Apple HomeKit Powers On With iDevices Switch Smart Plug

iDevices Switch – World’s First HomeKit Enabled Plug

Users of iPhone and iPad who have been waiting anxiously for news in the HomeKit connected product space, after Apple’s announcement at WWDC 2014 and CES 2015 will be seeing new consumer electronics making way in the market which includes the first devise compatible with Apple’s smart home feature.

The iDevices Switch has been described as `the world’s first HomeKit enabled plug’ helping users to control connected appliances with the help of Siri. The iDevices Switch specifically is a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connected plug which interfaces with the wall outlet and to connect the appliance, one could plug it into the electrical outlet on the wall and plug your lamp, fan, or any appliance or device needed to power in the Switch.

The iDevices Switch can connect to home Wi-Fi network, interfacing with the iDevices Connected iOS app and is compatible with Apple’s HomeKit features. This indicates that users could also use Siri commands from iOS 8 with the capabilities to power appliances on or off by only talking to the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Connected to Home Network – Wi-Fi/Bluetooth

The Switch is not the first smart plug, Many others namely Belkin, D-Link to mention a few have sold connected power plugs for several years. There is not much difference on the premise behind Switch, than its predecessors and due to networking capabilities, built in the outlet hardware, one can use the smartphone in order to manage things plugged into the Switch.

The Switch can connect to home network via Wi-Fi and through Bluetooth can also connect to other devices which do not have Wi-Fi. For instance, smart door locks usually tend to run on batteries since hardwiring is not practical for several residential door designs and to save power, majority of the smart locks utilise Bluetooth which connect to the phone and relies on some type of hub in order to get out to larger internet. Since it incorporated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the iDevices’ Switch acts as the hub.

Stand alone Product

Schlage, lock-maker will have a connected HomeKit compatible lock which could take advantage of this feature. The Switch operates as a standalone product which does not need any additional hub, subscription service or any add-ons and its connected app moreover adds the ability to schedule as well as automate tasks with the iDevices Switch, thereby saving the user from manually controlling it.

The company is likely to schedule the shipping in the first half of this year, with its demo conducted at CES, though its pricing is not yet disclosed. Potential consumers interested in following the availability of the Switch could sign up at the bottom of its product page, to receive notification for product updates.

Besides, iDevices’ announcement of HomeKit enabled smart plug at CES, iHome too shares its plans bringing in its own iSP5 SmartPlug in the market with a demo at the Consumer electronics Show soon, though no announcement with regards to its pricing and availability has been revealed. Some are speculating that the Switch would be costing $49.99 when it will be made available later this year. The Switch also will have a built in colour customizable night light, a charming touch added to it.

The First Great Apple Watch Accessory

Several companies are gearing up to get on the Apple Watch bandwagon and the dock called by Standzout as `first great Apple Watch accessory will be capable of charging the Apple Watch with induction charging plate which will hold the timepiece. Standzout will be introducing a versatile dock together with inductive charging as well as pivoting stand for its upcoming Apple Watch and its Bandstand Apple Watch Dock would be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2015.

It gets its power from a wire in the dock’s base which is inclusive of two USB ports for recharging other devices like iPad or iPhone. Moreover, the platform also pivots so that one can tilt the Apple Watch if desired to do so.

The Apple Watch would be on the wrist most of the time and one is not likely to dock it for view information when the same information is available on other iOS devices and with a battery already installed in the Apple Watch, it would not take more than an hour or so to recharge the timepiece. Standzout will be showing the Apple Watch dock which would rely on an induction charging plate in order to power the device as it holds the timepiece in place.

Pair of USB Ports/Pivot Stand

Besides this, there will also be a pair of USB ports which would help the user in making use of the dock in order to charge up other devices where an Apple user undoubtedly would be in possession of an iPhone or iPad as well. It has been rumoured that Apple is planning to launch this new entry on Valentine’s Day and it is presumed that the Bandstand Watch Dock would not be the last but probably, one of the first of several other accessories which would be released over a period of time.

It is just a matter of time and we need to wait and watch before the launch comes through for the latest entry and the Bandstand is just what one is looking forward to, a stand for the Apple Watch for charging as well as two other USB devices like the iPad or iPhone wherein the stand pivots the watch to enable its use while being charged at the same time. Users are anxiously awaiting the arrival of this new launch.

Launch at – CES 2015

On launching the `first great Apple Watch accessory’ at CES 2015, the company is planning to sell dock that is equipped with a wireless charging technology with extra USB ports also for charging additional devices together with a pivoting stand enabling adjustment as per the requirement of the user. According to the developer, it has been designed from the ground up making the experience of charging and using Apple Watch, a much better one.

Moreover, the inductive charge which is built in the stand makes it easy and simple for charging as well as taking off the watch and drop it on the stand. It is provided with an LED light to enable the user to locate it in the dark where the brightness can be adjusted. The bandstand which works off on an induction charging plate, seems to be an appropriate choice for a charging platform though to get to know it better it would be essential to field test it with the real thing.

iOgrapher iPhone and iPad camera platform

iOgrapher, made for iOS devices, is an adaptable camera platform which can be equipped with various aftermarket lenses, microphones as well as other equipment which can change Apple’s mobile product range in a portable movie making studio. Fitted with premium optics, and backed by state of the art sensors as well as bespoke image processing technology together with a vast app store, the iOS devices are the most flexible portable camera systems in the market.

More focus is given to iPhones, which is seen on car commercial shots on Apple’s handset since the devices are usually one generation ahead of flagship iPad model with regards to camera capabilities though the tablet range is making much headway. Irrespective if one is an iPhone or iPad user, iOgrapher is developed to serve both with its light as well as flexible platform, capable of accepting aftermarket lenses, microphones, lamps etc.

While other camera mounts would need a case or a magnetic attachment for the lenses, the iOgrapher is a simple moulded plastic case that has handles and threaded brass to receive 37mm lenses and presently works with iPhone 5/5s, iPad Air, iPad 2/3/4 as well as iPad mini/mini 2/mini 3.

Device Tested for Both Form Factors

The device has been tested for both form factors with iPhone 5 and iPad mini and both the models have a relatively flat low profile polycarbonate moulded case with handles and threaded brass inserts for tripod mounting. Each accept 37mm lenses though the smaller version of iPhone only tends to support two cold-shoe mounts when compared to the iPad mini 3.

