Tag: Spring Forward

Apple Watch Rumoured to be Coming to India in June

If rumours are to be believed, you might get a closer look at the Apple Watch sooner than you expected. During the massive ‘Spring Forward’ event, Apple had announced the arrival date of the Apple Watch, however only for a few lucky countries.

10th April onwards, in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US, Apple Watch will be available for preview, try-on by appointment at Apple’s retail stores, and available for pre-order through the Apple Online Store. Although, in the usual Apple style, the actual ‘on sale ‘date lands later on 24th April.

Unfortunately, India did not feature in the list of the first countries. But according to gizmodo.com, the potential sale of the Apple Watch in India might be a result of the country emerging as an important market for many brands.

The base model of the Apple Watch is estimated to start at a price of Rs. 35,000 (approx). The Apple Watch incorporates fitness tracking and health oriented capabilities along with the ability to integrate with iOS and other Apple Products.

The device will be coming in three variations – Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and the Apple Watch Edition. And will be compatible to use with the iPhone 5, 5S, 5C, 6 and 6 Plus.

To know more about this device, click here.

March 17, 2015
Why Apple MacBook’s Force Touch is the Trackpad of the Future

Steve Jobs had a vision, years ago, that the mouse needed only one button, and it seems his vision is finally realised with the newest addition to its ecosystem, the Apple MacBook. One of the most nerdy aspects about the newly unveiled device is the fact that it comes with a Force Touch trackpad. Force Touch was first introduced months ago with the Apple Watch.

So, what exactly is ‘Force Touch’ technology?

Simply put, it is the mechanism which senses pressure. It is an entirely novel innovation that merges the previously released Multi-Touch with force sensors. That means besides sensing the multiple points of contact on your screen, the new feature can also gauge the amount of pressure put on each contact; detecting the subtle difference between the quantity of pressure imposed. This makes the technology infused devices smarter than any other smartphones and smartwatches in the world.

The current generation of MacBook’s use a ‘Diving Board’ design. The top part of the trackpad remains stable, any part of the lower end can be used to click or right click. The new Force Touch trackpad, gets four new sensors – allowing you to click using any part of the designated surface.

Through the sensors on the trackpad of the gadgets, it can judge a light tap and a deep press, bringing a broad range of contextual controls right to your fingertips. The actions can be categorised in three forms: Force click, Accelerator and Pressure-sensing drawing.

The Force click gives users access to different websites without switching to the other pages. It can bring up the Wikipedia by clicking a word, preview a file in the Finder, and create a new Calendar by applying a little push on the trackpad. You will be in control of adding new shortcuts to apps, such as bringing up the a map of the location just by force clicking the address.

The next is accelerator that accelerators the speed of a QuickTime movie. Press harder to fast-forward the shot quickly and if you wish to proceed gradually, steadily apply force on the trackpad. One can also zoom in Maps through the same tactic.

The next forte of Force Touch trackpad is pressure-sensing drawing. Draw a signature on the device just like a pen on paper. Put more pressure for a bold stroke and press lightly to get a thin line. This drawing can be used as an attachment for emails.

Apple has slipped the technology in Macbooks and the Apple Watch for now, but it has been learnt that the next iPhone is likely to come with the same feature.

March 11, 2015
All the Important Announcements From Apple’s Mega Event in One Place

The ‘Spring Forward’ event held by Apple last evening was the exhibition of the finest innovations by the tech giant. The company disclosed some presumed devices along with other unpredictable technologies. The highlight of the show remained the Apple Watch, the most expensive smartwatch, and light weight 12-inch MacBook.

Here’s a compiled list of announcements made by the Cupertino-based company yesterday:

1. ResearchKit

ResearchKit is an open source software framework designed for medical and health research, helping doctors and scientists gather data more frequently and more accurately from participants using iPhone apps. It is made specifically for medical researchers.

