Apple’s plan to replace Gorilla Glass with sapphire glass in iPhone 6 didn’t go so well as their partnership with GT Advanced resulted in dissolution due to production issues.

Apple and Corning’s Gorilla Glass share a long history. When Steve Jobs was working on the original iPhone he didn’t want to use a plastic screen, instead wanted it to be made of glass. Since glass screen would have been too easy to break someone recommended that Jobs should see what Corning was doing. At that time Corning was developing the Gorilla Glass technology however, it wasn’t ready for mass production. Jobs ordered a ton of Gorilla Glass and kept telling Corning CEO Wendell Weeks, “Don’t be afraid. You can do this.” In 2007 Apple introduced the iPhone with Gorilla Glass.

Corning’s Gorilla Glass has seen tremendous improvements since it began its first mass production in 2006. Gorilla Glass 2 was 30% thinner than the former, Gorilla Glass 3 used an entirely new composition. Gorilla Glass 4 which is expected to be featured on smartphones, tablets and other devices this year is twice as shatter-resistant in drop tests when compared to previous version.

It’s obvious that Apple makes for a large part of Corning’s revenue and they would’ve seen Apple’s move to consider sapphire for iPhone 6 as a possible threat. The company seems to have taken that as a challenge and started work on offering the same scratch-resistance as sapphire with ‘Project Phire’.

Competition in most cases can lead to innovation and if ‘Project Phire’ turns out to offer what Corning is promising then it is possible that Apple will continue to use Corning’s technology in upcoming iOS devices. Coring didn’t immediately provide any demo video or live demonstration of its new technology however, we can expect the company to share an update soon.

Glass used on smartphones and tablets is increasingly becoming another core technology. Apple has consistently shown interest in owning core technologies as it did try to “own” glass technology by partnering with GT Advanced for sapphire production.

It will be interesting to see if Apple continues to rely on Corning for its screen technology or develop something new.

Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Video

We recently covered a story where we explained why Apple isn’t afraid of cannibalising its own products and the all-new Photos app is just another example of that. However, this time they have killed two of their powerful applications in favour of simplicity and making Mac apps work better with iOS devices. Earlier today, for the first time Apple made the new Photos app available for download to developers as a part of first beta of OS X 10.10.3.

According to David Pogue, “Photos is fast, slick, and very easy to learn and navigate”. Photos for Mac looks very similar to Photos for iOS. The new app will feature layout just like on an iPhone and iPad. With iCloud for Photos users will be able to store their entire photo library to the cloud and have them available across all Apple devices. Editing features like adjusting light, colour and more work just like on iOS and for the first time your edits will also be synced across iOS devices.

Every year we see Apple reducing the boundaries between OS X and iOS by re-writing existing apps and by enabling new capabilities. With Yosemite Apple introduced Continuity and Handoff that allows the user to switch between devices as if they are same but, just different in form factor.

Photos for OS X Yosemite is expected to be made available for download “this spring”.

According to the latest rumours based on schematics posted by GeekBar, Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6 could feature NFC and include 1GB RAM. Rumours about Apple including NFC aren’t new there have been many reports even before the introduction of iPhone 5 suggesting that Apple was looking to include Near Field Communications technology. However, Apple introduced AirDrop and PassBook but left out NFC.

This year once again we are hearing about the possibility of NFC in iOS devices. The leaked schematics appears to be design for a NAND flash component according to 9to5Mac.

Todd DeRego, a SoC memory engineer, says that the schematic does not have enough signals for it to be a DRAM interface. He also points out that the AP_TO_NAND text refers to an application processor to NAND link, indicating this memory is actually used as a way of storing the booting firmware and not the main memory of the iPhone. Although the RAM claim is almost certainly untrue, the NFC claim cannot be so easily dismissed.

iPhone 5S just like iPhone 5 features 1GB RAM. Apple hasn’t felt the need to follow in the footsteps of its competitors who market the amount of RAM their smartphone has. Instead Apple has always focused on user experience, even with a dual core 64-bit chip it beats a quad-core Samsung Galaxy S4 in benchmarks.

iPhone 6 release date is expected to be announced at a special media event on September 9th. The new iPhone is widely rumoured to be available in two screen sizes and feature sapphire glass in the high end model.

