Tag Archives: apple gadgets

iPhone 5se: How Apple Almost Released A Pink iPhone

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We are all awaiting for Apple’s next tank, the much touted iPhone 7, although after hearing some rumors, we might have to wait until after 2016.  Meanwhile, a new iPhonee model, the iPhone 5se is on its way, and it was said to bring a very peculiar shade of color, or so we were led to believe. Read all about it, here!

 

The last few days have been particularly rich when it comes to Apple rumors and leaks on the new iPhone 5se, a smaller alternative to the recent iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, with a smaller size of only 4 inches. Yet, the most interesting of all those rumors was one that talked about a major change to the color gamma Apple have gotten the users used to.

It would seem the iPhone 5se will feature some major differences with previous Apple devices, not only when it comes to the hardware and software side of things but also when it comes to aesthetics. According to Japanese website Mac Otakara, Apple were planning a variant in their regular color palette that they used for the iPhone 5s, and it seemed the new member of the family was going to dress in full, bright pink. This is a very different pink from the Rose Gold variant we saw on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and its closer to the color featured on the sixth generation iPod Touch or seventh generation iPod Nano.

 

Everything looked promising, and the rumor did manage to get some hype, but unfortunately, Mark Gurman took the stage to crush everyone’s hope: the actual color of the iPhone 5se will feature classis Rose Gold, same as the iPhone 6s. It would have been great to see such a throwback to the classic iPod Touch aesthetics, but it seems this time around we will have to settle for the colors we already like and love.

As of now, we know the iPhone 5se will be a smaller alternative, but featuring all of the horse power of its older siblings in the phone family. Whatever the case may be, we will have to wait until the 15th of March to learn more about this new device.

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Apple might launch the new Apple TV in September

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Apple could be getting ready to release the new version of their Apple TV in september this year, along with their own TV streaming service. Read all the details and leaks in this story!

The current Apple TV models were released in 2012, and are running on an A5 chip, the same one originally used and developed for the iPhone 4S. This time around, the new Apple TV would be running on a more recent chip, such as the A8 used on the iPhone 6. The plan seems to be to make a smaller gadget, with even more storage option – which really shouldn’t surprise anyone.

There were two big questions that the web has been asking about a new iteration of the Apple TV. The current interface seen in Apple’s TV box has been criticized for lacking polish, and the company knows this needs to be addressed. Might it be that they will use Siri and its voice commands to not underperform when compared to Google and Amazon’s Nexus Player and Fire TV, respectively?

Recent patent requests hint that Apple might be working on a tactile interface for the Apple TV. It’s not clear whether or not it’s going to use iPhones, or even have its own, 100% dedicated remote with a touch screen. When it comes to content, Apple TV’s version of streaming a la Netflix doesn’t seem to be quite ready, and might need some extra time. In the meanwhile, the Apple TV’s release was nowhere to be seen at the WWDC, and was delayed, so don’t expect a streaming service to launch along with this gadget, but instead, expect to have access to third party apps such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now and several others. The idea, it seems, is to get people to buy this app and release their own streaming network several months later.

In retrospective, Apple originally announced the Apple Watch during the iPhone event last year, and a few leaks in production channels hint Apple might already be working on an iPhone 6S. It wouldn’t be too crazy if this phone’s announcement was released along with this Apple TV we’re discussing here.

We’re also expecting they’ll release a developer’s kit soon, along with a dedicated store bringing Apple TV to the same level as Android TV. Even if Apple do not release their own streaming network, developers might begin to work on it before it becomes the new gadget that everyone hopes to get.

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The Apple Watch sports a hidden oximeter

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The Apple watch has a hidden feature in its repertoire, sporting a hidden oximeter that the Cupertino team decided to keep disabled so far.

The iFixit team found a very interesting feature in the Apple Watch after disassembling it: a small pulse meter that could also double as oximeter, as to calculate the ammount of oxygen in the users’ blood.

The iFixit team are infamous around the web for opening up pretty much any gadget they come across and show its insides for the entire Internet to see. The Apple Watch is no exception, so here’s what they did to it. And, amongst all the stuff they found, the most interesting is this oximeter, used to measure the oxigen in blood. Along with the pulse meter, these two features would be pretty useful as to monitor the users’ health and fitness.

