The Beggars Group, one of the largest independent group labels in Europe has published their thoughts on its official blog. The group says that have not come to an agreement with the new service. The group is concerned about artists losing remuneration during the three-month period and doesn’t see any reason for artists to be impacted by “Apple’s customer acquisition costs”.

According to a report published by The Telegraph, chairman of industry lobby group UK Music, Andy Heath told the publication that no independent British label has agreed to allow Apple Music to stream their music during the free trial.

The labels fear loss of revenue from competing services like Spotify as users try out Apple’s new service. Even though Apple will be paying higher revenue share than the industry standard it hasn’t worked out as a compelling factor for record labels who work on tight margins to offer free music during the trial.

It’s not just record labels and independent artists who’ve shared mixed reactions to Apple Music. Taylor Swift’s album 1989 will not be available for streaming on Apple Music just like Spotify. However, Taylor Swift’s other albums released in the past will be available for streaming.

Apple is still negotiating terms with record labels and independent artists. The new service aims to allow users to discover new music, get curated playlists created by humans and connect with their favourite artists.

Apple helped save the music industry from the issue of music piracy by introducing iTunes. Now, the company is on a mission to catch-on the next big trend in the music industry – streaming.

It will be interesting to see if Apple is able to crack deals with these record labels and artists before the official launch of Apple Music on June 30.

In our review we said:

… The user interface of Affinity Designer for Mac is everything you’d expect from a modern app. While there is instant familiarity with the workspace from Illustrator, the user interface is more beginner friendly and is very intuitive. The software takes a more visual and gesture based approach rather than features being hidden deep inside menus.

Apple has published their own review of the app on its Awards page and the company echoes our views:

… This is an excellent example of what a state-of-the-art Mac app should be …

Affinity Designer is optimized for Retina Display and OS X Yosemite, and has a flexible and intuitive user interface that’s highly contextual, offering you the tools you need when you need them … Affinity Designer is localized in German, Spanish, French, and English, and is a modern, well-designed, highly capable, and extremely responsive design tool that’s a perfect match for today’s latest generation Mac hardware.

The developers of the app, Serif (Europe) Ltd., are extremely elated with this recognition but they didn’t forget to thank their fans for its success.

This is the stuff of dreams, and we want to thank Apple and all our fans that have made this a reality for us.

Affinity Designer is making great progress with regular updates that improve existing functionality and offer new features. The latest update supports Force Touch trackpad on the MacBook and MacBook Pro. With the new technology users can use pressure sensitivity to paint on the canvas.

We are very happy for Affinity Designer and look forward to future updates and wish them great success.

Congratulations!

Affinity Designer for Mac is now available for a 20% discount to celebrate the award.

According to a new report, published by Korea IT News, Apple has requested for silver nanowire material from its display suppliers like Samsung Display and LG Display among others. The new material being investigated for use in the larger iPad is expected to enable Apple to make a thinner display for its upcoming iPad and increase touch sensitivity.

As the name suggests, the material is created from a mesh of silver wires which dramatically increases conductivity and eliminates the need for additional sensors to make multi-touch technology work.

iPad Pro isn’t expected to be announced this year. The report suggests that the company is aiming for 2016 release date. The device is also expected to include NFC chip to bring Apple Pay support to the tablet.

Apple’s next gen products always tend to be thinner than previous. If we compare the original iPad with the iPad Air 2 it will be clear that for the tablet category weight and thickness are very important aspects. We can certainly expect Apple to adopt new display technology even if it saves the slightest bit of weight or thickness.

It is will be interesting to see if the iPad Pro actually ships with a stylus as the company has never officially appreciated the development surrounding the stylus accessory. The most recent exception to this public acknowledgement of the stylus adding value to the iPad is the latest ad campaign which shows an app from the App Store being used with a stylus.

Are you excited about iPad Pro? Do you think it will ship with a stylus? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Using force touch Apple Watch can provide the user with new user interactions and offers an unobtrusive way to access menu within an app or even change watch faces. According to AppleInsider’s report which cites people familiar with the matter, Apple could be looking at including the same ‘force touch’ technology in the upcoming ‘iPhone 6s’.

While describing the technology Apple refers to force touch as the “most significant new sensing capability since Multi‑Touch”. Apple introduced multi-touch technology first on the iPhone, then on the iPad and it was also extended to its trackpad. The company is known to offer unified user interface across all its devices so it is possible that after Apple Watch iPhone 6s could be the next device featuring the new technology.

It is interesting to note that the report mentions that Apple was working on including the technology even on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus however, due to technical reasons it was scheduled for inclusion in the next iPhone. It is possible that with phone screens getting bigger, sensing force could be a great way to add contextual menu’s in the middle of the screen to avoid stretching your thumb all the way to the top.

