iFusion – Integrated Communication Docking Station

The iFusionis an integrated communication docking station for the Apple iPhone with capabilities of several top selling iPhone accessories in a single device. The iFusion uses built-in Bluetooth technology, a patented ergonomic design, a full duplex speaker phone to deliver superior voice quality which meets the needs of the present home as well as business consumer.

The patented iFusion is especially designed to fit the requirements of small office/home office users by assimilating useful features of a traditional telephone with the iPhone. The framework design of the iFusion supports iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4, providing capabilities of securely docking the phone while supplying power, data synchronization through an integrated USB cable and battery charging. With the A2DP Bluetooth streaming support, users can enjoy their favourite iPhone music from the internal speakerphone. It also has the following advantage:

• It is appropriate for call when one needs to talk hands free with high quality speakerphone which has been designed for the iPhone.
• It is ideal for use in a home office
• Enjoy streaming music from iPhone
• Capable of starting a video conference with apps like FaceTime or Skype
• Integrated dock charges the phone faster than USB

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The Key Features comprise of-

• Integrated Bluetooth technology delivers rich audio quality
• Comfortable, ergonomically designed telephone handset
• Powerful full duplex speakerphone meant for hands free conversations
• USB port enabling data synchronization with a PC or Mac
• Embedded iPhone dock providing power as well as battery charging
• Audio line out for connecting external stereo speakers.

Reduces the Need of Expensive Proprietary Desk-Phone

The iFusion when used with iPhone business PBX application tends to save money by reducing the need of an expensive proprietary desk-phone. Being a revolutionary communication docking station, it turns the iPhone into a business class speakerphone wherein the combination of the iFusion with an iPhone and a mobile Unified Communications application enables enterprise mobility.

It works effortlessly with several popular Bluetooth enabled mobile UC apps for iPhone which include – Cisco Mobile 8 x for iPhone, Avaya one X® for iPhone, CounterPath Bria iPhone edition and Microsoft Lync 2013 for iPhone. It supports a unique Bluetooth pairing mode which permits audio to be sent through the iPhone to the iFusion when it is docked and releases the audio back to the iPhone whenever it is undocked. This capability of seamlessly sending and retrieving calls between the iFusion and the iPhone supports true unified mobile convergence.

Soft Phone App Running on iPhone

To consolidate the desk phone and iPhone in a single device for communications needs, use the ergonomic handset or hands free with the full duplex speakerphone, keep the iPhone adequately charged and plug and play in less the five minutes. It is essential to note that the iFusion is not a phone but strictly a docking station device and the phone used with the iFusion is the soft phone app running on the iPhone.

An accompanying VoIP softphone application known as Altigen MaxMobile is offered by Altigen which can be downloaded for free on the App Store though it may require AltiGen’s MaxCS server v6.5 update 1 installed as local gateway of IP PBX. The iFusion would be made available in April and will be offered in black and white at $169 and the company will be accepting pre-orders at its site with a $20 discount.

Airlines Embrace Apple Watch with Upcoming Apps

Apple Watch with Upcoming Apps

Apple had highlighted several apps which would be available on the Apple Watch including the app from American Airlines at its Apple Watch event recently, which would enable users to receive flight information, check in for their flight and much more. American Airlines, an Apple partner at the Watch’s launch is the focus of attention for building a Watch app which will be helpful at the airport, according to Sullivan. He states that there are other Watch apps from other airlines too. Several others have also announced the upcoming apps for the Apple Watch with a hint at some for the ways in which the Apple Watch would be used in making life easy.

 For instance, British Airways announced a British Airways app for the Apple Watch that would be available by April 24. With the help of a glance option, that can be accessed on swiping right on the watch face, the British Airways app would be displaying a summary of the customer’s next flight with details like flight number, the flight status, the countdown to departure time as well as the weather at the destination. These details would be made available at a single glance reducing the need to check the emails and open app to access the flight details.

Supports Wrist Check-Ins for Flights

Moreover, the app also supports on wrist check-ins for flights as well as convey notifications to direct users to their appropriate entries and at specific airport terminals, like Heathrow’s Terminal5, users would also be receiving welcome messages which are powered by iBeacon. VentureBeat had asked several airlines on their plans for Apple Watch apps, earlier this week which provided information on two upcoming apps from United and Delta.

The Delta app which is in the development stage will be delivering notification on flights to the user well in advance of their flights which would give them access to the boarding pass stored on their iPhones. Besides this, it would also offer flight numbers, flight time, gate number as well as other information and if the flight tends to get changed, user would also receive notification on their Apple Watch. They would also be receiving notification whenever a flight approaches a destination city together with information with regards to luggage pickup. Though United Airlines has not shared app screenshots of its upcoming Apple Watch app, it has divulged some details regarding the same.

At-A-Glance Information 

The app would be offering at-a-glance information on its upcoming flights, which comprises of gate number with status, as well as enable users to view their flight reservations within the United Airline Apple Watch app. It will also be capable of alerting users if the flight time or gate numbers tend to change and also pull a traveller’s boarding pass from the Passbook app. VentureBeat has been informed by Southwest and Virgin America that presently, they have not been working on Apple Watch app, though the two airlines together with the others are likely in creating apps as competition developing apps for the device. It is said that the Apple Watch would be made available on April 24 when pre order starts by April 19. Developers have been working hard on the finishing touches of the apps prior to its launch with several even undertaking flights to Cupertino for guidance from Apple for third party apps availability to consumers from the launch day.

Apple's 'Taptic Engine' and 'Force Touch

Apple’s MacBook – `Force Touch/Taptic Engine’

Apple has recently unveiled a new MacBook with `Force Touch’ track-pad and `Taptic Engine’. The updated track-pad features Force Touch pressure sensitive with Taptic Engine for vibration/haptic feedback. Repair experts from iFexit who had taken the new computer apart, found the close-up it provided on the new track-pad’s design, quite interesting.

Rumours are also circulating that they would also be making their way to the latest iPhone. Apple’s 13 inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display has come up with some updates together with the big Apple Watch and the new MacBook announcement. The details of the latest track-pad were partly disclosed on stage wherein Apple showed the part as a key feature in its new MacBook design video as well as the presentation.

In the case of the 13 inch Retina MBP, it is slightly different due to the fact that there is space to support a physical button style track-pad, similar to the one that ships in all other prevailing Mac laptops though it has the same combination of sound as well as haptics producing 100% accurate illusion of physical click when there is no actual click.

