Earphones Filled With Health and Fitness Sensors Ready to Flood the Wearables Market Posted: 15 Aug 2014 08:08 AM PDT As Apple moves closer to launching its rumored health and fitness oriented iWatch, there has been significant focus on the types of sensors Apple might be looking to deploy. Among the intriguing options have been sensor-equipped earphones, which Apple has filed patent applications on in the past and which saw renewed attention following the posting of an unfounded rumor about EarPods with embedded biometric sensors earlier this year. Earphones with health and fitness sensors do continue to be a topic of interest, and other manufacturers are preparing to bring their own products to the wearables market later this year. One biometric headphone attracting attention is a new offering from Intel and SMS Audio, which has musician 50 Cent as a co-founder (via Re/Code ).
Intel and SMS Audio may be among the biggest names entering the sensor headphone market, but they are not alone. Earlier this year, LG released its own Bluetooth-connected, heart-rate-measuring earphones with mixed reviews. Hitting the market later this year are wireless Smart Earphones from FreeWavz, which monitors heart rate and other key fitness metrics. The Kickstarter-backed product reached its funding goal earlier this month and has a target ship date of October 2014. Beyond the ultimately false rumor of EarPods with biometric sensors and Apple's patent applications dating back a number of years, the company also recently hired former MIT researcher Eric Winokur as a Sensing Hardware engineer. Winokur is known for his work on wearable medical devices, including ear-worn sensors for cardiovascular monitoring. It is not known, however, whether Winokur is continuing his work on ear-worn sensors at Apple or if he is contributing more broadly to the biometrics team working on the iWatch. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Apple Now Using China Telecom as Data Center Provider in China Posted: 15 Aug 2014 04:07 AM PDT
The move could also help ease tensions between Apple and China as of late, as the country recently deemed iOS' location tracking services a "national security concern." Apple responded to those claims reiterating its commitment to privacy and stating that its Location Services exist to aide navigation features. China has become an important market for Apple, as the company has looked to improve its presence in the country as of late. Late last year, the company started selling the iPhone on China Mobile, the country's biggest carrier, and opened more retail stores throughout the region. CEO Tim Cook has also made a number of visits to China, meeting with Bejing's mayor and the Chinese Vice Premier to discuss opportunities. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Photos Claiming to Be of New Lightning Cable with Reversible USB Connector Surface Posted: 15 Aug 2014 03:28 AM PDT Apple may be shipping a new Lightning cable that features a reversible USB connector with forthcoming iOS devices, reports Chinese website Dianxinshouji.com (Google Translate, via Nowhereelse.fr ).
Furthermore, a report this past May from Mac Otakara claimed that Apple is preparing an upgraded Lightning cable to accommodate high-definition playback on Made for iPhone audio accessories, which may include a next-generation version of its In-Ear Headphones. Apple also introduced Lightning Cable MFi specifications for headphones in June, which could also be integrated with newer Lightning cables. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 6, next-generation Retina iPad mini and iPad Air 2 by the end of this year, as a new Lightning cable could technically be packaged with those devices. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Apple Hiring for Future Retail Store in United Arab Emirates Posted: 15 Aug 2014 01:29 AM PDT Apple today posted retail job listings for a future store to be located in the United Arab Emirates, indicating that the company may be soon opening its first store in the Middle East. The postings were initially spotted by ifoAppleStore and show typical openings for Specialists, Creatives, and Experts, as well as managerial positions for Store Leader and Market Leader. The report speculates that the store could already been under construction for an opening in February 2015 based on hiring schedules.
Additionally, MacRumors received a tip last year that Apple was planning to open a flagship store at The Galleria in Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi, a luxury mall that opened late last year. The source claimed the store would not open for several years, but noted that it could be Apple's largest retail store to date. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Apple Sued by Shareholders Over Anti-Poaching Agreements with Other Companies Posted: 15 Aug 2014 01:00 AM PDT The lawsuit claims that Apple's no-hire agreements with other companies including Google, Adobe, and Intel caused the company to grossly mismanage its assets, mislead its investors, breach the duty of "honest services", and hurt its overall value. The suit seeks damages for all shareholders through a jury trial, and names a number of Apple executives as individual defendants including current CEO Tim Cook and even former CEO Steve Jobs. The suit follows a rejection of a $324 million settlement proposal between the four tech companies and tech workers by a California court. In the filing's court documents, Judge Lucy Koh stated that the total settlement "falls below the range of reasonableness" when compared a $20 million settlement given last year by Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Intuit. Comparatively speaking, Apple and others should pay a minimum of $380 million. Employees of the various tech companies originally brought forth a lawsuit against the companies no-hire agreements in 2011, with a trial revealing anti-poaching tactics dating back to 2005. The United States Department of Justice intervened in the case in 2010, forcing the companies to stop engaging in anti-poaching agreements. However, the class-action civil lawsuit brought against the aforementioned companies by over 64,000 employees will remain open until a settlement has been reached. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Apple CEO Tim Cook, Phil Schiller Take On 'Ice Bucket Challenge' to Promote Awareness for ALS Posted: 14 Aug 2014 06:12 PM PDT Apple CEO Tim Cook today took the "Ice Bucket Challenge," which is designed to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, also commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. The challenge asks people to pour buckets of ice water over their heads (documented on film and shared on social media sites) and then tag three friends to do the same. Friends unwilling to complete the challenge are asked to donate money towards ALS, but as noted by The Verge , many participants have chosen to participate and donate money to the cause. According to Instagram and Twitter photos, Tim Cook had a bucket of ice water dumped on him at Apple's Cupertino campus this afternoon during the company's bi-weekly beer bash while Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby played in the background. Cook was first challenged yesterday by Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller, who completed the challenge himself.