ResearchKit and HealthKit work hand in hand. Simply put, the ResearchKit turns iPhones and HealthKit into power diagnostic tools. An mPower app is built that uses ResearchKit to detect the most core and fatal diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and breast cancer.

2. New 12-inch MacBook

The Apple event got gargantuan with the introduction of the new sleek and stylish MacBook. The 12-inch gadget comes with Retina display and weighs a mere 2 pounds. The laptop is thinner than MacBook Air at 13.1mm. Even if it’s slimmer and lighter, the build and internal quality of the machine is uncompromised. There is a full-sized keyboard redesigned to fit the smaller size.

Other than that, the new notebook features Force Touch trackpad that senses pressure, telling the difference between a light tap and a deep press. Also, it sports next-gen USB-C port, a third of the size of standard USB cable. It supports fast charging, quick data transfer and is all in a single connector.

The all-new MacBook comes in two variants. Both of them will be available from April 10. The one will bit lower specifications comes at Rs. 99,990 and is embedded with 1.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.4 GHz, bundled with 8GB of memory, 256GB of flash storage and Intel HD Graphics 5300. The higher version holding 1.2 GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.6GHz, 8GB of memory, 512GB of flash storage, and Intel HD Graphics 5300 is priced at Rs. 119,900.

3. Next-Gen Reversible USB-C

The new MacBook comes with one single port. Which means that if you want to charge your laptop and transfer documents at the same time, you need to invest in an external attachment. USB-C was undoubtedly biggest announcements of the night. The next-gen USB Type C is slim and sturdy, and is one-third the size of a traditional USB port. Apple’s new MacBook is the first one to incorporate the smallest ever USB.

The revolutionary technology solves the purpose of having too many USB ports. The new connectivity standard gives you five ports in one – power, USB data transfer, DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA capabilities. The reversible Type-C connector is roughly the same size as the existing Micro-USB connector at the bottom of your smartphone, but it’s reversible. Also, it facilitates faster charging and quick data transfer. While some may consider it tedious, Apple has taken a major step towards removing the excessive wires/cords in our lives.

4. MacBook Pro and Air Upgraded with faster processors

The tech biggie has updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the fifth generation Intel Core processors, Intel Iris Graphics 6100, two times faster flash, and longer battery life. The upgraded 13-inch MacBook Pro features fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 3.1 GHz, Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.4 GHz, along with faster flash and better battery, as stated above. The new version ranges from Rs. 94,900 to 129,900.

On the other hand, the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air are upgraded with the fifth generation Intel Core processors, Intel HD Graphics 6000, Thunderbolt 2, and up to two times faster flash. The updated 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air now feature fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 2.2 GHz, Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz, bundled with Thunderbolt 2. The 11-inch notebook comes at two price points depending on configuration, Rs. 65,900 and 79,900. However, the 13-inch MacBook is priced a little higher at Rs. 72,900 and 86,900.

5. Force Touch trackpad

Force Touch trackpad has brought a new dimension to the Mac interactivity. It is highly responsive and feels your touch more than ever. The new trackpad features built-in force sensors that monitor the amount of pressure released in each click. One can customize the feel of the trackpad by changing the amount of pressure.

Force Touch trackpad enables a new gesture called Force Click. A click followed by a deeper press for tasks like pulling up the definition of a word, quickly seeing a map or glancing at a preview of a file.iOS 8.2

6. iOS 8.2

Along with gadgets, Apple event saw the launch of a new software upgrade – iOS 8.2. The new operating system is out for its compatible Apple products like iPhone 5 and later, Apple Watch and more.

The upgraded version is more stable and comes with bug fixes. Mail, Music, and Maps have got a significant boost along with iTunes. Moreover, one can download third-party health apps to keep themselves fit.

7. Apple Watch

The main highlight of the show, Apple Watch, as beautiful as ever, is now officially the most expensive smartwatch ever. It’s a personalised device and comes with different watch faces. The Watch supports iOS 8.2 and comes with many pre-installed apps like Uber, Shazam, WeChat, Twitter, Apple Pay and health apps.