Apple is holding ‘spring forward’ special media event on March 9 where the company is widely expected to announce Apple Watch apps, availability and pricing. As the watch becomes available sometime in April we will have to wait and see how ‘force touch’ can change the way we interact with touch based interfaces.

When rumours about Apple’s upcoming watch started hitting the web, it was revealed that the company had hired many notable people involved in improving or miniaturising medical sensors for wearable products. Apple Watch had long been rumoured to feature advanced sensors to measure blood pressure, activity level, heart beat and more.

During the product demo Apple showcased the capabilities of its watch and highlighted its use in health and fitness. The company talked about the devices’ ability to track activity, heart rate, remind you to stand up and even share your heart beat with your loved ones. Now, a new report published by WSJ reveals that Apple had initially  planned more health related features however, due to technical reasons the plans were dropped.

Apple began developing the watch about four years ago, with a focus on health and fitness. It’s not unusual for Apple to experiment with many technologies or shift focus during product development, but the watch was especially challenging, people familiar with the matter said. Internally, the project became known as a “black hole” sucking in resources, one of these people said.

The report suggests that Apple Watch was to feature sensors to measure conductivity of skin to detect stress levels and track blood pressure. However, the plans were dropped due to inconsistency in results and it varied depending on how hairy the persons’ arms were, how dry the skin was or how tight the watch was worn.

Apple Watch has been in development since over four years and its possible that company saw 2015 as the perfect opportunity to launch the product with limited set of health features and then follow-up with more elaborate set of features in the second-gen model.

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

The live streaming of the launch event will be available on Apple’s website and Apple TV. The live stream didn’t go so well during the iPhone event however, we hope that this time the company is well prepared to handle it.

Media invites were sent out by Apple last week which carried a tag line “It’s been way too long.” While it obviously doesn’t give much hint as to what the company will be unveiling, but it’s quite evident that the iPad lineup will be refreshed for the holiday season. Some are speculating that “been way too long” could be referring to iMacs finally getting Retina Display technology. Apple’s entire product lineup features the high resolution displays except the desktop computer.

We can expect an update on OS X Yosemite release date and it could be made available later this week. We can’t rule out that Apple TV could also be refreshed today. It’s been quite a long while since it has seen any major update.

iPad Air 2 could finally get TouchID making it easier for users to access secure information with the touch of their finger. NFC could also be included to facilitate ApplePay functionality.

A new processor, A8X will bring improved CPU and GPU performance and RAM could be bumped to 2 GB. It is unclear if the new processor will offer improved battery performance on the new iPad Air 2.

It may be hard to believe, but a lot of users do use tablets to take pictures and videos. The new iPad Air 2 is rumoured to feature 8-megapixel camera. We could also see Retina HD displays as iOS 8.1 code did reveal 3x graphics.

iPad mini 3 just like iPad 2 Air is rumoured to feature A8X processor, TouchID, and improved cameras.

What are your expectations from the event? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

After a few images of a bent iPhone 6 plus surfaced online the media took immediate notice and widely reported the “bendgate”. A video posted by Unbox Therapy demonstrated how putting a lot of pressure can bend the iPhone 6 plus went viral. As the mainstream media and even television shows took notice, it became obvious that Apple would soon have to issue a public response to iPhone 6 plus bending when someone tried to, you guessed it, bend the phone.

We reported on Apple’s response and the company even invited the press to iPhone testing facility to show how the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus go through a series of test to simulate real world usage.

Smartphone insurance company Square Trade’s verdict was simply that the latest phones from Apple are “more durable than any before them.”

Most publications which reviewed the device after testing it wrote highly about the new phones and praised Apple for creating the best iPhone yet.

If this wasn’t enough, Consumer Reports unhappy with the “unscientific” nature of the viral video went ahead and performed their own scientific tests to examine how much force does it take to break the new phones. The tests revealed that it takes 70 pounds to bend the iPhone 6 and 90 pounds to bend the iPhone 6 plus. The publication concluded “any of these phones should stand up to typical use.”

After reading multiple stories and watching many videos, here are my views and also an open letter to tech journalists.

Dear Journalists,

One thing is clear: Things break! That’s it. Things break!

If one puts enough pressure or handles things in a way it is not meant to then it would most certainly break.

I sincerely appreciate all the drop tests and bend tests that are published online. These videos show us the extent of damage that can be caused to our devices in case it suffers an extreme situation. While the iPhone 6 plus did survive the drop test here and here, it seems that it doesn’t pass the bend test.

I’ve wondered why this happens. Each iPhone bending video I watch shows the person trying very hard, gasping, pursing their lips, fingers shivering and skin blanching to the extreme while performing the bendgate. They are giving it whatever they have to prove that iPhone 6 plus bends when you put extreme pressure on it.

