Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Apple Releases the Fifth iOS 8 to Developers
iOS 8 beta 5 build 12A4345d is available via Apples over-the-air on iOS devices, the download can also be through the iOS Developer Center wedsite. Apple has also released a new beta software update to Apple TV, which includes a redesigned UI.
Despite the iOS 8s style no differ a lot of iOS 7, but has come with a set of new features and apps like the integration with OS X, Family Sharing features, QuickType, interactive notifications, a Health app, and improvements to several apps like Messages, and Safari.
As its predecessors, iOS 8 beta 5 also contains new features and refinements like new options for SMS Relay and new features in Health, well come to all of these changes in the next post.
So far, iOS 8 is only available to registered developers, the public release expected to be this fall, likely alongside announcement of new iPhone versions, while there is a conflict in news, if iOS 8 beta 5 is the latest beta before the iOS 8 golden version, or well see another beta.
Read also:
- A Comprehensive List of Changes in iOS 8 Beta 4
- A List of User Interface Changes in iOS 8 Beta 3
- Interesting Features and Changes in Both iOS 8 Beta Updates
- Photos App in iOS 8
- iOS 8 Features
- iOS 8 Brings New Option "Send Last Location" To Find My iPhone or iPad
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
All The Changes In iOS 7 1 Beta You’ll Actually Notice
This morning Apple released its first major beta build of iOS 7 to developers since the release of iOS 7 in September. On the surface the update seems to be just a bunch of bug fixes and performance improvements for a number of apps, but once you dig into the new software a little more there are a couple UI changes and new features that we’ve found.
Here are the new changes to iOS 7.1 that you might actually notice:
Dark Keyboard
iOS 7 is flat and white all over but a few apps like Tweetbot 3.0 have taken advantage of Apple’s dark keyboard to give their apps more variation. With the iOS 7.1 beta users can finally switch to the dark keyboard permanently under the Accessibility Settings
iOS 7 is flat and white all over but a few apps like Tweetbot 3.0 have taken advantage of Apple’s dark keyboard to give their apps more variation. With the iOS 7.1 beta users can finally switch to the dark keyboard permanently under the Accessibility Settings
Improved Contrasts
Another new Accessibility option added to the iOS 7.1 beta essentially darkens the entire OS by giving users the options to Reduce Transparency, turning the dock and folder backgrounds a dark grey. You can choose to darken colors in iOS 7.1 too.
Speaking of Accessibility enhancements, Apple also added controls that increase contrast throughout the UI. You can now choose to Reduce Transparency to improve contrast on some backgrounds so you can read text better. There’s also an option to darken colors if iOS 7 is just too damn bright.
New HDR Auto Mode
Apple added a new HDR Auto mode to iOS 7.1 beta that automatically chooses the best photo from your HDR snap. You can toggle HDR Auto off by just switching to “HDR On” if you want the camera to save all 3 exposures to your camera roll with the option to expand and view each frame. The switching UI is a bit confusing at first, so hopefully Apple makes some improvements before final release.
To switch back to regular HDR mode just tap the HDR button and choose “On” or “HDR Off”.
Another new Accessibility option added to the iOS 7.1 beta essentially darkens the entire OS by giving users the options to Reduce Transparency, turning the dock and folder backgrounds a dark grey. You can choose to darken colors in iOS 7.1 too.
Speaking of Accessibility enhancements, Apple also added controls that increase contrast throughout the UI. You can now choose to Reduce Transparency to improve contrast on some backgrounds so you can read text better. There’s also an option to darken colors if iOS 7 is just too damn bright.
New HDR Auto Mode
Apple added a new HDR Auto mode to iOS 7.1 beta that automatically chooses the best photo from your HDR snap. You can toggle HDR Auto off by just switching to “HDR On” if you want the camera to save all 3 exposures to your camera roll with the option to expand and view each frame. The switching UI is a bit confusing at first, so hopefully Apple makes some improvements before final release.
To switch back to regular HDR mode just tap the HDR button and choose “On” or “HDR Off”.
Burst Photo Uploads
Burst mode on the iPhone 5s is awesome for making sure you capture the perfect moment with a machine gun barrage of frames, but also those burst mode scenes eat up storage. Now you can choose whether or not to upload Burst Mode Photos to your PhotoStream.
