iPhone 5S specs revealed in alleged marketing document
Apple's iPhone 5S, widely expected to be unveiled today, will offer a faster processor and a snappier video camera, at least according to alleged promotional material leaked online.Served up by Chinese site ctechcn.com, the specs point to a few new features, including an A7 processor, a rear camera able to capture 1080p video at 120 frames per second, and a battery capable of lasting 250 hours in standby mode on a single charge. The site also displays the new iPhone in a lineup with its last three predecessors.But otherwise, the material doesn't indicate much else new or different about the 5S compared with the iPhone 5. But the leaked document, assuming it's legit, may not tell the whole story. Reports have surfaced that the new iPhone 5S will also incorporate a fingerprint scanner.Catch CNET's live blog from Apple's event, starting Tuesday at 10 a.m. PT(Via SlashGear)
Monday, March 23, 2015
iPhone 5S reservations almost sold out in Beijing, Hong Kong
iPhone 5S reservations almost sold out in Beijing, Hong Kong
Reservations for the unlocked version of Apple's iPhone 5S just went live in China, and most of them are already sold out.The gold iPhone 5S has been the most popular version, according to a report from Chinese news site Sina Tech. Reservations for that model sold out at two Apple stores in Beijing just a couple of hours after they launched on Tuesday, September 17, local Beijing time, noted AppleInsider.As of now, only reservations for the unlocked 16GB "space gray" iPhone 5s appear to still be up for grabs in Beijing and Hong Kong.Reservations are slightly different from preorders. A reservation doesn't require any money up front but does promise you a spot at your local Apple store where you can pay for and pick up your phone. Apple set up the reservation system for Chinese consumers to smack down scalpers who buy up supplies of new phones and resell them at a profit.Both the iPhone 5C and 5S will hit store shelves in China, the US, and other countries on Friday.
Reservations for the unlocked version of Apple's iPhone 5S just went live in China, and most of them are already sold out.The gold iPhone 5S has been the most popular version, according to a report from Chinese news site Sina Tech. Reservations for that model sold out at two Apple stores in Beijing just a couple of hours after they launched on Tuesday, September 17, local Beijing time, noted AppleInsider.As of now, only reservations for the unlocked 16GB "space gray" iPhone 5s appear to still be up for grabs in Beijing and Hong Kong.Reservations are slightly different from preorders. A reservation doesn't require any money up front but does promise you a spot at your local Apple store where you can pay for and pick up your phone. Apple set up the reservation system for Chinese consumers to smack down scalpers who buy up supplies of new phones and resell them at a profit.Both the iPhone 5C and 5S will hit store shelves in China, the US, and other countries on Friday.
iPhone 5S now ships from Apple within 24 hours
iPhone 5S now ships from Apple within 24 hours
Consumers who buy the iPhone 5S from Apple's online store now have to wait just a day or less before it ships.The new wait time of "within 24 hours" applies to all capacities and flavors of the 5S, both Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi+Cellular through AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. The unlocked version through T-Mobile shows a ship time of one to three business days, while the unlocked, SIM-free edition imposes a wait of three to five days. The new ship time reveals Apple's and its suppliers increasing progress at meeting heavy iPhone demand. The estimate had dropped to one to three days just late last week, which was down from two to three weeks on November 19.The 5S also is more readily available on the shelves of Apple's retail stores. A survey of 60 Apple stores conducted last week by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster found that 100 percent of all 5S models could be found at each store.