The built-in speaker and microphone on the Watch that lets you receive calls on the go. Apple Pay is embedded in the device that allows you to pay money through the Watch on wrist. The battery life of the wearable is decent at 18 hours. The Apple Watch comes in three variants – Sport, Regular and Gold Edition. It starts from $549 and goes as high as $1700. HBO Now Coming to Apple TV

8. HBO Now Coming to Apple TV

The company launched the new exclusive device Apple TV and announced the subscription service of HBO for the users. The service is restricted to Apple TV users as of now, but soon the company will extend it to iPhone and iPad. Subscribed viewers can watch the channel through web browsers and can access the entire library of original shows and feature films catalogue of HBO.

The service is coming next month and will cost $14.99 per month. For those who sign up for the Apple device in April will get it free for one month.

March 10, 2015
Major MacBook Pro, Air Announcements Which Got Overshadowed By The Apple Watch
At last night night’s event, Apple unveiled several new developments in its ever growing ecosystem. We’ve already discussed the amazing new MacBook and the Apple Watch in detail. But here’s something we missed out on.

Apple has updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display with the new Force Touch trackpad, fifth generation Intel Core processors and Intel Iris Graphics 6100. Apple also updated the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air with fifth generation Intel Core processors, Intel HD Graphics 6000, and Thunderbolt 2.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display features the Force Touch trackpad, which features built-in force sensors. The updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display also features fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 3.1 GHz, with Turbo Boost Speeds up to 3.4 GHz, integrated with Intel Iris Graphics 6100, and flash storage that is up to two times faster, with throughput up to 1.6GBps, says Apple. In addition, Apple claims the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now delivers up to 10 hours of battery life and up to 12 hours of iTunes movie playback.

The updated 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air now feature fifth generation Intel Core processors up to 2.2 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 Ghz, integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000, and Thunderbolt 2, delivering up to 20Gbps, which Apple says is twice the bandwidth of the previous generation. The 13- inch MacBook Air also features faster flash storage that is up to two times faster than the previous generation.

The updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are now available via select Apple authorised dealers across India. Have a below for pricing and models.

Mac Book Air
- 13 inch with 128 GB flash storage – Rs.72,900
- 13 inch with 256 GB flash storage- Rs.86,900
- 11 inch with 128 GB flash storage – Rs.65,900
- 11 inch with 256 GB flash storage – Rs.79,900
MacBook Pro
- 13 inch with 128 GB flash storage – Rs.94,900
- 13 inch with 256 GB flash storage- Rs.109,900
- 13 inch 2.9 Ghz with 512GB flash storage – Rs. 129,000
In addition, customers can also avail configure-to-order options. For more information head over to Apple’s official India page here.
March 10, 2015
Top 7 Coolest Features of the New Apple MacBook

Apple launched their first Macbook seven years back in 2008, showcasing an unimaginable super slim laptop to the world. Now the legacy lives on with Apple announcing its newest Macbook, which surprisingly will be called just the ‘Macbook’. Apple has yet again pushed the boundaries of laptop innovation which are simply commendable, though might have negated certain aspects.

One can’t deny that the new Macbook reinforces Apple’s philosophy yet again that computers are an extension of the person itself. Here are the coolest features of the new Macbook:

Edge to Edge Retina Display

The latest Macbook gets a 12-inch Retina display with a very small bezel, with a resolution of 2304×1440, and an aspect ratio of 16:10. The display quality is certainly quite a notch up compared to the new Macbook’s predecessors, with the screen built into something that is as thin as a file folder. Apple has again manged to pull of something unimaginable bearing in mind the technical limitations with making something so skinny.

