tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34591021051359674532024-03-13T00:39:18.714-07:00Apple ReviewsApple Reviews is the home of the most trusted hands on Apple Everything product reviews. We review the best products, apps, software, and games for iPhone, iPad, Mac, iTunes made by Apple.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-22672496222345888052020-01-29T21:01:00.003-08:002020-01-29T21:03:55.801-08:00Apple’s 2020 Product Plans For iPhones, Macs And More Outlined By Noted Analyst<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="970" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29DOjuvvK-mM80TKa9VV-PMpJry_gLB84hWeTkdnCfmDcm6odyNwp5V-WpFgqY6FxfTqCgzvjcrJj0Pbfc-gVlXiSdn4Lwg3kzX_mN3CpObyPidB6x3-lRydw5ggkhxSssMxi-9SRkgSV/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
When analyst Ming-Chi Kuo talks about Apple, it's worth listening. This time, Kuo has suggested that Apple has a mass of new products from a possible iPhone SE 2 to a possible AirPower device to unveil in the first half of this year.<br />
<br />
This fresh crop of predictions was spotted by MacRumors and suggests an entire product lineup. The biggest of these predictions is a 4.7-inch LCD iPhone, which could be a potential followup to the beloved iPhone SE.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li> See what's up with 5G and the iPhone 12</li>
<li> Here's all we know about the iPhone 12</li>
<li> The iPhone SE 2 could be delayed by Coronavirus</li>
</ul>
<br />
You see, as Apple's devices have moved into an even more premium segment of the market, the idea of the iPhone SE and iPhone 5C has felt left behind. But, there has been no shortage of speculation that a successor to the iPhone SE would come. A model with an LCD would make sense, as Apple has reserved OLED displays for its higher-tier phones.<br />
<br />
MacBooks and iPads may also be getting refreshes. Apple has already upgraded the 15-inch MacBook Pro to a 16-inch model, while also removing the contentious butterfly key switch mechanism. It's possible other MacBook Pro models will get the same treatment as Apple moves back to traditional scissor switches. Kuo had previously suggested Apple would abandon butterfly switches on this timeline. An iPad Pro 2020 refresh is reasonable to expect.<br />
Less anticipated but no less exciting<br />
<br />
Kuo has also suggested Apple would release a wireless charging mat, ultra-wideband tag, and "high-end Bluetooth headphone." These are all a little further off the regular warpath for Apple but are still expected in the same timeline as the other products Kuo suggested.<br />
<br />
The ultra-wideband tags could be the long-rumored AirTag from Apple to compete with Tile trackers. So, as Apple delves into even more product categories, it may be coming up with a way to help you avoid losing your expensive items.<br />
<br />
Aside from its Beats headphones, Apple's own headphone efforts have been limited to bud-style devices like the AirPods. There's a possibility that Apple has something like that in-store to go against Surface Headphones or our perennial favorites, the Sony WH-1000XM3. <br />
<br />
Finally, a wireless charging mat from Apple could go a number of ways. It may be a simple wireless charger given the polish Apple is known for. It could be a multi-device wireless charging station. Or, it could be the AirPower that Apple previously canceled. <br />
<br />
Whatever these products ultimately turn out to be (if they turn out at all), we may find out in the first half of the year.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.apple.com/">https://www.apple.com/</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.dumpspedia.org/Apple.html">https://www.dumpspedia.org/Apple.html</a></div>
Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-16045035354903106102019-09-30T02:15:00.000-07:002019-09-30T02:15:00.184-07:00 Apple updated maps app to compete with Google Maps <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="618" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPteeFX7kNAU-qsFbPZYPlrm5DV3Skq4zJW8lge4SSS9vKMo2ubut9Cp7ik0SQaxHjGVc4yV3df73V0YxTu9-lOdSq5bm8V7EQH_HTi-CW1GhIq6PDOnl_rtFTkeH0NSMxzv-vVUe9eZt/s640/1.webp" width="640" /></div>
<br />
Apple is trying to catch up with Google when it comes to maps, thanks in part to a fleet of planes and cars it has deployed to take pictures of the Northeast.<br />
<br />
The Apple Maps application, whose incorrect addresses and irregular information have been the subject of jokes since its launch seven years ago, released the biggest update so far on its map of New York City and nearby areas, increasing details on buildings, roads, parks and bodies of water.<br />
<br />
Users looking at Central Park, for example, can now see individual baseball diamonds and more detailed trails. Buildings are also represented more accurately in 3D using flight technology to better represent elevations.<br />
<br />
See "imitation" called "Look around", which allows users to drive through the city streets looking at 360-degree images captured by a fleet of cars equipped with cameras.<br />
<br />
The application now has interior maps for shopping centers and airports, allowing you to give very detailed instructions.<br />
<br />
Previously, Apple relied on third-party sources for its map data and, therefore, when Apple Maps debuted in 2013, the product was plagued with misidentified geographical errors, cities and towns, and occasionally could not locate addresses.<br />
<br />
The shame led to the expulsion of the head of iOS, Scott Forstall, who had previously been a favorite of the late Steve Jobs, a failure that has remained in the minds of users despite the significant improvement of the application in recent years.<br />
<br />
If Apple Maps can also compete with Google Maps in driving, bicycle and public transport directions, it could start attracting new users.<br />
<br />
"The bar for Apple Maps is not incredibly high, it is simply" not stinky, "technology analyst Shelly Palmer told the Post. "I don't know anyone who uses Apple Maps on their iOS device," he said. "You will not find anyone who is a serious user of technology that has not replaced Apple Maps with Google Maps."<br />
<br />
Apple has already released its updated maps to California and Hawaii, as well as parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-87778327137678854952019-01-10T20:39:00.000-08:002019-01-10T20:39:27.933-08:00Apple will disrupt the health sector as the iPhone did wireless, former CEO John Sculley says<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#131313" height="298" src="https://player.cnbc.com/p/gZWlPC/cnbc_global?playertype=synd&byGuid=7000059175&size=530_298" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
The vision of health services from Apple CEO Tim Cook has been approved by a former director of the technology giant.<br />
<br />
John Sculley, who led the company from 1983 to 1993, told CNBC on Thursday that Cook was considering "absolutely doing something" with his plan to inject Apple into the health sector and that "this could be the big legacy. We're talking about."<br />
<br />
In an exclusive interview earlier this week, Cook told Mad Money's Jim Cramer that "Apple's greatest contribution to humanity" will be in health care, an area in which society is increasingly interested. more. in recent years.<br />
<br />
"I think [it'll be] from curiosity to useful to the essential," said Sculley in "Squawk Alley". "And essential, it means that you have to do much better things in terms of health care and preventative care than we have today, with portable devices or things [that] allow people to do more. self-diagnosis, where the consumer can have a more important role, as they have done in other industries. "<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#131313" height="298" src="https://player.cnbc.com/p/gZWlPC/cnbc_global?playertype=synd&byGuid=7000058629&size=530_298" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
Remembering how Apple's iconic former boss, Steve Jobs, turned to the camera and wireless industries a dozen years ago with the iPhone, Sculley said, "We're going to see something similar in health.<br />
<br />
Sculley, whom the late co-founder Jobs has seduced from Apple to PepsiCo, said that the first generation of iPhone and the following have gradually become Blackberry, Nokia and Motorola cell phones and have revolutionized photography, which ultimately led to the bankruptcy of Kodak in 2012.<br />
<br />
While Apple's shares have recently suffered from a series of news that has disrupted investor confidence, Sculley said that the public does not always see the "big" projects that the company's leaders are discussing. behind closed doors. Apple and other technology names, such as Amazon and the Google Alphabet subsidiary, are "at the beginning of the indispensable role of health technology", especially with mobile devices.<br />
<br />
"We are about to move to a time when sensors ... (and) algorithms are becoming more and more powerful, technology and healthcare are moving away from an extremely unstable and extremely inefficient industry," did he declare. . "The big players in the health sector want to switch to platforms, they want it to be a horizontal model, as we have seen successfully in retail and in fintech and others."<br />
<br />
Apple stocks are still in the bear market after a series of crushing falls that have caused a drop of more than 30% from that recorded after a peak of $ 233.47 in 52 weeks in October. More recently, stocks fell about 7% after the company reduced its forecast on the first trading day of 2019.<br />
<br />
Since then, the capital has recovered from this fall, trading at about 152 dollars Thursday at noon.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-80998251656939188012018-09-11T21:57:00.001-07:002018-09-11T21:57:41.045-07:009to5Mac: Here's How We Found Those iPhone XS And Apple Watch Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="970" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMJu_Ce7R2CR_rVz2VKXCi9-XHPuSnHNTjqx-S7-XGDeVFeh77-5_XzGTr8Ifhw1V7u2thYigjDjfZCnvHAiMxxibYqP535YXe0kOcjRBTN1c4zQRJeWJYV51NZweUFcFhuHFJRn3Lw4U/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
The world is not only expecting Apple to reveal three new iPhones, but specifically the iPhone XS*. <br /><br />Why so sure? Because 9to5Mac's noted Apple leaker Guilherme Rambo was the one to bring us the picture you see above -- a picture that looks like it could have been pulled directly from Apple's marketing materials. <br /><br />And because today, Rambo has revealed that he found the pictures at Apple's own website. Whoops! <br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkrgRHuWIU9hwUMIEgOK24x17_Yl7ZcDbL5c9ntzeAFvvw1gr4GFR7ttmcqZsycgR8I7ah9_pDKYAHU0_tSOxw0XtyDTIZ6YiizjRKK_dNaBsEp8AaWtrvZ7y-mgms1hZezkZC7N_oCFp/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /><b>Guilherme Rambo</b><br /><br /><i>So, about those marketing images: they came from the recap section of the special event website. I used the URL pattern from the last event and guessed the device’s names. Apple took them down immediately after we published.</i><br />
<br />
just took the technique for a spin myself, and it might not have been that difficult a heist to pull off. Observe:<br /><br />Here's Apple's Special Events website, where the company offers recaps of previous keynotes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="970" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaNZjLHPYzhNE9uZaYebMSrBVlgxZZLNvgqQcfCZ4a_NtLO9967t8WzubBViPzq2REguUpaT3Mp5AWXTyEcBqYQ3mGzUNsW5AuzO3m77HtOneaAUNITC1xd2neKWI_0vW4PaflVu2MC6D/s640/4.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
And here's the page for Apple's September 2017 event, where it announced the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and Watch Series 3: <br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="970" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Uxd8eCZPWOvSSU0IAqkGj3flyMXmlFoBXSXH2o7BfMwoAcko0UZAOHCtMK-dt-e4ZBH6l4gDjv5x0mysNwYiA5vviNfPE_Yiyncwjh6Z_3IzvK5Kew_D4bo1fioXZGQNeqbY0vr-9xVO/s640/2.jpg" width="634" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Want to find out where Apple stores those product images? A tool like Chrome's Inspect Element does the trick. And if you compare a few such images, you quickly see Apple's URL format has been pretty consistent, making it ripe for URL hacks. Basically: month-year/productname/image.jpg, more or less. Rambo just followed the trail, started substituting "september-2018" for "september-2017" and "iphonexs" for "iphonex", and the rest is history.<br /><br />Just don't expect Apple to make that mistake ever again. It might obfuscate the URLs -- or better yet, not put images on a publicly accessible server until after the products are announced. <br />
<br />
With Apple's announcements just hours away, we'll soon find out if they'll opt to not use any of the now-leaked images, or otherwise change up their presentation of the products.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-69814295474998611622018-02-22T01:20:00.001-08:002018-02-22T01:20:04.921-08:00iPhone Profit At Risk As Apple Exploits Cobalt MinesApple's plans to approach its cobalt suppliers raise an interesting question. What happens when you no longer have easy profits in the supply chain and all the low profits on the iPhone are gone?<br />
<br />
Tim Cook's reputation at Apple was based on the management of his supply chain. Highlights included reducing the time it ended, but unsold stocks remained on Apple's books, which increased the efficiency of Apple's shipping operations and oversaw significant resource coverage as Apple acquired technology and resources to block competing manufacturers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="960" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAuoCYlt2Lc9dNhsRV4XThClVIOYXo4icEA9lpNGzykt6RczA2iB6VcaoAqrOh_nPPLEIbfmqFxBugcG7r1ZK2uwGPXM2ErnDZIL5jNKnYBB8dRGfqUpkw4rQm3vV-OdlhkctN79zJkzHp/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