Consumers who buy the iPhone 5S from Apple's online store now have to wait just a day or less before it ships.The new wait time of "within 24 hours" applies to all capacities and flavors of the 5S, both Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi+Cellular through AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. The unlocked version through T-Mobile shows a ship time of one to three business days, while the unlocked, SIM-free edition imposes a wait of three to five days. The new ship time reveals Apple's and its suppliers increasing progress at meeting heavy iPhone demand. The estimate had dropped to one to three days just late last week, which was down from two to three weeks on November 19.The 5S also is more readily available on the shelves of Apple's retail stores. A survey of 60 Apple stores conducted last week by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster found that 100 percent of all 5S models could be found at each store.
iPhone 5's initial ramp too big to sustain, says DisplaySearch
iPhone 5's initial ramp too big to sustain, says DisplaySearch
Market research firm DisplaySearch said the reduction in shipments of displays for the iPhone 5 -- which reflect shipments of the phone itself -- is real but that it doesn't necessarily mean the device's popularity is suffering."We started hearing indications of cutbacks before the new year," Paul Semenza, senior vice president, analyst services, at DisplaySearch, told CNET today.That said, he doesn't exactly have a negative take on demand for the iPhone 5."It was a very quick ramp up.The Q4 [estimate] was originally about 61 million displays [for the iPhone 5]...that may be dialed back, but anything near that number is still huge," he said."That would support the theory that the ramp was too much to sustain."By comparison, shipments of the iPhone 4S in the first quarter of sales were far below that number.Looking to the first quarter of 2013, DisplaySearch's original estimate of 57 million has now been reduced to a range of 33 million to 42 million.Some analysts said improvement in yields -- the number of good components that are produced versus bad -- have been involved in the shipment drop. But Semenza said such a view was problematic. "That's not logical.If the number of orders are cut, that really has nothing to do with yields," he said. Related storiesiPhone 5 demand got you worried? Relax, analysts say
Market research firm DisplaySearch said the reduction in shipments of displays for the iPhone 5 -- which reflect shipments of the phone itself -- is real but that it doesn't necessarily mean the device's popularity is suffering."We started hearing indications of cutbacks before the new year," Paul Semenza, senior vice president, analyst services, at DisplaySearch, told CNET today.That said, he doesn't exactly have a negative take on demand for the iPhone 5."It was a very quick ramp up.The Q4 [estimate] was originally about 61 million displays [for the iPhone 5]...that may be dialed back, but anything near that number is still huge," he said."That would support the theory that the ramp was too much to sustain."By comparison, shipments of the iPhone 4S in the first quarter of sales were far below that number.Looking to the first quarter of 2013, DisplaySearch's original estimate of 57 million has now been reduced to a range of 33 million to 42 million.Some analysts said improvement in yields -- the number of good components that are produced versus bad -- have been involved in the shipment drop. But Semenza said such a view was problematic. "That's not logical.If the number of orders are cut, that really has nothing to do with yields," he said. Related storiesiPhone 5 demand got you worried? Relax, analysts say
iPhone 5S hit by fingerprint sensor issues, claims report
iPhone 5S hit by fingerprint sensor issues, claims report
Problems with Apple's fingerprint-recognition technology might trigger a cut in shipments for the iPhone 5S, according to the Taiwan-based DigiTimes.Citing sources, DigiTimes claims that poor production yields of the chips for both the fingerprint-recognition and LCD drivers will force Apple to trim the initial shipments of the upcoming phone, which is expected to launch this September.Mass production of both chips was supposed to kick off by late June or early July. But DigiTimes said that the poor yield rates will instead delay volume production until late July, which means initial supplies of the phone won't be as high as originally expected.Around 3 million shipments of the iPhone 5S will be pushed back to the fourth quarter of the year, the sources said. During that period, total iPhone shipments (iPhone 4, 4S, 5, and 5S) are projected to hit 30 million.As always, it's important to note that DigiTimes has a decidedly mixed track record when peering into its crystal ball. So, this information should be served up with a grain of salt.Rumors have surfaced that Apple would add fingerprint sensors to its next-generation iPhone, but nothing has yet been confirmed. Fingerprint recognition has certainly been on the company's mind. Last year, Apple acquired fingerprint-recognition chipmaker AuthenTec as part of an effort to add 2D fingerprint sensors to its products.