Having access to important documents on your iOS devices has proved to be one of the key factors that has lead to the growing adoption of iPhone and iPad in business. Apple understands the importance of having powerful business tools and as a result they’ve been aggressively marketing iWork suite of apps for iOS.

If you often use MS Office for creating documents, presentations or spreadsheets then iWork for iOS might not be the best solution. Even though you can import and export MS Office docs using iWork you will often run into compatibility or formatting issues.

Polaris Office previously $19.99 and now $0.99 (for limited time) offers more than 230 editing functions and features  Microsoft Office document compatibility that will put your worries about editing documents on iOS devices at rest. The developers of Polaris Office are working on a new version 5.0 update that will enhance compatibility features and add more cloud services.

The app allows you to create documents in .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx and .txt format. The user interface is simple and easy to follow. Selecting an element and then tapping the inspector button will expand options in the keyboard area where all options are arranged in vertical tabs.

One of the unique features of the app is the ability to take photos within the app and then apply border, light and other effects. To help you with the creation process Polaris Office even features 15 templates, 18 2D/3D charts and 80 figures.

For those who can’t live without creating spreadsheets for budgets, shopping lists, or sales records, Polaris Office features over 300 functions. The list of features in this app is huge it almost feels like the entire MS Office was squeezed to a 4inch display (when on iPhone). If these features were not enough, you can even directly open zip files and in slideshow mode you can use pointers or even scribble on the slides.

The blogosphere has been reporting on rumours about Microsoft developing MS Office apps for iPhone and iPad, but you can buy Polaris Office for just $0.99 and your wait just got over.

Polaris Office has cloud based storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, cloud built in so you will never lose access to your files whether you created them online or edited on your iOS device.

Overall the app is robust in terms of the features it provides. The app has been downloaded over 400 million times and for a limited period the app is available at 95% off sale. If you’ve always been looking for an app that offers MS Office compatibility and editing features then get this app before the price goes up.

This years special iPad event ‘finally’ put all rumours and speculations at rest as Apple announced second gen iPad mini with Retina Display.

Apple entered into a new product category with a smaller version of the full size tablet. The purpose of iPad mini was to make the device even more portable. It was aimed at those of us who want to hold the device for long hours to read books, browse the web and want something that fits in a small bag without adding any extra weight. In 2012 when all iOS devices were already supporting high resolution display Apple announced iPad mini with the same resolution as iPad 2 with 1024×768 pixels.

Since its introduction many started speculating that the next gen 7.9 inch tablet will certainly feature retina display. However, some reports and bloggers expressed concerns about battery and weight of the device. John Gruber of Daring Fireball also remained sceptical about iPad mini going retina in 2013 and said, “we demand magic — a retina iPad Mini with no decrease in battery life, but no increase in thickness, weight, or price. And they need to produce at least 20 million of them by Christmas. Something has to give.”

Apple has made iPad mini with retina display a reality this year with the same 10 hour long battery performance. The display features 2048×1536 resolution  which is the same as iPad Air at 326 pixels per inch. With the new retina screen the hardware saw an increase of 0.01 inches in thickness and 23 grams (0.06 pounds) in weight. The fact that the device continues to provide battery for a full days worth of use even with retina certainly makes it worth the negligible thickness and weight.

iPad mini with retina display also features the 64-bit A7 chip and M7 coprocessor introduced in the iPhone 5s. This boost the performance of the new tablet upto 4 times in CPU and upto 8 times in GPU performance.

The 5MP rear camera and 1.2MP FaceTime HD camera remain the same even in the new model. Apple has added support for even more LTE bands in this new device and also delivers twice the Wi-Fi performance than before.

If reading and browsing the web are the primary tasks that you use the iPad mini for, then upgrading to the latest model is certainly worth considering. High resolution screen makes the text crisp without any fuzziness and each pixel in the photos deliver fantastic detail.

Apple will continue to sell the original iPad mini with 16GB storage at $299 for the WiFi and $429 for WiFi + Cellular. iPad mini with retina display will be available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. The WiFi models start at $399 while cellular version starts at $529 and each model gets $100 expensive for more storage.

Will you be buying the new iPad mini this holiday season? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Apple has updated its website to include iOS 7 tips and tricks for iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 4s. The new ‘tips and tricks’ page can be found in the footer under ‘More iPhone’ heading.

