Apple's iOS 8 Released With New Features

Provision with Tips & Tricks for iPhone/iPad

Apple has granted access to Touch ID with its latest iOS with third party apps such as 1Password which could take advantage over the fingerprint reading hardware. With the preparation of the iOS 8 release, Apple has provided a set of tips with tricks to help users of iPhone and iPad enabling them to take advantage of the new functions and features offered in the latest development of mobile OS.

The much awaited feature rolled out in iOS 8 was initially introduced along with the iPhone 5s which had been opened only to developers. It has the ability to swap out keyboards for third party solution and though earlier Apple had restricted users to the main iOS soft keyboard because of security issues, now with iOS 8, users can download and check out custom solutions like SwiftKey and Fleksy.

In iOS 8, users can access few more features on a locked phone if one intends to do so. They can toggle on the Today and Notification view screens for Notification Centre. With Apple’s iOS release, its privacy expands and diversifies and this new entry is not exception where its biggest addition to privacy settings screen is in the Location Services sub menu. You have a new subsection on sharing the location with more refined control for the apps as well as new system services toggles.

Option to Permit Third Party Apps Access

Moreover in iOS 8, users also have the option to permit third party apps access to Camera, HomeKit, Health as well as Motion Activity data and the apps enabled would appear in new Privacy menu which has been named after each of these features.

The Usage as well as the diagnostics submenu which appears at the bottom of the privacy screen has a new toggle like Share with App Developers and if turned on, it enables third party developers to see anonymized crash data and the statistics on the usage of the apps.

From the point of view of app, Apple’s first party titles have updated features such as in Messages section, quick image and audio/video sharing together with deep email management in the Mail section. Besides this, Apple has also made some more addition of new Camera features enabling the world’s popular shooter up-to-date inclusive of time lapse functions, advanced exposure controls and shutter timers,

iOS 8 Features Siri

The iOS8 also features Siri which has been improved to a great extent with the virtual assistant presently supporting `Hey Siri’, hands free operation when it is plugged into a power source. While audio response has been tweaked to sound more natural, the backend is enhanced with HomeKit integration in order to control smart home products.

Besides Siri, they can also customize Notification centre with widget which have been created by third party app developers and powered by corresponding app, widgets could enable information displayed in Notification centre with the lock screen, from surf reports to sports scores which can be done with a swipe.

With the release of OS X 10.10 very soon, iOS 8 would be able to integrate through `continuity’ features namely answering the calls on their Mac, continue with text conversations as well as open Web pages and documents through Handoff with Apple’s iOS 8 now being available as a free over the air software update.

Apple and U2 to Team up for the Launch of Free U2 Album

It was reported that Apple and U2 planned to team up for the launch of Songs of Innocence with Apple’s recent product launch event and announcement of the new iPhone, the Apple Watch and a free U2 album for each iTunes user naming it Songs of Innocence.

A surprise appearance was made by U2 at the event, with a performance of a new single from the album, The Miracle, of Joey Ramone. There was a mixed up review for the free album with several iTunes users stating that they preferred to have it permanently deleted from their device and Apple has launched a tool to remove the album due to these complaints.

In order to delete U2 album, the user needs to visit https://itunes.com/soi-remove and after clicking on `Remove Album”, a confirmation for the removal will be asked. When the album has been deleted from the account, the same will not be available for download as an earlier purchase.

Should the user decide to download the album, then you would have to get it again which is free for everyone till October 13, 2014. Guy Oseary, Manager of U2 had stated that it’s a gift from Apple and if they do not like the gift, the same can be deleted. Apple has mentioned in its support page that thereafter it needs to be purchased if the need arises.

Ten Year Anniversary of U2’s iPod Commercial

Songs of Innocence, was considered to be one of the biggest albums launched in history since iTunes users had crossed about half a billion ownership on the first day of its release with Apple giving U2 huge blanket royalty fee with provision of marketing budget which was worth $100 million to give the album to all iTunes users.

U2’s thirteenth full length album is the Songs of Innocence and is the first after `No Line on the Horizon’, in 2009.This free album has been celebrating its ten year anniversary of U2’s iPod commercial and it is said that U2 plans to collaborate with Apple for the next few years and transform the way music is heard. U2 was aware that the free album would not be welcomed easily by everyone and the Irish rock band also posted a blog which said, `What a mind blowing head scratching 21st century situation.

33 Million iTunes Users

Over 500 million people which makes a billion ears and for people, who have no interest in checking us out, look at it this way.. the blood, sweat and tears of some Irish guys are in your junk mail’.

According to the Associated Press, it was noticed that over 33 million iTunes users had accessed the latest U2 album during the first six days of the release. Eddy Cue, Apple Senior Vice President was heard commenting that the figure was record breaking which included customers that had downloaded the album from iCloud or had used iTunes Radio in order to stream it.

Consumers are now not only doing away with the ownership to which they once were very close but are also openly rejecting it.

Apple Pay – Transaction Secured and Easy

Apple’s next focus on how we pay for things, end number of times, is aiming on cash and credit cards as well as online shopping. Apple Pay utilises NFC – near field chip to correlate with payment sensors at store checkouts which works on Touch ID.

This is a system built in updated iPhone which uses the fingerprint as a pass code. Apple Pay intends to make the transaction much more secured when major retailers like Target and Home Depot have reported huge breaches on the payment systems. A visit to Cupertino, California was undertaken by Gwen Stefani, Dr Dre and Stephen Fry together with a team of experts from fashion and technology to see Tim Cook, executive of Apple, unveil his latest products.

Their attention was drawn towards Apple Pay wherein Tim Cook made a statement saying `it’s all about wallet and that their vision is to replace it’. He then showed a video presentation wherein a woman was found fumbling for her card at a till, rummaging through her bag before swiping and then walking out with her goods.

According to him, Apple would make the entire process a lot quicker by simply pulling out your phone, tap the register and you’re done. This made sense to him since most of the shoppers tend to move around with phone in their hands.

Helping Consumers to Travel Lighter

To get started, Apple is on its way targeting the plastic which fills the pockets where shoppers make around 200m transactions daily with their cards and Apple is keen on helping consumers to travel lighter.

Apple Pay compatible devices are the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and owners of any of these devices could hold their card details in a digital wallet and pay for goods by tapping at the till. Apple does not seem to be discouraged with its past failures and is not a stranger to upsetting expectation.

Past experience which had occurred four years ago, when Steve Jobs, the chief executive then, had met with some universal criticism when he had set up the new iPad range where tablets were already available and consumers had rejected them.Apple proved the critics wrong and their devices with 170m units were sold while ecosystem of cheaper tablet had made their appearance.

Businesses/Consumers to Accommodate Apple Pay in their Plan

Recently, Tim Cook got his first opportunity to make his mark. After the death of Mr Job, the Apple Watch is the first new product line to be announced and the company’s step in the payment world would depend on how the present boss settles a legacy.

