Pioneer Demos Latest CarPlay-Enabled Aftermarket Receiver at Paris Auto Show Posted: 02 Oct 2014 08:59 AM PDT Earlier today, Pioneer kicked off the Paris Motor Show with the announcement it was making CarPlay available to select existing car audio receivers. The manufacturer also was present at the event showcasing CarPlay on its just-announced AppRadio 4 smartphone receiver in an exhibit that was recorded by French blog Mac4Ever .
Pioneer is among the first car audio manufacturers to add CarPlay support to aftermarket car receivers, allowing users to install the Apple technology into their existing cars. CarPlay also will debut in new automobile models from a variety of automobile makers such as Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Ford, Hyundai, GM, Honda and others. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Advanced Apple TV Remote Interface for iOS and Macs Outlined in Apple Patent Application Posted: 02 Oct 2014 06:54 AM PDT A recent Apple patent application (via AppleInsider ) reveals some of the company's efforts looking into ways of improving the Apple TV and iTunes desktop experience using iOS. The newly published patent application, titled "Browsing remote content using a native user interface," describes a mobile application that would serve as a second screen for a connected media device.
Mobile devices and computers displaying native interfaces for viewing content and sending controls to media device This smarter iOS-based remote detailed in the patent moves away from the current Remote app that mimics a hardware remote by providing a robust Apple TV or iTunes interface on the mobile device. Users could then browse, search or perform other advanced functions right from the mobile device.
Other descriptions in the patent application, which was filed in March 2013, suggest iOS owners could use the remote to search the web for information, such as the cast of the movie they are watching, and display that information on the big screen. Apple is rumored to be working on a new Apple TV that could launch sometime in 2015. The company reportedly is working with cable companies to negotiate access to live and on-demand content, but has run into numerous obstacles on the content front. The new Apple TV may include an App Store, Siri integration and more. It is not yet clear whether the device will be a cable-supported set-top box, an updated version of the current Apple TV, or a combination set-top box and streaming media device, as Apple has been rumored to be working on a variety of different options. As with many Apple patent applications showing unreleased inventions, there are no assurances the disclosed inventions will ever be released, but they can sometimes reveal hints about the company's areas of interest and research. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Marc Newson Hired Part-Time at Apple for Specific Undisclosed Projects Posted: 02 Oct 2014 06:10 AM PDT Designer Marc Newson recently spoke to architecture and design magazine Dezeen in his first interview since joining Apple. Though most of the conversation focuses on a new consumer beer machine he created along with Heineken, Newson does reveal some interesting tidbits about his current role at Apple.
Marc Newson with Jonathan Ive, courtesy of Vanity Fair Newson confirms to Dezeen's Amy Frearson that he is working for Apple part-time and was hired for very specific reasons he would not disclose. He will remain in the UK while continuing to work on projects for his existing company.
When asked about his role in the design of Apple's new Watch that is slated to arrive early next year, Newson was tight-lipped, answering only questions about the future of the traditional watch.
Newson has worked closely with Apple lead designer Jony Ive, collaborating on several products for a Product (RED) benefit auction. Newson also is rumored to have worked on previous Apple products before officially joining the company. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Samsung to Begin Work on Apple's 14-nm A9 Chips Before End of 2014 Posted: 02 Oct 2014 04:13 AM PDT Samsung semiconductor head Kim Ki-nam today announced that the company will begin work on 14-nanometer processors for partners such as Apple, Qualcomm, and AMD before the end of 2014, reports ZDNet (via 9to5Mac ).
The report also states that Samsung is producing around 30% of the total volume of Apple's A8 chip, while TSMC is handling 70% of the production load. Teardowns of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus revealed A8 chips that were manufactured by TSMC, although it is possible that a select number of shipped devices contain chips produced by Samsung. Last year, it was reported that Apple signed a contract with Samsung to handle 30% to 40% of total A9 chip production, while TSMC would be getting the rest of the production load. A report from August stated that TSMC was ahead of schedule with its new 16-nanometer process, which was said to be for Apple's A9 chip. However, these latest comments from Ki-nam may indicate that Korean company has already won the bid to produce the A9 with its upcoming 14-nanometer process over TSMC's proposal. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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First CarPlay-Compatible In-Dash Systems Now Available From Pioneer Posted: 02 Oct 2014 12:14 AM PDT Pioneer today became the first company to officially offer support for Apple's CarPlay vehicle integration feature, after announcing the addition of CarPlay to five of its 2014-NEX in-dash multimedia receivers.