Track-Pad Controlled Through software

Matthew Panzarino had explained in his post that the new track-pad design does not actually move or tends to move on a microscopic sale but it feels like the existing clicky design though with a user-customizable amount of clickiness which is controlled through software.

iFixit’s ripping down of the computer indicated that the track-pad is supported by four spring mounts together with a panel on the underside which is not present on the latest version of MacBook though it does have the same Force Touch engine that is a series of wire coil covered around a ferromagnetic core, creating the vibrations which the finder translates as clicks.

iFexitpresumes that to vary the strength, Apple would selectively activate some or all four of the ferromagnetic cores inside the track-pad’s taptic engine and also notes that keeping in mind Apple’s assurance of no real movement going on here, the construction has no linear oscillators in the mechanism, similar to the traditional vibration feedback found on phone which is generally used. The updated sensors has the capabilities of detecting more than one kind of click wherein a light click could perform a single action while a harder click another and the threshold of how hard is a `hard’, the press could be adapted.

Touchpads – New User Interface Functions

To speed up the fast forward of video, one could press harder or `force click’ in order to pull up a definition of certain word. The force gestures are an addition to the standard multi-touch track-pad taps and swipes as well as intuitive which bodes well and according to Wall Street Journal, Apple is trying to integrate the force sensing in its iPhone and iPad next year after the introduction of the technology in its company’s smartwatch.

With regards to detection of pressure, iFixit presumes that they probably come through very small strain gauges which are mounted on flexible metal supports which read how much flex is experienced, translating the same into a read on how much pressure is applied. Before touchpads had emerged, individuals using the laptops had been using tiny joysticks which were serviceable after much practice and the first touchpads were great though they had to use separate mouse buttons since they could not register clicks.

Apple’s latest entry is an attempt to make touchpads less awkward and while laptops can register taps as well as detect multiple fingers at once, they have learned to measure how hard you press enabling some new user interface functions.

Apple Adds Two-Step Authentication to iMessage and FaceTime

Security of FaceTime & iMessage App

Apple,it is said has made improvement in the security of FaceTime and iMessage, its voice/video together with multimedia chat communication tools and has announced that that it will be adding a two-step authentication to iMessage and FaceTime applications in order to protect the users from hackers of its iPhone, iPad and Mac computers.

This is a security feature which means that a person’s identity is verified in two ways that includes something which the user knows for instance, a password and something which the user is in possession of, a mobile device. If someone intends to use their Apple ID email and password to enable iMessage or FaceTime on a new device, they would have to use a PIN from a reliable device in order to gain access to these services.

The two step authentication had been added to Apple’s iTunes as well as iCloud accounts in March 2013 and the company is presently focusing on extending the security features to FaceTime as well as iMessage. This means that when users use any of these applications, they would have to register a `trusted device’ and when attempts are made to log in FaceTime or iMessage, the user would receive a four digit verification code through SMS or Apple’s Find my iPhone app.

14 Character Recovery Key

The code received needs to be entered along with their password in order to access the application without which i.e. the password and verification code, access will be denied to the said account. According to Apple as mentioned on its support page, the user need not create or remember any security question with the two step verification and the user’s identity is verified by using password (and) verification codes send to trusted devices.

Moreover, the user will also be provided with a 14 character Recovery Key in order to print and keep the same in safe custody should they lose access to their trusted devices or tend to forget their password. This issue came up due to the iCloud accounts of celebrities which were breached by hackers last year, together with nude photos which were leaked online.

Apple was targeted at that time since it had offered the option of two factor authentication for iCloud accounts and this feature is not enabled by default hence several people do not use it.

Added Level of Protection – Difficult to Obtain Private Images

The added level of protection applicable to these service helps to ensure that people would have difficult time in obtaining private images from an iMessage history or pretend to be the user through online communication systems. The two-step is useful when individuals log out of an account on their device and try to log back in which means that the user would have to get the trusted device out if one temporarily tends to disable an account on the device or if one runs a system update or tends to switch SIMs.

Vice President of Security Research at Trend Micro, Rik Ferguson, states that `it is great to see Apple extending its two step authentication to cover more services particularly person-to-person communication services like these which have been widely abused in the past – Facebook, Skype etc.

Apple Gears Up to Challenge Tesla in Electric Cars

Creation of Apple Branded Electric Vehicle

The Cupertino California Company has revolutionized phones and music and is now focusing at bigger target – the automobiles, as reported by Daisuke Wakabayashi and Mike Ramsey for the Wall Street Journal. The giant tech company has hundreds of employees who are secretly working in the creation of an Apple branded electric vehicle as indicated by people who are familiar with this issue. The said project code-named `Titan’, is initially working on the design of the vehicle which resembles a minivan.

It is said that Apple often investigates technologies as well as potential product and going for building multiple prototypes for something which it will not sell and any car would take many years for completion as well as to obtain safety certifications. Moreover the size of the project team as well as the senior people involved, state that the company is serious as reported by some source. Apple executive had flown to Austria in order to meet with the contract manufacturers for high end cars which included the Magna Steyr unit of Canadian auto supplier Magna International Inc.

Stamp on Electric Vehicle Market

The industrial team of Apple comprised of several people with experience at European auto makers and Marc Newson was hired by Apple last year, who is a famous industrial designer as well as a close colleague of the company’s designer John Ive. Newson, in the past had created a concept car for Ford Motor Company. As reported by Wakabayashi and Ramsey they state that `Apple hopes to put its stamp on the electric vehicle market in the same way it did the smartphone with its iPhone, indicated by a person familiar with its work’.

The car project was approved by Mr Cook almost a year ago and had assigned veteran product design Vice President, Steve Zadesky in leading the group related by the people who were familiar with the matter. Zadesky is the former Ford engineer who had helped in leading Apple team with the creation of iPod and iPhone according to Wakabayashi and Ramsey. Apple had also hired Johann Jungwirth in September, who had been the president as well as the chief executive of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development North America having operation in Sunnyvale, California in the vicinity of Apple’s campus as per his LinkedIn profile.

Advantage – Persuaded Employees to Stay on 

Another benefit of the project according to a source was that it persuaded several Apple employees who had intentions of leaving the company, to stay and work on an exciting new endeavour minus the pressure of churning new product every year. Other Silicon Valley giants are also looking at autos and Google Inc. has also been working on a self-driving car for years.

Google’s head autonomous vehicle project stated that last year the company had their focus to forge a partnership with auto makers in order to build a self-driving car within the next few years. As informed by a source familiar with the project it was stated that a self-driving car was not part of Apple/s current plan. Chief Executive Tim Cook had informed interviewer Charlie Rose in September that `there were products that they were working on and that no one knows about it and nothing has yet been rumoured about it’.

