Possible 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Volume/Power Flex Cable and SIM Card Tray Shown in New Images
We’ve seen several different parts for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, but parts for the larger 5.5-inch version have thus far been in short supply. Apple.club.tw [Google Translation] has shared some new images of what might be the first leaked internal parts for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6, offering up pictures of power/volume flex cables and SIM trays said to be for the device.
The two flex cables that separately house the left side volume buttons/mute switch and the top power button are similar in design to an earlier set of leaked flex cables said to be for one of the iPhone 6 models. There are, however, some design differences that suggest there are two distinct sets of flex cables designed for two different devices floating around the Asian supply chain. For example, the new set of flex cables depicts less space between the volume buttons and the mute buttons and the two flex cables for the power button have different shapes.
iPhone 6 volume/mute flex cable on top, power button flex cable on bottom
Like the earlier cables, the flex cables in the new images resemble parts from other devices and have an Apple-style part number.
As it is difficult to determine size based on images, it is unclear which set of leaked flex cables might be designed for the 4.7-inch iPhone and which is destined for the 5.5-inch iPhone, but as both cables are different than existing parts for the iPhone 5s, iPad Air, and iPad mini, they point towards two separate devices if legitimate.
Apple.club.tw has also shared images of a longer flex cable with an unknown purpose and a set of SIM card trays in a cobalt blue color. Blue is not expected to be a color for the iPhone 6, as current rumors have pointed towards a release in the existing silver, gold, and space gray for both models, so the blue SIM trays are somewhat questionable.
As we move closer to the September launch date of the iPhone 6, we expect part leaks to become more frequent. We may also see more parts designed for the larger iPhone 6 as it is expected to enter mass production in August or September. The 4.7-inch iPhone is said to have entered mass production in July.
Rumors have suggested that Apple may ship the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 ahead of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 due to supply constraints with the latter, so it remains unclear if we will see the bigger phone at Apple’s prospective iPhone 6 launch event in September.
New Apple TV game brings the ‘Dance Party’ to your living room
Apple’s set-top hobby has come a long way since its major refresh in 2010, thanks largely to a variety of services bringing different content to the platform. When it comes to gaming, however, the Apple TV isn’t exactly a powerhouse, despite being able to support it through AirPlay features — something similar to what Real Racing has done in the past. Another developer that’s made use of this particular second-screen kind of experience is Rolocule Games, and it just announced a new free title (with in-app purchases) dubbed Dance Party.
The game, which clearly takes a cue from Dance Central, comes in the form of an app and uses an iOS device as a motion controller, allowing players to see their virtual, groovy moves on the bigger screen by way of Apple TV. Dance Party also lets you challenge other people who have the application, even if they’re not in the same location as you. It may not be the best way to play games on the tiny box, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be fun.
Filed under: Misc, Gaming, Home Entertainment, Software, HD, Mobile, Apple
Source: App Store
Google is reportedly buying Twitch for $1 billion
What’s the internet’s most popular game-streaming service worth? About $1 billion, if VentureBeat sources have their story straight. Earlier this year, Variety and the Wall Street Journal reported that Google was in talks to acquire Twitch, but conceded that the two companies were only just starting negotiations. Now, sources familiar with the deal say an agreement has been reached, though its unclear when the reported acquisition will be officially announced. Naturally, there are some concerns that a Google acquisition of Twitch would stifle competition for rival services, but the tried and true platform could certainly bolster Mountain View’s own streaming efforts. If nothing else, perhaps the deal will validate emerging market shared gameplay in the eyes of its doubters.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, HD, Google
Source: VentureBeat
MIT students modify a 3D printer with a height-measuring laser
It’s happened to all of us: you queue up a print job, your old desk printer starts up and it unceremoniously jams halfway through. It’s easy enough to resume a botched print job when you’re dealing with paper, but what do you do when you’re printing in 3D? A small team of MIT students may have an answer: a depth sensing scanner cobbled together from a laser and a simple webcam.