If the same people who performed this test actually took time and came back to report that the iPhone 6 plus bends under normal use over a period of maybe 15 or 30 days it would have proved to be a more believable story.

Only 9 out of the 10 million reported any bending issue, according to Apple. So, people who actually use their phone like a phone most certainly are not complaining about this issue.

One argument that has become common is that Samsung phones are large too, but it does not bend as much as iPhone. I agree. But, does Apple have to opt for plastic body so that we can be happy that it does not bend much when we intentionally want to bend it? I think Apple is probably not catering to such audience.

I actually wonder why Apple was never struck with “entanglegate” since the headphones entangle when you put it in your pockets. Shocking! Right?

iPhone 6 has an aluminium body and a glass front, the company does not claim either of the materials to be non-destructible. So, stop trying to prove the obvious by intentionally bending the phone. Instead try using the phone in real life and then come back and report if it didn’t meet your expectations. Apple is not responsible for people intentionally trying to deform the device, however if the bending occurs as a result of normal use then the device should be covered under Apple warranty and that story is worth highlighting.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus according to Apple is the biggest update to the iPhone since the original. Both phones feature larger display with Retina HD technology, new processors, NFC chip, better camera sensors and barometer.

The new phones will go on sale for walk-in customers on September 19 and will be available at Apple retail stores, network partners and authorised resellers.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said, “iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are better in every way, and we are thrilled customers love them as much as we do.” He further added, “Pre-orders for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus set a new record for Apple, and we can’t wait to get our best iPhones yet into the hands of customers starting this Friday.”

In addition to the United States, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus will also be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK this Friday.

To put the pre-order figures of iPhone 6 in perspective, iPhone 5 pre-orders topped two million in first 24 hours in 2012 and the first weekend sales crossed five million devices. Apple did not release pre-order figures for iPhone 5S, however it did reveal that the first weekend sales figures topped 9 million devices and included China too.

This year iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus just like iPhone 5 will arrive a bit late in China due to delayed regulatory approvals. So, iPhone 6 pre-orders at 4 million in just 24 hours is certainly a very impressive record for Apple.

With its bigger screen phones, Apple Pay and the upcoming Apple Watch, the company is all set to break previous records and gain a lot of lost ground from Samsung. On September 26 the new phones from Apple will go on sale in 20 additional countries including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

What are your predictions about the first weekend sales for the new iPhones? Will Apple cross the 10 million mark this year? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Just a few hours ago Apple wrapped up its special media event. As expected the company announced two new iPhones, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus. The new phones will launch in India on September 26 October 17 according to Apple India website.

iPhone 6 features a 4.7 inch retina HD 1334-by-750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi while iPhone 6 plus features 5.5 inch retina HD 1920-by-1080-pixel resolution at 401 ppi. Both phones run on Apple’s second generation 64-bit chip called A8 and include new M8 co-processor for motion tracking. The new A8 and M8 chips are smaller and more power efficient. The new phones will see a performance boost of up-to 50% and up-to 84% faster GPU performance.

Apple has also include a barometer to measure flight based activities like climbing stairs to be included as a physical activity in the health tracking apps.

The camera is still 8 megapixels with 1.5µ pixels, however Apple claims that the new camera sensors and the technology has been enhanced to take much better photos. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus include autofocus with focus pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture, improved face detection, panorama (up to 43 megapixels) and more. iPhone 6 plus exclusively gains optical image stabilisation technology to avoid the shaky videos and photos with motion blur.

Both phones now also include NFC for Apple Pay service. Unlike other payment services Apple Pay does not store sensitive information rather it allots a unique id and generates dynamic security code while using TouchID authentication for payment transactions.

The new iPhones will be available in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB variations. This year Apple has chosen to discontinue the 32GB variant. The pricing of iPhone 6 in the U.S. is $199, $299, $399 for 16GB, 64GB and 128GB respectively. While iPhone 6 plus is priced priced $100 more for each storage tier.

This will the first time that Apple’s iPhone will be available in India in less than a month since its announcement.

Apple also announced the all-new Apple Watch which is expected to launch in 2015. Apple Watch will be available in three variants. The Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch Edition. The pricing will begin at $349 for the low-end model.

The campers often have an ‘agenda’ which is either to gain fame, promote their products or earn some money in exchange of the first spot in the line. Apple has been known to be extremely supportive of its customers lining outside the retail stores by offering food and coffee for free. Other companies are also eager to join the bandwagon by sponsoring the campers with their products of course.

Rob Shoesmith camped outside Apple’s retail store for 10 days in anticipation of iPhone 4S which got him a lot of media attention and sponsors. This year Jason and Moon Ray got the first spot after paying $2500 to Brian Ceballo and Joseph Cruz of BuyBackWorld. Jason and Moon Ray are promoting a health app called VideoMedicine which can used to videoconference with doctors.

