Updated iTunes U – Great New Tool for Education Content

Apple has now updated iTunes U enabling teachers in creating, editing and managing lessons and course through the iPad, With this updates to iTunes U, it will help educators and students with great new tools to build and experience education content on an iPad.

 From July 8th, teachers using the free iTunes U app for the first timecan now create edit as well as manage their entire course directly through the iPad while students will find new discoveries to collaborate with the ability to start class discussion as well as ask questions right from their iPad. According to Apple’s Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue, he states that `Education is at the core of Apple’s DNA and iTunes U is an incredibly valuable resource for teachers and students’.

 He further stated that `iTunes U features an amazing selection of academic material for all around the world and now with the ability to manage better and discuss education content, learning has become even more personalized on iPad’.

Giving Teachers the Liberty to Create & Organise 

The free educational service’s new tool helps teachers in adding learning materialiBook Author,iWork or any of the 75,000 educational apps for iPad as well as photos and videos, in a package which is accessible to students. With the advantage of the built in camera on iPad, teachers also have the opportunity to capture photos and videos to incorporate real world subject matter needed for their course and instantly making relevant content available to their students.

The Head of computing and IT at Cedars School of Excellence in Scotland, Fraser Speirs had stated that `iTunes U is the most powerful destination in bringing the entire educational experience to life on iPad. By giving teachers the liberty in creating and organizing courses right on iPad, educators can be focussed better in enabling students’ participation both with the content and with one another.

Debates and Get Engaged in Conversation 

Moreover, students can also have debates and get engaged in conversations through the service’s discussion feature and teachers can moderate and remove off topic messages. Besides this, teachers and lecturers at all stages of education can use iTunes U to create lessons, coursework, book, test and lectures and students can access the information.

Universities and school also have the opportunity in setting up their own iTunes U site where the free app is made available for download. Students with iPad and who have enrolled in private iTunes U courses will now have the availability to all their requirements to collaborate with their classmates as well as the teachers.

With the help of the Discussion in the iTunes U app, students can now automatically engage themselves in classroom discussions as well as join in conversation on new topics and also set up push notification when new topics come up or replies are added to active exchanges. Forum participation for teachers is also possible with the ability to moderate discussion by deleting any off topic messages.

ITunes U has helped teacher to create courses inclusive of lectures, books, quizzes, assignments etc. for many iOS users and with over 750,000 individuals learning material made available on iTunes U app, it is one of the world’s largest online catalog with free educational content from prominent organizations and top schools.

Apple’s Launch of Colourful New iPod Touch

An updated version of iPad touch device with a new 16GB model has been launched by Apple adding a rear facing camera which now comes in a range of four colours like its more expensive versions and though this updated version is not yet available in the UK, the UK Apple Store website indicates that the old model of 16GB silver model marked as `currently unavailable.

Till now, the 16GB iPod Touch was available only in grey colour and though a sensible choice, it failed to reach the hearts of design fans and hence Apple is hoping that the new range of colours would draw more fans towards it.

The updated version retains the four inch retina screen and A5 processor of the earlier 16GB version which is a throwback to the previous generation of iPod touch with the addition of a five megapixel iSight camera which comes with an LED flash and onscreen filter to jazz shots, to its existing FaceTime HD camera.

Equipped with 5 Megapixel/4 In. Retina/A5 Chip 

The new version is priced at $199 in the US while Apple had sold the16GB version of its fifth generation iPod Touch for $229 without the rear camera and in only one colour option. Available in vibrant colours like pink, yellow and blue, the iPod touch besides being equipped with a five megapixel, a 4 inch Retina display and A5 chip, has a FaceTime camera with 1080p HD video recording, as stated by Apple.

Moreover, the iPod also has a fingerprint resistant oleo phobic coating which will enable it to remain beautiful and bright.Now with this new launch, customers in the US have the choice of buying the new iPod touch in the same range of different available colours on the 32 GB and 64GB models.

Apple’s iconic music player sales had slumped in recent years while smartphones have compensated all the functions of the standalone digital music player and Apple considered revamping the market by bringing in a lot of features on the iPhone like a camera and access to a variety of apps to the iPhone touch on the App Store.

Featuring iOS 7 Operating System

The new updated versions come as two different iPhone with a 4.7 inch and a 5.5 inch screen which are rumoured to have gone into production and the current iPhone 5s has 4 inch display.

With difficulties in the production of a large screen model, the 4.7 inch version would probably be released first, somewhere around early autumn.

The iPod was responsible in bringing in the major share of Apple’s revenue but had been dwindling recently in smartphones which gained more popularity.

The iPhone and iPad presently are the company’s biggest earners where Apple in the last quarters released figure of 2.7 m iPods sold.

Apple had also launched its range of portable media players in 2001 on iPod in various versions like iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, iPod Touch and iPod Classic.

The iPod touch will feature the iOS 7 operating system as well as offer more than 200 features, inclusive of camera app filters and probably later this year the device would be supporting the latest iOS 8 versions.

Apple Campus – Spaceship Project

Construction on the Apple Campus, the `Spaceship’, project is in progress and is believed to reach completion in mid-2016. The new Apple campus is referred by many as the Spaceship campus because of its flying saucer like design.

 The previous shots taken of the site showed that all the buildings had been demolished and the land was cleared for construction of the new spaceship style HQ. It is doughnuts shaped four storeys circular building which will have huge walls of glass, housing around 14,000 employees of Apple in Cupertino, California enabling them to look out from both sides of the ring.

An architect,Peter Arbour, for Seele, the company which makes glass staircases in Apple stores, all around the world, informed Bloomberg that it was like a six kilometres of glass. Apple had received the final approval from the City of Cupertino last November to start building the 2.8 million square foot campus where the earlier HP campus had previously stood on the site and now had been demolished.

The new campus is located around a mile east of its existing headquarters which is also based in the heart of Silicon Valley in Cupertino.The building which has been designed by Lord Norman Foster will be powered by renewable energy which will be sourced from fuel cell plants together with rooftop photovoltaic arrays.

Underground Car Parking Facilities 

A presentation to the City Council in the year 2011 was given by late CEO with regards to the proposed building’s aesthetics and surround environment of the project, where most of the building’s car parking facilities would be underground providing space for 6,000 indigenous trees which would include persimmons, apples, plums, cherry and apricots.

Due to the advanced natural ventilation along with radiant cooling, the need for air conditioning would not be necessary. The European headquarters of Apple are based in Cork in southern Ireland having around 3,300 staff working there.

Architects for the colossal structure have been appointed from the British firm Foster+Partners whose previous projects include Canary Wharf Underground Station, Stansted Airport, London’s Millenium Bridge, Wembley Stadium, HSBC HQ at Canary Wharf, the Maclaren Technology Centre and the Heast Tower in New York.

Earth Friendly and Self Sufficient

Norman Foster in an interview with Architectural Record commented on how he had been inspired with the idea of a London square with houses surrounding a parkand this eventually led him into the circular design surrounding the large outdoor park.

He further revealed that according to the original plan, there was no circular `spaceship’ structure and the structure of one building with a park was the result of very intensive process. Aiming to be earth friendly and self-sufficient, the materials used for the construction are of the highest quality.

According to an insider, all of the interior wood is harvested from specific species of maple with only finer quality `heartwood’ at the centre of the trees would be used. A segment of the building is the restaurant opening up to the landscape and to combat the size of the building the section have been divided into cafes, lobbies and entrances.

Apple to Partner Foxconn for Next Generation iPhone 6

It was recently reported that Apple would partner manufacturer Foxconn and hire some 100,000 workers in a ramp up for July production of the next generation iPhone 6, thereby enhancing the company’s total iPhone manufacturing workforce by ten percent while secondary supplier Pegatron would also be preparing to increase its recruitment efforts after netting in a thirty percent share of orders.