According to the iFixit team, Apple didn’t bring this detail up when promoting the model because of the FDA’s normatives (the Food and Drugs Administration of the USA) – otherwise, it would make no sense to put something so expensive inside a gadget and then not use it nor even announce it.

Another motive could be that the FDA’s authorization is still pending, and that all it’s required is a software update to activate it. Regardless, now that this detail has come to light, it’s expected that the Cupertino team will come forward and explain why this oximeter is there, and why is it not being used.

The disassembling at iFixit also brought attention to the high complexity of the gadget, which is why they recommend only experts to open it and tinker with it. The biggest difficulty came when they had to remove the base board of the watch, as all the components were soldered. While each one of those can be replaced on their own, breaking this board pretty much renders the whole watch useless. Now you know: don’t mess with it.

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5 Gadgets Apple Should Make Next

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As Apple gears up to release the Apple Watch, we look at some of the other gadgets that the electronics maker could release onto the market.

Worth over $600 billion dollars, Apple is the most valuable company in the world. Best known for its iPhones, iPods, iPads and Mac computers, Apple makes most of its money from the same, familiar product lines. For a bit of perspective, the upcoming Apple Watch (due out in early 2015) is the first new product line that Apple has come up with since the very first iPad was released all the way back in 2010.

Five years is a very long time to to work on a product (even if you are debuting it in three different versions) and it’s led us to ask ‘what gadgets could Apple make if they put their minds to it?’ With that much money and that much technical talent at their disposal the possibilities are virtually endless so read on to see what gadgets we think Apple should make next.

1. iShoe

For a company that makes gadgets that encourage us to sit on our behinds and waste the day away, Apple is surprisingly devoted to fitness. Take iOS 8 for example which included Healthbook, an app that would collect all of the health and fitness related data from third-party apps and send them to your doctor so that you can figure out when everything is going fine or when you should go in for a check up.

It’s for that reason that the iShoe would be a great addition to Apple’s existing range of products. The company is already partnered up with Nike to allow their Nike trainers to to sync data about your run to your phone but that requires you to get a separate sensor and put it in the sole of the shoe. What if Apple had their own futuristic line that synced the data automatically and recommended run techniques or apps to download and could even be paired with fun apps to make you run, sweat and work out a bit harder?

2. iPoo

While it may seem like a joke, an Apple toilet would actually be a fantastic idea. Just like the iShoe, we envision it as the ultimate gadget for the health focused.

We all use toilets every single day of our lives (apart from babies in nappies, obviously) and each day our toilet bowl learns more about us than a routine check up could tell our doctors. In that gleaming white porcelain we reveal what we’ve eaten, how much we’ve eaten, if we’re healthy and if we’re not. If there was a toilet that could analyse this data and tell us exactly what’s going on within our bodies (and offer more in-depth info than your basic health app or running shoe) it would be incredibly valuable.

And if it seems unlikely, consider that there’s already a smart toilet…for cats.

3. iGame

When the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus were announced back in September, one of the biggest features that Apple was shouting about (other than the size of the screen or the improved battery life) was Metal. No not metal like the bendy aluminium that the iPhone 6 Plus is made of (har har) but Metal as in the technology used to make the iPhone a better device for gaming.

Apple clearly has the chops to make devices for gaming then, so why not make a games console? There are so many great and fun games already available on iOS such as Angry Birds, Cut The Rope and Kim Kardashian: Hollywood (we really mean it about that last one) and with these games being available so cheaply, it would be an affordable alternative to the PS4 or the Xbox One and players would have access to more games too.

And not only this but Apple could continuously release the game box in different designs and each one could come packaged with the latest iOS and on top of that Apple could make users who already own the iGame console pay to get the next update. It means that Apple still makes its money and we still get access to great games without having to pay hundreds of dollars each year.

4. iCar

An iCar is another possible Apple gadget that just makes ‘sense’. According to Apple over 90% of new cars sold in the United States have iPod/iPhone connectivity, making it easier than ever before to plug your USB cable into your device and blast your favourite music through the speakers of the vehicle. But what if Apple went one step further? What if they made cars of their own that not just let you play music from your mobile devices but let you control the cars too?