This year Apple is widely expected to announce 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch screen iPhones. The next iPhone is rumoured to feature sapphire crystal display, improved camera sensor, new biometric sensors, improved battery performance and NFC chip. Analysts report suggest that Apple will finally enter the mobile payment segment with NFC enabled iPhone by partnering with American Express, Visa and MasterCard.

iPhone 6 / iPhone Air is also expected to be available in 128GB capacity in addition to 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models. The pricing of these models is unknown however, it is estimated that 5.5 inch model will cost $100 more that the current price points.

Apart from iPhone announcement the company is also rumoured to enter wearable product category. Apple CEO Tim Cook has commented on wearable technology in the past and has noted that the wrist continues to be an area of interest. In the recent past the company has made notable hires from Nike which further fuel the rumours about an iWatch.

All rumours will be put to rest on September 09, 2014 when Apple kicks starts its special iPhone keynote event. Are you excited about the new iPhone 6? Do you think Apple will unveil an iWatch during the event? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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.

The holiday season has been dominated by Apple in the recent past and 2013 Christmas wasn’t any different. Apple’s gold iPhone 5s turned out to be the most popular smartphone during Christmas.

According to data published by uSwitch.com for December 2013 iPhone 5s won over Samsung Galaxy S4 for the third consecutive month. The data analysed was based on live searches, pre-orders and sales.

Samsung’s Galaxy S3 also saw some gains in popularity as it rose five places to become the third most popular phone in the UK during the holidays. Apple’s iPhone has been consistently popular with customers as it has topped the charts since March 2013 with iPhone 5 being the most popular phone for seven consecutive months which was later dethroned with the release of iPhone 5s.

In 2013 for the first time Apple released two new iPhone designs in the same year. iPhone 5c the colourful plastic version of iPhone 5c came in fifth in the popular smartphones list for December. Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at uSwitch.com said:

The iPhone 5S deserved to be the Christmas number one. As well as giving gleeful members of the cult of Apple hours of fun with its Touch ID feature, which can read more than just fingerprints, it also made gold the new black,

Doku further added that the battle for the top spot wasn’t an easy one. Galaxy S3 rise to the third spot was a surprise with the lower pricing acting as a key factor. Pricing of smartphones certainly act as an important factor since the technology leaps between two generations of products is becoming narrower.

The tech advancement from iPhone 4s to iPhone 5 is not the same as from iPhone 5 to iPhone 5s. Apple is expected to release iPhone 6 in 2014 which could have a new design and even feature larger screen according to many rumours in the recent past.

The price of iPhone 5c could also see reduction later this year as the device has not been as well received with customers as the company would have hoped for.

Did you buy iPhone 5s this holiday season? Which gadgets made it to your shopping bag this year? Let us know in the comments section below.

{via The Telegraph}

At an event earlier today Motorola, a Google company unveiled its latest ‘budget’ smartphone called “Moto G”. The theme of the entire event and the ideology behind the product was to make premium features available at a non-premium price.

While announcing the new Moto G product Motorola executives mentioned Apple’s iPhone 5s, Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and HTC a few times. Moto G features 4.5 inch high resolution screen with 329 ppi and 720p. The executives were quick to point out that the screen has better quality than Apple’s flagship iPhone 5s. Moto G runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.2 GHz, 1GB RAM, and offers “all-day” battery life with around 14 hours of talk time on 3G networks. In comparison, iPhone 5s according to Apple offers 10 hours of battery life on 3G.

After unveiling the hardware features and sharing the idea behind creating a budget phone Punit Soni who is responsible for software product management for Moto G took the stage to talk about software. Soni mentioned the three main tenets of their software strategy for Moto G. The first being build on pure foundation of Android, second build experiences that compliment Google services and not compete with them and lastly ensure that the software can give value back to the users.

If you’ve ever seen any Android device in the market manufactured by Samsung, HTC or Sony among many others you will immediately realise that all these companies have two things in common. They add a layer of their own software to the stock OS and bundle services that compete with Google’s software services.

Soni began to elaborate on the three main tenets by saying:

In today’s ecosystem mobile manufactures have a very confused relationship with Android they build on top of it but then they add all of these custom skins which detract from the user experience and hogs resources then they go ahead and put duplicative software on top of it which basically compete with Google services.

He goes on to mention that devices bundled with multiple mail apps, app stores, video players and music players results in “non-intuitive” and “cluttered” user interface.

At the time of purchase of Motorola by Google for a record  $12.5 billion the search giant claimed that they bought the company to secure Android’s position in future by acquiring key patents. Even though Google claims to treat all Android partners equally, at today’s event Soni was sending an indirect yet strong message to ‘other’ Android device manufacturers.