The two handles are excellent to grip, providing stability to the video and work very well with favoured video recording app. Good results are seen using Hyperlapse, exporting at 1x. At the time of testing, a RODE shotgun microphone as well as a Manfrotto 24 LED lamp was mounted to the cold-shoe mounts and at the time of taking photographs, it was found that a wide angled and macro lenses provided the best result. While filming, the wide angle or fisheye, does provide excellent result and the microphone and the light tend to be very useful while performing the video shoot.

Light and Easy to Operate 

The iOgrapher is light and easy to operate with the provision of two cold shoes, though not pretty. While on the iPad mini mode, though three cold shoe mounts are present, one may only be capable of using two, based on the width of the accessory connected and the lamp with the microphone are both wide enough to avoid using all three mounts simultaneously.

It is essential to be aware of a few things, when faced with some difficulty with the threads for the first time on using a lens. The brass being soft one should go slow ensuring that the threads are lined up so as to avoid cross thread and then taking the lens off, ensure to blow away any brass dust after use. Moreover while using an external microphone check whether the RODE is connected through the headphone jack or a lightning connected microphone using the Airplane mode. A distorted noise may interrupt a recording with any incoming notification sound that may come up.

Apple in Talks with UK Banks to Launch Apple Pay

According to recent reports, The Telegraph, top banks all over UK are presently negotiating with Apple, for the launch of Apple Pay during the first half of 2015. Sources have disclosed that the major banks have called for privacy concerns over personal and financial information of users but have admitted that they are positive with regards to the impact the service has made in the United States.

The bank is not comfortable with the amount of personal and financial information of the customers, that Apple collects and some executive are apprehensive that Apple Pay and the data it delivers to Apple could serve as a cause for an invasion of the banking industry.

This information comes in after Apple had posted a job listing for Apple Pay Intern somewhere early this month which indicated that the company is striving to work hard in the expansion of its payment service across Africa, Europe, India and Middle East.

In September, Visa had also stated that it would be working with Apple to roll out Apple Pay across Europe in 2015 while e-commerce giant Alibaba has also been negotiating with Apple over a partnership which would bring about the service to China

Established Near Field Communication Technology

According to The Telegraph, Apple has hopes of launching Apple Pay in the first half of 2015 where negotiations are reported to be tricky, as at least one of Britain’s major banks has been reluctant to share too much information with Apple to launch its tap to pay service.

Apple Pay had already been launched off in the U.S., in October and had become the largest NFC based mobile payment service in the market where various competitors had already been established and in November, Apple Pay was accounted for 1% of all digital payment dollars. Apple Pay has seen adoption at various popular retailers and restaurants in the U.S. which include McDonalds, Macy’s Subway, Walgreens, Whole Foods, Nike to mention a few.

Presently Apple Pay depends on established near field communication technology and users have found that they can use the capability at some NFC terminals internationally though the tap to pay functions present in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus operates only if the device is set up properly with American credit cards.

Compatible with Global Systems

Presently Apple Pay is limited to the U.S. though the job listings in Europe and China indicate an international rollout is in progress and Apple has not disclosed any specific launch for international availability.The fact is that Apple Pay has already been compatible with global systems indicating that the international roll out of Apple’s mobile payment service is not affected by technology or point of sale systems.

On the contrary, Apple should forge agreement with credit card issuers and banks ensuring compatibility all across the globe. Sources have accepted that no major bank would want to miss out on Apple Pay though early indications from the United States show that it may be the service to ultimately convince the consumers to pay with their mobile phones.

Apple’s iCloud Photo Library

With Apple’s announcement of discontinuing Aperture and iPhoto for Mac, the iCloud Photo Library stores which was first introduced during WWDC, for photos and videos that a user takes in iCloud, will be available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch as well as Macs through iCloud.com. iCloudPhoto Library beta is made available with iOS 8.1, a new iCloud Photos app, available to all users within iCloud.com.

This will function with the Photos app which Apple is developing for Mac and is probably expected to come in early this coming year. Till iCloud Photo Library comes out of beta with proper OS X counterpart, next year, the prevailing photo experience on iOS as well as the Mac would be confusing and users have the liberty of turning on iCloud Photo Library – Beta, though they also have the option to keep Photo Stream which is likely to disappear at some point of time somewhere next year.

Should the user opt to leave iCloud Photo Library off, the old Photo Stream paradigm would stay in place which will save the last 30 days of photos to the cloud or atleast the last 1000 pictures, whichever would be more, that may not have been counted against iCloud storage and Photo Stream may have not saved videos.

Photo Stream – Compatibility on all Devices

The advantage of Photo Stream is its compatibility on all devices which includes Mac and any new photo that may have been taken on iPhone or iPad, would show up in the Photo Stream in iPhoto, Aperture or any other IOS devices that are associated with the account.

 Its limit is 1000 photo/30 day though if one remembers to open iPhoto and enable Photo Stream syncing;all the photos tend to get saved on the Mac and not just the previous 30 days. The present form of iCloud Photo Library would save all the photos as well as the videos to the cloud and is limited only by the current available iCloud storage.

Photos would tend to sync between the iOS device such as Photo Stream though will not show up in iPhoto or Aperture on the Mac and users could access their iCloud Photo library through the web and upload photos from the web interface. To enable iCloud Photo library, users could go to the Settings app on the iOS device and opt for iCloud and then tap on the Photos section beneath the iCloud Drive in the list.

Full Quality of Photo Saved to the Cloud/Device

Before enabling iCloud Photo Library, note that it is presently a beta product. Then move the top slider, enable iCloud Photo, which will update the photo library on the device thatwill take a few minutes. When the same in enabled, users could choose to have the full quality photo saved to the cloud as well as an optimized version kept on the device for preservation of space.

Should one continue to use Photo Stream on a Mac, enable `Upload to My Photo Stream’, on the menu and the Photo Stream can be viewed on the device though it will be available in iPhoto and Aperture on Mac. Once iCloud Photo Library is enabled, the Photos app on iOS device will tend to appear in a different manner.

