Apple Invents an Optical System for a Future VR and AR Headset

Apple’s concocting a New Optical System for VR and AR Headsets

Looks like the Cupertino based company, is planning something for their VR and AR headsets. Recently there was news of a patent being published in which Apple seems to be cooking up a new optical system design for their VR and AR headsets and if this news is to be believed, then Apple may be coming up with a lighter and more comfortable VR or AR headset.

This new patent is all about bringing down the weight in using an AR or VR headset. It’s not certain as of now when products bearing this patented tech will be released, it could be months or years or maybe not ever, only time will tell and of course Apple will when they are ready. It’s no surprise that the company has ambitions to deliver a new VR or AR headset in the future but will this new AR or VR headset bear this new optical system or not is the question.

What is the optical system patent actually about? 

Recently the United States Patent and Trademark Office recently published a patent in which Apple has come up with a new optical system that is aimed at making AR or VR headsets much more comfortable and lighter to use. Although the end product maybe years away from the production line, it still helps to know what Apple is up to at the moment.

Microsoft’s HoloLens and Facebook’s Oculus VR Rift Headsets all share something in common besides that they are meant for VR, they can be heavy and uncomfortable to wear. Long hours wearing such a device on the head can become tiring and cumbersome to wear. Apple has even called some of the headsets out there having optical systems that are bulky and not that comfortable to wear.
What is Apple’s new Optical System About?

The published patent details an optical system in which Apple has come out with a new technique/ optical system known as the Catadioptric system. This optical system is not all together new, it has been used as a basis in optical telescopes, telephoto lenses and microscopes. But it is the first time that such an optical system will be thought of for AR or VR headsets.

The catadioptric System is an optical system that uses a combination of curved mirrors and lenses to create a mix of refraction and reflection that does away with magnifying lenses which are used to make visual content larger in the standard optical systems used in AR or VR headsets and that is the primary reason why standard headsets bearing this type of magnifying lens is heavy and cumbersome to use.

With this optical system in mind, Apple can not only reduce the weight of its AR or VR headsets but also slim down the size of the Headsets too.

Until now it is not clear whether and if Apple will ever come to use this optical system in their VR or AR headsets. Right now Apple is playing a waiting game to see how the market will play out and whether VR headsets are here for the long haul or not.

Apple Says a Processing Error Led It to Send Developers Wrong App Install and Ad Spend Details

The recent past, we distinguished and stated on how Apple was conveying developers’ emails by means of a regular set up as well as ad pay out niceties for some developers’ applications. In the present day, Apple has hurl out a memo to developers to articulate that a dispensation error grounds the quandary, as well as that in the upcoming it will barely fling alerts through email, however that developers will need to record in to their reports to make out a few real figures or else other particulars. Louis D’hauwe - one of the developers, distributed a message from Apple express regret for the boo-boo, which come into sight cramped merely to a number of developers by means of the company’s new-fangled Search Ads Basic rank of promotion:

The corporation believed that to steer clear of whichever tribulations such as this in the upcoming, developers will require signing into their accounts to inspect their control panel with particulars. The recent past mess exposed particulars on the subject of apps by the Search Ads Basic check, together through how various bed in every app was receiving, the outlay per set up, as well as the entirety used up. At the same time as called attention recently, not merely might developers not would like to contribute to perceptive info such as this among new developers, however they may be for the most part dejected if the information was shared in the midst of straight players.

Search Ads Basic was commenced merely some months before, during last year, as well as is meant on together new developers and persons who are in a minute opening out by search ads. Apple is having a jiffy level of tune-up that is meant at better ad buys, among additional statistics spots as well as charged on a cost per impression charge fairly than cost-per-install.

In cooperation products give emphasis to a pair of motivating tendency just about Apple as well as the App Store. In the company of millions of application at present on the marketplace athwart together web along with indigenous set-up, notice vestiges a test for a lot of developers, as well as in suspense for virility or else advertising in added types unaided to endorse an app may not be sufficient for the most part.

Attached among that, in a backdrop endemic by means of devious “development scythe” system, Apple has detained the flash to offer somewhat that it could be in command of more itself, as well as create a small income from it to boot. Its incentive: beds in put on from these ads are prejudiced more greatly than further set up from other promotional way, as Apple believes them “Top class.” In receipt of the protection for developers exactly around those ads as well as ad services must and will be measured element and tract of whether Apple beyond doubt is distributing on that value oath.

Why iPhone Night Shift Mode is Big Deal

Night Shift Mode in iPhone and how it could improve Your sleep

We sometimes or maybe always use our phones before we sleep, although we have tried hard to kick the habit. This so called habit of ours leads to us getting very bad sleep. Our phone screens emit a light known as blue light that helps us see the screen in bright sunlight. This feature seems to work in the night also. Blue light has a way of affecting our melatonin production which causes us to get very bad sleep in the night. iPhone’s night shift mode hopes to change all that.

The blue light that phones emit in the night causes our brain to get mixed signals and that is when our melatonin production is affected. Melatonin is a hormone that gives our body sleep cues. Without it, we have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep leading to a host of health problems. With iOS 9.3’s night shift mode the blue light on the iPhone screen is toned down.

How Blue Light Affects the Brain and how night shift mode helps us? 

Blue light basically affects an individual’s melatonin production that makes it difficult to not only get sleep but also to stay asleep. But the blue light on our screens can harm us in other ways too. By not getting proper sleep your neurotoxin levels are affected and this in turn will make it even harder for a person to fall asleep.

Not getting a good night’s rest will affect your memory in the long run and make it harder to remember things too. The blue light in our phones, by affecting melatonin production, also takes a toll on our mental health. Besides being fatigued, low melatonin levels increase the chances of depression.

Causing disruption to melatonin levels will in fact affect other hormones too such as those that control hunger causing associated problems like obesity. The other problems that can result from the harmful blue light could be cataract, cancer and could also affect the retina in a person’s eye.

iPhone users that can’t use F.lux, a feature that allows you to tone down blue light levels when needed, don’t need toworry. With iOS 9.3, users get something that is known as night shift mode. With night shift mode a user can control the blue light setting on your iPhone. Night shift mode allows you to set a timing when your phone will start dimming the blue light emitting from the phone.

The screen becomes warmer as the blue light is dimmed by the night shift mode on the phone. Many users who updated to iOS 9.3 feel their eyes less stressed with the night shift mode. Although how much the night shift mode is going to help a person sleep when they have other sleep related problems is anyone’s guess.

Anxiety, stress related issues and other problems from using a phone at night all can affect an individual’s sleep pattern, this makes it difficult to see whether the night shift mode is effective or not.

Apple iOS 11.2.5 Has A Great Secret Feature

What’s New in iOS 11.2.5?

 
Apple has just released the official version of iOS 11.2.5. This new version of iOS is all set to introduce Apple’s HomePod support, as usual some bug fixes and also is supposedly causing problems for some other users. Apple has jumped directly onto iOS 11.2.5 missing 11.2.3 and 11.2.4.
iOS 11.2.5 is actually a maintenance release which is larger than the average maintenance releases.
 