Upon arrival, Cook had a lot of slack in Apple's systems, and the reduction of the slack increases the profits. In that sense, Cook's management of these problems was the biggest victory for the iPhone. Although sales year after year have declined sharply for the iPhone since 2015, Apple's revenues and profits have risen, due to the increased efficiency that drives margins and the market that accommodates higher prices per device.<br />
<br />
But eliminating the slack is a one-time option, so you are left with a tense arc cord that is under increasing pressure to deliver. And the tense strings have the habit of breaking in difficult times.<br />
<br />
Apple has implemented many new features in the software in recent years, but as the iOS package reaches maturity and obvious applications are resolved, it is not so easy to push the limits of the envelope. The easy gains, the slack, everything has been absorbed. The errors and failures that are infiltrating iOS that demand more time to resolve are a symptom of a system that needs more resources; either time, engineers or both. There is nothing left in the iOS department, so something has to be broken. That broken string is the annual tray of Apple treats at WWDC: the tray will be much smaller this year (but with fewer bugs).<br />
<br />
The loss of control of Apple is also visible in the supply chain. Samsung Display is hired by Apple to supply the OLED panels for the iPhone X, so the reduction of orders in Q1 2018 from 40 million to 20 million leaves Samsung with an excess of production and stock. Apple is wrong with its sales estimates, which means that Samsung has an OLED overcapacity, which will probably mean that more mid-range Android phones will be sent with OLED screens for the remainder of 2018. Another key advantage of the iPhone was lost through a supply chain simply too tight to accommodate fluctuating orders.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgL-CkuDMbSgBuwLM1MjMCaMS4O7jS-_G3cWNuOX_n1ypFIzwWbY6KsbrRHLgYt1xrnpiOsNIR02FGxTnsIDVvsA4PSIhybgYNDGP6fRZPx33WwgnEu5ywlZqtwimfp8B9YwOjqAhVmnDO/s640/2.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
Now we read that Apple is looking to shorten the supply chain related to the use of cobalt, a key ingredient of modern batteries. While there are legitimate concerns about the increase in cobalt prices due to the number of batteries required by electric vehicles, Apple is playing the same cards by reducing the distance of the supply chain and dominating a resource through the purchase of coverage. Once you have gone directly to the mines, there is nowhere else to go to make your savings. This part of Apple's empire is now as close as it can be.<br />
<br />
Why is this important? It's a long-term sign that things are changing. When Apple announced its record numbers for the fourth quarter of 2017, the share price fell. Apple continues to be successful and remains one of the most successful companies in the world, but the potential to maintain its high profit levels is shrinking, business conditions are not improving, and times will be increasingly difficult.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-13397487561527787152017-12-20T21:00:00.001-08:002017-12-20T21:00:51.295-08:00Everything Apple Will Be Working On In 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7pZXx8EPf5cK-V0MLC4wOD-FOHBWJRmerVbVTwbv5nEllc9HZh3fWj0Usz0NpSbKkp7ctXQltlqPNo70r7xN3FxTfqp1FSUqF5GrnWNKFUvHTaYcwp4aQD94142Xgz5ONBvg-D_uuiD4/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
Apple released a lot of things in 2017, and in typical Apple style, it made a lot of money by doing it.<br />
<br />
Most of these things were not surprises. We have a new Apple Watch and an Apple TV that look and generally work like the previous models; an iPad Pro of different sizes; expanded the lines of the Mac computer (now it comes in black!); and two smartphones that are almost identical to the iPhone 7, and a third that costs $ 1,000.<br />
<br />
In a word, the year was quite boring.<br />
<br />
While nothing was particularly revolutionary, neither was anything particularly terrible. Analysts had expected the company's product launches to unleash a "supercycle" of sales during the year, but so far, it seems that Apple's earnings and earnings were broadly in line with recent years.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="662" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdubDMXxQszNcz4S787bvWIhWLIL3HtAPRrRNVzzK8uIe2GFazwpLJ44I57cBF7MC1zj3KQwLHTs2jMrBn628L-ZdSpRfLsGyAfjllKTn_cmr_DKWXd1j2btYFxlHZ31s4zArRfbz77K_/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
It remains to be seen if that will change with the iPhone X and Christmas sales, but what does Apple have for 2018? Will there be a new device with aluminum cladding that will inspire another technological revolution like the iPod or the iPhone, or will we see another year of iterative updates to the existing product lines? This is what could be to come in 2018.<br />
<br /><b>HomePod</b><br /><br />One thing that is almost certain to be released in 2018 is HomePod, the answer of Apple's smart speaker to Amazon's Echo and Google Home. When it was announced at Apple's developer conference in June, Apple expected to ship it in December. Since then, the company said the device will be shipped in early 2018. The $ 350 speaker, which is approximately $ 300 more expensive than Amazon's and Google's smart hub offerings, will focus more on playing music than controlling other IoT devices, answering questions such as Echo and Home in general. Apple has a lot of ground to catch up in the growing field; Estimates suggest that Amazon has already sold more than 15 million Echo devices. Apple has a lot to prove with a $ 350 device if it's going to match or beat Amazon and Google.<br />
<br /><b>More phones</b><br /><br />With the iPhone X, 8, 8 Plus and SE, Apple put more new models of smartphones on sale in 2017 than ever before. Reports suggest that this trend will continue in 2018 with three iPhone models that look like the current X, but in sizes that match 8, 8 Plus and X. There is also talk of a new SE model in miniature, which means that Apple could continue to attract a range of customers with new devices that start at approximately $ 350 and continue to more than $ 1,000.<br />
<br /><b>New AirPods</b><br /><br />Analysts expect Apple to release an updated version of its AirPods wireless headphones in the second half of 2018, according to 9to5Mac. There is not much information on how they will be different, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities suspects that Apple will ship more than 26 million units next year, twice as many as 2017. The new AirPods probably have a case that can load wirelessly, as Apple announced this at their iPhone event in September. What brings us to ...<br />
<br /><b>Wireless everywhere</b><br /><br />In September, Apple also showed a new type of wireless conductive charger that can charge multiple devices at once, including an Apple Watch, an iPhone and AirPods in a new case. Although Apple has stated that its new phones have backup glass because it is much easier to charge wirelessly through glass than through metal, we may be able to see more Apple products that can be charged wirelessly in the future. Many competing smartphones use plastic on their backs (which is also good for conductive charging), so perhaps we will see Apple incorporate wireless charges on their iPads and Macs in the near future, bringing it one step closer to its apparent objective. to produce glass and metal slabs perfectly hermetically sealed.<br />
<br /><b>FaceID everywhere</b><br /><br />Apple introduced the "TrueDepth camera system" in the iPhone X, which is essentially a series of cameras and sensors that map and recognize the face of a person with intricate details. He uses it for FaceID, his security technology that replaces the fingerprint-based TouchID that has been in the last generations of the iPhone. It does not always work perfectly, but it's often fast and would be a useful way to log in to other Apple devices, like iPads and Macs, all of which already have front cameras. Many experts have asked Apple to incorporate the technology in the next Apple products, and considering how TouchID proliferated to iPads and then to MacBook Pros, it seems very possible that this is something that Apple will do in some of its new products.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vhAF4akYr4O0WGhCOU4hdKsD-nSqCcDsRbWMV5oXqlmoA0SPvUNAAsL19Jgby8_vY7d_G2RSS9I5Q1o9pSjpIVR_UyEL4NFuqUTSvP_YPLBhVm5dfwmPekD8yR_RhOTM0sHrXjWUxesE/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="672" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vhAF4akYr4O0WGhCOU4hdKsD-nSqCcDsRbWMV5oXqlmoA0SPvUNAAsL19Jgby8_vY7d_G2RSS9I5Q1o9pSjpIVR_UyEL4NFuqUTSvP_YPLBhVm5dfwmPekD8yR_RhOTM0sHrXjWUxesE/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>More wearables</b><br /><br />Apple has hinted that it plans to delve into medical wearables, beyond its work with the current Apple Watch. Some have suggested that you intend to develop a separate device to provide more information and health monitoring in real time for people who need it. He has worked with the US Food and Drug Administration. UU (FDA) to better understand how to develop software for medical purposes. Third-party add-ons for Apple Watch, such as AliveCor KardiaBand, which tracks heart health through an EKG sensor, have already obtained FDA approval to send information from an Apple Watch to the user's doctor.<br /><br />Next year may be when Apple goes from being an auxiliary player in the medical field to one that is creating a portion of the $ 2.7 trillion that EE. UU Spends annually on medical care. "There is much more in the area of health, there are many things that I can not tell you about the ones we are working on, some of which is clearly a commercial business there," CEO Tim Cook told Fortune in September. "I think it's a big area for Apple's future."<br />
<br /><b>CAROS?</b><br /><br />Apple has been working on autonomy and cars for some years, without a discernible end goal. At one point, reports circulated that he was working on a rival car for Tesla, and then reports indicated that the project had been reduced. Apple has admitted that it is working on some autonomous technologies: it filed an application for registration as a freelance car testing company in California in April and published online investigations in November.<br /><br />"It's a core technology that we consider very important," Cook said, calling autonomy "the mother of all AI projects," in an interview with Bloomberg in June. He confirmed, for the first time publicly, that Apple is working on "autonomous car systems," rather than automobiles themselves. While still tight-lipped, Apple has been more eloquent about its medical and autonomous research than about other technologies in the past. Maybe we are preparing for a world in which Apple carOS works with autonomous vehicles. We may learn more about your ambitions in 2018 as car companies extend their testing of autonomous vehicles throughout the year.<br />
<br /><b>Glasses AR?</b><br /><br />Apple has been working on smart glasses that superimpose information about the real world for a while, but with the exception of a few leaks of potential prototypes from its manufacturing facilities in Asia, very little information has been discovered. Like medical and self-contained devices, Cook has hinted that AR is a transformational technology. He also said that AR could be "a great business opportunity" for Apple, and reports suggest that the company could have an augmented reality product in the coming years. The signals point to 2019 or 2020, but maybe Apple will surprise us with a new piece of portable technology in 2018, as it did with its AirPods wireless headphones in 2016.<br /><br />The company also announced the first Macs that are compatible with VR headsets and software in June, so maybe we can also see Apple dig into the world of virtual reality next year.<br />
<br /><b>What about the business of Apple?</b><br /><br />Beyond the new products, 2018 could be a crucial year for Apple's businesses. In 2016, the company recorded the first drop in revenue year after year in more than a decade. For 2017 (its fiscal year ends in September), Apple grew again, registering revenues of $ 229 billion, above the $ 216 billion generated the previous year. But it was still below the $ 233 billion it generated in 2015, which remains the best year of revenue and earnings to date. Apple will exceed those heights, or we have to play "Apple peak"?<br /><br />There are some signals to analyze in the next year to determine how healthy Apple's business is:<br />
<br /><b>China and India</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="657" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNB00sB39DRI1vwsQwoNyicepox5qwfF0sgH4qKfb0YtaPReIQPZsFAreUF7UHGNRuGfuepvDYBXudOw8Th_QJSO64jbyaY9FIYPbqGoYWHrKe3VEtq7sWA61Bu-am1uacnbV9kfSr57s/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Cook has repeatedly considered China and India as growth areas for Apple's business, although neither has arrived. The company is launching low-cost phones, such as the iPhone SE, and investing in the regions, hoping to increase awareness and goodwill towards the brand. Cook has said he is "very optimistic" in India, and opened a center to help Indian developers get applications on their App Store in March. Similarly, Apple has invested in Chinese companies and Chinese energy, as well as research and development centers in the country. China is the third largest Apple market, after the Americas and Europe, but in 2015, it was the second largest. Unless Apple can show why its products - which have a premium over many Chinese models that do most of the same things - are superior to those of its competitors, it is likely to continue to face an uphill battle in these markets.<br />
<br /><b>Services</b><br /><br />Apple's service sector, which includes sales of music, games, applications and movies, as well as subscriptions from AppleCare, iCloud and Apple Music, and Apple Pay rates, has been on the verge of being depleted in recent years. It is now Apple's second largest business after the iPhone, generating almost $ 30 billion in revenue in 2017. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="651" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsgvcq64Sx2raIoHYhbXYqVXKNX8Ea0DYKwsdc-GneH24ZlcjCCR4j9d0eXD1AI2dPwShxvouNEXNDaP-fAu90i2Um_dI4_3Ol-gGW2w-BiDsE4dcjZb_4S3lbZ_q7DTl_e60MBWEl4Dr/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