Sources well versed with Apple’s supply chain, Taiwan’s Economic Daily News has reported that the hiring spree of 100,000 of Foxconn would result in improving the company’s iPhone workforce when compared to the past production of the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s.

Some have stated that with the combination of Pegatron’s recruitment efforts, the manufacture of Apple’s iPhone 6 is expected to drive the largest job creation boom mainland, China has ever seen in recent time.

Huge Expansion to Two Production Lines

Moreover, the mass recruitment campaign as claimed by sources is that Foxconn has been planning to make huge expansions to two production lines in order to meet anticipated high demand for the forthcoming handset line. Foxconn is also considered to be responsible for the bulk order of Apple’s iPhone.

Some sources havealso been reporting that the company would be handling all assembly of the rumoured 5.5 inch `phablet’, version of the device. According to reports, Foxconn would be producing seventy percent of the iPhone 6 units while Pegatron, the supplier would be handling some thirty percent of order, a consistent figure of recent rumours and it is not clear if the share would be representative of iPhone 6 version or not.

The timing of these hiring seems to be perfect for the rumoured iPhone 6 with reports of the production to ramp up ahead of its scheduled launch in the usual time frame in September and most of the attention is focused on iPhone 6, a 4.7 inch model which is expected to draw the bulk of sale.

Apple has been working on an even larger 5.5 inch model which would be launched along with or in the month following the debut of the 4.7 inch model.

Screen Size – 4.7 & 5.5 with Multiple Sensors

Many are expecting Apple to release two iPhone models somewhere this year with bigger screens of 4.7 and 5.5 inch in size and a number of supposed iPhone 6 mockups have surfaced on the internet with some indications on the final designs of the duo handset.

The duo handset comes with larger screen with thinner design with faster next gen `A8’CPU where the launch willbe during Fall 2014. Besides the bigger screen, the iPhone 6 will also be featuring multiple sensors which would enable the device to measure altitudes together with atmospheric pressure as well as provide different other information with regards to weather like humidity and temperature.

Speculations are doing the rounds for some time now about Pegatron gaining a foothold in Apple’s premium handset assembly business though the exact share of orders given out to the firm is not established yet. Reports of Foxconn’s intention of hiring as well as the iPhone6 issue leaked following previous reports stating that the production for the iPhone 6 is set to be ramped up in July ahead of its release date sometime in September.

Marbel Electric Skateboard – Operated with iOS Device

Commuters living in the city who would prefer to get from their home to their office by longboards will soon be given an option that can be operated with their iOS device in the form of Marbel electric skateboard. The Marbel Board is a Kickstarter project which has already blown past its $90,000 funding goal having another 23 days still remaining.

As per its description, the Marbel electric skateboard is 30 mm thick, weighing around 9.9 pounds, is made up of custom moulded deck of carbon fibre and kevlar to enable it to last long and needs around ninety minutes of charging for every ten miles. Its batteries are placed in a compartment inside the deck while the motors are mounted on the rear axle which can scurry across the pavement and uphill, up to 20 miles per hour having a 10 mile range before the battery finally runs out.

It is also the world’s lightest electric skateboard costing around $1,200 to $2000.The purpose of the Marbel skateboard was to create the lightest electric vehicle in the world with amazing user experience.

Simple to Use, Efficient and Exhilarating to Ride

The description on Kickstarter reveals that they hadspent two years of dedication in engineering and designing the Marbel Electric skateboard, which is the lightest electric skateboard ever created with the help of modern technologies, amazing team as well as the support from community and managed to build the Marbel Board which is simple to use, besides being efficient and exhilarating to ride.

Another amazing feature of the Marbel Skateboard is that it gets connected to the iOS or Android device through an app in order to get customized in your riding style and also control the throttle. Users also have the option in selecting from the three pre-defined ride modes, tweak the acceleration, and adjust the top speed, map out the rides and much more.

Handheld remote Throttle/Touch Controls

Riders can now control the skateboard by using a handheld remote throttle or through touch controls in a companion iPhone app while enabling users to choose the different modes for Marbel’s power circuitry, like the starter mode which limits the top speed to six miles per hour or an `eco’, mode which dynamically adjusts power output to the maximize range.

 In addition to this, the app also provides various other convenient features like an anti-theft mode that prevents the board from being used when locked with the app and a map showing the riders exactly how far they can go before the Marbel battery dies out. Marbel has also chosen to build a Wi-Fi hotspot in the board instead of connecting through the Bluetooth and this decision could prove to be a problem for riders who prefer to stream music or other media over a mobile data connection at the time of riding.

The design team had envisioned the Marbel Board replacing bikes and cars for short commutes as well as urban travel thus eliminating the worry over fuel cost together with parking issues which is the most prevailing issue at the moment.

Apple updates Support Communities forum with instant search box, streamlined UI

Apple Updates Forum Style Support Communities Webpage

It has been reported that Apple has recently updated its forum style Support communities’ webpage with a new dual-purpose text input which has the capabilities of both searching as well as posting, together with a fresh look which is more in line with other pages on the corporate website.

 The change to the Apple Support Communities site is a huge central text entry box which rolls out in search function with submission of question and till date, these two assets were separate entities. The updated search box being instant, dynamically runs searches for relevant topics for discussion matches when users edit in text, with a list of possible hits from the Communities websites.

Another option is that the registered members havinga valid Apple ID can also type in a query and have it posted to appropriate forum with the click of a large button indicating `Submit my question to the community’.

New Exploration Features 

Other changes comprises of new exploration features which enables users to a browse the Community pages by way of topic and category with options which include past and current software, iCloud developer forums together with tutorials and much more.

Revamping of forum views has also been done with a sliding carousel bar at the top of each page indicating popular threads and discussions within a particular section.

With the new social features, Apple now has quick links to `Activity’, at the top of the redesigned site thus making it easy to be on top of forum, one is interested in, as well as view likes from other users.

`People’, tab, which is another quick link, enables users to search for forum members with links to redesigned profile pages for each of them.

Much Cleaner and More Streamlined

With Apple’s flip to its new design for its Support Communities forums, users can now discuss problems and troubleshooting products through Apple’s website.

This updated Apple Support Communities design has brought about a much cleaner and as well as more streamlined feel and look which extends through the Support Communities sites inclusive of the individual forum pages.

Besides a redesigned user interface, Apple has also build in new social features with improved search engine in the Support Communities site where the search bar displays question when user type and submit them.

Apple has been working in offering a more consistent online presence by way of building site design changes which would incorporate fewer text links and more iconography.

New Layout – Tailored to Touchscreen

Apple Support Communities will bring together all users from across the globe to discuss Apple’s products and topic, as conveyed through an official introduction. Moreover, the Support Communities would provide a huge amount of information with regards to Apple hardware and software products to enable users to get the most from their purchases while at the same time also help other Apple Support Communities’ users in answering their questions.

With most of the customers reaching the corporate’s website through iPads and iPhones, this new layout seems to be moving towards a tailored to touchscreen instead of a keyboard and mouse input.

Rumors swirl around Apple’s iPhone 6

Rumours regarding Apple’s much awaited iPhone 6, is mounting up and though an official release date has not been given by Apple, it is reported that the features in its upcoming release of the iPhone continues to swirl with many coming up from different sources adding more credibility to the presences of the features in the updated versions of the favourite smartphone.

In the ultra-competitive market for smartphone, the release of the iPhone seems to be a critical one for Apple to maintain its market and several industry observers are looking forward to various significant new features in the new iPhone.

Apple has been facing stiff competition in the market of its smartphones with the Android operating system. In April, Android held 52.5% of the market when compared to Apple’s 41.4%, as per the updated research from analytics specialist comScore.

iPhone with Larger Screen/1GB RAM

It has been reported by Reuter, the Wall Street Journal and Forbes that the new iPhone would have a larger screen which would measure around four inches diagonally. Several other outlets have also reported about the new iPhone which will have the A5X chip, the same chip which is now found in the iPad.