The tips and tricks section covers a wide range of apps and gestures included in iOS 7. While most features highlighted have been widely reported or showcased in the marketing videos there are a few notable tips and tricks on Apple’s website.

To view timestamp of each message in the Messages app you can now drag individual message bubble to reveal the timestamp. Maps has a new quick route icon over a location’s dropped pin to quickly view directions. Siri can now be taught you pronounce a particular name by saying “that’s not how you pronounce that”.

iTunes Radio stations can be set to play hits, variety or even discovery mode. This feature allows the selection of music for a specific station to play songs that you might not have heard before but would still enjoy it.

In Mail app now you can tap and hold the compose mail button to view drafts and then select a draft to start working on an email message. Safari now has new “links” button which displays all the links being shared on Twitter.

The purpose behind Apple publishing the tips and tricks for iPhone could be due to the drastic changes in iOS 7. Since the introduction of the original OS for the iPhone, iOS 7 brings new gestures and a number of changes to the way we interact with our iOS devices.

Have you found any other trick in iOS 7 that hasn’t been reported before? Let us know in the comments section below.

Apple Inc. has been steadily building its customer base. In 2007 it entered the smartphone business that introduced the company to many more users than its Mac and iPod business. The company has released hit products year after year breaking all its previous sales records.

The brand loyalty and recognition that Apple enjoys is second to none and now Interbrand has revealed that Apple topped Coca-Cola to become world’s most valuable brand. The soft drink giant enjoyed the number one position for thirteen long years and this year Cupertino, Calif. based company that revolutionised the computer, phone, music and tablet industry has taken over.

The brand ‘Apple’ is synonymous to top quality and customer satisfaction. This is one of the major reasons why loyal Apple fans continue to wait for days outside retail stores ahead of a major product launch.

Apple has been continually setting new standards for itself and the industry in general. With the recent iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c launch the company broke all records by selling more than 9 million devices. iOS 7 was a successful launch as more than 200 million iOS devices were upgraded to the latest operating system within the launch week.

Every so often, a company changes our lives, not just with its products, but also with its ethos. This is why, following Coca-Cola’s 13-year run at the top of Best Global Brands, Interbrand has a new #1—Apple. Few brands have enabled so many people to do so much so easily, which is why Apple has legions of adoring fans, as evidenced by the record-breaking launch of the iPhone 5c/5s.

This announcement is just another testament of the impact of the Apple brand. The company is on track to announce another product update before the holiday season. New iPad and iPad mini are expected to be announced later this month.

Apple’s iPhone 5S media event was kicked off by Apple CEO Tim Cook in a familiar style by sharing updates. One of the most notable figures shared by Cook was that iOS devices are on track to cross 700 million mark by the end of September.

Apple CEO also shared updates about the company’s retail strategy to bring its focus back to the US after expanding worldwide. During the keynote Cook highlighted the new retail store in Stanford, California.

Additionally, Tim Cook also shared updates about the iTunes Music Festival in London. 20 million customers have entered for tickets which will be free of cost. The festival is also be streamed online to over 100 countries.

Apple’s stock has been witnessing a rocky path as last year around this time the stock price peaked at over $700 when the iPhone 5 was announced. The stock price has shown some upward trend in the recent past.

The company is working hard to increase the market share of its iOS devices. This year the company will announce two models of the iPhone. All-new iPhone 5C for the mid-priced market and new flagship iPhone 5S that will replace the iPhone 5.

Apple is already half way through its keynote event. Stay tuned for more live coverage as the event unfolds.

Apple is rumored to announce the new iPhone 5S during a special keynote event on September 10. A number of leaks and reports in the recent past provide enough evidence to conclude that the next-gen iPhone will carry the same design as the previous iPhone.

According to a new report published by KGI’s Mingchi Kuo iPhone 5S will feature a new A7 chip. The new chip as the report suggests will be ARMv8 based application processor. This could give boost to the speed and performance to the new device which will run iOS 7 out of the box. In addition to a new processor the new hardware could use an upgraded memory from LPDDR2 to LPDDR3. Even though the RAM will likely remain the same at 1GB it will be speedier.