Apple invested in the original programming in 2017, presenting two (not very good) shows, Carpool Karaoke, based on the talk show segment of James Corden, and Planet of the Apps, an imbecile Shark Tank, but for applications. Fortunately, he hired two Sony TV veterans who worked on successful programs such as Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Crown and, ironically, Shark Tank, during the summer, and a British television executive in October. With any luck, what it produces in the future will be more visible and, in reality, could convince potential customers to subscribe to Apple's subscription services, rather than rivals such as Netflix or Hulu. Look to see what other offers of original content Apple works in 2018 to keep users locked in their ecosystem.<br />
<br /><b>All that foreign income</b><br /><br />Apple has more than $ 200 billion in offshore accounts of non-US companies that have not repatriated to avoid paying US taxes. The Trump administration has suggested a tax plan that would create a one-time "repatriation holiday," allowing companies to return money to US shores. UU To obtain a discounted tax rate. Trump has yet to specify what this rate would be, and Max de Haldevang, of Quartz, explained why he does it and whether it will work as planned:<br /><br /> As Trump says, money can go back into the economy and "work, work and work". When Congress tried to do this in 2004, the money really went back to the US coasts. UU; $ 312 billion in gross revenue. The problem, however, was that most of it was returned to shareholders, rather than reinvested in the US economy.<br /><br />Anyway, Apple would almost certainly take advantage of this opportunity to take much of its income in foreign currency to the US. UU For a low price. The company has already committed to invest in companies that manufacture products in the US. UU., Including the optical components company Finisar and glass manufacturer Corning, which will probably delight Trump and encourage him to announce those vacations sooner rather than later. If Apple actually spends more of its billions in new plants, stores or jobs in the United States, it is uncertain, but it would definitely free up funds for some of its most ambitious projects.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-21055471750505484342017-11-07T00:57:00.001-08:002017-11-07T00:57:24.715-08:00Apple Plans To Let Developers Offer Discounts On in-app Subscriptions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmtJmlG7r61Xj1xohLCXRhW3OOYlabxdWGzZxDsM_PJDkZHwPLqD42WcmucgRsVuBnOOcA8tWevdKSxLLKwtAz1jOH2Rbquq0wa1RhwykSBPDc-Frj013A9oaukUGa16k0nhdVF5-txzo/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
Apple plans to give developers more freedom on launch price levels of in-app subscriptions. Apple evokes the beta notes of iOS 11.2 rated by 9to5Mac. Apple plans to extend full pricing and free pricing options to include a new low cost option to entice new subscribers to sign up with an activated automatic payment. Prior to this date, developers were allowed to use only one-time free trials to encourage users to sign up for the automatic payment system. It is not clear exactly when iOS 11.2 will arrive, but this should be done in the very near future.<br />
<br />
The change will not be too much felt by users, but it should be a win for developers if they can find a more comfortable middle ground between a free trial and a full-price subscription. Apple has already softened the deal for app makers selling subscriptions with a change in the App Store policy, introduced last year, which reduced subscription revenue by 30% to 15%, provided that a user has been paying for the subscription for more than 12 months.<br />
<br />
Now, with more price freedom, Apple is encouraging even more developers to sell software subscriptions through the App Store. Considering the revenue from Apple's service division, which includes the App Store, is now larger per quarter than the iPad, Apple Watch and combined headsets divisions, it's easy to see why the iPhone maker wants to invest in fixed money in the long term to do business.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-87140318979687550512017-09-11T04:56:00.001-07:002017-09-11T04:56:11.618-07:00Xiaomi’s Latest Laptop Targets Apple’s MacBook Pro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8S3A4ZRHKu3-CBBKWJzPJEjE4je6WppPK1vB5B7Nut4NLFrfuzDWJZZ_yJSuDshk94CeOSVmbSqXduefUexTbms4ZL78KVrTWU0i72-j8HgWynisk32Lc5iOhW_lD4Ifkbk_Tw9VyiukD/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Xiaomi entered the notebook market last year with its My Notebook Air that was designed to target Apple's MacBook in name and design. This year the Chinese company is shifting its focus to Apple's MacBook Pro with the launch of its own My Notebook Pro. The My Notebook Pro includes a 15.6-inch (1920 x 1080) screen with narrow bezels, the latest quad -core i7 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of Nvidia GeForce MX150 SSD storage and GeForce MX150 graphics.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIWfFLDva5vAGPuknsSKbC9V2jL_3EePJuaQnU6pI4GyT7uRwJcohlU1Ft30MrKOUQGRO-83a425nTQaF_umOAkUXyPZR9wrfNJqO_BepIDdxPpV6KwHrQodqXRMRIdM0LcEsZt4mHRmE/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
There is even a fingerprint sensor built into a precision trackpad, a 3-in-1 card reader, two USB-C ports, two standard USB ports and a full-size HDMI port. Xiaomi is quick to point out that this is a more diverse mix of ports than Apple's own MacBook Pro, which only features four USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports. The specs certainly look good on paper (apart from a 1080p screen ), but we'll have to take a closer look at the laptop to find out more.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoGaJCNfAd7Rf-A2XIGAIwECGTqKD8RmYapOx5_VRejt_-4Nksg-vHMMaW9uFDKPoWOCPUeip7Y4xz6V9RSzqCjUF1lzfTllIFLnjRgJVy-tMC5jsvCTolpPymBmSGimmcUStRFkri6JE/s640/2.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />Xiaomi is pricing its My Notebook Pro at 6399 yuan (980 dollars) for the base model, but it is unclear when and where the laptop will be available. Xiaomi previously started selling its My Notebook Air in China, so it is likely that the Notebook Pro will be limited to China initially.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrwGJTC6HGmCxxs0F-GqrgWHrbMKp82PESJLajs_6L_LL-QvYep7N3cLqi7iWcuEKSeC5ewk1Wq_PRh7hrXpg8B_YwanzWvNeGASAS8lgwnSMS57gIiRvqUce8G9uEgW4AzOH-4RUv7go/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-22297921154948972172016-09-01T00:07:00.001-07:002016-09-01T00:07:33.480-07:00What To Expect From Apple's 'See You' iPhone Event<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuo4mjHVmjrvLjfhAs2CM4n-8wIahNkDC4KdyxySzCUhpfwyleu1AtPj78LB-2pFmt5NdovSuoN5-qadiyhbMGJErjHFhivi3y3Jh-CZ8x062r2gWca8i9W7MhYxGuaLehXhxVRdxZGEc/s640/4.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
It is once again that time of the year. It is the end of summer, and Apple is once again about to introduce a new iPhone. This year alone, there is a different rumor. Cupertino talked about was playing relatively safe with a new smartphone for the second year or even eliminate taking secular headphones. What's wrong with that? And of course, most likely it's just the tip of the iceberg. Apple clock is long in the tooth, new versions of iOS and Mac OS are almost ready ... and how many will tell you, large file extensions iPad and Apple Mac collecting dust. But what you see when Tim Cook and company take the stage? We have assembled some of the most plausible leaks, rumors and conjectures to help set expectations for September 7th Apple multimedia show.<br />
<br />
<b>The next iPhone: Apple giveth, and Apple taketh away</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmssgASEcu5-605KNBXeXsVA8N1bWzOnCjO7U413Lb1d0T4TI-JEy4RT8CLCppGqKA8AGFBpLVdSGLo8pRZJGqE1MBaBE1uzP-f-OwikJZEdrmmSlp8KOPlr1L7tHWDkbx5SGBYq_ElHsP/s640/5.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Historically, Apple introduced the iPhone a major redesign every two years, with a smooth upgrade "S" between the two. However, this year is something special: The Wall Street Journal and other sources expect the next iPhone (unofficially known as iPhone 7 and 7 Plus) to play safely. Although there will be biggest external changes we have seen in the iPhone 6s, Cupertino team willing to reinvent the wheel either. Would share the same aesthetic you saw from the iPhone 6 in 2014, with curved aluminum frame largely, but most of the time without relief. Cleaner lines and possible new colors (black options rumors and dark blue) antenna may be the only visible to show that you have a new phone forms.<br />
<br />
This does not mean that changes are purely cosmetic - far from it. It is expected that the standard size for iPhone a larger camera that can provide better light sensitivity, while most variant can boast of two cameras that offer better development and low-light photography, like what is found Huawei in P9. There is also talk of a start button touch work style, A10 chips faster, basic storage increased to 32 GB (with a choice of 256 GB) and even a possible dual SIM support for countries like China and India. A rumor says that we will see high-resolution displays, but the jury is still out on this report.<br />
<br />
There is a great thing that probably will not get this year, however: a headphone jack. As with the Moto Z and the last Leeco phone, or connect to the data port (in this case, port lightning) or wirelessly and listen to their songs. This does not mean that your favorite headphones cable to instantly obsolete, they care about. Some leaks have suggested that Apple could offer a 3.5 mm headset adapter Rayo accommodate legions on the market today. There is no guarantee that this connector will come in the box, but you probably have some sort of alternative in case you're not quite ready to embrace Bluetooth.<br />
<br />
There is one last, the question looming on the iPhone: When is it going to happen? Leaking store AT & T suggests that the carrier may be preparing to launch a store on September 23, but that is exceptionally long wait for Apple. Usually prefers a statement on the second Friday after the event, which would be the 16th day Well known for leaks Evan Blass he heard the retail release is scheduled for the 16th, it seems that the most likely date .<br />
<br />
<b>The first Apple Watch refresh</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGb7A5tCrcu_mqlTIVEAXMRvAQsiI6ZdiHRNSiNQeaTU6s5rO0M614uNxoc22MO2-FW0YVguFiVIHqqiUsy0dL7hfizvZvkFhxkbtiqtJURaN16oIF6AXFxeOSIMQg8JaUP96CO_hpC80/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="405" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGb7A5tCrcu_mqlTIVEAXMRvAQsiI6ZdiHRNSiNQeaTU6s5rO0M614uNxoc22MO2-FW0YVguFiVIHqqiUsy0dL7hfizvZvkFhxkbtiqtJURaN16oIF6AXFxeOSIMQg8JaUP96CO_hpC80/s640/6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Unless you count new bands and colors of cases such as hardware upgrades, Apple clock has been coming intact for almost a year and a half, in April 2015. This is ripe for an update level ... and many suspect you will have its first major revision in the September event. From a logical standpoint, this makes sense. WatchOS 3 was tested throughout the summer, existing supplies are low, and Apple likes to present major revisions of the platform with the new hardware. Moreover, rumors were showing a principle of the new sponges wrist Mars. If she was not ready for him to be ready right now.<br />
<br />
So you get if appear? Like the iPhone 3G, the second model may be more on addressing the obvious problems in the first model of a complete revolution. The first rumors of a camera are dead, and should not cellular data to make the cut due to concerns battery life. Instead, the big case can be GPS: You can perform precise navigation and tracking without relying on your iPhone.<br />
<br />
After that, it can be a matter of refinement. analyst at KGI Ming-Chi Kuo, who is often the ball on Apple's plans, believes the upcoming Apple Watch will be a barometer to track altitude, high water resistance, higher capacity battery and a processor faster. This last part is especially important. While WatchOS 3 accelerate many tasks by itself, a processor upgrade might further reduce annoying delays affecting the clock apple today.<br />
<br />
The real mystery is when the second generation SmartWatch looks. There was no credible leak, and no extensive story to tell. The gap of six weeks from the introduction and release date of Apple Watch in March 2015 is not typical for the company. If the team is ready to go, however, we could imagine that comes along with the new iPhone in mid-September.<br />
<br />
<b>Software upgrade release dates: iOS 10 and more</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3WZ8i3mNIn0WxCqso59YKuECS0Juyed9j3ZhIsLYorKvGF1KTS0u8WvyforX9SZ8HOzEl-cVkl8RcbwrDulifTsq1Fp5pwa9OZuj1yStQW_lZBw8Yx7DnLhoXUy8JU6leGgAkookB6bP/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3WZ8i3mNIn0WxCqso59YKuECS0Juyed9j3ZhIsLYorKvGF1KTS0u8WvyforX9SZ8HOzEl-cVkl8RcbwrDulifTsq1Fp5pwa9OZuj1yStQW_lZBw8Yx7DnLhoXUy8JU6leGgAkookB6bP/s640/7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Software usually plays an important role in the September Apple event, and this year is probably not an exception. Since Apple still joins a new iPhone hardware for new versions of iOS in the fall, we expect to see a 10 date for iOS update event. Society tends to send these updates at least days before the arrival of the new iPhones.<br />
<br />
