Camera compromise makes Apple’s new 16GB iPod Touch a mixed bag

Posted on May 31, 2013 by admin

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on: http://reviews.cnet.com

iPod Touch 16GB

If your kid’s been begging for an iPod Touch, I’ve got some bad news. Apple has quietly discontinued the most affordable entry point into the world of iOS, the $199 16GB 4th-generation iPod Touch, an update of the 2011 model with a 3.5-inch screen. It’s just as well since little Junior would have suffered some peer humiliation for not sporting one of the latest, greatest 5th-gen iPod models — clearly distinguished by their bigger screens and candy-colored aluminum casing. Those models start at $299 for 32GB, or $399 for double the storage.

Until now, anyway. Apple has conceded a new 16GB model of its iPod Touch, available now for $229. This latest entry-level option looks and behaves exactly like the rest of its 5th-generation kin, except that the rear camera has been removed and your only color option is black (with the bare aluminum backside). Also gone is the loop hand strap — presumably, since you won’t be using this as a handy point-and-shoot camera.

Those subtractions notwithstanding, the new iPod model does introduce several improvements not previously available in a 16GB configuration. You get the latest dual-core A5 processor, the larger 4-inch Retina display, Siri-compatibility, and the inclusion of Apple’s Lightning Connector in lieu of the classic 30-pin port, which has now disappeared on all iProducts, save a handful of legacy models (iPod Classic and iPad 2, we’re looking at you).

And in Apple’s defense, you can still take all the self-portrait photos, videos, and Facetime chats you want with the iPod’s front-facing camera. If you can live without the 5 megapixel camera and 1080p video recording found on the $299 32GB iPod Touch model, then why not save the money?

OK, even I have a hard time saying that with a straight face. With only $70 separating the drab, one-eyed 16GB iPod Touch from the colorful 32GB model, choosing the lesser of the two is not only cheap, but foolish. Doubling the storage capacity alone is worth the extra $70; the camera and the 1080p video recorder merely sweeten the deal.

It’s your classic movie theater soda dilemma. You just want a small soda, but the larger options are a much better value. Even if you buy the small one on principle or to save money, you then have to walk around publicly as the sucker who overpayed for a thimble of sugar water.

So, would I personally recommend buying Apple’s 16GB iPod Touch? Not a chance. The extra $70 to buy the 32GB model with the rear camera is money well spent. And even then, you might be foolish not to spend another $30 ($329 total) for an iPad Mini.

But that’s just my two cents. Feel free to add yours in the comments section and stay tuned for a full, in-depth review from CNET.

More ‘game changers’ are coming, says Apple chief

Posted on May 30, 2013 by admin

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on: http://www.scmp.com

Tim Cook, under pressure to innovate, says firm is looking at televisions and wearable computing

Apple chief executive Tim Cook, addressing questions about the company’s ability to keep innovating in consumer electronics, said that his staff “has several more game changers” in the pipeline.

The iPhone maker has “some incredible plans”, Cook said on Tuesday in an onstage interview at the D: All Things Digital conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. He singled out television and wearable computing as areas of interest.

Apple has not released a new product since October, turning up the pressure on Cook to debut something fresh to reignite sales growth.

Less than two years after succeeding Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Cook’s tenure has been marked more by controversies – including criticism of the company’s tax practices, labour standards in China, cash management and mapping software – than by blockbuster gadgets.

In his clearest indication yet that Apple is considering electronics that can adorn the body, Cook said that wearable computing could be a “profound area”, and that the wrist is particularly “interesting”.

He took a dig at Google’s computer for the eyes, Google Glass, saying that such devices might struggle to go mainstream.

“People that do wear them generally want them to be light, to be unobtrusive,” Cook said of eyeware. “They probably want them to reflect their fashion.”

Apple has a “grand vision”, for television, which remains an area of interest, Cook said.

Apple’s stock has fallen 37 per cent from a record in September and 17 per cent this year amid questions about whether the company can unveil a device to match the success of the iPhone and iPad. Apple posted its first profit decline in a decade in the recent quarter and said a growth slowdown will persist until new products are introduced later in the year.

