Apple to Encourage Organ Donation with Health App

Apple’s Attempt on Easy Procedure of Organ Donation

Apple has been making attempts in making organ donation an easy procedure. The company had mentioned recently that the updated Health app, will be made available as part of iOS 10 and would be providing latest option which would enable users to sign up to donors of organ. Apple wants to motivate millions of iPhone users to register as organ donors through its software update which will add an easy sign up button to the health information app that is installed on every smartphone made by the company.

The app’s Medical ID feature that tends to keep track of the medical and health information includes the capability of registering as a donor of organs, eyes and tissues. The registrations which are sent in via your iPhone or iPad would be forwarded to the National Donate Life Registry, which is an organization handled by Donate Life America. The Health app introduced with iOS 8 in 2014 is Apple’s way of assisting in keeping tabs on one’s health and fitness and is more than just about keeping track of your daily stats. With the combination of a huge selection of data, the app can be time consuming.

One Donor – Saves Life of As Many As Eight

With a feature which is quick and easy it portrays how the app can extend its utility without getting too difficult. The Associated Press explained that if one desires to volunteer as an organ donor, you need to tap the registrations button in the Health app.

This adds yours status as a donor to an `emergency information’ screen which can appear even when the phone tends to be locked. On tapping another button would provide the information on organ donation. According to Apple, presently over 120,000 Americans are waiting for a transplant and every 10 minute, addition of new person is added to the waiting list. Donate Life America President and CEO; David Fleming had stated the demand for organs is greater than the supply which leads to the death of the person in need of a transplant, every hour in the US.He added that one donor could save the life of as many as eight lives.

Easing a Critical & Longstanding Shortage of Donors

The new feature is said to be presently available in the developers’ beta of iOS 10 though it will be more universal when the public beta of the new iOS version tends to roll out. The iOS 10 will be launched for all the mobile device users of Apple, this fall. Tim Cook hopes that the new software would help in easing a critical and longstanding shortage of donors.

 He stated that the issue made an impact when his friend and former boss, the co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs had endured agonizing wait for a liver transplant in 2009. He informed The Associated Press that `watching and seeing him every day waiting and not knowing, it stuck with me and left an impression that I’ll never forget’.

He was very much concerned that he offered to donate part of his own liver though Jobs had refused. Jobs had died of complications from pancreatic cancer in 2011, two years after receiving a liver transplant in Tennessee which had attributed in extending his life span. He had enrolled in that state’s registry when doctors had advised him the lengthy waiting list in California. This meant that he would not live long to get one in his home state.

Apple reveals ‘smarter’ Siri at WWDC conference in San Francisco

Apple’s Smarter Siri/Message App

At WWDC in San Francisco, Apple released a smarter Siri together with a Message app to take on Facebook Message and Snapchat’s filters in the wrap of latest features shown recently. Tom Cook CEO of Apple had started the WWDC keynote with a tribute to the victims of the Orlando shooting before beginning a list of the new software features which users would see later in the year. Apple launched the latest iOS 10; MacOS and an upgraded Siri at the event together with latest versions of Watch OS and tvOS.

 As expected, Siri seemed to be among the highlights with Apple introducing it up for third party app developers. Siri would also be available on macOS with the Sierra update. Apple supporters expecting new hardware were dissatisfied though there were main changes to the operating systems for Macintosh computers, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Apple Watch.

Cook had calculated up the significance of the development community to Apple. There were now two million apps in the App Store that have been downloaded around 130 times with US$50 billion which had been paid to the developers. Apple Watch app would eventually be more usable with new control centre, which will make it easy to switch between apps as well as a new way of opening app seven times quicker.

Siri Added to Mac – First Time

Apple’s voice-based virtual assistant, Siri, was added to the Mac for the first time with the ability to pay utilising Apple Pay. Option to use the payment facility would be appearing on the websites together with confirmation requests sent to a user’s phone wherein they could use their fingerprint to permit them.Mac users would be able to utilise their Apple Watch in unlocking a Mac when they tend to be in close proximity of their laptop.

Between Apple devices like iPhone’s Touch ID, there will be better incorporation for the purpose of online purchases with your Mac computer and copy and pasting from one device of Apple to another. Together with the software changes, Apple had also mentioned a free app in order to encourage children in learning programming. He had stated that they believe that technology should lift humanity.

Information regarding improvements on how the app seems to run on Apple Watch was also acknowledged by the audience of developers at WWDC in San Francisco with the potential of Apple Watch OS3 making apps to open faster by seven times.

New SOS Feature in Watch

One of the main figures behind Apple Watch, Kevin Lynch had announced a new SOS feature in the watch that tends to call an emergency number, sending a text message with the location to the emergency contacts, automatically. In order to activate the emergency call, you could hit and hold the button towards the side of the Watch.

Other developments to the operating system of the Watch comprise of a new control centre, a much simpler way of responding to text messages together with new Watch faces. The capability of swiping between open apps in the way identical to using apps on the iPhone seems to be the major modification to the Watch.

The fitness section of the Watch also tends to get a renovation under the latest operating system wherein you can compete with family and friends on number of steps taken, minutes of exercises and calories burnt. A new fitness app known as Breathe has been designed to encourage people to lessen stress by regular sessions of deep breathing. The latest version of Watch OS is said to be released in spring.

Apple has Removed its Most Annoying Feature from iOS 10

Apple Confirms – Default Apps Can be Deleted

When faced with shortage of storage space, it tends to be quite frustrating. You are unable to take a photo or download a new song. You tend to be incapable of streaming anything since your phone seems to get too slow. Useless apps which are never used such as Wallet, Find Friends, Tips, and Stocks are not removable and are just there. Till now, Apple had announced a host of new features at the WWDC Conference, ranging from smarter Siri to bigger emojis. But what was not mentioned was the fact that you would soon be capable of deleting default apps in order to save space. The supporters of Apple had observed these default apps are now made available for download on the App store which means that beginning with iOS 10, Apple would be permitting iPhone and iPad users to delete any built-in apps which users may not need and download them again later if the need arises. Those who have downloaded the developer beta have tweeted the change, observing that a bunch of default apps like Weather, Music, Calendar, Mail and Stocks can now be deleted though there seems to be some exceptions, such as Messages, Photos, Camera, Health, Settings, Safari together with clock,that are still stuck probably since they seem to be too integral to the system.