Downloading iOS 11.2.5:

 
If you are currently on iOS 11.2.2 then downloading iOS 11.2.5 will take you a matter of only 10 minutes and maybe even less with speedier networks.

This version of iOS is a bit bigger than the previous two versions and can take up to a few minutes to update and install. The time may vary according to the Apple device and network connection. Updating from iOS 11.2.2 will be faster than updating from a much older version.
 

Battery life after iOS 11.2.5:

 
While some report no problems after updating to iOS 11.2.5 others are experiencing various problems and one of them relates to battery life.

While on the other side of the same coin, users are stating that they have experienced improved battery performance after downloading iOS 11.2.5. This occurrence seems to be unpredicted for, as Apple has not listed battery fixes as a fix when updating to iOS 11.2.5

New features in iOS 11.2.5:

iOS 11.2.5 brings users a new Siri feature whereby the voice assistant can be asked about news podcasts. Apple started introducing the feature a while back with iOS 11.2.2. Now with iOS 11.2.5 the news podcasts are available to the US, Australia and the UK.

Also coming with iOS 11.2.5 is support for apple’s HomePod. You can now transfer all your Apple id, music and Siri and WiFi settings to HomePod and get it set up.

The HomePod is due to be released in Febuary of this year.
 

Issues in iOS 11.2.5:

 
Many users after downloading the iOS 11.2.5 update are encountering problems relating to frozen downloads, problems with third party apps, battery drain, issues concerning connectivity whether to WiFi, data or Bluetooth connectivity. Additional issues relate to face id and touch id.

Apple is also offering users a chance to drop back to iOS 11.2, iOS 11.2.1 or iOS 11.2.2 if they are not happy with the iOS 11.2.5 download.
 

Security patches with iOS 11.2.5:

 
iOS 11.2.5 has also brought with it security patches including one relating to chaiOS link. Those devices running on iOS 11.2.2 or older and receive a GitHub link as a message in your messaging app, it can mean that your device will respring or lockup. Brsides this, the messaging app may also cease to function.

Another security release relates to spectre. iOS 11.2.5 brings a security improvement for WebKit and Safari which protects users from spectre.

If you do not have the current version of iOS 11.2.2 and have some older version then downloading iOS 11.2.5 will come with a lot more security fixes than updating directly from iOS 11.2.2

Apple's iPhone Battery 'Slowdown' to be Optional

Apple is making the feature to slowdown the battery on iPhone an optional

After dealing with huge backlash for slowing down the iPhone Apple has decided to bring new software which will make this feature optional. This update will effectively result in switching off the “battery saver” feature which was the major cause of slowing down some of the Apple models. This option will be made available in the following smartphone models namely iPhone 6+, 6 Plus along with the S editions as well as smaller iPhone SE model. This would also be applicable for the iPhone 7 and 7Plus editions.

Apple has to deal with huge backlash month for slowing down the smartphones deliberately and it has apologized for the same. Customers and fans were angry with the Apple for not accepting this fault and before its discovery were made. Over the years it was suspected that Apple used to deliberately slow down some of its devices in order to push the need to upgrade.

Apple has maintained that it has slowed down some of the phones due to their ageing batteries and it was done in a bid to prolong the life of the iPhone devices. Users will get the ability to get rid of the battery performance throttling on these models with upcoming iOS 11.3 software update. With this update users will get the ability to switch off the battery saver on their iPhone. Apple has asserted that battery saver feature was designed to ringing dynamic management of the resources on the iPhone to offer maximum performance in order to prevent any kind of unexpected shutdowns.

Apple understands that its battery management code will remain under close scrutiny by the computer engineers, fans and tech enthusiasts in the upcoming days. Therefore Apple will be showing more information related to the battery and any kind of the path to the code will be displayed instantly.

Drop in price for the battery replacement

Simply by replacing the battery on their iPhone, users will be able to get same old performance without any issues. Apple has stated that it will be lowering the price for the out-of-warranty batter replacement service from hefty $79 to just $29. This price drop is available for the iPhone users in the US territory and it is applicable for devices like iPhone 6 and later models. Similarly in UK Apple has lowered the price from £79 to £25. A number of tech enthusiasts has complained that the issue related to the battery performance issue is quite rampant across the varied iPhone variants present in the market and it is a cause of concerns for millions of users worldwide.

As the long standing myth Apple deliberately goes on slowing down it older devices in order to boost the sales of the new one has been busted. Apple has come under scrutiny of the regulators, fans and customers therefore it is actively indulging in offering as many options as possible to enhance their battery performance on the iPhone models.

HomePod Apple Smart Speaker: Features, Release Date And Everything We Know

Everything you need to know about the Apple HomePod

We have been waiting long for the Apple’s HomePod as it makes its debut about six months ago. In June Apple unveiled its very first smart speaker in a bid to give a stiff competition to the ever popular Amazon’s Echo speaker but apple has been quite shy to bring to the market by postponing the launch date again and again. Apple HomePod worked just like any other smart speaker where it brings a wireless audio experience powered with the voice control offered with the help of Siri. Apple promised that it will bring a premium sound experience which will be coupled with the enhanced voice-control functionality with Siri support resulting in a much better experience than the Amazon Echo speaker. Being an Apple product it is designed to work seamlessly with the Apple Music along with some advanced features like smart home integration, multi-room audio as well as voice messaging.

Apple HomePod Key features you would love

Apple is coming quite late into the category of smart home speaker which is led solely by Amazon with its Echo and Echo dot models. Now the major competitor for HomePod includes the Alexa powered Echo series made by Amazon and the Google’s very own Home speakers. Apple has spent a huge time with several of years of research and development in order to come up with its own version of the smart speaker. It had given two years of free reign to the Amazon while it kept on developing the smartphone therefore it will come with a premium price tag along with some cool features baked right into the smart speaker.

HomePod becomes the first smart speaker from Apple which gets powered by Siri. Apple has baked in a number of features based its voice and smartphone assistant Siri into this smart speaker in a bid to give competition to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Siri will allow users to send messages, play a podcast, set a timer or even check the news. Furthermore it will allow users to link a wide range of HomeKit smart home tech appliances with it to turn it a true smart home. Apple has brought the HomeKit ability right into the smart speaker to bring the function of controlling multiple devices or home accessories by simply saying “Hey Sir, I am Home”. You can turn on and off the lights, set up the temperature and perform other smart home automation right by speaking to the HomePod.

Finally the wait is over for the Apple fans

The HomePod will be making its available for pre-order on January 26 in the UK and it will be realizing worldwide on 9the February 2018. A number o fans had gone ahead and waiting whole night for the HomePod sales to begin but they were left disappointed. Apple had announced it at the WWDC developers conference in June but it kept getting delayed from November to December then finally to New Year. Apple has priced the HomePod at just $319 in the US while in UK it will cost around £ 319.

How to Customize Your MacBook: More than 15 Great Ways to Do It Quickly

For years, Apple has evolved towards an increasingly minimalist user interface. Inexactly, macOS works especially well, but I could make use of some modifications. By customizing some settings you can make MacBook work even better for you.

If you are wondering if there are great ways to customize your MacBook, then this is the article that you must submerge. You can quickly modify the look and feel of your Mac. Learn how to modify your Mac, adjusting your preferences to your personal taste.