Apple is finally killing iPhoto

Apple‘s Discontinuation of iPhoto

Apple had announced last year that it would be ending development on its consumer photo library iPhoto, its professional photo editing suite – Aperture and in its place, the company is said to develop an all-new product closely connected to the cloud.

Apple’s discontinuation of the software along with Aperture which is aimed at pro photographers is bringing about the tools; most people have on their iPhones and iPad to the Mac and have built it having Apple’s iCloud in mind.

 The product would be an improvement for most users of iPhoto but users of Aperture’s powerful editing as well as organizational features would find it most essential. Photos for OS X, which is the modern photo library that Apple had built from the ground level up for Mac computers, is on its way in making its debut.

The company has informed that the developer seed version of the same is being distributed to developers which will be followed by a public Photo beta with the final Photos product delivered to users of Mac as a part of a free software update this spring. Expectations from Photos are a clean reasonably intuitive library for pictures combined with an easy cloud backup solution together with useful editing tools.

Photos to iCloud Photo Library 

Photos are tied to iCloud Photo Library – Apple’s photo backup product, that is in beta stage. iCloud Photo Library tends to store the first 5GB of pictures for free and thereafter the user needs to pay for the same while My Photo Stream – Apple’s confusing free service for storing and synchronizing the last 1,000 photos would continue to remain independently of Photos.

Moreover the app has the same flat look of the photos app from iOS which would be simple to navigate for those who are acquainted with an iPhone. Migrating the photo libraries to the new app would be easy as opening photos and one can keep both iPhoto as well as Aperture on the system if one desires the same.

The app is said to contain four main tabs and photos contain all pictures in a chronological order. Shared is said to contain pictures received from shared photo streams together with activity feed for likes as well as comments in those streams while albums contain those which the user could have created. With regards to storing slideshows, projects are essentially a storefront for Apple’s printed photo products, books, calendars, cards and much more.

Awareness – Using Photos for OS X

Users using Photos for OS X should be aware that:

• One should use the iCloud Photo Library feature that syncs with all photos across all the devices though one would need to buy more iCloud Drive storage to benefit from the same. 
• Whatever is shot from the iPhone or imported in the new Photos app, is backed up to the iCloud Drive and seamlessly shared across the device. 
• If the users have no desire to use iCloud Photo Library, they could keep using the new Photos app as an iPhoto replacement though they could get stuck with the old My Photo Stream feature for syncing photos across the device.

Photos for OS X are fast and tightly integrated with other devices and are a big step forward taken by Apple.

Apple Testing Mysterious Camera-Equipped Vehicles in the Bay Area

Apple’s New Project – Update Map Application

It has been recently reported by Mike Beasley for 9to5Mac, that Apple is preparing a big update to its Maps application for iOS and OS X. San Francisco’s KPIX reported earlier that a Dodge Caravan with an impressive array of cameras has been observed in the area. Beasley reports that the `California DMV confirmed that the vehicle was leased to Apple and that the company is planning to take on Google’s Street View with the same offering in its own Maps software.

Several minivans with camera equipment with a LiDar sensor mounted to the roof seems to be around California which could be part of Apple’s new project since at least one of the vehicles is registered to the iPhone maker. Beasley reports that `if Apple is preparing a Street View feature for Maps, then there is a possibility of seeing an upgrade in the iOS 9 which would debut later this year, should the company maintain its annual upgrade cycle.

 The feature would only support few major cities at launch for instance New York and San Francisco, the locations where the vans were spotted. He adds that the feature may not be included until a later version of iOS, based on the time taken by Apple in collecting data prior to the launch.

LiDar Sensor – Laser Based Technology

Beasley further adds that the Maps application was buggy at the time of launch and Apple has not been at the top of its software game of late and hence is taking a little more time in polishing this new feature. It was observed that the minivans had an X shaped frame which was mounted to the luggage racks having dark recesses which probably housed cameras at each corner.

It was confirmed to San Francisco CBS affiliate KPIX by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that a blue Dodge Caravan was spotted with the equipment that was leased to Apple and together with the cameras, a pair of spinning cylindrical devices was fitted to the front and rear that seemed to be LiDar sensors which is a laser based technology used in making high resolution maps.

 This forms an integral part of the sensing systems on self-driving vehicles which includes those that have been developed by Google. According to analyst Rob Enderle, he informed KPIX that he is of the opinion that the vehicles are self-driving cars though it is an unlikely possibility that Apple has not been issued a testing permit for the same and is probably preparing to start a mapping program in line with Google’s Street View data collection initiative.

Technology Similar to Street View Car

Moreover, two small disc shaped antennas have also been fitted to the roof, together with a sensor which hangs over the rear wheel that could be used to measure accurately the movement indicated by the rotation of the wheel.

A similar white van with California license plates were also spotted in Brooklyn last September. It was observed by Enderle that the cameras on the minivan appeared to be around 12 which he considers to be a high number for a mapping vehicle though Google’s latest Street View cars used a ring of 15 5-megapixel CMOS sensors. The equipment on Apple registered van, besides the physical configuration, seems to be somewhat similar to the technology which has been fitted to a Street View car.

Apple's Stylus Receiver Concept Would Improve the Precision

Apple Stylus to Improve Larger iPad Model 

Recent reports reveal that Apple would be offering a simple stylus to improve a larger iPad model wherein the latest patent applications indicate a kind of improved pen based input technology which the company had been working on for some time.

In a recent filing published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, discovered by AppleInsider, disclosure of Apple’s investigation into stylus support for touchscreen devices was revealed. Entitled, `Superheterodyne Pen Stimulus Signal Receiver’, this proposed invention, indicates a device which could have unique frequency for stylus based input, which would be less than a traditional fingertip touch signal. Apple has noted in the filing, that several conventional styluses tend to have bulky tip which are made of material with a potential of interacting with touch sensitive devices where these devices are meant to match a user’s finger for compatibility with the modern touch screen.

 These are meant to be controlled with fingertips. However, Apple states that these conventional styluses, lack the precision as well as control of traditional writing instruments like a pen and paper, based on their nature. The method of Apple’s `superheterodyne receiver’ could be used which is capable of taking an input signal and converting it into another frequency.