As with other programs? It is more difficult to determine. WatchOS 3 appears to be one of the favorites in an announcement of the release date (it was in testing developers as long as IOS), especially if there is a new watch Apple unveiled simultaneously. A software update TVOS is true that there is no word of a corresponding hardware upgrade Apple TV, though it may occur on the day the software updates Apple TV sometimes have gathered new versions of iOS. And Sierra macOS launch? Well, that is in the air. While Apple has sold Captain at the end of September last year, there is no certainty that Sierra will be ready in a similar period. He may have to wait until a new Mac hardware. On that note ...<br />
<br />
<b>Wild cards: new Macs and iPads</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qTwMB7dqUaf_5Tx3Tc5gwW_ViBOcrSXY_QqpsTVhMCNnhZSpko1NXrGRs-cqiH6T2NPrY4k7K07DHpxrSK6onTdftM3eqr6xnf5Z0QG65_FhqGhffsCJ2jVy7J3FmdrTFZyeEoCUEYbw/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qTwMB7dqUaf_5Tx3Tc5gwW_ViBOcrSXY_QqpsTVhMCNnhZSpko1NXrGRs-cqiH6T2NPrY4k7K07DHpxrSK6onTdftM3eqr6xnf5Z0QG65_FhqGhffsCJ2jVy7J3FmdrTFZyeEoCUEYbw/s640/8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
If you are asking the devotees of what is Apple to the next level, many of them shouting "Mac". It is for good reason, too. Outside the 12-inch MacBook and iMac, most Mac range has not been updated for more than a year ago. Some of this is due to the slowdown of the update cycle of Intel and diminishing returns in performance, but the fact remains that the line Apple Computer could keep a redesign.<br />
<br />
But it will get this review in September? It seems unlikely. A recent leak Bloomberg says a MacBook Pro with a fingerprint reader, a strip of OLED control and USB-C is in the works for the fall, but will not show on September 7. And the word Mom in other reworkings of Mac beyond vague hints of an update of the MacBook Air. Apple has recently stopped selling ray screen and is rumored to be building an independent 5K screen that would go well with the new Mac, but the mill was silent about his fate in recent weeks.<br />
<br />
You can see the new iPads. IPad 2 air nearly two years older, and forecasters AppleInsider suggests that at least 12.9 inch iPad Pro can get a promotion. Like the Mac, however, there is nothing that suggests strongly that substitutions or appear in September. The updates could end up waiting until a separate event in October, if not next year. Just keep an open mind - some might expect the iPad Pro to be introduced along with the new iPhone last year, and Apple simply can introduce improved modestly in September tablets instead of keeping them for later. Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-24198534313215168882016-07-11T23:21:00.000-07:002016-07-11T23:22:13.479-07:00Apple iOS 10 Public Live Blog: iMessage is Now A Lot More FunApple started rolling out the iOS 10 public beta for users and here's our experience of the OS.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtqq4E0tk4pPYJPzFFl_CpkKR5Ujz4gKnsxGyUXvfOcNNIvNcBf-6ZbCYld0CkEkbH1UrjUK8BF5lPDtX2yHuZu9vYE2hdtIp43udNK_UXzX4BZiy6kQlKCIgvgrzDk-86-HLTcxkDDDUZ/s640/10.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Apple started rolling out the iOS 10 public beta, or second version of the developer preview, late last week. After a bit of contemplation I have decided to take the plunge and upgrade the iPhone 6s Plus to the latest version of the Apple mobile OS.<br />
<br />
Over the next few days I will chronicle my experience with iOS 10. Below we look at the latest addition in iMessage.<br />
<br />
<b>The upgrade</b><br />
<br />
My phone had over 50GB of data, and hadn’t been backed up after a point — my iCloud is on the free 5GB limit. So after I decided to upgrade, the first thing I had to do was a backup. As suggested by some experts, I chose to opt for the encrypted backup, this way it’s easier to recover the phone if things go wrong.<br />
<br />
The entire beta download process on Apple is smooth and very easy to understand. Go to the page, download the profile and restart your phone. Then you will start seeing the new update in your software updates tab.<br />
<br />
On my 8Mbps Wifi connection the 1.7GB download took close to an hour. The installation that followed lasted nearly 15 minutes.<br />
<br />
The phone sprung back to life with my Slack and Whatsapp notifications buzzing on the lock screen. My data and apps were all untouched. I was happy.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqbUSYBIMHr2iUbhVD0WFJNoZH36vQDq1bVy9vi2KD7nXm9PyhBFyuovJpg3HiOu3c9jfq9qePkBQ-oYrdjuHHkyJ4b1zqG65JgaqOwqsJ5oRD8oFsaHphoFPO1N1PlTjX9uGV8kBQNRa/s640/11.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>First Impressions</b><br />
<br />
The first thing that hit me was the lock screen and notifications screen. This seems to be Apple’s answer to Google Now. Everything you need to know is here from weather to calendar and news. It’s all very easy to navigate and comprehend. The search bar is on top and the only thing missing are the Siri apps. For that, we might have wait till Fall, when the full release is rolled out.<br />
<br />
Notifications come wherever you are, as a card that can be easily dismissed or acted on. You can pull down the notifications like before, but the cards are better sorted now.<br />
<br />
One of the first new features I ended up using was in the clock app. There is now a Bedtime tab that sort of decides when you should sleep and sends you an alert before this time. It does this based on the time you want to wake up and the expected hours of sleep. If only life what was simple.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwlo5Do2FVeEU6zT3rp7DNluojuWeIuY1nOIqxBXy8LcBJZn7BoAgVGpZv1K73bleht6m4MuqTu3GdwxqPMFX2M54FeDtGXrFBQ0XqU8Mnjv6Vo9mbIlrTfUheoHGVEEU7wxuxnWNdRe2/s640/12.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>iMessage</b><br />
For me the most anticipated feature was the new iMessage app. It is pure shock and awe given that the old app was basic. Now, it is the best of messaging across all third-party apps and has some cutting edge stuff on top of it.<br />
<br />
The first new thing I tried was sharing a song with someone else on a iPhone. It went through, though the person could not reply in kind.<br />
<br />
The App Store will give you lot of fun stuff to play with in messages, but it has limited options now.<br />
The scribble and sketch option is what I suggest will end up being used a lot. With some practice, you can write a full message like this and pray the person on the other side understands.<br />
<br />
The full impact of this on messaging behaviour will take some time to gauge, but it’s sure a start and one that will give some sleepless nights to third party apps like Whatsapp.</div>
Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-11304643766571837262016-06-08T03:34:00.001-07:002016-06-08T03:34:34.997-07:00Apple Takes Another Important Step Toward Building A Waterproof iPhone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNG_Ngd4dSMzw8SvLGv2HJagPsBeIYD65FTWiG-8Q7r2wTwvmOrR0xSD058XRUPc_WLOxiWqlzLrQQaNNqHD3w1uNiWYrVvo9nNOG8fvHACaIQ9motAbjHDBpErdWqWBEOUOTcRvBQNP-G/s640/14.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
Apple iPhone 7 will be one of the hottest smart phones to hit stores this year, and a lot of rumors design and some of the most important new features we have discussed it expected. . In fact, new discoveries show that Apple's future may better waterproof and audio technology and even better sport.<br />
<br />
Found by Apple Insider, patent No. 9,364,589 describes a Liquid resistant acoustic device. That’s a fancy way of describing a speaker that will have waterproof or water-resistant features, thus helping the iPhone resist spills even better than it already does.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7VhM9k6d_1LDS9WnR3RtDXdUi59qQ9_j8Uteuoz0l-8i15YceSoDn_qgOHLdPWq3PnLgGsVDZvlw3rqipXncjg9LKYyAN37LsKc7YpTDJPEwsyetDSSZ3bf3IMvCgxghAbhVcMAyLe6f/s640/12.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The patent describes a mesh umbrella that can be used between an audio ports (such as language) and below the diaphragm in the housing of a device, placed in order to direct fluid away from the internal components of the device. If the pressure increases, the mesh may allow liquid to pass through in order to avoid structural damage.<br /><br />used to describe (pictured above).<br /><br />Second patent awarded to Apple EarPods performance improvement company describes the technology. System and method of mixing signals accelerometer and microphone to improve audio quality in a mobile device as, Patent No. 9364596 describes that bone conduction headphones and accelerometer technology to improve noise cancellation features to use.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvk_H-XlDnvaAUkKFO0D9TW4lhVrgNrhaV15mlmDYDLaMbd2pg7y2DD47yUbcoD3OVrZZno6iyHJaT-G3ReEdlGfwMJFUBBvNbBT-Pxf_d4FivDN9LhTnThBgJF3S1Rq7iqf9J0wzYCexW/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvk_H-XlDnvaAUkKFO0D9TW4lhVrgNrhaV15mlmDYDLaMbd2pg7y2DD47yUbcoD3OVrZZno6iyHJaT-G3ReEdlGfwMJFUBBvNbBT-Pxf_d4FivDN9LhTnThBgJF3S1Rq7iqf9J0wzYCexW/s640/13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This technology can be used for hands-free phone calls, but also to talk to a more advanced version of Siri useful. These headphones that both the iPhone is clearly in an image, but also work with other devices is shown.<br /><br />S about all of Apple's patents, there's nothing to suggest the tech described in this document will be used in the next iPhone 7 series. But it certainly looks like Apple is interested in making the iPhone is waterproof without changing their plans, and also interested in improving the overall audio experience.</div>
Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-74046283112608593552016-05-09T00:57:00.000-07:002016-05-09T00:57:53.092-07:00Apple’s FBI Row Was An Opportunity Missed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPR2o0Qoo2X9fbRyqNdQaKBhhJHq7yqIjcWy0nEEZOgOhgC_pu8cu9L7fNFPpiJEyzZcxeY7YnDLRo9nsQezm5KBC5qnvzNyL9L0juZk-jbWP3ysBnba6M3n62i3xqR6lOB6T7TnUeMH9/s640/19.jpg" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Towards the end of last year, the FBI locked horns with Apple over the matter of an encrypted iPhone. It belonged to the employer of one of the San Bernardino killers and, because of an unbelievable cock-up, the FBI had failed to obtain all of the phone’s backed-up data. But they couldn’t get into the phone because they didn’t know the password. And they couldn’t get it by the normal computerised brute-force guessing technique conventionally used to obtain user passwords.<br /><br />Why? Because the Apple iPhone’s operating system has an ingenious trick built into it. After a certain number of incorrect guesses, it automatically destroys all the data stored on the phone. It’s a bit like having a house key that automatically incinerates the entire contents of the dwelling if it suspects that a burglar has got hold of it.<br /><br />So the FBI sought a court order to compel Apple to write a special version of the operating system without this ingenious destructive mechanism – which could then be downloaded to the phone. Apple refused, on various grounds both technological and legalistic, and the stage was set – so some of us thought – for a legal battle that would go all the way to the supreme court.<br /><br />In the end, it didn’t happen. The FBI bought a hack from an Israeli security company which had already found a way round the problem, called off the legal suit, and nobody got their day in front of the supremes. Which was a pity, because it means that a really important question posed by digital technology remains unresolved. Put simply, it’s this: what limits, if any, should be placed on the power of encryption technology to render citizens’ communications invisible to law enforcement and security authorities?<br /><br />In a way, we have Edward Snowden to thank for this. His revelations about the extent and intrusiveness of state snooping may have made some citizens nervous; but they induced utter panic in the internet companies that depend on “surveillance capitalism” for their revenues. After all, if internet users began to freak out about spooks hoovering up their webmail, tweets, status updates etc... then they might cut back on their use of online services, thereby throttling the supply of digital data the companies sell to advertisers.<br /><br />To pre-empt this, the companies began to introduce encryption into their products. And not just any old encryption either, but automatic end-to-end encryption, for which they did not hold any keys – which meant that if the feds came armed with a warrant, the companies could say, truthfully, that they were unable to help. Apple was an early participant in this game, but in due course Google and others followed suit, at which point the spooks and the cops began screaming blue murder. The FBI director fumed to Congress about the world “going dark” on his agents, while in the UK, David Cameron declared his determination that there should be no no-go areas in cyberspace for law enforcement.<br /><br />Despite this, the encryption bandwagon rolled on. The most significant move came on 5 April when the makers of WhatsApp, the world’s most popular messaging app, announced they were going the whole hog. “From now on,” wrote WhatsApp, “when you and your contacts use the latest version of the app, every call you make, and every message, photo, video, file, and voice message you send, is end-to-end encrypted by default, including group chats.”<br /><br />Since WhatsApp (now owned by Facebook) has upwards of a billion users, this is a pretty big deal. And it was certainly too much for the Brazilian judge who, last Monday, ordered a 72-hour shutdown of the service for its 100 million Brazilian users because investigators in a narcotics case suspected that the culprits had hidden behind the service’s encryption. The ban led to a huge outcry because Brazilians (like South Africans) are very intensive users of WhatsApp (which may have more to do with the fact that it’s free than that it’s encrypted), and last Tuesday another judge overturned it.<br /><br />But these are just the opening skirmishes in a conflict that will ultimately have to be resolved. Technology has provided citizens with military-grade encryption that ensures their communications cannot be accessed by agents of the state, even when operating under lawful authorisation. Is this a techno-utopian dream or a liberal-democratic nightmare? Or both? You can see why I wish it had gone to the supremes.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-75998683682015368892016-02-17T21:20:00.001-08:002016-02-17T21:20:14.892-08:00Apple Officially Launches Apple Pay in China<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4eufV0xMZrkc3FDlOQ__u61iGZ7fCzPS1de-RkYAEzkEtdcKTkQsY6qP5-Q-t-DSiJRX-XvWleh2pNyG9O4NCec355SaLj5kG82sUXpI9BUotWLieYY1_RtZGhpMe7ii_4wm78CJ61Y1/s1600/apple-pay-china1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4eufV0xMZrkc3FDlOQ__u61iGZ7fCzPS1de-RkYAEzkEtdcKTkQsY6qP5-Q-t-DSiJRX-XvWleh2pNyG9O4NCec355SaLj5kG82sUXpI9BUotWLieYY1_RtZGhpMe7ii_4wm78CJ61Y1/s640/apple-pay-china1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