Problems with Apple's fingerprint-recognition technology might trigger a cut in shipments for the iPhone 5S, according to the Taiwan-based DigiTimes.Citing sources, DigiTimes claims that poor production yields of the chips for both the fingerprint-recognition and LCD drivers will force Apple to trim the initial shipments of the upcoming phone, which is expected to launch this September.Mass production of both chips was supposed to kick off by late June or early July. But DigiTimes said that the poor yield rates will instead delay volume production until late July, which means initial supplies of the phone won't be as high as originally expected.Around 3 million shipments of the iPhone 5S will be pushed back to the fourth quarter of the year, the sources said. During that period, total iPhone shipments (iPhone 4, 4S, 5, and 5S) are projected to hit 30 million.As always, it's important to note that DigiTimes has a decidedly mixed track record when peering into its crystal ball. So, this information should be served up with a grain of salt.Rumors have surfaced that Apple would add fingerprint sensors to its next-generation iPhone, but nothing has yet been confirmed. Fingerprint recognition has certainly been on the company's mind. Last year, Apple acquired fingerprint-recognition chipmaker AuthenTec as part of an effort to add 2D fingerprint sensors to its products.
iPhone 5S gets quad-core graphics, analysis shows
iPhone 5S gets quad-core graphics, analysis shows
The 64-bit iPhone 5S boasts a quad-core graphics processing unit -- a first for an iPhone. Semiconductor analysis company Chipworks has supplied the best evidence yet of the layout of the A7 processor in Apple's iPhone 5S, showing a quad-core GPU. (See image above.) The A6 chip in the iPhone 5 had a three-core GPU. While core counts aren't necessarily the deciding factor in making a chip fast, there is a trend toward adding more cores to boost performance.Samsung and Qualcomm, for instance, have had quad-core graphics for a while now. As have Apple's higher-performance A5X and A6X chips that are used in the iPad 3 and iPad 4.And getting quad-core graphics into a phone undoubtedly helps games like Infinity Blade 3 run faster. Now we come to the central processing unit, or CPU.In this case, Apple is bucking a trend. The Chipworks layout confirms earlier reports that the A7 has a dual-core CPU.Quad-core CPUs are increasingly common now, if not standard.That said, the proof is in the pudding: Apple's A7 has impressive benchmarks."The quad-core card was kind of forced," Anand Shimpi of Anandtech told CNET last week. "It's definitely not the only way to arrive at the ideal performance-power for a phone." The iPhone 5S is anything but slow.CNET[Via MacRumors]
The 64-bit iPhone 5S boasts a quad-core graphics processing unit -- a first for an iPhone. Semiconductor analysis company Chipworks has supplied the best evidence yet of the layout of the A7 processor in Apple's iPhone 5S, showing a quad-core GPU. (See image above.) The A6 chip in the iPhone 5 had a three-core GPU. While core counts aren't necessarily the deciding factor in making a chip fast, there is a trend toward adding more cores to boost performance.Samsung and Qualcomm, for instance, have had quad-core graphics for a while now. As have Apple's higher-performance A5X and A6X chips that are used in the iPad 3 and iPad 4.And getting quad-core graphics into a phone undoubtedly helps games like Infinity Blade 3 run faster. Now we come to the central processing unit, or CPU.In this case, Apple is bucking a trend. The Chipworks layout confirms earlier reports that the A7 has a dual-core CPU.Quad-core CPUs are increasingly common now, if not standard.That said, the proof is in the pudding: Apple's A7 has impressive benchmarks."The quad-core card was kind of forced," Anand Shimpi of Anandtech told CNET last week. "It's definitely not the only way to arrive at the ideal performance-power for a phone." The iPhone 5S is anything but slow.CNET[Via MacRumors]
Sketch-A-Search with Yahoo to find good eats
Sketch-A-Search with Yahoo to find good eats
Back in April, Yahoo Mobile announced a unique approach to searching for nearby restaurants with the Sketch-A-Search app for iOS. The concept of the app couldn't be more simple: pull up a map of the area that you're currently in, and then sketch a circle (or any approximation of a shape) around the neighborhoods or blocks of streets where you'd like to eat. Sketch-A-Search then drops in pins to indicate the restaurants that fall within the designated space. Clicking the pins pulls up information on each establishment, including the phone number, operation hours, and Yahoo user reviews.Today, Yahoo announced a welcome update to Sketch-A-Search. Version 1.5 brings in partnerships with both Zagat and OpenTable, so you not only get more in-depth reviews, but also the ability to reserve tables directly within the app. According to Yahoo, the team has also worked to improve the quality of the data to ensure that the user receives the freshest local information possible--good news for those who complained that the previous version contained out-of-date info and out-of-business restaurants.Sketch-A-Search 1.5 is free and is now available in iTunes. There are separate apps for the iPad and the iPhone/iPod Touch.