Convert Stylus Touch Input Signals – Intermediate Frequency Signals

The technology in reality dates back to the origins of radio transmission which was developed during World War I by a U.S. soldier. All modern radio receivers, virtually utilise `superhet’ technology for the purpose of superior selectivity as well as sensitivity though in Apple’s more modern use, hardware demodulator in the device such as an iPad could convert stylus touch input signals in an intermediate frequency signal, which would be less than a traditional fingertip touch signal.

Apple would be featuring a touch sensor with potential of detecting the difference between a fingertip touch and a stylus touch thus offering more precise input. The latest patent application following a recent rumour, indicate that Apple would be launching a simple stylus together with an anticipated 12.9 inch `iPad Pro’, later this year. According to Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, he indicates that a stylus could be more precise than a person’s fingertip0s wherein it could be a more convenient method of input than a keyboard as well as a mouse in some cases.

Featuring Basic Technology 

He further states that Apple would probably launch the stylus accessory as an optional add-on instead of including it along with the larger iPad and believes that the stylus would feature basic technology in its first execution, wherein future models could contribute more advanced features such as 3D handwriting. Apple though had publicly panned pen based input for some time, the company’s interest in stylus based input, is nothing new and the filing is just the latest of stylus concepts which the company has been manipulating behind the scenes.

The superhet stylus signal receiver concept of Apple which was published recently was first filed in October 2013, with USPTO by Apple and the credits of the proposed invention goes to Shahrooz Shahparnia who is a touch ASIC as well as a sensor architect at Apple.

Apple Watch: Novelty or Necessity

Apple’s Watch – Scheduled in Spring

The much waited Apple’s Watch is scheduled to be launched in spring and analyst firm CCS Insight firm indicate that over 40 million smartwatches together with fitness bands would be sold in 2015, primarily driven by Apple’s new device.

 Presently, the functions of the smartwatches is quite limited with most of them being used in telling the time though some would require the need to press a button or flick one’s wrist in order to activate the screen. Several of them could also be used as an extension to the smartphone enabling the user to identify the caller, read text messages as well as check on upcoming appointments.

Another interesting feature is the capabilities of tracking activity, which could include the number of steps one has taken as well as the heart rate wherein the data could be fed to a mobile application which can then provide tips on how to improve the fitness. But smartwatches today have a problem that though they can do all these things, they do not perform particularly well. Smartwatches too could be as expensive as smartphones having batteries that could last for less than a day except for a few like the Pebble and the Basis Peak, they are less convenient than the traditional watches with regards to time and depend mainly on smartphones for all their functions.

Apple – Affluent User Base

The app’s focus during its keynote in September were fairly uninspiring such as the etch-a-sketch-like app which enables the user to draw an image and sent it to another user as well as enables them to transmit the heartbeats through haptic vibration.

According to Ben Wood, CCS Insights’ chief of research, states that the Watch will be successful due to the fact that Apple has an affluent user base and that the company is known for developing beautiful products where the Watch would be both an object of desire as well as a status symbol. Based on this

Apple could probably sell millions of Watches even if the device functions more than just telling the time. But the Watch would need something more if it intends to be an iconic product which could stand against all odds, like the iPod, iPad and iPhone and would need a `killer app’ to be a great hit. No sooner Apple Watch gains success, it will overcome the rest of the Smartwatch market and user not owning iPhone will tend to buy Android Wear Smartwatch which are compatible with their own devices with apps that are created for Apple’s Watch will soon be transposed to Android.

Future Devices – Lighter/Thinner/Appealing 

It could comprise of transport apps informing on which platform to go while at the railway stationor a voice recognition apps which enables the user to `set an alarm for 10 minutes’ by speaking the command. Besides, there is also scope for gaming apps which can take advantage of locations as well as biometric date to enable the user to play with other users of smartwatches. Smartwatches users also have the advantage of sport, news and leisure since they are condensed into quick-looks alerts.

Moreover, smartwatches could also be used for identity as well as home automation for instance; the user could touch the watch to their front door in order to unlock it. It could also be utilised for the purpose of payment, the way contactless cards are used currently. Smartwatches in future would also be less reliant on smartphones with some manufacturers already making headway in these quarters.

Companies related to technology will continue working with fashion brands in making devices lighter, thinner as well as more appealing and traditional watch brands such as GUESS has already begun in bringing about their first `smart’ devices which is expected in being very competitive over a period of time.

Issue Envisaged – Battery Life

The main problem envisaged with smartwatch manufacturers is perhaps the long term battery life and a report from 9to5Mac informs that the Apple’s Watch offers 2.5 hours of continuous usage for processor-intensive applications for games, 3.5 hours for continuous use of standard apps and 4 hours of active fitness tracking.
As the battery technology tends to develop and the devices tend to become more energy efficient, there would be further improvement in due course of time though it could pose as a serious inhibitor for first round adopters.

There could also be other issues which need to be taken into consideration before smartwaches are widely adopted wherein glancing at the watch at wrong time could cause offence and smartwatches would demand more attention than traditional time keeping devices.

For instance while at dinner with colleagues, one may tend to glance at your watch which could be creating an impression of boredom to the other person. Wood is of the opinion that this could be changed whereby looking at a watch becomes socially acceptable or alternatively peoplewill have to exercise some self-control.

It is left to be seen if Apple would be able to uncover the killer app prior to launch which could turn the Smartwatch from a novelty to a necessity.

Apple’s `Be My Eyes’ App for the Blind

According to the National Federation of the Blind, Apple has done more for accessibility than any company has done and with the aid of a new app, iPad and iPhone users could go still further. `Be my Eyes’, is an app which enables blind people to seek remote help from sighted person whenever the need arises.

The latest app helps the blind to get instant help from sighted people on using the iPhone’s video call feature and in the first few days of its launch, the app has around 54,000 sighted volunteers. Sighted people who are ready to contribute help, can then install the app and receive alerts whenever help is required. Be My Eyes is a new crowd sourcing app which can connect the blind with the sighted person through the iPhone’s video call feature wherein it will enable users to lend their eyes to the blind.

The app has the potential in guiding the blind in difficult and challenging situations with over 4,000 people who have come forward to help the blind on more than 8,500 occasions according to the app’s website.

Live Audio-Video Connection 

When a first sighted user accepts a request to help a blind user, a live audio-video connection is set between the two and the sighted user could inform the blind person on what is seen whenever the blind person focuses his phone at something with the use of the rear facing camera.

Should the user be busy in extending help at that point of time, the request is automatically rotated through other sighted user till one of them accepts the request. The app has already assisted several people on almost 12,000 occasions. Tim Cook had commented eloquently on the priority he renders to equality and accessibility and went further informing a lobbying group of investors to `get out of this stock’, if it considers environmental concerns and making Apple devices accessible to disabled users, to be a waste of money’.

