Apple Blogger John Gruber Hints at NFC For iPhone 6
Following a report from Wired suggesting NFC-based mobile payments will be a “hallmark” feature of the iPhone 6 and a confirmation from Re/code, Apple blogger John Gruber has now thrown in his two cents, with a cryptic post hinting Apple is indeed planning on including NFC in the iPhone 6 as part of a new mobile payment solution.
Gruber’s post references an earlier “joke” that pointed towards a wearable device debut in September, which turned out to be accurate in light of recent rumors also suggesting a September introduction for the device.
I’ve been working on a new joke — about NFC and a new secure enclave where you can store your credit cards, so you can pay for things at brick and mortar retail stores just by taking out your iPhone, but only if it’s one of the new iPhones — but no one seems to get my sense of humor.
Gruber suggests Apple’s NFC-based mobile payment solution will take advantage of a new secure enclave coprocessor built into the company’s new A8 chip, which is in line with previous reports. The secure enclave would likely store credit card details, allowing users to pay for physical goods with their iPhones and it would presumably work in conjunction with Touch ID.
Though rumors of NFC support in the iPhone have occurred for every new iPhone release over the past several years, NFC rumors have been especially prevalent ahead of the iPhone 6 launch. Back in April, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested the iPhone 6 would include an NFC chip, as did a follow up report from BrightWire.
At the same time, multiple reports have suggested Apple is gearing up to launch a mobile payment solution designed to leverage credit card data stored in millions of iTunes accounts. Apple is said to be partnering up with major credit card companies like Visa, and the company has also been interviewing senior payments industry executives to take on new roles within the company.
While Apple has previously viewed NFC as “not the solution to any current problem,” it may be changing its opinion on the subject in light of its new mobile payment initiative. The company is expected to debut the iPhone 6, and possibly its new payment solution, at an upcoming event on September 9.
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Google Launches First Beta Build of 64-Bit Chrome for Mac [Mac Blog]
Google today announced the launch of the first beta build of 64-bit Chrome for Mac, following the public release of 64-bit Chrome for Windows.
Earlier this month, Google added 64-bit support to Chrome Canary for OS X, the experimental build of its Chrome web browser, but with this new beta version, testers on the Beta channel will have access to 64-bit Chrome support.
According to Google, 64-bit support for Chrome will bring several speed and security improvements to the browser, in addition to decreasing the amount of memory it uses.
64-bit Chrome has become faster as a result of having access to a superior instruction set, more registers, and a more efficient function calling convention. Improved opportunities for ASLR enhance this version’s security. Another major benefit of this change comes from the fact that most programs on a modern Mac are already 64-bit apps. In cases where Chrome was the last remaining 32-bit app, there were launch-time and memory-footprint penalties as 32-bit copies of all of the system libraries needed to be loaded to support Chrome. Now that Chrome’s a 64-bit app too, we expect you’ll find that it launches more quickly and that overall system memory use decreases.
64-bit support for the Windows Chrome beta was implemented in July with a stable release coming a a month afterwards, so a stable Mac release could possibly follow a similar timeline, coming in September.
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More Claims of September 9 Debut for Apple’s Wearable Device, Likely Positioned as iPhone Accessory
Yesterday, Re/code broke the news that Apple planned to introduce its upcoming wearable device alongside the iPhone 6, and now Bloomberg is seconding that rumor, pointing towards a simultaneous debut of two different iPhones and a wearable device at Apple’s September 9 event.
According to Re/code, Apple had originally planned to introduce its wearable device at an October event separate from its September iPhone event, but later ended up changing its plans. Bloomberg speculates that Apple’s plan to debut the wearable device alongside the iPhone may be the company’s way of limiting expectations for the device, positioning it more as an iPhone accessory rather than a standalone device.
Apple will give the new wearable a boost by pairing its debut with its flagship product, the iPhone. The company also may be trying to manage expectations for the new device, signaling that it’s more of an accessory instead of a category that stands by itself. By contrast, when the iPad was introduced in 2010, Apple held a special event just for that product.
Apple does appear to be planning a major affair for the debut of the wearable device and the two iPhones, however, holding the event at the Flint Center at De Anza College where it introduced the original Macintosh thirty years ago and the first iMac in 1998. The company is building a massive structure on the site, the purpose of which remains unclear.
Both Apple CEO Tim Cook and iTunes chief Eddy Cue have also heavily hyped Apple’s upcoming product lineup, with Cue saying it’s the “best product pipeline” in 25 years and Cook promising “really great stuff” in new product categories.
