Apple’s iPhone 5

Apple was reportedly gearing up to begin production on the iPhone 5. A source from within China’s Foxconn manufacturing plant told 9 to 5 Mac that various different sample iPhone prototypes were floating around the floor, but there were a number of common features among the phones, including displays that measure at least 4 inches, and longer and wider form factors that do not match that of the iPhone 4 or 4S. The iPhone 5 will reportedly retain the rectangular shape of its predecessors, which would put to bed rumors of a thinner teardrop shape.

Android vs Apple

Motorola's Xyboard/Xoom 2 is an elegant design. It's the software that isn't so elegant. (Credit: Motorola) Comparing Apple's iPad 2 with Motorola's XyBoard and Amazon's Kindle Fire is fraught with peril. But here goes anyway.

Import, Export of iPad soon going to ban in China

  

Court Orders

Apple's legal headache over the iPad trademark in China is getting worse, now that a local company is seeking a ban on iPad imports and exports there. Bloomberg reports that Proview International Holdings, which says it owns the rights to the iPad name in China, has filed paperwork with the country's customs body seeking a ban of both imports and exports of the device.

iCloud's Got Popularity



iCloud

 More than 100 million people are now signed up to Apple's Cloud service, the company's CEO said today.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs annual Technology and Internet Conference in San Francisco this afternoon, Apple CEO Tim Cook once again described the service as part of the company's strategy for the next decade, adding that more than a 100 million people were using it.

Apple's iPad 3

Apple's more attractive and significant retina display ipad is going to be launch soon.

Will following Prominent features:

•  0.7mm thicker than the super slim iPad 2.
• A quad core processor
• screen resolution will be increased to an absolutely ridiculous resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels.

Apple's iPod Spy Shots

You certainly can't call the past few days boring for Apple.
The company filled a vacancy left on its executive team, was handed a fairly major setback in a German court, and maybe had its next iPod's big trick unveiled in some alleged spy shots.
That was all on top of a petition from a third-party consumer watchdog group demanding Apple improve working conditions at overseas factories where its products are made

MacWorld 2012 Pro-Grade Camera

At this year’s Macworld event, Schneider Optics showed off the iPro Lens System. The package includes professional-quality fisheye and wide-angle lenses, a clever protective cover and a case that doubles as a tripod mount or a convenient handle.

iPhone's Exciting Feature

It's something you probably already own: a computer.

With an inexpensive cable (like this one for Mac), you can mirror your computer on your television, giving you complete access to any Internet streaming services or local content on your hard drive.

Many newer laptops even include HDMI out, giving you full 1080p mirroring. Older machines would have to rely on DVI or VGA out with an accompanying audio-out cable.

But once you hook up your computer to your TV, the setup can be cumbersome.

TouchMouse, a free iOS app, lets you control your computer (and in turn, your TV) from a distance, giving you the freedom to surf the Web from your couch.

The application can also be used as a PowerPoint remote when giving a presentation.

• Connect your computer to Wi-Fi and download the Touch Mouse Server on your computer (PC or Mac) from Logitech.com/touchmouse.


• Connect your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi hot spot and download the Touch Mouse app(iTunes link). When the app launches, your computer will be listed. Tap to select it.


• Now you're ready to control your computer with your iPhone. Watch the video to learn some basic gestures, and get the full list of functions on Logitech's Web site.

Now thats Interesting!

What would you do with such a tiny, low-powered machine? How about turning it into a poor man's Apple TV? That's exactly what one Raspberry Pi developer did, as shown in this video. It depicts a YouTube video streaming from an iPad to a Pi, which is connected to a TV, using a bit of AirPlay-powered hackery. Take a look:

Don't look now--actually, do--but the Raspberry Pi mini-puter was just hacked to run AirPlay.

(Credit: Raspberry Pi)

Steve Jobs' Vision

Apple's new digital textbook initiative is Steve Jobs' brainchild, McGraw-Hill CEO Terry McGraw says.

