Neato adds Apple Watch control to robotic vacuum in new app update

Neato’s Latest App Release – Botvac Connect

According to Neato’s latest app release, the $699 Botvac Connect is the first robot vacuum which has the capabilities of being remotely controlled by an Apple Watch or Android Wear device. The app that runs on Apple Watch enables users to issue start and stop commands to the vacuum and monitor clean-up progress straight on their wrist. Different from the full-fledged iOS app, the small screen Watch version does not permit users to take full manual control on the movement of the robot.

Last year Botvac Connect as Neato’s first vacuum to sport anon-board Wi-Fi for communication with iOS as well as Android smartphones, providing owners remote setup together with one-touch control directly from a committed app.On-board Wi-Fi support means that Botvac Connect has the capability of receiving commands as long as it tends to be connected to a known network. Moreover the devices also has laser navigation, two cleaning modes as well as LCD screen with associated capacitive buttons intended to select various user settings. From the iOS App Store, the new Neato app version is made available at no cost.

Can be controlled with Smartwatch

Neato’s robotic vacuum now can be controlled with a smartwatch due to an app update announced recently. The update which is automatic enables smartwatch users to receive notifications from Neato’s Botvac Connected vacuum, a Wi-Fi connected Roomba competitors which tend to use laser scanning to map and clean spaces, besides the start and stop commands.

As per Neato, the latest update makes the Botvac Connected, the first robot vacuum to provide smartwatch functionality. The Botvac Connected owners can also monitor the progress of its cleaning on their smartwatches and receive a notification when it is finished. For added analysis of the Botvac Connected and how it tends to stack up against the competition, one could check on the last year’s review. With each passing generation, robot vacuums are getting smarter as well as easier and some of the new models tend to join the Wi-Fi network. Neato has been influencing that feature of its Botvac Connected vacuum in order that one can control and monitor the device with the Android Wear smart watch or Apple Watch.

New Feature Delivered Through Automatic Update

The new feature is said to be delivered through automatic update and would enable Botvac Connected owners to control the various process. While Roomba manufacturer iRobot tends to also offer an app, it does not support smartwatches while other competitors such as Samsung, bObsweep, PowerBot and the Miele Scout do not seem to have apps at all.

Nancy Nunziati, Neato marketing chief had commented in a press release that with the smartwatches, individuals tend to do several things from their wrist like checking for a flight, obtain directions, play music, and answer the phone and added that they are happy to be the first to add this new task of cleaning to the list. Botvac Connected is not an inexpensive way of getting into robotic vacuums, priced at $700. Neato expects that the features like the laser floor plan mapping, a larger brush together with higher capacity dirt storage would win over the customers.

Thousands Of Popular Sites' at Risk of Drown Hack Attacks

HTTPS Susceptible to Drown Attacks

Researchers on discovering that a new method tends to disable their encryption protection have cautioned websites that they could be exposed to spies. An expert has stated that a third of all computer servers using the HTTPS protocol tend to be represented often by a padlock in web browsers and were susceptible to the so called Drown attacks.

They have warned that the passwords, credit card numbers, emails as well as sensitive documents can be stolen as a result. The issue would be sought though it would take some time for several of the website administrators to protect their systems. A tool that would identify websites which tends to be susceptible has been released by the researchers. They have said that they had not released the code used to prove their theory since there seems to be several servers still susceptible to the attack.There is no evidence yet, that hackers have worked out how to replicate their technique.

An independent expert had commented that he had no doubt that the problem could be real. Prof Alan Woodward from the University of Surrey has stated that `what is shocking regarding this is that they have found a way to use a very old fault which we have known since 1998 and all this was perfectly avoidable.

Computer Server Prone to Attack Supporting Encryption SSlv2

It is the outcome of having used deliberately weakened encryption that people broke years ago and is now combing back to haunt us. Researchers, cyber-security experts from universities in Israel, Germany and US, together with member of Google’s security team have discovered that a computer server can be prone to attack by just supporting 1990s-era encryption protocol SSLv2 – Secure Sockets Layer version 2, even if it employs a day-to-day more modern encryption standards to scramble communications.