According to market survey it is considered that the new devices are the most anticipated and consumers would need to upgrade their iPhone 4 and 4S models which presently are the most preferred models. Apple’s iTunes platform is where users would have to sign up for Apple Pay, has over 800m users already.

Businesses as well as consumers are now looking forward to accommodate Apple Pay in their plans and Apple has gone ahead and signed up with some large names for its US launch this coming October which includes Disney, Starbucks, McDonald’s and Whole Foods.

Tim Cook’s Interview with Charlie Rose

In a recent interview with Charlie Rose, Tim Cook, Apple CEO discussed several current product lineup of the company like Apple TV, Beats and Steve’s legacy and hinted at latest products of which no one had any knowledge.

Cook admitted that there were a number of things which the company was interested in but their focus on execution prohibited the number of devices on which it could work on at any point of time.According to him there were products that they were working on and which no one was aware of with no rumours about the same.

With regards to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus being the latest handsets, he was all praise about the Retina HD displays, its speed and thinness. He had also stated that some of their products would be great Apple products while the others would probably end up being shelved. He further added that they had been trying around with lot of things internally and if one would take each of their products made by Apple they would probably fit on a small table.

Google – Company’s Biggest Rival

At the time of the interview he was heard stating about his interest in TV which he said is `stuck back in the 70s’, and TV is the one thing they continue to have interest in and that there are plenty of areas that Apple is interested in but they have opted not to work on them.

Cook named Google as the company’s biggest rival which he observed enables most of the other hardware competitors, including Samsung.With regards to Beats, Cook stated the acquisition was more than talents and made a reference to music of Jimmy Lovine and Rap star Dr Dre. He touted the firm’s Beats Music stating the streaming service’s human curated playlist provided a different feel when compared to competing services.

Twitter and Facebook are more of partners than competitors according to him and that Apple has no plans to get into social networking business. He further added that Amazon is a product company even if it manufactures some tablets and phone which is not seen in many places. He went on to talk about Steve Job’s legacy and Apple’s acquisition of Beats.

Changes with regards to User Experience

Cook was asked whether Apple had any catch up plans with Samsung in releasing its new 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch models to which he was heard answering in the negative stating that they could have created a larger iPhone earlier and that it was not about just making larger phone but with intent and purpose to make better phone in every single way.

Cook also spoke about Apple TV stating that television was an area of great interest for the company. Cook revealed only a few things which he would like to change with regards to user experience and did not share much in details.

At the end of it all, Cook made a comment during his interview with ABC News, David Muir, about Steve Jobs, Apple co founder saying that he thought of him every day. Besides, another interesting news revealed was that Job’s office had remained untouched at Apple’s headquarter in Cupertino.

Apple’s Updated iCloud Storage Plans

At the recent iPhone’s launch event, Apple has updated its iCloud page reflecting its price changes trimming the prices on iCloud storage plans and the top level being offered is 1 terabyte of online storage for $19.99 per month or £14.99 in UK.

At the WWDC event 2014, Apple debuted iCloud Drive, which is a cloud storage service and one can back up any kind of file with the capability of accessing it from anywhere through the internet connection. The service is built in Mac OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 wherein the iCloud Drive enables the user to back up important files, documents, photos which can be accessed from Mac computer, iPhone, iPad or PC.

Besides Apple, there are others who have been offering cloud storage. iCloud users will now get the opportunity of paying less on Apple’s online storage with the recent development of Apple’s updated iCloud page mentioning its price changes which are as follows:

- 5 gigabytes – free

- 20GB – 99 cents or 79p per month

- 200GB- $3.99 or £2.99 per month

- 500GB - $9.99 or £6.99 per month

- 1 terabyte - $19.99 or £14.99 per month

iCloud – Easiest Direct Choice of iOS Users

The earlier plans were offered at four levels with the 5GB being free while 10GB was $20 per year, 20GB for $40 per year and 50GB for $100 per year.For an abounding storage plans, Apple should be competitive in order to convince iTunes users to take advantage of the same though there are better deals through other storage sites.

 Sarah Mitroff, associate editor of CNET has made her comparison on storage plans with examples wherein Google Drive has been providing 15GB of free storage with charges of $9.99 per month for 1TB. Microsoft on the other hand offers 15GB for free with charges of $2.50 per month for user for 1TB though iCloud seems competitive when compared to sites like Amazon Cloud Drive and Dropbox.

iCloud seems to be the easiest direct choice for iOS users intending to store their content in the form of movies, music or any other files in the cloud which can easily sync their content with multiple iOS devices taking care that the contacts, appointments, reminders, photos, mail together with other items does not get disturbed across their iPhone and iPad.

iCloud to be More User Friendly 

Recently, iCloud got a black mark with the revelation that hackers had accessed certain accounts, releasing a number of nude photos of celebrity and though there was a denial from Tim Cook that poor online security was the outcome of the photo leak, the company did promise to improve iCloud’s security by sending alerts to users, should someone try to change their password or log into their account from any unrecognized device.

Apple on its part is striving to make iCloud more user friendly with a new iCloud Drive feature which will be working similar to Google Drive with same services as complete cloud storage site enabling the user to access directly in order to save as well as retrieve files, from and to the iOS device, a Mac, and Window PC which will probably be launched as part of iOS 8 on 17 September this year.

Apple iWatch – Nightly Recharging

Apple had not conveyed much with regards to battery life at the time of the announcement of its iWatch on Tuesday but the company has since informed that the same needs to be charged nightly since the battery life offers about a single day operation.

According to Apple spokeswoman Nat Kerris’ statement to Re/code, `there seems to be a lot of new technology packed in Apple Watch which people would love to use throughout the day. She further stated that they had anticipated that people would charge the device nightly which was why it was designed as an innovating charging solution that would combine their MagSafe technology and inductive charging.

Sources who interacted with John Paczkowski indicated that the company was not pleased with the present uptime of the Apple Watch while some informed that the watch’s battery life presently is a single day operation and that the company is striving to make some modifications for improvement, ahead of its launch. Basically a one day life of the battery is on par with the other touchscreen smart watches that are at the moment offered which include the competing Android Wear.

New Dimension in Communicating

Apple Watch comes with a new dimension to user in communicating with their circle of family and friends. Just a glance can convey who’s contacting you and the experience is amazing combined with different forms of notifications with their own unique functions.

It comes with a suite of apps which enables the users to remain active and helps to set calorie burn goals everyday as well as keeping track of the activity levels with a reminder to keep on moving. The need of words is much less since the digital touch features on the watch, provides a spontaneous form of connecting with other wrist to wrist users.

The Apple Watch has the potential of uniting the capabilities of fitness tracker together with an advanced sports watch in a single device which can be worn at all time. Besides, it can track a variety of other activities due to its capabilities of obtaining various kinds of data.

The accelerometer can measure the total body movement and its custom sensor can measure the intensity through the tracking of the heart rate. Besides this with the help of the GPS and Wi-Fi of the iPhone it helps to track how far one has moved.