Google is already working on driverless cars and has plans to get them to market by 2020 and as Apple has more resources (they are worth twice as much as Google) they could potentially do the same. On your iPhone you could fire up maps and type in a destination and the car would automatically take you there, informing you of gas stations, sights that you might want to see and other important locations (e.g restaurants or stores) along the way.

5. iEye

Admittedly this one is mostly featured in order for us to make a terrible ‘iEye captain!’ joke but on the serious side of things, Apple could really work on hi-tech eyes and eyewear.

In July last year Google signed a deal with pharmaceutical company Novartis to develop a smart contact lens that would help those with diabetes monitor their glucose levels. While that’s certainly a useful product, what Apple’s contact lenses could go one further offering more health data (which it could cross-reference with the iPoo and the iShoe, of course) as well as extra insights on our world.

It doesn’t necessarily have to offer a Google Glass (Google’s hi-0tech glasses wearable) like heads-up display but it could come up with pop ups of interesting information or even tag a location/bit of info and save it to our iPhones for us. That would truly be an innovative gadget.

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iPad Air 2 Images Leak Ahead of Apple’s October Event

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After missing Apple’s earlier press conference in September, the company has now set a date for their next iPad reveal – October 16th.

September was an incredibly big month for Apple. When they weren’t laughing and dancing in the streets over the staggeringly high amount of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sales (the two phones sold 10 million units between them in 3 days) the company was hampered with dipping share prices as customers were introduced to iPhone 6 Plus Bendgate.

Bendgate has certainly been the talk of the town these past few weeks with plenty of memes being made about Apple’s ‘bendy’ phones but bubbling under the surface, many have also been speculating about the next iPad. It’s been a year since we saw a new version of Apple’s tablet but with leaked images and a date pencilled in for later this week, we now have a slightly better idea of what to expect.

Leaked from Vietnam, the leaked images you see above are said to be of the next iPad. Specifically, the latest Apple tablet will be called the iPad Air 2 and will be the successor of last year’s iPad Air, which brought with it an incredibly slim body that was so thin that the device could be hidden behind a pencil. The ‘iPad’ in the images is actually a dummy uses to make cases and it suggests that they’ll be similar in design to the first iPad Air. All that appears to be different is that the iPad Air 2 will have ion-strengthened glass just like the iPhone 6 and that Home button clearly sports a ring around it. Does that mean that the iPad will feature TouchID for the very first time? Probably, and the timing makes sense too as Apple Pay is scheduled to be launched later this year.

What is a concern about the iPad Air 2 (provided that these images are legitimate) is that while the design is the same as the first iPad Air, the iPad Air 2 is slightly thinner. It’s only thinner by 0.5mm but if that’s a big enough change for Apple to design then it’s a big enough one to make a difference. As seen with the iPhone 6 Plus, thinner does not always equal better and the large, thin body also led to that bending that we’ve all recoiled in horror at.

Whether or not Apple has fixed these problems with the iPad Air 2 is unclear (keep in mind that the company is still denying that there’s even a widespread problem on the iPhone 6 Plus) but we’ll know more following Apple’s iPad press conference later this week.

Source: GSM Arena, Tinhte

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5 Need to Know Announcements from Apple’s Big Reveal

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Yesterday, Apple showed off lots of new, shiny, electronic wares but with so many announcements you may have missed some! Here are all the need to know facts.

Ah, Apple, like the predictability of that burning globe of fire and gas that we call the Sun, we can depend upon the well-known tech company to have a whole host of new reveals for us each and every year. We already had one back in June when they took to the stage of WWDC to show off iOS 8 to the developers preparing to make apps and such for us but Tuesday’s press conference is where they wheeled the big guns out. No operating systems and coding info here, oh no, just some impressive stats, some impressive features and a (slightly mixed) bag of new gadgets to play with. There’s been lots of talk about what Apple did or didn’t say and with the conference running for almost two hours straight, you probably didn’t watch it live now did you? Not to worry as we have a list of all the things that you need to know right here.

1. iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus

First of all, there were the iPhones. They are what so many people gathered in that massive auditorium to see Apple talk about and by Jove did Apple deliver. Somewhat unexpectedly, Apple revealed two new iPhones – the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus.

