The always very credible John Paczkowski of All Things D has written a very interesting piece today all about Apple’s plans for iOS 7. Before addressing the style choices made by Jony Ive’s team, Paczkowski begins by confirming that he has heard from “sources who are forbidden to talk publicly about Apple’s plans” that Apple has diverted engineers away from working on OS X 10.9 to work on iOS 7. “It’s essentially a repeat of the iPhone/Leopard scenario,” said the source. Paczkowski says that one of the reasons for iOS 7 needing all hands to the pump is because it is such a big update, with Ive now imprinting his “Spartan, elegant aesthetic” on the new iOS. “You know Game Center’s green felt craps table?” another source told Paczkowski, when talking about the ditching of skeumorphic design principles. “Well, goodbye, Circus Circus.” Paczkowski goes on to say that the famed skeumorphic design of all iOS versions up until now was largely down to Scott Forstall, who has now been replaced by Sir Jony Ive, who was previously responsible for designing Apple’s iconic devices. As one of Paczkowski’s sources put it: “Sounds like a much-needed ‘de-Forstallization.’”


Source: Apple's iOS 7 Team in Deadline Crunch Mode, Adding Engineers - John Paczkowski - Mobile - AllThingsD

Yesterday we heard news from Donald Trump that he thinks that Apple should release a bigger iPhone, well in that case he’ll be glad to hear the thoughts of Jeffries & Company analyst Peter Misek, as reported in iDownload Blog, who says that he thinks that Apple will indeed launch a larger iPhone, the iPhone 6, in June 2014. Misek says that the reason we’ll have to wait another year or so for this larger phone is because the display technology will have to go through a process of transition. Despite recent reports that suggest that Apple CEO Tim Cook has discounted the idea of a larger iPhone, iDownload Blog points out that Misek’s comments are similar to other rumours in DigiTimes, and other sources, all of whom have said that Apple could be planning to release a bigger phone in 2014, with a 5-inch-plus screen. You could get your wish yet, Mr Trump!


Source: Analyst sees larger iPhone 6 coming in June 2014

The Vine blog has announced today that Twitter’s very popular video app, Vine, has just been updated with a couple of new features that I think will please a lot of people. First of all, you will now be able to shoot Vine videos using your iPhone’s front-facing camera. All you have to do is tap the button in the bottom left corner to use the front-facing camera. You can also switch between the two cameras as much as you want. Also included in the update is support for mentions, so that you will be able to tag someone in your Vine post by typing @username. The person that you’ve tagged will then get a notification in Activity. Vine says that the new features were introduced as a result of customer feedback in the past few months since the app was released, so doubtless this is just the first of many updates.


Click here to download the free app: Connecting to the iTunes Store.

Source: Blog ? Vine

​
We have been seeing rumors that Apple is intending to release a type of iPhone featuring a larger screen. This prospect has however unleashed a series of jokes and memes that spread like fire all over the internet. The people behind them argued in a comical fashion that the Apple iPhone will just end up looking like a narrower tablet. At the same time, the Cupertino tech giant has taken up designing shrunken versions of the iPad, so maybe there’s a little truth behind these statements?​​

However, mogul Donald J. Trump feels that Apple launching an iPhone with a bigger screen might actually be a good idea, especially for business men like himself. So, this week, he made public the advice intended for Apple on his official Facebook page:

“I have a lot of @Apple stock--- and I miss Steve Jobs. Tim Cook must immediately increase the size of the screen on the iPhone. It should be slightly larger than the Samsung screen- and they better get it right fast because they will lose a lot of business. I like the larger screen.”

One of Trump followers immediately got caught in the game, and wondered whether a “Trump phone” might ever become available. The magnate is known to try its hand at a lot of things during the years ranging from television to writing books. So, who knows.

Trump likes to give out free advice, whether the recipient has asked for it or not. Before Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg got married to his sweetheart, Trump recommended he sign a pre-nup.

Source: Huffington Post

With all its efforts, Microsoft hasn’t been able to penetrate enough of the mobile market with any of its Windows Phone models. An aggressive strategy was needed to bring the Windows Phones into spotlight, even if for a brief while.

Following the above reasoning, Microsoft has just launched a new Nokia Lumia (which runs Windows Phone) commercial that aggressively and distinctively mocks Apple and Android fans.

The scenario is simple: We’re at a wedding and, of course, everybody is trying to take pictures of the newlyweds. Things start to ge​​t heated when a participant in the back shouts at a young hipsterish looking guest that’s taking pictures with a huge phone: “Excuse me, do you mind moving your enormous phone?”. His friend retaliates immediately: “You mean the enormously awesome Galaxy?”. From there, it escalates quickly: Android fans calling Apple lovers “iSheep” and being called “Copybots” in return.

A lady punching somebody and yelling “Auto-correct this”, while a scared gentleman is trying to get Siri to Google “karate”. Everybody is fighting with everybody.