This new app connects the blind person with the volunteer sighted user across the world through the video chat when the app is activated and the blind person can then focus the phone’s camera to the problem faced while the help can verbally guide them.

App Invented – Hans Jorgen Wiberg

Seems to be quite amazing for the blind person seeking help since the sighted volunteer could then direct the blind person and inform them if they are walking in the right direction or if they are purchasing the appropriate product from the grocery store or even informing about expiry dates if any on any of the products to be purchased.

Hans Jorgen Wiberg invented the app who himself, was visually impaired in April 2012 and first presented the idea at a start-up convention in Denmark and the making of the app then took around two years to be created. Moreover, the app also offers sighted volunteers `a level up’ type of a system wherein they acquire points for daily acts of kindness though it is uncertain whether the volunteer obtains rewards on reaching certain levels. The app is available only for iPhones though the developers are working out on expanding the services to Android and Windows phones as well.

Apple Eyes Way to Leave Fingerprints in the Cloud

Apple’s Patent – Finger Biometric Sensor Data Synchronization in the Cloud

The US Patent and Trademark Office recently has published a patent filing known as `Finger biometric sensor data synchronization via a cloud computing device and related methods’ illustrating a system to record fingerprints on one device through Apple’s Touch ID sensor and thereafter upload them to the cloud to sync them with other devices.

Apple had developed a technology which would sync the Touch ID data with the other mobile devices as well as point of sale system through iCloud. The Touch ID sensor, which was introduced in 2013, is available on the iPhone 5S as well as the latest iPhones and iPads and the sensor needs one’s fingerprint to access the device in order to make purchases using the payment system of Apple Pay.

Setting up a Touch ID can be done by registering one or more fingerprints on your device. Apple, in its patent filing has suggested that the Touch ID enrolment could be complicating for users such as in the case of multiple fingerprints, users or devices could be used. For instance, a couple had to register their fingerprints not only on their own iPhones and iPad, but on each other’s devices as well which seems complicating. Cloud based synchronization could eliminate the requirement of registering all the fingerprints on every device that is in use.

Fingerprint Date Encrypted – to iCloud

With the present technology, the problem is that the fingerprints are stored solely on an iOS device and Apple has explained on the Touch ID page - `iOS and other apps cannot access your fingerprint data, it is not stored on Apple servers, and it is never backed up to iCloud or anywhere else’.

As explained in the filing, one would need to validate their Apple ID account prior to registering their fingerprints, the way one would do on entering their pass code. The fingerprint data is then encrypted and sent to iCloud.

Now to use your fingerprint on an alternate device, one would have to verify them from a `to be matched’ set of fingerprints on the second device and the fingerprints on both devices need to match up with the one stored on iCloud. Going a step further, the second devices in this case could be an NFC enabled point-of-sale system, the one that could be used to buy products through Apple Pay.

NFC/Bluetooth to Sync Fingerprint Data 

The POS would have the fingerprint sensor that one would tap to validate the `to be matched’, set of fingerprints. The technology could utilises NFC or Bluetooth in order to sync the fingerprint data as a secured alternative to iCloud though it would be practical only for syncing two devices being in close proximity of each other.

This type of system would certainly make the process of setting up multiple fingerprints on multiple devices, easy though one of the security benefits of the present Touch ID is that Apple does not seem to store the fingerprints, online. Moreover, Apple would need to prove that the system is secured before the users consider storing their encrypted fingerprints in the cloud. Apple spokesperson had reported that the company does not make any comment on patent filings.

Marsh Supermarkets and Inmarket Launching First Ibeacon Platform for iWatch

iBeacon Platform for Apple’s Wearable Product

Marsh, one of the first retailer using UPC Barcode scanners in 1974, will now be extending the iBeacon platform beyond smartphones to Apple Watch in 2015. inMarket’s mobile at retail platform, since 2010, had led millions of consumer product towards the stores all across the country and over 100 brands have influenced inMarket in engaging shoppers at the most receptive time, causing in verified sales lift. inMarket’s SDK will enable shoppers with Marsh app, shopping app on the inMarket Beacon platform with Apple Watch app and obtain contextual mobile experience in the store.

Marsh Supermarket together with inMarket has recently announced the launch of a closed-loop iBeacon platform throughout the 75 supermarket locations of Marsh, providing shoppers with Apple Watch and Smartphone, the opportunity of having their favoured apps to come alive in store which is the world’s first iBeacon wearable integrations at retail. Userswould be receiving interactive alerts together with other content on their devices depending on the proximity to Marsh’s beacons. The program being the first integration of iBeacon technology with Apple’s wearable product is expected to be launched to the consumers in the next several months.

New Way of Connecting with Mobile Shoppers

iBeacons is creating new ways of connecting with mobile shoppers in the store with inMarket enabling them to reach many shoppers through the app which is a favourite and is used daily, according to Senior Director of Customer Loyalty, Amit Bhardwaj, of Marsh Supermarkets.

 He states that, now with wearable integrations, shoppers using Apple Watch would be enjoying the same digitally augmented real world shopping experience.Marsh together with inMarket are working in developing a platform which will initially have March’s own app as well as inMarket’s List Ease app together with other apps to follow in quickly.

As seen in inMarket’s beacons in Marsh stores, it will enable trigger alerts like shopping list, ads as well as other content with Marsh mobile app or one of the apps that may incorporate inMarket’s Proximity SDK.Users who prefer to opt for the program would be receiving offers; recipes as well as other alerts on their mobile devices while they walk through the store and the system would automatically extend to Apple Watch the same day as the apps are updated, adding support to the device.

Marsh, First in Extending Apple’s iBeacon Capabilities

Marsh could be the first in extending Apple’s iBeacon capabilities to the Apple Watch though it is not the first in adopting the location based technology. Other retailers among the early adopters who rolled out iBeacons in their own respective venues are Macy’s, Major League and Virgin Atlantic airlines. According to CEO, Todd Dipaola, of inMarket, states that, mobile is not just the phone anymore.

It includes any device that conforms to life and helps based on `who’ you are, `where’ and even `when’ you are and it is aamazing time for consumers and commerce as digital and physical experience converge.Marsh and inMarket are the first to extend iBeacon enhancement for over millions of smartphone users to the new audience of `wearers’, with Apple Watch integration.

