the Apple Watch hinted that there are no more production issues and that supplies will improve in the coming time.
The online tech publication Digitimes quoted the Vice Chairman CC Leung of Quanta Computer saying, “its client’s wearable device is no longer a challenge to Quanta in both technology and quality.” He also clarified that labour problem during Lunar New Year holidays forced them to borrow manpower from other manufacturers, which led to the shortage of the product. The provider now has sufficient supplies and is said to make a “giant contribution from its wearable device business in the second quarter.”
However, Leung didn’t name the Apple Watch but pointed towards it saying the “wearable device is unlike the smartwatches it produced before and has a lot of functions in it and its client is satisfied with the product.”
This means that the innovative gadget will land in India ahead of the speculated date. People might walk into the Apple Store to own a Watch later this month or in the beginning of June. The device is otherwise speculated to hit the Indian wearables market in July.
Apple’s newest smartphones iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus proved to be the game changers for the company. They successfully reminded the world that the Cupertino-based firm has an edge over other smartphone brands and why it’s the world’s most valuable company. The demand of the latest iPhone 6 iterations are shooting up tremendously and Apple knows where they are falling back. The newest Apple handsets are missing out on some features and the company is sincerely attempting to overcome those minor lags with a new iPhone 6 version.
Earlier we heard of some tools that will be inculcated in the upcoming ‘iPhone 6s’, but now we have a few more details about the much-awaited device. According to the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI Securities, the forthcoming iPhone 6s will feature the same display size of 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches found on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, respectively. This means we might see two variants of iPhone 6s sometime this year. The resolution of the upcoming models will be the same as of previous versions.
The next products will show an improvement in the structure. The bending issue will be restored to a large extent by altering different casing materials and internal mechanical design. In order to promote its exclusive Apple Pay service, the recognition rate of Touch ID will be enhanced for effortless payments. Together with that, Gesture control is also said to deploy in the next smartphone.
According to the report, the mass production of the phones will commence in August. A maximum of 90 million smartphones will be shipped out of which 2/3rd will be iPhone 6s and 1/3rd will be the bigger version of the same.
Recent rumours speak of iPhone 6 holding a 2GB RAM and a 12MP camera. Force Touch introduced with Apple Watch and the new MacBook will be the major highlights.