Device to be Launched in Early 2015

The battery life of this upcoming entry seems to be somewhat unclear since the product has not yet been finalized and ready to be launched. It was revealed by Apple that the wearable device would be launched somewhere in early 2015 but refrained from commenting further on this issue.

With regards to hardware and the pricing, Apple seemed to be vague on the matter and while the watch would probably start at $349, the cost breakdown on how much various model would be offered was not specified. Since its starting offer would be $349, there is a possibility that the high end models would escalate to a five figure price level.

 The Apple Watch luxury edition comes with hardened 18 karat gold while its existing 18 karat gold watches are offered for more than $10,000 in the market.

Is Steve Jobs's amazing iPhone is too small for Apple?

At the time of introducing the first iPhone, Steve Job’s had stated that they have designed something that will be wonderful for the user’s hand. That phone cam with 3.5 inches screen, designed to fit in the palm of the hand and made to be easily operable with fingers from only one hand. At that time Job insisted that the company has been able to design a perfectly balanced gadget unlike the phones from Google, which were not only based on Android Operating system but also came in large size. Job stated that it will be difficult of people to operate such big phones and probably no one will ever buy them.

With the increasing changes in the smart phones, is it possible that he might have been wrong? Samsung electronics is doing very well in the market is in terms of selling over sized phones. Now flowing with the change even Apple is expected to launch iPhone 6 in two different sizes. One phone will have 4.7 inches screen and while the other one will have 5.5 inches screen.

Apple has been amazing in terms of the promotional campaigns for their products. At the unveiling of their iPhone 5, they stated that it was a common sense to have a half-inch-larger screen along with a slender width phone. They stated that the user will be able to drag their single thumb from one corner to another and there will not be any need for them to get their second thumb involved.

Apple has been seen many times to take backtrack in terms of their original mindset. Steve Jobs and Jony Ive, the design chief, after a thorough research determined that 9.7 inch screen is the most ideal for web browsing, watching video, and sending emails. During the 2010, fourth quarter earnings call, Steve jobs made the following arguments:

• Compared to a 10 inch iPad, a 7 inch tablet will always been considered of half size. The benefits that one can receive from a 10 inch tablet are more than the half sized tablet. Since the screen size is measured diagonally, the smaller screen tablets are only 45% of their 10 inch iPad.
• Resolutions doesn’t make difference- Increasing the resolution is no solution as per Jobs as the other tablets have various limitations on tapping and pinching etc.
• Irreplaceable smartphones- One can’t replace the mobility of smart phones with a tablet. These 7 inch tablets are too big for smart phones and too small to compete with an iPad.

Contrary to the view points of Steve Jobs, post his death in the year 2012, Apple unveiled their own 7.1 inch iPad mini. These small tablets sold out like hot cakes when compared to the opinion of Jobs, who expected them to be DOA. Even though the overall revenue generated from selling of iPad was lesser then expected but it was still a surprise for Apple.

With the increasing screen size of iPhone, it will become harder for iPad mini to sell out. Now looks like apple is working towards a 12.9 inch tablet which is completely against what Job stated in 2010, he had said that a 10 inch screen is good enough to create a good tablet.

Apple to Unveil its Long Anticipated Products iPhones and iWatch

Apple is in the process in unveiling a set of the long anticipated products namely the two iPhones with larger screens together with a wearable computer which has been nicknamed the iWatch. This smartwatch would be the first brand of updated product unveiled under Timothy D. Cook who has taken the reins as Apple’s chief executive three years ago after the death of Steve Jobs.

It is expected to be offered in two sizes with a combination of functions such as health together with fitness monitoring as well as mobile computing tasks like maps displays. It will be offered with a flexible screen and just like the new phones, will support technology, enabling users to pay wirelessly for products.

Smartphones have come in several shapes and sizes, some being big, bright and curved with some having their own apps and some have none at all. Some of the smart-watches work with just Android whiles others on iOS and Android and there are also others which track fitness.

Growing Market for Fitness Tracking Gadgets

Apple will be entering a growing market for fitness tracking gadgets as well as smart-watches with its first wearable computer from Fitbit, Samsung Electronics and Nike together with two of its larger phones and will be fighting against Samsung whose big screen Galaxy smartphones had taken the sales away for the last few years.

Smart-watches could be slaves to smartphones since they are capable of operating through Bluetooth accessories and can offer an on wrist way of interacting with things without checking the phone all the time. Presently, phones are capable of managing the relationship between smart-watches and several other things as well as locations though the wearable have more scope for better performance and maybe in the near future we could be living in a world which would be well connected where smart-watches would have the potentials to work with them and also save extra strain on our phones.

Hardware & Software – Near Field Communication

Apple’s wearable or smart-watch would probably have an improved and a smarter way of conserving battery life or recharge on the go, or even an effortless and fast means of functions though some sources seems to be apprehensive over this issue. It could be that battery life on these types of devices is not quite ready to take the next plunge.

Since wearable need to be worn all the time, it would need recharging and the less they seem to be worn, the sooner they may end up as discarded stuff. The wearable device and the smartphone will consist of hardware and software which technology called near field communication - NFC that enables devices to impart information wirelessly within a short distance and which would make paying for products with a phone, less complicating.

With Apple’s hub of Health and Healthkit, it will give way for shared and exchanged health tracking data between accessories and apps providing information on health and fitness more continuously with improved software coaching that would be worth beyond basic fitness bands. The expected wearable will be debuted very soon and the watch is unlikely to be available in stores next year according to some sources while the price of the new device is not yet known.

iWatch to Feature Flexible Display/Wireless Charging

Reports from The Wall Street Journal revealed that a curved OLED screen for the Apple’s wearable iWatch will be coming up with a flexible display panel which would be protected with a cover made of sapphire and wireless charging and the company’s larger model of iPhone would be offered a one handed mode for easy use.

Further reports revealed that the iWatch would be coming in two separate sizes with its focus on health/fitness and mobile computing task enabling users to make purchases with NFC support. Its flexible display has been considered as `unique’ and Apple will be settling with wireless charging after their experiment failed with solar charging.

According to some source, Apple’s iWatch is said to be one of the its latest most ambitious project with a large amount of time and money invested into the health and fitness sensors in the device which will bring in much more accuracy than the existing fitness devices.

Different Health Related Metrics

It was suggested that the iWatch would be measuring a variety of different health related metrics right from the steps taken and sleep quality to blood pressure. Moreover it is also said to take advantage of HealthKit which is a set of APIs that Apple had introduced along with iOS8 which will integrate with prevailing health devices and apps, providing data to a central location.

It will also be relying on Handoff, a continuity feature enabling users in seamless transition task from one iOS or Mac device to another device. Regarding the iPhone 6, reports claim that the two new models of 4.7 and 5,5 inches would be offered with updated software for larger displays with the optional one handed mode making it easier to type and control.

