Apple made the iPhone 6s nearly waterproof and didn’t tell anyone
Leave it up to Apple to downplay a surprisingly useful engineering feat: A water-resistant iPhone. It turns out the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus sport a combination of new technology that makes them far more resistant to liquid damage than past iPhones, iFixit reports. Apple packed in a new gasket around the sides of the phone, and it incased every cable connector on the phone’s logic board with a waterproofing material. Given that the logic board that includes most of the iPhone’s sensitive electronics and is the most prone to water damage, Apple’s solution is particularly clever. Most other water-resistant phones focus on protecting external ports, rather than internal electronics. While it’s far from being truly waterproof, there are plenty of videos online showing iPhone 6s models surviving water dunks. The truly strange thing is Apple has never mentioned the feature — unlike Samsung and Sony, both of which championed water resistance as key features of some recent phones (though Samsung gave up on it for the Galaxy S6, and Sony is backtracking on its claims).
From a consumer psychology perspective, it makes sense for Apple to keep quiet. Once you tell people your phone is water resistant, they will inevitably send their phones flying into glasses to test out that claim (at least, that’s what I did with the Galaxy S5). Now, people who accidentally drop their iPhones into the toilet might be pleasantly surprised to discover their phone didn’t die. Additionally, the increased water resistance means used iPhone 6s models will last a lot long longer and have fewer costly repairs, which will be particularly useful for Apple and its new iPhone upgrade plan.
[Photo credits: iFixit]
Via: Wired
Source: iFixit
Apple acquires speech technology and virtual assistant startup VocalIQ
Cupertino is set on improving its voice technology and virtual assistant, and is reportedly doing so by acquiring a UK-based startup that specializes in just that. Financial Times reports that Apple acquired VocalIQ, a company that builds virtual assistants using machine learning tech. One can easily surmise that Tim Cook & Co. were interested in VocalIQ’s smarts to further boost Siri, but Apple may also be interested in help with either of its automotive efforts. GM was reportedly working on a system with VocalIQ that would learn a driver’s intentions and vocabulary over time, taking cues that are more intuitive. With Apple having both CarPlay and Project Titan on the table, the company’s plans could be focused solely on the driver’s seat. That being said, we’ll have to wait and see how the matters progress, but hopefully we won’t have to wait until 2019 to get the details.
We’ve reached out to Apple for confirmation of the acquisition and will update this post when we hear back.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya]
Via: Business Insider
Source: Financial Times
New Apple TV Only Supports Two Bluetooth Controllers at Once
Apple’s fourth-generation Apple TV includes support for a full App Store, making it possible for developers to create games and apps for the device for the first time. A platform like the Apple TV seems well-suited to multiplayer games, but it appears the new Apple TV will only support two Bluetooth controllers at once and three Bluetooth-connected devices total.
Our sister site TouchArcade got in touch with several developers who have Apple TV Dev Kits to test the limits of multiplayer gameplay on the devices, and these developers found they were only able to connect two controllers in addition to the Apple Remote control.
That means that at the current time, the Apple TV supports a total of three players for local gameplay using controllers, which will likely be the preferred method of control for games like first person shooters and platformers. Attempting to connect more than two controllers causes one of the first connected controllers to disconnect, and multiple Made for iPhone (MFi) controllers were tested by various developers.
Well, this is a bit of a bummer. We just got word from one of the developers who were lucky enough to win the Apple TV dev kit lottery (Who we’re not naming because we don’t want to cause more Apple TV NDA drama!) who raced out and bought a ton of MFi controllers with the hopes of making a 8 player party game.
These hopes were quickly dashed as they realized that the new Apple TV will only connect to two external Bluetooth devices at once, along with the included remote.
The limitations on Bluetooth-connected devices do not extend to the iPhone, which can also be used as a controller in multiplayer games. Implementing iPhone control methods is tricker than simple MFi controller support, however, as it requires developers to build custom iPhone support into apps.