The team modified a Soliodoodle 3D printer to scan its printing bed, assess the height and shape of the objects there and print on top of them. It sounds like a complicated task, but the hardware used to accomplish it is pretty simple. A $26 laser, attached to the Soliodoole’s print head, draws a horizontal line across the printing surface, distorting slightly as it passes over objects that raise above the flat base. A nearby $30 webcam measures the changes in the line and feeds that data to a PC, which can use it (and subsequent laser repositioning) to create a model of the objects below. The team was able to use this method to print a cube on top of an already half-printed pyramid, completing an print job that was aborted earlier.
Unfortunately, modifying the printer was little more than a class project — the team doesn’t have any immediate plans to develop the low-cost scanner any further. Still, similar features could be a boon to the next generation of 3D printers, allowing the machines to resume interrupted print jobs or even detected a botched print before wasting precious materials. Want to see it in action? The video below awaits.
Filed under: Internet
Source: 3DPrint
Google Voice moves one step closer to Hangouts integration
Call it a sign of things to come or simply another back-end move for Hangouts, but Google Voice users have a new option today. Log into the Google Voice website and you’ll find that you can now make calls via Hangouts without messing around with a Google+ account. As Alex Wiesen (Google) tells us, this… Read more »
The post Google Voice moves one step closer to Hangouts integration appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Get ‘The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection’ for free this month
It seems as if this week is a good one to get stuff on the cheap or even for free. First, Marvel announced a promo yesterday which gave access to its Unlimited comics service for 99 cents, and now EA has quietly revealed that it’s giving away copies of The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection. You’ll need to have Origin, EA’s software distribution platform, installed on your machine to take advantage of this deal, but it’s as easy as entering a code for old and new users alike. Just don’t expect EA to keep supporting the classic game after you install it, since the publisher brought closure to that a few days ago. The Windows download on Origin will be available until July 31st at 1:00AM ET, which means there’s plenty of time to let it all sink in and cancel whatever you had planned for the weekend.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: EA
Twitch lets you host another channel’s stream while you’re on a burrito break
When you log off for dinner or put down the controller for some shut-eye, Twitch now lets you keep the game streaming going with its new Host Mode. The function keeps your channel’s chat up and running, but embeds a video of the action from another user’s session or event while you’re taking a breather. Viewing stats are still compiled for the original broadcaster and the option can be triggered with a simple chat command. For now though, Host Mode is only available via the web interface.
Source: Twitch
Here’s what our readers are saying about the Surface Pro 3
With the Surface Pro 3, Microsoft tried yet again to build a tablet that can replace your laptop, but critics found it fell just shy of that goal. Engadget’s own Dana Wollman said that despite being “easier than ever to use as a tablet,” the Surface still has some “serious usability flaws,” including a keyboard that “offers a subpar typing experience and a frustrating trackpad.” CNET liked the keyboard, but says that the Pro 3 “still doesn’t fit perfectly on the lap” and that it’s “more successful as a tablet than a laptop replacement.” But despite these issues, there’s still plenty to like about the Surface Pro 3, as evidenced by the readers who added the Pro 3 to their have list and wrote a user review recounting their experiences.
The size and shape of the Surface Pro 3 were generally well-liked by users, with eca637 calling it “very thin, light, and sturdy feeling,” while nerva2940 says “I hardly feel it in my shoulder bag.” But comfort proved to be a contentious issue, as hkh222 says its sharp edges make it “uncomfortable to use on the lap,” though nerva2940 found the Pro 3 “more comfortable and adjustable on the lap than any laptop.” Users were okay with the keyboard, with gorbay calling it “the most satisfactory piece although it feels flimsy.” The trackpad on the Type Cover was a bigger hit with users, with ajcosgro noting how it “senses your finger better and is slicker to slide across” than the trackpad on its predecessor. Siri325, meanwhile, goes so far to say it’s “just as good as the Macbook Air’s mouse pad.”