3 Ways Apple Could Push Maps Forward With iOS 9 in 2015

Revamped Maps App – 2015

Three years after Apple evicted Google Maps from iOS, the company’s own mapping and navigation offering seems to have some critical weaknesses and the company is focusing on what lays ahead for the next twelve months for Apple Maps.

A revamped Maps apps is presumed to be one of the iOS 8’s tentpole feature with updated data for the much awaited edition of public transit direction, though the most interesting modification ended being the introduction of nine new cities for a three dimensional flyover feature. Apple has tapped in ten new sources for business listing and the additions of DAC Group, Location3 Media, Placeable, Marquette Group, PositionTech, SIM Partners, SinglePlatform, UBL, Yext and Yodle to the initial trio of Factual, Neustar/Localeze and Yelp enhanced the number of firms with point of interest data to a baker’s dozen.

The company also began another data related move in a comprehensive data scrubbing program which included the launch of a self-serve Maps Connect portal enabling local businesses to add directly or modify listings as well as personal calls to business owners from Maps team members to manage conflicting data and changes can now be rolled out daily instead of once a week.

Moreover, Apple Maps has also obtained its web debut last year, which has powered the iCloud version of `Find my iPhone’, though has not yet propagated it to all of Apple’s web properties and the retail store driving directions of the company are still powered by Google. Apple is always known in making process in every performance and is in the midst of overhauling things front to back.

Public transit: The company will integrate the basic door to door path finding technology which is needed by purchasing transit companies like HopStop and Embark with a likely HopStop’s future trip planning that would enable users, pre plan journeys such as, comparing cross town rush hour routes during lunch times and Embarks’ heads up notifications providing users with route advisories and closures. Apple has provides some details with regards to its plans with a pair of patent applications which were revealed last month wherein the documents provide information of a dynamic routing system functioning as a sort of person commuting assistant collecting routing date, timetables together with information on amenities like Wi-Fi availability in one place.

Crowdsourcing:It is rumoured that Apple in 2013 had offered around $500 million in order to acquire traffic app Waze who is believed to have asked for more and eventually it was Google who snapped up the Israeli company for almost $1 billion. Apple still tends to leverage Waze as one of the various sources for real-time traffic data though the company seems focused on in-house crowdsourcing headway.An iOS developer working on mapping application informed AppleInsider that crowdsourced traffic date is envisaged as a `serious target for Apple’s Maps team.

Since Waze’s success proved active, user reporting with regards to traffic conditions tend to have significant advantage over traditional passive device location monitoring that is presently the main method where companies compile traffic date. This is borne out by patent application of Apple which details a system similar to Waze and this approach of Apple would enable users to report accidents or any other hurdles and slowdowns that could then be directed to other drivers approaching that area.

Indoor location:Identifying a user’s location accurately is very important as the services and software tend to provide useful contextual information which is relatively an easy task when the user is outdoors or in the range of a signal from GLONASS or GPS satellites. It could be different situation when walls and a ceiling tend to be in the way.

Apple has taken two different though complimentary approaches to this issue, the first being the iBeacon system that depends on Bluetooth transmitters the size of a palm, placed around a certain space. When an iOS device recognizes an iBeacon, it analyses the signal in determining the approximate distance from the beacon. With the use of multiple iBeacons with known locations, the developers can navigate the position of the user. This could not be of much help since due to the absence of central database of iBeacon locations and such data, by and large could only be used by the owner of the beacons.

To handle the larger problem, Apple has acquired small indoor mapping firm, WiFiSLAM earlier in 2013. The technology of WiFiSLAM connects data from on-device sensors with Wi-Fi signal trilateration to plot user’s path and the signals provide the relative position while the on-board sensors record the movement. With the combination of all the data, over a period of time, could bring about detailed patterns for instance, if an obstacle is three feet from point A, it can be avoided by moving two feet to the left. Extending data can capture and pattern recognition to users of iPhone that visit a shopping mall on a particular day. This enables the development of detailed as well as highly accurate map without the need of dedicated data gathering initiatives or overhead satellites.

Apple to Launch Hardware Stylus – Enhance User Experience of iPad

According to reports from KGI Securities, industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is likely to launch a hardware stylus to enhance user experience for its long rumoured 12.9 inch `iPad Pro’. It is reported that the Cupertino based company is planning to launch a stylus in the second quarter of the year to compliment the larger iPad. Kuo is of the belief that users would not need the stylus initially, thereby prompting Apple to launch the device as an optional add-on.

The report considers that the stylus would be simple to begin with and the future generations of the device could add features such as 3D handwriting. The stylus would be using the Lightning connector to charge and wireless charging would be a much more convenient option for consumers though adding the feature would probably increase the overall cost of the devices. Moreover the device is like to give rise to new breed of application especially for artists as well as for the educational market and the company has now filed for various patents with regards to the stylus which includes a stylus enabling users to transcribe handwritten notes to digital notes which could be viewed and edited from an iPad.

3D Handwriting Feature for Future Models 

Kuo states that the stylus could be more precise than a person’s finger and more convenient to use than the combination of keyboard and mouse in some cases and believes that Apple’s stylus would improve the user experience of 12.9-inch iPad. Moreover, Kuo who has a reliable track record, on predicting Apple’s future product direction, did not indicate any particular source for the rumour beyond Apple’s own patent filings which marks an unusual turn for him, who is known to have close connection to Apple’s supply chain partners.

He commented that coupled with its unfavourable cost structure, high selling prices could turn consumers off, if the said iPad is always bundled with it and therefore it is expected that the stylus should be an optional accessory before sufficient feedback is received from users. Though he does not expects features like a built-in gyroscope or accelerometer in its first year, he believes that Apple would be adding new features gradually and is expecting a 3D handwriting feature to their future models.

Good Application for Stylus

According to Kuo, he states that with the addition of a gyroscope accelerometer to a stylus, it enables users to write on the display as well as on other hard surfaces and even in the air. This being a good application for a stylus, the required software and hardware has not been fully developed yet and hence they cannot expect Apple’s stylus to support 3D handwriting in 2015.

He further added that while wireless charging would also be convenient, there was less likelihood of its implementation in its forthcoming stylus with regards to the higher cost as well as difficult antenna design and that charging could be expected via a Lightning connector. He believes that the stylus would be improving the user experience and that they would help Apple in developing specific customer groups like the corporate sector as well as the educational institutions.