The iWatch as well as the new iPhone are expected to be integrated with one another with the `Handoff’ functions of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite and these devices are reported to have near field communications technology for e-wallet mobile payment options.

In Two Different Sizes – Men & Women

Reports have also be circulating that Apple’s wearable device will not be available in the market till 2015 in spite of Apple’s plans to unveil the iWatch at its media event on September 9 this year. This gap between the introduction and the debut of the iWatch would be giving Apple sufficient time to finish work on the device and also provide an opportunity for developers in creating new apps which would be suitable to the smaller form factor.

It is also rumoured that the wrist worn device would be offered in two different sizes intended for both men as well as women with multiple reports suggesting that the iWatch would be missing the holiday shopping season and would be available in the market in early 2015 though customers would not have to wait for long for the latest iPhone since the same would be made available soon after the media event on September 9.

Much is expected to be revealed at the event which kicks off at the Flint Centre in Cupertino, California at 10 am Pacific and 1 pm Eastern. Live coverage of the event will be provided by official AppleInsider app for iPhone and iPad

Microsoft New OS Teaser: Windows 9

Windows 8 even though was released with the aim of stitching together mobile and desktop became too complex for the user and affected the expected universal success. Windows 8 sales have completely dropped down with the new smart phones and tablets coming new light and also the longer life of exiting laptops and desktops. It is highly unlikely for the makers to come up with any other version like 8.2 or 8.3 so it calls out for two new expectations in the future: one is to expect a new advanced and faster version of windows operating system and second one is to wait for Windows 9.

Based on the communication received from Microsoft communication about Windows 9, will cost you but will provide you with all possible features that anyone will expect in newer version.

Release Date of Windows 9

Even though Microsoft has been mum about the name of the new operating system but there was information leaked by their Chinese division on Weibo clearly indicating that Microsoft new operating system windows 9 will be launched soon and the users will be able to see the start menu again.

Expected to be released in April 2015, windows 9 is expected to be launched in all the platform, laptops, PCs, mobiles and tablets. However some of the leaked information accessed by Myce.com indicates that the release is expected around 2 or 3 quarter of 2015.

But now as per Verge, the new Windows 9 preview will be released on 30th September but its still not confirmed as the system is still in the development stage.

No Charms Bar: Windows 9

As per Winbeta, Microsoft is supposed to do away by the charms bar in windows 9 but this is only pertaining to desktop PCs and might also happen in the mobile phones as well. One of the methods that are expected to be a stand out is the button near the windows controls, which once pressed will reveal share, search, devices and setting charm from top of the window. Microsoft has also been playing with the idea of actually removing the Charms bar completely.

Windows 9: Start Menu to be Reborn

Microsoft has been working on their new update called Threshold and labeled it as Windows 8.1 Pro, but this update is expected to actually come in form of Windows 9. The key for windows 9 is that they have combined desktop apps and metro apps unlike Windows 8. This will help the users who are comfortable with the start menu tab.

Windows Phone 9

The phone is tagged for release along with the OS. Currently the version available on new smart phones is Windows 8.1 featuring Cortana. As Windows 8 is supposed to become history, we are expecting that device hardware will be upgradable.

Price of Windows 9

Even though the price has not been revealed yet but one can either expect this new version to fall heavy on their pockets or might be made available free for users. Some of the other companies have been giving out the recent versions absolutely free of cost.

Features of Windows 9

64- Bit is the expectation from windows 9. Users are expecting Microsoft to make Windows Phone and Windows RT apps run on Windows Phone and as well as Windows. Laptops with 3D camera could be expected to have Kinect-based 3D gestures.

Apart from taking over a dud windows 8, Windows 9 is mainly expected to improve performance.

SIRI – Your Own Virtual DJ

Siri can now act as your own virtual DJ and help in managing and playing some of your most favourite music at your command on your iPhone. Apple’s voice assistant comprises of various skills one of which is the capabilities to play and manage the music on your device.

Users can use Siri to play a certain album or song which may be stored in the iPad or iPhone, or play a selection of tunes from any artist. They can command Siri to pause or stop the music as well as to move forward or track back and much more.

Instead of listening to an entire album from beginning to end, you could tell Siri to play any particular song of one’s choice and if the song may tend to have a lengthy title, the same can be said in short, to get the song played.

 If songs from specific artist are needed, Siri can play music from that artist or group and will randomly shuffle selection of songs from any of the desired albums on the device. Besides this Siri also has the potential if in the mood for jazz or any other rhythm and take your request depending on genre by simple request like `play jazz music’ or `play R&B music.

Selected Album of Songs/Alternate Track

If the need to hear a selected album of songs which is not in order, users can tell Siri to play the required song from the album by naming it and Siri can shuffle the album and play the desired music by shuffling through the track of the desired album.

Moving to another track is also possible if the user desires to move to an alternate track and jump to the next one by commanding Siri to `skip to the next song or would like to hear the previous song again, you could instruct Siri to skip to previous song and get back to the previous track song. If a certain playlist has been created as favourite music, it can also tap in this too by giving the command to `play the song selected from the playlist’ which is selected and played by Siri.

Stop/Resume/iTunes Radio ….

If the need to stop the music for a while you could tell Siri to `pause music’, or would want to start off where you left, the same can be done by the `resume music’, option. Besides playing music on the device, Siri also has the features of tapping into iTunes Radio which can be done by telling Siri to `play iTunes Radio’, and it can start providing the music from the station which was last accessed or the first one on your list.

You could also use a specific station of your choice and the same can be done by telling the desired station which is provided by the user’s command to Siri. Another feature is that should the user need to find out what is playing or is not sure on the song played and would want to know the title or the artist, you could ask Siri on `what is playing’, which will be displayed and the complete title together with the artist of the song is provided.

Rear Shell - Apple’s iPhone 6 – Images revealed

From the time invitations have been sent by Apple, for its September 9 event, rumours have been circulating with fresh iPhone 6 information and the majority of them have their focus on the 4.7 inch version of the iPhone 6. A new video has been revealed by Steve Hemmerstoffer, editor-in-chief of French site, Nowhereelse, which is the author of several iPhone 6 image leaks, showing a rear shell destined for Apple’s much anticipated 5.5 inch iPhone with a ruler placed along it showing that the previously leaked specification of the yet unannounced handset could be legitimate.

The new photos portray one key detail on the upcoming handset which some consumers would be interested in making a purchase which is the phone’s size. Apple for the first time would be having bigger iPhone models in their stores this year which would be similar to rival devices running other operating systems though not all consumers would want a bigger device.

Device likely to be named `iPhone Air’

The shell seems to be physically scaled up version of the same part on its 4.7 inch counterpart and is complete with internal mounting points together with plastic rigging. The length shown in the video indicates between 150 to 160 millimetres and French blog NWE shows that the device is likely to bear the iPhone Air, moniker.