 Since Apple is in charge of both hardware  and OS design, it is capable of minimalizing memory capacity at an optimized state. Therefore, A7’s RAM will likely be unchanged at 1GB.

In line with recent reports published by various publications Kuo notes that the new iPhone 5S will support a sapphire home button with a fingerprint sensor. When Apple acquired Authentec it was speculated that Apple could use fingerprint sensor technology in future iOS devices. A fingerprint sensor below the home button could provide secure authentication to access the device and even eliminate the need to remember passwords as users could just tap the home button with their finger to log in or unlock the device.

Kuo’s report further suggests that the camera will largely remain unchanged in the new iPhone 5S. While the camera would be same 8 megapixel however, it could feature a larger F2.0 aperture and dual flash lights.

Another interesting prediction in the report is concerning a new color option in addition to black and white. Apple could introduce a gold color casing for the new iPhone 5S. We could also see new storage option for 128GB.

There have been mixed reports about the new gold casing and the new storage option. Apple does offer 128GB iPad so it is possible that the company could be looking at offering a high storage model to satisfy the need of pro users.

Based on these predictions does the new iPhone 5S excite you? Will you be upgrading your phone to iPhone 5S this year? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

{via 9to5Mac}

According to a new report iOS 7 will feature AirDrop wireless sharing between iOS devices and OS X. AirDrop for iPhone and iPad could make file sharing between devices much easier.

AirDrop has been a part of OS X Lion and was introduced to share files between Macs without the need for a WiFi network.  9to5Mac reports that AirDrop for iOS 7 could be integrated into the iOS share menu and allow sharing of files between iOS devices or even a Mac.

The feature will make it easier than ever to transfer, for example, a photograph or document from one person’s iPhone to another person’s iPad.

There are a few third party apps available in the App Store that allow sharing of photos, contacts, videos between iOS devices and Macs however there is no native solution to make sharing between devices easier.

When Apple introduced iCloud, it did try to resolve the issue of syncing photos across the devices you own however, sharing of individual files between friends’ or other devices is not easy. Android has a host of sharing features and with iOS 7 Apple could be looking at introducing some new ways to share files on iOS.

iOS 7 will be unveiled during WWDC 2013 keynote presentation. The next major iOS software release is expected to receive a major redesign under the leadership of Jony Ive.

According to a report from Reuters, Walmart is expanding its ‘Scan & Go’ Self-checkout system to over 200 of its retail stores. The system, which is similar to Apple’s own EasyPay system is modeled around iOS devices and allows customers of Walmart stores to pay for their shopping items at a checkout station while exiting the store.

For now, “Scan & Go” only works on Apple Inc devices. An Android version should be out soon, Walmart said.

With more than half of its shoppers using smartphones, Walmart is trying to make shopping more convenient for shoppers who embrace mobile technology. More than half of the customers who have tried the “Scan & Go” feature have used it more than once, [Walmart senior vice president Gibu] Thomas said.

The system is currently in a testing phase in only 70 of Walmart’s retail locations, but will be in over 200 stores. Walmart already has the system running in stores in a number of areas, including Georgia, Arkansas, Vancouver, Washington and California. With this expansion, Walmart plans to move west to the following areas:

Walmart is bringing “Scan & Go” into a dozen more markets: Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; Omaha, Nebraska; Dallas and Austin, Texas; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Wyoming; Bozeman, Montana; Seattle, Washington; San Jose, California; and Portland, Oregon.

This likely means that the new self-checkout system has proved to be efficient and user-friendly in the company’s pilot testing locations. Walmart is one of the world’s largest corporations that operates discount department stores and warehouse stores, and with widespread adoption of Apple’s iOS devices, this new system could prove to be successful in a number of Walmart’s stores. As a result, Walmart could save money on employees, especially during off-peak hours of shopping when stores are mostly empty. The ‘Scan & Go’ feature is available through Walmart’s free iOS app {Direct Link}, much like Apple’s EasyPay app.

{Via MacRumors}

Facebook recently unveiled a new version of its News Feed, with an emphasis on larger photos, reduced clutter and a synchronized experience across devices. This means that the design of the news feed would appear the same whether the user was browsing through it on an smartphone, tablet, or a desktop. Apple’s iOS devices will receive the update first, which Facebook noted would be released in the “coming weeks”.