Apple will provide a glimpse of new software at its annual developer conference, which starts on June 10, including a redesign of iOS, the mobile-operating system that powers the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It will be the first peek at the direction of new products under Jonathan Ive, whom Cook put in charge of Apple’s design vision. A new iPhone is not projected to debut until at least September.

The interview follows Cook’s appearance last week before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which said Apple used a web of subsidiaries to avoid paying billions of dollars in US taxes. In his testimony, Cook denied any wrongdoing by Apple and said the corporate tax code is outdated.

iPad 5, iPad Mini 2 Release Date Sooner than Later; Apple Cuts iPad 4, iPad Mini Prices and iPad 2 Disappears

Posted on May 27, 2013 by admin

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on: http://au.ibtimes.com

Apple is offering 15 to 17 percent discounts on the fourth-gen iPad and iPad Mini signalling the imminent release of iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2.

However, the discounts are only offered on the refurbished iPad 4 and iPad Mini and have been done in an attempt to push sales of the refurbished Apple products.

With the new price reduction in place, consumers can now pick up the 16GB and 32GB variants of the Wi-Fi iPad mini for $249 and $359, respectively, which is a discount of 15 and 16 percent. If the 64GB version of the Wi-Fi iPad mini has taken your fancy, then be prepared to shell out $346, which is a 17 percent discount.

On the other hand, if you prefer the 9.7-inch iPad 4 to its 7.9-inch sibling, then fret not, as Apple has discounted the former as well. You can avail a discount of 16 percent on the 16GB and 32GB variants of the iPad 4, which now cost $419 and $499, respectively. If you’re looking for more storage, then the 64GB version would be more up your alley and will cost $579 (17 percent discount).

Apple also offers a year-long warranty and a new battery on the refurbished iPads to attract consumers in buying the refurbished units.

Another evidence of the upcoming release of the new iPads is the sudden disappearance of the iPad 2. The device has been conspicuously out of stock at numerous retailers over the past week.

Consumers are already waiting for the rumoured iPad 5 and iPad Mini despite its unconfirmed release date in September.

It is speculated that Apple will introduce the next generation of iPads in September. This is supported by Apple’s CEO Tim Cook statement that no devices will be released until later this year.

“Our teams are hard at work on some amazing new hardware, software, and services that we can’t wait to introduce this fall and throughout 2014,” Cook said.

According to rumours, iPad Mini 2 is speculated to feature a screen with a resolution of 2048 x 1536. This is almost four times the resolution of the present iPad Mini and is equal to the fourth generation iPad which was released along with the iPad Mini last year. AU Optronics has been rumoured to be making displays for the iPad Mini 2.

Other specs include a more powerful dual core A7 processor and a 7.9 inch screen. It will also feature a 10-hour battery life, a FaceTime HD camera, and an iSight camera with 1080 pixels HD video recording. Apple is also trying to reduce the thickness of the iPad Mini 2 by using the Sharp’s IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) technology in its screens.

The iPad 5, on the other hand, is rumoured to have no bezels, and the whole form factor has been made sleeker. Horowitz believes this design indicates that Apple will be calling on Sharp’s IGZO screen technology. Sharp, however, according to Horowitz, has been struggling, and its ability to deliver components on time will play a key role in the release of the next iPad.

Syncios iPhone Voice Memos Transfer — Transfer Voice Memos from iPhone to PC

Posted on May 24, 2013 by admin

If you have recorded any voice memos on your iPhone, you may want to transfer that voice memo from your iPhone to your computer. But how to transfer voice memos from iPhone to PC? Here Syncios iPhone Voice Memos Transfer would be your best choice.

What’s more, with this free Syncios iPhone Voice Memos Transfer, users also can transfer medial files including videos, music, TV shows, as well as photos, apps, ebooks between iPhone/iPod/iPad and PC freely with a few clicks.

Easy Guide — How to Transfer Voice Memos from iPhone to PC

Have you ever wanted to back up voice memos from your iPhone to PC? With Syncios iPhone Voice Memos Transfer, you can backup of your voice memos from iPhone to PC. The following is a brief guide on how to transfer voice memos from iPhone to PC.

Step One: Download and install Syncios iPhone Voice Memos Transfer on your computer.

Please note that iTunes must already be installed on your computer for running this free Syncios iPhone Voice Memos Transfer correctly. But you do not have to run iTunes.