Besides this, the dimensions line up with specification from what was previously sourced is said to be a computer system at Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn. The screenshots of 4.7 inch version measures 138 millimetres on the Y axis, 66 millimetres on the X axis and 6.9 centimetres on the Z axis while the 5.5 inch version compares at 158 millimetres, 78 millimetres and 7.1 millimetres respectively. Not much has been portrayed in the video with very few parts for the `phablet’ model has been shown.

Thick Antenna/Rounded Opening/Cut-out for Apple logo/Elongated Volume Buttons

The latest revelation of the metal frame seems similar in appearance to a rear shell which appeared last month and both shells have thick antenna breaks, rounded opening for updated True Tone flash, and a cut-out for the logo of Apple, space for elongated volume buttons with a side mounted power button.

From various reports inclusive of a well-connected analyst Ming-ChiKuo, it has been indicated that the 5.5 inch model would probably be delayed till late 2015.Based on the company’s recent history, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 and would be announcing its next generation iPhone line-up at the media event to be held on September 9 at the Flint Centre for the Performing Arts together with availability likely to follow on September 19.

 AppleInsider would be providing live coverage from the event in Cupertino. If Apple intends to introduce the 5.5 inch version on September 9, the company could stagger the retail sales of the two phones, with the availability of the 4.7 inch model somewhere in September and waiting to ship the 5.5 inch model till the end of the year due to issues on production.

The iWatch most probably would also make an official appearance along with the new iPhone 6.

Apple to Partner with American Express – Payment System

Apple, according to some sources is said to have reached a deal to partner with American Express and has come in agreement with them to work together on its latest iPhone payment system and American Express seems to be one of the many partners.

Apple will have to sign up before the launch of its new payment plan which is reported to be announced at the September 9 product event. It was earlier reported that Apple had been in negotiations with Visa which was said to leverage the forthcoming iPhone 6 and a few days back, a logic board leak reported the NFC, near field communications chip, planned for the iPhone 6 which will presumably play a very important role in enabling the functions of mobile payments.

Apple’s new payments system is planned to enable iPhone 6 users to utilise their phones instead of the credit cards, debit cards or cash in order to pay for goods in stores. The consumers could present their phones at the counter at the time of checkout of partnering retailers and transmit payment information to complete the transaction though it is not known which retailers have signed on to accept such type of payments.

Approval from Credit Card Network/Bank

Apple had held discussions with several credit card networks in the lead up to the announcement, regarding the new payment product according to sources. The Information, the news site, had earlier reported that Visa had also agreed to partner with Apple.

The representatives of both Apple as well as American Express refrained from making any comments with regards to this issue. The introduction of the iPhone payment product will end a lot of speculation for Apple, about when it would take advantage of its huge file of hundreds of millions of credit cards from iTunes as well as App Store customers in order to create their own mobile wallet.

According to sources it is said that Apple would need the approval from the credit card network or the bank which issues an Apple customer’s card for the card to get approved for mobile payments.

Secured iPhone Payment System 

Since consumers have accepted mobile wallets from Google and consortium of wireless carriers, industry analyst, executive are of the belief that Apple are capable of making it work.

According to industry sources, Apple is of the belief that its iPhone payment system would be as least secured as the traditional payment cards and sources believe that the iPhone Touch ID fingerprint scanner would play a role somewhere in the system which could be either at launch or in the near future. Apple need not re-invest here since many U.S. stores have now started accepting NFC enabled Amex, Visa Paywave, Google Wallet/Mastercard Paypass and several other forms of electronic forms of payment including the typical credit card swipe.

Having an extensive database of credit card numbers which are linked to iTunes Stores account together with updated security technology like the Touch ID built in the iPhone; Apple is firmly positioned to leverage these assets for the adoption of mobile payment. Though efforts would be needed of partnerships with credit card processors and retailers, this seems to be falling into place prior to the next weeks’ media event.

Apple Granted Patent – Iconic Cube Design-NYC

According to reports by 9to5Mac, Apple has now been granted a U.S. patent for its iconic cube design, its New York flagship and the patent is for the design of above ground glass cube of 32 foot tall element of Apple‘s Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan.

This self-supporting glass cube is totally without any structural steel wherein a 2011 redesign of the cube had brought down the number of glass panels from 90 to just 13. This iconic Fifth Avenue Apple Store glass cube, had been designed in segments by co-founder Steve Jobs, and is currently a patented ornamental building design which was approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and was officially granted recently, representing the latest design of the 32 foot cube using few panes of glass to achieve a clearer aesthetic.

The simple look was the outcome of the redesign which was completed in late 2011. Being personally designed by Steve Jobs, it is one of the most photographed landmarks in the city where the former CEO had paid for the project and was also the owner of the structure. The patent application, was granted to Apple on August 26, which had been listed as being filed in October 2012 and would last for 14 years

Steve Jobs – Original Design and Manufacture of the Store

Steve Jobs who had spearheaded the original design as well as the manufacture of this store has been listed among the inventors on the filing of the patent. Apple’s Fifth Avenue Store as research published in 2010 indicated that it is the fifth most photographed location in New York which is behind the Empire State Building, Times Square, the Rockefeller Centre and Grand Central Station.

The glass used is very much glass. It was informed that in January, one of the cube’s glass panels had shattered while clean-up crews had accidentally hit it with a snow blower. Patenting design of its stores is not unusual according to 9to5Mac reports, for Apple, since the company had been granted a patent for the cylindrical exterior of its Shanghai Store in 2012.

New Company - Microsoft’s First Retail Store 

Jobs has been given the credits for being one of the seven inventors of the structure and is joined by former retail chief Ron Johnson while the other inventors are Karl Backus, Peter Bohlin, Benjamin L. Fay, Robert Bridger, and James O’Callaghan. The all glass design has now inspired other project from
Apple which includes the mega store that opened in 2010 in Shanghai and similar to the Fifth Avenue store, it has its entrance as a staircase which is enclosed in glass while the one in China is cylindrical glass tower with a glowing white Apple logo floating within which is much like the glass cube in New York.

The company has also trademarked the design of the retail stores which includes the glass panel fronts as well as recessed lighting. Apple is also likely to have new company very soon on Fifth Avenue as it is rumoured that Microsoft is also in talks to open up its first retail store in New York City and would be located at 677 Fifth Avenue near 53rd Street which is in the vicinity of Apple’s store.

iPhone 6 Coming in Gold, Silver and Grey Colours

Apple’s iPhone 6 in Three Shades –Gold/Silver/Grey

A French website, NowhereElse has recently posted images of the leaked iPhone 6’s Sim card trays indicating that the model would be available in gold, silver and grey. The images uploaded by Steve Hemmerstoffer, editor of French Apple fansite portrayed the three trays which currently featured on the iPhone 5s.

The French website also had images of internal components of the iPhone 6 indicating trays, speakers, home buttons as well as vibrator motors besides pictures of the SIM card trays which was not surprising since the iPhone 5s is already available in the same three shades though the grey colour has a somewhat darker shade than the iPhone 5s, according to 9to5Mac report.