Normally, with major updates to Facebook’s timeline and news feed, the company slowly rolls out features by region. Android users will be getting the new News Feed soon after iOS users. The new news feed will now be separated into four different categories, listed below, and helps to streamline and organize the current mess of links, images, music, and status updates.

All Friends — a feed that shows everything friends are sharing
Photos — a feed with nothing but photos from friends and liked pages
Music — a feed with posts about the music a user listens to
Following — a feed with the latest news from the pages a user likes and the people they follow

Although many Facebook features are normally protested during their release, this appears to be a feature that is intended for a user experience rather than for Facebook’s ad purposes. Facebook is offering users the chance to sign up for a pre-release look at the updated News Feed. The sign up for the waiting list is available at facebook.com/about/newsfeed.

{Via AppleInsider}

With Asia a major source of revenue for Apple, and its products becoming hugely popular in countries such as Japan and China it is not surprising that the company is releasing more of its online services in the region.

On Tuesday, Apple updated the iBooks application with improved Asian language support on the books available in the iBooks store, and finally opened up Japan to the iBookstore. Now, users in Japan will be able to download books through the online store directly to their iOS devices.

What’s New in Version 3.1

The iBookstore in Japan now has hundreds of thousands of books available for purchase, including fiction, manga, light novels and more. This version of iBooks also includes a number of improvements for reading Asian language books.

Apple did not limit the book titles available to Japanese users, allowing them to download books from all over the world, including a large selection of Japanese titles. Types of books include fiction, manga, light novels, and many others. iBooks 3.1 is a sizeable 43.1 megabyte update and is now available through the App Store on both iOS and through iTunes [Direct Link].

{Via AppleInsider}

With the web abuzz with rumors that Apple is working on a curved glass smartwatch being called the iWatch, it is no surprise that major news sources such as Bloomberg are also supporting claims and pegging the release for as early as this year.

On Monday, a new report from The Verge was published with new details about Apple’s next major product line. The report mentioned that Apple’s smart watch will be running the full iOS, as seen on the iPhone and iPad touch and not a simplified iOS-like skin as on the iPod nano.

Interestingly, we’re also told that Apple’s chosen to rework the full iOS to run on the watch instead of building up the iPod nano’s proprietary touch operating system — although the previous nano was already watch-sized and seemed like a great starting point for a watch, Apple’s betting on iOS across product lines.

It is no surprise that Apple would want any major product line to run a full fledged version of its iOS software, however, it is also reasonable that the software would have to be cut down some and even changed to accommodate the smaller and possibly curved display. The report goes on to note that Apple’s desire to include the full iOS is causing battery life issues. Apple’s iOS devices currently last less than 48 hours with regular usage, however, a watch would need to last much longer with a range of about a week or less.

[T]he goal is to last at least 4-5 days between charges, but the current watch prototypes are apparently only going for a couple days max. We’re also told Apple has some work to do with iOS on the iPhone, which currently has several hooks for supporting a watch-like device but lacks the appropriate interface or settings to make it work properly.

These issues will likely be minor as Apple is known to make drastic decisions at the end of a product’s production, as seen with Steve Job’s choice for a glass screen on the original iPhone instead of plastic and even the naming of the iMac. Apple has also been rumored to be working on a television set, although that has been delayed by negotiations with content providers. At this point, it is unclear when these products will see the light of day, however, it is almost certain that these products are in Jony Ive’s lab.

{via MacRumors}

Apple released the second beta of iOS 6.1.3 to developers late last week to address a passcode lock bug that plagued many user’s iOS devices. Now, the issue is once again surfacing after a second lock screen bypass bug was discovered in iOS 6.1. The bug gives access to basic information such as contacts and photos, however, gives more information when connected to a computer.

It is likely that Apple will address the newly discovered bug, as well as the old one with the same 6.1.3 update, which is still in beta phase. Security news site, Threatpost, posted on the second lock screen bypass bug and even posted a video of the bug in action and how to manipulate the iPhone into unlocking and revealing personal information.