All tvOS games and apps are required to include touch-based controls for the Siri remote, so most titles should work with simple iPhone controls, but many gamers may prefer using MFi controllers. Apple’s decision to force developers to build games around touch support has not been a popular one, as it limits games to very basic control schemes.
Apple may be planning to expand the number of controllers supported by the Apple TV ahead of its October launch, but for now, it looks like the device will only support two controllers simultaneously, further limiting the gaming capabilities of the Apple TV.
Apple Acquires Speech Technology Startup VocalIQ
Apple has purchased VocalIQ, a startup located in the United Kingdom that has developed a natural language API to allow computers and people to have a more natural dialogue, reports Financial Times. According to VocalIQ’s website, the company has developed a self-learning dialogue API built on 10 years of natural language research, belief tracking, decision making, and message generation.
It’s not always clear how Apple uses the technology from companies that it purchases, but with this acquisition, it’s likely Apple will use the API to improve its voice-based personal assistant, Siri. Financial Times also believes Apple could use the technology for its upcoming car project, as VocalIQ specialized in in-car applications among other things.
While VocalIQ’s speech processing and machine learning technology could be incorporated into devices from wearables to the connected home, the company was particularly focused on in-car applications. This included a collaboration with General Motors.
In a blog earlier this year, VocalIQ described how a “conversational voice-dialog system” in a car’s navigation system could prevent drivers from becoming distracted by looking at screens. Its “self- learning” technology allows “real conversation between human and the internet of things”, VocalIQ wrote.
VocalIQ has criticized Siri in a past blog post, calling the virtual assistant a “toy” unable to understand context. The difference between VocalIQ’s system and traditional speech-recognition services like Siri and Cortana is its ability to learn.
The reason for this state of affairs is that while Apple, Google and the some others have mastered how the use machine learning for speech-recognition, they are still stuck with medieval approach when it comes of conversational voice dialog. They are still using pre-programmed flow-chart based response that don’t learn.
The consumer demand for a self-learning multi-domain conversational voice system where consumers can freely talk about movies, restaurants, music, hotel bookings and the meaning of life, is huge and undeniable. The first one to meet that demand will rule the smartphone and wearables market for the next decade.
Apple confirmed its purchase of VocalIQ with its usual statement: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
Apple’s late to the car game and that’s okay
There have been Apple Car (or iCar) rumors since at least 2007. They usually involve the company teaming up with an automaker to design an iPod- or iPhone-ready vehicle. Nothing has ever come of all the speculation and it’s probably for the best. When Apple teams up with another company, the results are rarely satisfying. Remember the train wreck known as the Motorola ROKR? Now it looks like Apple is finally forging ahead with its automotive plans according to reports. But it’ll do so on its own and there will reportedly be a production vehicle ready in 2019. If true, it’s a bold plan. Not because launching a vehicle in that short of a time frame is impossible. It’s that the electric, semi-autonomous vehicle market will be pretty crowded come 2019. But Apple should be fine with that because entering a crowded market with its own twist on a product is what it does.
In 2004, DARPA held a robot-car contest in the Mojave Desert. Autonomous cars would attempt to wind their way through a 150-mile route for the chance to win $1 million. All the vehicles failed. The next year, with the purse doubled, five teams finished the route. While Stanford officially won, the real winner was Google. The director of the university’s team, Sebastian Thrun went on to found Google [x] and the company’s driverless-vehicle initiative.
The company’s research and lobbying in the field has been aggressive. Four states, a town in Idaho and Washington, DC, now allow driverless cars on the road thanks in part to Google’s efforts. All that work has been laying the foundation for a world where autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles will be commonplace on the road.
Thrun left Google in 2014. But what he and his team accomplished set the groundwork for a 2020 launch of its own vehicle and paved the way for Apple and major automakers interested in getting humans out of the driver’s seat. While Google is already showing off a prototype car, Apple isn’t in a hurry. It’s more than happy to wait in the wings and see what’s learned during the testing process.
