Posts in news

iPhone, iPad Rumored to Get NFC Technology, Large Opportunity Awaits

A report by Bloomberg today suggests that Apple’s next iPhone and iPad are likely to feature NFC (Near-Field Communication) technology that would allow various forms of data transfer between the iPhone and another NFC capable device. Richard Doherty of consulting firm Envisioneering Group explains that the technology would be primarily used for making purchases at physical stores, expanding Apple’s reach in commerce beyond just iTunes.

Near-Field Communication is a technology that can send and receive data between two such devices with NFC that are up to 4 inches apart. The technology has gained popularity in recent times, most notably being included in Google’s Nexus S.

By including NFC into the iPhone and iPad, Apple could use it’s existing iTunes accounts and give consumers an alternative to more traditional financial services by Visa, MasterCard and PayPal. Richard Crone, an industry advisor suggests that “It would make a lot of sense for Apple to include NFC functionality in its products.”

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Microsoft Tries to Convince Enterprise that the iPad is Inadequate

So with Microsoft previous attempts at a tablet/slate/UMPC/pad not going so well and with Ballmer unhappy about how successful the iPad has been, Microsoft has started a new strategy. This strategy involves putting together a marketing campaign targeting the enterprise market and claiming the iPad is not secure or flexible enough to be deployed in the enterprise.

Undoubtedly this is an attempt to try and stop or slow the iPad penetration into the enterprise after it was revealed 80% of the Fortune 500 companies were deploying iPads. The 10 page PowerPoint presentation also encourages Microsoft’s partners to position Windows 7 tablets against the iPad.

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BootXChanger Revitalizes Your Mac Boot Screen

Apple’s default boot screen is an admittedly bland and very grey affair, luckily BootXChanger (which has had more than three years of development) offers a simple drag and drop way to add your own image and change the background color.

It’s recommended that the image you use to replace the Apple logo should be 90x90 pixels, any larger and depending on your Mac it may be resized or not show up at all. Images can have transparency and this is a good way to ensure the image matches the background. As a nice extra touch, BootXChanger comes with some sample images such as the old rainbow Apple logo and the Finder logo.

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iOS 4.3 Apps Already Being Approved

It appears that Apple has started approving applications that use features that will officially be introduced in the upcoming iOS 4.3 software update. StreamToMe, an app we previously reviewed here, has been updated a few hours ago with support for AirPlay video streaming, a functionality that’s not available on the current iOS 4.2. Being the feature exclusive to iOS 4.3, you won’t be able to try it unless you’re a developer. An Apple TV running the latest pre-release software is also required.

Does this mean iOS 4.3 is just around the corner? Beta 2 was shipped last week and we’ll likely see Beta 3 this Wednesday. Apple usually goes into 4-5 betas and a GM seed before public release, so we speculate we might see the final version of iOS 4.3 in late February. But then again, issues may come up in iOS betas at any time.

App Store Gets Official Twitter Account

It looks like Apple has just started sharing status updates with an official @AppStore account on Twitter. The account isn’t verified yet but its first tweet has been retweeted by the already verified @iTunesMusic. So why is the App Store on Twitter? Well, according to the first public message:

Welcome to App Store on Twitter! Follow us to discover new apps, get exclusive offers, and share with friends.

It will be interesting to follow the tweets from this account closely and see if they mirror the apps Apple features every Friday on the App Store homepage. This new account expands the set of official Apple services and personalities on Twitter.com: @iTunesMusic and @iTunesTrailers tweet new material from the iTunes Store on a daily basis and @pschiller has been busy sharing Instagram pictures lately. Apple is also active on Facebook and Youtube, where all the commercials and keynotes end up in HD.

On a side note, Scott Forstall hasn’t tweeted yet.

Update: the account is verified now. [Thanks, Florian]

Google Launching Cloud Print with iOS Support

With an official post on the Gmail blog, Google has announced that in the next few days they will launch the Google Cloud Print online service with initial support for iOS devices and Windows operating system. Cloud Print allows you to print any kind of document and supported Gmail attachment by configuring a local printer with Google’s remote system. Once a printer is connected to Cloud Print, an iOS device can remotely send a document to the printer from the Gmail webapp in Mobile Safari. Support for Mac OS X and Linux is coming “soon.

To get started, you’ll first need to connect your printer to Google Cloud Print. For now, this step requires a Windows PC but Linux and Mac support are coming soon. Once you’re set up, just go to gmail.com from your iPhone or Android browser and choose “Print” from the dropdown menu in the top right corner. You can also print eligible email attachments (such as .pdf or .doc) by clicking the “Print” link that appears next to them.

It all sounds fairly interesting, especially considering that it happens in the cloud, in the background. Will Google manage to pull off real driver-less, wireless printing?

Black iPhone 4 Being Converted to White by Third Party

With still no official word on when exactly the white version of the iPhone 4 will hit shelves, some people are no doubt becoming impatient. To fill the void ‘The SmartPhone Clinic’ is now taking pre-orders for a new service that will allow any iPhone 4 user to convert their black model to any colour they wish, including the elusive white.

The iColors service from The SmartPhone Clinic comes after Fei Lam, a 17 year old kid started selling white iPhone 4 parts which he acquired from Foxconn which supplies Apple.

One of the company representatives of The SmartPhone Clinic said they are not using a case or sticker but actual colored glass that comes from the same OEMs that Apple works with. The company can also repair any cracked or water damaged iPhones, replace the original glass enclosure with a variety of materials including carbon fiber or metal and will offer the iColors conversion process for $229.99 or a DIY kit for $189.99.

[Via Softpedia]

Apple Awarded Patent for Keyboard with Motion Gesture Recognition

Apple is awarded many fascinating patents each year and a lot of those give potential insights into future technologies in Apple’s ‘next big thing’. One of the recurring themes in some of Apple’s patents for the past few years has been relating to various innovations surrounding input devices such as the recent multi-touch display on a Magic Mouse.

A new Apple patent uncovered by MacRumors that is authored by John Elias (co-founder of FingerWorks, a company Apple acquired in 2005) covers the technology and ideas surrounding a physical keyboard that also has motion-sensitive input. Prior to being acquired the FingerWorks, the multi-touch technology company, produced several touch sensitive keyboards, which although receiving praise were unsuccessful, likely due to the lack of tactile response.

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