The star of the show was the Surface Pro 3′s pen input, which Siri325 says is “like writing on a sheet of paper,” though he “will miss the ability to just flip the pen to erase.” It’s so good for note taking that nerva2940 says “I no longer carry paper” in class because “OneNote 2013 is an incredible program for compiling information and writing notes.” However, not everyone was pleased with the switch in pen technology from Wacom to an N-trig digitizer, with gorbay saying it “doesn’t compare” since “the pen can act weirdly depending on where your hand is positioned” and “with the insufficiently calibrated pressure curves right now, all you end up doing is [pressing] harder and harder, which pushes the glass down so much that you start seeing the ripples on the LCD.”
But, though nerva2940 feels it “performs flawlessly in most categories” and geeky says “it’s faster than my laptop” with “a gorgeous screen,” is anyone ready to actually replace their laptop with a Surface Pro 3? The answer is an emphatic ‘yes’ for nerva2940, who uses it “as a full desktop replacement” and says “unless you’re a hardcore gamer, you’ll be able to use it as a full desktop replacement at home as well.” On the other hand, gorbay “quickly gave up on the hope that I can have only one device. The form factor is everything for tablets and MS seems to forget that a lot. It is very light for a laptop but not light and small enough for a tablet. My work device and my leisure reading/web surfing device can still be separate for now.”
So while the Surface Pro 3 has quite a few crowd-pleasing features, it’s not quite there yet for most users. If you’ve picked up a Pro 3 for yourself, which side do you stand on? Simply add it to your have list and write your own review to let us know.
Don’t have an Engadget account? Sign up here. And if you don’t have the Surface Pro 3, feel free to write a review of something else — our database contains thousands of other products that you can review, like the OnePlus One or the Wii U. Just add a product to your “have” or “had” list and you’re ready to tell us what you think.
Chrome Beta gets the Material Design treatment, download and install it now [APK]
Google Play Store got the partial Material Design treatment just a few days ago and is now followed by Chrome Beta. Google’s browser got the UI overhaul along with some other tweaks and features. Let’s see what’s going on. Three features, or release notes if you prefer, were listed on the official Chrome blog: Material… Read more »
The post Chrome Beta gets the Material Design treatment, download and install it now [APK] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Apple Maintains Tablet Market Share Lead Despite iPad Sales Drop
Apple’s recent earnings call revealed that iPad sales continue to decline, with the company shipping only 13.3 million iPads during the third fiscal quarter of 2014 (second calendar quarter), compared to 14.6 million in the year-ago quarter.
Despite the sales drop, Apple continues to be the world’s leading tablet vendor, with a total 26.9 percent of the market, according to new numbers from research firm IDC. Samsung retains its number two spot with 8.5 million shipments and a 17.2 percent share, but both major companies have been losing significant ground to companies putting out more affordable tablet devices.
Lenovo, for example, saw its share of the tablet market rise from 3.3 percent to 4.9 percent, a 64.7 percent jump. ASUS saw 13.1 percent growth, and the “Others” category, which is comprised of vendors not quite in the top five list, has jumped from a 37 percent share to a 44.4 percent share, an increase of 33.4 percent.
Overall, the worldwide tablet market has grown 11 percent year-over-year, with total tablet shipments of 49.3 million, up from 44.4 million in 2013.
As we indicated last quarter, the market is still being impacted by the rise of large-screen smartphones and longer than anticipated ownership cycles,” said Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC Research Director for Tablets. “We can also attribute the market deceleration to slow commercial adoption of tablets. Despite this trend, we believe that stronger commercial demand for tablets in the second half of 2014 will help the market grow and that we will see more enterprise-specific offerings, as illustrated by the Apple and IBM partnership, come to market.”
To date, Apple has sold 225 million iPads and according to Tim Cook, the company isn’t worried about declining sales. Cook noted the tablet category is still “in its infancy,” and Apple is planning to bring “significant innovation” to the iPad in the future.
iPad sales will likely pick up later this year with the introduction of a second-generation iPad Air and a second-generation Retina iPad mini. Both tablets are expected to include upgraded processors and Touch ID integration. Apple is also expanding its presence in the enterprise tablet market with a new partnership with IBM.
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