Guidelines for Saving Space 

A full help page, had been released by Apple confirming the apps that could be removed from your home screen with the iOS 10 update. All these apps tend to use less than 150 MB and it is always good to avoid unwanted clutter on the home screen. The following are the guidelines to make space on your iPhone –

Know your stats

Under Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage, one can see precisely how much space is available and a list in descending order on which apps have taken the maximum space.

Stop Storing Texts

Texting could take up much space than one may realise, particularly if you tend to send a lot of photos and videos. Besides deleing threads, one could go to Settings > Messages > Keep Messages and select 30 days. Your iPhone tends to set it to Forever by default.

Getting Rid of Temporary Files 

It is essential to purge cookies, browsing data and your dingy browser history in Safari which can be done by going to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Date. This would instantly free up the much required space.

Beware of Internal Downloads

Those using Spotify or Podcast would observe that they seem to be the biggest offenders.Plenty of files downloads on the phone offline could utilise plenty of gigabytes of space. You could delete you may not needs or go to the app’s settings, de-selecting any option to download files for use whenever your phone seems to be in offline mode. You could also check through ebooks, notes and voice memos.

Scrap Photo Stream 

Photo Stream tends to automatically sync up your last 1000 photos across your devices which means that 1000 of the photos seems to be taking up double space. In order to turn this feature off, you could go to Settings> Photos & Camera and toggle off My Photo Stream.

Maintain a Regular `App Cleanse’

Maintain a monthly cleansing by going through and deleting any app you may not use or have forgotten that it is there and has been occupying valuable space.

Turn Off `Save Original Photos’ 

If you are utilising photo-based apps such as Instagram, there is no option to save whatever photos that are published to Camera Roll. In the case of Instagram, it is switched on automatically which is meaningless if the image is already uploaded. In order to turn this off, you could open the app and go to its Settings, turning off `Save Original Photos’.

The Smart Earplugs That are Giving 20,000 US Soldiers 'Super Hearing’ and They Could be Coming to Your iPhone

Smart Earbuds to Diminish High-Level Instinct Noise

With more than half of the troops returning from battle zones having some kind of damage to their hearing now around 20,000 military members seem to be using earbuds which tends to diminish the high-level instinct noises while intensifying very low signature kinds of sound for great hearing capabilities. The military device known as Tactical Communication and Protective System – TCAPS, can be utilised in headset for all ranges from construction workers to music lovers.

TCAPS tends to reduce noise to 85 decibels, enabling soldiers to hear as well as communicate over loudnoise of gunfire which is at least 150 decibels. When placed in the ear, the tip of the earbud tends to sit for 15 to 20 seconds to enlarge to full capacity for comfortable fit where the tips can last from a week to a month based on how clean the ears may be as well as the fit, as reported by Leesville Daily Leader.

The unit tends to bear a resemblance to a traditional pair of earbuds together with some additional high tech features and some of the models can connect to the communication gear of the soldier. TCAPS was first developed in 2007 by Army’s Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe.

Earbuds – Solve the Problem of Hearing Damage

Captain Jack Moore, part of the Project Manager Soldier Warrior team stated that the team wished that these earbuds would solve the problem of hearing damage by actively decreasing damaging battlefield noise as well as enhancing the hearing and communication in delivering tactical advantage.

He added that over the years, they have seem a large amount of dollars being spent in benefiting the soldiers who had lost their hearing in training or battle and that they are now attempting to resolve the problem in a way which they can not only get improved hearing protection but also an improvement in communication competences integrated too. Lt. Col Kristen Casto, audiology consultant to the Army’s surgeon general had informed NPR that `your ears cannot handle loud sounds without suffering mechanical damage to the inner ear which results in permanent hearing loss’.

Adjustable Volume Knobs

Casto explained that the soldiers have turned to a simple way of protecting their ears by sticking a piece of expandable foam in the ear though when the need to maintain auditory awareness arises, it is not the proper hearing protector. TCAPS could only provide soldiers with protection from high ambient sounds as well situational alertness though the device permits clear two-way audio communication between the radio and the user.

Doug Brungart, chief scientist at the audiology and speech pathology centre at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre informed that the technology is not actually that complicated and adds that you can think of the system as having adjustable volume knob. The louder the sound tends to get outside, the more it seems to turn down the volume and the person wearing the device could still hear the sound though it will never get so loud that it would cause any kind of damage.

Your Next iPhone Could be Built by Robot Workers

Credit: Bobby Yip/Reuters

Foxconn – Replace Human Workers with Mechanical Ones

One of the manufacturing companies developing iPhones has replaced around 6,000 factory workers with robots. According to the South China Morning Post, Foxconn that tends to produce components for Apple and Samsung has reduced the workforce in half, in one of its factories to replace the human workers with the mechanical ones. It has not been revealed by the company, what factory the robots seem to be working in and if they would be manufacturing the iPhone 7.

The workers in the US have been demanding $15 per hour wages, which has put pressure on employers. Though the initial investment in robots could be higher, they could be beneficial in the future since they don’t tend to get sick, deterred or have other problems. Reports from China have shown that Foxconn pays its employees very low together with unwarranted stress on them with big orders. One report has suggested that the company had installed safety nets in the factory in order to prevent the workers from committing suicide. A spokesman for Foxconn had mentioned that they are applying robotics engineering as well as other innovative manufacturing technologies to replace the monotonous task which was earlier done by employees.

Harnesses Automation

It has been indicated by Foxconn that it intends to grow its robotic employee roster as it `harnesses automation. On doing so, it expects that its human workforce would be able to focus on higher value added elements in the process of manufacturing, like research, development as well as quality control. The manufacturer had spoken to BBC and had confirmed that a lot of the manufacturing tasks seem to be automated though did not mention whether this would mean huge job cuts all over the board.

The company has plans to train its workers to focus on other elements in the manufacturing process. The robots would be brought in to ensure that monotonous task earlier done by humans would be performed by the machines. According to the experts it is an accepted element that the robots would be replacing human workers and within a span of 30 years it would be likely that mechanical beings would take over most of the jobs.