Besides posting images, the site has also confirmed the release date and has added that Apple’s new phone would also have 128GB of internal storage and the report seems to be coming from the most trusted and loyal Chinese sources who is known to have an exceptional track record of disclosing features of Apple’s products much prior to its launch.

According to 9to5Mac, alongside the SIM trays, besides the home buttons and vibrate motor, speakers are also photographed wherein the internal speaker appears to be much larger than the components used in the earlier iPhone.

Internal Speaker Larger with Sound Quality/Louder Volume

Besides, the internal speaker being larger in size is not the only factor determining the sound of speaker but there is a possibility indicating that the iPhone 6 will be offering sound quality or a louder volume and according to the last image, the design of the vibrator motor too has changed significantly. Though it is likely that the effect on the end user has not changed, the change was essential to accommodate the new internal layout of the phone.

The site had posted images which according to Mr Hemmerstoffer claimed to be promotional artwork for the new flagship model with the date of September 9 and according to news reports, the Californian Company is likely to unveil the next iPhone on this date together with the rumoured iWatch. Mr Hemmerstoffer alleged that the artwork had been handed to him by his loyal and most trusted Chinese sources who had given a familiar piece of artwork to him prior to the launch conference of the iPhone 5s.

Yellow Metal – Important Role in Smartphones

In the updated round of iPhones 6 images, besides the new set of photos portraying the SIM trays et all, what is very noticeable is the curved edge to the SIM tray, which makes a seamless line with the iPhone 6’s curved edges seen several time earlier and the images depicts some changes to the speaker as well as vibrator motor of the device.

Going by the success of gold iPhone 5s, users prefer the gold colour and few know that most smartphones utilise gold in their internal components. Moreover, the yellow metal’s strong conductive properties and malleability are the cause which has an important role in smartphones.

Apple is likely to announce the new 4.7 inch iPhone at a press event in September which would be going on sale a few weeks thereafter. Rumours are on that the 5.5 inch variant of iPhone 6 would also be released though the timeline for the same is not known with several supply sources posing delays.

iPhone Apps Initiating Forced To Place Expensive Calls

Privacy has been the top most reason that encourages anyone to invest in a smart phone. If you have been in a delusion that you are safe and spying is limited to another area, then beware. iPhone one of the largest selling smart phones seems to have hit a roadblock in form of forced call through their certain apps. This vulnerability can force the apps to place expensive calls or facetime calls.

Usually in any phone and even iPhone, tapping any number will give a pop screen prompting whether you want to make call or not. According to one of the developers, there is serious risk in apps which don’t ask for permission about the same at first. Due to the security lapse, your phone might be forced to make calls just by clicking of links; this will potentially connect your phone to expensive numbers without any prior warning.

Developer Andrei Neculaesei from Copenhagen Company was able to demonstrate the complete process and the security lapse in certain iOS apps. This has proven to work as many apps like Facebook messenger, Google+ and Gmail don’t give any pop-up when a consumer’s taps on any phone number embedded in the site.

“Hello Pretty” tactic 

Andrei stated that he used a very sneaky JavaScript to enable the links in a website, which clicks on by own. When these sites were accessed through various apps apart from Safari, an automatic call was initiated. Apart from incurring money loss, the user might end up communicating to the attackers through live video. This was called Hello Pretty.

Facetime has been facing a lot of problem as the calls are getting initiated by accessing any site through their app. These calls are almost instant. Just image a simple situation, you have just clicked on some link and without you being aware, an automatic calls is placed to an expensive number, where your attacker will be able to save all the details including your looks.

Even though Andrei was able to highlight some of the apps that have got affected by this issue, the entire blame can’t be placed on Apple, as there are apps which have been made available through different developers. Some of developers have not configured their apps to give a pop up with any specific information.

There are many giant names in these developers like Facebook and Google, who have chosen not to use this feature but the growing security issue might prompt them to incorporate these features.

Current update 

Due to the ongoing security issue, Facebook has already started working to get this issue fixed atleast in their apps. There are still many more apps still vulnerable to this issue.

Apple’s Largest iPad – 12.9 Inch

Apple Inc.’s suppliers are gearing to manufacture one of the company’s largest iPad, boosting the screen size and the production is scheduled to begin by the first quarter of next year. The new iPad would have the screen size measuring 12.9 inch diagonally, making it the biggest product in the range though Apple currently has been producing iPads with 9.7 and 7.9 inch displays, respectively.

The tech giant has been working with suppliers for a year in order to develop an updated range of larger touch screen devices, according to some sources. The latest versions of the iPad mini and the updated version of the 9.7 inch iPad would be released at the time of Christmas as reported by Bloomberg.

Apple is keen on revamping its product range after its announcement of mixed third quarter results in July wherein the company had sold 13.3m iPads during the three months to June 28, which was down by 9.2pc the same period of last year and short of the 14.4m that analysts had expected. iPhone sales had missed market predictions of 36m though the sales had rose to 13pc to 35.3m that period.

Improvement on the iPad Line

Apple managed to bringup total sales of $35.33bn, which was up by $300 m though its profit fell by 22pc to $6.9bn. Apple shares, recently crossed the $100 level as investors had renewed hopes on the upcoming products after the announcement of Tim Cook, Chief executive, who had stated that the company was set to have a busy end to the year. Sales of tablets which were the second biggest product of revenue for Apple had declined consecutively for two quarters due to lack of new models and consumers had turned to smartphone with bigger screens.

Apple chief executive, Tim Cook is working on ways to improve on the iPad line and its supplier have started manufacture of updated 9.7 inch screen iPad as well as set to enter production of the new version of the iPad mini wherein these devices would be made available later this year. The company is planning an event on September 9 to debut its new bigger display iPhones which went into mass production this July, reported by Bloomberg News.

Potential Customers for Larger Screen iPads - Businesses

Most of the potential customers for larger screen iPads are business men who could use the device for more tasks of a laptop computer.

Apple had unveiled a partnership in July, with International Business Machines Corp: wherein Cook stated that part of the pacts rationale was in selling to corporations so that they could be a catalyst for the growth of future iPad.

An analyst at researcher, Jitesh Urbani, had stated that while tablets sales growth had slowed down, he projected that businesses, schools as well as governments would be buyers of the devices and those groups accounted for 16 percent of the tablet sales in the second quarter which according to his estimate was up from 13 percent a year earlier. Urbani, in his interview, had stated that they would be expecting larger tablets to perform better in the enterprise market.

Apple Awarded Patent – Electronic Devices with Flexible Displays

Apple has been awarded a new patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, for `Electronic devices with flexible displays’, which controls mechanisms used with flexible displays to replace components like physical buttons with additional durable as well as resilient alternatives, to create another means of detecting sound output with haptic feedback, which is sound and localized vibration and perform other things thus making it easier to open a MacBook lid.