Back in April, Yahoo Mobile announced a unique approach to searching for nearby restaurants with the Sketch-A-Search app for iOS. The concept of the app couldn't be more simple: pull up a map of the area that you're currently in, and then sketch a circle (or any approximation of a shape) around the neighborhoods or blocks of streets where you'd like to eat. Sketch-A-Search then drops in pins to indicate the restaurants that fall within the designated space. Clicking the pins pulls up information on each establishment, including the phone number, operation hours, and Yahoo user reviews.Today, Yahoo announced a welcome update to Sketch-A-Search. Version 1.5 brings in partnerships with both Zagat and OpenTable, so you not only get more in-depth reviews, but also the ability to reserve tables directly within the app. According to Yahoo, the team has also worked to improve the quality of the data to ensure that the user receives the freshest local information possible--good news for those who complained that the previous version contained out-of-date info and out-of-business restaurants.Sketch-A-Search 1.5 is free and is now available in iTunes. There are separate apps for the iPad and the iPhone/iPod Touch.
Report- Microsoft working on handheld
Report: Microsoft working on handheld
Robbie Bach, who previously oversaw the Xboxdivision at Microsoft, is apparently working on a new projectwithin the company, according to the New York Post andReuters.Bach, whose role in the game group over the past year hasresulted in far less visibility, is apparently leading the chargeon a portable device, say sources cited by both news outlets.However, the device may focus on music and be the mythological"iPodkiller" that has been long rumoured."It seems like an exact head-to-head competition with Apple,"one source told the Post. "It's really like an Appleapproach, to control the device and the whole stack oftechnology. This is like Xbox versus PlayStation."The question is will it also be like PSP versus DS? While the report goes into detail about a possiblechallenger to the digital music throne, currently held by Apple'siTunes, it doesn't mention gaming specifically, though many havepredicted Microsoft is working on a portable gaming device.The handheld could be the first steps, though. Microsoft hasinsinuated that an iTunes-like digital music service would be aperfect fit for the Xbox 360, further expanding the reach of Xbox LiveMarketplace. The company has also signed deals with recordlabels, including Warner Bros. Music and Epic Records(incidentally, part of Sony BMG), for Xbox Live Marketplacecontent.With the Xbox 360 positioned as a home entertainment hub,Microsoft could be readying a handheld that does it all -- playsgames, downloads music, and shows videos.