How to Quickly Customize the Appearance of Your MacBook

It's a good idea to customize a MacBook, to make it yours. There are even websites devoted entirely to thematizing MacBook. Instead of using third-party tools to get different appearances, I'll show you what Apple already provides.

In this tutorial, we will be using the current version of the operating system, macOS 10.12 Sierra. You will find that the principles are the same for whatever version you are using, although with slight differences. Now let's play with some great ways to customize the Mac's visual settings.

1. Automatically modify the screensaver every few hours, or days

When it comes to computer metaphors, I've always struggled with the concept of putting a screensaver on the desktop. I guess changing the housecloth does not have the same effect in MacBook.

To change the screensaver, go to the System Preferences> Desktop and Screensaver. You can also reach the same site by pressing the Apple symbol, in the upper left of the menu bar, or by pressing Command / Space to open Spotlight and enter Desktop to find the preferences.

Once you have selected a screensaver image, you will have the option to change it automatically in MacBook. You can also configure how often it will change. Click on the box to place a mark in the Change Image box: and use the drop-down menu to select the desired interval.

If you prefer, it is possible to make the images on the desktop background show in a random order. Press the check mark to activate the Random Order.

To keep things organized, use a specific folder in iPhoto to save the images from the desktop background in MacBook. The Desktop and Screensaver panel is always kept up to date, so you will not have to worry about adding a new image when you download it.

On the other hand, you can use any folder on the MacBook, as long as it contains more than one image.

2. Use Active Corners to Show Screen Savers and Other Things

From the MacBook Desktop and Screen Saver preferences panel, press the Screen Saver tab to see the options for them. Down on the right there is a button called Active Corners ...

Active Corners is a macOS system feature that allows you to use the four corners of the screen to invoke certain actions, as indicated by its name. It could be to launch a screensaver, open LaunchPad, the Notification Center or anything else.

Move the mouse to the defined corner to activate the feature.

3. Add Separators to the Dock

Your MacBook dock may end up crowded with a host of application icons. If this happens to you, adding a space between the icons makes sense.

The spacers added by this command are invisible "tiles" that can be easily removed, if necessary, by dragging them from the dock to the outside.

To enable the empty tile, open the Terminal and enter the following command:

defaults write.com.apple.dockl persisent-apps – array-add '{“tile-type”=”spacer- tile”;}'; killall Dock

Once the command has been executed in MacBook, the dock disappears for a moment and it will be loaded again with an invisible tile to create the space.

The invisible tile can be dragged along the dock to place it where you need to create more space between icons, or drag it from the dock to the desktop to eliminate it if you no longer need it.

 

4. Change the Color Scheme of the MacBook OS System

If you prefer to highlight the text so that it has a different color than the default blue, open the System Preferences> General and change the Color of Enhancement: to another color.

Along with the eight colors of the menu, you can use the Other ... option to select any color from the selector.

There is another Appearance option here that changes the buttons, menus, and windows of all applications to a more monochrome option called Graphite. Blue and graphite are the only options, so if you like a very hard look and without those colorful buttons to close, minimize and increase located in the bars of the windows, they will be your preferred options.

5. Add Extension to the MacBook Dock, Hide it and Change its Position

By default, the Mac dock does not jump as you may have seen on other MacBook. That's because the increase is not enabled.

To enable it, press the Apple symbol, at the top left of the menu bar, select Dock, and press Activate Enlargement.

This menu also gives you the possibility to hide the dock, which is useful to maximize the screen space in your MacBook, especially in small screen laptops. When it is hidden, you can show the dock by moving the cursor to the part of the screen where it resides.

You can change the location of the dock and place it on the left or right side of the screen. The appearance of the dock will also change if you move it to the sides; its appearance is more two-dimensional and reminiscent of the one I had in OS X Tiger.

How to Customize the Menu Bar on Your MacBook

Many people do not get all the advantages of using the menu bar. Some applications use extra information, but there are other really creative things you can do with the information there. Let's take a look at some great ways to customize the Menu Bar on your MacBook.

6. Add Seconds and Date to Time

It is possible to display more than just the time in the menu bar. Click on the current time and select Open the Preferences panel "Date and Time" to expand them. In the main tab you will find a place to adjust the Date and Time.

If it is correct, go to the Clock tab. Change the time options from Digital to Analog, and activate to your liking the boxes Show the time with the seconds, Blinking of the separators, Use clock of 24 hours, Show the indicators of a.m. /p.m., Show the day of the week, Show date in the menu bar and Announce the time in quarter intervals, half hours or full hours.

MacBook OS has many great hidden options to show the time. It is useful to have the date in the menu bar, and the seconds can be useful if you want to be punctual. Do not forget that you can change the format of the date in the Language and Region panel. I'll talk about this later.

7. Add the Battery Percentage and Life Time

If you have a MacBook and the battery indicator in the menu bar is only an icon, you will need to change this to see more information. When it's plugged in, press and select Show Percentage to give you a reading of the current charging status. Then unplug the charging adapter from the MacBook and test that the indicator works as expected.

Note: There used to be an option to show how long the battery could last with current usage, but it has been removed from Mountain Lion. If you are using an earlier version of OS X, press the battery icon and look for this option.

In any case, there is a small utility called Battery Time Remaining that tells you how much time it will take to deplete it. It is available on GitHub.

8. Change the Action when Inserting a CD or DVD

You may not always want a DVD player to open when you insert a video disc into your MacBook, if you still have a reading unit.

To change this behavior, open the CD and DVD panel in the System Preferences. Click on any function you want to modify and select "Open another application ..." Or, to completely deactivate the function, select Ignore.

You can even Run a Script ... if you have a custom function.

9. Adjust Spotlight Searches and How They Are Ordered

Maybe you have some private files that you do not need to list when you do searches. If so, you can exclude them from the Spotlight query system. Here is how to do it:

Open System Preferences in your MacBook and click Spotlight Click on the Privacy tab

Press the + button to add a folder or a whole disc that you do not want to be shown You can also adjust the way in which Spotlight displays the search results. On the Search Results tab, deselect any category you do not want to see, or drag them to sort them in your preferred order. Here you can also change the keyboard shortcut for Spòtlight.

10. Change the Default Dictionary in Your MacBook

The Apple Dictionary application is one of the most useful tools on the MacBook. It is simple and does your job well.

Although, if you're like me, you'll like to look up words in a real English dictionary: the British. To enable an alternative language in the app, go to the Preferences window and check the box you want to have in the main window.

There are ten dictionaries and thesauri included in the MacBook, and two of them are more resources than dictionaries, the Apple dictionary and Wikipedia.

11. Change the Application Icons on Your MacBook

If you are really determined to customize your MacBook and do your things, it is even possible to change the icons of the applications. There are utilities for this, but the process of changing the icon of an application manually on your MacBook is quite simple.

• Select the .png or .jpeg icon and open it with Preview. Press Edit, Select All, then copy the selection. The usual .png files do not work because they do not always have transparent backgrounds.
• Find the application you want to modify, select it, and click Get Info. You can also press the key combination Command-I.
• It's the small icon in the upper left part of the application and Command-V to paste the new icon.