Thinnest and Lightest, Ever

Talking about thin, the new Macbook redefines the concept of slim, it’s as thin as 13.1mm, compared to 17.3mm of the MacBook Air. It’s 24 percent thinner than the Air, the company mentioned at the event. The new Macbook weighs mere 2 pounds (lightest ever), which is amazingly only half a pound over the original iPad.

Redesigned Keyboard

The new Macbook gets an entirely redesigned 12-inch keyboard. A welcome change compared to the Macbook Air which is less than the full size. The keys have been revamped to a new butterfly mechanism that Apple claims offers more stability with improved keystroke force distribution.

Death of the Right Click

Steve Jobs had a vision years ago that the mouse needed only one button, and it seems his vision is finally realised as Apple has added the Force Touch trackpad. One of the most nerdy aspects about the newly unveiled device is the fact that it comes with a Force Touch trackpad. Force Touch was introduced with the Apple Watch, it is the mechanism which senses pressure. The Force Touch trackpad has force sensors that detect how much pressure you apply on its surface. So basically, it can tell the difference between a light tap and a deep press.

Death of the USB Ports

The new Macbook has a single USB-C which does everything from charging, to transferring data, sending videos etc. There’s only one port which means you cannot simultaneously charge your laptop or your phone. This is probably a byproduct of their quest to make the thinnest Macbook possible (and make our lives tange-free.)

Apple has yet again gone against industry standards. In 1998, Apple surprised everyone as its iMac G3 did not include a floppy drive.

Improved Battery Performance

Apple claims to have added a new, custom-shaped battery that maximizes every millimeter of space, helping the MacBook achieve an all-day battery life. It gets a slightly beefier battery unit than the 11-inch Macbook Air and can deliver 9 hours when on Wi-Fi, and 10 hours watching iTunes video.

What Lies Beneath

Barring all the phenomenal exterior changes, significant changes have been made under the hood. For starters, the new Macbook gets Intel’s Core M processor, which consumes less power and produces less heat. The exact model of the chipset is yet unknown but its likely a tweaked 1.1 Ghz Intel Core M, which offers slightly less processing power than your standard Core i5 or i7, though offer better and efficient power management.

Pricing

Okay this might be a “cool” feature, but for most of us pricing would play a major factor. The words ‘Apple’ and ‘budget’ don’t blend in so well, and this holds true for the new Macbook. It comes in two variants, 256GB (1.2GHz Intel Core M) priced at $1299, which is notably higher than the 11-inch Macbook Air. And the second configuration for $1599 features the 12-inch Retina display, 1.2GHz Intel Core M, Intel HD Graphics 5300, 8GB memory.

The new Macbook certainly has features that would give Mac buyers more than one reason to upgrade. The new Retina display, better power management, ultra portability and with significant price cuts, the new Macbook should attract new potential buyers.

March 10, 2015
New Apple MacBook Marks the Beginning of the Next-Gen Reversible USB-C

There were several major announcements today at Apple’s Mega Event held in San Francisco. We found out the Apple Watch’s pricing, availability, and battery life. The company also announced its new ResearchKit. And then, there was the arrival of the Apple MacBook.

Apple’s new notebook sounds like an amazing product. It’s the thinnest and lightest MacBook ever. It is their first fanless notebook and also the first to include Force Touch in its keypad. Most importantly, it is the first one to incorporate the coveted USB Type C.

We’re certain that this marks the beginning of a new era; the next line of products are sure to add-on this feature. iPhone 6 leaks had indicated that Apple was working on its own USB-C, but we weren’t quite expecting it to arrive today.

Apple’s USB-C supports higher wattage charging, USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gbps) data transfer and DisplayPort 1.2 all in a single connector that’s one-third the size of a traditional USB port. Since the MacBook is the thinnest notebook ever (24% thinner than the Air,)slimmed down ports were also necessary to bring in.

Not only that, this new connectivity standard gives you five ports in one – power, USB data transfer, DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA capabilities.