Changeover to Robots Hurtful to Human Job Markets

Moshe Vardi, professor in computational engineering had mentioned at a conference earlier in the year that they are approaching a time when machines would be capable of outperforming humans at almost any task. With the increase of robots, humans will end with an existential dilemma. Vardi states that computer scientists have been working on building machines which could compete in everything humans tend to do.

 If machines are capable of doing all the work or even 50% of the jobs that humans tend to do, what will the people do? Companies which operate in the region where Foxconn had engaged its robotic workforce had invested 4.2 billion yen in robots since September 2014. The first employee in the UK which could lose out to robots is customer service agents.

With Silicon Valley giants going directly with new chatbots, there would be interaction with more and more robotic customer service personnel instead of human employees. The changeover to robots would be hurting the human job market though the manufacturers are of the belief that it would open up potentials for highly skilled workers to fill in the vital posts.

India Claims to Have Tool to Defeat iPhone Encryption

Tool for Mobile Forensics

According to the New Indian Express, communication and IT minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad had mentioned recently that as part of a program, a tool for mobile forensics has been created which could handle smartphones, inclusive of Apple’s iPhone. India apparently has a secret technology to decrypt iPhones.This is not to say that a tool has been developed which would bypass encryption, instead a process to get past the lock screen has been created.

 Prasad had stated that the tool had come about, as a part of a continuous process of research and development instead of being a case of singling out iPhone for specific attention. Prasad has not revealed which other handsets and devices the government is capable of accessing, though smartphone users would be pleased at his admission that a universal encryption key has not been developed.The iPhone was in the midst of a legal battle between Apple and the FBI, earlier this year, when the FBI had sought the help of Apple in accessing a locked iPhone 5C that had been utilised by one of the two terrorist involved in the December attack in San Bernardino, California which had left 14 people dead.

Endanger Security & Privacy of Users

While the company had initially complied, it refused a court order demanding that it build a tool providing backdoor access into the iPhone. Apple together with most of the tech industry, believe that building such a tool would endanger the security and privacy of users. The conflict had ended towards late March when the feds had paid for a technique which had successfully unlocked the iPhone. The FBI had persevered that it needed the help of Apple for another case but relented after it had successfully hacked into the second iPhone.

As per tech firms, weakening encryption that seems to scramble data in order to be read only by the intended person tends to violate the privacy of device owners. Law enforcement officials state that encryption obstructs their ability to access data in criminal investigations. BlackBerry had faced trouble in India as well as other countries that had insisted on gaining access to encrypted customer data stored on the company’s server, in 2010. BlackBerry debated that it did not possess the encryption key and hence could not provide access to the data.

India On-going in its Research & Development

Apple had refrained from commenting immediately in response to writers request. India has a forensic tool for mobile which can apparently break into iPhone of Apple and maybe FBI should make a note of it. It is not known precisely what the tool is, which devices it is capable of cracking into and what operating system version they tend to run on.

However the confirmation of the tool comes from Ravi Shankar Prasad. The LAPD recently, had been successful in hacking into an iPhone, which raised doubts as to whether the FBI legally could break into the iPhone. If what the Indian communication minister says is true regarding the tool, then it would mean that India has a more sophisticated tool than the FBI. The minister allegedly said that India is on-going in its research and development in order to upgrade its tools and technologies in harmony with its ever-changing software and devices.

iPhone App can alert you if Your Device Gets Hacked

An App to Alert User if Device is Hacked

An app has been developed to alert the user if their device tends to get hacked. Systems and Security Info that debuted in Apple’s App Store over the weekend, offers a multitude of details regarding your iPhone. The app displays your CPU, memory as well as the disk usage together with a list of all running processes. With regards to security, it can also tell if your device has been compromised or probably affected by any malware. Considerable amount of information in the app seems to be basic and easy to understand.

A green light near a specific item is good since it means that you are in the clear while a red light would indicate that there could be a likely security problem. The app also makes you aware if the device has been jailbroken, which is important if one has bought a used phone or had lent it to someone.

 Jailbroken devices however are more vulnerable to malware since their owners can install app which bypass the intense scrutiny of Apple. Jailbreaking an iOS device enables users to gain more control over their device, interfering with the operating system, tweaking the iOS user interface as well as enabling apps to be installed from third party app stores, like Cydia.

Apple Making Jailbreaking Difficult for Device Owners

At the same time it is disapprove by Apple since it rips out most of the security which Apple had built in iOS, designed to protect users from malicious attacks and un-vetted apps. Due to this Apple is keen on making jailbreaking as hard as possible for device owners. By comparison, it is much easier to install unauthorised code on an Android device. Apple, Google as well as other software makers have been continually fighting to avert malware-ridden apps from attacking their respective app stores and devices.

The iOS operating system of Apple has mostly been considered more secure than the Android of Google since Apple provides a tighter vetting process to approve apps. However certain malware strains seem to have infected the devices of Apple, even those that have not been jailbroken. System and Security Info had been developed by Stefan Esser, a German security researcher as well as an iOS hacker who had cooked up jailbreaks for different versions of iOS in the past.

Provide Public with Low Cost Solution

Esser stated that with the new app, he wanted to provide the public with low cost solution which would enable them to find out if someone used one of the public jailbreak or a customized version to hack and backdoor the device. Moreover, the app also fixes if the programming code in iOS is digitally signed by Apple to check that it is not altered by an outside party.

Esser assured a series forthcoming blog posts to explain further on how the app tends to work and what it means when it notices any issues on the iPhone. Protecting one’s iPhone is important since your smartphone possibly knows more about you, than your closest friend or partner.

A smartphone tends to carry all the photographs, together with your private messages, your location, your contacts, your online searches as well as the phone conversations. If the new iOS app tends to help iPhone and iPad owners in informing them when their devices have been secretly jailbroken, then it is certainly a good option for security.

Addictive new iPhone Game Lets You Play Without Unlocking Your Screen

Play Games from Lock Screen

Anyone who has spent a little time around the App Store will confirm that users of iPhone and iPads tend to have no shortage of games from which to select. App Store tends to have a variety of choices to choose from. Besides this game, there are six games which the user can play from your Lock Screen.

