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Movie star Anna Kendrick managed to say something in a single tweetthat instantly nails anyone who would buy a gold Apple Watch Edition: "We should be thanking Apple for launching the $10,000 'apple watch' as the new gold standard in douchebag detection." Right on. There's one complication, though. People who believe that a gold Apple Watch is an important status symbol -- or somehow the height of fashion -- aren't the real problem here. Of course, people who buy things to bring them status are some of the saddest and most deplorable humans around -- and I don't mean to let them off the hook. Status should be about what you do, how you act, and how you elevate those around you. Period. What I'm getting at is that the shallow stupidity that forms the core of people who live with thoughtless privilege isn't what disappoints me with the Apple Watch Edition. It's Apple. Apple missed an opportunity to do something truly great and instead did something far beneath its potential. Conspicuous ConsumptionMost of Apple's seemingly overpriced products are rooted in technology and profit margins. The technology that is built into each product tends to have some sort of connection to the function it provides -- a better, sharper more expensive Retina display, for example, is at least loosely connected to the price. A larger screen is at least loosely connected to the price. Better, faster processors are usually connected to the price. Gold for the sake of gold is disconnected from the presumed purpose of an Apple Watch. OK, the gold is for fashionistas, right? That's its purpose -- to look good for rich people to buy. What's wrong with that? If that's all Apple wanted to do -- make something pretty for the glitterati -- that's sad. Worse, it represents a missed opportunity, which I'll get to in a minute. First, consider this: What if Apple started making 18-karat gold iPhones? There are some people on Earth who would buy them. What if Apple started making 18-karat gold iPads and released them a few months early, only to those who could afford them? Apple has every right to do so. Heck, there have been other companies that have fastened diamonds onto iPhones. I guess there are worse things you could do with your life than make a profit off massively rich douchebags. However, that's not Apple. Or that wasn't Apple. Hard to say where Apple goes from here, but consider this: I'm unlikely to run into many people who would buy and wear a US$10,000 gold Apple Watch, but the very fact that this Edition exists -- for no good reason at all -- makes me less likely to want to wear an Apple Watch myself. Instead of raising the desire of an Apple Watch among the masses, the gold Apple Watch aligns what I wear on my wrist with what a dumbass would buy. Apple has created a product that makes sense -- the Apple Watch -- with aversion of it -- the Apple Watch Edition -- that makes no sense. There is no technical purpose to use the gold -- but it's prettier, you might say, and therefore worth it! If you're saying the gold is prettier and therefore worth it, please stop reading right now. This column is not for you. Go buy a small dog to carry around as a fashion accessory that can help fill the cold empty spot inside you when you match its collar with your belt. Meanwhile, what about the tradition of other highly expensive watches? Aren't they are least as pointless as the Apple Watch Edition? Maybe -- but I'm perfectly fine with many of them -- and I'm perfectly fine with a rich guy buying an expensive watch. However, it should have a connection to its value. The craftsmanship and style that go into the building of such a watch can be rewarded. There are guys who have devoted their lives to learning the trade and who are able to assemble tiny gears and springs to create a timepiece that keeps accurate time. That's amazing. Heirloom watches last for generations and boast timeless style. Can you imagine packing around a first-generation 18-karat gold iPhone just because it technically would still function with a new battery? It's stupid. The Apple Watch Edition is the sort of thing that eventually will get left in a drawer like an old iPod. Because the Apple Watch Edition is a smartwatch, it is a consumable device -- not an heirloom. It won't last multiple generations. When the price is so wildly disconnected from the technology, craftsmanship and purpose, its existence becomes obnoxious. As an Apple enthusiast, can I simply ignore the douchebags who will inevitably drop more than $10,000 for it? Drop $17,000 for it? Yes -- but only because Anna Kendrick so aptly pointed out that it represents the new gold standard in douchebag detection. (Thank you, Anna. I promise to watch one of your movies.) There's a Much Better WayThe real question is how could Apple have dropped the ball so spectacularly? Did the company's leaders get lost in their own navels, feeling the need to take on expensive traditional watches? Did they need to have an answer? Did they