It is likely Apple is planning to unveil its wearable device, which has commonly been called the iWatch in rumors, several months before it becomes available to consumers. A distinct lack of product leaks and tangible rumors have suggested the device is not yet in production, and an introduction before a deluge of part leaks allows Apple to debut the device while it’s still largely a surprise.
Though we’ve not seen images of Apple’s wearable device, rumors have suggested it will have a heavy focus on health and fitness with an array of health-related sensors that measure metrics like steps taken, sleep quality, heart rate, and more. It’s said to come in multiple sizes and at multiple price points, and it is also said to be heavily integrated with the iPhone and iOS 8 features like the Health app.
(Image: 2.5-inch iWatch concept by SET Solutions)
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Ukraine rallies the Twitter troops as Russia invades
Strange as it may seem, wars aren’t just fought with bullets and bombs anymore. Tweets and shares can at times be equally potent, and that’s probably why Ukraine mounted a social offensive yesterday after Russian troops began engaging with domestic forces in the border town of Novoazovsk. The country’s Foreign Ministry implored Twitter users retweet its message and to use the hashtags #RussiaInvadedUkraine and #UkraineUnderAttack to spread the word of Russia’s incursion. It looks like the plan’s working, too. #RussiaInvadedUkraine is the more popular of the two hashtags, and according to Topsy, it’s been deployed in over 400,000 tweets over the past 24 hours.
Alas, perhaps the best tweet on the matter was issued by Canada’s NATO delegation, and lacked either hashtag. Unsurprisingly, Russia continues to deny its move into Ukraine’s sovereign territory, though it’s since been legitimized by US intelligence and images released by NATO. As The Washington Post’s Ishaan Tharoor points out, this is far the from the first social media showdown that Ukraine and Russia have been embroiled in. Back in April, Russia’s own foreign ministry hijacked the #UnitedForUkraine hashtag promoted by the US State Department with tweets throwing Ukraine and its allies under the bus.
Source: The Washington Post
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HTC’s One M8 for Windows is coming to T-Mobile, too
The HTC One M8 and Windows Phone 8.1 are two great tastes that (mostly) taste great together, and you’ll soon have a way to pick one up that doesn’t require inking a deal with Verizon or AT&T. T-Mobile revealed earlier today that it’ll offer the One M8 for Windows too, though like AT&T before it, the Uncarrier isn’t quite ready to divulge those juicy pricing and availability details just yet. It may seem like Sprint subscribers may be getting the short end of the stick, but that might not be the case for much longer — some of the new leakers on the block firmly assert that Marcelo Claure’s crew will get their chance down the road too. While y’all wait for those all-important details to drop, check out our full review to see if HTC’s newest Windows Phone is actually worth the wait (spoiler alert: very likely yes).
Source: T-Mobile
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The new SportsCenter app makes sure you don’t miss live events
Just in time for the start of a new NFL season, ESPN has updated its SportsCenter application on iOS and Android. The main highlight here is the addition of an On-Air feature, which allows users to get access to broadcasts of live events, like games or shows, with a simple tab. ESPN’s newly added one-click access, not surprisingly, only applies to content it owns or has the rights to, so the SportsCenter app redirects to the ESPN Radio or WatchESPN apps, depending on the program. The Worldwide Leader in Sports notes that it also made alerts smarter in this fresh release, letting fans see related stories and videos each time they click on a notification. It’s definitely an improvement over previous versions, but let us know what you think in the comments section.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Mobile
Source: App Store, Google Play
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JPMorgan and other US banks reportedly hit by cyberattack
A Bloomberg report claims that JPMorgan Chase and “at least” four more banks in the US have been victims of a virtual attack from hackers. The data gathered from the breach could reportedly “be used to drain accounts,” according to two Bloomberg sources who have been briefed on the situation by the US government. At the moment, it is unknown which other banks were affected by this, but the FBI has already opened an investigation and is currently working to find out more details. “[We are] working with the United States Secret Service to determine the scope of recently reported cyberattacks against several American financial institutions,” said the FBI in a statement. Meanwhile, a different report from CNN Money notes that seven of the “top” fifteen banks were on the wrong end of these attacks, per people familiar with the matter — though such information has not been corroborated by US officials.
“Companies our size unfortunately experience cyberattacks nearly every day. We have multiple layers of defense to counteract any threats and constantly monitor fraud levels,” explained a JPMorgan spokesperson, adding that the bank hasn’t yet detected any sort of unusual fraud activity. Regardless, there are still a lot of unanswered questions right now, but we’ll keep you updated as additional details come to light.
Source: Bloomberg
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