Apple’s New Position for ApplePay Site Reliability Engineer

The latest Apple mobile payment service was launched in October with a few official partners and has signed on around 500 new banks since the announcement of Apple Pay. It was reported that Apple has recently advertised a new position in Shanghai for an `ApplePay Site Reliability Engineer’ and the 40 hour per week role would need collaboration with the peers in the U.S as well as in Europe to what has been identified by Apple as a `follow-the-sun team’.

Since Apple Pay was debuted in the U.S, presently the NFC based contactless payment service remains only for America, though a series of new hires indicate that Apple would be planning a quick global expansion of the fledgling service. Besides the Shanghai based engineer position Apple Pay job listing of another kind for a London based intern was also reported where a core Apple Pay team for EMEIA operations had been set who are now looking out for support with more routine legal aspect of the project.

The advertisement revealed Apple’s plans to launch Apple Pay across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The advertisement reads `specifically to support execution of multiple NDAs and contract with third party partners’. It is said that the Shanghai post would be focusing on the `front line customer experience according to Apple as well as back end integration of systems with network and banking partners.

No Indication of Time Frame on Apple Pay Launch – Outside US

The position description states that `as a member of the Apple pay SRE team, one is expected to not just find the issues, but to write code and fix them. They will be in all phases and layers of the application and have a direct impact on the experience of millions of customers’.

The requirements needed for the post is a minimum of five years’ experience on engineering in Java or any other object oriented language as well as five years with relational databases and no-SQL. Besides this the candidate should have a degree of Bachelor of Science in computer science or an equivalent industry experience.

Though the company is gearing up for an international debut of its mobile payment system behind the scene, it has not indicated any time frame on when and where Apple Pay would be launched outside the U.S.

Apple Pay Compatible with Global Systems

Most of the focus is on China where Jack Ma, the Chief Executive of Alibaba is keen on pushing in for a partnership between Apple Pay and his company’s AliPay service. Since Apple is dependent on established near field communication technology, consumers have realised that they can use the capability internationally, at some NFC terminals though they may have found out that the tap-to-pay functions found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus can function only if the device is set up with American credit cards.

However the fact remains that Apple Pay is compatible already with global systems highlighting the fact that the international roll-out service of mobile payments system of Apples’ is not hampered by technology or point of sale system and Apple should forge an agreement with the banks as well as credit card issuers making it compatible all across the globe.

Apple’s New iPad 2 Campaign

Apple has recently released a new iPad Air 2 campaign at the Sunday football showcasing various physical as well as software applications for the iPad Air 2. Featuring the title `Change’, the ad features a significant change in the marketing campaign of the company for its flagship tablet and is a departure from last year’s iPad Air which was focused on a single user.

Apple had previously promoted the iPad Air and iPad mini through its `Your Verse’, campaign and highlighted a single use case for the iPad in every ad of the campaign, in a particular field or discipline like mountaineering, sports training, marine biology, Bollywood choreography, music competition, travel writing and urban activism.

This new entry is not just the thinnest and lightest iPad created, but also the most powerful. From the studio to the classroom, the field to the garage, it helps individuals to identify new and improved ways to the various performances of their choice.

The original iPad when introduced four years ago set the standard for thinness and lightness and since then it has become even thinner and lighter which is due to its durable aluminium unibody. All Apple products are made from highly recyclable materials like aluminium and hence great efforts have been done to exclude harmful toxins from their components.

Colours Richer/Images Vivid & Sharper

The previous generation displays of iPads had used three separate components and iPad Air 2 has changed it all combining those three layers into only one which eliminates spaces between layers together with the internal reflectance due to those gaps.

The outcome is that the colours are richer, with great contrast while the images tend to get more vivid and sharper. The iPad Air 2 has a custom designed anti-reflective coating which reduces the glare by fifty six percent thus making it the least reflective tablet at present. Beside this, it is clearer and more readable in any kind of an environment such as office, classroom or even outdoors. Much attention is paid to the back of the iPad as it is done to the front with the anodized aluminium body of the iPad 2 which comes in three awesome metallic finishes which includes space gray, silver and gold.
Tagline `Change is in the Air’

Set to The Orwell’s - `Who Needs You’, this minute long ad which is similar to Apple’s `Dreams’ TV ad for iPhone 5s portrays a variety of instances across various settings wherein the iPad Air 2 is utilised in novel ways and the ad focuses on highlighting the device’s thinnest as well the lightness before summing with the tagline `Change is in the Air’.

Moreover the ad also promotes the webpage for the new campaign, apple.com/change and also features the iPad apps that are used in the ad which include Tayasui Sketches, AutoCAD 360, Post-it-Plus, iStopMotion for iPad, INSA’s GIF-ITI Viewer, OBD Fusion, Molecules by Theodore Gray and Animation Creator HD.

The TV ad of the new iPad Air 2 comes a couple of weeks after the release of the three TV ads for its Flagship smartphone, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus featuring the voices of Justin Timberlake and Jimmy  Fallon.

 

Apple’s Changes in Policies on Notification Centre Widgets

Apple seems to have ordered another developer to make changes in its nebulous policies on Notification Centre widgets, informing Drafts developer Agile Tortoise that the app’s widget is not permitted to be used in creating drafts or opening the Drafts app.

Developer Greg Pierce in his tweet stated that he has been asked to re-submit Draft without functionality for opening the app or creating a new one, which essentially removes all the features of the Notification Centre Widget. Earlier the indecisiveness of the company for widgets led to an app known as `Launcher being pulled from sale’, with a similar fate met by the popular pCalc widget till Apple changed it. The widget on focus today was created by Pierce which is part of the popular note taking app `Draft’, enabling users to create new entries in the app.

This is done by pressing a button in the widget that opens the app’s composer. The introduction of Drafts 4 in October is an update to the existing Draft app presently and helps users to post a variety of social networks as well as perform various actions with notes such as the creating of emails, messages, calendar event and much more.

Drafts Faced Confusing Restrictions and Rules

The Draft app widget like other several apps having Notification Centre app permits users to open the app directly creating new draft or draft from the clipboard. In fact it has very little function in the Notification Centre besides opening up the Drafts app which earlier was like an acceptable use of the Notification Centre.

