News tagged ‘Apple’
Offline voice dictation for iOS
Apple is following Android’s experience of installing offline voice dictation programs. Nowadays, California-based company is carrying out tests of this version for iOS.
Before Apple’s voice-to-text function required Internet connection. It made the process slow and out-of-date. The system uploaded a recording to a converter and then downloaded the text version to the device.
Future iOS versions will allow users to convert voice into text offline. So the process will be much quicker. However, it means that users will dispose of less storage place.
Apple patents flexible battery for rumored iWatch
Apple has invented flexible components that will suit its much-rumored iWatch. Apart from flexible battery, flexible displays that can wrap around the wrist were also patented earlier. The invention can be used for any bendable product. Apple describes that the components can be employed in “wristwatches, calculators, laptop computers, tablet computers, and/or music players, to name but a few.”
Flexible battery packs for use in electronic devices are disclosed. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the flexible battery pack may include a plurality of cells, such as galvanic or photovoltaic cells. The battery pack also may include a plurality of laminate layers coupled to the cells that include a top laminate layer and a bottom laminate layer. An adhesive may be used to couple the top and bottom laminate layers together such that each of the plurality of cells is isolated from each other. This arrangement may allow the battery to be shaped to fit a form factor of the electronic device. This arrangement also may allow one or more of the cells to be selectively removed from the plurality, which may be desirable from a manufacturing perspective.
So we may assume that these published patents will heat up the rumors about mysterious iWatch.
Apple's Poster to Commemorate the Fifth AppStore Birthday
Looks like Apple has hired a new guy responsible for all kinds of graphics and the way Apple gadgets look. At first he paints new ‘cheap’ iPhones red, green and yellow, then completely redesigns iOS 7 and after that persuades the executives to register a new FaceTime logo, which he likes immensely, as a trademark.
Well, there’re probably some other reasons for all that to happen, of course, but it really seems that Apple is currently centered primarily on the appearance – in addition to the things mentioned above, it has released a new poster commemorating the fifth anniversary of AppStore, Tim Bradshaw of Financial Times reports.
New Must-Watch Samsung Anti-Apple Ad
Samsung releases… no, not another Galaxy device with an enormous screen. This time it’s an ad, to be more precise – an anti-Apple one, of course. It comes from Iceland and I bet you have never ever seen anything stranger than this short video.
As to the plot – a man is holding a nice red apple in his hand and tries hard to make a call. Quite predictably, he fails to do that. After another unsuccessful attempt, the man gets upset and depressed. But then he somehow gets a new Galaxy S4 and that’s it – all problems immediately disappear.
Watch the video below
Apple builds a solar farm in Nevada
Apple is paying for the construction of an 18-megawatt photovoltaic solar plant in Nevada. It will power the company’s Reno data centre. According to Apple’s 2012 Environmental Footprint Report,Nevada centre will be the same environmentally responsible as the one in Maiden,North California. The latter helped to lessen unemployment by hiring hundreds of people during its construction.
The new station will use endless resources of natural solar radiation as well as geothermal recourses to supply the data centre with sufficient energy. It will cover 60% of power needs while the remaining will be acquired from local and regional sources.
Apple's New Microsoft 365 and Google Docs Rival
Rejoice all those who don’t like neither Google Docs, nor Microsoft Office 365 as a few days ago their new rival was born. Announced in June at WWDC, this rival is a purely new cloud-based iWork version. Well, actually, this is still only a beta and at the moment it is available only for Apple developers. However, what that means is that the relatively short-term Google-Microsoft domination in the sphere of cloud editing tools might be soon over.
Here’s the link for the developers that haven’t yet tried the new product and some screenshots for people that don’t have a developer account. Take a look at those photos.
Japan largest carrier refuses to work with Apple
NTT DoCoMo, the biggest mobile carrier in Japan, is facing a serious problem of losing clients. Its firm denial to work with Apple iPhone cost it 3.2 million users over the last 4 and a half years. It is put down to high popularity of iPhone in Japan. Being the most desirable smartphone, it occupies a 42 % share of cell phone sales.
NTT DoCoMo CEO Kaoru Kayo says:
Our aim is to develop a special “lifestyle system”. It requires preinstalled software on mobile phones.