Besides this, the new iPhone would also have RAM of 1GB up from the 512 MB of RAM which is normally found in the iPhone 4S which will enhance the performance with the combination of these two factors.It is assumed that the new iPhone would be running iOS 6 as the operating system and would probably be launched this month at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference and iOS 6 would be the next release of Apple’s mobile operating system.

Moreover the new iPhone having access to 4G cellular signals, would also be able to connect to 4G LTE networks enabling users to upload as well as download data more quickly.

Sapphire Display – Enhancing Protection 

This feature has been provided since the iPhone 4S does not have it, though the new iPad offers this feature. It is also reported by analyst Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets who had the opportunity of touring the facilities of Apple suppliers, that the new version will be having a sleek look which may require a Unibody case which is an extruded aluminium case found presently on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

The iPhone 6 is rumoured to be having everything from its screen size, release date and its camera technology. Apple is expected to use a sapphire display for the iPhone 6 which will cost Apple a bunch of money no doubt but will provide a device which would be impossible to break or scratch and the material would be enhancing the protection that is not currently found on any of the iPhones which Apple has been selling.

Apple remained unavailable for comments on the `when and what’, of the latest entry though based on observations and track records by industry analysts as well as observers, the added features looks to be reasonable bets for the latest iPhone and the same is expected to be released sometime later this year.

Apple – Refreshing the iMac Line-up

A recent report from French blog site, MacGeneration has revealed that Apple would very soon upgrade the iMac and will be refreshing the iMac line-up most probably by next week which will be accompanied with speed upgrades.

With four flavours of Apple’s ultra-thin all in one, the site has portrayed the potential upgrades such as: the $1,499 21.5 inch 2.9 GHz version which would see its CPU speed increase by a full 3 GHz while its Turbo Boost feature that automatically manages individual cores of the processor for improved power efficiency as well as performance would go up from 3.6 GHz to 3.7 GHz.

According to MacGeneration, the $1,299 inch 2.7 GHz would have no changes. While the $1,799 27 inch 3.2 GHz variant would be increasing its processor speed to 3.3 GHz together with a Turbo Speed bump from 3.6 GHz to 3.7 GHz, the $1,999 27 inch 3.4 GHz version would increase in CPU speed to 3.5 GHz and the Turbo Speed’s performance would grow from 3.8 GHz to 3.9GHz.

These speeds are for the basic models and buyers can upgrade the speed of both the processor and the Turbo Boost when configuring the unit by paying a small fee.

Improvements – Higher Resolution Retina Display

Since its last redesign in late 2012, the iMac has retained the same look and it has greatly benefited from minor upgrades during its processing power.

Though it is not known when Apple would be changing the design of the already thin looking all in one computer, users are hoping to get at least other improvements like a higher resolution Retina Display. Presuming the details of the report to be true, presently, it seems that with this latest upgrade to the iMac, it would not be offering a Retina Display option.

Rumours have been coming in for some time that Apple would be bringing the higher resolution Reina Display to the iMac and a 5,120 x 2,880 pixel wallpaper image which has been released by Apple somewhere last year had hinted that a Retina display would be destined for the iMac together with external monitors.

Apple to expand the Technology to iMac

Apple’s MacBook Pro line-up for long had been supporting a Retina Display like the iPhone and iPad and potential buyers are going through frustration since Apple has not yet expanded the technology to the iMac or the MacBook Air.

 From a recent clue from Appleinsider, it was suggested that this would be the year for the Retina Display iMac and a code discovered in the beta of Apple’s recently announced OS X 10.10 Yosemite OS shows higher resolution setting for an unknown computer which would be the iMac.

Soon Apple would be releasing the new iMac models as per insider sources and instead of fancy new Retina displays, the upgrade is expected to be little more than minor processor speed bumps. Moreover, according to some sources speaking with the France based MacG website, the processor speed upgrade may also come with an updated Thunderbolt 2 connector along with a little price drop

Apple’s update for Virtual Currency Transaction

Apple has now updated its iOS App Store guideline enabling software developers to include virtual currency transactions in their application like Bitcoin which had previously been banned.

Apple had previously opposed Bitcoin and other crypto currencies and Bitcoin wallet apps inclusive of Blockchain which had been removed from its App Store leading in a backlash from bitcoin community.

Videos on social site Reddit started appearing with displeased bitcoin supporters destroying Apple devices due to the banning of Blockchain and a subsequent petition with a move to reinstate the wallet app was supported with 6,000 signatures.

Nic Cary, CEO of Blockchain responded to a query on Twitter with regards to when a new app for the iOS would be expected to which he responded saying that it would be as soon as Apple re-approves the same and Tim Cook would get to know that Blockchain is wanted back in the App Store.

In Compliance with all State & Federal Laws

The update which was issued recently states that the `app may facilitate transmission of approved virtual currencies provided that they do so in compliance with all state and federal laws for the territories in which the app functions’.

Apple had not specified which virtual currencies had been approved though many are presuming that Bitcoin would be included as it is the most widely used virtual currency presently.

The policy change is considered as a significant shift for Apple and the company did not initially consider the use of virtual currencies within its application but had eliminated a number of Bitcoin wallet apps from its App Store.

Apple had offered no explanation for this and no option to appeal but rather stated that the removal was due to an unresolved issue.

Virtual Currencies Built on Shared Software

The removed apps, Blockchain which had been available on the App Store for two years had been downloaded more than 120,000 times and after Apple had removed the app, several people had posted videos of themselves destroying their iPhones.

Gliph developers Rob Banagale had also told Bloomberg that he was planning to submit a revised version of his app to Apple which would restore its ability in sending and receiving payments in bitcoins.

Virtual currencies are built on shared software which mines or generates coins carrying out complicated calculations operated on computers and are not backed by any government of central bank. They are bought and sold on a peer to peer network independent of any central control.

Bitcoin a more Interesting Value Proposition 

It was reported that satellite TV operator Dish Network would be accepting Bitcoin payment from customers from the third quarter and would be joining companies like Overstock.com and Zynga for virtual currency acceptance.

Cary was of the opinion that as a result of Apple’s treatment of bitcoin app in its Apps Store, it would be playing catch-up with rival mobile operating systems and developers would not be quick in embracing the iOS platform.

It is unknown whether the outcome of this will lead Apple to focus on its own virtual currency but Cary states that there would be nothing innovative about iMoney and bitcoin seems to be a more interesting value proposition.

Apple’s Brand New Xcode Programming Language

Apple recently unveiled Swift, a brand new Xcode programming language which is said to be superior to Objective C, considering it to be fast, modern and interactive. With plans to gradually retire the long used Objective C, Apple will be introducing the programming language known as Swift for designing apps and application to run on Apple iOS devices as well as Apple Macintosh computers.

Apple demonstrated the Swift playground where developers could write code with display of results shown as soon as the code was written. Apple states that Swift was designed from ground up for Cocoa and Cocoa Touch.

Swift was designed to be intuitive and easy to use as popular interpreted language like Python and JavaScript keeping in mind the speed and the flexibility of compiled languages like C++. According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, who introduced the language to the surprised audience at the company’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference, held in San Francisco recently, he stated that besides being fast and modern it is also designed for safety enabling a level of interactive development one may not have envisaged before on the platform.

Swift for Basic Apps – Social Networking/Advanced 3D Games

Swift could be used for basic apps such as social networking or even advanced 3D games with the new `Metal’, graphics optimization since it can be operated with Objective C enabling developers to seamlessly interchange languages. Cook also stated that Swift was designed to do away with entire categories of common programming errors.

Swift includes generics enabling developers to get more done with less code written wherein an entire list of images was loaded with a simple line of code. Besides generics, it also includes modern constructs like closure, type inference, multiple return types, operator overloads as well as other time saving capabilities which the developers may want to see in their language.

Moreover it also enables developers to see the whole history of a value over time while the application runs. Swift has full control of time where the developer has the capabilities to fast forward or backward and see how their app might react in some situations.