Image courtesy of Instagram user world_of_possibilities Schiller, who dumped a bucket of ice water over his own head at a beach in Half Moon Bay, also challenged actor Chris O'Donnell and his wife Kim. Cook has gone on to challenge Apple board member Bob Iger, musician Michael Franti, and Beats co-founder Dr. Dre.
Phil Schiller takes the challenge Many notable celebrities and tech industry leaders have completed the ice bucket challenge in recent weeks, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. As of August 12, the challenge has raised more than $4 million in donations. Update: Apple has posted a full video of Cook and Franti taking the challenge. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Higher-End 4.7 and 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 to Get Sapphire Displays, Higher Price Tags Posted: 14 Aug 2014 12:17 PM PDT
Multiple iPhone 6 rumors have speculated that sapphire could be constrained to either the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 or the higher-end models due to cost and production issues, but The Wall Street Journal is the first mainstream publication to confirm those rumors. If Apple is only planning to use sapphire in the higher-end models of the 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6, that could explain why a sandpaper test on a leaked iPhone 6 front panel revealed that it was not made of pure sapphire. Apple is investing a considerable amount of money into partner GT Advanced's sapphire plant, shelling out more than $500 million to outfit the factory with high-output furnaces for sapphire production. Rumors have suggested GT Advanced has the capability to eventually produce enough sapphire to outfit 100 to 200 million iPhones, but other rumors have pointed towards high costs and production problems as limiting factors. Apple is also planning to use sapphire for the upcoming iWatch, according to The Wall Street Journal. The first sapphire displays for the two devices are "expected to roll off production lines this month." Sapphire is seen as a desirable material due to its extreme durability and scratch resistance, but many smartphone manufacturers have suggested Apple's plan to use the material is just a marketing gimmick due to its prohibitive cost. While Apple may not be able to produce the entire lineup of iPhone 6 displays in sapphire, rumors have suggested that when the factory is fully functional, it will give the company a way to produce massive quantities of sapphire at a low cost, which means a full sapphire lineup could be more feasible for future devices. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Intel Preparing to Launch New Xeon Processors for Potential Mac Pro Upgrade Posted: 14 Aug 2014 11:37 AM PDT After nearly three and a half years with only a minor processor bump, Apple late last year launched its redesigned Mac Pro, moving to a compact cylindrical design relying on a slew of Thunderbolt 2 ports for expandability. While the new machine began shipping in the last few days of 2013, extreme shortages of the machine persisted for months and it wasn't until two months ago that shipping estimates reached the "within 24 hours" level and Apple's own retail stores began stocking the Mac Pro for immediate purchase.
Intel announced last month that it had begun shipping at least some versions of the new Xeon E5 v3 chips to server makers, and widespread availability is reportedly set for September. ChipLoco outlined a significant set of E5-2600 v3 series chips, including several that recently became available for pre-order and could be used as an upgrade to the current top-of-the-line 2.7 GHz 12-core E5-2697 v2 chip found in the Mac Pro. The direct successor to the current chip is the 2.6 GHz 14-core E5-2697 v3 chip, although the new chip does come with a higher thermal rating and it is unclear whether that change would have any impact on Apple's willingness to use the chip in the Mac Pro. Other variants in the new high-end E5-269x v3 series range from 12 to 18 cores. Below the top end, Apple currently uses E5-1600 v2 series processors, and Intel is reportedly preparing a full set of successor v3 chips for launch next month. - 4-core: 3.7 GHz E5-1620 v2 moves to 3.5 GHz E5-1620 v3 or 3.7 GHz E5-1630 v3 As with the E5-2600 v3 series chips, these E5-1600 v3 series chips come with higher thermal ratings than their predecessors. All of the new chips in both series also support faster DDR4-2133 memory, which will also contribute to improved performance. On the graphics side, Apple uses customized versions of AMD's FirePro series of high-end graphics cards, although Apple's D300, D500, and D700 options can be roughly equated with AMD's W7000, W8000, and W9000 on the PC side. Over the last several months, AMD has been updating its FirePro cards, culminating with this week's introduction of four new cards, including the W7100 successor to the W7000 card. Alex4D summarizes how the W9100/W8100/W7100 cards introduced in recent months compare to their predecessors and collates a handy comparison chart showing how these new and old cards compare to Apple's D-series cards.
As for when updated Mac Pro models might arrive, that remains unclear, but the good news is that the pieces supporting a potential upgrade are starting to fall into place. While Intel's new processors are reportedly scheduled to arrive next month, it is unlikely a Mac Pro upgrade is that close given Apple's usual iPhone focus for that month. But it seems possible an upgrade could be in the works by late this year or early next year depending on how Apple decides to space out its product launches and at what point it views the Mac Pro as in need of a boost. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Friday, 15 August 2014
MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors
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