Similar to the iPhone’s passcode vulnerability, the exploit involves manipulating the phone’s screenshot function, its emergency call function and its power button. Users can make an emergency call (911 for example) on the phone and then cancel it while toggling the power on and off to get temporary access to the phone. A video posted by the group shows a user flipping through the phone’s voicemail list and contacts list while holding down the power button. From there an attacker could get the phone’s screen to turn black before it can be connected to a computer via a USB cord. The device’s photos, contacts and more “will be available directly from the device hard drive without the pin to access,” according to the advisory.

The second lockscreen vulnerability was originally posted on the Full Disclosure mailing list. Apple’s iOS 6 has been plagued with issues since its release last September, including problems with the company’s new Google-less Maps application and Siri. Issues with iOS has led to the ousting of Scott Forstall from Apple, and has put the company’s mobile OS under the criticism of many.

{Via MacRumors}

Last December, Apple launched the iTunes Store for music and movies in 56 new countries, including India and has now officially launched the Apple TV. According to BGR, Apple is now selling the Apple TV in India for Rs 8,295 including taxes, which comes out to about $153 USD. During the holiday season, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted that the company sold 2 million Apple TV devices during the holiday quarter, which is a 60% growth from over year ago.

With the Apple TV now being sold in India and other regions that were withheld from the initial release, Apple is looking at an increase in revenue from both music and movies. India’s Bollywood is the second largest film industry in the world after the United State’s own Hollywood and with Indian movies being included on the Apple TV, it presents Apple with major opportunities for revenue growth.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has noted in the past that a television is an “intense area of interest”, with recent reports that the company is already working on a television set, which will likely include all of the features of the Apple TV set top box, as well as other features such as AirPlay connectivity with iOS devices and the Mac.

{Via MacRumors}

Apple has been widely rumored to be working on subscription based music streaming service for iOS devices. When Apple purchased LaLa, many believed that the company would introduce a streaming service. However, the purchase turned out to be to acquire talent to develop iTunes Match service.

Evad3rs released their ‘evasi0n’ unthethered jailbreak for iPhone5 on Tuesday and now 9to5Mac points us to hidden radio icons in iOS 6.1 release. Jailbreaking the iPad with evasi0n and then going through the files in Music.app revealed references to “radio button” with icons bearing resemblance to radio streaming icon in iTunes. Further, it was found that the button files are labeled with “buy” in the filename.

Many news publications like Bloomberg and WSJ previously reported on rumors about Apple working on Pandora competitor and cited music label licensing deals as being one of the hurdles being faced by the company. If those rumors are to be believed and with the hidden radio icons being revealed in iOS 6.1 is any indication then we could be seeing Apple announcing a new music subscription service soon.

Apple could be looking at allowing users to stream music tailored to their taste using the genius data and then integrating it with the iTunes store to allow purchase of favourite tracks. iTunes music store was recently made available in 56 new countries and the Cupertino, Calif. based company could now be looking at launching a music streaming service.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) released a fifth beta of iOS 6.1 over the weekend, followed by the public release on Monday. However, before the final release could even be posted, reports began to suggest that code inside of the beta pointed to signs that AAPL may be looking to release an iOS device with up to 128GB of storage.

The day following the rumors, Apple officially confirmed the availability of a 128GB iPad, which will go on sale on February 5th. Until Tuesday, all of Apple’s iOS devices went up to a capacity of 64GB, including the iPhone 5 which would mean that the storage capacity would double on the iPad.

With more than 120 million iPads sold, it’s clear that customers around the world love their iPads, and everyday they are finding more great reasons to work, learn and play on their iPads rather than their old PCs,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With twice the storage capacity and an unparalleled selection of over 300,000 native iPad apps, enterprises, educators and artists have even more reasons to use iPad for all their business and personal needs.

As expected, the price for the 128GB iPad will cost more, with a extra $100 on top of current the top-end configuration, meaning that the Wi-Fi models will come in at $799 and the Wi-Fi + Cellular models will be up to $929 dollars. This price is very high for the avaerage consumer, but the 128GB iPad is targeted for users who use a lot of storage for photos, videos, and large apps such as photography applications.

Rumors that Apple was looking to release a 128GB iOS device spread quickly, after the code in an iOS 6.1 beta pointed to such a release. Soon after, the device began showing up in retail databases and is now confirmed by Apple. With every passing year, the cost of flash storage becomes cheaper so 128GB would even be possible on the iPhone in the next few years, if not sooner.