The need of unlocking the phone to play the new Flappy Bird which is quite addictive does not arise, since it tends to live in your Notification Centre. The same was built by Ivan De Cabo, a 22 year old who had built it in a weekend. The creator informed TechCrunch that he wanted to do a simple game just for improving his code skills and decided to do it in the Notification Centre. This was done for two reasons; one was to challenge himself and to see if it could be possible.

The little dinosaur tends to sit between the weather and the stocks and one can get him to jump over cacti for as long as possible. The game is said to be based on the Google Chrome Easter egg. This enables the player to play a version of the game when Google Chrome is unable to access the internet.

Favourite Locked Screen App

To play the Chrome version of Steve The Jumping dinosaur one needs to just press the space bar when the computer informs that the internet is not available and can play the game. Though Steve The Jumping Dinosaur is surely the favourite locked screen app, it is definitely not the first. In 2014 the tech company had cracked down on developers creating apps for the Notification Centre since they stated that it was for `information presentation only’.

On the App store, an unlikely platform game which one would recognise from the broken safari browser `Steve The Jumping Dinosaur, is now made available to the user. The game for now is fun and one can unlock new characters as you progress. Steve The Jumping Dinosaur is a free game which can be accessed without unlocking the phone. It not only kills time but also makes it just a bit easier to have fun with gaming without the need to fidget about while entering the passcode. It is a fun game wherein users can play on pulling down the Notification Centre of the iPhone on the locked screen.

Integration with iOS Notifications

On doing so, it will bring up Steve The Jumping Dinosaur as he tends to sit between the weather and the stocks, running as well as jumping over the incoming cacti. It also tends to feature Nyan Cat. Being highly addictive and oddly baffling, the game tends to work as a widget in notification enabling the iPhone user to play any time without the need of unlocking the phones. The remarkable thing is the integration with the iOS notifications. Some of the apps that had been blocked from being utilised include PCalc, a quick access calculator, Launcher, an app-launching widget for the notification centre and Drafts an app to make notes.

It's confirmed - Your iPhone has a limited lifespan, says Apple

Apple – iPhone has Limited Lifespan of Three Years

It has been revealed by Apple that the iPhone has a limited lifespan of only three years. According to the Cupertino giant, the Apple Watch and iPhone is said to last for three years while Mac computers and the Apple TV would be lasting for four years. Apple had published on its site, recently in a new question and answer section which outlines the company’s environmental push, and released the life expectancy for different devices, together with the amount of greenhouse gases they expect to contribute in that time.

Apple considers the greenhouse gas life cycle for products by observing the hardware components, size and weight, shipping methods, daily usage patterns and disposal practices.Apple centres its lifespan expectancy on modelled use and the exact use of data. The Cupertino California Company groups its products by operating system to make lifespan projections, irrespective of other product specifications. Apple had mentioned in the report that `years of use that are based on first owners, are assumed to be four years for OS X and tvOS devices and three years for iOS and watchOS devices. In all cases, Apple is assessing first owner device lifespans.

Apple Revamped App Store – To Support Preservation

Hence if one purchases a used Apple device, the countdown has already started. An operative iPhone 5 for instance, which was launched in September 2012, could be considered as a living dead phone. Schemes whether Apple tends to build its products to die within a few years have been circulating around for years. Laura Trucco, then a PhD economics student had analysed the number of Google search for `iPhone slow’ all over the world for the last seven years and found that the search term spiked whenever a new model had been released.

In an effort to prove the theory, users of iPhone carried out test concerning phones running older software and updated forms to prove that Apple self-disrupts its out-of-date hardware, probably to inspire users in upgrading as early as possible. Apple revamped the app store recently with a range of Apps for Earth, created in business with the World Wild Fund for Nature –WWF in order to raise funds and support for preservation, as part of its new environmental awareness push.

Built Custom Content for 27 Apps

Apple had helped in building custom content for 27 apps which tend to promote the mission of WWF, that comprise of conservation of wildlife, forests, fresh water and oceans and would be donating 100% of the profit to the charities they are connected with from April 14 to 24. Likewise to Apple’s Campaign for RED in 2014, Apps for Earth includes updates to popular apps like Kendal & Kylie, Enlight and Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes.

The fact regarding the life cycles came about in answer to question regarding Apple’s Product Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Assessment. Apple had broken down its environmental impact measurements in five segments, part by part measurements, power use scenarios, transportation cost, material composition as well as emissions data. The lifespan details had come from the power use scenario estimates.

iPhone SE Facing Bluetooth Call Audio Issues

iPhone SE Facing Bluetooth Audio Connectivity

Some units of the iPhone SE, which is the latest 4-inch iPhone of Apple, may have problems with Bluetooth audio connectivity. The iPhone SE tends to share a design with the iPhone 5s, the 4-inch aluminium iPhone which debuted in 2013. Though the iPhone 6 had accepted rounded edges together with curved display, the iPhone 5s and SE tend to have a boxier design with thicker body.

It also has chamfered edges, flat display, round volume buttons, glass antenna inserts, a power button located at the top of the device as well as a flush camera and a pill-shaped rear flash. As per some early adopters of the handset, there seems to be some problem with Bluetooth phone calls when the device tends to get paired with a vehicle or a headset.

The problem as documented by users on the Apple Support forum is not limited to the Bluetooth phone call audio but also spreads to GPS voice navigation too. But music streaming utilising the Bluetooth connectivity tends to be untouched. An iPhone SE user had posted on the Apple Support forum - `I have a new iPhone SE and have so far paired it to a 2014 BMW 328i and a 2011 Kia Optima and a 2015 Kia Santa Fe. In all cases, I have terrible quality Bluetooth call reception… the audio while on a phone is extremely scratchy and distorted’.

Bug Tends to Persist

While Apple is yet to come up with a solution or provide its official word on the matter and based on crowdsourced information, the Bluetooth bug is considered to affect most of the iPhone SE models which tend to run iOS 9.3 or 9.3.1 versions irrespective of carrier or model and is for the users in Australia, Canada, Germany, Sweden, UK and US, presently.

Besides the iOS 9.3.2beta release does not seem to resolve the problem. The problem does not seem to be isolated to any particular carmaker since customers have reported similar issues with vehicles sold by various manufacturers. The iPhone SE Bluetooth audio bug is said to affect a variety of in-car infotainment systems from different carmakers, including Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, Ford, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen. Users have informed that they had tried restoring the iPhone SE, resetting network setting, un-pairing and re-pairing Bluetooth, toggling cellular data and changing SIM cards. However, the bug still tends to persist.