Naturally, remembering how closed iOS system is, Apple does not let NTT DoCoMo install any programs on its devices. Another problem issue is placing carrier’s logo on the iPhone. It is obvious that California-based company refuses to accept there conditions.
Yves Saint Laurent CEO will work for Apple
Yves Saint Laurent CEO was hired by Apple to work on some “special projects”. Or should we say hired again? Paul Deneve already worked for Apple in Europe in the 1990-s as a sales and marketing manager.
Although Cupertino company tends to promote from within, it is not the first time Apple’s CEO Tim Cook looks outside to fill some senior post. For instance, Mickey Drexler, the chairman and CEO of J Crew Group Inc., is on Apple’s board.
New Apple Strategy to Sell More iPhones via Apple Store
Apple CEO Tim Cook is reported to have held a three-hour meeting on new sales strategy for company’s employees and shareholders. According to 9to5Mac, he was talking on possible ways to increase the number of iPhones sold through the Apple Store. So far, the percentage of phones bought on the Internet or from other retailers like Walmart and Best Buy is close to 80. Quite obvious, that the result of only 20 percent is not enough good as for the company's main retail store.
South Korean Customers Prefer iPad to Samsung Tablets
iPad was reportedly ranked as the best device on South Korean market. According to South Korea's National Customer Satisfaction Index, Apple tablets are more preferred among the customers than the Samsung and LG ones.
The detailed rankings were published by Kim Tae Woo (BetaNews) soon after the official release, made by South Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy, which runs the whole research program.
Play as Texas Ranger in the Wild West.
You can become a legend in the new role-playing game by Disney. It was inspired by the popular movie The Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp.
When playing the game, you will become a Texas Ranger, who rides horses, helps people from Colby Town, passes judgment and fights foes.
Apple corners mobile ad market.
iOS products are used to being outnumbered by Android, although Apple manages to become a market leader in advertisement sector. According to a recent study, Apple controls 75% of mobile ads market.
The share of Android is diminishing, as Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones are delivering hardly any impressions.
Ad firm Velti studied the mobile advertising market of Apple and Android, comparing figures of May 2013 to findings from 2012. The share ofCupertinocompany grew by 5%, from 59% to 64%. Whereas Android decreased its presence on the market by 5% to 36%, despite its domination of smartphone shipments. The figures of dynamics are the same, but Android loss cannot be referred to by Apple’s increase in share.
TSMC will produce A-Series Chips for Apple.
According to Wall Street Journal, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) has agreed to supply Apple with A-series chips. Although the matter has been discussed since 2010, the deal was only signed this month, and TSMC starts producing some of the chips in 2014. By that time, the Taiwan company will improve the quality of the products so that they meet Apple’s requirements. The chips will become smaller and more energy efficient by using 20-nanometre technology.
When negotiating the deal, the American company offered either to invest in TSMC or to assign one factory as an exclusive Apple supplier. However, the Taiwan company did not accept either of the options to keep TSMC independent and adaptable.
Samsung used to be Apple’s main A-series chips supplier, but present ferocious competition between the companies is forcing the latter to diminish its dependence on the Korean company.
High-Quality Renderings of Apple's Lower-Cost Plastic iPhone
Macrumors published very well made high-quality renderings of future low-cost iPhone. Renderings are based on the most recent rumors.
Based on the information from WeiPhone low-cost iPhone is expected to have yellow, red, and green shells. There were also many rumors regarding new iPhone's dimentions. The renderings show a slightly thicker device than the iPhone 5, measuring at 8.5 mm thick compared to 7.6 mm for the iPhone 5. The lower-cost iPhone is also slightly taller and wider than the iPhone 5 to account for the thicker plastic shell.
Apple is expected to release new iPhone this fall. Take a look at more pictures:
Apple files for ‘iWatch’ trademark in Mexico, Taiwan, Turkey, Colombia
In addition to filing a trademark for the name “iWatch” in Russia and Japan, Apple has requested a trademark for “iWatch” with Mexico’s “Institute of Industrial Property.” The Mexico-based filing was made public in recent days, but the request was originally filed on June 3rd.