Programme Language Introduced by Apple

The programme language introduced by Apple for developers, for iOS and OS X Swift has gained a lot of popularity over the past six months as per the developer focused analyst firm RedMonk. The latest programming language rankings of the company has indicated Swift rise from the 68th place to the 22nd since its last survey. Stephen O’Grady, RedMonk co-founder and principal analyst, had commented that `during the Q3 rankings marking its debut, Swift is a language that is going to be a lot more popular and very soon, even so, the growth that Swift experienced is essentially unprecedented in the history of these rankings’.

In early 2012, RedMonk had started on regular basis, ranking the popularity of programming languages though its first analysis was done in 2010 and the WWDC app which was launched in June last year was the first app written in the new language. It was intended to be more concise so that the same functions could be created in few lines of code and would be much safer than competing languages. Its assessment is based on the relative rankings of various computer languages which were noticed on two different programming sites namely GitHub and Stack Overflow.

Swift – Tendency to Combine Performance/Efficiency

Apple had introduced Swift at the same time with iOS 8 which was the biggest release since the App Store launch and OS X Yosemite. According to Apple, billed as a language which is much easier for developers to create incredible apps, Swift has the tendency to combine the performance and efficiency of compiled languages with the simplicity as well as the interactivity of popular scripting languages. RedMonk has described Swift as `the Apple anointed successor’ to Objective-C which is presently ranked 10th on the firm’s programming language list. O’Grady had stated that `being sanctioned officially everywhere as the future standard for iOS applications, it would lead to growth. It would also make Apple’s new language a clear outlier in an ecosystem of programming languages and is known for not changing much each year. Swift’s meteoric growth notwithstanding, the high level takeaway from these rankings is stability.

Large Leap in Ranking

RedMonk it is said creates a league table of programming language each year which is believed to become more popular in the future, by mentioning them on Stock Overflow with the number of lines of code posted to GitJub. The latest week’s list indicated that Apple’s Swift had made a large leap up in its ranking. RedMonk had stated that the results were not meant to be indicators of how much a language is utilised presently but is predictive of future use’ since it portrays that programmers are learning and interacting with the language. On the website of RedMonk, a blog post by Stephen O’Grady states that at the time of the last rankings, Swift had been listed as the language to watch, a choice given status as Apple’s anointed successor to the #10 language on the list, Objective – C.

Thunderbolt Equipped Monitor – Replacing LED Cinema Display

As announced in July 2011, the current 27 inch Thunderbolt of Apple’s display has been debuted as the first Thunderbolt equipped monitor, replacing the outgoing LED Cinema Display.

When the Thunderbolt display offered cutting edge display technology with 2,560 pixel-by-1,440 pixel WQHD IPS screen from the 27 inch iMac which was launched a few months earlier, has now been overtaken by a higher resolution option or products, offering same feature though at a cheaper cost.

Rumours of updated Thunderbolt Display have been going on though Apple recently announced the stunning iMac with 5K Retina display. Speculations are on that the 5K iMac would be used as an external monitor but have been kept aside keeping in mind Thunderbolt’s bandwidth limitation..

The updated DisplayPort 1.3 supports 5K displays and the functions are not available in Thunderbolt 2 besides the original Thunderbolt protocol that was used by the Thunderbolt Display. Apple is aware of the consumers’ need for more advanced technologies, as observed from the Sharp 4K monitor that has been advertised with the top tier Mac Pro desktop.

Higher Screen Tech –Revised Thunderbolt with DisplayPort 1.3

Apple is likely to wait for a 5K or a higher screen tech which could be backed by a next gen revised Thunderbolt with DisplayPort 1.3. Till then, there are few options made available for Mac owners needing the cutting edge of monitor technology or an affordable method of expanding scream real estate.

UltraSharp monitors of Dell are a few of the best dealers with solid technology together with low prices and the 27 inch UltraSharp is the closest analogy to a theoretical 5K Thunderbolt display which has been made by Apple. Dell’s UltraSharp splits into 5,120 pixels by 2,880 pixels at 60 Hz, with the use of dual DisplayPort setup, while one cable saves a DisplayPortinput, it knocks resolution down to 3,840 pixels by 2,160 pixels at 60Hz.

Besides this, the LED backlighting is bright at 350 cd/m2, under the Thunderbolt Display specification, of 375 cd/m2. Moreover Dell sells an X-Rite i1Display Pro colorimeter which on combining with an on-board 12 bit user accessible 3D lookup table provides an option for precise colour control while advanced colorimetric setting has been reserved for expensive commercial displays.

27-Inch ColorPrime – Next Generation Thunderbolt Display 

Users interested in an updated Thunderbolt Display may not have to go further than LG’s commercial class 27MB85R-B that sports a WQHD display together with IPS technology and LG is known to be one of Apple’s LCD panel suppliers for Thunderbolt display and the ColorPrime has identical specification besides an anti-glare coating.

The LG takes pride in two Thunderbolt 3 ports, Dual-Link DVI-D, HDMI, DisplayPort as well as mini DisplayPort connections unlike other monitors in its category. Its ColorPrime feature comprises of Scaler and True Colour Pro software which works in tandem with a calibrator that is included for great accuracy. The 27-inch ColorPrime is the next generation Thunderbolt Display that Apple has not built which can be purchased from B&H Photo for $597.99.

Several leading manufacturers are happy employing DisplayPort or mini DisplayPort technology instead of Thunderbolt which means that their product could not be used as docking stations for other Thunderbolt equipped devices and for this reason, Apple’s Thunderbolt Display seems to be the most suitable option.

ADAM iOS-Connected Asthma Monitor

The Automated Device for Asthma Management 

The wearable Automated Device for Asthma Management or ADAM by Health Care Originals, as shown to AppleInsider at CES can count coughs as well as measure respiration, wheeze and heart rate. To undermine effective symptoms monitoring and medication which would lead to poor health condition, a device has been proposed which could continuously monitor asthma symptoms especially coughing which is the most common symptom in asthma patients.

The identified symptoms can then be stored and retrieved later by the patient or the physician for reference, indicating the level of asthma control. It is a unique iOS connected medical device which is focused in providing the users with a solution in managing their asthma condition.Measuring vital signs together with other biological reading, the ADAM is capable of predicting as well as logging asthma attack and also recommends behaviour changes.

In other words it will be featuring inhaler detection with alerts and alert forwards together with symptom tracking as well as trending treatment plans. It is proposed to be launched during the second quarter this year, though the price has not been disclosed yet. ADAM users could also have the facility of receiving medication reminders and the device has potential of HIPAA compliant data storage.