Swift has Power of Objective C

Swift will have complete Xcode support when shipped while a language guide is already made available on the iBookstore to developers, where they can submit apps written in Swift to the App Store when iOS 8 will be launched later this year. Several Apple developers were thrilled with the Swift news and applauded Cook on the introduction to the language.

Though Apple has done a good job of maintaining the language and its developer ecosystem, Objective C tends to suffer from undue complexity in several ways according to program director for software development research at IDC, Al Hilwa. A programming language, Objective C, was based on C, which on its own is difficult to master.

 Moreover, the approach which Objective C takes in passing messages within an application or between applications is also difficult to learn. Cook also informed the audience that Swift has the power of Objective C without the burden of C and also compared some benchmarks which portrayed Swift code running much faster than Python and as quickly as Objective C.

Apple’s design history by industrial designer Hartmut Esslinger

Apple Likely to Unveil iWatch Soon 

There is a possibility that Apple may unveil an iWatch somewhere later this year though it would not be the first time that the company has considered a wrist worn communicator as per a recent published Apple’s design history by industrial designer Hartmut Esslinger. According to an image from Esslinger’s book entitled `Keep it Simple:The Early Design Years of Apple’, portrays a keypad which is designed to be worn on a user’s wrist which pairs with a wireless headset and the image is one of those excerpted from the book which was published by German weekly Die Zeit. Apple is said to be coming with the wearable segment with the rumoured iWatch and while the company has managed to keep thing under wraps, Esslinger’s disclosure has given food for thought that it is not the first time that the company has developed a smart wrist watch.

Monolithic, Foldable Workstation in Box Concept

The keypad has around twelve key in all, one each for the number 0 to 9 and which appears to be one key each for star and pound. The headset on the other hand is a single earpiece design which has in integrated microphone that could curve around to the wearer’s mouth. Besides this, it has a monolithic, foldable workstation in a box concept, based on the Lisa and large looking prototype has a full Lisa computer, a monitor together with a telephone and printer all in a single package. Both these pieces follow the `Snow White’ design language which Esslinger had created at the request of late Apple CEO Steve Jobs in 1984. At first the designs appeared in production with the Apple IIc and the company started phasing Esslinger’s work out after the release of the Macintosh IIfx in the year 1990. While Esslinger joined Apple in 1982, on an exclusive contract, he left the company after Job’s exit. He followed Jobs to NeXT though he did not join Apple again on Jobs’ return in the year 1997.

Keep it Simple - Authentic Incident between Hartmut Esslinger & Steve Jobs 

`Keep it Simple’, is the authentic incident between Hartmut Esslinger and Steve Jobs that originated in 1982 leading them in the partnership between the designer and the entrepreneur which became revolutionary with regards to historic dimension. Steve Jobs took the first step to make strategic design the core of Apple’s Business Strategy.

Thereafter Apple expanded from a technology focused company into one of the world’s most renowned and successful global brands which was achieved by creating and delivering innovative as well as intelligent products.

Though there are many books about Apple and Steve Jobs, many professionals all over would want to be in his shoes, or would even want their company to be as successful as Apple and hence they absorb account of his work with the intention of getting the magic recipe from these books.

This book relates the account of Apple’s evolution from the inside with its initial conception when Steve was driven by his power of design and developed the strategic core of Apple’s business model. Besides, the book is for all Apple users, fans as well as critics who can get to know about the origin of the products together with the brand they favour so much portraying the story of the most amazing creative journey overcoming various obstacles both within and across the wider technology industry.

Apple helps to Prevent Misdirected Messages/Emails

A recent report published reveals an Apple invention which illustrates an effective and simple way to remind users of who is on the other end of a text message of a group chat, a problem faced by people who seem to be juggling over multiple conversations at the same time. As reported by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent application of Apple for Generation of a user interface based on contacts will now enable users of apps like iMessage to be more conscious of who they are talking to at any point of time thus preventing any embarrassing and misdirected messages.

Background Image during Messaging Session 

Several IM clients including Apple’s iMessage app displays just the first name or the phone number of the chat friend and at first, one may not even know who is at the other end and if engaged in a group chat with multiple individuals, one could easily lose track of who one is trying to text the message. This new invention has a contact’s image or photo which would be corresponding to the contact as a background image during a messaging session. In the case of group chats, the text is overlaid on one or more images corresponding to the contacts that are involved during the conversation.

System capable of recognizing contacts

Generally the system tends to recognize that a user has received or is probably about to send an iMessage email, MMS chat or any similar correspondence and then identifies contacts which are associated with that particular message. The background image which relates to the contact or contacts is then used to create a background on which the whole conversation tends to take place and when a contact does not have any assigned photo, a female or a male avatar could be used since the system then selects gender based on stored contact information. When the appropriate image is selected, the background can then be generated by enlarging or stretching, cropping, tiling or even adjusting the image to fit into the messaging screen’s space.
Alpha Blending and Desaturation
Additional modification such as alpha blending and desaturation can blend the image in the background enabling the user to concentrate on the active conversation text that may include the time stamps, usual names along with other familiar UI assets.The capabilities to dynamically modify imagery background is useful and helpful in group chats for instance a slot can highlight the image which may be associated with the user who has sent the most recent response. Alternative, a colour image selected could be displayed while the other participants could be displayed in grey scale thus differentiating the last sent message. The idea behind a updated published Apple patent filing would be appreciated by anyone who has ever sent text messages to the wrong person
Animated Transition
Severalvariations on group messaging comprises of image thumbnails which are arranged in a Cover Flow style with rotating carousel or contact cards that have animated transitions. The remainder of Apple’s filing goes deep in the system implementation which includes discussions of API which would open the door for third party apps in order to access the technology. The UI patent application of Apple’s image based messaging was first filed in 2012 with credits to Enrique E. Rodriguez as its inventor.

Apple to Unveil the Next Incarnation of iPhone series in August

Apple traditionally unveils its new phone each September but now the tech giant would be unveiling its new smartphone earlier than expected and Apple fans awaiting the two new iPhone in September will now get the same a month earlier, sooner than expected, according to a new report.

Apple it is reported will be unveiling the next incarnation of its popular iPhone series in Augustthis year a month earlier than industry watcher were expecting according to Taiwanese media report, citing unidentified supply chain sources.

The company will now be showing off its new iPhone 6 at an event to be held in August and release the device then along with larger iPhone with a 5.5 or 5.6 inch display to be launched in September. People involved in the supply chain had also confirmed to Reuter that they would be having a 4.7 inch version of the iPhone 6 as well as 5.5 inch version.

Taller/Wider/Slimmer with Fast Processor & Improved Camera

According to Economic Daily News reports which revealed without specifying which market would be receiving the phone first, a 4.7 inch screen version of the iPhone 6 would be reaching the stores in August while the 5.5 inch or 5.6 inch screen version would be released in September as the previous iPhone 5 series.

The Economic Daily News reported that together, around eighty million iPhone 6 handsets would be producedduring this year and the next generation iPhone would be taller, wider and thinner than the existing iPhone 5 models. Besides a larger screen, the next generation iPhone is expected to include a thinner profile with a faster processor and an improved camera and according to Peter Misek, Jefferies analyst, he claims that Apple had been negotiating last month with carriers to increase the price of iPhone 6 by $100.

Regain Market Share 

The iPhone’s screen size from 4 inches would also enable Apple to regain market share from competitors like Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd according to industry watchers who have stated that they have responded to consumer’s need for more screen space though Apple could not be reached for any comments with regards to this issue.

Besides, Apple, no comments were also available from representative for Taiwanese iPhone contract manufacturer, Hon Hai Precision Industry Company Ltd; as well as smartphone camera lens maker Largan Precision Company Ltd; who had been mentioned in the Economic Daily News report.