{Via MacRumors}

According to iLounge’s Jeremy Horowitz, Apple is looking to make some changes to its upcoming lineup of iOS devices, including an updated rear camera on the rumored next gen ‘iPhone 5S’ as well as a new iPad mini release. The iPad mini refresh is expected to release this October, just in time for the 2013 holiday season and around the same timeframe as the full-sized iPad refresh.

The iPhone 5S is still months away from mass production, but our source suspects that the star feature will be an upgraded rear camera—perhaps featuring Sony’s 13-Megapixel sensor, plus the aforementioned flash upgrade—along with a processor bump. Current prototypes are codenamed N51 and N53, with July mentioned as the target date.

Horowitz notes that “trusted sources” have provided information about the refreshes and have even supplied product code names. Code names are used during testing and development, prior to any naming of the device such as the iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S.

The sources note that the product code name for the refreshed iPad mini is J72 while the iPhone 5S is J85. Apple’s iPad mini is expected to retain the same form factor, and gain a Retina Display and perhaps a better camera system. In order for Apple to add a Retina Display to the iPad mini without sacrificing the thin design, the company will likely switch to the use of a IGZO display as rumored in the past.

This would allow the Cupertino company to retain the thin form factor of the current model and add in the Retina Display at the same time. This may also be a reasonable move for the iPhone as well, particularly for future generations which will be expected to be thinner. Despite iLounge’s claims that the iPad lineup will see refreshes in October which are in line with other credible sources.

{Via MacRumors}

Apple is looking to improve Siri, its digital voice assistant for iOS devices. The Cupertino, California company posted a job listing on social networking site, LinkedIn and is specifically looking for writers that can help to improve the personality of Siri.

We’re looking for a uniquely creative individual to help us evolve and enrich Siri, our virtual personal assistant. Siri’s known for ‘her’ wit, cultural knowledge, and zeal to explain things in engaging, funny, and practical ways. The ideal candidate is someone who combines a love for language, wordplay, and conversation with demonstrated experience in bringing creative content to life within an intense technical environment.

Siri is currently included in Apple’s newest iPad, iPhone lineup, as well the fifth generation iPod touch. Siri, despite initially launching to popularity has become a secondary feature for some users, who would rather do searches and scheduling themselves instead of relying on the digital assistant.

Apple is looking to improve the usability of the service, which has been somewhat of a failure and has partially contributed to the ousting of iOS chief Scott Forstall from the company. Apple appears to be molding Siri in order for it to become as similar to a human conversation as possible. During the introductory keynote, Forstall noted that Siri truly understands what a user is saying and responds as such. With this position fulfilled, Siri will continue to gain far more responses to prompts than it currently has.

{Via iMore}

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas always brings to light the newest and most advanced technology related to the mobile devices industry. Often during this event, many company’s unveil iPhone cases and other technology for Apple’s iOS devices. During the first official day of CES 2013, Hyundai, a leading South Korean car manufacturer, announced that it will now support Apple’s “Siri Eyes Free” feature in some its newer cars. The company has synchronized Siri’s commands with its infotainment systems inside of the car.

As a result, users can seamlessly make calls directly through their phones, listen to texts, and play music without having to go through a layer of software from Hyundai. The system does, however, require an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 6.

The Siri Eyes Free feature was introduced alongside iOS 6 and is slowly becoming standard with car manufacturers, with Hyundai being the tenth auto maker to adopt the new feature. Other companies include, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler, Honda, and GM. GM only supports two models, the Chevy Sonic and Spark.

With Siri Eyes Free, drivers now have Siri as a universal technology on their mobile devices, computers, and now their cars as well. Hyundai has also added other technology to help make the experience with voice navigation and Siri much better for drivers:

Dragon Drive: Developed by Nuance, this automotive-grade voice services platform enables drivers to speak naturally and conversationally with in-car systems for tasks such as dictating messages, searching for music, finding real-time weather and asking for directions.

Mobile High-Definition Link: Delivers 1080p60 uncompressed video with up to eight channels of digital audio from a mobile device to a dashboard display, all while charging the device.

Next-Generation Hardware: Hyundai’s new vehicles will feature the latest hardware with high-resolution multi-touch displays, Bluetooth 3.0, and Wi-Fi/3G connectivity options.