Hardware or Software Error - Problem Unknown

Presently, it is unknown whether the problem is due to the hardware or software error. Basic troubleshooting by the users has produced no successful resolution of the problem faced. Some of the users on the forum asserted that the support staff informed them that Apple engineers were aware of the bug and are already working to resolve it.

Some of the users who had got in touch with Apple support by phone state that they had been escalated to higher level iOS advisors who asked for log files. Few of them had received confirmation which Apple engineers were aware of the Bluetooth problem internally and though, attempts in fixing it was being done, the timeline appears to be unclear.

iPhone Storage Full? Free up Space with These Tricks

Guidance to Free up Space in Devices 

In the present scenario with advanced application and high-end camera developing detailed photos together with quality videos, we often encounter lack of space in our devices. Inspite of huge 64GB storage, models tend to fill up storage very quickly and we are faced with lack of storage space. The following could be helpful on how to clear some space on your device.

1. Know how much space is available 

To know about the spare capacity of the phone and to see which apps have been using the most, one could go to settings app and click on `general’ tab and select `usage’. Your phone, after some calculation will portray a list of apps and how much storage capacity each of them has been utilising. Often photographs tend to take up most of the space.

2. Backup your photos 

The best thing to do is get a backup for photos. If one is using iCloud to backup photos, you could delete them from the camera roll and create more space on your phone and one can depend on iCloud for keeping them safe. A better precaution is to have a backup on a home computer wherein one could delete them one by one or click on select from the camera roll screen, ticking as many as desired and then delete them together.
3. Remove unused apps 

Often unused apps tend to accumulate over a period of time. You could scroll through the menu and check if there are games which are not used, or any apps which do not seem to be of use. On tapping and holding the icon, a small cross will appear towards the top-left. On pressing the cross the app can be deleted, providing more space on your device.

4. Handle your music

To make more space you could delete unwanted albums which could still be available on your computer if the need may arise at a later date. In order to delete music, you could swipe a song from right to left and a `delete’ button will appear.

5. Delete videos after watching them

Videos also tend to take upmore space than albums where a few films could use up several GB of your memory. The best thing is to delete them once the user has viewed them which would help in clearing space on the handset.

6. Files Downloaded to apps to be cleared 

Some of the apps have the capability of downloading files. For instance, iPlayer tends to download programmes which can be viewed later on. It there are videos downloaded which are not needed; you could go to the app and drain them. On checking on the usage list, one will get to know on any apps which could be taking up a large amount of space.

7. Limit podcasts 

Podcasts could be great where new content, tends to get delivered to the phone automatically. However, they could also accumulate quickly. In the podcasts section of the setting, one could tweak a few settings to limit the space that is taken up and under `limit episodes’, opt for only the most recent 2 to 5 episodes. You could opt to automatically delete played episodes.

iPhone SE Puts the Same Engine in a Smaller Exterior

Apple launch event of iPhone SE has not caused the same frenzy as the last year’s iPhone 6S launch. Rumor mills have almost killed the suspense this time by literally offering everything from the size to specifications beforehand. Apple is known to be one of the most secretive companies when it comes to launching of new devices as it tries to hold to the information till the last second.

Most of the users were left wondering by the unique name picked by the Apple for its latest 4 inch iPhone model i.e. SE. SE simply stands for the Special Edition which comes with screen size of just four inches and Apple has lastly released a four inch model four years ago in the name of iPhone 4. This time Apple is trying to woo the customers who are looking for smaller yet powerful devices at a premium range.

Intentions of Apple behind launching smaller iPhone variant

Apple is under extreme competition from the rival manufacture Samsung which has been launching slew of phones tablets at varying sizes on different price points. This has helped Samsung in having product in every price segment and at each screen size. Apple is having a tough time as it have just one iPhone 6 series which has been loved and even hated for its jumbo size. Therefore Apple has to be to bring a new advanced and powerful iPhone which has smaller size and can please the old and new consumers.

Noteworthy features in iPhone SE

iPhone SE offers better battery life than the iPhone 6S almost 30 percent better. All those users who have been slamming and complaining about poor battery life can rejoice at the thought at having better battery life on the iPhone SE.

Apple has priced the powerful and small iPhone SE as the most affordable iPhone at just $400 without a contract. For all those consumers who were looking t buy their first iPhone but couldn’t do so due to premium price point will be able to buy their first Apple smartphone. iPhone SE might be small in size but packs all the features and specification of elder sibling iPhone 6S. The new SE comes loaded with extensive range of popular features like Apple Pay, fingerprint unlocking, Hey Siri digital assistant and Live Photos.

The only thing which was missing in the iPhone SE is the acclaimed 3D Touch. iPhone 6S has a highest selling point with its coveted 3D touch which allowed users to perform different actions on the basis of the pressure applied on the phone’s screen.

A phone you will love to use

iPhone SE is as powerful as the iPhone 6s as it has the same processor which helps this small device to perform multitasking and various other activities with ease and grace. Apple even states that iPhone SE is about 70% more faster at opening apps, processing things as well as other tasks than iPhone 6S.

Closing Apps to Save on Your iPhone Battery is a Myth

Most of the smartphones tend to clear up the backlog of unused apps in order to give longetivity to the phone’s battery life. In case of iPhone users closing down the apps every then and now is quite common as iPhone is shipped low-powered batteries which make sense in getting more juice through killing the apps. But Apple has brought a new revelation few days back when it said closing down unused apps running in the back doesn’t have any effect on the draining of battery resources.

Inquisitive iPhone users compel Apple to answer this myth

Closing down the apps to decrease the strain of battery drainage over the time has finally come to a long standing myth. One of the inquisitive iPhone users named Caleb had sent a mail question whether closing down apps constantly helps in increasing the battery life or not. To his surprise the Apple senior vice president came with a prompt and swift reply which simply stated that it doesn’t help at all. Apple further elaborated that iOS is designed in such a way that multitasking apps doesn’t happen to drain the battery life when they are not in use.