Attempts to Branch to Overseas Markets 

Images of the iPhone 6 were also posted on Chinese network Wei Feng probably from the iPhone component factories at Foxconn in China which portrays a thinner smartphone that has a wider screen. The company had sold over 500 million units of the iPhone all over the world since the product was launched in 2007 though the company is under tremendous pressure from investors as well as competitors to unveil updated types of products.

The company had also made several attempts in branching to overseas markets with its iPhone 5C, a more affordable than the iPhone 5S and without a wireless contract the cost of iPhone 5S would be $649 while the 5C was priced at $549 though it failed in the emerging markets from customers who would have been interested instead in the updated versions of phone.

Apple’s Split Screen Multitasking Feature

It is reported that Apple is likely to advance the functionality of the iPad by adding an updated split screen multitasking feature to the iOS 8 tabletsaccording to 9to5Mac and Apple’s latest mobile operating system would probably give iPad users the capabilities to use two applications simultaneously on a single screen in landscape mode with the new multi app split screen support.The new feature is believed to be in the works for iOS 8 with Apple anticipating the next major release of its mobile platform wherein the features have been designed with its full sized 9.7 inch iPad model in mind as well as the iPad Air though speculations are on, regarding the availability of its multi-application support on the 7.9 iPad mini.

Divide iPad Home Screen in Half

For a long time now, iOS had only one app which was displayed on the screen at a time and in early days of iOS, multitasking support was limited to only basic background functions for Apple built apps and multitasking support was not added till iOS 4 which was then iPhone OS 4.0 enabling developers to run specific processes in the background. This new feature would enable users to divide the iPad home screen in half using different app on each side of the partition screen. The feature according to reports will be making it easier for using the two apps together and also making it easier to interact and though this feature is not something which people are looking out for, the split screen multitasking would probably be a shot at Apple’s competition which is similar to Microsoft’s snap multitasking on the Surface as well as resembles multitasking features which have been added to larger Samsung Galaxy devices.

Multiple Application Simultaneously 

The capabilities in viewing multiple application at the same time and snapping them into place on a limited screen space is presently offered by Microsoft’s Surface tablet platform where AppleInsider had the privilege to test the Surface 2 and found that the ability to run two application on the screen simultaneously was the main advantage over Apple’s iPad with regards to productivity. Apple has favoured simplicity over flexibility that has been offered in running two apps at a time and it is difficult to blame the company for this strategy since the iPad remains the most sought after and popular consumer tablet in the market. With ease of use, the iOS has been in demand and Apple is making the utmost efforts to avoid making any more complexes with its latest features.

Unveiling iOS 8 at WWDC

Tablets are excellent and many manufacturers are striving to put their creative minds at work in making them more useful and demanding. It was also reported through 9to5Mac that iOS 8 would also allow apps on screen for interaction with one another where the user would be able to drag and drop content between them. It is said that Apple would be unveiling iOS 8 at its WWDC event early this June. Its focus in multitasking is reportedly centred on iPad Air according to reports, though it is still not clear if the smaller sized iPad mini would be offering support for the feature.

Apple’s Doxie Go Battery Operated Scanner

Apple, it was reported has recently joined hands with Doxie battery powered `Doxie Go’, portable scanner which is considered to make the task of scanning much simpler. Doxie has been selling a series of portable scanners which are battery operated with a sheet feeder that could feed one sheet of paper or one photo at a time.

The scanners are pretty good for immediate and short task which promises to lighten up the function of scanning while on the go. The Doxie Go could be something useful sinceit is a small battery powered scanner which can be used in a variety of options to scan photos, sketches, book etc.

Doxie Go priced at $199 which is designed to be used on its own can occasionally be connected to a computer when its memory is full. Its unique design fits into this purpose accurately and while the scanner is made of matte, soft touch black plastic with Apple style white cover over the top, it is slightly taller and wider than the ultraportable Fujitsu ScanSnapS1100 which was used as a benchmark.

Scanner with Adequate Built-in Memory 

Inspite of its packing of a built in battery which according to the company is fairly good for scanning around hundred pages per charge, the Doxie seems to be marginally heavier than its Japanese counterpart and those dealing with adequate paper needed along with scanner around are unlikely to feel burdened by the Doxie presence.

It sports a single powered button at the upper right side which includes a built in multicolour LED that acts as the scanner’s status indicator, where a green light indicates the scanner is in its default 300 DPI mode while the orange glow indicates a higher resolution 600 DPI setting.

The scanner comprises of enough built in memory to contain around 450 pages of documents or 1800 photos in 300 DPI mode though heavy user could plug a USB thumb drive or SD card in its chassis for any additional storage. Moreover it works with Wi-Fi enabled DS cards, enabling users to eschew wires while downloading documents.

Power Brick and Interchangeable Plugs

The unit is packed with apower brick and interchangeable plugs which are used for different outlet layouts together with a USB cable for charging and sync, quick start documentation, along with a photo sleeve, a cleaning and calibration tool.

On connecting to the power, the unit takes around an hour to charge out of the box and then scanning is a very simple process with turning on the Doxie and sliding a piece of paper into the slot. The scanner can scan anything from a business card of 8.5 inch by 15 inch sheet though large documents which can be scanned was 8.5 inch by 14 inch as per U.S. legal size paper.

The process of scanning is swift, with sheets sliding in within a span of six seconds each though it seems to be nearly one second per page slower than the ScanSnap; Doxie is much preferred due to its paper handling design which does not angle the paper as in the case of the ScanSnap.

Doxie’s Software Smart Caching & Triaging App

Doxie is essentially on par with ScanSnap with regards to image quality. Colours seems to be fading slightly with some black and white documents showing odd colour in finely textured areas though none of these affect the readability of the documents.

Images can also be pulled out from the Doxie memory as from a digital camera and is more useful when combined with a software organiser. Doxie’s software offer is a smart caching and triaging app which is only available for download through the company’s site and is not included in the package. On importing, each scan shows a separate document leaving the option to the user to collate, save and export them.

It is to be noted that the Doxie gets automatically mounted in OS X once the same is plugged in and with the combination of the scanner’s power saving auto off feature, it can be a random `disk not ejected properly warning from OS X which does not seem to harm the data.

Capabilities to Export Documents as PNG/PDF/JPG

The software also enables uses to rename or even rotate their scans before deciding what needs to be done besides the individual pages of multi-page document which can be stapled back together. While Doxie could be relied as a sort of digital junk drawer, people would tend to take advantage of its various integrations.

Moreover, documents could also be exported directly as PNG, PDF or JPG files with provision of options of sharing through email, iMessage or AirDrop and send them to cloud service like Dropbox, OneNote or even pushing them to post processing application like Photoshop of iPhoto.

Before the entry of the Doxie Go, Fujitsu ScanSnap S1100 was used due to its portability but with Doxie Go, many prefer it, due to its paper handing, ease of use as well as the ability to run through its pile of documents without the interruption of administrative details.

Apple in Talks to Acquire Beats Electronics

Apple, it has been reported is in talks to acquire Beats Electronics, the high end headphone company and streaming music created by Dr, Dre and Jimmy Iovine, a deal which is worth $3.2 billion and according to Financial Times, the deal is likely to be announced if the negotiations works our well in the next week.

It is reported that Apple would be paying the deal amount for the company, a sum which dwarfs the $404 million that Apple spent to acquire NeXT in the year 1996 and is one of the largest purchase as of date. As per its last earnings call, Apple had around $150 billion in cash on hand with plenty for coverage on large acquisition.

Beats Streaming Service

Besides, its line of bass boasting ear pieces, Beats has been in the competitive market for subscription streaming services with mobile offering, which unlike apple’s iTunes and iTunes Radio, offers ad-free on demand music listening for around $10 per month and if the deal goes through, Apple will be acquiring the subscription business together with Beat’s hardware division accompanied with Beats management team that will be reporting to Apple CEO, Tim Cook, as reported by Financial Times.

