Claimed iPhone 6 SIM Card Trays Point to Space Gray, Gold, and Silver Color Options
Several new photos published today by Letem svetem Applem [Google Translate] show the purported power and volume flex cables as well as three SIM card trays that hint at the color options Apple is planning for the iPhone 6. This report follows a leak from earlier this month that first showcased these two internal flex cables from the iPhone 6, although the parts shown in the two reports are not identical.
Similar to the previous photos but slightly different in layout, the volume flex cable contains both the mute button and volume buttons with a possible larger separation between the two components. The power flex cable also shows the same arrangement of connectors with a potentially larger-sized power button. Though we can’t confirm how these cables will appear inside the iPhone 6, mockups and drawings have depicted a redesigned button layout on the iPhone 6 that includes oval-shaped volume buttons and a side-positioned power button.
While the flex cables provide little new insight on the iPhone 6 itself, the supposed SIM card trays hint at the coloring of the iPhone 6. Not surprisingly, the trays suggest the iPhone 6 will keep the same color options as the iPhone 5S — space gray, gold and silver. Physical mockups have been circulating in all three colors for some time, and a claimed genuine rear shell surfaced in silver, but the full set of three current color options had so far not been seen in claimed genuine iPhone 6 parts.
Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 6 with a larger display as its key selling point. The Cupertino company is reportedly prepping a 4.7-inch model along with a 5.5-inch model as an update to the current 4-inch iPhone 5s. Besides the display, the iPhone 6 may include a faster A8 processor, a thinner design and improved camera optics.
Key Maps Engineer Chris Blumenberg Leaving Apple for Uber
Chris Blumenberg, a key Apple engineer who has long worked on Maps for iOS and OS X, is leaving the company to take a position with Uber, according to a report by The Information. Blumenberg is the latest of a number of departures from Apple’s Maps team, which has been suffering from internal politics.
Blumenberg is a 14-year veteran of Apple, initially working on Safari for OS X and later iOS. He famously built a version of Maps for iOS in just a few weeks in late 2006 so that Steve Jobs could demo it at the iPhone introduction in January 2007. For the last six years, Blumenberg has managed the Maps Apps & Frameworks group, overseeing a team of at least 40 employees handling Apple’s Maps apps on iOS and OS X. From his LinkedIn profile:
My team is primarily responsible for the Apple Maps app and the MapKit framework. Since 2006, we’ve worked on a number of Google and Apple service-backed features such as local search, directions, street view, next destination and CarPlay. I proudly drove and guided the implementation of vector maps, Flyover and navigation during the shift from Google’s services to Apple’s services in 2012.
Apple’s issues with its Maps team have reportedly slowed the company’s work on that initiative, so much so that there were virtually no mentions of Maps at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote last month. Apple reportedly has a number of iOS Maps improvements in the works, including transit directions and improved points of interest, but it is unclear whether they will be ready in time for the public release of iOS 8 later this year or if they will need to be held for a later update.
Apple’s ‘Find My iPhone’ Web Maps for iCloud.com Beta Move from Google to Apple
Apple is beginning the transition to move its Maps application online starting with the Find My iPhone web app on its iCloud.com beta website, as noticed by iPhoneBlog.de [Google Translate]. Though the public version of iCloud.com is still pulling data from Google Maps, beta.icloud.com now uses an online version of Apple maps for its location information.
Apple has been slowly switching away from Google Maps after using the competing mapping service in the early versions of the iOS. The Cupertino company dropped support for the Google-based mapping solution and introduced Apple Maps as part of iOS 6 in 2012. While iCloud.com still remained tied to Google, iOS apps such as Find My iPhone and Find My Friends also were converted to Apple’s mapping data in the same year.
After a highly-criticized launch, Apple has been making efforts to bolster its mapping data, recently improving its points of interest database as well as notifying users when reported problems had been fixed. Apple was said to be adding indoor mapping and other new features to Apple Maps in iOS 8, but internal politics and the departure of key employees may have delayed those plans.