After a number of reports in recent months regarding Apple’s preparations to launch its Apple Pay payments service in China, the company today announced the service is now available to customers in the country.<br />
<br />
The announcement comes via Apple’s news site for developers and notes that apps and goods in the country can now accept the Apple Pay payments service using supported credit and debit cards.<br />
<br />
Apple first announced back in December of last year that it was partnering with China UnionPay to bring Apple Pay to users in China sometime in 2016. Today it announced they can now begin using the service to pay for goods and services within apps using both China UnionPay credit and debit cards:<br />
<br />
You can now support Apple Pay for your customers in China, providing an easy, secure, and private way for them to pay using their China UnionPay credit and debit cards. Apple Pay lets users buy physical goods and services within your app without having to enter payment or contact information.<br />
<br />
CEO Tim Cook has been vocal about growth in China including plans for Apple Pay, recently noting that he “very much” wanted to launch the platform there and that he is “very bullish” on its prospects in the country.<br />
<br />
Yesterday we noted that the China launch was rumored for this week as Apple also reportedly eyes a launch for France this year. Today’s launch adds China to the list of supported Apple Pay countries alongside the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.<br />
<br />
Earlier today Apple added another 40 banks and credit unions to its list of officially supported institutions for Apple Pay in the US. Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-87301984919003665722016-02-17T21:13:00.001-08:002016-02-17T21:13:16.459-08:00Apple’s Noble Stand Against the FBI Is Also Great Business<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJZjEboMIUSMNfOHB7H9R2URHuZiRejCofV-SsTomDZUoq6jT2IA53ZvsNNf3bCSIZ7pdY1mMqeBTLyNZiZDuzWyhopCCroZLpIfFgMfz9M6syWvkvcJv1wFVMSp4ztvEIcnWI-V_FjJw/s1600/apple-fbi-privacy-499582996-1024x683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJZjEboMIUSMNfOHB7H9R2URHuZiRejCofV-SsTomDZUoq6jT2IA53ZvsNNf3bCSIZ7pdY1mMqeBTLyNZiZDuzWyhopCCroZLpIfFgMfz9M6syWvkvcJv1wFVMSp4ztvEIcnWI-V_FjJw/s640/apple-fbi-privacy-499582996-1024x683.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
<br />
Apple has been trying to position itself as a protector of privacy, a kind of anti-Google, since long before the FBI’s court order. In 2014, Tim Cook claimed on Charlie Rose that Apple has no way to decrypt messages sent through iMessage (at least as long as you don’t back them up to iCloud). And at last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, the company’s speakers repeatedly emphasized that although apps like Siri store your data, that data stays on your device and isn’t shared with Apple.<br />
<br />
That positioning stands in stark contrast to Google, which is heavily dependent on advertising revenue and has an incentive to gather as much user data as possible. Yes, Apple runs the iAds network, so there’s a bit of spin involved in the Cupertino company’s positioning, but it’s true that Google and Apple have very different business models overall. That, combined with the way Apple makes it dead simple to encrypt the data stored on your iPhone or Macbook, has given Apple products a reputation of being secure yet easy to use. Complying with the FBI’s request would jeopardize the company’s image as the paragon of easy security.<br />
<br />
Of course there’s also a risk in taking on the FBI. Even as some users take to Twitter to threaten a boycott of Apple if the company complies with the FBI’s request, others are threatening to do the same if Apple doesn’t help the agency. It’s impossible to predict how this will play out, especially in the fickle US consumer market, but there’s reason to think consumers will support Apple’s stand.<br />
<br />
“My research on this suggests that users are in fact deterred from using digital products with confidence if they feel that their actions are being tracked by the government,” says Catherine Tucker, a professor of marketing at MIT Sloan School of Management. “From a marketing standpoint therefore, I believe Apple stands to benefit from taking a stand against legally mandated encryption backdoors.”<br />
<br />
<h3>
A Global Disadvantage</h3>
<br />
Meanwhile, some of Apple’s most crucial buyers may be seriously put off if Apple complies with the FBI’s request, namely large corporate customers and consumers outside the US. The consensus among security researchers is that building a back door for law enforcement will make Apple’s products inherently less secure, says Gartner analyst Peter Firstbrook. “The iPhone is the preferred mobile phone for security,” he says. “I’m not sure if this particular move would affect enterprise sales, but anything they do to reduce security would be negatively appreciated.”<br />
<br />
That goes double for overseas markets. There’s already a degree of mistrust between the US and foreign firms and governments thanks to Edward Snowden’s disclosures of the National Security Agency’s digital dragnet. Last year the European Union nuked a provision that allowed US firms to transfer data in and out of the EU, a policy change that could have serious ramifications on US companies’ ability to do business in Europe.<br />
<br />
Just as the US government is skeptical of doing business with Chinese technology companies like Huawei and LTE, meanwhile, many foreign governments are equally dubious of US firms. Knowing that Apple cannot and will not turn data over to the US government could be an important selling point as iPhone sales level off and Apple pushes to sell more of its flagship device in countries like China and Russia.<br />
<br />
Forcing companies to build backdoors into their products could undermine what trust US companies have built. The US government would be putting US firms at a disadvantage globally, Firstbrook says.<br />
<br />
Who will prevail? It’s a tough call when the world’s most valuable company goes up against the world’s most powerful country. But so far, Wall Street likes Apple’s chances: The company’s stock was up by more than one-and-a-half percent when the market closed on Wednesday.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-10488223117001313932016-01-14T22:31:00.000-08:002016-01-14T22:31:47.163-08:00Apple iOS 9.3 Has A Great Secret FeatureThis week Apple AAPL +2.02% revealed iOS 9.3 and it represents a seismic change in the company’s approach to education. But lost among all the upgrades in iOS 9.3 was a brilliant (and much needed) new feature which Apple chose not to mention in its release notes… <br />
<br />MacRumors has spotted that if you dig into the settings of iOS 9.3 (Settings > Cellular [Mobile Data in UK] > WiFi Assist) and just below the on/off toggle you will find Apple has now added data usage figures. Why is this so important? Because it may get Apple out of a class action lawsuit and potentially saves customers from massive carrier bills.<br />
<br />For those not in the know, WiFi Assist was introduced in iOS 9 and tries to help users maintain fast data connections by bolstering weak WiFi connections with their cellular data. This sounds good in principle, but victims have found they didn’t know when WiFi Assist was kicking in and had no easy way of seeing how much data was being consumed on their data plans without going to the carrier directly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BCiOTQr7iej5_hYftgI4mlZ2YBjpjsR9DML87xF0I8ktdfCEgq41x49cpasU2Htlt8hBjmDGMemgksuST-xOTFAJVwUSuhDhLUQQuaXKO4pGr3bQNyw-nE8MqA7z_n2EDtXXE9-qHv4i/s1600/wifiassistnewios9datafeature1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BCiOTQr7iej5_hYftgI4mlZ2YBjpjsR9DML87xF0I8ktdfCEgq41x49cpasU2Htlt8hBjmDGMemgksuST-xOTFAJVwUSuhDhLUQQuaXKO4pGr3bQNyw-nE8MqA7z_n2EDtXXE9-qHv4i/s1600/wifiassistnewios9datafeature1.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />This resulted in one case where a user faced a carrier bill of over $2,000. The fact WiFi Assist is also enabled by default has also seen Apple hit with a $5M Class Action lawsuit. In response Apple has now published a WiFi Assist guidance page and now iOS 9.3 (which is currently open to developers and consumers in beta form) is taking matters a sensible stage further.<br />
<br />In Apple’s defence, WiFi Assist does not start automatically if the user is roaming abroad or for apps running in the background. It will also not be used to automatically download email attachments or stream audio and video. That said WiFi Assist will work if, for example, you’re using turn-by-turn directions in Apple Maps and the case for ‘Bill Shock’ remains.<br />
<br />Consequently, giving users easier access to track their WiFi Assist cellular data consumption (and reset the count at any point) is both very welcome and highly practical from customer satisfaction and legal standpoints.<br />
<br />I would still like to see a little more functionality, such as setting limits and giving users direct control over which apps can and cannot use WiFi Assist, but with iOS 9.3 Apple has taken a solid – if surprisingly secretive – step in the right direction… Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-844269063651983702016-01-14T22:14:00.000-08:002016-01-14T22:17:09.996-08:00Apple Has Wall Street Spooked But You Shouldn’t Be<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdB-TgS10R9k1b0Jhdd4yvPOAzaE11wRZrWzeXWKq4UMHkcNM2a5stxYKkKWGAubcWD86q0I1bEwJlgiddY4qFpe1ZaKEf_ZU1_MBSqkb_Xim7aaPWJe_CvhUmo-oqdHFMbtWa4GETwRyy/s1600/Woj_Apple_Key_2573-1024x675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdB-TgS10R9k1b0Jhdd4yvPOAzaE11wRZrWzeXWKq4UMHkcNM2a5stxYKkKWGAubcWD86q0I1bEwJlgiddY4qFpe1ZaKEf_ZU1_MBSqkb_Xim7aaPWJe_CvhUmo-oqdHFMbtWa4GETwRyy/s640/Woj_Apple_Key_2573-1024x675.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Apple has Wall Street fretting. Last week, Apple’s stock price dropped to its lowest closing price in a year. The company has lost about a quarter of its market cap since hitting a record high eleven months ago, in a slide that began even before the jitters that have plagued the market as a whole in 2016. Yes, tech stocks weren’t off to a great start, following a broader market trend spurred by a weaker-than-expected manufacturing figures from China. But Wall Street analysts seem worried about Apple in particular, especially iPhone sales. These include even those analysts who are usually bullish on the Cupertino company. So, what’s going on?<br />
<br />
In short, Wall Street is worried that the demand for the iPhone has finally surpassed its peak. To be sure, morsels of evidence point to that possibility, and in the stock market’s parallel universe, that’s a big problem. But for everyday Apple fans, that hardly means the company is in trouble.<br />
<br />
Investor anxieties about Apple that surfaced in early December grew more acute following rumors last week that the company had ordered manufacturers of iPhone parts to cut production. The real worries began after a report from the Japanese newspaper Nikkei that was seemingly corroborated by The Wall Street Journal. Shares began to slide.<br />
<br />
That’s despite Apple’s oft-stated admonishment that the public—and investors—shouldn’t try to read too much into supplier comments, since no vendor has a complete picture of Apple’s complex and massive supply chain. But then some harder data started to emerge that seemed to indicate Apple might actually be decreasing production of the iPhone.<br />
<br />
Cirrus Logic, Qorvo, Dialog Semiconductor and Foxconn—all well-known cogs in the Apple supply chain—recently clipped their revenue forecasts. Equity research service Seeking Alpha does point out that Apple isn’t directly dependent on at least two of those companies, and that the revised guidance actually shows only a more conservative projection (Cirrus would still end up with a 16 percent year over year increase) or flat growth (Qorvo). But it’s getting harder and harder to ignore analysts who say demand for the iPhone seems to be topping out.<br />
<br />
“We think the most likely reason for a shortfall is that the upgrader portion of unit demand has stalled significantly in recent months and is failing to meet Apple’s own expectations,” financial services company UBS firm wrote in a note to clients. In other words, most people who want an iPhone probably already own one—and the one they have is probably good enough, features-wise, that those folks don’t feel an urgent need to upgrade. Another firm, Pacific Crest Securities, was harsher on Apple leadership: “Management’s confidence now looks highly likely to be misplaced, which suggests that it was either ignorant of the challenges it faced or deliberately overstating underlying trends,” it said.<br />
<br />
<h3>
A Star That Doesn’t Shine as Brightly</h3>
<br />
All of this may seem like cause for concern, since the iPhone has for so long been the star of Apple’s show. Last quarter, the iPhone accounted for nearly two-thirds of Apple’s total revenue. And Apple has never reported a decline in iPhone sales. Ever. So it makes sense that the prospect of the company seeing flat sales—or, god forbid, a slight dip—has unnerved shareholders. Everyone is used to a universe where Apple and its iPhone rules.<br />