Older email servers, in practice, could be more likely in having this problem than the latest computers naturally used to power websites. However, several of the organisations tend to reuse encryption certificates and keys between the two sets of servers. Researchers have dubbed the flaw Drown, which is an acronym for decrypting the Rivest-Shamir Adleman – RSA process with obsolete together with weakened encryption.

Careless Server Configuration

They wrote that operators of vulnerable servers should take action. There is nothing practical which browsers or end-users can do on their own to protect against this attack. The SSLv2 procedure had been weakened deliberately since at the time of its development, the US government needed to attempt to restrict the availability of tough encryption standards to other countries.Prof Matthew Green from Johns Hopkins University had blogged that the problem is while clients such as web browsers have done away with SSLv2, several servers tend to support the protocol.

 In most of the cases, it is the outcome of careless server configuration. In others, the fault lies with inferior obsolete embedded devices which have not seen an update of software in years and possibly never will. A considerable amount of computational force would be needed to mount a successful attack on a website.

 However, researchers have stated that under normal situations, hackers tend to rent the needed capacity from Amazon’s cloud compute division for a sum of $440. Besides this, since several of the servers seem to be in danger to Drown had also been affected by separate bug, a successful attack could be carried out utilising a home computer.

Video Demo Shows Benefits of Dual-Camera Technology

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apple Researching/Enhancing Camera Technology

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apple Watch Anticipated to be showcased with iPhone 7 in September

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

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

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

March Event – First Event since September 2015

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

New Apple Headphones Release Date and Connectivity Rumours

Apple to Launch Its Line of Beats Brand Lightning Headphone

The announcement of Apple’s Beats acquisition and Lightning module lead to assumption regarding the new headphones. On investigation the clues propose that Apple would launch its own line of Beats brands lightning headphone together with the iPhone 7. The iPhone 7 would be the next generation smartphone of Apple and would possibly be released somewhere in September 2016.

 It was reported last week that Apple may lose the Lightning port and instead would be using a USB-C port. Besides that, the unclear rumour also mentioned that the iPhone 7 would have dual cameras as well as a Touch ID which would be integrated in the display.

 It has also been reported that it would be waterproof having at least 3GB of RAM. However, another rumour indicated that the company probably would get rid of the 3.5mm headphone port in order to make the iPhone 7 much thinner. The 3.5mm headphone port is presently on every iPhone and also the iPod Touch, the iPad, MacBooks, etc. Being the standard audio port which all devices require, one can connect the headphones to go hands-free or even listen to music.

Getting Rid of 3.5mm Headphone Port

According to Macotakara, the Japanese website, Apple would remove the 3.5mm headphone port on the iPhone 7 to reduce it to few millimetres from its thickness. The headphones would have to be connected to the Lightning port or the USB-C port instead. No USB-C headphones are seen yet, but a few Lightning enabled headphones.

 The reasonable solution would be wireless headphones with Bluetooth connectivity. The website is also of the belief that Apple would have a redesigned EarPod which would have Lightning plug with analog to digital converter. Should Apple get rid of the 3.5mm headphone port on the next iPhone it would mean that the user would not be able to use their regular headphones. Several of the users tend to prefer having a different headphone while listening to the music on their iPods or iPhone.

Though many have been presuming that Apple would bundle a pair of wireless EarPods with the iPhone 7, it may not be so. In one of the note of Barclays investor obtained by Business Insider, analysts Blayne Curtis and Christopher Hemmelgarn states that Apple would be shipping the iPhone 7 with Lightning enabled EarPods instead of totally wireless headphone.

Not Purchased the Rights to Cirrus’s Noise Cancelling Technology

Further on, the note also claims that Apple had not purchased the rights to Cirrus’s noise cancelling technology which is essential though the company is said to be considering in going wireless with the iPhone 7s headphones. The Lightning headphone module had first been unveiled at the WWDC session for the developers which had been titles `Designing Accessories for iOS and OS X’.

 Apple’s manager of platform accessories, Robert Walsh had explained during the session that there were many advantages of utilising the Lightning connector instead of the 3.5mm audio jack. It provides richer controls for playback and volume with more bandwidth together with other benefits. Walsh had informed developers that if the headphone supports for instance, the noise cancellation, one can suggest an app on the device which communicates with the headphone that controls its operations.