A large number of iPhone users had become used to the regime of shutting down the apps by harboring the belief that it will help in prolonging the life of the Iphone. There had even been rumors that following the regime would eventually lead to degradation of the battery. Finally this long harbored myth has been laid to rest by the inquisitive iPhone user’s exchange of emails with the Apple.

iOS is smarter than you think

Once a users switches away from an app then iOS ensures that it suspends all it operations and doesn’t put any strain on the battery. If a user gets back to the same app then it emerges back from the frozen state. But with harboring earlier mentioned myth users unwontedly caused more strain on the phone and battery life as system has to repeatedly reload the app after it has been forcefully shut down by the user. Some of the apps which actively run in the background and depletes the battery are GPS navigator, audio recorder and any kind of music player which actively plays music in the background apart from these all other apps ceases their operations once users shifts away from it.

Some of the smart ways to prolong iPhone battery life

Use the feature of disabling the Background App Refresh as it will help in putting a stop to automatic content update on the suspended apps. Turn off the Location services as it causes a major drain on the battery resources. If you wish out exactly which apps are continuously draining the battery then go to the Battery Usage section present under the Settings and it will showcase the amount of power used by the apps. From here you can choose which apps should be suspended permanently in order to get more juice of out of the iPhone’s battery.

How to Unlock iPhone Without Password

iPhone users know how difficult and frustrating it might get when you forget your password. Apple iOS doesn’t allow users unlock the phone once the passcode is set without entering it. Users can try for 8 times to enter the passcode after which all the phone memory will be erased in order to safeguard the privacy of the users. However a recent video uploaded on the YouTube offers a very smart and innovative which can easily override the passcode unlock feature. In simple words users will be able to unlock the device without even entering the passcode. It is the first that such trick has been discovered which can successfully bypass the iOS security feature that also within a few seconds. So next time you forget your passcode then don’t get frustrated try this trick and unlock your device.

Steps to unlock the device

The video shows few very simple and easy to do steps allowing users to swiftly get into the phone without the need of typing the passcode. As per the video instructions one has to hold down the home button key present while being on the lock screen. This will result in popping up of Apple’s personal assistant Siri. When Siri is gladly listening to you then ask it about the time then give a click on the clock icon. Clicking on the clock will take you in the clock app.

Now go to the World Clock tab and then move to the section where you can pick what tone is played in alarm. Now this menu also offers an option to buy some other tones and clicking on the option will redirect you to the iTunes store.

Once you get to the iTunes store simply click on the home button and you will get to the device’s homescreen without even entering the passcode.

A glimmer of hope for thousands of iPhone users

This simple trick offers a great way for the users to unlock the device without going through the task of entering the password. However it doesn’t work with all the devices. Over the years Apple has launched several versions of iPhone out of which the latest is iPhone 6S. Some of the users have complained that this trick doesn’t work with few of the old as well as new iPhone devices.

One of the viewers has even written in the comment section that this trick works only when a user has already enabled the touch recognition feature. It can be assumed that having the fingerprint scan capability along with enabling it is necessity to ensure that this works. It can be understood that this trick doesn’t really by passes the security of the highly secure iOS rather it takes in account the finger print scan of the user and allows them to enter the device. But many other users have found this trick to be best option for unlocking the device when one unfortunately forgets the passcode.

iPhone Owners Receive Ghost Emails From January 1, 1970

Millions of Apple iPhone and iPads users got ghost emails dated January 1, 1970 in their inbox. However the point to be noted here is that ‘emails’ only came into being in the early 1990’s and there was not even internet in 1970. Well it is not a bug or malware which is trying to get hold of the devices by sending malicious emails to the users. Rather it is a glitch in the Apple’s iOS which is causing users to seem empty email dated January 1, 1970.

These emails are empty in nature without having any subject or sender name even opening these emails doesn’t show anything. It is has been established that the cause of these emails affecting millions of iOS users is simply a glitch in the operating system. Most of the Apple users are shown their discomfort by tweeting about receiving mails on the social media platform.

Reason behind iOS showing 1970’s dated emails

The 1970 dated emails were only received by the iPhone or iPad users when they use their device to check mails in a different timezone. In the computer language the January 1, 1970 is represented as 0 in UNIX time. This is the reason why users tend to get 1970 dated emails when they are using mails in a different time zone.

Furthermore the way computer treats time is very much different and a lot of process work towards right presentation of time on the device. Every second after the midnight of January 1, 1970 happens to be a completely different point in the UNIX time system. Therefore iPhone and iPad devices rendering the default time as zero when email is accessed in different time zone but it gets interpreted as January 1, 1970 on the device. The Apple iOS devices makes use of the UNIX time and this is resulting widespread glitch of showing ghost emails from 1970’s.

Just a month ago Apple iPhone and iPad users got a rude shock when they were simply fooled into setting their devices date to 1970 and later it resulted in rendering the devices unusable. Therefore getting similar kind of email dated into same year simply brought a warning signal for the users even though it was caused by a glitch in the operating system itself. A number of users has found a way to resolve the issue of having email dated January 1, 1970 by performing a hard reset of the device. Users can hard reset their iPhone device by holding down the lock and home button simultaneously.

The world’s first electronic message was sent in 1971 

As stated earlier there is no point one can get an email in 1970 as there was no email in that age. It should be understood that the very first electronic message transmission between two computers happened only in 1971.

Then 1990’s Microsoft came up with an email client called Internet Mail and other software like Lotus Notes followed by the emergence of web-based services. These all ushered the ear of mainstream usage of email over the years.

Quitting Apps Doesn't Prolong Your iPhone's Battery Life, Apple Confirms

Predominant Software Myth Dispelled by Apple

One of the most predominant software myths of closing iOS apps tends to help in preserving the battery life has been finally dispelled by Apple that running unused apps would not be draining the phone battery. iPhone and iPad for years had left unused apps by double tapping the home button and tapping the apps upwards in order to eliminate them in the mistaken belief that it tends to speed up the device or makes the battery last longer.

Several of the iPhone users carefully power up and shut down apps owing to widespread belief that it would help to prolong their iPhone inspite of rumours that this type of maintenance could do just the reverse. The outcome is that several apps tend to be suspended and stop to utilise system resources once the user switches away. If one goes back to the app, it tends to spring back from its frozen state.