want their own gold watch? Was it just calculated free marketing dollars? As in, the more people talk about newfangled $17,000 wrist 'puters, the better? Was it the notion that a high-end and a low-end watch might direct people to buy the "sensible" watch priced in the middle? Is this just a necessary psychological ploy to sell more stainless steel watches? If any of this is true, Apple didn't do its real job and focus on a making products that have a reason for being -- that touch lives and improve them. A thousand no's for every yes, right? The Apple Watch Edition should have been a no. Yet that's not quite right, either. In the place of the current Apple Watch Edition, Apple should have created something much better -- something actually worthy of being a symbol. Why didn't Apple invent a fancy new gold coating instead of using real gold, and then sell a premium Apple Watch with the stipulation that a large portion of the proceeds would go to support some charity? Or to produce sustainable energy? Or fund scientists to efficiently desalinate seawater? Or back a mission to Mars? Why not make the new fashion bragging right about something important rather than ostentatious? Seriously. Tim Cook, Jony Ive, and Apple all wield serious power, and instead of doing something exceedingly smart, they did something exceedingly... standard. A high-priced Apple Watch -- even a gold edition that costs $50,000 --could have been a status symbol by the virtue of what it representedbeyond itself as a product: a contribution to a charitable foundation or the pursuit of science for the good of humanity. Apple could have curated several options, and then laser-etched the choice onto the back of the Apple Watch. Maybe such a watch would have a spectacular custom watchface to go with the choice -- only available on that Edition. Suddenly, instead of functioning as a douchebag detector, it would be a status symbol signifying something worthwhile. Suddenly, the status symbol could be a talking point. Suddenly, people with astounding means might take a moment to think -- maybe even involuntarily -- about their own status and what role they play in the world. Apple could have transformed the watch industry -- could have thought beyond the wrist and what it actually means to move around in our world. Instead, the reality of what Apple has produced today is disappointing. Apple seems to be caught up in the notion of fashion, and rather thanredefine fashion -- which is what Apple prides itself on doing, redefining -- it tried to make a better 18-karat gold alloy for a me-too watch. That's great, Apple. Really great. Nice dent in the universe..
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"Apple Wave" encourages users to put iPhones in the microwave - www.tecmundo.com.br/ios-8/63242-apple-wave-incentiva-usuarios-colorarem-iphones-micro-ondas.htm How to use: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=4614113968033
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Aaaaaaaaaand it's live. iOS 8 is now available to download on iPhone and iPad, and while it doesn't enjoy a dramatic visual overhaul akin to iOS 7, it does bring a roster of fancy new features in its wake. We're rounded up all the details right here, but highlights include Apple's new Health app, an enhanced Passbook, improved notifications, custom keyboards and the ability to send iMessages to a Mac. To get it, just go to Settings > General > Software Update, and you should see iOS 8 waiting for you. If it's not there, don't panic right away - just keep checking back. via: http://www.in.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/iOS-8-is-live-go-download-it-right-now/articleshow/42737775.cms
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iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Apple kicked off their presentation with the news everyone was expecting: new iPhones. The early word of two different sizes were right on the money. The new phone will hit the market in two iterations, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches respectively. iPhone 6 (16GB): $199 iPhone 6 (64GB): $299 iPhone 6 (128GB): $399 iPhone 6 Plus (16GB): $299 iPhone 6 Plus (64GB): $399 iPhone 6 Plus (128GB): $499 Larger display The larger 5.5-inch display sports a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and has 185 percent more pixels than the earlier iPhone. The new generation of displays are being branded as Retina HD displays and come with “Ion strengthened” glass. Apple adds that the new screens provide a broader angle of view. The iPhone 6 Plus measures 7.1mm in thickness compared to the iPhone 5s’ 7.6mm thickness. The larger screen of course also comes with slightly different UI elements. To illustrate the advantages of the larger display, Apple showed a side-by-side comparison of the Messages app, and you can see that the larger display shows faces in addition to messages. To ensure that it’s still easy to use the iPhone 6 Plus with one hand, Apple’s adding a new “Reachability mode” that