<br />
But to Brian Blau, research director of consumer technology at industry research firm Gartner, the iPhone’s slowdown in growth—and the slowing of the smartphone market in general—is not news. “We’ve [long] known that the penetration of smartphone devices would eventually reach a point where the very impressive growth that we saw earlier was just not going to be sustainable,” Blau says. “When you look at a maturing market like this, you do have to have realistic expectations.”<br />
<br />
And even if the star that is Apple’s iPhone “doesn’t shine as brightly,” he argues the company can still sustain itself on its other products—especially nowadays, where the point of buying a smartphone isn’t to talk on the phone, but to be connected. “[After you buy a phone], you want to get value from it,” Blau says. “Apps and services turn the phone from a piece of electronics to something that’s meaningful, an integral part of their lives.” Apple still plays a huge part in that enabling such personal experiences—which the company now extends into other areas, from music to television to news.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Apple’s Rules of Relativity</h3>
<br />
Precedent is also in Apple’s favor. Throughout its history, Apple has navigated so many shifts in technology—from the PCs to portable music to inventing the mighty smartphone—in an absurdly successful way. That’s easy to forget as the currently myopic view of the company’s prospects takes hold. But Apple’s story is one of a colossal, unparalleled success. “Think of it not as an existential crisis but a midlife crisis,” says Frank Gillett, a principal analyst at Forrester.<br />
<br />
Most importantly, in its midlife, Apple has stocked up on reserves and resources that should help it clear the hurdles that come its way. Today, Apple’s cash hoard is in excess of $200 billion, and that grows substantially every quarter, even if its sales start to flatline, since the company’s margins remain so wide. That’s how Apple works.<br />
<br />
Certainly, it’s easy in the boom-and-bust world of Silicon Valley to become inured to a climate of transient success and failure. But it’s good to step back and remember the rules of tech industry relativity that hold Apple to an alternate universe of standards. Objectively, Apple is still one of the most mind-blowingly profitable companies of all time. And even if we learn that Apple sold “only” 74 million iPhones during its last quarter—the same number it sold a year earlier—that’s still a smash-hit success by anyone else’s measure. Only judged by Apple’s uniquely astronomical scale does that look anything like a failure.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-25030806461357156772016-01-14T03:27:00.003-08:002016-01-14T03:27:46.024-08:00Apple's iPhone 7 Everything We Know So Far<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hzL_qB9NUfhVogWV9k67MN5lhOikoLW8PoSKu-HNPey-SKU2HwCmqOPdNN3fVeKkbPFFhGUPtvvxmQY6xSjEYQP_2Hlo0FzNvjaoVSYMP5NDwxh7P03HwiuGjmmQ4LHaGzN1XfpND1cn/s1600/1452723757667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hzL_qB9NUfhVogWV9k67MN5lhOikoLW8PoSKu-HNPey-SKU2HwCmqOPdNN3fVeKkbPFFhGUPtvvxmQY6xSjEYQP_2Hlo0FzNvjaoVSYMP5NDwxh7P03HwiuGjmmQ4LHaGzN1XfpND1cn/s1600/1452723757667.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7 may very well represent the most radical iPhone redesign we’ve seen yet. Not only will the iPhone 7 likely sport a new form factor, there are also a number of rumors pointing towards the device completely doing away with the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack.<br />
<br />
Of course, seeing as how the next iPhone will be a number upgrade in the refresh cycle (as opposed to an ‘S’ upgrade), it stands to reason that the iPhone 7 will introduce a wide array of compelling new features.<br />
With the rumor mill already in full swing, we’ve compiled a list of all the interesting iPhone 7 rumors we’ve seen spring to life over the past few months. While Apple’s iPhone plans are certainly subject to change, the list below is a reasonable and safe approximation of what exciting features folks looking to upgrade can look forward to later this year.<br />
<br />
<h3>
1. No headphone jack</h3>
<br />
Without question, the most startling design change to the iPhone 7 may be its lack of a headphone jack. What started out as a crazy rumor has since been corroborated by a number of varying sources. According to reports, Apple will completely remove the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack and instead rely on the Lightning port for audio.<br />
<br />
Doing so will not only save space, thus allowing for a thinner iPhone, but will also improve the overall sound quality. A Fast Company report from last week claimed that the iPhone 7’s “audio system will also leverage a new noise-canceling technology” that will be “baked into the phone and also into the headphones that will plug into it, and will help remove background noise in music playback and in phone calls…”<br />
<br />
The only question, though, is how big the backlash will be if Apple actually does abandon the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack? Will consumers protest and take their wallets elsewhere, or will this eventually blow over with time, much like other instances where Apple has abandoned legacy technologies.<br />
<br />
<h3>
2. Waterproof design</h3>
<br />
One of the side benefits to eliminating the headphone jack is that it makes it easier to waterproof the iPhone. After all, it’s one less port for water to creep into and wreak havoc with the circuitry. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen reports that the iPhone 7 will be completely dust and waterproof and may very well come with an IP68 rating. If this pans out, the iPhone 7 would be able to withstand submersion under water at great depths and still operate swimmingly after the fact.<br />
<br />
<h3>
3. New form factor</h3>
<br />
While the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus display sizes will be the same as what Apple already uses on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, it stands to reason that the iPhone 7 will introduce a new look and feel to Apple’s smartphone lineup. Indeed, every major iPhone upgrade (the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, iPhone 6) has incorporated new design elements and there’s no reason to think that the iPhone 7 will be any different. One safe bet is that the iPhone 7 will be even thinner than the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.<br />
<br />
<h3>
4. Wireless Charging</h3>
<br />
Though smartphones from companies like Samsung have had wireless charging for some time, Apple will reportedly jump on the bandwagon with the iPhone 7. Apple, we should point out, isn’t completely new to the world of wireless charging as that’s how the Apple Watch is charged.<br />
<br />
<h3>
5. Bigger battery</h3>
<br />
Battery life has long been a sore spot for some iPhone users. Of course, this is arguably a good problem as it shows that consumers love using their iPhones. With respect to Apple’s next-gen iPhone 7, a recently surfaced report claims that the battery packs on the iPhone 7 models may have more capacity than the ones used on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Specifically, the iPhone 7 Plus model may be graced with a 3100 man battery. In contrast, the iPhone 6s Plus battery is 2750 mAh. If this translates into longer battery life, that may be a strong impetus for folks to upgrade.<br />
<br />
<h3>
6. Better photos with dual-cameras</h3>
<br />
We haven’t heard too much about the iPhone 7 camera just yet, but a recently unearthed patent suggests that Apple is actively exploring implementing two distinct camera modules on the iPhone. Doing so would not only help improve overall camera quality, but would also improve image quality and overall detailing when zooming in. Another compelling use-case involves the ability to record two types of video at the same time, one in regular 4K and one in slow motion.<br />
<br />
We should also point out that Apple back in April acquired LinX Computational Imaging, an Israeli company with incredibly advanced camera technology. As we highlighted a few months back, LinX touted its cameras as “leading the way to DSLR performance in slim handsets.” Some of the other features LinX’s camera technology provided includes improved low light photography, decreased noise levels and much more.<br />
<br />
<h3>
7. More RAM</h3>
<br />
Unfortunately, this rumor only pertains to the iPhone 7 Plus. According to reputable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will bestow the iPhone 7 Plus with 3GB of RAM, a slight bump up from the 2GB of RAM currently found in the company’s iPhone 6s lineup. While this rumor has a 50-50 shot of being true, it’s widely believed that the iPhone 7 model will ship with 2GB of RAM.<br />
<br />
<h3>
8. 256GB of Storage</h3>
<br />
With iPhones today capable of taking 4K video and high-quality photos, iPhone users, more than ever, are in need of more varied storage options.<br />
<br />
To that end, rumor has it that the iPhone 7 Plus alone (do you notice a pattern here?) may be graced with a 256GB model. As it stands now, the largest capacity iPhone checks in at 128GB.<br />
<br />
<h3>
9. Blazing Fast and power efficient A10 processor</h3>
<br />
With each successive iPhone release, Apple manages to greatly improve both the performance and power efficiency of its processors. That being the case, it’s reasonable to assume that the iPhone 7 will house a blazing fast A10 processor.<br />
<br />
Some rumors we’ve seen thus far have suggested that the A10 will deliver a performance boost of 20% while simultaneously reducing power consumption by 40%, relative to the iPhone 6s. Coupled with larger capacity battery packs (see above), we can only hope that the iPhone 7 models will really deliver a notable uptick in battery performance.<br />
<br />
<h3>
10. Earlier release date</h3>
<br />
Since the iPhone 4s hit store shelves in 2011, every new iPhone has launched sometime during the Fall. In 2016, Apple may decide to switch things up. According to an AppleInsider report from this past November, Apple may release its next-gen iPhone model sometime during the Summer.<br />
<br />
This seems very unlikely, of course, for a number of reasons. Apple is under tremendous pressure this year to grow holiday-quarter sales. We also would have certainly seen more components leak at this point if iPhone 7 production was going to ramp up in time for a summer launch.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Rumored features not likely to happen</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<ul>
<li>No home button. While perhaps a design choice Apple will implement in the future, we haven’t seen any genuine indication that 2016 will be the year the home button disappears</li>
<li>No OLED display. The rumors surrounding Apple’s interest in OLED displays have become too loud to ignore. Still, it’s far too early in the game to expect the iPhone 7 to feature said display. From what we’ve heard thus far, an iPhone equipped with an OLED display won’t become a reality until the iPhone 8 ships in 2018.</li>
</ul>
Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-71219355195272612342016-01-11T03:59:00.000-08:002016-01-11T03:59:01.179-08:00Microsoft Just Released the Best iPhone App EverThe Next Web brings news of a new selfie app, simply titled Microsoft Selfie, that promises to take the best selfies in the land. If you hadn't already guessed by the name, it's a photo-editing tool designed to edit selfies. But it's not like other selfie apps — it's a cool selfie app.<br />
<br />According to Microsoft, it uses software to detect the subject's age, gender, skin tone, lighting, and other factors into account in order to edit accordingly. There are several themes to choose from, including 'Cool' and '1965,' and you can adjust the effect using a slider.<br />
<br />If it really does work on a variety of skin tones — for example, it doesn't just lighten away all perceived "flaws" and give everyone the same skin tone/color because that would not be cool — then this is exciting. Instead of futzing with filters for hours to create your perfect profile pic, you can now just upload and go.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM65-8nHFUeH2HqxmWJPUDwEYpI8oLUaXPvQBpfeWMaXIhDxgpTFe50Ew82IRcipN8IkzgpQfBUnwugkjAy_wrEy9uEcRDhWvsawaJOfyGezjqGVzAqLhBYizOPJwMuqT5p9tbxq9SZCl8/s1600/1452455420-img-6030.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM65-8nHFUeH2HqxmWJPUDwEYpI8oLUaXPvQBpfeWMaXIhDxgpTFe50Ew82IRcipN8IkzgpQfBUnwugkjAy_wrEy9uEcRDhWvsawaJOfyGezjqGVzAqLhBYizOPJwMuqT5p9tbxq9SZCl8/s1600/1452455420-img-6030.PNG" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> Let's try it!</b><br />Here's what happened when I uploaded my first photo:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGCHZ7_1kq_UoD1KBpRTzVL8ZQWnHem2xscgBjLHK_e9tp8uAMeBJRCWNG_FDR3_Y1RcIprEJEqwh9WefFjz5PvwxcU8bQ5cR6IOF72qidE4c1_TWKCvseNs8uNS_J7LWklWlnaRWuvsK/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGCHZ7_1kq_UoD1KBpRTzVL8ZQWnHem2xscgBjLHK_e9tp8uAMeBJRCWNG_FDR3_Y1RcIprEJEqwh9WefFjz5PvwxcU8bQ5cR6IOF72qidE4c1_TWKCvseNs8uNS_J7LWklWlnaRWuvsK/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> Microsoft Selfie</b><br /><br />It automatically puts it at the most filtered and then lets you tone it down a bit from there. Here's me messing with the settings so I look like I'm less made of filters and lies (and more made of freckles, which is the truth):</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUDCR3DwFyfSaZq1_9kuUN-D8MKcqrv3VA6Zgrk8pYrnr0dSpaz9MGcLydvmrhM8WYNEtWBeY58SJ1LQF2lzrKiq7ZEYzDkmgTFm_OPEg8HrWzegshIfzkhNMW0VSzl_jBkP2IOo024R6/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUDCR3DwFyfSaZq1_9kuUN-D8MKcqrv3VA6Zgrk8pYrnr0dSpaz9MGcLydvmrhM8WYNEtWBeY58SJ1LQF2lzrKiq7ZEYzDkmgTFm_OPEg8HrWzegshIfzkhNMW0VSzl_jBkP2IOo024R6/s1600/2.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> Microsoft Selfie</b><br /><br />And here's one of the extra filters down at the bottom called "boost" that turned me into a straight-up unrecognizable dewy plastic monster (AND I LOVE HER):</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0CbuD45FXd-ZVwkbNKo8eSSMbK4adci3WdaueWMTLTzPuf27nNnOnya_yoRPleiVnAILDA1MxgDPV3GOin01aKvvQOyWSPSaeVQ6efGXVGRsF-WNpsEGO5CXsAQ3CFzZDA00PQc4ijAn/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0CbuD45FXd-ZVwkbNKo8eSSMbK4adci3WdaueWMTLTzPuf27nNnOnya_yoRPleiVnAILDA1MxgDPV3GOin01aKvvQOyWSPSaeVQ6efGXVGRsF-WNpsEGO5CXsAQ3CFzZDA00PQc4ijAn/s1600/3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Interestingly, it would not put an automatic filter on the photo of my breakfast taco. I guess it knows true beauty when it sees it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wICLvrCw05F9VHiksw-J0UHk5kg6FP_OjGlOMKtnJFFrue1UDURK88R6LHgMAkRqNQPnTFpGBpvKQ0Dl1IzfoKicULI3UTiJjImnmgux3ee4X4XFDWp9vMHjbZS_W2yknFl91TbQEtwZ/s1600/4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wICLvrCw05F9VHiksw-J0UHk5kg6FP_OjGlOMKtnJFFrue1UDURK88R6LHgMAkRqNQPnTFpGBpvKQ0Dl1IzfoKicULI3UTiJjImnmgux3ee4X4XFDWp9vMHjbZS_W2yknFl91TbQEtwZ/s1600/4.PNG" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Laura Beck</b><br /><br />You can <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-selfie/id1064676206?mt=8" target="_blank">download the free app</a> on iTunes if you want to give yourself a gorgeous new face today. Or stick with your old face? Your old face is gorgeous too. I like your freckles!<br /></div>
Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-22960822728666290972016-01-11T01:16:00.000-08:002016-01-11T01:16:16.428-08:00Xiaomi’s Redmi 3 is The Perfect Example Of why Apple Could Retaliate if they Enter the U.S.<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8fxp5xKiTr4jYYZqXQJAi2JWhLnEDzNM6jT7nNmVIB-Bmbqd_kMKSHCd7BghBw9oCf4raxx6Z2L3qMyHbpjPWWzjluAqERdiXzsTz_Qmt3dirhOR4OlsORCpkOuvQpWc69z0f6GtLeSV/s1600/Redmi-3-1-crop-930x488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8fxp5xKiTr4jYYZqXQJAi2JWhLnEDzNM6jT7nNmVIB-Bmbqd_kMKSHCd7BghBw9oCf4raxx6Z2L3qMyHbpjPWWzjluAqERdiXzsTz_Qmt3dirhOR4OlsORCpkOuvQpWc69z0f6GtLeSV/s640/Redmi-3-1-crop-930x488.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Xiaomi today announced the Redmi 3, an all-metal, 5-inch Android smartphone retailing at about $107 (initially available only in China) that continues the company’s legacy of selling impressive devices at disruptive prices. It comes just six months after the launch of the plastic Redmi 2, and sees the battery nearly doubled from 2,200mAh to 4,100mAh. Its larger cousin, the 5.5-inch Redmi Note 3 ($140), was unveiled in November.<br />
<br />
Regarding comparisons to Apple, let’s just say that both phones seem to have taken more than a few design cues from the iPhone 6 — something Apple might not let slide if Xiaomi ever decided to enter the U.S. market. Apple, rightly or wrongly, has a history taking Android OEMs to court over perceived similarities to the iPhone.<br />
<br />
While I’ve historically been a fan of Xiaomi and have shelled out my own money on its phones in the past, it’s true that the Chinese upstart is starting to feel like just another smartphone maker in a crowd. Perhaps the company is growing up, and its rapid growth period — at least in terms of smartphone shipments — is starting to plateau. Xiaomi does make other products, but they certainly represent a very minor part of its business.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgBDrXzbHuiVi3MKV_kqOJK75ynwKStLJgj55X1NAJniWRIwkIjM4C7N9MkFrrq94zlly9VcOqUgb3vGM7DdGRWXV-uTrGENJrjk-ojHmKgwmBty42IhsMjJOch5lhXiqJ6sZ10xZXPhA/s1600/Redmi-3-1-e1452489354980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqgBDrXzbHuiVi3MKV_kqOJK75ynwKStLJgj55X1NAJniWRIwkIjM4C7N9MkFrrq94zlly9VcOqUgb3vGM7DdGRWXV-uTrGENJrjk-ojHmKgwmBty42IhsMjJOch5lhXiqJ6sZ10xZXPhA/s640/Redmi-3-1-e1452489354980.jpg" width="594" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Xiaomi sold 61 million smartphones in 2014 but kept mum on 2015 numbers, leading many to question whether it missed its own internal target of 80 million units for the year. Its attempt to grab a substantial foothold in India doesn’t appear to have quite worked out yet, either.<br />
<br />
That’s despite Xiaomi’s homegrown rival, Lenovo, sitting comfortably as one of India’s top five smartphone players, alongside the likes of Samsung (as of data from Q3 2015). As time will prove, India’s an important market for Xiaomi, and it needs a win there. At home, Huawei is, by all appearances, starting to outgun Xiaomi.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Let’s talk specs real quick.</h3>
<br />
The Redmi 3 packs a 720p display and is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor. Its 16GB of internal storage is expandable up to 128GB with a microSD card, and the 2GB of RAM is generous enough. As I mentioned at the start, the 4,100mAh battery is the real show-stopper here. At only 8.5mm thick, it’s a pretty slim device, weighing 144g (a tad thicker and heavier than the comparatively sized LG Nexus 5X, at 7.9mm and 136g).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwdN9fBVoUCj21rt9G0KDm8DL-ZJpPU5GQM_abgIWpw82yvMFbkrtRJ7kbhn_EDWt_MWqHSoouU8pCpiW8RbYd05cXw-MEUwwOYdJu0_MWZ4-ZhAt_EIcnnTig-Svcc-lBl1QoMJp6Cbf/s1600/Redmi-3-2-e1452491136214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwdN9fBVoUCj21rt9G0KDm8DL-ZJpPU5GQM_abgIWpw82yvMFbkrtRJ7kbhn_EDWt_MWqHSoouU8pCpiW8RbYd05cXw-MEUwwOYdJu0_MWZ4-ZhAt_EIcnnTig-Svcc-lBl1QoMJp6Cbf/s640/Redmi-3-2-e1452491136214.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
The main camera is 13MP with an f/2.0 aperture, while the front-facing is 5MP with an f/2.2 aperture. A dual-SIM allows one slot to double as a microSD, and it all runs on MIUI 7, Xiaomi’s latest custom version of Android (though whether it’s based on 6.0 Marshmallow or an earlier version is unclear). On the whole, I don’t mind MIUI — I prefer it to Huawei’s EMUI. But skins, in general, are not my cup of tea — and not over vanilla Android as Google intended it.<br />
<br />
Looking at the back of the phone, the speaker grill, Mi logo, and diamond pattern are the only things keeping me from mistaking it for the back of an iPhone 6. It’s really quite blatant — and yes, Chinese consumers will very likely love that. Xiaomi wasn’t exactly going for originality in the design of its Mi Pad 2, either, which quite resembles an iPad Mini.<br />
<br />
<h3>
So what’s next for Xiaomi?</h3>
<br />
Well, its much-delayed flagship smartphone of 2015/16, the Mi 5, is due to launch next month after the Chinese New Year, according to cofounder Liwan Jiang. While the Redmi 3 could very do well with those on a budget, the Mi 5 is the one everyone’s been waiting for. Let’s see if the iPhone comparisons continue or stop there.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-9005845848120038862016-01-11T01:07:00.000-08:002016-01-11T01:07:03.443-08:00Apple Doesn't Know How Many People Use Its News App<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZpcLB63kXOuuxOcNs2OuJzfIZyClm1pDZVp_XDkf9E48WFIjl5AG6ploystLhPAoYPU0CMCZE_lo8jtCibjlLyiKSVeDY1bslo4Uf59oYOvU8aO38H4eoxH3Wgot5rNVSZEE-PvAReak/s1600/anq36gozyzpcgdmwg1jt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZpcLB63kXOuuxOcNs2OuJzfIZyClm1pDZVp_XDkf9E48WFIjl5AG6ploystLhPAoYPU0CMCZE_lo8jtCibjlLyiKSVeDY1bslo4Uf59oYOvU8aO38H4eoxH3Wgot5rNVSZEE-PvAReak/s1600/anq36gozyzpcgdmwg1jt.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Apple News is the long-awaited replacement for Newsstand that landed with iOS 9 last year. It’s a simple news app that displays content from a bunch of big-name publications, allowing users to read stories from right inside the app. Unfortunately, it seems that Apple has been failing to keep track of whether anyone’s really using it.<br />
<br />
Knowing how many people read a particular story is a vital function for publishers, especially when evaluating a brand-new platform for pushing valuable content. So it’s worrying that Apple’s Eddy Cue has told the WSJ that right now, neither Apple nor publishers know how many readers they have.<br />
<br />
The fault has apparently been ‘overlooked’ during the building of Apple News, an unfortunate mistake that Apple is working to rectify. In the meantime, Cue has revealed that 40 million people have used the app since its inception in September. That’s a big number, but without knowing how many of those users are regularly reading stories, it’s impossible to say whether Apple News is the future of content, or just Apple’s latest one-year fling with an idea. Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-31779678545814543412016-01-11T00:55:00.000-08:002016-01-11T01:44:00.155-08:00Is It Time To Buy Apple's Stock?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_50adpTlbaHJa7WN4QlmLuO-9CzK0t8uMNfC6WNaMd2AdX7LQ0Hz4Ym7Qw8A9o5_okXNGmXZYv5QISHVCU-OZr_OJYYTfR7G2tAGJCMnGjBt-K8oBcUEngyaFA1IjcCVrRZBIHUNkHBL/s1600/960x0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="479" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_50adpTlbaHJa7WN4QlmLuO-9CzK0t8uMNfC6WNaMd2AdX7LQ0Hz4Ym7Qw8A9o5_okXNGmXZYv5QISHVCU-OZr_OJYYTfR7G2tAGJCMnGjBt-K8oBcUEngyaFA1IjcCVrRZBIHUNkHBL/s640/960x0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Apple’s stock has been pretty rotten lately.</b></div>
<br />
The iPhone maker’s shares have declined from their all-time peak of nearly $135 last April to a recent $96.96, a drop of 28%. That’s left investors pondering whether Apple AAPL 0.53% is now a screaming buy. Based on the most commonly-accepted metrics, it sure looks that way. Its price-to-earnings ratio now stands at a lowly 10.5, a level usually reserved for companies that are growing slowly or have significant troubles. Put simply, the iPhone maker has entered a new world of ultra-low expectations.<br />
<br />
As I argued in a story earlier this week, the stock’s misfortunes appear especially perplexing because in its last fiscal year Apple delivered what’s probably the greatest corporate performance in the history of capitalism. In the year ended September 30, Apple’s assets grew from $235 billion to $284 billion, a rise of $49 billion. But under CEO Tim Cook, it generated no less than $25 billion in additional cash flow from that modest increase in assets, for an astounding return of 51%. It seems that the normal, gravitational law of large numbers applies to every company to a lesser or greater extent, but never to Apple.<br />
<br />
Investors can analyze Apple from two perspectives, either as believers or as wonks. The believers are awed by Apple’s record of launching revolutionary phones and tablets followed by more groundbreaking versions and entries, time after time. They confess that the next breakthrough isn’t obvious, but Apple’s genius for innovation will always yield the next, fantastically profitable new thing, then release fresh spinoffs, at extremely low cost, that will keep powering profits for years to come.<br />
<br />
The wonks look at the numbers. Do that, and Apple’s history of success is not as impressive. Apple did earn $53.4 in its last fiscal year. But that was up 35% from its 2014 earnings, and one-third greater than its previous peak in 2012. Other years have not been as good. In fact, Apple’s profit history is an undulating line, not a smooth upward curve. Profits dropped sharply in 2013, and rose just 7% from 2013 to 2014.<br />
<br />
So it’s folly to bet that Apple planted a new flag at almost $54 billion, and will keep climbing from there. So like good wonks, let’s make a better estimate of what Apple’s basic, core, repeatable profits really are. To get there, we’ll follow a father of value investing and a hero of Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham.<br />
<br />
Graham frequently warned that one of the dumbest thing investors could do was to base a valuation on a single year’s earnings, especially when those earnings wildly diverged with past years. He advised to take an average of the past several years’ profits instead. So what are Apple’s average profits for its past five fiscal years? The figure is $39.5 billion.<br />
<br />
So we’ll assume that Apple can consistently earn that number, since on average, it’s done so for the past half-decade. Its current market cap is $541 billion. Smoothing its earnings gives Apple an adjusted P/E of 13.5.<br />
Sounds pretty low for such a superstar. So does that make Apple a bargain? It depends on what return you’re expecting. If Apple paid out all of its earnings in dividends, and its profits simply increased with inflation, you’d get a “real” return of 7.4%, or 9% to 9.5% including inflation.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0" height="270" id="flashObj" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=4692312577001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Ffor.tn%2F1n8GG3D&playerID=2112050698001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAB668kGak~,LMlvL4u4ShNOp7KTS6ZmqG8Agt8v7bJW&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=4692312577001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Ffor.tn%2F1n8GG3D&playerID=2112050698001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAB668kGak~,LMlvL4u4ShNOp7KTS6ZmqG8Agt8v7bJW&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="480" height="270" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" swLiveConnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object> </div>
<br />
Of course, Apple will keep reinvesting a number equivalent to most of its profits—despite its low price, its dividend yield is just 2%—so its earnings per share needs to keep growing at over 7% to deliver the 9% total return. (The total return is that 2% dividend plus a 7% capital gain generated by rising profits.) Keep in mind that’s a 7% gain on our gigantic, adjusted base of $39.5 billion. That outcome requires additional profits of almost $3 billion in the first year, and rising from there.<br />
<br />
It’s not clear that Apple can find another iPhone—the single product that accounts for most of its sales—to keep generating profits on that scale. And a 9% return, though it sounds high relative to today’s interest rates, is really what investors are demanding to own Apple. It’s a risky stock—just look at its recent, gut wrenching fluctuations in price.<br />