Beats at the moment has refrained from commenting on this and CNET though had contacted Apple will get back on hearing from them. Since Apple had long favourable relationship with Beats, their branded headphones lines are featured in both its physical Apple stores as well as the accessory section of its online store where the crux of the deal may turn out to be Beats Music.

Beat’s streaming service may become a central part of Apple’s music strategy after the launch of its online radio service of iTunes Radio last year. Moreover, Beats Music debuted with billing and marketing partnership with AT&T and as per reports has been swiftly growing.

Launch of Beats Music Service

Besides producing a range of popular premium headphones and speakers which Apple has currently been selling in its stores, Beats has also launched its Beats Music service which is a direct competitors to Spotify, Pandora as well as Apple’s own iTunes Radio service and is a subscription based on demand service which would be bolstering Apple’s free station based iTunes Radio service.

Beats Electronics purchase comes as Apple has been rumoured to be working on a complete revamp of iTunes, to boost the declining sales in music. Part of this revamping would include an on demand streaming music service similar to Spotify though the company may intend to purchase Beats instead of designing its own service from the ground level. Subscription for Beats Music is available for $9.99 per month is focused on curation.

Moreover the company had also hired experts in music from popular radio station across the country to create stations and playlist from the service’s twenty million song catalogue and it is yet not clear if Apple would be keeping the Beats Music format intact if it intends acquiring the company though the curation would be fitting well with the iTunes music stores that would be offering music choice which would be picked by Apple editors. Do get back to Macmyth to get some insight on the latest information on Apple Technology.

Apple hired Senior Medical Professionals

Apple, it has been reported has hired a team of senior medical technology professionals who would be working on projects.

The technology pacesetter has hired a medical team of senior medical technology executives who had previously worked in the biotech field and over the past year, Apple has hired about six prominent experts in biomedicine as per LinkedIn profile changes and a prominent research had just moved in a couple of weeks ago with Apple recruiting other medical professionals as well as hardware experts.

It is stated by undisclosed source that the number of hires is not clear. Most of the hires are well versed and have some expertise in medical sensor technology which will enable Apple products to analyse everything right from blood sugar levels to heart rate.

Wearable Device Using Sensors

Health, fitness together with medical care has now drawn the focus of major technology companies. Samsung for instance has built up several health’s related features in its Galaxy S5, together with many wearable technology devices recently have similar elements.

Moreover Samsung also has plans of organising an event later in the month to engage in talks related to health issues. It is believed that Apple would be working on some sort of a wearable device which would be unveiled later this year.

It would be using sensors and other technology to track health though it was not initially believed that Apple’s long wait of iWatch would probably be launched this year, it seemed more likely that Apple would launch a smartband instead in partnership with Nike which would deliver those features.

Headphones to Monitor Heart Rate/Blood Pressure 

Although the company has not declared any formal announcement with regards to a smart watch product, Apple is said to have registered the trademark `iWatch’, in Japan.

Most of Apple patents focus on wrist worn devices and in February, the company had filed a patent for a smart ear bud patent which could track steps as well as detect gestures of the head. Recently, a poster on anonymous secret sharing app Secret, revealed that Apple had plans on releasing a set of headphone which could monitor heart rate as well as blood pressure.

The earpods would be using Apple’s iBeacon technology in order to locate them just in case they would be misplaced and would need the lightening jack to work, as reported through a source. Besides, the phone would store the data in a similar way to thumbprint point data, fully encrypted and nothing identifiable.

Recruiting Engineers with Experience in Monitoring Body’s Perimeter

A mobile health executive informed Reuter that he had recently sat down with Apple executive from the iWatch team and said that the company had aspirations beyond wearable devices and speculating on a full health and fitness service platform which would be modelled on its apps store.

The med tech community is hoping on Apple to develop the apps store style platform in order that start-ups can make their own software and hardware mobile medical applications. According to Ted Driscoll, a Silicon Valley based partner at Claremont Creek Ventures that specializes in digital health and medical devices, states that Apple seems to be focussed on recruiting engineers with experience in monitoring the body’s perimeter.

Apple Invented Touch Sensitive Button to distinguish Accidental or Actual touch

An updated Apple patent published by the U.S Patent and Trademark Office reveals that the touch sensitive button would be capable in distinguishing from an accidental activation and an actual finger touch. Apple being a pioneer in touchscreen devices has come up with this new entry where the concept comes from a patent continuation and discovered by AppleInsider entitled `Configurable Buttons for Electronic Devices,’ A

pple’s invention is related to a touch sensitive depressible button which can generate input based on a depression of the button or based on a gesture performed on a surface of the button. Moreover, the button can generate input based on the depression as well as the touch event.

Physical Button – Associated Touch Sensor

The Touch ID featured first in the iPhone 5s and recently, a hacker group showed that the biometric security function could be tricked with a fake finger. In spite of the risk and according to findings being negligible, this feature will be making its appearance very soon.

This invention by Apple has a physical button with an associated touch sensor, touch sensitive buttons, which could detect instantly when the user is touching it.

In doing so, the button would be capable of knowing when it is being activated by a finger or an accidental touch and with this method; Apple has made it possible in identifying an accidental touch from a real finger press touch on portable device.

Beneficial to Users

These functions would be very beneficial especially with wearable electronics like the company’s latest rumoured iWatch, a portable device which is susceptible to accidental touch as it is being worn by the user. Apple’s patent provides a method by which the system can detect that the touch is unwanted and can ignore the same.

The patent includes illustration for what seems to be an unused design for the wearable clip on iPod shuffle and an example of one is that the buttons on the device are temporarily disabled when the clip on the rear of the device is squeezed enabling the user to place the device on their clothing without the need of activating the buttons in the front.

Avoid Unintentional Operation

The invention takes into account the need to avoid unintentional operation of button which is applicable to all portable electronics which include smartphone, media players, tablets, as well as notebooks. Some examples given by Apple include sleep, menu, power, volume and multipurpose buttons. Since Apple has a touch sensitive button of sorts on the iPhone 5s as the smartphone’s home button which includes the touch ID fingerprint scanner.

With the use of the Touch ID, users can now securely unlock their iPhone once the handset identifies their fingerprint from an actual finger when placed on the button. In continuation of the patent it is also revealed that more basic touch sensing possibilities could also be used on other buttons for future portable devices likely to come up from Apple as indicated by the USPTO recently. And inventors like John Benjamin Filson, Stephen Brian Lynch, Emery Sanford and Pinida Ian Moolsintong have been credited by U.S. Patent No 8,717,199. Do get back to Macmyth and get acquainted with the latest updates on Apple Technology.

SCiO turning Apple iPhone into molecular scanner

To get to know of the nutritional value of a restaurant meal or even slicing into an unripe fruit may soon be a thing of the past with the entry of SCiO, which is a pocket sized spectrometer that enables user to analyse the molecular structure of any substance from plants to food and even the human body giving the results on their iPhone device.

With the aid of Consumer Physic, SCiO’s creator, one can have a Star Trek experience with this device and users can focus the Zippo sized scanner at a fruit and find out its ripeness without the need of even touching or peeling it. Moreover, the SCiO could also be used to analyse a meal to determine its calories as well as its fat content, thus making the tracking of the meal much easier than before.

Providing Nutritional Information

It is a device which provides the nutritional information on the food we consume without the need of entering most of it and is the first portable spectrometer for consumers offering a greater versatility of application. It could help users in checking soil conditions alert gardeners on their plants for sufficient water or ensure their medication is authentic.

Dror Sharon, CEO of Consumer Physics informed CNN that it is the first application for consumers who would be interested in knowing the nutritional value of what they are consuming, adding further that she often came across people who did not know the contents in cheese, fruit or vegetables thus having a hard time in discerning what should be eaten.

This device according to her would be empowering if consumers would want to change their intake, either for medical reasons or training thus providing education in teaching to make better nutritional options.