slides down the entire screen, so you can easily reach the buttons at the top. This mode can be activated by double touching the home button. Another change Apple’s made to the iPhone 6 in view of one-handed use is the relocation of the power button: It’s now on the side rather than the top, making it easier to reach. A8 chip The iPhone 6 comes with a 64-bit A8 chip with a 20nm process. The chip boasts of an improvement of 25% in CPU and 50% in GPU performance. The A8 chip also comes with the newer generation M8 motion coprocessor that can tell when you’re cycling, running and can also calculate elevation. The elevation is measures by a new barometer sensor that can calculate the pressure difference between two points. Camera The iPhone 6 Plus comes with a new iSight camera. It has the same 8 megapixel count as earlier iPhone generations, but comes with a next-generation sensor that can do faster autofocus, and face-detection. The iPhone 6 Plus comes with Optical Image stabilisation that can shoot better images and videos even when there’s a lot of movement. The cameras can now shoot slo-mo videos at 240 fps, promising even better slow motion videos. The font-facing camera is even better now, with an all-new sensor that can capture 81% more light. LTE The iPhone 6 Plus supports up to 20LTE bands, which Apple claims is the most any phone supports. It also supports VoLTE, or voice over LTE that can carry your voice over LTE networks. NFC As rumored, the iPhone 6 comes with an NFC chip, that powers Apple’s new mobile payments solution called the Apple Pay. Battery Life The iPhone 6 Plus can play 80 hours of audio, 14 hours of video, and can last 12 hours on Wi-Fi/LTE/3G browsing. It has a 3G talk time of 24 hours and a standby time of 16 days. The larger display helped Apple pack in a larger battery capacity, which gives it a longer life than other iPhones: Pricing & Availability The iPhone 6 Plus will cost $299, $399 and $499 respectively for the 16GB, 64GB and 128GB models with a contract. The devices ship September 19th, and preorders start this Friday, September 12. -
Apple Inc. said it plans additional steps to keep hackers out of user accounts but denied that a lax attitude toward security had allowed intruders to post nude photos of celebrities on the Internet. In his first interview on the subject, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said celebrities' iCloud accounts were compromised when hackers correctly answered security questions to obtain their passwords or when they were victimized by a phishing scam to obtain user IDs and passwords. He said none of the Apple IDs and passwords leaked from the company's servers. To make such leaks less likely, Mr. Cook said Apple will alert users via email and push notifications when someone tries to change an account password, restore iCloud data to a new device or when a device logs into an account for the first time. Until now, users got an email when someone tried to change a password or log in for the first time from an unknown Apple device; there were no notifications for restoring iCloud data. Apple said it plans to start sending the notifications in two weeks. It said the new system will allow users to take action immediately, including changing the password to retake control of the account or alerting Apple's security team. But Mr. Cook said the most important measures to prevent future intrusions might be more human than technological. In particular, he said Apple could have done more to make people aware of the dangers of hackers trying to target their accounts or the importance of creating stronger and safer passwords. "When I step back from this terrible scenario that happened and say what more could we have done, I think about the awareness piece," he said. "I think we have a responsibility to ratchet that up. That's not really an engineering thing." Asked about the criticism that Apple hadn't focused enough on the security of its products, Mr. Cook pointed to the company's work with Touch ID, the fingerprint sensor in its iPhone 5S that unlocks the phone and authorizes purchases. He also said Apple will broaden its use of an enhanced security system known as "two-factor authentication," which requires a user, or a hacker, to have two of three things to access an account: a password, a separate four-digit one-time code or a long access key given to the user when they signed up for the service. When the feature is turned on, Apple requires users to complete two of those steps to sign into an iTunes account from a new device. As part of the next version of its iOS mobile-operating system, due out later this month, the feature will also cover access to iCloud accounts from a mobile device. Apple said a majority of users don't use two-factor authentication, so it plans to more aggressively encourage people to turn it on in the new version of iOS. If the celebrities had the system in place, hackers wouldn't have had an opportunity to guess the correct answer to security questions, Apple said. Outside