To delete a custom icon, select the small one in the Get Info window and press Undo on the keyboard.

Manually: This technique works for most applications, but may not work for Apple owners.

12. Make the Finder Open in a Different Folder to All My Files

The new Macs display the All My Files directory by default when you launch the Finder.

Personally, I do not like this setting. Fortunately, there is a way to change it.

Go to the Finder Preferences in MacBook and select the General tab. Choose a drop-down menu folder below The new Finder windows show. Press Others to use any folder on your hard drive.

13. Adjust the Regional Variations on Your MacBook

If you live in the United States, the date format will be foreign to the rest of the world. Therefore, having a preference to change the format as an ascending format DD-MM-YYYY or descending YYYY-MM-DD makes sense. The latest is an ISO standard. You can order spreadsheets properly with the ISO format, for example.

You do not have to use the date format in the same way as the rest of the USA. You can modify this and other things, from the Language and Region panel of the System Preferences. Once there, click on the Region tab. Here is a list of what you can do:

Make the week begin on a given day - You might prefer that the calendar week start on Monday. Press the drop-down menu next to First day of the week, then select the day on which you want the week to start.

Change the Date Format - Press the Customize button next to the Dates section and arrange things as you like. Apple makes things extremely simple so you can drag and drop the values and sort them as you like. There is even an option to add the era, d.C.

Change the Time Format - milliseconds are part of the time. Apple leaves it to your choice on the Customize screen in the Hours section. Again, it is a drag and drop process.

Modify Currency Separators and Decimal Characters - Some people like decimals separated by commas and semicolons. If that's you, click Customize below the Numbers section and change things. You can change the values to any character.

Change to a New Currency or Unit of Measure - There are options for the currency and the units of measure you are using. There are lots of coins, but the units of measurement are only offered in the UK, US or Metric. The UK is not usual since it uses a mixture of imperial and metric measures.

14. Organize Your Folders Automatically

It is annoying to see a folder completely disfigured due to bad organization. The Finder has settings for this kind of thing, and they are located in the toolbar.

Press the button that looks like a small list of icons, as shown in the screenshot below, and then select the organization method that works best for you. Name is the best because you will always find things on your site.

Although you can do anything, from Type to Size and Label. On the other hand, drag things out of the grid to mess up a bit.

15. Remove Desktop-mounted Discs

Maybe you do not want to see the CD or an external hard drive cramming your desktop.

To deactivate it, open the Finder Preferences and deselect one of the options Show these items on the desktop in the General tab of your MacBook.

This will eliminate some unnecessary things from the desktop.

16. Bring the Status Bar Back

There used to be a status bar to the bottom area of the Finder, which showed the size of a selection and number of files in a folder, as well as other useful information.

By default it was deleted in OS X 10.7 Lion, but you can always recover it with a keyboard shortcut: Command / (Command + Line Oblícula).

You can also do it by clicking on the View menu and selecting Show the Status Bar.

What Tips to Customize the MacBook Do You Have?

In this tutorial, we've shown you how to customize your MacBook, better organize things, change the default dictionary, reorder Spotlight results, show different desktop backgrounds and recover hidden functions that were in previous versions of OS X.

Although it is only an introduction. There are many more customization options for the Mac, such as drastically changing the appearance of the dock by applying a theme. The same can be done with the rest of the MacBook OS, although it does not take a while to get things to be perfect.

ConnectSense Debuts New HomeKit-Compatible Smart In-Wall Outlet

If you want to have a greater command over your home environment and also control and monitor the power usage in your home, then ConnectSense Smart In-Wall outlet will help you do just that.

The ConnectSense Smart In-Wall Outlet is an addition to Apple’s HomeKit technology which will be available later in the year 2018. At the end of 2015, ConnectSense had launched their original external Smart Outlet which was compatible with the HomeKit.

ConnectSense Smart In-Wall Outlet

The ConnectSense Smart In-Wall Outlet can be installed in your home just like any usual outlet. It is designed to blend in with the room décor as well as provide all the benefits of HomeKit control. The ConnectSense Outlet makes any product smart and also provides power monitoring and plug detection features. Any of the devices plugged in the ConnectSense outlet can be controlled by the ConnectSense app, the HomeKit app, built-in touch controls or your voice using Siri.

It comes with two WiFi connected outlets that can be controlled and monitored individually. When a device has been plugged in, the outlets have plug detection to sense it. All your plug-in devices like fans, lights, heaters, televisions can be controlled and monitored from your iPhone or iPad. You can control your home settings with customized scenes. If you want a scene to turn off the lights, lock your doors, set the room to the desired temperature, all of this can be done in one simple step.

It has two buttons on the right to turn on or off each outlet individually. On the left there is a 2.4 amp USB charging port for quick charging of your iPad, iPhone and other devices. With the help of the Energy monitoring, you can also see the power usage of the various devices via an app on your iPhone or iPad.

In addition to using the ConnectSense Outlet in the house, the Smart In-Wall Outlet will also be able to function in commercial establishments such as offices, airports and various other places using both the 15A and 20A options.

In the box, you will get the ConnectSense Smart In-Wall outlet containing the WiFi Dual Smart Plug, an 8-Digit pin code and a Quick Start Guide.

Installing ConnectSense Smart In-Wall Outlet

When you plug the In-Wall Smart outlet into the wall, click on the WiFi settings on your iPhone or iPad. At the bottom, you will see a sub menu ‘Set Up New Device’ showing the ConnectSense outlet name. By clicking on it, the Smart outlet is automatically connecting to the WiFi network without actually entering the WiFi password. Install the ConnectSense app from the App Store. You need to add your first Smart Outlet device and it should automatically find it. Enter in the 8-digit pin code that comes in the box along with the Smart Outlet plug. The Smart outlet will be installed.

The price of this device has not been announced, but it should be available for purchase later this year.

Apple Announced GymKit in the Summer

Apple watch and GymKit

The sport, lead a healthy life and training is increasingly fashionable, but Apple knows that more than one is hard to go on their own to the gym, and more when you have no one to tutor you or help you prepare a Exercise table best suited to your physique and activity. Since its inception with the Apple Gymkit, many people were curious that could not resist the temptation to get one and start to try all the benefits that it offered.

But the following had to be kept in mind: the iWatch has no GPS, no audio input, and the connection to the mobile is made via Bluetooth 4.0. But not only that. An iWatch without an iPhone is practically unusable, since the watch could be said to be an extension of the phone that allows you to receive notifications on your wrist of those applications that you have installed on your iPhone and that allow connectivity with the watch.

That is why with the passage of time, and due to the strong dependence that exists between the clock and the telephone for its optimal use, many have been losing their interest or seeing their utility increasingly reduced.

However, this is something that has not gone unnoticed for Cupertino, and that is why in the Keynote of this year 2017 and with the advance of watchOS 4, apple decided to make the most of the health and training.

For this reason, in its advance of presentation Apple has included several improvements, such as very striking elements in the training app with the idea of offering the most practical information for users throughout the day. But something that draws much attention to the rest is the update of the app train much improved jointly with Apple Gymkit, a platform with technology that will offer users training connected with cardio equipment of gyms.