The iPhone 6 Plus is the flagship as it will be an inch and a half bigger than the iPhone 5S, will be 50% more energy efficient and it will even be 25% more powerful than its predecessor. In addition to those impressive stats the phone also comes with an 8 megapixel camera that lets more light into photos, has a ‘Best Photo’ mode and optical image stabilisation too which means that your photos will look as lovely as ever.

The iPhone 6, meanwhile, is the cheaper, smaller version. 4.7 inches in size, the phone does almost everything the iPhone 6 Plus does except it doesn’t have the optical image stabilisation feature. It’s still a worthy handset though and the price difference will certainly make it a worthy contender.

Both phones go on sale on September 19th.

2. Apple Pay

One of the extra bonus features that Apple surprised us with is Apple Pay. Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus come with NFC (Near Field Communication) capabilities and what this means is that you can now pay for things wirelessly. Walked into a shop without your wallet? Well that’s alright as if you’ve connected your card and any other relevant payment details to Apple Pay, you can now purchase goods in real life with the press of a button.

Apple are saying that their phones will ultimately replace physical money altogether, which is a pretty bold claim even for them. However, many of their Android competitors have already allowed for this so they could be onto something.

3. Apple Watch

Shockingly, the Apple smartwatch that we all knew was coming isn’t called the iWatch! Arguably, Apple Watch is a poorer name in comparison but poorer still is what the smartwatch offers.

Apple talked up the Digital Crown of the Apple Watch that lets us navigate, zoom in, zoom out and use Siri but this appears to be the device’s only killer feature. There are games coming to the platform too but is a gimmicky arm wrestling app really worth the money? Furthermore, the Apple Watch is said to suffer from some serious battery issues that people will have to iron out before the 2015 launch, so this is something to think about when forking over the $350 asking price.

4. iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C; Even Cheaper Than Before

Despite the Apple Watch’s rather disappointing pricing though, where Apple have gotten it right on the cost front is with last year’s iPhone 5S and 5C.

US retailer Walmart recently made headlines by offering the iPhone 5C for under a dollar and now Apple is going one better as consumers can now get the iPhone 5C for free. The iPhone 5C will set you back by $99, not unlike Walmart’s pricing, but if you really want to to get the phone and don’t think you’ll be able to afford the many hundreds of dollars of the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, this is an absolute bargain. As always, you’ll be subject to a two year contract, so keep that in mind too.

5. iOS 8 Release Date

We’ve heard tales of its buggy beta all year but now that the kinks have been rolled out like the smoothest of pastry, iOS 8 is ready to be downloaded by the masses.

As explained before, iOS 8 will have a health and fitness focus (in line with the Apple Watch) signalled by its Health app. Health will combine all of the data from your sleep tracking, diet tracking and workout tracking apps, sticking it in one handy, readily available space for you to peruse and check up on your body. Gym goers are certainly catered too then while everybody else will make use of iOS 8’s new practical features such as Siri’s new fluency in 22 languages and the fact that the Home screen will now become landscape depending on how you hold the phone.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories, Apple Reveal Why They Reject So Many Apps, Apple Watch Gets Unveiled, Is Surprisingly Unsurprising

5 Revolutionary Projects We’d Like Apple to Work On Next

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After Apple’s annual WWDC 2014 event left some people feeling disappointed we look at which exciting new projects we’d like the electronics company to work on.

You don’t get to Apple’s level of meteoric success by doing things willy nilly. There are probably more spreadsheets than you can shake a Microsoft Excel backlog at and more charts than the Billboard website spread across Apple executives’ offices and for good reason too: the things they work on are calculated and frankly, Apple’s strategy of simply releasing what they’ve already released except slightly better has yet to fail for them. But it’s not exciting for you is it? It’s not particularly enthralling for me either. We can’t really show off iOS 8 to our friends and no one but the nuttiest of fitness nuts are impressed by HealthKit and the other health-focused software offerings that the operating system brings. Instead what we do like are new projects and devices that really wow and captivate us so here is our top five list of what we’d like to see from Apple next.

1. A Real Budget iPhone

The iPhone 5C anyone? No, me either. It’s not worth the hundreds of dollars to shell out for the iPhone 5C when the full price iPhone 5S is a much flashier, trendier and frankly more worthy option. It seemed as though Apple initially released the iPhone 5C to compete with Android and the plethora of cheaper, really budget handsets that Google’s open source operating system has offered, but to say that their plan has monumentally backfired would be an understatement.