Robbie Bach, who previously oversaw the Xboxdivision at Microsoft, is apparently working on a new projectwithin the company, according to the New York Post andReuters.Bach, whose role in the game group over the past year hasresulted in far less visibility, is apparently leading the chargeon a portable device, say sources cited by both news outlets.However, the device may focus on music and be the mythological"iPodkiller" that has been long rumoured."It seems like an exact head-to-head competition with Apple,"one source told the Post. "It's really like an Appleapproach, to control the device and the whole stack oftechnology. This is like Xbox versus PlayStation."The question is will it also be like PSP versus DS? While the report goes into detail about a possiblechallenger to the digital music throne, currently held by Apple'siTunes, it doesn't mention gaming specifically, though many havepredicted Microsoft is working on a portable gaming device.The handheld could be the first steps, though. Microsoft hasinsinuated that an iTunes-like digital music service would be aperfect fit for the Xbox 360, further expanding the reach of Xbox LiveMarketplace. The company has also signed deals with recordlabels, including Warner Bros. Music and Epic Records(incidentally, part of Sony BMG), for Xbox Live Marketplacecontent.With the Xbox 360 positioned as a home entertainment hub,Microsoft could be readying a handheld that does it all -- playsgames, downloads music, and shows videos.
October ends with no iTunes Match
October ends with no iTunes Match
Apple has missed the deadline it laid out last month to bring its iTunes Match service to users. iTunes Match is the service that scans a user's library to find music that they may have ripped from a CD but did not purchase from Apple, then cross-references it with Apple's own library. When it finds a match, it provides a user with a license of the track at the same quality they'd find if they bought it off iTunes, as long as they're a paid subscriber to the matching service.The feature is integrated with Apple's iCloud platform, which taps into the cloud to do things like ferry files, content, and apps between Apple devices. In this case, matched tracks are effectively licensed to users, letting them download music tracks to a device, even if they bought them via another device. At its "Let's Talk iPhone" event on October 4, the company pledged to bring the service to U.S. users "later this month," a deadline which MacRumors notes has passed without the new service going live. The company shipped out a version of iTunes shortly after the event that was missing Match. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.When iTunes Match goes live, it will cost $24.99 a year. That covers 25,000 songs in a user's library against Apple's own iTunes Store library, which currently contains about 20 million songs.Here's a video of the service in action:This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Apple has missed the deadline it laid out last month to bring its iTunes Match service to users. iTunes Match is the service that scans a user's library to find music that they may have ripped from a CD but did not purchase from Apple, then cross-references it with Apple's own library. When it finds a match, it provides a user with a license of the track at the same quality they'd find if they bought it off iTunes, as long as they're a paid subscriber to the matching service.The feature is integrated with Apple's iCloud platform, which taps into the cloud to do things like ferry files, content, and apps between Apple devices. In this case, matched tracks are effectively licensed to users, letting them download music tracks to a device, even if they bought them via another device. At its "Let's Talk iPhone" event on October 4, the company pledged to bring the service to U.S. users "later this month," a deadline which MacRumors notes has passed without the new service going live. The company shipped out a version of iTunes shortly after the event that was missing Match. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.When iTunes Match goes live, it will cost $24.99 a year. That covers 25,000 songs in a user's library against Apple's own iTunes Store library, which currently contains about 20 million songs.Here's a video of the service in action:This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
iPhone app to remotely control your Canon dSLR
iPhone app to remotely control your Canon dSLR
Still longing for a decent camera on your iPhone? All you need's an app and a Canon dSLR and the dream is yours. Well, not exactly, but OnOne Software's DSLR Camera Remote application lets your iPhone or iPod Touch control most Canon dSLRs going back circa the 20D.Announced in mid-May but available now, the system is a combination of two pieces of software: the free DSLR Camera Remote Server application, which runs on a Wi-Fi-enabled host computer, and either DSLR Camera Remote Professional ($19.99 with an introductory price of $9.99) or DSLR Camera Remote Lite ($1.99), both of which are available via iTunes or the iPhone App Store. Basically, you tether the camera to the host system and use the iPhone/iPod to communicate with the camera via the computer over Wi-Fi. The Lite version looks pretty bare bones: it can fire the shutter, show the image, and tell you battery status and number of photos remaining. The pro version supports Live View (assuming the camera does); lets you adjust shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, ISO, and white balance; choose quality; and zoom during review. It also adds intervalometer capability.According to the company's blog, "For those of you who are Nikon shooters and are wondering 'Hey, why is this Canon only?' the answer is: 1. Because most of us here have Canon cameras; and 2. This is our first iPhone app and we're not sure how well it will be received." So if you want a version for your Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Pentax, or other model, head over there to request it.