Pierce states that he was told that the present view in the Notification Centre is `for information presentation only’, which could be a point of view in ruling out the almost all Notification Center apps and he draws the attention that there are many similar apps which offer the same widget function as Drafts, like the Evernote which enables users to launch the Evernote app together with new notes besides other content within the Notification Center.

Draft is one of the numbers of apps,which has come across confusing restrictions and rules that were delivered by the review team of Apple’s app. Apple had told pCalc developers in October that calculator functions were not allowed in the Notification Center before a change in decision a few weeks ago, informing Neato to remove the note taking functions from its Notification Center widget.

Apple’s App Extensive Guidelines

The Extension Guidelines of Apple’s App recommends that the Notification Widgets should have a `simple streamlined UI’ with `limited number of interactive items’, though the vague language could lead the developers in spending time and effort in the creation of a variety of useful functions which are eventually not permitted since Apple seems to refine how it needs the Notification Center to be used.

It is not known why Drafts has been removed out by Apple’s app review team since it offer similar functions as other widgets. However if the Draft widget is singled out, there is a possibility that several other similar widgets would be in danger of getting into violation of the Notification Center widget rules.

Apple’s Patent – Fall Protection System

Apple was recently awarded a patent which covered the futuristic iPhone protection system that can detect when a phone is dropped, calculate an estimated point of impact and move its centre of gravity to avoid striking sensitive components.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted the patent for `protective mechanism for an electronic device’, that seems to protect expensive computer hardware from dropping accidentally which has become a familiar problem with the latest slim iPhone designs.

Apple’s latest invention not only estimates where a device may make an impact but also actively shifts the unit’s centre of gravity in order to protect the sensitive components such as glass screens as well as the camera and save them from being damaged.

Apples’ system relies on sensors as mentioned in the patent text to physically monitor device activity and positioning with accepted embodiment leverage on-board accelerometers, gyroscopes and GPS that are incorporated already in the new iPhone and iPad models though more advanced designs would be needed for ultrasonic sensors besides other things.

Generated by Positioning of Sensors

The data that is fed in is generated by the positioning of sensors to a central processing unit enabling quick and accurate device positioning determination as it applies to a state of free-fall and when such a situation is detected, the sensors and processor function together measuring the speed of the decent, the time to impact, together with orientation and other metrics.

The processor could then conduct an analysis of the fall by taking the gathered data into consideration against embedded information stored in the device memory. On completion of the calculation, the system then activates a protective mechanism designed to re-position the device in mid-air in order to provide the least damage to the fragile component.

The main example utilises a motor accompanied with eccentric mass which enables to impart a force on a falling phone’s rotational axis thus causing it to land on a preferred site like on its side or back.

Vibrator motor – Adequate to change Angular Momentum

The vibration motor of an iPhone is adequate to change the angular momentum of an iPhone spinning in a free-fall and based on the rate of the spin, angular velocity, time to impact together with other factors, the vibration motor could be powered at higher rotational speed than the normal, thereby effectively managing the momentum and eventually landing angle.

The recent iPhone 6 and 6 Plus of Apple incorporated bespoke linear oscillating motors which do not use eccentrically connected rotational mass while previous model did which means that the patent can easily be worked in to an upcoming variant.

Other exotic embodiments comprises of internal mechanisms which latch on or jettison headphone cables in a free-fall incident while some others involve motors capable of extending and retracting foils in the air or aerodynamic surfaces in controlling landings.

Moving ahead into unconventional are miniaturized gas canister which exert thrust forces in slowing down a fall and moving the weights along an internal track through linear motors. The official patent credit has been granted to Nicholas V King and Fletcher Rothkopf as its inventors.

Apple Macs with Latest Graphic and Processor Technology

Apple Macs are some of the most advanced computers in the market with the latest graphic and processor technology. Macs are excellent for gaming and besides Apple Store, there are a variety of collection of games on several high profile publishers who are committed to Mac gaming. When gaming on Mac one could check on all the Apple Mac models and opt for the one which is the best for playing games.

Choosing a Mac with the best graphics card is not a difficult task and it is the new Mac Pro with Dual AMD FireProD500 with 3GB GDDR5 which makes a good option. One can also upgrade the graphics cards to Dual AMD FirePro D700 with 5GB of GDDR VRAM with additional cost if interested in enhancing the game. MacBook Air, Mac mini, MacBook Pro – non Retina and Entry level iMac all use Intel HD Graphics cards rather than Intel Iris or NVIDIA. To get the right Mac for gaming also depends on other internal hardware besides the graphics card. Apple utilises two main forms of Intel chip in its computers namely the Intel i5 and Intel i7 with clock speed between 2.7 GHz and 3.4 GHz which are sold in either dual core or quad core configuration.

High End Video Card Graphics Performance

An interesting fact with regards to the game is that it does not depend on cores as raw processing power and most of the games do not take advantage on the availability of the cores but the CPU speed seems to be the important factor. Playing the new video games has a heavy demand on the computer in terms of graphics as well as processor performance and hence it is important to get a Mac with sufficient power.

Besides this, speed being the main factor across the boards, it is essential to have a fast hard drive or Flash Drive which is also known as solid state drive or SSD. Due to its visual medium, excellent display is also essential. Video games tend to have the latest in high end video card graphics performance and Apple utilises three varieties of graphic cards in its computers: Intel HD Graphic 4000/5000, Intel Iris/Iris Pro Graphics, NVDIA GeForce GT750M & GT750M, Dual AMD FirePro D300 and D500.

Intel HD Graphics 4000/5000 – Integrated Graphic Card

While the Intel HD Graphics 4000 and 5000 tend to be an integrated graphic card, NVIDIA card which is found in the higher end MacBook Pros and iMacs seems to be discreet together with the Dual AMD FirePro in the Mac Pro which means that the graphics card is independent from the main CPU. Hence it tends to act as a second card instead of drawing power from the main CPU and for playing the latest high end games one could opt for a Mac with a NVIDIA GeForce graphics card.

Once the Mac is chosen, one needs to know where to get the games and which ones to purchase which are direct from the Mac App Store and seems to have some of the best selection of various forms of options. Another option to buy games is from Steam which is an online portal developed and managed by Valve while Feral Interactive also distributes several Mac games having some of the most recent releases available.