Step Two: Connect your iPhone to computer with USB and launch Syncios iPhone Voice Memos Transfer.

Step Three: Go to the left panel of Syncios iPhone Voice Memos Transfer, click Media, highlight Voice Memos, select the voice memos you want to back up, and then click Export button to choose the directory you want to put voice memos, the selected voice memos will be transferred to your PC from iPhone.

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Supported iOS: iOS 6 and the prior versions.

Supported device: iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 , iPhone 4S, iPhone 5.

Supported file types: Music, ringtone, Movie, TV Shows, Podcast, iTunes U, eBooks, audiobook, Pictures(Photos), Camera Shot Files, Contacts, Image(JPG, JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIF, TIFF), Video(MOV, M4V, MP4), app(IPA), Audio(MP3, M4A, WAV, AIFF, M4R, M4B).

No Apple watch until late 2014, analyst says

Posted on May 23, 2013 by admin

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on: http://news.cnet.com

Don’t expect to see Apple’s iWatch until the second half of next year, says KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Waiting for an Apple watch? You might need to keep waiting.

Consumers awaiting Apple’s rumored wearable, watch-like device might need to wait until next year before the gadget sees the light of day.

That’s according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said Apple “may not have adequate resources” to develop a version of iOS for the device given its efforts to revamp the software as part of iOS 7.

In Kuo’s note to investors, which was excerpted by AppleInsider and MacRumors, he adds that the components going into wearable devices simply haven’t matured, potentially pushing manufacturing into the second half of next year. He also notes that Apple will likely go with a 1.5- to 2-inch screen, as well as make use of biometric security, presumably from its $356 million acquisition of AuthenTec.

Rumors of Apple’s interest into a wearable gadget first heated up in February in a report from The New York Times, which claimed that Apple was “experimenting” with wristwatch-like devices. Bloomberg later followed, adding that Apple had a team of around 100 people working on such a device. Since then, there have been new patents pointing to Apple’s exploration in the concept, as well as murmurings about rival products from companies like Samsung, Google, and Microsoft.

Kuo’s been spot on about Apple’s plans and timing of its 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro last year, along with iPod and iPad details. Before that, there were his accurate reports of the white iPhone 4 timing, Apple’s discontinuation of the 17-inch MacBook Pro, and revamps of the MacBook Pro line in mid-2011. Adding some additional credence to all this were remarks from Apple CEO Tim Cook last month tempering any expectations of new products into the fall and “throughout 2014.”

Apple to Expand Social Network Integration in iOS 7 with Support for Flickr and Vimeo

Posted on May 22, 2013 by admin

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on: http://www.macrumors.com

Apple has been making efforts to offer deep social network integration in its mobile operating system, first offering Twitter integration in iOS 5 and then Facebook integration in iOS 6. According to 9to5Mac, Apple will expand its social network integration even further with iOS 7, including support for both photo sharing site Flickr and video sharing site Vimeo.

As with Facebook and Twitter integration, Vimeo and Flickr integration will allow users to be able to sign in to the social networks in the Settings menu. Those one-time sign-in credentials will be usable across iOS, providing comprehensive sharing options and easy integration with other downloaded apps.

With Flickr integration, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch customers will have the ability to share photos stored and/or taken on their devices to Flickr with a single tap from the system-wide share menu. Flickr has been integrated into the paid iPhoto iOS App Store app and OS X Mountain Lion since 2012, but iOS 7 will represent the first time in which the photo sharing service has been integrated deeply into the entire iOS operating system.

Flickr is a logical addition to iOS given Apple’s existing relationship with Yahoo, and popular video hosting site Vimeo is also a logical choice for iOS 7 as Apple continues to move away from Google products. Apple stopped offering YouTube as a stock iOS app with iOS 6 and also introduced its own mapping app, discontinuing its use of Google Maps.

While Apple continues to allow direct video uploads to YouTube from its camera app, Vimeo integration will give iOS 7 users an additional option for video uploads. As with Yahoo, Apple has an existing relationship with Vimeo, having offered integration with the service in OS X Mountain Lion.

As noted by 9to5Mac’s unnamed source, though Flickr and Vimeo integration is currently in the works, as with all beta software, there is a risk that it could be removed before the public release of iOS 7.

