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AfterDawn: News

Apple reinvents the home button with iPhone 7?

Written by Matti Robinson @ 08 Aug 2016 4:48

Apple reinvents the home button with iPhone 7? One thing about iPhone has remained superficially largely the same from the first iPhone. Even though we now have the Touch ID inside and the square is no longer present, the iPhone's round home button is largely the same as it was back in 2007.

Now Apple is said to update the key feature and remove one key aspect of it entirely.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is removing the physical button and replacing it with a capacitive home button.

This means of course that the clickiness of the button will be removed completely. This can be considered both a good and a bad thing but obviously Apple has come to the conclusion – if the rumors hold true – that the pros outweigh the cons.

Even though there is no mechanical click anymore, Apple is said to have inserted a haptic motor under the button which will give feedback from a press of the button. Also the button senses pressure in different force levels which enables new features not unlike the ones 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s display and Force Touch on Apple Watch have shown us.

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg also reiterated that the dual camera feature is likely to be found only on the larger 5.5 inch Plus version of iPhone 7.




AfterDawn: News

Apple Watch update to come in two versions

Written by Matti Robinson @ 08 Aug 2016 2:27

Apple Watch update to come in two versions It's been over 15 months since Apple released its first and only Apple Watch. It was meant to rock the world unlike any other smartwatch and finally show the potential of wearables. Well, it has oversold competitors but there's no question that it hasn't done as well as the company probably hoped.

Clearly there still were things, be it battery life or apps among others, that need improvement. We've been waiting for the second generation since the initial release and it was rumored that Apple would shows us the version two this spring. No Apple Watch was released, however, but we might see one, or in fact two, this fall.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI Securities has detailed that Apple will be releasing not one but two different Apple Watch versions this fall in addition to the new iPhone 7. The first of the versions is a slight upgrade, including a better core chip, to the first Apple Watch. The second one, dubbed Apple Watch 2, on the other hand has new features such as location service improving GPS radio, barometer, and a larger battery.

Apple Insider reports that according to Kuo no major design changes are expected with either of the two models. That means that we'll have to wait until fall of 2018 for significantly different aesthetics in the core product. However, Apple has been providing new colors and band materials along the way and that will likely be Apple's approach to keep the hardware fresh this time around as well.




AfterDawn: News

Apple buys AI company for 200 million

Written by Matti Robinson @ 08 Aug 2016 1:47

Apple buys AI company for 200 million Apple has bought a US-based company focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), reports GeekWire. The company known as Turi is from Seattle area just like Apple's main rival of past decades, the Redmond-based competitor Microsoft.

As both AI as well as machine learning have become huge factors in the tech industry Apple is looking to make an impact with investments in the space. Obviously the company was one of the first to introduce a voice assistant, Siri, in mobile after acquiring the company with the same name.

At this point it's hard to tell what exactly Apple is looking for in Turi, after all, Turi's range of AI products is very wide. Turi's core products include analyzing and development tools for app developers and service providers which allows their apps to learn from the users and adapt to the audience.

It has been speculated that iOS 10's core AI functions already use some Turi technology which lead the Cupertino giant to acquire the company as a whole. At this point the details of it all remain very much in secret but obtaining such an asset is very likely going to make Siri a better product.




AfterDawn: News

Apple initiates a bounty program for bug hunters

Written by Matti Robinson @ 08 Aug 2016 1:05

Apple initiates a bounty program for bug hunters Apple has removed the encryption of the core components of its mobile operating system in the last iteration. This means that security researchers and other bug hunting specialists are now able to find problems within iOS 10 easier. Apple is now ready to recruit help outside the company to further iOS' security.

This approach has been further elevated by the fact that Apple is now offering fairly large bounties for people and companies that find bugs in their system, TechCrunch reports. The researchers have not only tools and means but now also a get rewarded with money for their efforts.

Many of the top tech companies have already offered bounty programs for some time. However, Apple will do this a little differently. Their bug bounty program is invite-only so you have to be invited to get rewarded by the plentiful bounties.

Apple's approach is a little bit different though. Unlike a lot of companies, Apple doesn't accept any and every bug report for the bounty program. They work with companies that have previously reported bugs to the company.

Bounties can be worth up to 200 000 dollars and in case the security researchers agree to donate the money to charity, Apple will double the amount. The bounty program will launch in September.




AfterDawn: News

Tesla confirms Semi and minibus for next year

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 Aug 2016 9:37

Tesla confirms Semi and minibus for next year Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the car company will unveil an electric semi truck and minibus next year, part of his ambitious "master plan part 2."

"We expect to unveil those for the middle of next year, maybe the next six to nine months type of thing. And then [we'd] have a better, more fleshed-out plan for when those would enter production," Musk said.