Vigorously shutting of the app could force the system to repeatedly reload the app which could result in more stress on the phone contributing to battery usage. The only apps which tend to run after it is switched away are GPS navigator, audio recorder or Spotify app which plays background music.

Preserve iPhone Battery Life – Disable Background App Refresh

One can actively preserve iPhone battery life by disabling Background App Refresh that automatically updates content on suspended app. Keeping in mind that Background App Refresh is smart regarding updates content, such as when a phone is plugged in or when it is already in active use, it is still not a big battery user. Location services seem to be one of the biggest energy drainer.

Hence turning them off for underused apps seems to be another way of preserving the phone’s life. To check the phone’s battery sucking information, one could go to `Battery Usage’ section under `Setting’ which will break down the biggest battery users on the device. Senior vice president of Apple’s software Engineering and head of iOS, Craig Federighi responded to an email from a customer questioning Tim Cook whether he closed apps in multitasking often and whether the action was essential for battery life. Federighi wrote `I know you asked Tim but I’ll at least offer my input – No and no :-)’

Launch of Latest Version Smartphone/Tablet Software iOS 9.3

The company has been preparing for the launch of its latest version of smartphone and tablet software iOS 9.3 in the next few weeks wherein the new features would comprise of a permanent warning message on the home screen of company iPhone, a night mode to advance sleep which is due to a shift in the light emanating from the display and the skill to remove the default app that mess up the screen.

The next important release is scheduled to be iOS 10 which would possibly be announced in early June at Apple’s annual developer’s conference WWDC. It has also been reported that Apple intends to launch a 4-inch iPhone known as the iPhone SE or special edition, at an event on March 21 in San Francisco.

The new handset is said to feature a 12-MP rear facing camera, a near field communication –NFC chip for Apple Pay support together with a Touch ID fingerprint scanner. The launch of the iPhone 7 is anticipated, which is the next main iPhone release scheduled in September. It has been reported to have no 3.5mm headphone jack, a camera lens flush with its body and redesigned plastic antenna bands.

Video Demo Shows Benefits of Dual-Camera Technology

iPhone 7 – Dual Camera System – Improvement in Overall Image Quality

The iPhone 7, with a dual camera system would not only help in improving the overall image quality but also be capable of capturing more accurate details while zooming in. Corephotonics an Israeli company having their own dual camera technology recently provided  with a video demonstration emphasizing the advantages of utilising their own dual camera system. Source which produced a video with Corephotonics’ dual lens camera technology at the Mobile world Congress seemed to be similar to Apple acquired LinX. The short video which showed off Corephotonics’ dual camera technology in action provides an insight on what we would be seeing with regards to camera on the next-gen iPhone of Apple.

With rumours that Apple had introduced a dual-lens camera on one of the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, the video provides an opportunity of seeing such a kind of technology with glimpses of how it could work in next iPhone of Apple. The technology tends to use software to combine the images of two different camera lenses in creating a detailed image comprising of the ability to optically zoom with no moving parts.

Waterproof Design/No Antenna Bands /Flush Rear Camera/Wireless Charging

Corephotonics, in 2014, was capable of using the tech to provide thrice optical zoon though since then had increased its potentials in offering 5 time optical zoom. The demo portrays how the dual-lens camera can effectively optically zoon in an object while holding crisp details.

Besides this, it also places a zoomed in image from individual lens camera next to a zoomed in image from a dual-lens camera opposing the sharp difference among the two. When they were tested on iPhone 6s Plus compared to the dual-lens cameras, the outcome were basically identical to the Corephotonics demo together with the dual-lens camera offering particularly sharper image.

LinX technology also tends to use numerous camera lenses in creating a single high quality image comprising of noise reduction, sharper details and better low-light quality. It is rumoured that besides a dual-lens camera using LinX’s technology, the iPhone 7 may have a more waterproof design, no antenna bands on the back, a flush rear camera and if ready, wireless charging. It is expected to be released this fall.

Apple Researching/Enhancing Camera Technology

Though Apple has always been researching and enhancing on camera technologies, they tend to have over 800 people working on it with plenty of evidence suggesting that the iPhone 7 cameras would be representing mostly an impressive step ahead.

One of the interesting rumours, specially surrounding the iPhone 7 is that it could incorporated a dual camera system with optical image stabilization as well as zoom functions depending on technology it developed from an Israeli company, LinX, several months ago. One can only anticipate that Apple does not intend to make its dual camera technology exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus.

With several of the people finding Apple’s largest iPhone model somewhat awkward while using it, it would be inspirational to see that Apple gives its best camera technology all along its whole line-up of products.

Apple's iPhone 5se Due to be Revealed on March 15

Apple’s new iPhone 5se to be launched on March 15

As per reports, Apple’s new iPhone 5se is expected to be launched at an event on March 15. The 4-inch handset would be revealed at a spring event together with iPad Air as well as some new Apple Watch straps, according to sources. The iPhone 5se would come with new features comprising of an ungraded camera, Apple Pay and Live Photos providing customers who may be unconvinced by the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays which had been introduced in September 2014 with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

In the past, Apple was under stress in selling more affordable smartphone and had responded with the iPhone 5c that had a brightly coloured plastic case though did not feature fingerprint verification technology Touch ID. With the introduction of the latest iPhones, the 6s and 6s Plus last September, it had been quietly discontinued. 9to5Mac reporting the name informed that the employees had been referring to the `se’ as `special edition’ or as an `enhanced version of the 5s with the new model, possibly in order to avoid comparisons with the 5c and would be called the 5se instead of the 6c.

The phone was said to be revealed in March and would go on sale probably by the end of the month or in April.

Apple Watch Anticipated to be showcased with iPhone 7 in September

Apple had held a press conference to unveil officially the Apple Watch last year in early March and could use the springtime to revive the smartwatch again though reports have recommended that this could be delayed. The next generation of Apple Watch is anticipated to be showcased together with the iPhone 7 in September. According to sources the new device is basically the 2013 iPhone 5s with substantial internal hardware and software upgrades.

The case maker source informed that the product’s dimensions are vague from the iPhone 5s which means that the new device would fit inside the existing iPhone 5s cases. The systematics tends to show some changes for instance the sleep/wake/power button that has been relocated to the inside.