<br />
So the wonk analysis shows that Apple must still boast heroic feats to justify even its current, sharply discounted price. So no, it’s not the screaming buy the believers claim. To purchase Apple, even at these prices, you still need to be a believer.<br />
<br />Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-50977303580060807832016-01-10T23:57:00.002-08:002016-01-10T23:57:49.652-08:00Apple Plans iPhone To Android Escape RouteIs Apple preparing an application to help move users out of iOS and onto the rival Android platform?<br />That’s the intriguing prospect reported by Christopher Williams in The Telegraph. Apple’s ecosystem is seen as a one-way route by many in the industry, including the mobile carriers and operators. Those in the European Union are concerned that Apple is creating a data lock-in for users that keeps them buying iPhones when they come round to upgrades. That places Apple in a very strong negotiating position because networks simply have to stock iOS devices to meet this demand.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYsYqWOe-lTjfc6FyNPZwjxbwgKt9P9rN8y-iEdypsKSpnjcHfMqKMtWVZGhtc55zCLkSYVJcwxOycw92GqMsSaiStrKl1pYLhhw_pdLx9Fhh6Ee5dSay_Myupwh129LkjvqrS4RZbfN5/s1600/iphone_6s_review_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYsYqWOe-lTjfc6FyNPZwjxbwgKt9P9rN8y-iEdypsKSpnjcHfMqKMtWVZGhtc55zCLkSYVJcwxOycw92GqMsSaiStrKl1pYLhhw_pdLx9Fhh6Ee5dSay_Myupwh129LkjvqrS4RZbfN5/s640/iphone_6s_review_08.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Apple iPhone 6S</b> </div>
There’s less of a lock-in over the Android platform, partly because the OS is available on so many devices, but also because the open nature of the platform means that data is easier to extract by third-party applications and tools. The competition for Android devices means the carriers have a strong position to get the best deal possible from each manufacturer.<br />
<br />That’s not available when taking to Apple, thanks to Apple being the sole supplier of iOS devices, and the difficulty presented to the average user in a potential move from an Apple device to an Android device. Arguably there’s a similar hurdle for users going the other way, but Apple has taken care of that with its Move to iOS application released in September 2014. So why would Apple, which as a vested interest in keeping users in the iOS ecosystem, offer them an app-based escape route away from iOS and back to Android?<br />
<br />Williams reports, via a senior industry source, that “Apple has privately agreed to develop a simple tool to help consumers shift data such as contacts, music and photos if they move to Android. Major European telecoms operators are concerned that only a tiny fraction of customers ever move off the iPhone, in part because of the technical hassle of transferring data.”<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt19FB6dfV848O6C6mo7Qev4GfCLPzq4f1VvKTvGNzJMKfidMsiPU0qJqHR3IAq-9I1PNDwBsXGL4U3h2fOA54QbOqb2tt0pBVoGiVKyrM65lwLTzgLNPaGciG6UAAKPhpePhYK7TSM-SS/s1600/iphone6plus_v-galaxys6edge_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt19FB6dfV848O6C6mo7Qev4GfCLPzq4f1VvKTvGNzJMKfidMsiPU0qJqHR3IAq-9I1PNDwBsXGL4U3h2fOA54QbOqb2tt0pBVoGiVKyrM65lwLTzgLNPaGciG6UAAKPhpePhYK7TSM-SS/s640/iphone6plus_v-galaxys6edge_06.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Apple iPhone 6 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge</b> </div>
<br />Apple may feel that it has little to lose and a lot to win by offering this route for user data.<br />This could be seen as a very easy PR victory.. not only offering Android to Apple, but also Apple to Android. It could be spun as a community effort to act in the best interests of customer’s data. It could also be used so consumers could ‘try an iPhone’ safe in the knowledge that Apple will put everything back on their Android smartphone at the end of a trial period.<br />
<br />Apple should also be confident in iOS to stand on its own. As Tim Cook noted, the percentage of users switching from Android to Apple is at an all-time high. They are making that switch for a reason. Just because there is a path back to Android, the strength of iOS (at least in Apple’s view) should be enough to keep them on Cupertino’s platform.<br />
<br />Finally, Apple will want to avoid any potential investigation from the EU Commission in the future. Such an investigation could take years, be conducted in an environment where documentation and strategy would have to be openly discussed, and act as a distraction in the upper levels of Apple’s executive team. Making an ‘exit app’ would be a strong statement against such an investigation.<br />
<br />If Apple was to release this application in the future, I would see it as a very proactive move from Cupertino.<br />It would strengthen Apple’s positioning of iOS. It would be seen as an operating system that users could easily move to, but also to switch away from – with Apple’s legendary customer satisfaction scores it’s unlikely that Apple would see a mass exodus of users from the platform. It would allow Apple to have a simple answer to accusations of user lock-in. And it would continue to promote Apple as acting in the best interests of users and their data, giving them control over all aspects of their information.<br />
<br />I don’t think the question of this app existing or not is the right one. If it does exist, Apple should release it as quickly as possible. If it doesn’t exist, it should be a priority.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-85789136613294264792016-01-07T03:32:00.000-08:002016-01-11T01:40:27.506-08:00Samsung Huawei Follow Apple into Smartwatch Bling<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqnYrr-q3JNewTIi81KejmLc8jMcLlIe8Mb_THtZlioMNnrLPBcr6iOWXG0-wj-iJEsf33blGjgK_6FHbRL-xTi-0Zc24EXNGgf2w-ZnUB0MH1Kd2KNLoFR22F52e6heQltf4xLPfDLTk/s1600/php2tic5s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqnYrr-q3JNewTIi81KejmLc8jMcLlIe8Mb_THtZlioMNnrLPBcr6iOWXG0-wj-iJEsf33blGjgK_6FHbRL-xTi-0Zc24EXNGgf2w-ZnUB0MH1Kd2KNLoFR22F52e6heQltf4xLPfDLTk/s640/php2tic5s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
In an attempt to widen the market for smartwatches, tech companies are reaching for gold, platinum and crystals.<br />
<br />
At CES in Las Vegas, Samsung unveiled two new versions of its Gear S2 classic watch, one plated in 18-carat rose gold and the other in platinum. It also said it was working with designers including Colombo on 'premium' straps for the watch, and new faces that include artworks from Keith Haring, Jean-Michael Basquiat, Jeremyville and Burton Morris. The new watches will go on sale in February but no pricing has been released.<br />
<br />
Also at CES, Huawei showed off its more glamorous take on the smartwatch, with new releases "aimed at women who sparkle and shine".<br />
<br />
Its new Jewel and Elegant editions smartwatches feature a rose gold-plated case studded with 68 Swarovski Zirconia, each measuring 1.5mm in size, while the elegant edition has what the company describes as a "knurled pattern effect" around its rose gold-plated case.<br />
<br />
The watches come with Italian leather straps, available in pearl white and sapphire blue, and a face coated with scratch-proof sapphire crystal, which Huawei noted is favoured "amongst high-end Swiss brands". The watches will go on sale across 20 countries in March.<br />
<br />
Both companies are following a trail blazed by Apple, which offers some very luxurious versions of its smartwatch. While the cheapest Apple Watch will set you back a mere £299, its gold 'Edition' versions can cost as much as £13,500 for the 18-carat yellow gold case with a 'bright red modern buckle', which comes with 54g of gold. Apple has also got designer straps on its Apple Watch Hermès, which features a Hermès-branded face and an extra-long 'Double Tour' strap for £1150.<br />
<br />
All smartwatch companies are trying to shift the devices out of the geeky early adopter and fitness categories where they have been stubbornly stuck for the last couple of years and into the mainstream. The make-over is also aimed at persuading more women to buy them. However, for many potential users the limited battery life and lack of obvious killer application is likely to mean that buying a smartwatch is still a tough purchasing decision, however many crystals these gadgets are studded with. Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-77144335216691302192016-01-07T02:43:00.000-08:002016-01-07T02:45:17.749-08:00Apple's Top Five Aside From CEO Paid $25 Million Each for 2015<ul>
<li>Leaders earned full 2015 bonuses as device maker beat targets</li>
<li>Cook got $10 million as well as prior grant worth $64 million</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6xm8zSKQJ9lEluBanvCu3IHxSAwqjdg6kZIYG87x4K7_lCC9Gj3tECeIfX6OykZGQDFNivcK_GfQW2-i4UibNo7tqrFZPIO68fwcLPSY-BgKcI5OGs3EbsViFpoXUGiIunEUYge8Ezxc/s1600/1200x-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6xm8zSKQJ9lEluBanvCu3IHxSAwqjdg6kZIYG87x4K7_lCC9Gj3tECeIfX6OykZGQDFNivcK_GfQW2-i4UibNo7tqrFZPIO68fwcLPSY-BgKcI5OGs3EbsViFpoXUGiIunEUYge8Ezxc/s640/1200x-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
On the executive team at Tim Cook’s Apple Inc., everybody’s equal. Except for Cook himself.<br />
The CEO aside, the company awarded its top five executives about $25 million each last year, including $20 million of stock awards and $5 million in salary and cash bonus, according to a proxy statement filed Wednesday.<br />
<br />
Cook received a $2 million salary and $8 million bonus in 2015, the filing shows. His reported pay doesn’t include the 560,000 restricted stock units granted to Cook in August 2011 that were meant to compensate him for 2015. They were worth $64.2 million at the end of the company’s fiscal year.<br />
<br />
Apple’s executives got their full bonuses because they beat net sales and operating income targets. In fiscal 2015, the company reported record sales of $233.7 billion and net income of $53.4 billion. Still, investors are raising fresh questions about the sustainability of Apple’s iPhone business, with the stock down 15 percent in the past month amid reports of weaker-than-expected demand for the latest handsets.<br />
<br />
<h3>
After Jobs</h3>
<br />
The pay figures show stability on the senior management team after some changes were made the previous year. Luca Maestri, who was promoted to chief financial officer in 2014, received a $717,211 salary and $11.3 million in stock that year. His compensation was prorated for the part of the year after he received the promotion.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImJwEPg8ho-eP3_igS4jcCUrm-Jc5D5HL41WFhb_slWfe01mk4TMoCdiWxQfTwqH-ArVj3v219DpEnyteuN-5ddJ421itngCs2dRxT0eG24SvqcuB6OrSIoi5YI3EURTrGLt-urZhqada/s1600/-1x-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImJwEPg8ho-eP3_igS4jcCUrm-Jc5D5HL41WFhb_slWfe01mk4TMoCdiWxQfTwqH-ArVj3v219DpEnyteuN-5ddJ421itngCs2dRxT0eG24SvqcuB6OrSIoi5YI3EURTrGLt-urZhqada/s320/-1x-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Angela Ahrendts, hired in 2014 to run Apple’s retail and online stores from Burberry Group Plc, where she was chief executive officer, received $73.4 million that year. The pay included a signing bonus and a make-whole grant for awards left behind at Burberry, and made her the year’s highest-paid U.S. female executive, according to the Bloomberg Pay Index.<br />
<br />
Absent from Apple’s summary compensation table is Chief Design Officer Jony Ive, called by some the company’s most important employee.<br />
<br />
Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Apple, declined to comment beyond the filing.Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459102105135967453.post-19022465828294945762016-01-07T02:30:00.000-08:002016-01-07T02:30:06.051-08:00Apple App Store Shoppers Spent $1.1 Billion in Record Holiday Season<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgliqqbGUE3jGedoyzMqqcLV8pMlZ3YDLQw7I_H00BtZuIZLIiFIh_zmoGegUnrIN3XOTAeR33vhzxncxnHYaox8gM9GXSQ4pQ-XOfri7YL8Zx6GCx9NFLuQtMBpGenm-xwLnSrurAjG8B/s1600/app-store-apple-from-flickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgliqqbGUE3jGedoyzMqqcLV8pMlZ3YDLQw7I_H00BtZuIZLIiFIh_zmoGegUnrIN3XOTAeR33vhzxncxnHYaox8gM9GXSQ4pQ-XOfri7YL8Zx6GCx9NFLuQtMBpGenm-xwLnSrurAjG8B/s1600/app-store-apple-from-flickr.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The holiday season was a record-breaker for Apple's App Store. The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant announced its App Store customers spent more than $1.1 billion on apps and in-app purchases in the two weeks ending January 3.<br />
<br />
Apple also had its biggest App Store sales day ever on January 1, with a record-smashing $144 million spent in a single day, trumping the previous record set on Christmas Day 2015.<br />
<br />
To date, nearly $40 billion has been earned by developers on the App Store since its launch in 2008. Over one-third of that was generated in the last year alone.<br />
<br />
"The App Store had a holiday season for the record books. We are excited that our customers downloaded and enjoyed so many incredible apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV, spending over $20 billion on the App Store last year alone," said Philip Schiller, Apple's SVP of Worldwide Marketing. <br />
The iPhone and iPod maker also credited the App Store for the creation and support of 1.9 million jobs in the U.S. alone. Apple says that more than 1.4 million of those jobs are attributable to the community of app creators, software engineers and entrepreneurs building apps for iOS, as well as non-IT jobs supported directly and indirectly through the "app economy."<br />
<br />
Apple also claims its app economy created 1.2 million jobs in Europe and 1.4 million in China.<br />
Apple's record-breaking app sales are no doubt tied to the bevy of new products it brought to market in 2015, including the Apple Watch, a new Apple TV, and the new iPad Pro. The sales bump could also be related to the meteoric rise in Apple's iPhone sales, which increased 22.1 percent for the three months ending last October. Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03502413668997385462noreply@blogger.com0