security experts said Apple had made it too easy for hackers to access users' information, by requiring only the answer to two security questions. Particularly for celebrities, such answers can be guessed by outsiders. "There's a well-understood tension between usability and security," said Ashkan Soltani, an independent security researcher who has worked with The Wall Street Journal in the past. "More often than not, Apple chooses to err on the side of usability to make it easier for the user that gets locked out from their kid's baby photos than to employ strong protections for the high-risk individuals." He said the new notifications "will do little to actually protect consumers' information since it only alerts you after the fact." Apple said it is working with law enforcement to investigate the incident and identify the hackers. A spokesman declined to specify how many users' accounts had been compromised, citing the continuing investigation. "We want to do everything we can do to protect our customers, because we are as outraged if not more so than they are," said Mr. Cook. Apple is battling to preserve its reputation for looking after its users ahead of a major product announcement next week. The company is facing the type of negative publicity that it usually has managed to avoid, a situation magnified by the popularity of the victims. Nude photos of actress Jennifer Lawrence and a host of other celebrities started spilling onto the Internet last week, raising concerns about the security of Apple's online services. Apple users can back up photos, music and other data onto its iCloud service. via: http://online.wsj.com/articles/tim-cook-says-apple-to-add-security-alerts-for-icloud-users-1409880977
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Apple's iPhone 6 event is just days away, but iFans might have to wait considerably longer than that to get the iWatch on their wrists. Yes, the Apple wearable will debut on September 9, sources agree - it just won't actually be released until 2015, according to Re/code. "It's not shipping anytime soon," a source "in position to know" told the site, explaining that the iWatch won't hit shelves for at least "a few months." That could put it firmly in holiday territory - albeit cutting it a little close for some Christmas shoppers - but this report says that's unlikely, and the iWatch release date will probably fall in early 2015. Talk about precisionGoogle may have technically kicked off the smartwatch revolution with Android Wear, but at the same time it feels like the industry is holding its breath to see what Apple will contribute. And the Cupertino giant is taking its sweet time, which is somewhat ironic considering we're talking about watches here. In recent years Apple's phones and other gadgets have launched in the weeks after their unveilings, with pre-orders usually beginning just days afterward. But as Re/code points out, six months passed between when Apple debuted the original iPhone and when it actually went on sale. In other words you never know what this company might do. Via: http://www.techradar.com/news/portable-devices/other-devices/apple-s-iwatch-might-debut-with-the-iphone-6-but-it-won-t-launch-until-2015-1263356 -
Apple Inc is preparing to roll out a larger, 12.9-inch version of its iPad for 2015, with production set to begin in the first quarter of next year, Bloomberg cited people with knowledge of the matter as saying on Tuesday. The report comes as Apple struggles with declining sales of its 10-inch and 7.9-inch tablets, which are faltering as people replace iPads less frequently than expected and larger smartphones made by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and other rivals encroach upon sales. Apple has been working with its suppliers for over a year on larger touch-screen devices, Bloomberg cited the sources as saying. It is expected to introduce larger versions of its 4-inch iPhone next month, although the company has not publicized plans for its most important device. Apple was not immediately available for comment. Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/08/26/apple-ipad-idINKBN0GQ20320140826
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According to Apple, a small number of iPhone 5 sold between September 2012 and January 2013 are experiencing battery problems, where the users may experience reduced battery life, causing them to charge more frequently. Apple is now asking those who purchased an iPhone 5 in that period to check if they eligible for their battery replacement program. You have to enter the serial number of iPhone on Apple's website to check if your phone is eligible and if it is, Apple will replace the battery free of charge. You can find more details in the link below. https://ssl.apple.com/support/iphone5-battery/
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Since I should try to be more active on the forums, I started this topic. iOS users, let's share together what tweaks/apps you have downloaded on your jailbroken device!