This is how Apple operates. It didn’t invent the MP3 player, the GUI or the smartphone. It saw what others had done and improved on it for maximum profit. Sure the company makes technology more palatable for the masses, but it does so while making a substantial profit on its products. This is why you haven’t seen a 4K TV with the Apple logo on it. Television sales offer slim profit margins. There’s no need to make a TV when a set-top box that points users to your digital rentals will suffice.
In the mobile world, Android dominates the market. But, Apple still makes huge waves when it launches new iPhones. The company sold 13 million new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus handsets during the first three days of availability. The only handset maker that’s even remotely close to having Apple’s mindshare is Samsung.
If Apple can get a tiny fraction of those people to buy its new vehicle, it’ll be doing pretty well. It doesn’t need to beat Toyota, Ford or Honda in car sales; it just needs to make a profit. Yes, a car is far more expensive than a phone or a computer, but that Apple brand could be enough to get folks to buy a car from a tech company.
It’s something that’s actually already happening.
Tesla started as a Silicon Valley car company, but it’s currently more than that. Incorporated in 2003, it introduced its Roadster prototype in 2006. Since then it’s become a technology that just happens to sell cars and giant batteries for your home. It’s even building a battery factory in Nevada to produce the packs needed for those vehicles at large scale. It makes the whole widget — something Steve Jobs was fond of saying about Apple.
But while Tesla is diversifying, its first mission was cars. The Apple car, on the other hand, will be a side business. New ventures are expensive and even if the company hires all the car engineers it can find, there’s always the chance the iCar (or Apple Car or whatever it’s called) will be a flop.
While Silicon Valley moves quickly, Apple tends to wait and see before it goes full bore so it doesn’t end up with another Newton on its hands.
The robot-driving future is uncertain. But what is certain is that if Apple participates, for better or worse, there will be people lining up to be the first to drive the car that starts when the drivers says, “Hey Siri!”
ConnectSense HomeKit-Compatible Smart Outlet Available for Pre-Order
Now that HomeKit has been available for several months, additional HomeKit-connected products are beginning to trickle out. ConnectSense is the latest company to announce a launch date for HomeKit-compatible product, and its Smart Outlet was today added to Apple’s list of HomeKit products.
Priced at $79.95, the Smart Outlet plugs into an existing outlet and offers two Wi-Fi connected sockets that can be controlled independently using Siri or an accompanying ConnectSense app. Like the Elgato Eve Energy, the Smart Outlet also includes tools for monitoring the power usage of connected appliances.
As with all HomeKit devices, the Smart Outlet can be controlled with voice commands and linked to other compatible HomeKit products to create Scenes and automated timers to turn appliances on or off. The Smart Outlet also includes a 2.4A USB port for charging iPhones and iPads and two LEDs for determining the status of plugged-in devices at a glance.
Smart plugs have been one of the most popular HomeKit products thus far, and in addition to the Smart Outlet from ConnectSense and the Eve Energy from Elgato, both iDevices and iHome have released connected outlet options.
The ConnectSense website is accepting pre-orders for the Smart Outlet, but the website lists a shipping date of September. Smart Outlets do not appear to be shipping yet, but will likely be going out soon given their addition to Apple’s website.
Amazon.com is also accepting pre-orders for the ConnectSense Smart Outlet.
Tell us how you really feel about the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
It’s been a week since the release of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, and while this is an “s” year — meaning a lot of subtle changes instead of a big redesign — there’s still a lot to like about this year’s models. We appreciated the speedier Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and the optical image stabilization in the 6s Plus proved handy with video recording. But our reviewer Chris Velazco came away most impressed with 3D Touch, a “tremendously useful tool” that he “wanted to use all the time.” And now we’d like to know if our readers agree. Plenty of you have upgraded to one of Apple’s new phones in the past week, and now we’re giving you an opportunity to tell us what your experience has been so far. Write a review in our product database for the 6s or 6s Plus and we’ll feature some of the best ones in a future post.