While referencing to the custom skins the slide Soni used had TouchWiz, Sense UI and Xperia UI. Clearly, targeting the top three Android manufacturers to convey that Moto G’s software strategy is superior to other Android partners. So, in essence Motorola a company owned by Google called Samsung, Sony and HTC “confused”.

Soni then goes on to advocate the use of “pure Android” in mobile devices and says:

A device that’s built on pure Android with minor optimisations is gonna have an incredible high performance

Here again Soni is sending out a clear message that any device with custom UI layers may be missing out on high performance as other non-stock apps and skins may hog more resources than required.

This could have a long term effect on customer mindset when they buy Android devices. Users could soon start associating “real” Android experience with Motorola (since Google owns Motorola) and “spinoff” experience with other smartphone manufacturers.

When it comes to smartphones most devices are beginning to look quite similar in terms of hardware so ultimately manufacturers try to differentiate their products with custom skins and other software services. However, at today’s event it appears that Google might have used the announcement of Moto G as an opportunity to convey Google’s stand on device manufacturers trying to add custom layers.

If this wasn’t enough, Motorola went on to compare performance of Moto G in terms of answering calls, making calls, launching browser, returning home and booting to Samsung Galaxy S4 to show how stock Android OS was clearly the winner.

This is the best validation of a strategy which involves disciplined software which focuses on optimisation that creates value for the user

In his attempt to bring attention to stock Android experience Soni suggests that software strategy being followed by other Android device manufacturers is rather indisciplined.

So, in conclusion on one hand Google’s Motorola tried to highlight the features of its new low-priced smartphone but on the other it clearly didn’t fall short of ridiculing Google’s Android partners.

It will be interesting to see how Samsung, HTC and Sony respond to Motorola claiming that their devices are non-intuitive, have cluttered interface and custom skins that hog resources.

Apple is rumored to announce the fifth-gen iPad (5) during a keynote event later this month. Photos of various leaked parts of the new iPad suggest that the design will be inspired by the iPad mini.

The new iPad 5 (fifth gen) is expected to be lighter, thinner and feature a smaller bezel. Back panels of the rumored device have previously appeared online but now Sonny Dickson has published high resolution images of the design.

We recently reported on a rumor published by AllThingsD that speculates Apple’s next iPad event to be held on October 22nd. The company is expected to unveil the new lineup of iPads for the holiday season.

Fifth gen iPad will be available in silver and space gray finish just like the iPhone 5s. Technical specifications of the new iPad could include A7 64-bit and an improved 8 megapixel camera.

Apple has been struggling with the production rate of Touch ID sensors on iPhone 5s due to high demand. It is unclear if the company will introduce fingerprint sensor technology in the new iPad. There has been no physical evidence of Touch ID being incorporated in the new iPad as yet.

During the iPad keynote event the Cupertino, Calif., based company will also unveil the new iPad mini. The second gen iPad mini is rumored to feature retina display.

Apple hasn’t sent out any media invitation for the iPad event as yet. If the event is indeed scheduled for October 22nd then the media could expect the invite email early next week.

Apple is rumored to hold another special keynote event to announce the next gen iPad lineup on October 22. According to AllThingsD’s sources Apple will unveil iPad 5, second gen iPad mini, release OS X Mavericks and could share an update on Mac Pro’s availability.

The iPad focused event had been rumored to be held in October earlier. Apple announced the iPad mini in October last year and the iPad product lineup had been due for a refresh. The fifth generation iPad is widely expected to share the design language of iPad mini which could result in a thinner and lighter design with slimmer bezel. The new 9.7 inch iPad could run on 64-bit A7 chip that was first introduced in the iPhone 5s. Sources familiar with the matter believe that even the second gen iPad mini could feature the A7 chip.

Apple introduced Touch ID in iPhone 5s this year to encourage more customers to set a passcode and yet find it easier and very intuitive to unlock their device. It is not clear if this fingerprint technology will make it to the iPad. However, it is possible that the new iPad 5 could feature the Touch ID.

Second gen iPad mini has long been rumored to feature a retina display and many leaks in the recent past suggest that second gen iPad mini will finally feature the high resolution display.

The time and venue of the event is still unknown. AllThingsD has a good track record of predicting dates for Apple events. While there has been no official confirmation it is very likely that the iPad keynote event will be held on October 22, 2013.

The camera in iPhone 5s might not have received a major update in terms of megapixels but Apple certainly made some fantastic improvements to its camera system. iPhone 5s camera now has larger sensor, pixels and an aperture of f/2.2.

These enhancements coupled with dual-led flashlight allow the iPhone 5s to collect more light for better looking shots. In addition to these hardware improvements Apple introduced new software features too.