In the midst of all the chaos, two waiters are shown with their Nokia Lumia phones. One of them asks “Do you think if they knew about the Nokia Lumia they would stop fighting all the time?”. The other one replies “I don’t know, I think they kinda like fighting”.

The video is trying to portray a very simple view of things, but Android and iOS' relationship is a very complex and unique one. However, if you’re looking for a quick laugh, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look.

Source: Forbes

Those looking to purchase a durable smartphone, might want to think twice when setting their sights on a Samsung Galaxy S4. The Korean tech giant’s new spawn may come packed with a lot of shiny specs but endurance seems not to be one of them.

The TechSmartt YouTube Channel has just posted a video showcasing the ultimate battle of the smartphones: the iPhone 5 versus the Samsung Galaxy S4. The makers of the video wanted to see which of the two gadgets was more likely to be damaged when dropped flat on the ground from different levels.

The test was recorded using three different cameras: one pinned on the experimenter, another one placed on the ground level and also the phones’ own camera. The tester would then drop the two sma​​rtphones from different heights: pocket level, chest level, head level and above.

While the Galaxy S4 performed admirably when dropped from a medium height, it did not fare so well during the last challenge, when the tester dropped it on the ground from a seven-foot distance. The smartphone probably landed on a corner edge, which caused the screen to crack a little bit. Nevertheless, the device continued to function. But when the experimenter raised the bar and dropped it from 10-feet the Galaxy S4 ended up having a shattered screen and camera.

The iPhone 5’s performance was perfect, showing everybody that Apple is not only to be credited for its innovative ideas but also for creating durable and long lasting products. The smartphone came out of the experiment with only minor scratches.

Source: Mashable

13.04.29-iPhone_5S_KDDI.jpg

​As expected, a lot of rumors we are hearing these days are related to the upcoming launch of Apple’s next generation iPhone. This one is no different.

According to a leaked internal document, belonging to the Japanese mobile operator KDDI, we learn that the iPhone 5S will become available for pre-orders starting with the 20th of June. The document was of course intended only for the company’s employees. According to it, the smartphone is indeed going to become available in July, with preorders being placed in June. Alongside the iPhone, Apple might introduce the iOS 7 at the same release party. In the memo, mentions of the new iPhone are highlighted in red and the device is being called “Apple’s new pro​​duct”.

So far, no one knows if the leaked picture represents a real document or not. As it is always with these kinds of rumors, there’s a 50-50 chance for it to be true or false. But we do know that Apple doesn’t tend to launch operating systems without offering at least a month in advance of testing to its developers. Since the two products are linked together by the rumor-mill, it appears if Apple doesn’t announce the iOS 7 in the next two weeks, there’s a very big chance we won’t see the company release the iPhone 5S at the WWDC 2013 in June.

However, this new information is problematic to believe, as it contradicts previous rumors and most prominently, what CEO Tim Cook stated related to the fact that until autumn, we are not going to see any more big Apple events.

Source: AppleInsider

Google's predictive search and voice recognition tool sauntered over to Apple's iOS as an app on Monday.
Having debuted at last year's Google I/O conference, the Now-enabled Google Search 3.0 for iOS brings the same robust search features and visual style, called cards, to iPhones and iPads. Tamar Yehoshua, Google Now's product manager, said that Google Now will compete well against Apple's personal assistant Siri because of its accuracy.
"We think we've built a great experience," she said during a conversation at Google's headquarters in Mountain View last week. "We're giving you an answer before you've even asked," she explained. Google is "able to predict knowledge that you want before you know you want it."