Apple’s Latest Virtual Reality Project

Apple is known for developing technologies and is reportedly working on project that is related to virtual reality which has become obvious with the job listing posted for a virtual reality developer. Apple has focused on many tech markets right from phones to music players together with its upcoming smart watch and is now heading towards the world of virtual reality.

For the creation of the virtual world, advanced technologies are essential and the very basis of virtual reality is a combination of software, hardware together with electronics. Earlier this year, Apple had filed for a patent application connected to head mounted virtual reality goggles, and many are speculating on this issue.

According to the listing, the app engineer would be designing the `next generation software experience, creating high performance apps which would integrate with Virtual Reality system, for prototyping and user testing’ and would be working with the team in the firm’s Santa Clara Valley office. The tech company while developing technologies preferred a slow and steady way in being the first in its endeavor.

Oculus Rift and Samsung’s Gear VR

The iPhone was not the first smartphone though as Tim Cook, Apple CEO said, was the first modern smartphone. Apple Pay also was not the first payment platform but several believed that it could be the technology which will eventually bring about mobile payments to the mainstream. It is not clear whether the company is planning to develop hardware and software and an Apple headset would compete with Oculus Rift and Samsung’s Gear VR.

The patent which was published in December suggested that the firm did not have ambitions for a head mounted display and the patent first filed in May 2007.stated `goggle system for providing a personal media viewing experience to a user’.

Apple informed that the goggle system may resemble ski or motorcycle goggles and for enhancing the comfort of the user, the goggle system would include breathable components’, which included breathable foam which would rest against the user’s face.

Recent VR Firm Jaunt Release

VR firm Jaunt recently released its first cinematic virtual reality release a gig of Paul McCartney in San Francisco which was filmed during summer where the Jaunt camera system recorded simultaneously a 3D stereoscopic video in all directions coupled with 3D sound field microphones.. The computational photography algorithms was used by the team to process the recorded video by adjusting the angles and colours to make it appear more immersive and the footage is now made available as a free app from Google Play.

 It works with Google’s Cardboard and the gig will be available for Samsung’s Gear VR as well as Oculus Rift very soon. Apple could use its experience with iTunes if intending to enter the cinematic CR market as opposed the gaming VR industry. Right now it is not clear on what exactly Apple is trying to work on. Companies tend to file patents all the time but sometimes do not end in accomplishing it though it is clear that Apple is getting serious on its next venture on virtual reality and we need to wait and watch to know the outcome of their plans.

Apple Just Revealed Lots More Info About the Apple Watch

Apple Reveals Details on Wearable

Apple, who had refrained from disclosure on details about its first wearable, has now revealed some of the secrets of the apple Watch. The company which will be launching the Apple Watch early next year has revealed a few details about the device when it pushed out WatchKit.

 The detailed software development kit – SDK aims at many key aspects of the wearable which comprises of resolutions, screen sizes and the overall app experience of the Watch. The new set of tools has plenty of specification on the function of the Apple Watch once it eventually comes to the stores.

The most interesting details is the resolution of the Apple Watch where the smaller 38mm watch would be offering a 272 x 340 pixel display while the slightly larger 42mm option offers a resolution of 312 x 390 pixels which by comparison, the Moto 360 offers a 1.56 inch screen with a 320 x 290 pixel resolution and LG’s G Watch R provides a 1.3 inch 320 x 320 pixel display.

It also revealed how the Apple Watch would work and obtaining quick notification on the device would be simple as raising the wrist for short look though if one keeps the wrist up for a longer time, it would automatically get more information from any app which would arrest your attention which according to Apple is termed as `long look’. This offers developers more option for customization.

Smartwatch an Extension of a Smartphone 

According to the company, `a Watch app complements an iOS app and does not replace it’. The iPhone is a requirement if one intends to use what are Apple Watch’s most advanced apps which will essentially run on iPhone and the smartwatch would be an extension of a smartphone.

All are aware of the two sizes of Apple Watch which is their heights and not width and now are aware of their display resolutions. Apple states that these are good resolutions which can be labelled as Retina display and are said to be a feature of the watch though it is not known how sharp the displays would be.

Some are of the opinion that the Apple Watch screen clarity would be on the level of the iPhone 5, which has a more hi-res display than the iPads and MacBook Pros and in such a case, Apple Watch would have a better display than the prevailing smartwatch market leader, Samsung Gear S.

The Short Look/The Long Look

Apple has set the interface of Apple Watch like a website instead of a smartphone which would make it easier for the developer to adjust their apps to function on larger or smaller watches occasionally later on.

As per Apple’s developers site, San Francisco, the new font was `designed specifically for legibility on Apple Watch’ and the sans serif font seems a bit like Arial and is meant to utilise less horizontal space. Apple has provided users with a preview of how notifications would work during the unveiling of the Apple Watch, though we are aware of more details now.

There are two forms of looks – the Short Look which provides a brief discreet, minimal amount of information when the wrist is raised and the Long Look which provides more information if one taps on a Short Look notification or keep the wrist held up.

Apple’s Two Lens System – Next Generation iPhone

At the Daring Fireball’s John Grubers’ most recent episode of The Talk Show podcast, it was revealed that Apple has been working on a two lens system, incorporating it in the next generation iPhone. Gruber states that `the specific thing heard is that next year’s camera would be the biggest camera jump ever and that it is not known what sense it makes but it is some kind of weird two lens system where the back camera uses two lenses and somehow takes it up into DSLR quality imagery’.

The purpose of utilising multi lens imaging system in making up for a smartphone’s small form is the recent development. HTC had unveiled in March, the One M8 with the `Duo camera’ setup using a secondary imaging sensor for depth data. Corephotonics, an amazing start-up which was profiled by Engadget earlier this year has a different approach.

It developed a dual lens module along with two distinct focal lengths, negating effectively, resolution drops connected with digital zooming. While one camera is used for wide shots, the other is used for close-ups and as an additional bonus; the system also provides spatial data for a 3D imagery due to its lens offset.

The Corephotonics System – Two Lenses 

The Corephotonics system, with two lenses, compares images which are taken from both, opting for the clearest pixels for the best overall photo and utilising a lens which only snaps black and white images thereby improving fidelity and enabling additional light. With little information on Apple’s actual progress for its next generation iPhone, it is difficult to say whether a two lens system would be working in the same way as mentioned.