Android L Hits the Nexus 4! Android 4.4.4 for the New Moto Family! – Device Updates
Android L makes its way over to the Nexus 4, and now more people can enjoy the beauty that is Material Design. Got to love these developers in our community, and how they strive to bring us the latest and greatest. The Moto family is starting to see Android 4.4.4, but that is only if you are over in india. I am sure everyone else will get theirs soon.
Device Updates
Android L ported to the Nexus 4
Android 4.4.4 hitting the Moto family in India
Gionee Elife leaps to Android 4.4.2
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The post Android L Hits the Nexus 4! Android 4.4.4 for the New Moto Family! – Device Updates appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
HTC launched an affordable HTC Desire 616 device sporting a MediaTek octa-core processor
HTC is really trying its best to improve on their profits. It seems to be working considering they had their first profitable quarter in quite some time. They really did something great when they introduced the first HTC One device and only improved on it by releasing HTC One (M8). Not everything revolves around flagship phones though.
HTC unveiled their new mid-high tier smartphone offering in form of HTC Desire 616. They launched it in Russia and in parts of Asia. Let us take a look at the specs:
- 1.4GHz MediaTek octa-core
- 5″ 720p display (294ppi)
- 1GB of RAM
- 4GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card up to 32GB)
- 8MP camera with autofocus and LED flash
- 2MP front-facing shooter
- Android 4.2.2 OS with HTC Sense 5.5 on top of it
- Weights 150g
- Dual-SIM
It is kind of weird the device will launch with Android 4.2.2, but it will hopefully get the update to a newer version of the OS. The device won’t come to the U.S, at least for the time being. It will be priced between $200-300. This seems like a decent offering by HTC, it might fit some people, are you one of them?
The post HTC launched an affordable HTC Desire 616 device sporting a MediaTek octa-core processor appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung says they are losing profit due to a weak demand for their low-mid tier smartphones
When you think of Samsung you think of high sales numbers. Well, it looks like those numbers are lower than we thought, at least as far as low and mid tier devices are concerned.
Samsung says that their profits will be approximately 24% lower this quarter than it was a year ago. They had to invest extra funds in marketing for their low and mid tier devices in order to sell them, considering they have too much of those lying around in warehouses. Samsung says that there are various reasons for this turn of events.
One of those reasons is a stiffer competition, they don’t mention from which OEM but we’re going to guess Motorola with their Moto G and E smartphones. Although LG and HTC probably have something to say there as well. Another reason they mention has nothing to do with competition though but currency fluctuations. They emphasize this to be the main reason. Won is increasing its value compared to the dollar and that is creating problems for Samsung. Korean-based OEM is quite positive looking forward though, they expect things to change later this year. It is to be expected their upcoming Note 4 device will help with the profits significantly.
Samsung is still selling lots and lots of smartphones. They’re far from being in trouble or anything of the sort. We are hoping this will make them change certain things when it comes to their smartphone offerings though, in other words work a bit harder to bring some improvements to them. What do you think?
Source: NewsWire
Via:: Engadget
The post Samsung says they are losing profit due to a weak demand for their low-mid tier smartphones appeared first on AndroidGuys.
ZTE clones the LG G3’s specs for a lot less money
Aside from a couple of intriguing revelations earlier in the year — including a phone with a rumored 4GB of RAM, and another with a 13MP selfie camera — things have recently been pretty quiet on the ZTE front. Today’s freshly announced Nubia Z7 merits some noise, however, simply because it attempts to cram all the things we know and love about the LG G3 (currently one of our favorite phones) into a cheaper package.
Just like the G3, ZTE’s Z7 is a flagship device that offers a 5.5-inch Quad HD display (equating to 538 ppi), a top-end Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel, optically stabilized, f/2.0 rear camera (which ought to be a big step up from your average f/2.2, unstabilized module). All of this comes for the equivalent of around $550 for a 32GB handset, which is around $200 cheaper than the off-contract launch price of the G3.