Apple is doubtful in offering pre-orders for the new devices as per sources who has cautioned that the plans could still change. 9to5Mac noted that it would be the first revamp to the iPad Air since October 2014, while the iPad mini got an improvement last autumn together with the unveiling of the iPad Pro.

March Event – First Event since September 2015

According to rumours the iPad Air 3 would be having a rear-facing LED flash wherein users would be capable of taking improved photos in low light as well as better speaker frills for enhanced audio.There is a possibility that the tablet would also work with the Apple Pencil that was initially intended to be working with the iPad Pro. The super-sized tablet that had been launched in November comes with a 12.9-inch screen together with 5.9 million pixels and tends to weight about 1.57 lbs – 712 grams and its thickness is 0.3 inch.The March event would be the first event of Apple since its September 2015 conference wherein the unveiling of the iPad Pro, the new TV of Apple together with the iPhone 6 and 6s Plus would take place.

iPhone 7 to Do Away with Antenna Bands and Protruding Camera

iPhone 7 – Rear Camera in Aluminium Casing/Antenna Bands Upper-Lower Edge

According to news reports, the camera of iPhone 7 will be in line with its body and the antenna bands will now not stretch along its surface. The latest lustrous design would represent a move towards a much more uniform streamline presence.

 According to sources, the rear-camera would be within the aluminium casing and the antenna bands would be only on the upper and the lower edges rather than extending across the width of the handset. Several of the consumers were amazed at the decision of the company in enabling the camera on the iPhone 6 to protrude from its casing.

It is both out of character for the particular design standards, exposing the lens to scratches together with other damages. Doing away with the plastic antenna strips also seems reasonable. The company had been granted a patent last summer, specifying a metal composite capable of replacing the strips that are essential for the antenna of the phone in sending and receiving signal. The latest casing can be adequately thin to enable radio waves to pass through eliminating the need to coat the strip segment with plastic for the handset to send and receive signals.

Removal of Headphone Jack

Other rumours with regards to iPhone 7 comprise of removal of the headphone jack in order to develop a thinner body. The plan to eliminate the headphone jack to develop a slimmer body could be a provocative idea and the company could apparently include new wireless headphone with the new handset or probably a pair of headphones which tend to connect to the phone through a lightning connector. Since June 2015, third parties had also been creating lightning connector headphones when Apple had extended its made-for-iPhone licensing programme.

The company has also reported to be creating a type of wireless charging which tends to allow the iPhone from the need to be replaced on a charging mat, which is the most common format used presently, as per Bloomberg. But it is doubtful to be assimilated into an iPhone prior to 2017. The latest iPhone scheduled for release in September signifies and important moment in the history of Apple and the company has apparently reduced the production levels of iPhone 6 as well as 6s Plus by a third owing to fears of slowing demand for the unused year’s models inspite of early sales of over 13 million units within the availability period of three days.

More Advanced Hardware Changes – Encourage Consumers

iPhone 7 should have more advanced hardware changes in order to encourage consumers to buy it since the developing markets tend to reach increasing levels of saturation as the economy seems to shift from a buy to an upgrade cycle. The iPhone 5se, the next iPhone will probably be launched on 15 March at an event according to reports where the 4 inch handset would be revealed at a spring even in San Francisco together with the iPad Air 3 as well as some new Apple Watch straps.

The iPhone 5se is anticipated to have new features comprising of an upgraded camera, Apple Pay accompanied with Live Photos, for customers who tend to remain unconvinced by the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays which had been introduced with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in September 2014.

Apple Invention Uses Spherically Curved Photosensor for Smaller, Better iPhone Camera

Apple’s Curved Photosensors – Smaller iPhone Cameras

Latest Apple patent discloses that the Cupertino Company would soon employ curved photosensors in creating smaller iPhone cameras which can capture improved photos. The design would aid Apple in its task of making the forthcoming smartphone much thinner.

The U.S, Patent and Trademark Office had recently published `Small form factor high-resolutions camera’ describing a cutting edge mobile camera module which utilises complex optics in delivering a much compact footprint with enhanced performance digital shooter suitable for placement in iPad and iPhone.

This exclusive arrangement offers a comparatively small ray fan spot size for all kinds of field heights at the image plane enabling a sharp low-distortion image. Apple has informed that employing curved array limits diffraction across image field, enabling smaller photosensor with equally smaller pixels. Moreover, with an axial length of two millimetres or less, the total camera package is extremely compact.

Sensor Refracts Light Through Trio Lenses

Apple has illuminated how the sensor tends to refract light through a trio of special lenses on a concave surface causing a sharp, low distortion image. The curved array limits diffraction, enables the use of smaller sensor with smaller pixels. AppleInsider has explained that to correct the diffraction as well as the visual aberration which tends to propagate within small cameras, the proposed lens system comprises of three lenses, two of which are convex or considerably convex.

A third meniscus lens or a lens with opposing convex as well as concave surfaces is placed between the first two lens components and the spherical photosensor. However the design seems to have its limitation like barrel distortion and Apple has described how it could use software in correcting the unwanted effects that tend to appear in various degrees of severity based on focal length, aperture as well as other system settings. It is not known whether Apple plans to apply its curved photosensor patent for its future iPhones since the company has relied for long on Sony’s stellar backside illuminated modules for its imaging requirements.

iPhone Thinner/Higher Battery Capacity

The patent had first been filed in 2013 and there seems to be no reason to think that Apple would be willing in replacing the Sony built imaging system already in use. Apple iPhone has been considered as having one of the best smartphone cameras all along. On the contrary, Apple has been looking for means of making the iPhone thinner with a higher battery capacity.

Credit for the patent filed goes to Xi Chen, David S. Gere and Matthew C. Waldon as its inventors. The technology could delay the unavoidable while Apple tends to cram more components in a shrinking device line-up. As in the case of every patent, there is no guarantee that this technology would show up in the near future devices though it is good to know that Apple tends to keep pushing the boundaries with its technology.

With rumours of a FaceTime camera set to make an appearance with the Apple Watch 2 this year, 2016 could probably be the year Apple may come up with one of the smallest and the highest quality cameras one has ever seen.