The patent describes several options to use a flexible display for a variety of input methods aiming at ways that can put flexible display material over actuators in order to create new buttons on demand.

Besides this it also provides systems to overlay them on the existing button features that are found in the iPhone such as the Home button, thus providing access to it while simultaneously protecting it as well as providing a continuous surface for the individual.

The system combines flexible display layer in some embodiments, like a compatible OLED substrate with a similar flexible capacitive touchscreen layer which then is covered by a rigid or a flexible cover.


Assembly Flexible – Interacting with Components


Since the assembly is flexible, users have the opportunity of interacting with components that are installed beneath it which serve as a user input and when force is used, the display activates and deforms the internal button, other sensor or dome switch before returning to its original shape.

Moreover, the internal actuators could be used to press against the flexible layer upwards to create temporary ridges, points or shapes on the surface of the display wherein each region could be active or inactive to user input. Ridges for instance could be used to outline grid pattern matching the onscreen keyboard.

According to an example, control structures or buttons get input from user’s finger or object that are pushed on the display, thereby deforming and transferring force on a sensor and some system tend to extend the device’s active screen area by replacing the external control as in the case of iPhone’s home button with internal counterparts.


Benefit of Flexible Display


There is another benefit in using the flexible display on top of the button and switch wherein it enables Apple to potentially expand screen space with the possibility to build all display devices which can grow or reveal buttons whenever needed. They can also take the form of physical buttons, as created by actuators that are used beneath the display layer to push up on the screen, creating bumps and ridges.

Its effect would be similar to what happens with the Tactus keyboard that produces a physical keyboard from a transparent, flat display cover. As the overall patent is aimed at devices such as the iPhone and iPad and its intention is to save space on mobile devices, there is a provision which explains how the tech could be utilised in a MacBooktrack pad in order to deform the surface and raise the top of the notebook away from the bottom thus making it a lot easier to open, preferably creating a lid opening which may replace the groove that is available in current models.

Apple’s Battery Replacement Program

Electronics is not without its fair share of failures and batteries bear the most brunt. And going by the record, Apple maintains a strict customer satisfaction first strategy for its line of products. Hence, Apple has launched a battery replacement program for select iPhones – namely some iPhone 5 models that apparently arrived at customer’s hand with poor batteries. Let’s us take a look at the affected users and what they can do with this replacement program from Apple.


The Affected Units and Problem


According to Apple, only very units sold between September 2012 and January 2013 were affected by this problem. The replacement program got started in United States and China first owing to large shares of ownership on August 22nd and will start for the rest of the world on August 29th, 2014. The defect leads to poor battery life as some customers started to experience from late last year, which is unusual for Apple products.


The Replacement Process


If you feel you are one of the affected customers owing to sharp decline in battery life, the first thing you need to do is head over to Apple’s website and enter your phone’s serial number on the battery replacement page and check whether you are eligible or not. The serial number can easily be obtained from the about page in settings in your iPhone. Once done, you can get it replaced via an authorized Apple service provider or at Apple retail stores. To prepare for the replacement process you need to follow these steps carefully.

• Backup all your data to iTunes and iCloud service

• Turn off “Find My Phone” feature from Settings

• Erase all data and settings in Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Contents and Settings


Once done you can head over to the store to get your battery replaced, which should be hassle free completely.


Some Other Information


In case your iPhone has other damages like screen damage or digitizer problem for touches that needs to be fixed first before you can continue with the replacement program. Such repair may incur extra charges if applicable however. Note that Apple may restrict the repair program in certain countries and if you are in such region try to contact Apple for a full refund. In addition, this program will notextend your warranty and covers affected iPhone 5 battery for two years after the retail sale or until March 2015 whichever comes later.


Apple generally serves its customers well and this is a proof of that. Such programs show how concerned a company is towards its customers and also gives them something more to stay loyal apart from a stellar product line. This also helps Apple to stand out from the competition breathing on its neck in technical department and gives them some air as their customer programs are something other totally lag behind. With the next iPhone coming in just about 3 weeks from now, this shows that their attention is equally distributed to not just new product launches but also to their existing customer base as well.

5 ways to increase security and privacy of your iPhone, iPad and Mac

Apple products are known for not just their simple yet awe inspiring designs but also the hardware mechanism that makes them such useful devices. The Apple product owners have from little to no reasons to complain and have been fully satisfied as far as the product performance is concerned. However, with the number of users increasing exponentially, it is only a matter of time when someone will be able to hack into the Fort Knox of devices. This is the reason why you as an end user should pay greater attention to the security of your iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Even though Apple makes its products more and more convenient with each upgrade, it is the responsibility of the end user to ensure its complete safety and maintain its privacy. Depending upon the sensitivity of the data on your device, you can toggle the settings on your phone and monitor the security arrangements. The idea is not make the phone so impenetrable that even the user gets nightmares while trying to get inside their device. However, the security and privacy tips will only make sure that breaking into your phone or device is extremely unattractive to the thieves or pranksters who can be dissuaded from their antics by just looking at the layered security.

Use a reasonably strong Pass Code 

The latest iPhone 5S has a biometric system which is unbeatable when it comes to identifying its true owner. However, for any other devices, the owners can use reasonably tough pass codes to unlock their phones. They should be hard to guess but not something you can’t easily memorize. iPhone 5S users can also use stronger pass codes rather than using the biometric unlocking system for added security.

Turn off Personal Notifications on the locked screen

While it is very simple to quickly gaze at notifications on the home screen, it can also be very unsafe if your phone is in the hands of anyone other than you. Your pass code lock will defeat the whole purpose if people can read your personal notifications even when the phone or the device is locked. It is better to turn off the notifications on your home screen when the screen is locked so that no one but you can read your private messages.

Go for 2-tiered security layer

This might seem a little over the top to add to layers of security on your Apple device. However, considering the sensitivity of the data we have on our phones these days, it seems like a very small level of security. All it takes is add another layer of password on the apps to get the added security. You can make your device twice as strong by just introducing another level of pass code.

Keep your web browsing private

If you do not wish your web browsing history to be tracked or recorded, you can use the private browsing feature of safari. You can also enable the private browsing from the bookmarks, tabs etc which makes it easier and more convenient. Also, if you are on the network that you do not trust and are using the browsing for personal and sensitive information then you can also gain access to the VPN service that will keep your data private. Needless to mention that with all the browsing that happens on internet enabled devices, you must also secure your devices with a reliable piece of antivirus software like Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac that will deter any hacker from trying to hack into your device.

Delete the Web History Data

If you have not used private browsing by Safari and now want to remove the data from your device, you also have the option of wiping your device clean and start afresh.

The Resolution of the New iPhone 6 Calls for an Assured Askance

The count of people holding their breath for the iPhone 6 is really high and ever increasing. Experts have brought up their words regarding the phone’s resolution and apple stands on a raised scale with the eye boggling specifications on the iPhone 6. A the words are out form the Apple headquarters in California, the new mobile will come out in two size- a 4.7” model and another with quite a big screen at 5.5”. The most common question placed on the table is regarding its resolution. People are curious about the count of pixels that screen will have inside its boundary.