As previously announced, CarPlay is available through a firmware update for the $1400 AVIC--8000NEX, the $1200 AVIC--7000NEX, the $900 AVIC--6000NEX, the $750 AVIC--5000NEX and the $700 AVH--4000NEX. CarPlay is also compatible with Pioneer's new $600 smartphone receiver, AppRadio 4. First introduced in March, CarPlay utilizes the built-in dashboard display of an automobile to offer hands-free operation of the iPhone. With CarPlay, drivers are able to complete tasks like getting directions, making calls, and sending messages through Siri voice control. Other companies that sell aftermarket in-dash systems also plan to offer support for CarPlay in the near future, including Alpine and Clarion. The first CarPlay enabled cars are expected to come in 2014 as well, with Apple partnering with a wide range of manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Ford, Hyundai, GM, Honda, Mazda, Audi, and more. CarPlay for compatible Pioneer NEX in-dash systems is enabled through a firmware update that is available at no cost. It requires an iPhone 5 or later along with iOS 7.1 or newer. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Apple Creates Tool to Check Activation Lock Status on iOS Devices Posted: 01 Oct 2014 06:34 PM PDT Apple has released a new Activation Lock Status tool (via iDownloadBlog ) that will make it easier for people buying a used iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to avoid getting a device that is locked to another user. Accessible via iCloud.com, the Activation Lock Status Checker allows users to enter a Device IMEI or Serial number to check whether a device has Activation Lock turned on.
Activation Lock has cut down on iPhone-related thefts in major cities, but it has also affected users who purchase an iOS device used. If Activation Lock is enabled, a used iOS device will be entirely useless until unlocked by the original owner. If an iOS device does have Activation Lock enabled, Apple's tool will give users a clear warning that an Apple ID and password will be required before another user can activate the device. It also provides instructions on how to remove Activation Lock from a used device, which requires contacting the previous owner.
Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Video Compares iPhone 6 Plus 802.11ac Wi-Fi Speeds to 802.11n iPhone 5s Speeds Posted: 01 Oct 2014 01:12 PM PDT Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are the first Apple mobile devices to come equipped with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which supports much faster data throughput speeds. 802.11ac Wi-Fi is able to offer connection speeds that are up to three times faster than existing 802.11n networks. iClarified has created a new video that compares the Wi-Fi speeds of the iPhone 6 Plus, which supports 802.11ac, to the iPhone 5s, which supports 802.11n, when connected to an AirPort Extreme. The site also created a custom app for the test.
As expected, the iPhone 6 Plus sees much faster connection speeds that reach 278.5 Mbps, while the iPhone 5s tops out at approximately 101.1 Mbps. While speeds are improved in this test, the actual speeds that users see in the real world will vary based on connection strength and other factors, as an actual ISP connection is generally the limiting factor for speeds when connecting to the Internet. When an 802.11ac Wi-Fi network is available, however, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users should see significant speed improvements. Along with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus offer several other connectivity improvements, including faster LTE with support for LTE Advanced and voice over LTE, which enables higher-quality phone calls. The iPhone 6 also supports calls over Wi-Fi, for access to high-quality voice connections even in areas where cellular connection is poor. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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iOS 8 Causing Widespread Bluetooth Connectivity Issues in Cars Posted: 01 Oct 2014 11:22 AM PDT iOS 8 has caused significant issues for some people who connect their phones to their cars and other devices via Bluetooth, according to numerous reports on the Apple Support forums and MacRumors' own user forums. MacRumors has also been receiving complaints on a near daily basis about the ongoing Bluetooth problems that iOS 8 users are seeing. It appears that after upgrading to iOS 8 or purchasing a new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, users have trouble pairing their phones to their car audio systems. The devices are seeing several different issues, refusing to pair entirely, neglecting to play audio over the speakers, or disconnecting when a call comes in.
An ongoing thread on the MacRumors forums suggests that a wide range of different automobiles are having Bluetooth connectivity issues with devices running iOS 8 and iOS 8.0.2, including Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Toyota, Ford, and more.
According to one iPhone 6 owner experiencing issues, Apple support is aware of a compatibility issue between the Bluetooth "used on the iPhone 6 and some car/navigation Bluetooth." Apple is said to be working on a fix for the issue, but in the meantime, some users have had temporary luck logging out of iCloud, forgetting connected Bluetooth devices, using the "Reset All Settings" and/or "Reset Network Settings" option on their iPhones and restarting, re-pairing their devices with their Bluetooth devices, and then logging back in to iCloud. Attempting to use "Reset All Settings" should be done with caution, however, as some users have noticed that all of their iCloud Drive documents have gone missing after using the feature. iOS 8 has not been Apple's most stable release. The operating system has seen several issues, including a major HealthKit bug that caused the company to pull all HealthKit-enabled apps just ahead of the public release of iOS 8 and a significant issue with the iOS 8.0.1 update, which disabled the cellular connection and Touch ID of many iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users. iOS 8.0.2, released last week, fixed several major issues including the HealthKit bug, and Apple has plans to release another update in the near future, having already seeded iOS 8.1 to developers. Update: According to some users who have installed iOS 8.1, the new update fixes the problems with Bluetooth. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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