However, there are two big caveats: Firstly, ZTE hasn’t quite been able to match LG’s super-slim bezels, resulting in a handset that’s a bit taller (153.2mm vs. 146.3mm) and also marginally wider (to the tune of around 1mm). Secondly, we don’t know if the Z7 will be sold outside of Asia, so the news is largely academic right now — even if it’s nice to see that ZTE is upping its game.
Filed under: Cellphones
Source: ZTE
Music Vault brings 12,000 classic concert clips to YouTube
Even if you weren’t born yet on July 7th, 1970 you can now catch the Who’s classic Tanglewood concert thanks to Music Vault. It’s just unveiled an avalanche of classic concert videos, 12,000 in all, on its YouTube video channel. Those include concerts from the Who, Dylan and Springsteen (among others), newer shows like Deer Tick in Vermont during Hurricane Irene and archives from Woodstock, the now-defunct Capitol Theater in New Jersey and the Newport Jazz and Folk festivals. The Music Vault group said it has spent the last two years “restoring, transferring, mixing and mastering thousands of tapes from (its) enormous archive” for the new collection. All told, there’s now 13,000 videos totaling nearly 2,000 hours on the site, along with playlists, features and original content. If you’ve got a couple of hours to spare, check the source — if not, get a taste with the videos below.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, Google
Source: Music Vault (YouTube)
Sony’s first ‘curved sensor’ photo may herald better images, cheaper lenses
We’ve seen plenty of curved screens, but Sony has just revealed the first picture taken with a curved image sensor that may one day bring cheaper, smaller lenses and higher photo quality. Regular, flat camera sensors have a rather large problem called “Petval field curvature.” That results when light rays passing through the edge of a lens fall in front of the sensor’s focal plane, rather than on it. As a result, optical designers must add costly elements to lenses, which also makes them heavier and more complex. The shot above flaunted by Sony is just a test and there’s no high-resolution samples available yet; in fact Sony has indicated that high-megapixel sensors may be a ways off. However, it does mark the first image shown from Sony’s curved CMOS sensor and a possible new direction for its digital camera division.
A sensor with the edges bent towards the lens takes care of many optical sins. Sony built its prototype curved sensor flat, bent it into a shape known as a “Petzval surface” and reinforced it with a ceramic backplate. That geometry permits shorter, lighter lenses with larger apertures that let more light in. In addition, such a design also reduces light falloff at the edges of a typical flat CMOS sensor, and the process of bending a sensor introduces strain in the photodiodes that actually benefits them by reducing noise. Finally, Sony added that its sensors work the same way as the human eye to fix optical issues, and even have a similar level of curvature.
As such, Sony has constructed a 2/3-inch prototype sensor typically seen in compact cameras, along with a full-frame version. As it happens, the latter sensor would work very nicely in an RX1-type camera. When such sensors arrive commercially, they’re likely to be used in fixed lens and not mirrorless or DSLR models to start with, since they wouldn’t work with any existing lenses on the market. In fact, there’s a rumor that a possible RX2 will be announced in September at Photokina 2014 — we’re not holding our breath for a curved sensor on it, but you never know.
Via: DPReview
Source: Nikkei (Japanese)
Microsoft offering $75 credit if gamers upgrade to an Xbox One
If you’ve pondered buying an Xbox One but have felt a sense of loyalty to your Xbox 360, Microsoft is very keen to help you make the switch. As spotted by user BeforeU on NeoGAF, the company is running a new promotion that gifts its “very best customers” with a $75 promotional code if they buy an Xbox One or any Xbox One bundle. It appears that not everyone is eligible for the offer, with Microsoft only targeting a subset of Xbox 360 owners across the US ahead of its July 31st deadline. However, there’s no word on whether the promotion will come to other countries. To find out if you qualify, turn on your Xbox 360 and make sure it’s connected to Xbox Live. If you’ve been selected, you can order a (full-priced) console from any retailer and Microsoft will credit your Xbox account with $75, as long as you redeem your voucher code by October 15th. That’ll cover you for at least one Xbox One game like Destiny, ensuring your game collection gets off to a good start.
[Image credit: BeforeU, NeoGAF]
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft
Via: VG247
Source: NeoGAF
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