Probably the most exciting feature is slow-motion video that enables you to record video in 720p and then select part of the video to show the video at 120 frames. Some of the videos shot in the new slo-mo mode show how dramatic scenes can be created using just your iPhone camera.

Rishi Kaneria {via Daring Fireball} has posted a video on Vimeo that highlights iPhone 5s slo-mo camera capability by shooting it in different scenarios. The results are amazing and while viewing the video it is hard to imagine that such quality was possible on a smartphone.

Apple often takes a feature and simplifies it to an extent where the user can simply concentrate on creating content and technology becomes invisible. The user shoots the video just like normally they would and iPhone does all the rendering and stabilisation in the background. Apart from selecting which part of the video you want to slow down there is no other setting. This simple approach makes the new feature in iPhone 5s appealing and something that users would love to use again and again.

Check out the video below.

iPhone 5s Touch ID fingerprint sensor has been bypassed by a German hacker, who claims the process was fairly easy. When Apple announced the new iPhone 5s with fingerprint scanning technology the security and reliability of the new feature was questioned by many.

Earlier this month we published an analysis of the new biometric sensor by a security technologist who said, “… someone with a good enough copy of your fingerprint and some rudimentary materials engineering capability — or maybe just a good enough printer — can authenticate his way into your iPhone”. His analysis has now been proved to be accurate as the hacker whose nickname is ‘Starbug’ described the entire process as “trivial”.

The tools used to bypass the Touch ID  fingerprint sensor included scanning fingerprint from the front screen, high-res laser printer and printed circuit board etching kit. It took the hacker 30 hours for his first attempt but he claims that with proper setup the bypass can be accomplished within 30 minutes. The video shows the detailed process and even though the hacker claims the process is easy it does require skill, knowledge and experience to perform the hack.

iPhone 5s allows up-to 5 failed attempted and then locks the device with the fallback passcode. So, if someone manages to steal your iPhone, they would have only five trails to attempt a successful unlock. Also, it’s worth noting that Apple has included mandatory passcode unlock if the iPhone reboots or hasn’t been unlocked for 48 hours.

It is a well known fact that even the passcode can be bypassed using advanced software tools however, with the new activation lock thieves would possibly not be interested in stealing your phone. With activation lock the iPhone requires your Apple ID and password to turn off Find My iPhone, erase the device or reactivate and use the device.

Touch ID in the new iPhone 5s is an attempt by Apple to encourage more users to secure their device by setting a passcode yet not having to face the trouble to enter it again by again. You just place your finger over the home button and within 1-2 seconds the device unlocks.

Even though Apple’s Touch ID has been bypassed for the average user this shouldn’t be of much concern. Performing the hack to unlock the device would could still render the device useless without the Apple ID and password. The personal data can also be remote wiped anytime using Find My iPhone service.

The all-new iPhone 5s will go on sale on September 20th in ten countries and for the first time China will be one of them. This year Apple did not take any pre-orders for the iPhone 5S however, in China and Hong Kong the company started accepting reservations for iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s on September 17th.

Shortly after the iPhone 5s reservations went live, the stock for most models were sold out. It was reported that gold color was one of the quick sell outs. The reason behind Apple not taking pre-orders this year is because of limited supplies. We previously reported that Apple was facing issues with the fingerprint sensor and even though the smartphone will launch on schedule the supplies will be limited.

Stock selling out in China is a clear indication that the availability of the new iPhone 5s will be constrained worldwide. Customers in the U.S can either order the iPhone 5s online on September 20th or visit an Apple Store to buy it. However, due to limited stock it might be difficult to buy it on launch day.

Apple’s new iPhone 5s features Touch ID fingerprint technology, enhanced camera and 64bit A7 chip. The design is same as the iPhone 5 with minor changes to the overall look. iPhone 5s also features dual-tone LED flash for natural looking photos even in low light conditions.

iPhone 5s is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64 GB memory variations in white, gold and space gray colors. Are you excited about getting an iPhone 5s? Will you visiting the Apple Store or ordering it online? Let us know in the comments below.

The iPhone 5S event didn’t pack any surprises this time. Everything Apple announced had already been leaked through various leaks published online. Even the name of the fingerprint scanner was leaked just minutes before Apple event went live.

So, what is the all-new iPhone 5S all about you ask? Apple hasn’t changed its strategy since the original iPhone. It continues to introduce an all-new design every two-years so it wasn’t a surprise that iPhone 5S design remained the same as its predecessor. However, there are three notable differences: Metal ring, Camera and Performance.

The home button in iPhone 5S has a metal ring around it. This ring has been put in place to support the new Touch ID (fingerprint) scanner. Now unlocking your iPhone will be as easy as placing your finger or thumb on the home button and gaining access to your device. During the keynote presentation Phil Schiller mentioned that half of the iPhone users do not set pass codes. As smartphones increasingly carry more and more sensitive data securing the access to our device is of huge importance.