Unlike Google Now on Android, which you can start using as long as your device is running Android 4.1 or later, the Google Now app on iOS will require you to log in to your Google account first. But the defining features of Google Now, the voice recognition and the predictive search, remain intact.Google Now does that by taking advantage of several different technological areas. It leverages, according to Yehoshua, the text-to-speech output, the Knowledge Graph, and the technology stack to provide its voice recognition and predictive search combo.
The predictive search in Google Now will use your calendar, for example, to determine what information it should show you. That info can change depending on where you're going, so it might show you traffic on your route home, or tourist sites near your hotel.
Google Now's Voice Recognition has made some significant improvements, Yehoshua said, since it debuted last spring. "We've seen a 15 to 35 percent improvement since Jelly Bean [Android 4.1]," she said.
Search, she said, is continually growing. "People got used to using keywords to search because they had to, but it's not the best way to search. We have implemented just the beginning phases of context and conversation," she said, such as following a question like "How tall is Barack Obama?" with "And how tall is his wife?"
And an even more complex scenario she posited as a future goal for Google Now would be to follow "What happened in the Giants game?" with "Who's pitching? When are the playing tomorrow?" and the tricky integration of other digital services that could conclude with "Record the game for me."
Yehoshua declined to comment when asked about Google's plans to port Google Now to other platforms, such as Chrome. But it's becoming apparent that the service is big deal for Google, as evidenced by the attention that co-founder and CEO Larry Page paid Google Now during last week's quarterly earnings call.
The goal of Google Now, he said, "is to get you the right information, at just the right time." He noted the key features of the service, including that it provides people with their boarding passes and delivery updates as well as traffic conditions, local sports scores, and upcoming weather conditions without prompting.
"Looking for the nearest pharmacy? Just ask Google for directions, and we'll deliver them instantly," Page said. "No typing needed. And you can now ask conversational questions like 'Do I need a jacket this weekend?'"
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Apple could be planning to release not one, but two new iPhones in early September, according to a report from Citigroup Global Securities, via China Times, writes BGR. This would mean that Apple would launch both the iPhone 5S and the budget iPhone together. Citigroup Global Securities also reported that Apple intends to launch a TD-SCDMA version of both the iPhone 5S and the cheaper phone, specifically for China Mobile. As far as the iPad is concerned, Citigroup says that there will be a new iPad mini and full-sized iPad in either September or October. Apple has long been rumoured to b e releasing a budget iPhone, but a separate report this week from Forbes suggests that it might have waited a little too long to do so. The Forbes story highlights some interesting news from Qualcomm’s earnings report last week, specifically the fact that smartphone prices are falling rapidly, so much so that Apple’s new budget phone will simply not be competitive enough by the time it comes out. Forbes says that Nokia, however, is doing particularly well with its budget Asha phone in the sort of emerging markets that Apple is hoping to target with its cheaper phone.

Many thanks to Super Moderator AdmiralAdama for the heads up on this story.

Source: iPhone 5S release date rumored for September | BGR
Qualcomm Cheap Phone Warning Ominous For Apple, BlackBerry, Nokia - Forbes

iDownload Blog has some very encouraging news for Apple today, which comes via Yankee Group’s survey, which says that Apple is set to surpass Android in terms of US market share by 2015, assuming that Apple’s brand loyalty numbers remain strong. This is because, according to Yankee Group, Android is in fact losing one out of every six customers to other smartphone companies, whereas Apple has what it refers to as a “black hole” ecosystem, with subscribers who never want to leave, such is their brand loyalty. If these trends continue, Yankee Group says that Apple ownership will surpass Android by 2015 in the smartphone market, and will continue its dominance in the tablet market. Yankee Group polled 16,000 consumers over the past year for the survey. iDownload Blog also reminds us of a UBS Research survey from September 2012 that found that almost 9 out of 10 iPhone owners said that they would never buy another smartphone.


Source: If Apple loyalty holds up, iPhone will surpass Android in U.S. market share by 2015

This week, Apple has just released a new ad for its iPhone 5. The tech giant recently launched another set of commercials, which unlike this recent one, focused on showcasing the enormous possibilities offered by the iOS app ecosystem. This one, however, revolves around the very powerful and efficient iPhone 5 camera.

Since the introduction of the smartphone camera, its appeal has grown enormously and most users have abandoned the usage of traditional cameras. Especially since mobile embedded photo cameras have been getting increasingly refined and powerful.

A while back, Flickr posted a study that revealed that the iPhone camera has become the most popular one, dethroning photo giants like Canon or Nikon.

And it’s not just the studies, we see it every day around the cities we live in. People taking photos of everything with their iPhone camera: of themselves, of bands playing on stage, of flowers or interesting/funny things one might stumble upon occasionally, of food or just anything beautiful. This recent frenzy in photography has led some humor website to design meme-s to further highlight how much we actually do it. Like the already famous Matrix inspired meme : “What if I told you, you can eat without posting it on Instragram?”.

The ad basically follows people around doing their daily activities and “catches” them as they take photographs of different things that attracted their attention like a beautiful view while jogging. At the ending of the commercial, a voice says: “Every day, more photos are taken with the iPhone than any other camera”. So, are you one of those photographers?

Source: Cnet

The original Draw Something game is one of the most successful iOS games ever, and no surprise about that, really, as it’s loads of fun to play, even if you’re rubbish at drawing! Now the inevitable has happened, of course, and a sequel has arrived in the App Store, and you have to say from looking at the video, Zynga has made some major changes to the successful formula. As The Verge reports, the sequel has already been released in Canada and Sweden for a few weeks, but now it’s the turn of the US to get to play. Some of the key additions to the game are 5,000 new words, more drawing tools, a gallery of your favourite drawings, and a free-draw mode. Basically, you now have a lot more scope to perfect your drawings, with new tools such as stamps, brushes and markers. A social element has also now been added, meaning that you can also share your drawings in a feed, or follow friends and celebrities, a bit like Instagram. You can also disable the social function, should you prefer.

Click here to download the free version: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/draw...602873438?mt=8

Click here to download the full version for $2.99: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/draw...602881939?mt=8


Source: 'Draw Something 2' now available in iOS App Store | The Verge
Draw Something 2 now available