Yahoo Logo
Yahoo’s logo has been updated throughout the operating system to reflect its new design:
Flickr Gets More Minimal
Flickr’s logo in the iOS 7.1 beta Settings has lost its gradient and app icon border, getting replaced with more minimalist white space to go with its blue and pick dots.
Burst mode on the iPhone 5s is awesome for making sure you capture the perfect moment with a machine gun barrage of frames, but also those burst mode scenes eat up storage. Now you can choose whether or not to upload Burst Mode Photos to your PhotoStream.
Yahoo’s logo has been updated throughout the operating system to reflect its new design:
Flickr’s logo in the iOS 7.1 beta Settings has lost its gradient and app icon border, getting replaced with more minimalist white space to go with its blue and pick dots.
- Read also: Video: A Handy Overview on Whats New in iOS 7.1
Data source: CultofMac (By Buster Heine)
Monday, May 18, 2015
Apple Patent Describes Future Sapphire Glass Uses
Sapphire could be used as a heat spreader
The aperture formed in the substrate may have one or more securing features to help hold the second material within the aperture. For example, the aperture may have one or more tapered sidewalls. Alternatively, or additionally, the aperture may have a notch or step in one or more sidewalls. In still other embodiments, an interior surface of the aperture may be threaded or include a lip or protrusion that serves as a securing feature. It should be appreciated that other securing features may be implemented and, further, that multiple securing features may be used in conjunction.Currently, Apple uses small pieces of sapphire glass to protect the iPhone’s cameras and the home button of the iPhone 5s, which features a fingerprint sensor.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
New Tests Point to Multiple Issues With iPhone 5s Sensors
Reports of inaccurate motion sensors in the iPhone 5s continue to grow. As reported last week on Cult of Mac, there appear to be widespread problems with the 5s’ compass, gyroscope and accelerometer.
The original forum thread at MacRumors is now at a whopping 19 pages of user reports, and Apple has yet to respond to Cult of Mac’s repeated requests for information.
This morning, Gizmodo conducted its own tests and found the iPhone 5s motion sensors to be “totally screwed up.”
Looks like the problem is far more widespread than the naysayers on our original post, and on the MacRumors thread, are willing to admit.
While our unscientific tests last week showed that something was up with the compass component of the Cult of Mac iPhone 5s, the fine folks over at Gizmodo have put their iPhone 5s through a few more rigorous paces, posting pictures and video of just how inaccurate their iPhone’s results are across all the device’s motion sensors.
They tested the level, comparing it to a real world bubble level, and using both Apple’s Level app as well as highly-regarded HandyLevel. They then tested the gyroscope with a racing game, finding that their in-game car drifted off to the left when the iPhone 5s was held level.
The team then checked out the compass, comparing it to a real compass as well as that of the Compass app on an iPhone 4S, finding that readings tended to be off by as much as eight to ten degrees. “It’s also worth noting that on the iPhone 5S,” they wrote, “the compass application was prone to either freezing up or giving wonky readings that could only be fixed by killing and restarting the app.”
This all points to the same potential cause, as pointed out in the MacRumors forum thread. The inconsistency of the problem, coupled with the fact that iPhone 5 devices with iOS 7 do not have the same problem, points to a hardware calibration issue.
If Apple deals with this issue the same way it appears to be dealing with iPhone 5 “dust in the lens” issues, chances are that if you have a calibration issue, you’ll need to take it into an Apple Store and get a new iPhone 5s without the issue. It’s not likely that Apple will issue any sort of recall, as of yet.
We’ll continue to follow the news around this motion sensor problem, and continue to try and get a response from Apple as well. Stay tuned.
Data source: via CultofMac (By Rob LeFebvre ) [Gizmodo]
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Qualcomm Exec Soft Fired After Calling 64 Bit A7 Chip A “Gimmick”
Last month, Qualcomm representative Anand Chandrasekher called Apple’s new 64-bit A7 chip a “gimmick.” It was a hugely stupid thing to say, leading to Qualcomm actually correcting Chandrasekher’s remarks. But it also might have killed Chandrasekher’s career, at least in part, as the former chief marketing officer seems to have been sent into exile within the company.