What makes the Type-C a revolutionary technology is that it is going to replace all the form factors and unlike the other standards which target different classes of device, Type-C form factor will be a universal USB standard. The reversible Type-C connector is roughly the same size as the existing Micro-USB connector at the bottom of your smartphone, but it’s reversible.

To understand the reversible USB Type-C better, click here for an in-depth explanation.

March 10, 2015
Apple Watch Battery Life to Last Up to 18 Hours

Apple fans over the world were eagerly waiting for this. At the Spring Forward event, Apple, at last, has told us everything there is to know about its new wearable.

The smartwatch is a personalised device and comes with different watch faces. Users can customise the device with widgets for the faces like stopwatch, calendar, date, etc. The Watch supports iOS 8.2 and comes with many pre-installed apps like Uber, Shazam, WeChat, Twitter, Apple Pay and health apps.

The Apple Watch works in tune with the iPhone. Any notification that appears on the handset can pop on the Watch as well. Apple Pay is an important component of the smartwatch that lets users pay through the watch on their wrist. There is a built-in speaker and microphone on the Watch that lets you receive calls on the go.

However, one of the biggest concerns with a wearable is its battery life. With the number gadgets in our lives, we don’t need another gadget that needs to be constantly fuelled. Earlier reports had worried us, however it seems like the company managed to deliver a decent battery life. The company claims, on a day of normal usage, the Apple Watch will last you a decent 18 hours.

The Apple Watch will come in three variants – Sport, Regular and Gold Edition. The Sport Edition comes in Silver or Space Gray colour and ranges from $349 for the 38mm Sport to $399 for the 42mm.

The Regular Apple Watch edition is a traditional stainless piece and comes for $549 – $1,049 for the 38mm and $599 – $1,099 for the 42mm. The 18-carat gold edition is the most expensive and starts at $10,000. All the three watches will be available from April 24^th onwards.

March 10, 2015
24th April Onwards Apple Watch Will be Available in Nine Countries

While we have known most details about the Apple Watch since Apple’s last major event, the company officially announced the smartwatch today. It is one of the newest entrants in Apple’s ecosystem. Tim Cook, Apple CEO, had earlier announced that we would be able to buy the device sometime in April, we have now been given an exact date for the same.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Tim Cook” author_title=”Apple’s CEO”]

Apple Watch begins a new chapter in the way we relate to technology and we think our customers are going to love it,

[/quote]

It will be available on 24th April to customers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US. While 10th April onwards, in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK and the US, Apple Watch will be available for preview, try-on by appointment at Apple’s retail stores, and available for pre-order through the Apple Online Store. Customers who purchase online or in-store from Apple will be offered Personal Setup to customise and pair Apple Watch with their iPhone.

Want to know more about the Apple Watch? Click here.

March 10, 2015
Apple Announces ResearchKit, a Software That Turns iPhones into Powerful Diagnostic Tools

The much-awaited ‘Spring Forward’ event by Apple has finally commenced and before the main highlight of the show, the Cupertino giant made several other important announcements. The CEO of the company Tim Cook took to the stage and recalled the strongly growing iPhone ecosystem. He stated that iPhones will continue to transform every part of our lives through three mediums – CarPlay, HomeKit, and HealthKit.

Today in San Francisco, Apple today announced ResearchKit, an open source software framework designed for medical and health research, helping doctors and scientists gather data more frequently and more accurately from participants using iPhone apps.

It is made specifically for medical researchers. ResearchKit and HealthKit work hand in hand. Simply put, the ResearchKit turns iPhones and HealthKit into power diagnostic tools.

The University of Rochester together with Sage Bionetworks built mPower, an app that uses ResearchKit to conduct Parkinson’s disease research. It helps iPhone users sign up for studies, which will help further research. Now it’s simple for Parkinson’s patients to take tests and perform tasks and feed the information to researchers.

Apple is releasing ResearchKit next month, and the first five apps will be available from today. The first apps made with ResearchKit target diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and breast cancer.