"Sitting and listening to all of this, I wish Steve Jobs was here," McGraw told All Things Digital in an interview referring to Apple's iBooks 2 announcement yesterday. "I was with him in June this past year, and we were talking about some of the benchmarks, and some of the things that we were trying to do together...This was his vision, this was his idea, and it all had to do with the iPad."

Apple yesterday unveiled its plans for playing a more integral role in education. Chief among the announcements was iBooks 2, a digital-textbook initiative that will let publishers create interactive titles. Apple showed how the textbooks, which will run on the iPad, can increase student interest through video, 3D images, and other multimedia content. The textbooks--for high school, at least--will cost $14.99 or less.

iPad-3 Retina Display

As the rumored release date for Apple's next-generationiPad nears, clues as to what the iPad 3 will look like keep flowing from a variety of sources. A new rumor involves images found in iBooks 2, Apple's latest iOS app, which hint at a 2X display, giving more weight to the rumors that a Retina Display will be included on the iPad this spring.

9to5Mac has uncovered some of the images lurking in the code of Apple's latest software updates. The first screen capture shows the files in the file structure. As you can see, the files have "2x.png" in the name, which many believe signals that a display with double the resolution is coming out soon.

(Credit: 9to5Mac)

Apple 2012 rumor: iTV Q2, iPad 3 Q1, iPhone 5 Q4

The Apple future product road map seems a little more clear following a series of revelations across the Christmas weekend, revelations which suggest an iPad 3 model in February, a summer time Apple TV unit and the later introduction of the iPhone 5 just in time for Christmas 2012. Let's take a look at the pack.

Those recent Apple TV rumors

I think the rumor mill has churned this one around sufficiently that we're all expecting an Apple television next year. Now Digitimes tells us that manufacturers have begun ramping-up production for the components used inside the device, which is expected to go into production in Q1 2012.

"The supply chain of Apple will start preparing materials for iTV sets in the first quarter of 2012 in order to meet Apple's schedule to launch the new display products in the second or the third quarter of 2012, according to industry sources."

How a security researcher discovered the Apple battery "hack"

A security "noob" mistake has left the batteries in Apple's laptops open to hacking, which could result in a bricked battery or, in a worst case scenario, fire or explosion. This was revealed on Friday after Accuvant Labs security researcher Charlie Miller disclosed that he plans to detail the hack at the annual Black Hat security conference in early August. 

We were curious as to how Miller, known for repeated hacks of Apple's Safari Web browser at the annual Pwn2Own hacking competition, stumbled upon this hack in the first place—after all, it is somewhat obscure and doesn't fall into what most people consider to be his typical focus area (browsers). Miller took time to answer our questions about what the hack is and how he found it, as well as what he plans to do when Black Hat rolls around.

The vulnerability

Laptop batteries include microcontrollers which constantly monitor charging voltage, current, and thermal characteristics, among other properties. These microcontrollers are part of a standardized system called the Smart Battery System, designed to improve the safety of Li-Ion and Li-Poly cells used in these batteries.

Apple aiming to improve iOS notifications further with fresh talent

If being a successful jailbreak developer can get you hired at Apple, apparently so can redesigning the oft-criticized Notification Center. Apple has hired Jan-Michael Cart, perhaps best known for creating demos of proposed Notification Center tweaks, to intern with the company for the next seven months. Cart's internship follows two other recent hires known for notification work, suggesting the company is aware that iOS notifications still need some work.

Apple's Plans for 2012

Expecting something from Apple can be a dangerous game, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to try and read the tea leaves every once in a while.

Below are five things I think we can expect from Apple next year. Some of these are based on a long ramp-up of rumors and telltale signs from this year, with others outright speculation from trends and the company's product release habits.

It's worth pointing out that Apple's usual lack of predictability is what makes it such an interesting company to watch. Nowhere was that more clear than what happened with theiPhone 4S. While most of the press and rumor blogs were anticipating a full overhaul of theiPhone's hardware, we got a souped upiPhone 4 instead. Sure, Siri turned out to be pretty cool, but many were expecting something else.

Now, without further ado...