This is what Jeff William, COO of Apple, said:

"The Apple Watch is the perfect device to lead a healthy life and is now smarter than ever thanks to watchOS 4. We have designed a truly individualized experience with the most intelligent Activity and Training apps, the Siri sphere that shows the information that you need at the right time and, in addition, we will offer users their favorite music easily. "

But what is it and how does Apple Gymkit work?

Apple Gymkit is a specific development kit for gym machines that will allow both the iWatch and the machine to share data of the user. With Apple Gymkit, customers who use their favorite gym machine can link their Apple Watch directly with treadmills, ellipticals, indoor bicycles or step machines from manufacturers around the world such as Life Fitness and Apple Gymkit with a single touch. And how is this achieved? Through NFC technology.

This means that, just by bringing the iWatch closer to the area specified in the fitness equipment and through the communication of the NFC chip between the machine and the clock, our data will be recorded and an automatic training will be started on the clock, in accordance with the training that we programmed in the machine. Both devices, machine and clock, will begin to exchange data of the exercise in real time (calories, distance, speed, raised floors, inclination and rhythm).

Of course, some questions arise about the operation and the start-up, but we will have to wait until its deployment in the autumn of this year to dispel any doubt. But what is clear is that Apple is strongly committed to the sport to get more juice to Apple Gymkit and in turn encourage users to lead a more active life.

Everything exciting about the launch of the iMac Pro

Does iMac Pro died just like the disappearance of the iPods? iMac in its true form was last seen in the 2013 but since then Apple has brought any new iteration of the device which eventually led to the rumors surrounding its demise.

Apple Pro series brings the best of design with impeccable hardware into the play for those who love to things more aggressively and demanding on their computing devices. Apple has showcased the new iMac Pro which is expected to the take the consumer electronics with a storm. This device made its appearance was back in June 2017 during the Worldwide Developers Conference but simply didn’t launch in 2017 which left a number of trade pundits surprised.

The best desktop you can ask for

Laptops are seen as beast while desktops are simply seen old class heroes with relation to the modern design and aesthetics. Apple has already changed this attitude with the launch of iMac series and iMac Pro is the next stop towards bringing most powerful all in one desktop PC to everyone.

Finally it launched on 14th December 2017 for a commanding price of just AED 19,999. Apple has never revealed when these new computers will be launching in 2017 and it has put forward a complete plan for the new iMac family. The new line of the iMac devices comes loaded with Kaby Lake processors which offer incredible performance ever on any given desktop personal computer.

Given its robust hardware and specification entry level iMac Pro has price tag of AED 19,999. You can get the best device in this category boasting of a 27 inch Retina 5K display along with an 8 core Intel Xeon processor, 32 GB ECC memory, 1TB SSD and an AMD Radeon Vega graphics card.

This device comes with four Thunderbolt 3 (USB Type C) ports along with a 10 GB Ethernet port for connectivity purposes. There are also two pairs of USB 3.0 Type A ports.

It’s the design which is the talking point

When it comes to design Apple hasn’t made a major shift in the design language from the earlier iMac lineup. There is one major exception which is quite evident for everyone as Apple has used a Space Gray coat for a more subtle look. It has the similar all aluminum design with curved shell and Apple has made certain enhancement in the overall design to make the internal cooling system more than 80% efficient than before. There is also a rumor that Apple will be making a giant design change for the iMac line next year where it will have a black finish along with the glass and the ageless Apple Logo will make its comeback with the a micro LED panel. Apple will also be bringing a dynamic audio technology on the iMac Pro speakers which will be able to make shift in the volume depending upon the distance between the user and the device.

How Apple Risks Losing Its Position of Trust

Will Apple's ingress that it paces down old Phones harm its brand notoriety? Or have people mostly get over misanthropic about technology organizations?

Demanding to be the great bozo has its troubles.

Formerly you've primed yourself up to be sacred than entire the world's thou's, you perpetually have to active up to it.

Thus when it come out that Apple has been in secret deceleration down older iPhones to preserve their batteries, it's earthy that many clients might have interrupted and amazed.

Apple CEO, has been acute to present Apple as the marque you can rely above all its competitive companies. He's whiffed at Google as well as Facebook as being organisation that remorselessly bolt people's info, while Apple is in ethical motive and does all accomplishable to preserve your secrecy.

So far here is Apple knavishly doing things to people's IPhones -- even if it is for the phone's good -- and merely not revealing them about it.

Worsened, Apple had systematically contravene slowing older iPhones downbound. Why did Apple take not to declare the fact until it was caught?

Many Apple stalwart were overwrought. iOS creator Marco Arment twirped: "The notoriety harm from in secret slowing down old Phones, heedless of the faculty, will liable persist for a decennary."

Apple's core fanpersons have been outstandingly unvindictive over the years. Retrieve when they were told the iPhone 4's transmitting aerial content was all about them keeping it incorrect? Apple has bring off to fortify reputational uppercase -- disdain the infrequent gross blooper -- exactly because it's invested with so much in amplification that capital in the first place, while its competitors seek simply focussing on products and their attributes.

It's merely in recent years that the likes of Microsoft and Samsung have accomplished that a big part of trade name notoriety and commitment lies in passively processing an affectional kinship with your clintele, both done the sort of products you form and how you convey. Apple start by devising products that people could spontaneous use. And it pass on to customers with inelegance and naivete.

Clientele trusted Apple to form their lives easygoing as well as to make over products that were deserving showing off. Period of time, though, have get along more complex. The very postulation of the contemporary digital world make it far more hard for whatever tech brand to be trusted.

After all, as tech moves all over us as well as we inhume our brains in it, the kinship 'tween tech company and client needfully get on uncomfortably ajar and ambient. It's each very well for Tim Cook to demand seclusion is a chaste issuance.

So far he for sure cognize that customers themselves have flipped their seclusion to the influence, merely to get zany things on the loose.

Qualcomm's iPhone X Still Outpaces Intel's

Qualcomm’s Modem beats Intel’s Modem in IPhone X

Cellular Insights recently tested modem strengths in both modems, that is of Intel and Qualcomm in the IPhone X models. The tests proved that Qualcomm was able to give consistently higher speeds that Intel’s modem in the IPhone X.

Since IPhone’s 4s to 6s, Apple has always made use of Qualcomm’s models. But as of the IPhone 7, Apple has begun to split its modems between Intel and Qualcomm. This has resulted in IPhone 7 models with very different signal speeds.
 

Two models of IPhone X tested:

 

Cellular Insights used two IPhone X’s two test LTE signal speeds. The A1865 model, which is a Qualcomm modem phone and the A1901 which is an Intel powered modem phone was picked for testing. The A1865 model is sold by Sprint, Verizon in the U.S. and it is also sold in India, China and Australia. The A1901 Intel modem Phone is sold by U.S. carriers AT&T and T-Mobile.

There is a third model of IPhone X too, but it is only sold in Japan and was not a subject of this testing.

The testing was conducted on a common band which is used by all major carriers in the US.
 

How was the testing between Qualcomm and Intel modems tested?

 
Cellular Insights tested signal strengths and the speed of downloads, in a range of- very good signal strength to very bad signal strength. That is from -85dBm to whenever the IPhones would quit getting a signal.