Apple believes that by introducing Touch ID customers will appreciate how easily they can protect their device with seamless integration of a fingerprint scanner under the home button. You can even use your Touch ID to authenticate iTunes, App Store and iBooks purchases. It’s worth noting that Apple is not allowing developers to take advantage of this new feature and is keeping it closed atleast for now.

There has been a lot of talk about customers privacy and how companies handles all the sensitive data. Apple clearly mentioned that Touch ID data is not stored on iCloud and is never shared with Apple. It is locally encrypted on the all new A7 chip.

The iPhone 5S takes another huge leap in terms of its CPU and graphics performance if we go by the numbers Apple provides. The company claims that iPhone 5S is twice as fast CPU and graphics performance when compared with iPhone 5. Mobile technology is evolving at an unprecedented rate. Just 6 years after the introduction of the original iPhone, the new iPhone 5S promises to provide 40 times faster CPU and 56 times faster graphics performance.

A7 chip is a 64 bit which is the first ever on any smartphone. But, the chip is not the only “firsts” for Apple’s smartphone. The camera system has been overhauled and now the new iPhone features dual-led flash which the company calls True Tone flash. Where traditionally companies place two white LED’s Apple has integrated white and amber color LED flashlight. The company claims that the dual-tone flash enables the iPhone to take more natural photographs in which the skin tones appear true to life.

Apple has also introduced new slow-mo mode where you can record video in 120fps to capture that perfect action in a video and create a dramatic effect. There’s an all-new burst mode as well, now the iPhone can take unto 10 shots in 1 second and even selects the best shot for you and deleting the rest is as easy as tapping one button.

iPhone 5S will be available in three metal finishes. Last years slate has been discontinued and now theres gold, silver and space gray finish available. Battery performance hasn’t seen any significant gains except for a better standby time.

iOS 7 and all Apple apps have been optimised to take advantage of the new 64bit A7 chip. Apple has also introduced new M7 coprocessor that collects data from motion sensors like gyroscope and accelerometer and feed the info to A7 without causing much battery drain.

Overall iPhone 5S features the beautiful design of the iPhone 5, is twice as fast, has enhanced camera system and now it will recognise your fingerprint. iPhone 5S is certainly “forward thinking” in every sense.

A page from the user guide of the upcoming iPhone 5S has allegedly leaked online which suggests the new fingerprint scanner will be called ‘Touch ID sensor’. Apple’s iPhone 5S is about to be unveiled at a media event at 10:00 AM PT in Cupertino, Calif. and now this photo has been uncovered by Nowhereelse.fr.

The user guide photo shows the home screen of the iPhone 5S running iOS 7 and marking labels on the physical buttons of the device. Clearly the home button carries an additional label “Touch ID sensor”. The style of the home button with a silver ring is consistent with previous leak of iPhone 5S packaging photo.

Fingerprint / Touch ID Sensor could be the main highlight feature of the new iPhone 5S. It has been widely reported that Apple’s use of the fingerprint technology as a means to authenticate or unlock the device is very easy and seamless. The additional silver ring on the home button will act as a sensor to record the users fingerprint with accuracy.

The all-new iPhone 5S will also feature dual-led flashlight, new A7 processor and new camera software to support slow motion video recording. We’re just minutes away from the new iPhone being announced. The release date for the new iPhone 5S is expected to be around September 20th. Pre-orders for the new iPhone could go live as early as September 13th.

With the new Touch ID sensor iPhone 5S could be an attractive upgrade for users with previous gen iPhone. We will report on all the tech specs of the new iPhone as soon as the live keynote event is over and all details are available.

We’ve been reporting about the rumors and various leaks surrounding the fingerprint sensor in iPhone 5S. Photos of the home button flex cable that leaked last week was a strong indicator about the inclusion of the new sensor in iPhone 5S. Additionally, packaging of the upcoming iPhone was also leaked that showed silver button on the home button.

All the recent leaks and rumors have provided significant proof that we will indeed see Apple announce the new iPhone 5S with a fingerprint sensor. Analysts have repeatedly predicted Apple’s purchase of Authentec to be closely tied in with the fingerprint sensor making it to the iPhone. Now, The Wall Street Journal has also confirmed the rumor based on sources close to the matter.

Placing a finger on a computer or smartphone has long been proposed as a way to avoid the need for passwords to authenticate users of computers and other devices. People familiar with the matter said last week that Apple will include a fingerprint scanner on the more expensive of two iPhones it is expected to unveil Tuesday at an event at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters.