As with most things Tesla does, the timing seems aggressive especially given the fact that there was no acknowledgment of the electric trucks even existing until last week.

Both models "would enter production within low-single digit years," added Musk, although we hope that is closer to 1 then, say, 5.

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AfterDawn: News

Designers back Apple in long-standing fight against Samsung

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 Aug 2016 8:16

Designers back Apple in long-standing fight against Samsung Over 100 designers have signed a court brief on behalf of Apple, taking sides in a patent battle that has hundreds of millions of dollars in damages waiting.

A few of the big names include Calvin Klein, Paul Smith and Alexander Wang, who claim Samsung should pay damages for infringing on Apple's design patents and that by stealing the designs, Samsung made more sales due to their appeal.

In 2012, a jury awarded Apple $548 million for copying "the designs of the iPhone's rounded-corner front face, bezels and grid of icons." Samsung is fighting $399 million of the damages, claiming the infringing designs were a minimal part of a much more complex phone and that the Supreme Court should look into whether one patent infringement should lead to them paying for all missed profits by Apple.

The designers, for their part, say the "look of the product comes to represent the underlying features, functions, and total user experience," and that stealing the design certainly leads to lost sales for Apple. On the other side, Samsung has some tech giants including Facebook and Google who claim that such a decision against Samsung "could lead to diminished innovation, pave the way for design troll patent litigation and negatively impact the economy and consumers."

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AfterDawn: News

Report: Nintendo NX to launch with Zelda, Mario and Pokemon titles

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 Aug 2016 7:32

Report: Nintendo NX to launch with Zelda, Mario and Pokemon titles In a move that will certainly delight fans, it is being reported that Nintendo will launch their upcoming NX console next year with Zelda, Mario and Pokemon titles.

The console is set for release in March 2017, and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has already been announced. The reports claim that the unnamed Mario and Pokemon titles will launch within 6 months of the console's launch, within the "launch window" that can often make or break a system.

In addition, Nintendo will be getting some help from some old friends that left the Wii U for dead, as the reports claim Sega, Activision, Warner Bros, Ubisoft and Square Enix have all promised titles and appear to be all-in.

Furthermore, the sources claim the console will be less powerful than the PS4 and that the rumored detachable handheld controllers are indeed part of the console.

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AfterDawn: News

Cook: Developers have earned over $50 billion from App Store

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 Aug 2016 6:59

Cook: Developers have earned over $50 billion from App Store Apple CEO Tim Cook has proudly tweeted that developers on the App Store have earned over $50 billion since the marketplace launched in late 2008.

July 2016 was a record-crushing month for the Store, as well, and many speculate it was due to Pokemon Go. Cook thanked and congratulated developers on their "success and such inspired creativity".

Growth remains strong for the App Store, as we have seen $10 billion paid to developers since Apple's last announcement in January 2016, following $20 billion in 2015 and $20 billion for the entire 2008-2014 period.

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AfterDawn: News

Wal-Mart in talks to buy Jet

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 04 Aug 2016 6:46

Wal-Mart in talks to buy Jet According to the WSJ, giant retailer Wal-Mart is in talks to buy the one-time "Amazon killer," Jet.

The move is expected to give Wal-Mart an improved e-commerce solution to better fend off Amazon, which has recently become the largest retailer by market cap.

Sources claim Jet could be valued as high as $3 billion, even though it has been unprofitable since launch. Jet launched last year as an "Amazon killer" but it has yet to make a dent. The company also had to backtrack on a subscription fee they began charging after sales were significantly affected.

Wal-Mart could certainly use the e-commerce help, as the company's e-commerce sales were just $14 billion last year, a measly 3% of their total revenue. Online growth has been slowing for two years, as well, while Amazon's has done nothing but grow at an exponential rate for the last decade.

Jet, started by Diapers.com founder Marc Lore, has some interesting technology. The company is able to reduce prices (and usually undercut Amazon, others) using sophisticated pricing algorithms that take into account the size of your cart, your proximity to suppliers, and more.




AfterDawn: News

Apple Music grabs exclusive rights to Britney Spears' upcoming album

Written by Matti Robinson @ 04 Aug 2016 10:25

Apple Music grabs exclusive rights to Britney Spears' upcoming album Apple recently announced that it has surpassed 15 million subscribers on Apple Music but the fight for the number one spot is still far away in the horizon. The first year has been everything but easy for the Cupertino's new music service but Apple is only getting started.

That is at least according to the new deals the company is making to boast even exclusive music. Largely the millions of songs are the same you can listen to on Spotify, or Tidal for that matter, but Apple has now struck a deal that will bring one of our generations biggest star's album exclusively to Apple Music.