Apple’s upcoming operating system is expected to feature a “flatter” design to modernize the look of iOS 7 while removing many of the skeuomorphic design elements that were introduced with iOS 6. Apple is expected to debut iOS 7 at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June with a release to follow in the fall, and MacRumors has noted a surge in traffic from devices running iOS 7 suggesting that a preview is imminent.

‘Bang With Friends’ Booted From Apple App Store

Posted on May 21, 2013 by admin

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on: http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Bang With Friends App Store

Just a few months after workplace hookup service Bang With Professionals bit the dust, naughty Facebook trawler Bang With Friends suffered a similar setback, although possibly not a fatal one.

On Friday, the hookup service’s co-founder and CEO Colin Hodges confirmed to Gawker’s tech blog, ValleyWag, that Bang With Friends’ recently launched iOS app had suddenly been removed from Apple’s App Store.

The Bang With Friends website, which debuted in January, lets Facebook users anonymously find which of their “friends” are interested in a casual romantic encounter. An iOS app launched earlier this month and claims to have about 1 million users.

While the web service appears to be functioning as usual, the App Store page for its iOS app is gone. Why? Well, that’s still not clear. Hodges apparently didn’t tell Valleywag the reason, if he even knew it himself. We’ve reached out to Bang With Friends and Apple for comment but have yet to hear back.

One reason Apple may have pulled Bang With Friends is for violating its privacy guidelines. That’s happened before: This past December, a SpongeBob game disappeared from the App Store after an advocacy group notified the Federal Trade Commission that the game was taking the email addresses of children without their parents’ permission.

Just a couple weeks ago, the Bang With Friends site dealt with some pretty serious privacy concerns, too, when Facebook’s new Graph Search feature inadvertently allowed people to see which of their friends were using the Bang With Friends service.

A notice on the Bang With Friends website says it is currently working with Apple to get the iOS app reinstated.

In the meantime, the service’s Android app is still available in the Google Play store.

iPad 5, iPad Mini 2 with Retina Landing in September with A7 Chips – Report

Posted on May 20, 2013 by admin

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on: http://au.ibtimes.com

Apple’s iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 release date has been set for September this year and the new iOS 7 tablet rollout is packed with vast improvements like Retina display panel and a faster A7 computing chip, a new report said.

According to MobiLeaks.nl, the second-gen iPad Mini is virtually of the same make as that of the original version though the slight redesign will leave the small tablet will less bezel while maintaining the 7.9-inch screen size.

The most notable spec jump is the inclusion of Retina, the same report, giving users an immersive Mini 2 resolution of 2048 x 1536 with a pixel density of 324ppi.

While earlier reports have suggested that Retina on the iPad Mini 2 will lead to a heftier make, the device is estimated to gain thickness of only 7.5mm from its predecessor’s 7.2mm, still keeping the overall compact profile that made the first Mini an instant bestseller.

Apple will reportedly retail the iPad Mini 2 in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage configurations without memory expansion slot plus a camera mix of 8MP on the main and 2MP for the secondary snapper.

Powering the slab is a leaner iOS 7, which likely will draw its might from a powerhouse A6X chip. There is a possibility, however, that Apple will bump up the CPU muscle of the Mini 2 in time for its Q3 2013 issuance, giving the device an A7 chip instead, MobiLeaks said.

There is no mention of definite price range for the new tablet but analysts are convinced that the Mini 2 will simply carry over the first Mini’s starting price of $US329.

The Mini 2 has been the subject of intense speculations, foremost of which is the likelihood that Apple will skip on Retina for the second serving to avoid further delays on release date and to keep the price tag at the current level or even push it down.

Numerous experts, however, believed that Apple is compelled to deliver Retina this year plus a host of other specs upgrade to mitigate the pressures coming from Android rivals like the Nexus 7 2 and Galaxy Note 8.0.

The small tablets, coming from Google and Samsung respectively, are rolling out in the months ahead and seen as the iPad Mini 2′s chief competitors.

Syncios: Free iPod to PC Transfer

Best alternative to iTunes. Two-way transfer software for iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Easy Guide — How to Transfer Voice Memos from iPhone to PC

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