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Hey, I've been a big fan of Snow Leopard and after using Lion, I didn't think it was worth buying, especially as Snow Leopard is compatible with older games and other software. But now i feel like upgrading my os. Should I upgrade to Lion? Should i not give in to the hype of Lion? or Should i wait for Mountain Lion (this summer)? help me out, please?
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Apple Must Publish Notice Samsung Didn’t Copy IPad in U.K. Apple Inc. (AAPL) was ordered by a judge to publish a notice on its U.K. website and in British newspapers alerting people to a ruling that Samsung Electronics Co. didn’t copy designs for the iPad. The notice should outline the July 9 London court decision that Samsung’s Galaxy tablets don’t infringe Apple’s registered designs, Judge Colin Birss said today. It should be posted on Apple’s U.K. home page for six months and published in several newspapers and magazines to correct any impression the South Korea-based company was copying Apple’s product, Birss said. The order means Apple will have to publish “an advertisement” for Samsung, Richard Hacon, a lawyer for Cupertino, California-based Apple, told the court. “No company likes to refer to a rival on its website.” Apple is fighting patent lawsuits around the globe against competitors including Google Inc., HTC Corp. (2498) and Samsung as it competes for dominance of the smartphone and tablet computer markets. The firms have accused each other of copying designs and technology in their mobile devices. Legal battles about the similarity of Samsung and Apple tablets are being fought in Germany, the Netherlands and the U.S. Public Statements Birss said in his July 9 ruling that Samsung’s tablets were unlikely to be confused with the iPad because they are “not as cool.” He declined today to grant Samsung’s bid for an injunction blocking Apple from making public statements that the Galaxy infringed its design rights. “They are entitled to their opinion,” he said Apple spokesman Alan Hely didn’t immediately respond to a phone call and e-mail requesting comment on the judge’s order. “Should Apple continue to make excessive legal claims based on such generic designs, innovation in the industry could be harmed and consumer choice unduly limited,” Samsung said in a statement after the hearing. “The war between these two companies seems to be escalating even further,” said Colin Fowler, an intellectual property lawyer at London-based Rouse. He said much of the publicity around the July 9 ruling focused on Birss’ comments about Samsung not being as cool. “From a victory in court they were suddenly on the back foot,” Fowler said in a phone interview. “Getting this order fits in with the context of them trying to restore the balance.” ‘Commercial Harm’ Comments made by Apple after that ruling unfairly implied that Samsung had copied designs, Samsung’s lawyer Kathryn Pickard said at the hearing. That “caused real commercial harm.” As well as Apple’s website, the company must pay for notices in the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, Guardian Mobile magazine, and T3, according to a draft copy of the order provided by Samsung’s lawyers. Apple’s lawyer said the company would appeal the July 9 decision and Judge Birss granted the company permission to take its case to the court of appeal. source -
Apple just announced the new iPad , during the presentation Infinity Blade Dungeons was shown, which will be available exclusively on the iPad HD (or iPad 3 , whatever it will be called) Infinity Blade Dungeons will use the full resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixel on the Retina Display on the new iPad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xSmRueheTI&list=UUYCEK7i8Uq-XtFtWolofxFg&index=4&feature=plcp
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IDG News Service reports on comments made yesterday by venture capitalist John Stanton claiming that Steve Jobs had been investigating the Possibility of using unlicensed spectrum as Wi-Fi way to bypass carriers in setting up a mobile phone network in the years before the iPhone debuted. While the idea proved to be infeasible, Stanton's description of Jobs' vision fits with the Apple co-founder's overall goal of controlling the entire user experience from end to end. According to Stanton, Jobs gave up on the idea by 2007 as the company pursued a more traditional arrangement for the iPhone through existing carriers, but still managed to have a significant influence on eroding the control carriers had previously exerted over the devices on their networks. Stanton was one of the early entrepreneurs in cellular technology, founding a small company called Western Wireless that later spun out part of itself as VoiceStream and which became T-Mobile USA following a 2001 acquisition by Deutsche Telekom. The remainder of Western Wireless was acquired by Alltel in 2005, and it appears that Jobs' conversations with Stanton occurred immediately after that time. Source DJ