{Via AppleInsider}

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency seized a massive shipment of counterfeit Lightning connectors and USB cables and adapters in Anchorage, Alaska several days ago. This was one of the larger counterfeit shipments that the CBP discovered, and identified its origin as a manufacturer in China. According to Frank Falcon, a CBP spokesperson, the knock off Lightning connectors looked very similar to the genuine Apple connectors, with fake Apple logos and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) trademark icons.

However, Falcon noted that it was obvious that the connectors were fake because they were packaged in plastic “blister” packs, as opposed to Apple’s white cardboard packaging. Falcon also mentioned that because the products are from a manufacturer in another country, ti would be hard to do much about the shipments. However, he did note that it would bring about more scrutiny and make them aware if any future shipments were to come through.

In total, the counterfeit Lightning connectors were priced at about $635,000, however, they would have likely been sold at much lower prices. It is unclear if all of the Lightning connectors and adapters were functional. Apple has had an issue with counterfeit products in the past, including fake iPods, iPhones, and iPads and in several cases, fake Apple Stores.

{Via iMore}

Apple’s new product lineup, including the iPhone 5, iPad mini, and fourth generation iPad is finally coming to China, after the Cupertino company had trouble with specific certifications that the country requires. Earlier in the week, the iPhone 5 received certification in China, and was eligible to go on sale.

On Friday, Apple announced that they would be bringing the iPhone 5 to China, alongside the iPad mini and the fourth generation iPad. All of the iOS devices would go on sale over the next several weeks, with all three available in retail stores by the end of the month.

Apple today announced the Wi-Fi versions of iPad mini and fourth generation iPad with Retina display will be available in China on Friday, December 7, and iPhone 5 will be available on Friday, December 14. iPad mini and the new fourth generation iPad with Retina display are currently available in 42 countries, and iPhone 5 is available in 47 countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK.

China generally requires more certification than other countries and as a result, most products such as Google’s services, and Apple’s devices are introduced later. The iPhone 4S arrived two months after release in the United States, and the third generation iPad arrived four months after initial release.

However, it is crucial that Apple still bring their products to China, as it accounts for 15% of the company’s revenue. Apple CEO Tim Cook has mentioned multiple times that China is a big opportunity for Apple, with the company opening more retail stores to increase its presence in the country.

{Via MacRumors}

Apple continues to acquire more trademarks to build its empire of clever names for its products. The most recent, the name for Apple’s ‘Lightning’ connector was reportedly acquired from American motorcycle manufacturer, Harley-Davidson. Patent site Patently Apple initially noted that a filing with the European Union showed the ‘Lightning’ name belonging to H-D Michigan, Inc., the holding company for the Harley-Davidson motorcycle company.

According to AppleInsider, Harley-Davidson owned the rights to the ‘Lightning’ name for a number of products, including: television sets, games, computer game programs, eyeglasses, and eyeglass frames, as well as motorcycle electrical parts, protective helmets and turn signals. Apple was also reportedly given a ‘partial transfer’ of the trademark, meaning that HarleyDavidson still reserves the right to use the name with motorcycle related products. Harley-Davidson has possession of the trademark until 2013, meaning that Apple will continue to acquire the naming rights until the trademark expires.

Apple’s Lightning connector replaces the popular 30 pin connector on older iOS devices, which were widely available in third party chains, and were essentially found in every household. As sales of the iPhone 5, iPod Nano, iPod Touch, and iPad (all of which have the new connector), the charger will be readily available in more places and from more retailers.

Facebook is beginning to introduce a new feature in the Facebook application for iOS devices that automatically uploads all photos taken on the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to a private photo album on Facebook. After this, the user can then access all of their iOS images directly on Facebook and can choose which ones to share directly through their web browser as opposed to uploading individual images.

Facebook posted a page on their website, detailing the features of Photo Sync and how it works. Facebook uses background uploads directly through the Facebook application, entirely sidestepping Apple’s iOS 6 integration and special API’s. All users get a complimentary 2GB of storage to upload photos online.

This new feature allows users to manage their photos entirely online, with images being stored privately until the users chooses to share. The feature is not automatically enabled as that may cause controversy among iOS users, but gives users the option to enable it if they choose to utilize the Photo Sync service.

{Via MacRumors}