Plenty of people have called the iPhone 5C ‘a disaster’ pointing towards it poor sales (Apple were even quick to omit the iPhone 5C’s sales from recent keynotes) which is why I think that Apple’s next move – before they even think about their next big budget, flagship iPhone – should be to release an actual budget iPhone. Most people who want iPhones don’t really want them for the very best specs and a simple offering with half decent graphics and access to all of the latest apps would go down a treat. And for a low price? It would go down like treats at a savoury buffet; that is to say, people would eat it up.

2. iPhone 6 With NFC

NFC or near field communication; it doesn’t sound very attractive does it? Ok, I’ll give you that but think about its uses, its real, actual, practical uses. NFC capabilities have made themselves into quite a few Android handsets already (the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a good example of this) and so the next iPhone 6 would probably need to keep up in terms of its technological offerings.

For us consumers though, an iPhone 6 with NFC would make our lives just that much easier. Got no pockets in your trousers? Just carry your phone into the store and swipe that instead! Or maybe carrying a whole chunk of change isn’t something that you’d like to do to do your grocery shopping and really, that’s ok too. But NFC makes that so much easier as you’re able to pay for things using just your phone and its NFC capabilities, without a card, coin or cash bill in sight and I think that’s pretty revolutionary indeed.

3. The iWatch

It’s talked about so much that it’s hard to ignore. So unavoidable is the talk of an Apple iWatch that it’s a surprise that it hasn’t been announced already, especially when Samsung and LG have already worked quite a bit on their own smartwatch offerings. No one is suggesting that Apple and Samsung and LG turn this into a playground style affair (though if you don’t think the electronics game is like that already then you probably haven’t been paying attention) and that Apple just reveals the iWatch to show off, but in reality, an Apple branded smartwatch could actually be very good.

For one, that aforementioned iOS 8 release suggests that Apple are very much looking to go in the health device direction, which is something that the iWatch could do. Want to check your calories on the go? Or maybe use a hi-tech pedometer? The iWatch could offer both of those things and create some real market competition, which is important for good gadgets.

4. iCamera

Do you know how many times I saw the iPhone camera advert on TV last week? 752 times. An over exaggeration? (Probably not, I watch a lot of TV, sue me). But really, iPhones are in many ways known for their cameras. From the snap and delete it photos of Snapchat to the many filters of Instagram, iPhones’ photography uses are incredibly high profile.

So popular are they that there are plenty of Instagram accounts that pride themselves on uploading high quality photos that have been taken with iPhones. It makes perfect sense then for Apple to release a specific iPhone with boosted camera capabilities under the iPhone umbrella, akin to the Samsung Galaxy Zoom line which has photo snapping and connectivity features by the bucketload.

5. Multiplayer Gaming

The typical way to play a multiplayer mobile game is the following: I record a score, you attempt to beat it and the game crowns a winner. Or, I record a score, you attempt to beat it and we both laugh (in person) at how God awful my mobile gaming skills are. That’s a complete 180 degree spin away from the gaming days of old though and it’s something that I think Apple should address.

Instead what I’d like Apple to do is to use some sort of username (perhaps even their Apple IDs) to allow four or more people to play a game simultaneously. No waiting or loading times, just four or so people connected via the Internet and playing the game in the same arena. For example, a racing game in which you all race in real time on the same track, You could have Mario Kart style antics as you stick your opponent with a banana skin and three out of our of you will laugh at it or you can lament your own poor gaming skills as you get hit with a wayward green shell. Perhaps this last one isn’t particularly revolutionary but Apple absolutely needs to do something new for Apple in order to get ahead (despite their popularity they are actually second to Android in terms of market share) and most importantly for us consumers, we need something to tell us that our support of Apple’s gadgets isn’t misplaced like we’ve put the wrong piece of fruit in the fruit bowl.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories, New iOS 8 Features Announced by Apple, Apple’s WWDC 2014: What You Need To Know

Apple Patent Reveals GPS Computer Pen

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After a string of Apple product reveals, it seems that the company is not done yet with a patent revealing a pen with both cellular and GPS capabilities.

For those who do their work completely out of some form of office space, several things will likely be ‘mandatory’ ; a computer of ...
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