Endless Applications 

According to Co-founder of Consumer Physics, Damian Goldring in a promotional video for the gadget, he states that the applications are endless. The SCiO can be connected to a smartphone through the Bluetooth Low Energy which works in tandem along with a custom companion application where SCiO directs its raw data to the cloud for analysis with the results available on the user’s handset.

The readings taken by SCiO is done through a method known as infrared spectroscopy wherein the light reflected from an object is analyzed by a sensor called the spectrometer. Due to the different molecules interaction with light in unique way, the spectrometer is capable to determine which molecules would be responsible for the light signature that it envisages.

SCiO, Low in Cost with Advance Algorithms

Though handheld spectrometers operating on this method do exist, they are generally big and bulky items would be costing a large amount of money. Consumer Physics had stated that they use low cost optics with advance algorithms in order to make SCiO smaller with significant low in cost when compared to other NIR spectrometers.

SCiO technology which seems to be similar to anapproachApple is rumoured to be studying for its `iWatch’, Apple though focused on health benefits like non-invasive blood oxygen and glucose monitoring instead of the general purpose spectroscopy.

Apple Making The MacBook Air Cheaper And Efficient

Apple the Cupertino tech giant, the finest laptop and computer making company is all set in making its smallest Mac available to users at reduced price with upgraded processor ina bid to attract new buyers. It has been reported that Apple has dropped its prices on the laptops and will now be selling the cheapest 11.6 inch MacBook Air Model at $899 instead of $999 making the MacBook

Air a lot cheaper and efficient. This means that all Apple fans can now opt for a lighter, cheaper alternative to the MacBook Pro with this price cut with an additional $100 for Retina display if they desire the same.Besides the entry level 13.3 inch Air also saw a $100 slash to $999 from $1,099 and all Apple users in UK now will be getting an even better deal of £100 price cut in the Air line.

The 11.6 inch Air will now start at £749 and the 13.3 inch model will be at £849. These entry models come with 128 GB flash storage and 4 GB of memory and the higher end version comes with a 256 GB solid state drive which also comes with a price cut of $100 in US and £100 in the UK.

The New Air Models Standard and Faster

The new Air models will now come with a standard and faster 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5 processor instead of the 1.3 GHz chip being a minor performance upgrade though the fourth generation Intel Core Haswell process would be more efficient in various ways like power efficiency or cooling with these manufacturing improvements.

Intel’s latest Haswell processor offers a great boost in speed and its main advantage is that it conserves power where the 11 inch and 13 inch MacBook Air notebooks offer around nine to twelve hours of battery life respectively.

Better Battery Life

The main upgrade versions are better battery life with additional iTunes and free iLife together with iWork according to Apple. iTunes movie playback times increases to 12 hours on the 13 inch notebook while the 11 inch will get 9 hours adding to two additional hours of playback time with the updated MacBook Air.

The iLife and iWork comes free with every new Mac.Besides the price cut and the upgrading of the processor, the MacBook Air line remains unchanged though speculations are on that a redesigned Air would be coming up later this year with NPD DisplaySearch and many others hoping that Apple would release a thinner, 12 inch MacBook Air model along with a Retina display, since the Apple’s most portable laptops of 11.6 inch and 13.3 inch are non-Retina resolution displays powered by Intel’s HD 5000 graphics. Most of the users would find the new starting price an attractive offer with both a price drop and a processor boast.

MacBook Air has not seen any major redesigns since 2010 and the new price drop MacBook Air is now available online and in stores for interested users. Macmyth provides the latest updates on Apple technology; do visit the site to get acquainted with the latest updates on technology.

Apple’s minor update for mobile operating system

With regards to Apple technology, it has been reported that Apple has recently released iOS7.1.1, a month and a half later after releasing its first major updates of iOS7.1with minor update for its mobile operating system with a purpose to address a few bugs inclusive of issues that would affect keyboard responsiveness while at the same time be improving theperformance of the iPhone 5s Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

The latest entry follows March’s release of iOS 7.1 which is a significant upgrade that will be addressing a variety of issues which had remained pending since the debut of iOS7. It fixes various crash related issues where users of iPhone and iPad had envisaged at the time of using the multi-tasking view and browsing the web in Safari.

The iOS7.1.1, labelled as build 11D201, comes with additional improvement to the Apple’s Touch ID, fixing a bug which impacts the keyboard responses where fixing a bug would involve Bluetooth keyboards.Some users had experienced gradual worsening of the Touch ID sensor’s ability in recognizing existing fingerprints and hopefully this could help those who envisaged having this problem.

Bug Fix making iOS Keyboard Responsive

Moreover, iOS7.1 brought about much improvement for Siri and Touch ID while setting the stage for the launch of CarPlay in supported vehicles as well as aftermarket install kits, later that year. It had been reported that Apple had previously been preparing updated software to improve this problem.

According to software’s release notes, the bug fix should make the iOS keyboard more responsive as well as fix issues affecting the use of Bluetooth keyboards when Voiceover accessibility features would be enabled. Users could check out the Software Update submenu in `Setting’,application on the iPhone or iPad, or it could be plugged into the computer and iTunes, to update the device.

Documentation with the update states that it contains – improvements, bug fixes as well as security updates. From the security point of view, the update includes a number of fixes for issues which would enable an attacker to obtain website credential, capture date, change operations performed in SSL protected session or also install malware on vulnerable device.

For additional information, users could also check out Apple’s security notes for iOS7.1.1 and 1.2GB storages would be needed for update.

Introduction of Eight Generation Mobile Operating System

As Apple continues improvement for the next major update to iOS, it would be introducing its eight generation mobile operating system at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference to be held in June this year and it is likely that the conference will kick off with a keynote presentation to formally unveil iOS8 as well as other products which the company may have in store.

The next generation OS would help to name the tune due to integration with Shazam as per Bloomberg and is already available to download on the Apple Store and if the deal with Apple come through, iOS users need not download a separate app but will be able to tap into the service’s technology.

Apple has stated that iPhone 5s users will also see more improvements to Touch ID fingerprint recognition after the installation of update, which the company has always seemed to be doing since the launch of the handset earlier this year. You could visit us at Macmyth for more updated technology news.

NikeFuel Ecosystem in Partnership with Apple

With Nike’s focus on digital sport software, it was reported that Nike CEO, Mark Parker has plans for expansion of the NikeFuel ecosystem with partners like Apple. In a recent interview, the CEO had said that his company would not be giving up on its digital sport after the end of FuelBand.

Moreover he stressed the importance of its existing relationship with Apple and was looking forward to future relationship with its partner. It was also reported that Nike had laid off its Fuelband team and had stopped building new fitness tracker hardware which is a strategic way of opening up Nike software to other wearable platforms.

Moreover the source also implied that one of these upcoming iWatch or iBand would be from Apple. With the discontinuation of the Fuelband line as well as laying off most of the team, it seems like a failure for Nike, while Fuelband software also called NikeFuel would get a huge push from Apple customers with their sights set on the iWatch.

Focus on FuelBand software

Parker, it was reported saying that they were focusing more on the software of the Fuelband experience making it a part of wearable going forward which would be integrated into other products that were created and then they would be expanding their partnership in order to create more reach for the Nike Fuel and Fuel system that they had.

According to him the best way to do it was to get involved with good partnerships. He had also informed CNBC regarding Nike’s laying off of its Fuelband hardware team that the company was planning to expand the reach to Nikefuel by getting into partnership with other companies.

It was also reported that the move would be similar to the way most of the consumers were now accessing the Kindle store through a tablet and not a Kindle. With Nike and Fuelband software, it would be similar to Apple’s fitness ecosystem featured on the iWatch.

Strong Push on the Software

When Parker was asked if Nike had plans to exit the wearable hardware market, he stated that they were focusing more on the software part which according to him would be part of wearable that would be going forward.

Though the Nike chief refrained from confirming the Fuelband’s death he commented saying that there would be a strong push on the software of the company’s proprietary Nikefuel activity quantification as well as measurement system.