On a 20MHz band, both IPhone models started out with a speed of 195Mbs but after that the difference became more apparent. The Intel modem download speeds dropped to 169Mbs at a signal strength of -87dbm while its competitor took another fall of -6dBm in signal strength to reach download speeds of 169 Mbs.

Where every drop in signal strength can be felt by customers, Cellular insights took to testing the Intel and Qualcomm modems to the last when both phones got no signal. At signal strengths of -120dBm which is a very poor signal strength, the Qualcomm modem still outperformed the Intel modem by a whopping 67%.

The point when both modems finally lost signal was -129dBm for the Intel modem and -130dBm for the Qualcomm model, which is not a whole lot of difference.

Cellular Insights used the very best in testing both modems including CMWFlexx solutions and they also used the same technique as they had previously used for testing signal strengths in phones.

Since the last testing, Cellular Insights has found out that Qualcomm has always outperformed Intel modems but today the difference between both modems is becoming narrower. This maybe a deliberate action rather than a drop in performance by Qualcomm modems.
 

Is it the end of the road for Qualcomm?

 
Apple and Qualcomm have found themselves in a web of lawsuits that has mostly to do with Apple refusing to pay Qualcomm license fees. So the IPhone X may be Qualcomm’s last stint at Apple.

Apple has previously stuck to Qualcomm modems because of its good performance and also because only the Qualcomm modems could run on Verizon and Sprint CDMA networks. Now Intel is going to change all that with its XMM7560 modem which will hit markets next year.

Apple iOS 11.2 Release: Should You Upgrade?

Apple has just released a new iOS update, version iOS 11.2. You should download it as soon as possible to fix important operating system failures.

A more discreet detail that opens with iOS 11.2 is a small line under the Wi-Fi signal and battery indicators of the iPhone X. It only appears on the lock screen, indicating that from there you can slide your finger down to invoke the center of control.

Apple has in the past few days rigged what is probably the largest collection of 'software' failures in the company's recent history. And several of them have been serious. The most compromising was found in macOS, which allowed anyone with physical access to your Mac to enter as a computer administrator without even typing a password. The thing did not end there. Very recently, millions of iPhones in half the world restarted alone due to a problem with the operating system. The matter caused so much commotion that Apple has been forced to launch an update of iOS 11.2 to solve it. Luckily, it comes with other interesting developments.

Apple has just released an update of its operating system. iOS 11.2 arrives Replaces the previous version that you most likely have now on your iPhone, 11.1.2. The reason for launching it now is in the failure that millions of users experienced last Saturday, December 2, when their phones began to restart alone once the clock struck at 00:15. The problem had to do with third-party applications that sent notifications repeatedly.

After the initial alarm, a solution to the problem was to deactivate the notifications or adjust the date to a day before December 2. It was a temporary patch. Apple has just released version iOS 11.2 of the system that solves the problem. It is not the only novelty. Another of the most anticipated is the availability of Apple Pay Cash, the function to send, request or receive money between friends and family through iMessage or through Siri. The downside is that at the moment it is only available in the US, but it should not take long to reach some European countries as well.

How does it work? You can see here a demo video. In some parts of Europe Apple Pay already works with Banco Santander, Openbank and Caixabank, so it is expected that, at the beginning, to use Apple Pay Cash you also need to have an account in one of these entities.

Other news that we can access, when downloading iOS 11.2 is the fastest wireless charging if you have an iPhone 8, 8 Plus or iPhone X. The update includes support for wireless charging at a speed of 7.5 watts, so these should be much faster, although Apple does not specify exactly how much more.

What are the other novelties? You will see new wallpapers for the iPhone X, more stabilization of the video camera, the problem is solved by which the Music controls could not appear on the locked screen and also other failures such as the calculator showing incorrect operations when typing the numbers too fast. You can see here all the news of the update. A version iOS 11.2 with which Apple hopes to forget its worst week in a long time.

Apple Release a ‘Budget’ Model of the iPad with FaceID soon

Apple is looking forward to bring a budget oriented iPad at the price point of just $250 to appease the price conscious buyers and to push the declining sales of the tablets. It has also been reported that Apple engineers has worked on developing a very new version of the FaceID system which has debuted on the iPhone X this year. Secondly Apple is also expected to launch a price war in the tablet segment which has been going through dismal sales with each passing month. But having a premium iPad from the Apple will help in igniting the interest in the tablets and it will also disrupt the dominance of the Android offerings in the tablet market at the similar price point.

Following the high of the early days of 2013 and 2014 Apple has simply failed to match up the sales and it is looking forward to new ways of making iPads a sensation once again. Apple saw a little bit of growth in the iPad sales due to the launch of the latest $329 iPad apart from that other iPad variants aren’t offering a glowing picture. At this point of time Apple is trying to lure the industrial enterprise customers as well as regular buyers who are quite sensitive to the premium price quoted by the usual iPad models.

Luring back the consumers

A major portion of the Apple revenue comes from the sales of the iPhones which has been growing at a good pace with each iPhone launch but same isn’t the case for the iPads which is a sign of concern for Apple. In 2017 Apple’s iPad business has simply had some really bad quarter which is quite worrying for Apple executives as iPad unit sales are declining with each passing year. Therefore Apple is all set to launch a price sensitive iPad boasting the new age features like the one seen on the iPhone X.

A redesigned high end iPad for 2018

Apple will be seen promoting the key selling feature of iPhone X which happens to the Face ID on the new lineup of the iPads. Rumors have even suggested will be opting for a similar all-screen look for the new premium iPads in 2018. This means users will have do away with the beloved home screen button the iPads after their disappearance on the iPhone with iPhone X. The new iPads will also have slimmer edges thanks to the non-presence of the old age ‘home button’.

Revamping the iPad design in 2018 will mark the passing of 3 whole years in between the major design change implemented with the launch of iPad Pro in 2015. When it comes to size the new models will feature the 10.5 inch used in the Pro model and sadly iPads will not be featuring the OLED panels which were first seen on the iPhone X. In short Apple is devising new ways to reignite the interest in the iPad gadgets amidst the rise of the phablets in the market.

Device to Fix Your 16GB or 32GB iPhone Storage Woes

A smart way to get rid of storage troubles on the 16 GB or 32 GB iPhone variants

When it comes to storage Android devices reigns supreme over the iPhone counterparts as it lacks the ability to enhance the storage. Apple has tried to offer some relief to the consumers by offering an incredibly higher storage option in the 2017 range of iPhone smartphones. But there are millions of users who are still stuck with the lower iPhone storage in form of 16 GB and 32 GB variants. Most of the users find it frustrating to deal with the ‘low storage’ alerts when trying to take a from their camera app.

It is widely known that Apple doesn’t allow users to increase the storage by not having a miscroSD card slot on the device. Therefore users have to either move all the media content to the cloud or transfer to another storage device or simply has to delete old photos, videos and podcasts to pave way for new apps or content. However it isn’t the end of the world for the iPhone users as number of external microSD card devices are emerged on the horizon which aims to offer unlimited storage options.
 