Focused on Preventing Complication with Asthma

The device has been focused on preventing complications with asthma which could tend to get serious if not detected in time. Timely treatment could save a lot of time and trouble to the victim. The ADAM sensor has been designed with its own iOS connected application and HealthKit support is also on its way for the smart wearable accessory.

The ADAM comprises of a consumer electronic mobile platform that runs a custom application which acquires an audio signal from external user worn microphone which is connected to the device analog to digital converter or a microphone input.

To determine the absence or presence of cough sounds, the signal is processed where symptoms are tallied and raw audio waveforms are recorded, making easy access for later review by a physician. Symptoms detection algorithm depends on standard speech recognition as well as machine learning paradigms, consisting of an audio feature extraction step with a Hidden Markov Model - HMM, based Viterbi decoder which has been trained on a huge database with audio examples on various subject. Performance of recognizer is shown in terms of sensitivity as well as the rate of false alarm determined in a cross validation test.

Personal Asthma Monitoring Device 

Mobile technology has made much progress so much so that the hardware needs of personal asthma monitoring devices have been created in existing consumer electronics platforms. Due to the broad install base together with software development kit –SDK, Apple’s iOS device have been the chosen platform, specifically, the 4G iPod.

The present approach is based on proven technology and method in the field of speech recognition, keyword as well as key audio effect detection, content based audio analysis and machine learning, like the other audio systems for cough monitoring which have been reported in literature.

Here the cough detection algorithm presented, processes the audio date in two ways where in the initial stage, the incoming stream of digital audio samples tend to get rearranged in fixed length frames from which set of audio features are computed and the sequence of feature vectors are then passed to HMM Viterbi decoder.

The Next Version of USB is the Key to Apple's New MacBook

Apple’s all New MacBook Air for 2015

Apple is on its way in preparing an all-new MacBook Air for 2015 and is working towards a thinner and a totally redesigned MacBook. Reports from 9to5Mac claims, that Apple’s next notebook would be a 12-inch MacBook Air, wherein this new design comes with jettisons standards type, like a full sized USB ports, MegSafe connectors and SD slots in favour of a thinner and lighter body together with a higher resolution display.

Sources who have utilised the internal prototype version of the forthcoming computer, have given details with regards to the machine together with their artist renditions of the latest MacBook Air and a first close look at its first major step in mobile Mac computing from the time the Retina MacBook Pro had been launched in 2012.

The revamped MacBook Air will have a 12 inch screen and will be much narrower than the prevailing 11 inch MacBook Air and the bezels surrounding the MacBook Air screen are shrunk for the display panel and keyboard could take up a larger usable area of the laptop. The keyboard has been changed, placing them together utilising less space with a few key changes like the power button for instance, has been moved to the left upper corner area, towards the left of the escape key.

USB Type-C – Smaller/Faster/Reversible Cable

Besides this, the travel on the trackpad has also been removed keeping in mind to have a slim laptop. Users need to be aware that the new MacBook Air would be coming with only two ports, such as a headphone jack and a single USB Type-C port and it is difficult to imagine a MacBook without a Thunderbolt Connection or MagSafe charger, though the new specification of USB supports driving displays together with device charging.

There are two kinds of technology which Apple needs to take up – USB Type-C and a processor which could run well enough in helping to achieve a thin design without a fan. USB Type-C is the most important with a smaller, faster and reversible cable that will make the device thinner in the future. It could also serve as a power cable and display for devices and would need a single small port for all functions on a laptop.

Thin/Light/Small Laptop

The next thing that Apple would need after the USB-C is the processor and laptop developers are planning to launch laptops with Intel’s latest Broadwell processors though the chip continues to run hot enough with a need of a fan, which a 12-inch MacBook could do without it.

Apple could probably use the Intel Core M processor in order to keep it cool making sure that the battery life is appropriate, which the Company is striving to achieve with MacBook for several years now. This would mean that the MacBook would be comparatively thin, light as well as small though may not be a powerful machine.

The Core M will be capable to power the rumoured high res screen and such screens are standard on most mid-range as well as on some low cost laptop this year, but not a hit. On the contrary, it would be a little machine used for browsing, video watching or other purpose which would involve typing.

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.

Apple’s Patent – `Communicating Stylus’

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, recently has granted Apple, a patent for `communicating stylus’, which would capture digital copies of handwritten notes as well as drawings from a variety of surfaces from paper to a whiteboard. Apple’s smart pen patent had first being filed for in January 2010 with credits to Aleksandar Pance as its inventor.

According to the patent, it would outline a smart writing feature which utilises accelerometers, wireless communication hardware and on-board storage for transferring handwritten notes and drawing from the stylus on to the digital device display.Several companies have developed these kinds of products the most relevant one being Livescribe’s smartpen and few boast on the complete complement of advanced technology by Apple’s design.

For instance, Livescribe 3 utilises an infrared camera which is located in its tip in order to capture handwriting and is then stored on-board or offloaded through Bluetooth wherein the process needs specialized paper, with a large chassis together with generous amount of power. The stylus could be configured to send movement data after the data has been collected at predefined intervals or continuously based on the users’ requirements, while another option is by sending out stylus data to various devices, as meeting notes.

Efficient Accelerometers/Motion Sensing Hardware

Apple’s stylus is featured on efficient accelerometers or other motion sensing hardware where the pen get activated only when it is picked up and its nib is pressed to the paper, withdrawn from a dock or manually turned on by the user. Thereafter the on-board sensors tend to track position changes with regards to an initial zero point enabling the device to transmit real-time data for translation as well as graphical representation on the screen of an iOS device.

It may be noted that Apple’s invention has the capabilities of being fitted with several accelerometers to measure movement in three dimension which produces accurate digital copy of stylus motion at any given angle irrespective of it being on a desk, wall or in the air. In other instances, it may not call for instant playback like taking notes, wherein in this case, the stylus could save movement data on-board or conduct burst transmission in order to save on energy. Apple had indicated that user could transmit data to a computing device which could remain in a bag or a pocket and could be a solution in saving digital backup of physical notes.

Embodiments with Alternative

Embodiments with alternative, comprises of several transmitter as well as receiver configurations for area triangulation, embedded magnetometers for collecting orientation data and several nib layouts to write with ink, graphite as well as other materials. Another thing to note is a capacitive version which could be used as a tradition iPad stylus.

As in the case of other Apple Patents with regards to styli, the idea of actually making one to the production level is slim taking into consideration the great efforts taken in multi-touch interface and to build a `communicating stylus, is made available if Apple intends to build such a device. Most of the hardware that is mentioned in the patent has been used in the prevailing generation iPhones as well as the iPads.