 Nonetheless, the two lens cameras are a new frontier which manufacturers are exploring to improve image quality keeping the devices slim.The most popular camera choice on image sharing site Flickr has been Apple’s iPhone for a long time since Apple has embraced iPhone photography. Individual new iPhone iteration includes tremendous camera improvements with its `S’ updates bringing about the tremendous improvements.

For instance, with the iPhone 4s, Apple introduced an improved 8 megapixel camera which showed a large jump in quality of the iPhone 4 camera and with the iPhone 5s, the company included an improved sensor an aperture of f/2.2, which is a True Tone flash feature with better autofocus along with a new `Slo-Mo’ mode.

Impressive Camera Improvements – iPhone 6 & 6 Plus

The company has also introduced some impressive camera improvements in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus which include a new Apple designed image signal processor along with Focus Pixels though there is a possibility that even better camera improvements are being saved for the introduction of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in the year 2015.

Recently, Apple supplier Sony had unveiled a new 21 megapixel `stacked’ sensor together with ultra-fast autofocus and 4K HDR video and while the 21 megapixel version would probably make its way in iOS devices, there is a possibility that Apple’s next iPhone would be incorporated in the upcoming Sony 16 megapixel sensor which would include the same features.

Next iPhone Killer Camera Will Come with 21MP Image Sensor Made by Sony

Apple Supplier Sony Unveils Updated Stacked CMOS Image Sensor


AppleSupplier Sony, has recently unveiled an updated stacked CMOS image sensor for smartphones, featuring 32 effective megapixels, on-chip phase detection AF and 4K video recording. The chip is said to be 1/2.4 inch type with square pixels which measures about 1.12um x 1.12um each with video of up to 4K resolution available with HDR function which is also available in still mode. Sony’s previously introduced HDR movie feature now makes its way to this chip.

The sensor utilises a backside illuminated configuration which was earlier introduced by Sony known as Exmor RS with layer of signal processing circuits beneath a layer of backside illuminated pixels and boasts of a total of about 192 AF points with signal processing which is incorporated in the image sensor.

The on-sensor phase tends to detect autofocus and processing eventually resulting in faster and a much accurate autofocus together with improved subject tracking. A mention is also made in a press release of another upcoming sensor, which is a 16 MP stacked sensor having phase-detection AF which would be coming up by the end of the next fiscal year and the IMX230 unit would be shipped by April 2015.


IMX230 Sensor – First CMO Sensor

Apple has been using Sony sensors for its iPhone and iPads and hence it is likely that Sony’s stacked sensor technology would be used in the iOS devices in the near future. The 21 megapixel Exmor RS IMX230 sensor is created with a chip which stacks a pixel section with a circuit section on top of one another enabling Sony to build improvements in each aspect of the individual sensor resulting in dramatic improvements.

Since 2012, Sony has been stacking sensor technology though the latest sensor would be introducing new autofocus together with HDR technology. As per Sony, the IMX230 sensor is the first CMO sensor for smartphone which has plane detection autofocus signal processing providing a much faster tracking of moving subjects which occur instantaneously.

The sensor which supports a full 21 megapixel HDR images and 4K HDR video results in improved lighting in high contrast scenes and the High Dynamic Range – HDR imaging captures images with different exposures together into one image which improves the detail and colour.


Sony’s Plan for 16 Megapixels Version of IMX230


High megapixel sensors are not used by Apple in its iPhone or iPad and Sony has plans in producing a 16 megapixel version of the IMX230 by 2015 which would be just right for iOS devices. There is a possibility that Apple would use the 16 megapixel version of the IMX230 in the 2015 iPhone 6s as well as 6s Plus though it could also be possible that the sensor would not be used till 2016 or later on since Apple tends to utilise older sensors in its devices.

The sensor used in the present iPhone and iPad is not known though camera experts are of the opinion that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have the Sony ISX014 sensor which is an 8 megapixel sensor that was first introduced by Sony in October 2012.

Swype Keyboard – Updated Version of App

Nuance Communication, Inc. has announced that its famous Swype keyboard for iPhone, iPod and iPad touch users with iOS8 would be available now in over 20 languages. Those iPhone and iPad users preferring Swype’s iOS keyboard will find more to tap into, in the updated version of the app.

Other features also include new intuitive emoji support besides the new keyboard layouts. iPad users can access all available Swype themes and its continuous touch technology will bring about a change in the way people feed in text on the smartphone which became the top paid third party keyboard within 24 hours of its launch on the App Store.

Swype is one of the many third party keyboards which have come up since Apple opened support for them in iOS 8 and though the built-in keyboard of Apple provides predictive typing as well as other features, some of the third party keyboard provides additional functionality like gesture based type and Swype is one of them.

Version 1.1 of Swype was released recently adding a number of features and tweaks for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users and one have the option of choosing from 21 languages which include 16 new ones which are available for download.

New Keyboard Layouts

Nuance Communication. Inc., has been a leading provider of voice and language solution for all businesses as well as consumers across the world and its technologies, applications and services has provided the users with enhanced way in interacting with devices and system.

Swype is a part of Nuance’s portfolio of touch, voice and natural language understanding innovations which defines new generations of smart systems and personal assistant technologies. People can experience more human conversation with the world’s most updated phone, computers, tablets, cars, TVs apps and service through Nuance technology, from leading manufacturers and operators.

 The app owned by Nuance has added new keyboard layouts which supports AZERTY as well as QWERTZ besides the tradition QWERTY style. `Sound on keypress’ enabled will help to hear a sound while pressing a key or one could opt out of it according to the user’s preference.

New Swype Features

The features for new Swype for iPhone and iPod touch includes –

Expanded Language Support besides English, Italian, German, French and Spanish, Swype has more than 20 languages which include Czech, Dutch, Danish, UK English, Finnish, Greek, Hinglish, Hungarian, Irish, Norwegian, Polish Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Swedish and Turkish.

It has intuitive Emoji input wherein when a message is send to a friend in anexcited mood; Swype automatically suggests the right emoji.

It predicts emoji based on the words entered and if the sender is feeling happy or confused, tenacious or satisfied, Swype tends to get the right emoji to suit the mood.