After making Apple Music the only streaming service to get Taylor Swift's critically-acclaimed album 1989 last year, Apple has now managed to lure Britney Spears in on an exclusive deal. Spears' upcoming album Glory, which will apparently be "the beginning of a new era", will be available on Apple Music 8/26 the star tweeted.

Apple has been striking deals left and right, Apple Insider notes, trying to catch up to Spotify which has double the paying subscribers and a total of over 100 million listeners. Another Apple exclusive this month is Frank Ocean's Boys Don't Cry.

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AfterDawn: News

Apple Music exits beta on Android

Written by Matti Robinson @ 04 Aug 2016 9:47

Apple Music exits beta on Android Apple has released a new version of its music streaming app for Android, 9to5Mac reports. The new app is finally and officially out of beta and you can download it, of course, from Google Play.

Despite the problems (and there were plenty) Apple has considered its iOS version of the app stable from the get-go. For some reason Apple has kept the Android app under the beta stamp for nearly 10 months after releasing it in the Google Play Store in November last year.

There are no major changes to the app, unless you consider equalizer one, but getting called stable means that plenty of stabilizing and performance fixes have been made. Apple had already introduced offline playing and the Android widget to the app previously.

Reportedly Apple Music recently arrived at the landmark of 15 million subscribers but is far from over 30 million paying (and another 70 million ad-supported) subscribers that Spotify hosts.




AfterDawn: News

Microsoft releases Anniversary Update for Windows 10

Written by Matti Robinson @ 04 Aug 2016 9:20

Microsoft releases Anniversary Update for Windows 10 As promised, Microsoft has released the first Anniversary Update for the company's number one product. This is the first major update for Windows 10 but many will struggle to find any visible changes. There are changes however.

The biggest deal amongst the new features seems to be support for Ubuntu software. Other major changes include improvements to the assistant Cortana, Windows Defender, Microsoft's new main browser Edge, Skype, Windows Hello, and digital pens and styli.

The update should be offered automatically or via Windows Update but if you have just recently updated to Windows 10 it won't show up. This is due to the fact that Microsoft keeps an option to go back to your previous Windows version for 30 days.

If you still want the update you can download it manually from Microsoft's website.




AfterDawn: News

Samsung unveils the new Note, now with waterproofing and an iris scanner

Written by Matti Robinson @ 04 Aug 2016 9:03

Samsung unveils the new Note, now with waterproofing and an iris scanner Samsung has revealed its new flagship Note smartphone. Continuing the success of Galaxy S7 and of course the previous generation Note5, Note7 (yes, Samsung skipped 6) will try to take the phablet segment of the smartphone market by storm like it has done so many times before.

Galaxy Note7 was revealed first time officially at the yearly Unpacked event held simultaneously in London and New York. As per usual the new Note comes with a big, and now curved, 5.7 inch screen and the S Pen stylus. Samsung will distribute two versions, one with their own Exynos chip (Europe) and one with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chip (USA).

Note7 is by and large what you would expect from a Note smartphone but there are some new features too. The highly rumored iris scanner indeed made it in the device and allows users to identify themselves for Samsung Pay and unlocking using their eyes in addition to fingerprints. Another first for Note smartphones is the IP68 water and dirt proofing.

The phone comes with 4 gigabytes of RAM, 64 gigabytes of storage, and even includes a microSD slot. The battery is nothing over-the-top but the now larger (and still not removable) 3500 mAh should offer stellar battery life. The main camera is the solid 12 megapixel perfomer from Galaxy S7 that has been touted as the best smartphone camera so far and is accompanied by the 5 megapixel shooter in the front.

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AfterDawn: News

Cyanogen clears up 'misinformation' about the future of its operating system

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 26 Jul 2016 9:16

Cyanogen clears up 'misinformation' about the future of its operating system Over the past week, there have been multiple reports about the future of Cyanogen Inc., the company behind the popular CyanogenMod Android fork. None were good.

Today, founder Steve Kondik addressed the "misinformation" and seems to suggest that Cyanogen is doing just fine:

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AfterDawn: News

Apple: Pokemon Go has most downloads in first week, ever

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 24 Jul 2016 10:46

Apple: Pokemon Go has most downloads in first week, ever Without giving specific details, Apple has confirmed that Pokemon Go had the most downloads in its first week of availability than any other app in history.

The game launched in North America earlier this month and just released in Japan, where it is expected to continue its blockbuster run. The game is currently the top free and top-grossing app on Google Play and iTunes.

Most estimates from experts place revenue at $1-$2.3 million per day for the game, putting it on par with hits like Clash Royale.

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