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Apple faces ban on iPhone and iPad sales A German court has issued an injunction that temporarily bans Apple Inc. from selling or marketing its mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads in Germany. But it’s unclear whether it will have an immediate effect on the company. In a statement to the tech blog theverge.com, Apple said that the ruling, issued on Friday by a court in Mannheim, was simply a “procedural issue,” that “does not affect our ability to sell products or do business in Germany at this time.” The court made the default decision after Apple did not attempt to debunk Motorola's patent infringement claims. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Local and Apple’s internet store in Germany was still selling its products on Monday. The ruling stems from a long-running patent dispute between Apple and Motorola over mobile technology. Apple has been aggressively defending its technology, even succeeding in having some competing Android devices temporarily banned in Germany earlier this year. Motorola is currently in the process of being purchased by Google, which makes the Android operating system. But a ban in Germany, which is Europe’s biggest electronics market, could be devastating for the company, especially if it is accused of violating the ruling which could result in fines of €250,000 per violation. It is not yet clear, however, whether the ruling applies directly to Apple Germany, which is a subsidiary of Apple Inc., and commentators were offering different viewpoints on its effect Monday. Nilay Patel of theverge.com called it a “totally symbolic victory for Motorola” because the ruling doesn’t mention Apple Germany. But intellectual property analyst Florian Mueller wrote on his blog FOSS Patents that the real question is whether the parent company would legally be able to provide product to its subsidiary. If deliveries are blocked, it could make it impossible for devices to be sold in Germany in any event. The law firm Scherer & Körbes wrote on its blog that under the terms of the ruling supplies could “probably be prohibited.” But Apple remains free to appeal to ruling. Source DJ
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New iPhone Faces Battery Complaints The introduction of a new iPhone wouldn’t be complete without at least one baffling technical problem ticking off customers. The iPhone 4S hasn’t disappointed in that regard. Tony Avelar/Bloomberg NewsThe Apple iPhone 4S. The discussions forums on Apple’s Web site are ablaze with comments from iPhone 4S customers about the poor battery life of the new Apple phone. Many of the people complaining say the battery on the iPhone 4S seems to drain quickly even when they’re not using the device much and even after they have shut down some of the power-hungry features that can affect battery performance. “My iPhone 4s battery life is terrible,” one person on the forums posted. “I’m always experiencing a 10-15% drop per hour. I unplugged my phone this morning at 8:20 and it’s now 12:15 and my battery is on 53%. I have almost everything turned off that you possibly can.” For now, Apple isn’t saying anything about the issue – a spokeswoman didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment – in what has become a typical pattern of silence for the company after customers begin complaining about a technical problem with a new iPhone. Often Apple waits to speak out on issues like this after several days of investigating the matter. In the meantime, iPhone customers are left troubleshooting the problem themselves, coming up with workarounds that may or may not alleviate the problem. The Guardian reported that some iPhone customers had seen improved battery life by shutting off a feature called “Setting Time Zone” buried within the location services menu of iPhone settings. That feature automatically adjusts the time zone settings of an iPhone when a user travels. Turning it off means the clock on users’ phones won’t adjust unless they manually change it. Some people on Apple’s discussion forums still report poor battery life even after making the change. Battery complaints about new iPhones aren’t new, but they have generally failed to grow into controversies as big as the mother of all iPhone blow-ups, known as Antennagate. In that case, the iPhone 4 introduction last year was met with a wave of bad publicity and customer complaints about dropped phone calls and weak wireless signals. Apple eventually conceded that the problems were caused by the design of the iPhone 4’s antenna and offered customers free protective cases to remedy the problem. Apple also said at the time that the antenna problems had been overblown and that only a small portion of its customers complained about them. The company appeared to be vindicated after the gangbuster iPhone 4 sales that followed. Source:http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/31/new-iphone-faces-battery-complaints/?ref=technology Not what you expect from Apple.