For more updates, keep checking back this space.

March 10, 2015
Pricing of the New Apple MacBook Revealed for India

Apple today unveiled the all-new MacBook, a new line of notebooks. At just two pounds and 13.1 mm thin – they are their thinnest and lightest Macs ever. The new MacBook features a 12-inch Retina display that is the thinnest ever on a Mac, an Apple-designed full-size keyboard which is dramatically thinner and highly responsive. With this launch, for the first time, MacBook is available in three finishes—gold, silver and space grey.

For India, the MacBook will begin shipping on Friday, 10th April through select Apple Authorised Resellers. The new notebook comes in two variants – one with a 1.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.4 GHz, 8GB of memory, 256GB of flash storage and Intel HD Graphics 5300. It is priced starting Rs. 99,900.

The second, and the more powerful variant, comes with a 1.2 GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.6GHz, 8GB of memory, 512GB of flash storage and Intel HD Graphics 5300 is priced starting Rs. 119,900.

Stay tuned, more details coming up soon.

March 10, 2015
Apple Outs its Lightest, Thinnest Notebook Ever; Meet the ‘MacBook’

Apple’s Spring Forward event, recently dubbed as the ‘Apple Event’, will soon be renamed the ‘MacBook Event.’ We were looking forward to a slew of major announcements about the Apple Watch, but instead we were introduced to the new MacBook. Yes, that’s the name. It has been simply named ‘MacBook.’

The new notebook, weighs a mere 2 pounds (lightest ever.) It comes with the beautiful retina with edge-to-edge glass covered 12-inch display with a 2304 x 1440 resolution. It’s as thin as 13.1mm thin, compared to 17.3mm of the MacBook Air. It’s 24 percent thinner than the Air, the company mentioned at the event.

The new MacBook has an all-new, full-size keyboard that’s been reengineered from the ground up. One of the most interesting aspects about the newly unveiled device is the fact that it comes with a Force Touch trackpad. Force Touch was introduced with the Apple Watch, it is the mechanism which senses pressure. The Force Touch trackpad has force sensors that detect how much pressure you apply on its surface. So basically, it can tell the difference between a light tap and a deep press.

The keyboard comes with a brand new backlighting system, with every key having its own LED light. It helps the entire keyboard get a uniform glow. Not only does this save space, but it also allows the new MacBook to run in silence. The company claims to have added a new, custom-shaped battery maximizes every millimeter of space, helping the MacBook achieve an all-day battery life.

Another first from the company, it has used USB-C a third the size of a standard USB cable (more on that later.) The Macbook comes in two variants, 256GB (1.2GHz Intel Core M) priced at $1299 and the second configuration for $1599 features the 12-inch Retina display, 1.2GHz Intel Core M, Intel HD Graphics 5300, 8GB memory, and 512GB of flash storage.

The MacBook starts shipping on 10th April 2015.

March 9, 2015
Apple Online Store Temporarily Down; New Devices on the Horizon

We’ve already discussed what we’re expecting to see at Apple’s Spring Forward event, in detail. It’s scheduled for tonight and will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. We’re mostly expecting to see Tim Cook on stage reveal more details about the Apple Watch, and maybe a refreshed MacBook. But is an event by the Cupertino-based company ever complete without a few surprises?

Apple’s online store is currently down, they’ve left a message which reads, “We’ll be Back.” From our experience, Apple shutting shop means one thing – it’s going to reopen with a bang!

We had reported that the Apple Watch would only be available for purchase by April 2015, but it seems like the company might’ve managed to move the date up. Earlier today, reports had also surfaced about Apple’s own music streaming service. The company had acquired Beats by Dr Dre for a whopping $3.2 Billion dollars early last year. We’ve been waiting to see what it has decided to make of the same; our questions may be answered tonight.

Luckily, we don’t have to wait too long. Make sure to log in tonight as iGyaan will be reporting the events as they unfold.

March 9, 2015