Apple's Rival to Release SDK for Wearable Devices in 2 Weeks
Although Apple hasn’t yet even announced its long-anticipated iWatch, such companies as Samsung and Google have already come up with their own wearable devices. Even more: in February Samsung showed the second-gen smartwatch called Gear 2.
Top 10 Stories of the Week
Like every Sunday, I’d like to make a roundup of the most interesting posts of the past week. This time they deal with recently-seeded OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 beta, new iWatch concept and Apple’s new CarPlay system, which debuted a couple of days ago at Geneva Auto Salon 2014.
Apple Adds Updated iTunes Festival Channel to Apple TV
The company from Cupertino has added an updated iTunes Festival channel to Apple TV ahead of the big music event that is set to take place on March 11-15 in Austin, Texas. The channel has been added after the release of the updated iTunes Festival app for iOS. So what does the updated iTunes Festival channel offer?
Beautiful Gábor Balogh’s iWatch Concept - Photos
It seems that ahead of the iWatch launch, every designer thinks he’s obliged to create its own smartwatch concept. And while most of these concepts look ugly and impractical, there’re some that are really worth paying attention to. Gábor Balogh’s iWatch concept is one of such.
This designer created a device, which doesn’t actually resemble a smartwatch. It resembles a classic watch and that it the point.
iPhones Are More Likely to Be Stolen than to Be Broken - ProtectCELL
If you own an iPhone, there’re more chances that someone will steal it from you than that you will have to repair it. This is not a joke. This is what the latest study conducted by ProtectCELL, the firm that has sold over 2 million insurance policies for smartphones and tablets, reveals. The reason for such result is quite simple, I guess: Apple’s smartphone is the world’s best selling handset, so it is in great demand in many countries and so that many people often try to get it in a rather illegal way.
Apple is the leading on the USA smartphone market.
comScore MobiLens and Mobile Metrix has analized the data concerning the situation on the smartphone market in the USA for January 2014. It turns out that Apple is on the rise, constantly increasing it share, while Android is falling behind. Blackberry lost the third place to Windows Phone.
iTunes Festival App Gets Updated Ahead of Big Event, iOS 7.1 Not Required
The iTunes Festival app won’t require iOS 7.1 as was reported earlier. This means that the official release of Apple’s new mobile operating system may take place later than this week.
Apple Releases First OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 Beta to Developers
Apple has released the first OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 beta to registered developers. This beta-version comes just one week after OS X 10.9.2, which contained a fix for SSL vulnerability, FaceTime Audio feature and a bunch of other important improvements.
Mercedes-Benz will instal CarPlay on older vehicles
According to 9to5Mac, Mercedes-Benz has initiated to introduce an aftermarket solution to intall Apple CarPlay on older vehicles. CarPlay is very useful for drivers, it enables iPhone users to make calls, use Maps, listen to music and access messages just touching the screen or via voice command.
We’ve confirmed that at least Mercedes-Benz is looking into aftermarket installations of CarPlay that will allow older models of vehicles to access the feature. While the company confirmed that it is trying to get an “an after-market solution for previous cars” it couldn’t confirm when the option might become available. While there is no info yet on how the aftermarket installation would work, we’d imagine it will be a dealer installed accessory for select older models like Honda and others already offer for Apple’s Siri Eyes Free feature.
Below you can see a photo of CarPlay installed in a Mercedes C-Class.
Apple orders Foxconn 90 million units of the iPhone 6
According to information of the Commercial Times via DigiTimes, Foxconn is likely to receive an order from Apple for 90 million units of the iPhone 6.
Buoyed by shipments of iPhone 6, Apple's smartphone shipments are expected to rise 23% in 2014 compared to 13% growth posted a year earlier, the paper quoted Wei Chen, an analyst at Citigroup Global Markets, as saying. However, the growth rate of global smartphone shipments is expected to slow to 28% in 2014 compared to 40% in 2013, while sales of smartphones in mature markets are likely to edge up only 4%, down from 5% a year ago, Chen added.
Apple to Introduce Full-Screen Video iAds Later This Year
You probably know how the video ads on iOS look like: these are small banners placed on the bottom of the screen. To see the ad, one has to tap on the banner. Pretty simple and quite effective mechanism, I must admit.
Tim Cook and Turkish President to Open Apple Store in Istanbul on April 4
Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Turkey. He met with Turkish president to discuss the opening of the first Apple Store in the country. The date of the big event appeared on the Internet only today.
TSMC to supply the new iPhone with A8 chips
The Commercial Times reports that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has initiated the production of the A8 chip for the new iPhone.
The AFP relays the report:
The world's leading contract microchip maker last month started producing the A8 chip, which is tipped to power the expected iPhone 6, the Commercial Times reported. The report, which cited supply chain sources, said TSMC had won most of the manufacturing orders for logic and power management integrated chips for the new handset
Apple and BlackBerry will work on CarPlay
According to N4BB, Apple will collaborate with BlackBerry to use its QNX to unleash CarPlay. QNX has officially approved Apple as its partner on the website of the company.
“Connectivity to smartphones and other mobile devices is a key strength of QNX Software Systems’ platform for car infotainment systems, and many automakers and tier one automotive suppliers use our platform to implement smartphone/head-unit integration in their vehicles. We have a long-standing partnership with Apple to ensure high-quality connectivity with their devices, and this partnership extends to support for Apple CarPlay.”
Apple Finishes Demolition for its 'Spaceship' Campus - Photos
Apple has nearly finished the demolition of the old HP campus on the territory, where the company plans to build its new headquarters. Below you may take a look at a couple of photos taken by Apple Toolbox. These images once again prove that the work on Apple Campus 2 goes on.