Even though Apple’s iPhone may not not be the first smartphone to feature a fingerprint scanner, it is believed that Apple’s implementation of the feature is the easiest and seamless. Using fingerprint data to unlock devices or use as a replacement for passwords has been available on computers and phones however, the accuracy and reliability has always been a concern.

iPhone 5S will be unveiled at a media event being held today at the Town Hall Campus in Cupertino, Calif. It will be interesting to see how Apple uses the fingerprint scanning technology to make iPhone even more secure and easy to use.

A new patent filing by Apple suggests that the fingerprint sensor in iPhone 5S could be combined with NFC for the rumored iWallet technology. Near Field Communications (or NFC) supports data transmission over short ranges, perfect for financial transactions.

Recent photo of the alleged iPhone 5S packaging revealed that the upcoming iPhone 5S home button will have silver ring around it to act as a sensor to read your fingerprints. Now, the patent which was filed back in March 2012 contains artwork which resembles the home button of iPhone 5S. The patent explores the possibility to embed NFC circuitry below the home button.

 Contactless payment system is not widespread in the US, however it has seen significant adoption in the UK, South-East Asian and mainland Europe. Apple has in the past not shown any interest in NFC publicly but, the company continues to make investment in “iWallet” product.

An electronic device may have electrical components such as sensors. A sensor may have sensor circuitry that gathers sensor data using a conductive structure. The sensor may be a touch sensor that uses the conductive structure to form a capacitive touch sensor electrode or may be a fingerprint sensor that uses the conductive structure with a fingerprint electrode array to handle fingerprint sensor signals. Near field communications circuitry may be included in an electronic device. When operated in a sensor mode, the sensor circuitry may use the conductive structure to gather a fingerprint or other sensor data. When operated in near field communications mode, the near field communications circuitry can use the conductive structure to transmit and receive capacitively coupled or inductively coupled near field communications signals. A fingerprint sensor may have optical structures that communicate with external equipment.

The European patent application has just been assigned to Apple which has lead many to speculate if Apple will indeed introduce NFC capable iPhone 5S. Contactless payment is a faster and easier to make payment when compared with the swiping, signing or entering pin method. However, risk about losing an NFC device capable of making financial transactions is certainly one of the disadvantages. NFC combined with fingerprint sensor could provide the ultimate security to authenticate any financial transaction.

Apple is known to adopt new technology only after thinking about its usefulness. It’s possible that the company stayed away from NFC until the inclusion of a fingerprint sensor in the iPhone.

iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are rumored to be unveiled at a keynote event at a special media event on September 10th. Do you think iPhone 5S will finally include NFC? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

iPhone 5S release date will be announced on September 10th during the special media event. However, a few customers are already excited about the launch and have been spotted camping outside Apple’s Fifth Avenue Store.

Major Apple product launches have received great first day response and customers often camp days in advance in anticipation of the release. This year campers have again set out their chairs on the streets waiting to be the first ones to buy the new iPhone 5S.

Apple’s new iPhone is expected to be released on September 20th in the US. The company is widely rumored to unveil two models this year. iPhone 5S will be the flagship model while iPhone 5C will be a more affordable option for the mass market.

According to reports and leaks in the past it is believed that iPhone 5S will feature A7 processor, dual-led flash, fingerprint sensor and advanced camera software. iPhone 5C is expected to support a plastic body with 4-inch retina display running the same hardware specification as the iPhone 5.

In addition to the media event in the US, Apple is also holding an event for the Chinese media in Beijing on September 11th. This move is being seen as a breakthrough deal with China Mobile, worlds largest telecom operator with over 700 million subscribers. Asian market is of strategic importance for Apple and the company is making more and more efforts to capture market share.

Are you excited about iPhone 5S launch? Will you visit the Apple Store on the first day to buy one? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

{via 9to5 Mac}

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) on Wednesday issued invites for a media event in Beijing scheduled to be held on September 11. AAPL is holding another event in Cupertino, Calif. on September 10 where Apple Inc. could announce the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.

This is the first time Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is holding the special iPhone event in China [Google Translate] in addition to the main event in the United States. It is being speculated that the media event in Beijing could suggest a possible deal with China Mobile, world’s largest telecom operator in terms of subscribers.

China is an important market for Apple to further its growth in revenue and market share. Apple executives have been in talks with China Mobile since many years however, the terms could not be agreed upon. China Mobile on record had stated many times that they were interested in bringing the revolutionary iPhone to their network.

As Apple is about to introduce the low-cost iPhone 5C and new iPhone 5S in gold and graphite color, it’s possible that these new launches could be closely tied to the China Mobile launch. The tag line on Apple’s invites states, “This should brighten everyone’s day” and the availability in multiple colors on the worlds largest telecom operator and at lower cost certainly reflect the theme of the event.

Analysts in the past have noted that Apple could see huge boost in China with the introduction of a low-cost phone. If Apple’s iPhone becomes available on China Mobile it could be considered a huge win for Tim Cook.