Two devices to try for additional storage

 
One such device which can you in boosting iPhone storage is Leef iAcess MicroSD reader for iOS which retails at just $A 65. This offers a pathway to the ‘infinite memory’ on an iPhone without costing a fortune. This device wrap around the back of the iPhone without obstructing the front view as much as possible. If you don’t want to get a humpy device protruding at the back of your iPhone then opt for a wireless media hub which basically uses Wi-Fi connection to do same thing.

Investing in 1TB Western Digital My Passport Wireless external hardrive for a price tag of $220 will help in getting massive iPhone storage. It is compact external hard drive in shape of a small square which can be easily carried around to back up not just your iPhone but also iPad, iPod and other devices. It is worth mentioning that Apple also offers portable drivers on its website which does the same thing.
 

Another smart way to boost your storage

 
The best way to keep more space available at all times for new apps and media content is to get the Apple’s cloud storage service. Users can make use of the Apple’s Optimize Storage setting in order to transfer the full resolution photos on the iCloud and keeping the internal storage free. In order to enable this feature simply to the Settings followed by iCloud and Photos.

Videos are known to be biggest storage hogs on a smartphone so when it comes to iPhone storage having high resolution videos on the devices isn’t helpful. There is no need to shoot every video in the 1080p resolution rather go to the Settings followed by Camera and set the minimum resolution to 720p in order to save on more space.

Apple's iPhone SE 2 Could Launch Early Next Year

Apple is All Set to Launch the iPhone SE 2 in the First Half of 2018 

A number of reports has surfaced online suggesting that will likely be launch the next version of iPhone SE in the first half of 2018. It is been expected that Apple will retain the small size and ergonomic design of the first version of iPhone SE. Some of the reports had even hinted that the production of the iPhone SE 2 is being assembled at an Indian factory in Bengaluru by Apple’s manufacturer Wistron. It is worth noting Apple has assembled quite a number of iPhone SE smartphone at this facility in the past.

Retaining the good things

It is widely speculated that Apple will keep with its launch cycle by bringing the iPhone SE 2 in March 2018 just like it launched the first SE device in the March this year. Apple will not be tinkering with the compact 4inch screen size of the SE as it was selling point of the first device itself. iPhone SE 2 is likely to feature the latest processor A10 Fusion chips along with the features like Touch ID and one camera setup.

It is highly unlikely that Apple will be bringing the FaceID feature to the lower end models anytime soon in order to keep ‘X’ factor of the iPhone 10 alive. The edge-to-edge display is also out of the question for this small iPhone. When it comes to pricing Apple is likely to price the iPhone SE 2 at anywhere around $450. Reports has even hinted that Apple will be targeting the Southeast Asian market with the iPhone SE2 apart from India in order to boost its iPhone sales among the price conscious buyers.

Bringing new features

Apple iPhone doesn’t support dual SIM which has become a major necessity in the modern times. It is highly expected that Apple will start offering the support for dual SIM with the upcoming iPhone SE 2. A insider tip from the renowed KGI analysts named Ming-Chi Kuo also sheds light on the fact that Apple will be launching three new iPhones in 2018. All of these smartphones will featue the Intel’s XMM 7560 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X20 modems in order to offer better and enhanced LTE data transfer along with support for Dual SIM as well as dual standby.
Get ready for three iPhones in 2018
He also said that the new three models of the iPhone for 2018, two will feature OLED displays while one will come with stable LCD display. One of the surprising speculations made by him is that Apple will be bringing the edge-to-edge display on all the devices just like iPhone X. It is worth noting all the major Android smartphones has started offering some kind of edge-to-edge or bezel less display on all the upcoming smartphone ranging from the budget, mid-range and high end segments. Therefore having all the iPhones with the iPhone X like display will be a smarter and sensible choice on the part of the Apple.

iPhone’s 3D Laser Camera to AR Technology

So the latest buzz in town is that Apple plans on incorporating 3D laser technology into its new iPhone model by the year 2019. After the immense success of the iPhone X Apple plans on recreating history with the new innovation of having a 3D laser camera at the rear of the phone.

The main focus of attention of this camera is going to be on augmented reality. Apple plans on coming out with an AR device in the year after the rumored iPhone that is 2020 or in their words “when technology can cope up with ideas”.

 

How will Apple’s new iPhone work?

 
As mentioned earlier the new iPhone will have a rear 3D facing camera. This camera uses a laser to bounce light off objects to determine how far they are and their precise location to one and another. This technique is called time of fight.

Once the time of flight of the scene before the camera is taken, the iPhone can then analyze the measurements and create the scene on the iPhone’s screen, Thereby creating a 3D map of the visual in front of the camera.

Apple has even got this new tech patented. The new laser is known as #22.

 

How the 3D Laser works?

 

In basic terms the entire thing works with the help of three components, the first being an image sensor- this captures the image or scene before the camera.

The second component is the optical transmitter- it sends pulses to the scene and objects within it.
The third component is the optical receiver- this part receives pulses from the scene and correlates it into an image on the iPhone’s screen.

 

Augmented reality and Apple:

 

The purpose of the 3D camera is the AR glasses that Apple plans on bringing to shelfs by the year 2020 that is one year after the reported iPhone.

Codenamed T228, The new AR headset will have its own operating system and chip and this new IOS will be known as Reality OS.

Apple is testing the waters of AR technology with touch panels, head gestures, Siri and more all to work in conjunction with the 2019 iPhone.

 

2019 iPhone and AR headset:

 

There are rumors floating around that the- to- be- made iPhone and the AR headset can be used together.

Apple’s metal casings manufacturer is also rumored to be making parts for their AR headsets as well. The motive is to not only make a sleek looking headset but to also make it light enough for use.
By using the AR headset in tandem with the 2019 iPhone, the wearer can see point of interest in real time on their iPhone screen.

 

AR headset Patent:

 

Apple has got the AR headset patented with touch screen display and the ability to work alongside an iPhone. Points of interest can also be seen on the iPhone screen from a real environment. This comes along with interaction functionality.

With the success of the iPhone X, Apple is all set to take the world of tech by storm with its latest market offering and if Apple can live up to the hype, Then they can surely make history with its 2019 iPhone and AR headset.

Set Up Apple Pay Cash and Person to Person Payments

Now you can send and receive money with Apple Pay Cash in Messages or just by asking Siri. There is no app needed to be downloaded and the cards that you have already in Wallet can be used to make payments in stores, in apps or simply anywhere across the web. Right from sending money to your child in college or paying your bills to paying a babysitter, you can send and receive payments from across the table or even from across the country in an instant with the help of Apple Pay Cash.

There are some pre-requisites to make or receive payments with Apple Pay. You need to be a resident of the United States and must be at least 18 years old. In addition you also need the following:

     
• A device that is compatible with iOS 11.2 or later.     
• An authentication for your Apple ID that is two-factor. You have to make sure that with the help of your Apple ID you sign in to iCloud on any device that you want to utilise for sending or receiving money.      
• You also need to have an eligible credit or debit card in your Wallet, to be able to send money.