We are not accepting reviews in post comments; please go to the iPhone 6s or 6s Plus page to write your review. If you don’t have a database account, sign up here!
Apple Watch is coming to Target stores on October 18th
If you’re shopping at Target, you’ll soon be able to buy something other than picture frames and bedding. The Apple Watch arrives October 18th and be available in every store by October 25th. The retailer said it will stock 20 different models, with prices ranging from $349 for the 38mm Watch Sport, up to $599 for a stainless steel 42mm Watch model. Target is the second retail chain to get the Watch after Best Buy, and apart from Apple, only high-end department stores like Galeries Lafayette in Paris have carried it. The Target deal makes sense, however, since the chain already carries the iPhone, iPad and most other Apple products.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Target
Skype Updates for iOS and Mac Bring Multitasking and Shortcut Features
Over the last few days Skype has been updating its app for the Mac and iOS platforms, bringing about full support for new system updates like El Capitan and iOS 9 along with new multitasking and shortcut features.
The first update by the company came on Wednesday with Skype 7.13 for Mac, which brought about full support for OS X 10.11 El Capitan. The new Mac update allows users to place Skype into a Split View window so they can multitask with another app while the voice and text chatting service runs on the side. The company additionally streamlined a few ways to add friends on the service, letting users easily connect with their Mac address book to discover people who also use Skype.
Beginning yesterday, Skype also brought in full iOS 9 support to iPad and iPhone devices, with the introduction of Slide Over and Split View for the iPad. Just like the Mac version, Split View allows iPad users to multitask Skype alongside an alternative app like Safari or Messages, and Slide Over provides a brief glimpse into the Skype experience with an overlay placed on top of the current app. Both multitasking experiences only function with IM and voice calls on the service.
Millions of people use Skype every day to share URLs and photos. iOS9’s new Split View and Slide Over capabilities let you use Skype while using another app alongside it, making sharing your content even better. Imagine you’re planning a night out in London with a group of friends using IM or a group voice call. Now you can share links to bars and restaurants and decide on the best place to meet without having to leave the app, just click on the shared content and bring it alongside your Skype conversation. It’s a great way to get things done together.
Available for both the iPad and iPhone, the new Skype update introduced the ability for users to respond to messages within banners and from the lock screen, as well. The update is also streamlining the way to begin conversations, with an improved ability to search for a specific Skype contact from the Spotlight search within iOS and then jump straight into chat with them.
Mac and iOS users can upgrade to the newest versions of Skype for Mac, Skype for iPhone [Direct Link] and Skype for iPad [Direct Link] right now.
Apple’s reportedly getting a second ‘Spaceship’ campus
Apple’s new 2.8 million square foot California HQ hasn’t even been built yet, but already the “spaceship” campus has achieved iconic status. Tim Cook and 12,000 other employees hope to move in late next year, but that won’t be the end of the company’s expansion in the area. BizJournals reports that Apple has signed a new deal for Landbank Investments LLC’s planned Central & Wolfe campus in Sunnyvale, which is roughly a five-mile drive from its current Cupertino home. Slideshow-324894
Current plans show that the 777,000-square-foot project will consist of three, six-story buildings that are almost spaceship-like in their appearance. You could even say it looks like Apple’s Command key, albeit without the final roundel. It will also be super efficient with a LEED Platinum rating, which ensures it’s sustainable, able to reclaim water and energy, uses energy-efficient materials and provides indoor environmental quality.
Once built, the Central & Wolfe campus could host around 3,000 Apple employees. The company has leased a number of smaller sites in the area, but this second campus highlights that Apple continues to grow at a rapid rate (not surprising given it’s now the world’s biggest firm). There’s no word on when developers will break ground on the project, or when Apple is scheduled to move in — perhaps it’ll coincide with the release of the oft-rumored Apple Car.
Via: Bizjournals
Source: Not Another Box
AIVAnet 