In a statement to CNET, a Qualcomm representative said: “Anand Chandrasekher, is moving to a new role leading our exploration of certain enterprise related initiatives…Anand will continue to report to Steve Mollenkopf, COO and President of Qualcomm. This will be effective immediately.”
This is corporate speak. Essentially, what Qualomm is saying is that Chandrasekher would have been fired for his remarks, but they can’t, so they’ve demoted him to some shitty position within the company until he resigns.
Why is Qualcomm getting so bent out of shape about Chandrasekher’s comments? Essentially, because he threw his own company under the bus. 64-bit is the future of mobile ARM-based chips, and Qualcomm is going to start making the very type of chip that Chandrasekher just called a gimmick, probably within the next year. The former chief marketing officer had described the very technology Qualcomm’s future business would depend upon as not worth taking seriously.
Chandrasekher’s job was to promote Qualcomm. Saying Qualcomm’s future chips are a “gimmick” is just completely inept. Qualcomm’s right: the guy should be fired.
Data source: via CultofMac (ByJohn Brownlee) [Cnet]
Friday, May 15, 2015
Pebble Opens Developer Portal Appstore Coming in 2014
The appstore, which will function similarly to other app repositories from companies like Apple and Google, will allow Pebble users to download an array of apps for their smart watches, from watch faces to more complex applications developed especially for the device.
When it launches in early 2014, the Pebble appstore will be a first-of-its-kind wearable tech application directory—giving Pebble users a one-stop-shop for searching, browsing, and installing Pebble watch faces and apps directly from the iOS or Android Pebble smartphone app.
Pebble’s Developer Portal comes after the November release of its Pebble SDK 2.0, which added four new APIs including Javascript, Accelerometer, Data Logging, and Persistent Storage. Pebble also recently gained support for iOS 7 notifications via the Pebble Smartwatch app, greatly enhancing the functionality of the device.
The Pebble Smart watch can be purchased from the Pebble website for $150. The accompanying Pebble Smartwatch app can be downloaded from the App Store for free.
The Pebble Smart watch can be purchased from the Pebble website for $150. The accompanying Pebble Smartwatch app can be downloaded from the App Store for free.
Data source: via MacRumors (By Juli Clover)
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Apple investigating built in solar power converters for iPhone MacBook
Apple already has a number of solar power inventions to its name, but Thursdays filing is one of the first to propose a solution that can be made viable in the near term.
Source: USPTO
As electronics become more powerful with each successive generation, they in turn require more power, which for portables is limited by battery capacities. Apple notes these devices are therefore dependent on availability of mains electricity, or a wall outlet.
There are solutions, such as solar panels, that can add extra juice on the go, but existing tech relies on external circuits to convert solar panel power to a form compatible with electronic devices. More specifically, iPhones and MacBooks accept specific direct current (DC) voltages. While an option, integrated solar panels have proven bulky and the aesthetics may be less than desirable for Apple.
According to the filing, the integrated power management system would include a system micro controller (SMC) and a charger. Power would flow to the system from either an AC-to-DC adapter or directly from a photovoltaic solar panels output, which is DC only, then be measured and converted to the necessary voltage.
In this embodiment, chargers power stage incorporates what is known as a buck converter, or step-down DC-to-DC converter. Incoming power is monitored by a charger IC, converted to an appropriate voltage and fed into either an input current loop, a battery current loop, an output voltage loop, or an input voltage loop to control charging.
The SMC monitors system power metrics like battery charge, health and input power type, among others, and manages the power stage accordingly.
In the case of solar power input, the SMC would track a maximum power point for the panels by any number of methods, including multiplying current with voltage. Once this point is established, SMC sends a signal to the charger IC, which uses the data to adjust a reference voltage for maximum power point tracking (MPPT). This point determines what voltage changes need to be applied to the solar panel input.
Finally, Apple notes that the power management system can accept both solar and mains power simultaneously.
Illustration of power management system with incorporated MPPT.
All processing and adjustments can be accomplished with established techniques and deployed in a reasonably small component package, making the invention suitable for use in iPhones and MacBooks. While solar tech is somewhat of a rarity, the alternative energy solution is becoming more popular with mainstream consumers looking for on-the-go power.
Apples solar power converter patent application was first filed for in 2012 and credits Kisun Lee, Manisha P. Pandya and Shimon Elkayam as its inventors.
Image source: TC
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