After the above steps, you need to also agree to the Terms and Conditions of Apple Pay. This can be done the first time you try to receive or send cash. Verifying your identity is also something you will be asked to do. After the Terms and Conditions are accepted, you can make and receive payments with your family and friends instantly, easily and safely straight from your iPhone, Apple Watch or iPad. However, you cannot use this one to one payment with Apple Pay for activities that are business-related, such as running transactions for your business or paying your employees.

Setting up Apple Pay Cash in Wallet

When you receive money from someone, it is safely kept on your Apple Pay Cash card by default. You will be able to see the new addition of your Apple Pay Cash card in Wallet and you can use it for your personal transactions or transferring some amount to your own bank account from your Apple Pay Cash.

While setting up for the first time, you need to use any device supporting Apple Pay Cash when you’re signed into iCloud with the help of your Apple ID. Thereafter, you need to tap on Settings and then on Wallet & Apple Pay. After this, you need to tap on the Apple Pay Cash card and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen. If Apple Pay Cash is turned off on any one particular device, other devices can still be used to access Apple Pay Cash by signing in with your Apple ID.

No fee is charged to use Apple Pay Cash with a debit card. However, using a credit card will cost you a 3% credit card fee on the amount. Your credit remains unaffected on setting up Apple Pay Cash. At certain points, you will be asked to verify your identity while using Apple Pay Cash for security reasons. Failing to comply with this step will result in reduced functionality of Apple Pay Cash.

iPhone has a Frustrating AutoCorrect Bug That's Driving People Crazy

 IPhone X: The Autocorrect Bug

With the release of the iPhone X, Apple has seen some crazy sales, with ques of people queuing up in front of Apple stores for hours and hours on end. Apple is even having to replenish stocks with some customers being on the order list for 4-5 weeks before they get their brand new iPhone X.

After going through all the rigmarole of getting An iPhone X, people are now facing an autocorrect issue. This AutoCorrect bug seems to pertain to the typing of the letter I. It seems when users go to type the letter I they get an A followed by an exclamation mark or an A followed by a question mark in a box, something that looks like this A! or this A[?] when you type it out on the iPhone X.

Number of AutoCorrect Bug cases reported:

The problem seems to persist in only some iPhones while there are cases of the AutoCorrect bug being reported in iPads, iPods and other iPhones as well.

The AutoCorrect bug has not affected the whole population of iPhone X users but it is sufficiently large enough for Apple to take steps to correct the issue.

Reasons of the Autocorrect Bug:

As of now Apple has remained mum on the issue other than to say that the problem may be due to IOS 11.1. But there are users who claim that they have faced this AutoCorrect bug even when their Apple devices are running on previous versions of IOS. But with all issues out there, there are also those who are dedicated to giving some reason or the other for the problem. Some Theorists out there speculate that it is because of both an autocorrect problem and an emoji problem that the bug has cropped up.

 

Extent of the AutoCorrect Bug:

The problem can be irritating while you are typing and want to be done with the text. But this bug is not only confined to Apple specific apps but to other applications as well. So now even you’re Tweets and various other posts will look like spam considering the amount of times an individual uses or wishes to use the letter I.

Solving the AutoCorrect Bug:

Apple is now saying that they are releasing a new version of IOS which will reportedly solve the AutoCorrect issue. The Beta version of the IOS is all set for release with the actual version coming in the next week or so.

Apple has issued a temporary fix which users can do for themselves by going to settings, general, keyboard, text replacement and adding a new replacement i in the place of I and press save. This is short term solution and hopefully with the new version of IOS we can say bye to all our AutoCorrect woes.

Apple Earnings: X Things to Watch

The share market is currently seeing Apple reaching an all-time high as the iPhone manufacturer gets ready for its quarterly results and the launch of its newest product, the iPhone X. As a reminder to the readers that Apple wants the iPhone X to be pronounced as “iPhone ten” instead of the incorrect “iPhone ex”, listed below are X things to lookout for in this week’s results.

1. Everyone is looking forward to the iPhone sales, obviously. The September quarter ending typically showcases the year’s largest iPhone launch. This year’s schedule that was split meant that only the usual iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models were launched before the quarter-end. A few analysts have heard news that the iPhone 8 has not sold as well as it was anticipated. The cause could be that customers were waiting for a November launch or maybe because they were reluctant to buy a wireless charging phone or also maybe because the iPhone X has a delicate glass back that is expensive to replace. Apple’s figures showing the unit sales will help provide an answer. Wall Street is analysed the results and came up with the conclusion that approximately 46m iPhone sold in the span of the quarter, with just 1 percent increase every year, with an amount of $50.7bn total revenues and $1.87 earnings.

2. As far as the iPhone X is concerned, the big question at the moment is the supply and not the demand. The latest OLED screen technology and the camera with 3D depth sensors are both proving to be a hold-up in the supply chain. The time durations for shipping have remained stable at 5-6 weeks since the time the pre-orders for the iPhone were opened last week, which is more than what a few forecasters had expected. It is likely that analysts will question the Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook about how realistically the company will be able to meet this requirement of holiday sales.

3. Talking about holiday sales, the entire focus will be on the December results. Wall Street consensus is expecting 84m iPhones that will generate revenue of $85.8bn.

4. The vital clue to the answering the question about the iPhone sales figure derived from Apple’s revenue viewpoint is finding out this device’s average selling price, which considering the minimum starting price is $999, is on the rise. However, for the present quarter, the ASPs might see a dip due to the steady demand for the iPhone 7 at a lower price, which was launched last year.

5. Another critical issue in making the latest iPhones a hit is China, where Mr Cook has maintained his stand as relentlessly bullish, even though the region has seen sales falling to over 10 percent overall in the last quarter. After seeing a decline in six quarters back to back, Canalys analysts are of the opinion that Apple’s iPhone sales have increased 40 percent in China in the last quarter, growing to 11m from last year’s 8m.

6. Although majority of the focus is on the iPhone, Apple has been actively promoting its services business since the last year or so. This particular aspect has seen a strong performance, with a growth of 22 percent and helped Apple rise more than expectations in the last year.

7. The launch of Apple Watch Series 3 in September generally received positive feedbacks, even though it faced an early hitch over the issue of wireless connections that were dropped. Apple did not increase the sales for Apple Watch and instead grouped it in the category of “other products” along with headphones, iPods and other accessories. Most of analysts have raised their estimates for Apple Watch sales in the past few weeks, with the latest LTE cellular wireless connection seen as a specific approach. Neil Cybart of Above Avalon, who is Apple specialist analyst, considers that the revenue from these “other products” would amount to $3.0bn which would comprise of 2.9m from the Watch unit sales alone.

9. The Mac has not been one of the favourites among the loyal Apple users, the reason being the rising number of dongles needed to plug into the reducing number of USB ports of the Macbook and the actually troublesome keyboard of this compact laptop. This quarter appeared to the second strongest for the Apple Mac as a result of the back-to-school season and thus RBC is expecting Mac Unit sales to rise to approximately 5m.

10. Even with the above nine items, the X factor that establishes the stock price in the direct outcome of Apple’s earnings is generally one thing specifically: will it meet or not meet the predictions of the iPhone unit sales made by Wall Street? In the past seven quarters we have seen that it has missed thrice, met the expectations three times and just once hit straight down the centre. Its performance against the ever-increasing expectations of the investors will be disclosed this week.