1. No TV set, yet
The rumored product that's spent most of 2011 as an abstraction of data points is almost certainly on its way to being a real thing, but likely won't be seen next year.

In the recently released biography of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, author Walter Isaacson noted Jobs' efforts on making an easy-to-use TV set that is integrated with the company's various products and services. "I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use," Jobs told Isaacson. "It would be seamlessly synched with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it."

Apple's Story 2011

Apple capped off an eventful 2011 with the opening of its store in New York City's Grand Central Terminal.(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

It was a bittersweet year for Apple. In 2011, the company broke sales records and pulled in its biggest profits ever, but lost CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs, who passed away in October.

Jobs began the year by taking what would be his last medical leave of absence from the company, once again leaving COO Tim Cook in charge. Jobs maintained his position as CEO for most of the year, emerging in public only to help launch theiPad 2 in March, and iCloud and iOS 5 at Apple's WWDC event in June. His last public appearance was to pitch Cupertino's city council on the company's plans to build a second campus.

Jobs stepped down as CEO of Apple in August, with the company's board electing to put Cook in charge, and name Jobs as its chairman. Jobs died at home on October 5, the day after Cook and company took the wraps off Apple's newestiPhone.

BlackBerry, Windows & Android smartphone users prefer Apple's iPad

More than 40 percent of owners of smartphones on BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Android platforms prefer Apple's iPad to tablets from their current smartphone operating system makers, according to a recent survey.

Market research firm Maritz Research found that, at least for Apple's competitors, consumer smartphone loyalty does not directly translate to tablet loyalty, as noted by Forbes.

The firm conducted an online poll in November, surveying 2,500 people across the U.S. Respondents were presented with 14 tablets from 11 different manufacturers and asked which one they would choose if they were to purchase a tablet.

Owners of Research in Motion's BlackBerry smartphones showed the least loyalty to their current platform. 53 percent of BlackBerry users said they would buy an iPad, compared to just 8.5 percent that indicated preference for RIM's own PlayBook tablet. 12 percent of respondents said they would choose Amazon's Kindle Fire, while 11 percent selected Samsung's Galaxy Tab.

Can the iPhone 4S replace a "real" digital camera?

Clockwise from top left: Olympus XZ-1 point and shoot, Canon 20D DSLR with EF-S 10-22mm lens, iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy SII. Photo taken with an iPhone 4.

When Apple announced the iPhone 4S, the company certainly talked up the improvements made to the smartphone's integrated camera hardware. With 8 megapixels of resolution, a redesigned lens, and enhancements to its software, it certainly meets or exceeds the needs of most casual shooters.

Still, we here at Ars have received plenty of questions to the effect of, "can the iPhone 4S replace a 'real' camera?" That's actually a hard question to answer, because individual needs vary widely. Would a professional photographer replace her trusty DSLR with an iPhone 4S? No. But, might a casual snap shooter replace a pocket camera with an iPhone 4S? It's pretty likely.

Apple the leader in PC sales

LOS ANGELES — Apple Inc. may want to change its mind on the "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" question.

If the company decides to apply the "PC" label to its own computing devices, it may soon find that it is the world's largest personal computer vendor.

It takes a little semantic contortion, but if the iPad tablet — or any tablet — counts as a personal computer, Apple is on track to sell more PCs than computing giants such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc. by the middle of next year, research firm Canalys said.

The Reason Behind iPhone's wifi sync with iTunes doesn’t work better?

When Apple announced it’s new iOS 5, I was excited to hear it would include wireless syncing for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

I’m a podcast addict, which means having to hook my iPod Touch up to my computer at least once a week to make sure I’ve got up-to-date episodes of all my favourites. The idea of being able to get new episodes wirelessly sounded like a dream.

Unfortunately, while iOS 5 does include wireless syncing with iTunes, it really, really sucks.

The first, and biggest, problem with wireless syncing is that it only works if your computer is turned on and iTunes is loaded up. In other words, you have to basically do all the steps you did before to start syncing except for the very last one: plugging in the cable.