The Qwerty, Qwertz and Azerty keyboard layout for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch user with iOS 8 and new layout especially for iPad makes it easy to Swype whichever way it is held. All of the Swype’s built in themes are made available for the iPad and users of tablets could choose from the choice of Dark, Light, Sand, Earth and Sun for a different look and feel to the keyboard while other third party keyboards for iOS 8 include Fleksy, Ginger, and SwiftKey keyboard. The app is available at $1 in Apple’s App Store.

Apple’s Web Tool to Deregister Phone Number from Apple’s iMessage System

Latest Apple’s release is a new tool that helps to switch between iOS and other smartphones with ease wherein the new web tool enables to deregister instantly the phone number from Apple’s iMessage system.The website helps to simply edit a phone number and Apple sends you a code through text message which can be entered into a field on the same site to confirm your consent to remove the number from iMessage.

The site first identified by a poster on Reddit, could help to resolve the problem of disappearing text messages. Several former users of iPhone had reported that they had not been receiving text messages from their friends where the problem had cropped up by Apple continuing to route messages through iMessage inspite of users moving on to other devices and since iMessage is proprietary to Apple’s platform those who had switched from iOS and had not disabled iMessage, could not view messages sent from friend with Apple devices.

Several of the users, who experienced this problem, had one option that they had to entirely deregister the old device from their Apple accounts.

Helpful – Switched Platform

This system could now help users who had switched platforms to Android devices making sure that their phone number was not registered to iMessage and that could solve the problems of users who moved away with their iPhones missing messages and still made their way to iMessage though they did not end up on any targeted device.

Many people have been facing this problem who has switched over to Android without completely deactivating iMessage, which was often reported to Apple and also ended in a lawsuit from users facing these issues.

Apple, it is said, has promised software to fix it back in May. The new website of Apple provides instructions for deregistering the phone number prior to divesting yourself of the iPhone which involves going to Setting > Messages and then toggling iMessage to the off position and the new web based tool could be a big help for those who have migrated already and could be facing problems on loss of missing messages.

Two Steps Procedure to Deregister

It could also be helpful for user who would switch between platforms for instance while travelling, or developing and testing mobile software. Should the user face a situation of not having an iPhone but need to remove the number from the iMessage server, then the following two steps procedure could be followed to resolve the issue:

1. The Phone number to deregister from iMessage should be provided and a confirmation code will be sent to the user.

2. On receiving the confirmation code, enter the 6 digit number and submit the same.

If the devices are not switched often, the updated tool may tend to be insignificant though for those users who may swap SIM cards often in different device for the purpose of work, it could make the transition easier. The company had to face a lot of problems earlier this year, due to the disappearing iMessages wherein some users had even gone to the extent of filing a lawsuit against them.

Apple Malware Affects Chinese Users

New Type of Malware - WireLurker

A new type of malware has been discovered by Palo Alto Networks which can infect Apple desktop and mobile operating systems, highlighting the increasing attacks on iPhones as well as Mac computers.

The malware tends to target Mac computers through a third party store before it can copy itself to iOS devices and researchers warn that the malware steals information and is capable of installing other damaging apps.

`WireLurker’ as it is called, is unlike anything that is seen with regards to Apple iOS and OS X malware, according to Ryan Olson, Intelligence director of Palo Alto Network and `the technique in use suggest that bad actors are getting more sophisticated when it comes to exploiting some of the world’s best known desktop and mobile platforms’.

 It also has the potential to transfer from an Apple Mac computer to mobile devices with the use of a USB cord on regular, non-jail broken iOS devices and hop from infected Macs to iPhone.

Attackers – Chinese

Recent statement from Palo Alto Networks report that it has seen indication that the attackers were Chinese and the malware originated from Chinese third party apps store and seemed to affect users in the country.

As per the security firm, the malware can steal a variety of information from mobile devices, it infects and regularly request updates from the attacker’s control server. The company states that it is under active development and its creator’s final goal is not known.

It was first noticed by Palo Alto Networks in June when a developer Tencent a Chinese firm, realised that there were suspicious files and processes occurring on his Mac and iPhone and on further inquiries it was revealed that a total of 467 Mac programs listed on the Maiyadi App Store had been compromised to be included in the malware where they were downloaded 356,104 times till 16th October.

The software that was infected was popular games inclusive of Angry Birds, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, The Sims 3 and Battlefield – Bad Company 2.

Communicates with Command & Control Server

The malware spreads via infected apps that are uploaded to the apps store which in turn were downloaded on Mac computers. Once the malware gets on the Mac, it communicates with a command and control server to check if there is a need to update its code, waiting till an iPhone, iPad or iPod is connected.

If an iOS device is connected, the malware checks it was jail-broken which is a process utilized by some in order to remove some of Apple’s restrictions and if jai-broken, WireLurker then backs up the device’s apps to the Mac, and repackages them with malware, installing the infected versions back on the iOS machine.

If it is not jail-broken, in the case of most of the iOS devices, WireLurker takes advantage of the technique which has been created by Apple to enable businesses to install special software on their employee’s tablets and handsets.

 To reduce the risk of attack, Palo Alto Network have suggested the following: not to download Mac app from third party stores, not to jailbreak iOS devices, not to accept request for new `enterprise provisioning profile’, unless it comes from an authorised party for instance the employer’s IT department, not to connect the iOS device to unreliable computers and accessories to either copy information or charge the machines.

Apple Erasing Samsung’s mobile Profitability

After its years long legal battles over patent infringement, Apple has rapidly erased Samsung’s mobile division profitability, making it very much unprofitable since every other Android or Windows licensee has reduced its margins in the phone, tablet and PC market.

According to MacDailyNews, an iPhone having a larger screen option could hurt Samsung immeasurably more than myriad, unending traipses through the legal morass. According to Daniel Eran Dilger, he reports that while Apple’s critics have been giving the credits to Xiaomi for Samsung’s unprofitability, the South Korean giant’s plummeting profitability is not due to the drop in its low priced, high volume tablets and phones but an implosion of Samsung’s profitable, high end Galaxy S and Note models which directly have been competing with iPhones’.