Apple has always shocked us with the new margins they set when it comes to the screen resolution of iPhone. They have been setting benchmarks with their exceptional resolution standards and one they started with the retina display they became hard to compete. This calls for a thorough analysis on the screen resolution of Apple’s upcoming tech masterpiece.

The different sizes come with different resolutions

The 4.7” display comes with an awesome screen resolution of 1334x750 that makes a pixel density of 326 PPI or Pixel Per Inch. This one has got a 2nd level retina display. The larger model with a stretched screen has nothing to upset but a lot to impress. Its pixel density is a league ahead of its predecessor and no doubt from its other competitors. It has got a screen resolution of 2208x1242 and with a pixel density as high as 461 PPI, it will be a complete new experience.
A thorough analysis on the iPhone’s resolution has an assured positive outcome

Though all these information are far less certain, you can eat on it when you know it is Apple you are talking about. While the analysis is on progress the key ingredients for its screen size and the number of pixel that is made to fit on the screen. They will be your basis of the resolution analysis. Apple has always caught eyes with the values they set on the specs table beside the Pixel per Inch criteria.
It is going to be a common mind play for all iPhone admirers to judge its new increase in size and that is how Apple answers with an outstanding resolution for the iPhone 6L, which is the 5.5” model. If you go by the verdict of the analyst, the company was testing both the sizes of the new iPhone 6 on the same resolution scale of 1704x960 pixels. This is supposed to be the new standard for the iPhone 6’s screen resolution.

A proper hardware and software synchronisation is what should be thought about

However,any interested buyer will consider the display factors and resolution to be one of the prime factors for buying this super-phone, what matters more is the software developer’s outlook on this matter. It is more important to consider the analysis of app developers and website designers on the resolution as their software also bears the responsibility to justice to the high levels of hardware specs.

Coin – Connected Device for Credit/Debit/Membership/Loyalty Cards

Coin is a connected device which has the capabilities to hold and behave like the card such as the debit, credit, gift, loyalty and membership cards and instead of carrying several cards, users can now carry one Coin. The manufacturers of Coin, which is a Bluetooth enable connected card have designed it, to help users to store magnetic stripe information for various credit as well as debit cards on one device, have recently announced the delay of its launch till next year, though they would start sending out 10,000 beta units to pre-order customers very soon.

The Coin card which is a credit card sized black plastic rectangle with an LCD screen, is priced at $100. It comprises of a programmable magnetic stripe which can be swiped through any standard card reader at a retail store etc.: and up to eight cards with magnetic stripe could be saved on the Coin card on-board memory and then by pressing small button switches between cards, it displays the currently opted card, an embedded e-ink screen, thus enabling users with less cards to carry in their purses or wallets.

Attached to an Android/iOS

Users could set up their Coin cards by swiping all their valid cards in a free Coin supplied card reader which can be attached to an Android or iOS smartphone, with a photo of each card for verification purpose and then loaded into the Coin card through a Bluetooth Low Energy – BLE, wireless connection. Individual Coin card could be paired to the Android or iOS device, resulting that if the Coin card is beyond the Bluetooth Low Energy range, which is around 150 feet, it would stop functioning.

The Coin’s screen can display the credit or debit card brand, namely American Express, MasterCard, Discover or Visaas applicable, its last 4 digits of the card number together with its date of expiry. The Coin could also be set up as a stand-alone device to enable it to work without a nearby smartphone though with less security.Around 1,000 customers have already been issued pre-production Coin units, and in lieu of the full launch, the company would be expanding it to another 10,000 and backers should be receiving emails enabling them to claim their beta device very soon.

Coin’s Announcement – Applause/Scepticism 

Coin’s announcement drew a lot of applause as well as scepticism with the possibilities of increased convenience being apparent though some pointed out the probable security implications which included the chances of financial harm that thieves could do to people swiping a single Coin instead of being forced to try for a loaded wallet.

Others criticized Coin for its lack of support for emerging chip and signature standard which had started developing with U.S card issuers. Kanishk Parashar, Coin CEO had stated that the company is yet to start the possibility of the addition of a chip and is focussed on launching its first version. He also informed CNET, that once they were through with the first shipment of Coins, they would be in a better position with enough resources to perform an R & D project.

Henry Peter Badenhop Granted Patent for Mobile Billboard Messaging App

An updated invention has the potential of providing free standing application for mobile device which has the capabilities of linking the user to remote internet based database, providing advertisement as per the choice of the user and Henry Peter Badenshop has been granted this Patent. These may include types of products or services needed together with the distance of the advertising location from the user’s mobile GPS location or when the GPS is inactive, the distance can be determined by cellular/mobile device location through cell towers.

Mobile billboard messaging icons tend to display messages which are connected with the user’s choice from advertiser on the user’s devices display like the tablet or the Smartphone which is connected to the internet, location technology as well as logic means in determining when the device of the user is in a prescribed vicinity of the advertiser’s location. Coordination location of the device helps in identifying the advertiser’s location and correlate with user’s preferences within a preselected distance and if this correlation is available, a minimum of one message is displayed from the advertiser on the tablet device or a smartphone.

Message Transmitted based on Given Radii

The message is transmitted when the user’s device is within the given radii from the advertiser and when transmitted, the messaging icons provide real time promotion, together with deals and coupons appropriate for the purchase of goods and services of the advertisers or the sponsors according to the user’s options.

Moreover, the target messages that are displayed by the mobile billboard are based both on the user’s geographical real time location as well as the user’s specific choice. Revenue from advertising has now become a possible driving business force in present day business market with electronic devices being increasingly adopted in the advertising forum, which include advertising on mobile devices and computer namely the tablets and Smartphones.

Majority of the advertisement platforms and models make use of such devices providing advertisements with web page links, email links as well as mobile applications together with games or through spam emails. Other platforms of advertisements tend to use tracking algorithms or phishing means to track consumer’s web site searches and invade them with an attempt to provide advertising aimed towards the consumers.

Mobile Billboard Messaging – GPS Enabled Device

The mobile billboard messaging icon system works with GPS enabled device, a display screen with internet connection, which displays a number of applications. Further on the icon system is created with a mobile billboard messaging icon which is associated with software that has the entry of user and his preferences together with the advertiser or sponsor data.

The messaging icon of mobile billboard gets displayed via the internet connection which displays one message according to the user’s choice which is generated from one advertiser or sponsor. The mobile billboard messaging icon on the other hand functions and enables an internet connection between the mobile device and its message icon software.

The GPS location of the device is equipped with relevant given radial distance from at least one location with one of the advertisers who displays the message. Whenever the GPS is in standby mode or inactive, the location is provided depending on the position of the cellular tower and the location is determined based on the relevant given radial distance from one location associated with the advertiser who displays the message.