He had commented saying that they were just looking forward in continuing the relationship between them and personally they were very excited about what laid in store for them. Recent estimates from market research group NPD reported by MobiHealthNews informed that Nike’s fitness tracker accounted for only ten percent of $330 million in fitness tracker sales for the year 2013 and in a price tag of $150, Nike had sold last year around 220,000 Fuelbands.

Nike and Apple had collaborated on Nike + iPod projects, the most recent being Nike + app integration and Apple CEO had participated in Nike’s board for nine years which played a role in the brand’s ability to be on the cutting edge of fitness software which was incorporated in Apple products.

Apple’s Renewable Energy Sources for Data Farm

NBC’s News `Today’, recently, revealed a segment covered by the network’s chief environmental correspondent, Anne Thompson, on Apple’s push for environmental friendliness, an all renewable energy sources for its data farm. The report, a two and a half minute long, showcased the solar energy and fuel cells which were used at the iPhone maker’s Maiden, North Carolina centre and seems to be the main resource for iCloud and Siri among various internet related services.

It highlighted on the special segment known as a new kind of Apple farm with focus on its data centre along with solar array. Apple’s NC data centre is entirely powered by reusable energy which includes the massive solar farm and on site biogas cells.

According to Thompson, she states that `all the cool convenience of smartphones and tablet will now come with a hidden price – power, where downloading apps and information in the cloud would no longer mean polluting the air’.

Apple Reducing Footprint

While walking the huge solar panel farm, Thompson interviewed Lisa Jackson, Apple Vice President of Environmental Initiatives, where the former EPA administrator informed that with clean energy such as the nation’s largest end user owned solar farm, Apple would now be capable of growing a variety of connected devices and simultaneously be reducing its carbon footprint thereby making its contribution on a cleaner environment.

Jackson has also been heard commenting that they should take this opportunity to help people to convert to a cleaner energy without even knowing they are doing it. She has also noted that Apple at times had been generating more solar power than needed enabling the excess power towards supplying energy to the city’s power grid.

Saving on Power Usage and Expenses

This facility creates additional power than needed and returns the excess back to the grid for use by other consumers, though usually by law, energy companies should be paying individuals and companies that return more power than their consumption but the money incurred would not be significant when compared to the initial cost.

In the long run, Apple would be able to save on power usage as well as expenses connected with environmental offsets and generate additional jobs in the maintenance and management of combination of solar arrays and biogas fuel cells

Expanded Global Recycling Program

The interview provided an insight into Apple’s data centre which consists of servers and telecommunication equipment which were responsible for iCloud, Siri as well as other online assets. Moreover a major part of the energy provided by the on-site solar farm and biogas generators was used in cooling the machines.

Thompson has stated that while other tech companies like Facebook, Yahoo and Google used clean energy at their own data centres, it was only Apple who were using hundred percent of renewable energy and who had been announcing it environmental initiatives with the launch of `Better’ campaign on an eco-friendly tear recently.

Apple has been promoting its environmental effort more forcefully as the ambitious project of its Maiden plant are on its way to success. Moreover it has also recently launched an expanded global recycling program putting pressure on suppliers to adhere to earth friendly practises, with their plans in making its retail stores that will be running on renewable power wherever possible.

Siri Voice Control Support For Apple TV

Recent report states that Apple will be working on building its voice activated application Siri into its Apple TV to rival Amazon’s Fire TV.

Apple’s Siri, the virtual personal assistant which is presently available on the company’s mobile products will be making headway to the Apple TV set top box. Pierre Blazquez, the French software developer had found reference to Sirisupport for Apple TV in a section of iOS 7.1 code recently wherein the code refers to the device family `3’ that has been the number for Apple TV since the set top box began running iOS.

 It was reported that for some time Apple’s settop box would get Siri support and with this move many companies including Samsung and LG would be offering voice control for their television software.

Launch in Early June

This upcoming miniature set top box would be unveiled early this June with features like voice commands and games console and will become a serious Apple product in its own right. This hockey puck sized device which plugs at the back of the television set connecting to the internet with dedicated app will enable the streaming of content from other Apple products like Mac, iPads, or iPhones which till now has been considered as just interesting hobby of the company but will now be making a change for the better.

New Set Top Box with Fast Processor

Amazon too had earlier announced its launch for Fire TV set top box inclusive of remote control with a built-in microphone in order to enable users to speak the name of a move, TV show, actor and director, into the remote with Fire TV displaying the list of the results.

It could stream video and audio from services like Netflix and Pandora like the way other gadgets were functioning but unlike several of its rivals, the Fire TV has voice search as well as the capabilities to play video games.

It was also reported that Apple would be releasing a new set top box which would have a faster processor accompanied with an updated interface enabling users to navigate with ease between TV shows, movie together with other online content.

Siri Voice Assistant – Upgraded Version 

According to reports, it was stated that the new code found within Apple’s software indicates that the tech giant would be bringing its Siri voice assistant to an upgraded version of the Apple TV which would seem that Apple would be competing for consumers on high end of the video streaming market with the new Amazon Fire TV.

With regards to Fire TV, user can hold a button on the remote control to search content by taking the name of a movie, artist or a TV show where the device would display results to the user’s audio query. Moreover the Amazon streaming box also enables the user to play video game which can be downloaded from the app store of the company.

With their focus on being competitive with Amazon Fire TV, it is reported that Apple is considering in bringing about many features to its device which would be costing $99 meaning that Apple would be gearing up in improving its gadgets with more feature if it intends to remain competitive against its rival.

Apple Stores Now offer Free Recycling of Old Apple Products

In continuation of its environment conscious announcement, Apple has revealed a new plan in accepting all used products of Apple for free, to cut down on pollution which is being caused by manufacture and use of the devices.

The iPhone and iPad manufacturer is striving to cultivate a greener Apple Inc. in an environmental section of the company’s site which was debuted recently wherein the site highlights the ways in which Cupertino, California Company will be increasing its support on alternative power sources with less electronic junk to landfills.

With regards to this, Apple has already started distributing gift cards with third party companies like PowerOn, in exchange for iPhone and iPods which are in good condition and can be resold, at some of its 420 global stores.

Apple will not be offering gift cards in exchange for old products with little or no reselling value, this free recycling is with a purpose to keep the electronics out of landfills according to reports received by The Associated Press. This initiative on the part of Apple is to make its company’s operation an environment friendly one, which would be beneficial both to mankind and the planet earth.

Most of the devices together with the products sold by Apple do contain toxins that remains in the ground if they are not properly recycled or disposed and Apple is striving hard to lend its support in environmental responsibility towards a cleaner business model in making use of all innovation with the help of expertise, making the planet more secure bringing about some improvements in the environment.

The firm states that besides, iPhone or iPad, any Mac or PC desktop or notebook can qualify for reuse or free recycling, keeping in mind that Apple had in the past seven years sold around one billion iPhone, iPad, iPods and Macs.

According to Greenpeace’s estimate the tech gadgets and online services had accounted for about two percent of the world’s emission in 2012 somewhat similar as the airline industry.

Customers can now avail this opportunity towards new iPhone or iPad irrespective of the devices they may trade with and can also combine iPad and iPhone credits for a limit on one device to apply for the purchase of a new device. With all Apple stores now accepting old devices which may not have any resale value due to their age, customers will not be receiving any money for these devices but the firm will be accepting them to recycle them for free.

 Apple has been offering this program to the customers in order to help them in disposing their old devices in a responsible manner. This endeavour is part of Apple’s Earth Day celebration which began with the company’s `Better environmental campaign’, highlighting Apple’s environmental contributions to its supply chain, data centres as well as in its new Apple Campus 2 project.

Moreover, Apple is also contemplating commemorating Earth Day at its retail stores with the placement of a green leaf on its traditionally white Apple logo together with a green t-shirt to all its retail employees.