Still longing for a decent camera on your iPhone? All you need's an app and a Canon dSLR and the dream is yours. Well, not exactly, but OnOne Software's DSLR Camera Remote application lets your iPhone or iPod Touch control most Canon dSLRs going back circa the 20D.Announced in mid-May but available now, the system is a combination of two pieces of software: the free DSLR Camera Remote Server application, which runs on a Wi-Fi-enabled host computer, and either DSLR Camera Remote Professional ($19.99 with an introductory price of $9.99) or DSLR Camera Remote Lite ($1.99), both of which are available via iTunes or the iPhone App Store. Basically, you tether the camera to the host system and use the iPhone/iPod to communicate with the camera via the computer over Wi-Fi. The Lite version looks pretty bare bones: it can fire the shutter, show the image, and tell you battery status and number of photos remaining. The pro version supports Live View (assuming the camera does); lets you adjust shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, ISO, and white balance; choose quality; and zoom during review. It also adds intervalometer capability.According to the company's blog, "For those of you who are Nikon shooters and are wondering 'Hey, why is this Canon only?' the answer is: 1. Because most of us here have Canon cameras; and 2. This is our first iPhone app and we're not sure how well it will be received." So if you want a version for your Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Pentax, or other model, head over there to request it.
How to use Spotify's Offline mode on iPhone
How to use Spotify's Offline mode on iPhone
After you have installed the app and have signed in to your Spotify account on your iPhone, you will see a list of the playlists you have created. Tap on the playlist you would like to store on your device for offline playback. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiToggle the "Available Offline" switch, located at the top of the playlist, to Yes, making that playlist available offline. Once you have turned on Offline mode for a particular playlist, you should then see a progress icon next to each song in the playlist. A green icon indicates that song has been saved to your device for offline listening, a black icon indicates that song is awaiting download. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiOnce a playlist has been saved to your iPhone, you will see a green down arrow icon in the top-left corner of the playlist, similar to that seen above. The green dot next to the playlist name indicates that the playlist is a collaborative playlist, not that the playlist is available for offline listening.Screenshot by Jason CiprianiTo save battery, you can force Spotify into Offline mode but tapping on the Settings tab, and turning on Offline mode. Doing so will limit your listening capability to those playlists you have saved to your device, preventing your iPhone from streaming music. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiOnce Offline mode is turned on, you will have to log back in to Spotify once every 30 days to validate that your account is still a Premium account. You can store up to 3,333 songs in Offline mode on each device (up to three) that you have Spotify installed on.
After you have installed the app and have signed in to your Spotify account on your iPhone, you will see a list of the playlists you have created. Tap on the playlist you would like to store on your device for offline playback. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiToggle the "Available Offline" switch, located at the top of the playlist, to Yes, making that playlist available offline. Once you have turned on Offline mode for a particular playlist, you should then see a progress icon next to each song in the playlist. A green icon indicates that song has been saved to your device for offline listening, a black icon indicates that song is awaiting download. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiOnce a playlist has been saved to your iPhone, you will see a green down arrow icon in the top-left corner of the playlist, similar to that seen above. The green dot next to the playlist name indicates that the playlist is a collaborative playlist, not that the playlist is available for offline listening.Screenshot by Jason CiprianiTo save battery, you can force Spotify into Offline mode but tapping on the Settings tab, and turning on Offline mode. Doing so will limit your listening capability to those playlists you have saved to your device, preventing your iPhone from streaming music. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiOnce Offline mode is turned on, you will have to log back in to Spotify once every 30 days to validate that your account is still a Premium account. You can store up to 3,333 songs in Offline mode on each device (up to three) that you have Spotify installed on.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)