Samsung had made an announcement of its 73.9% drop in its mobile division profits for the Q3 and analysts have been keeping tab through 2013 on the company’s increasing competitive pressure from Apple on the high end as well as from high volume sales of lower end models being increasingly produced by Chinese companies especially Xiaomi.

Tough Battle for Samsung

Samsung is going through a tough battle on both fronts though based on the numbers which the company has reported, the drop in profits that Samsung has suffered in the Q3 has been the outcome of the thermonuclear assault by Apple focusing on its core revenue and profit generators.

Moreover Apple’s damage to Samsung will tend to get worse for the company as it remains are ravaged by the other Android licensees. Though Samsung’s profit has collapsed, IDC has reported in its smartphone market estimates that Samsung continues to lead the world in shipments as well as market share by a huge margin by shipping 78.1 million units, a YoY decline of around 8.2 percent.

Samsung had also reported that there was a slight growth in shipment in its earnings release though the earnings declined QoQ since ASP decreased due to weak smartphones product mix with the sales decrease adding pressure on the cost structure.

Samsung Yet to Pay Apple for Patent Infringement

The profits reduced due to average selling prices going down since it was selling less profitable phones and it was getting expensive to build its most expensive phones due to reduction in economies of scales.

Samsung stated that in the quarter, its phone shipments were driven by mid to low end products. As a result Samsung missed out on high end sales and while it was estimated that its total sales went down by 8.2 percent, analyst Ben Benjarin reported that its premium phones went down by almost fifty percent in the third quarter.

It is said that Samsung has still not paid Apple the almost $1 billion judgement which they were ordered to pay back in the year 2012 for patent infringement though it was reported of a much larger $4.7 billion YoY drop in quarterly profits within its IT & Mobile Communication group which is a rough comparison to Apple’s operation and the outcome of this decline in profits is not a mystery.

Apple SIM – Switch Carriers

Apple SIM – subscriber identity module had promised the possibility of switching carriers with a few taps on the tablet rather than to physically switch out SIM cards but in several instances, the Apple SIM is not available in the new iPad Air and iPad Mini or it is locked to specific carriers.

The new Apple SIM card in the updated iPad models was to make it simpler to bounce around various wireless carriers which did not seem to last long. It was confirmed recently by a spokesman that it would lock down the SIM cards found in the updated tablet. A source familiar with the carrier’s plan states that, a new iPad purchased at a T-Mobile store would be having a SIM pre-set to the carrier.


According to Apple the tablet purchased at a Sprint store would not have the Apple SIM at all though it will be fitted with a Sprint based SIM. In any of these cases, if the user needs to switch, they would have to physically change the SIM card like the earlier iPad models. Apple wants to make the process of choosing and purchasing an iPad as well as the carrier partner, an easy option though carriers are keen on maintaining some control over the consumers.

T-Mobile/Sprint/AT&T- Part of Apple SIM Program

The back and forth on Apple SIM points out the differing priorities between the carrier and Apple. iPad purchased at an Apple store or any other third party store like Best Buy on T-Mobile’s network will remain open with users having the option to switch to another carrier on the fly. Sprint too has similar policy while an AT&T, iPad purchased at an Apple store would not remain open. T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T have been listed as part of the Apple SIM program, which is considered to be a single SIM that can manage all three carriers.

At the Apple store, the buyer and the seller has the option of choosing between the three carriers. Verizon Wireless on the other hand is not a participant in the program and utilises its own SIM cards. While AT&T seems to lock down the SIM, the carrier debates that it remains easy to change services. According to Mark Siegel, AT&T spokesman, he states that users have always been switching but the issue lies in how you switch.

iPad – Unlocked Device, on Multiple Carriers

He further stated that the iPad is an unlocked device which has been running on multiple carriers for long. The Apple SIM cards in the cellular model of the latest iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 are different from the older iPad wherein the buyers needs to choose their carriers while purchasing and physically swap the SIM cards if intending to switch to a different carrier.

Apple SIM card could be of some help in saving users money in providing them with some convenient way on the option of buying a new SIM card and physically swapping it in the tablet for the purpose of changing services though it does not seem to be in this case.

Apple's Family Sharing Feature

Apple’s latest update to iOS has now made it possible to share music, apps as well as books with family at no cost wherein a family need not buy additional copies of the Beatles’ catalogue. The family sharing feature to iOS 8 now makes it easier for the entire family to share purchases on iTunes, App Store and iBooks.

It enables the family to access the music, books and apps which have been bought on one account and the others need not buy separate copies. Apple has designed this feature to bring about harmony to the family’s digital life by sharing photos, creating a family calendar and keeping in touch with each other from any location, but more than that it means that one can save a large amount of cash.

Earlier one would have to buy a copy if they desired it on their iPhones or iPad but now with the option of Family Sharing, one member could buy a single copy and the same could be shared with the other members in the family. Besides this, the shared calendar could also help in keeping updates with all the comings and goings at family level.

Sync Up to 6 Accounts

With the minimum of efforts, one can sync up to 6 accounts and avail the family sharing feature To get started one would need to setup their account on their iPhone by going to Settings >iCloud>Family>Add Family member, wherein one would be asked to provide the Apple ID of the person intending to be added.

The feature required that one of the members to be a family organiser and set up a profile with a name and image. One can choose the option to either send invite to their member device or if they are around could seek their permission to enter their password in the setup screen and iCloud would automatically add them in the group.

If kids below 13 years having no Apple ID could also be added right from the Family sharing page provided they have a credit card account and once a member joins in the group, the Family Sharing features are activated on their device.

iTunes/iBooks/App Stores – Collections of Content

Once the member has been added to Family Sharing plan, songs, movies, album, TV shows apps and books that a family member has purchased are now immediately available to all in the group. To locate music or apps which other members could have purchased, one needs to visit the purchased tab in iTunes, App Store or iBooks to browse on the collections of content and then tap the iCloud icon to download the same on individual device.

The other family members could also access the entire collection just the same way and should there be some items on your account which one does not want the other members to see, one can hide individual books, apps and movies on opening iTunes on your Mac, go to the Purchased section and choose the item intending to delete till a X appears in the top left corner.

Those who have joined the Family Sharing account could pay for all their new purchases on iBooks, iTunes and the App Store on providing their credit card details.