Apple’s WatchKit ensures third-party wearable support from day one
Apple has unveiled its long-rumored wearable, and with it a third-party tool chest called WatchKit. For starters, the initiative will help developers integrate compatible apps with the Watch’s Glances screen, and do so from day one. It’s also part of a larger mindset in Cupertino, including HomeKit and HealthKit, that allows more openness and a range of features when new devices launch. This means that companies like Twitter, American Airlines and Starwood Hotels can get in right from the start, with custom features for wearable-driven tasks. For example, guests can expect to unlock hotel rooms by waving the Apple Watch in front of the lock and BMW will let you check the charging status of your car.
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Apple Announces 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 Plus, Launching September 19 [iOS Blog]
At its special media event today, Apple announced the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Apple is touting a “Retina HD Display” on both phones, as the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 features a 1334×750 display at 326 pixels-per-inch while the iPhone 6 Plus features a 1920×1080 display at 401 PPI. The iPhone 6 is said to have more than 1 million pixels, while the iPhone 6 Plus is said to have 2 million pixels.
The new models also feature a number of hardware changes, including a chassis that is 6.9 mm thin for the iPhone 6 and 7.1 mm for the iPhone 6 Plus. Additionally, both models feature the next-generation 64-bit A8 chip, which features 2 billion transistors on a 20nm processor. Apple stated that the processor delivers 25% faster CPU performance and is 13% smaller and 50% energy efficient when compared to the A7. The device also comes with a next-generation M8 motion coprocessor which can now estimate distance and elevation changes with a new barometer.
Apple states that the iPhone 6 will get 50 hours of battery life for audio, 11 hours for video, 11 hours for WiFi browsing and 10 hours for LTE browsing. Concurrently, the iPhone 6 will get 80 hours of battery life for audio, 14 hours for video, and 12 for WiFi and LTE browsing. The iPhone 6 now also includes Voice Over LTE (VoLTE) technology, including 20 LTE bands. Also new is 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which delivers 3x faster WiFi and support for WiFi calling.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus also support a new camera system with a brand new 8 MP sensor, along with a circular true tone flash. Apple is also touting “Focus Pixel” technology, which allows the lens to move in and out to better determine autofocus points. The camera also features next-gen tone mapping and noise reduction. Apple also says the camera is complimented by a new gyroscope and image stabilization built into the A8 processor.
As for video capabilities, both devices shoot in 1080p at 30fps and 60fps, along with 240fps slo-mo video, which is up from 120fps on the iPhone 5s. The front facing FaceTime HD camera has also received a new sensor with a f2.2 aperture that lets in 81% new light. Users can also shoot single-shot HDR photos and take HDR video.
Both devices will launch on September 19, as pre-orders will start on September 12. The iPhone 6 will be available in 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB variants for $199, $299, and $399. The iPhone 6 Plus will be available in the same storage capacities for $299, $399, and $499, respectively. Both iPhone 6 models also come in the same Space Grey, Gold, and Silver variants. The iPhone 5c is now free on contract while the iPhone 5s will now be offered for $99.
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iOS 8 Releasing on September 17 [iOS Blog]
Today at its special event, Apple has announced that iOS 8 would be released on September 17 as a free download, just two days before the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus release.
The new version on iOS will be available for iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, the 5th generation iPod touch, iPad 2, iPad with Retina Display, iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad mini with Retina Display.
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Apple Announces ‘ApplePay’ Mobile Payment Solution, Enabled at Over 220,000 U.S. Merchants [iOS Blog]
At its special media event today, Apple announced its new ApplePay payment solution for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which utilizes the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, a new “Secure Element” functionality, and the built-in NFC antenna in conjunction with a credit card stored on iTunes.
To make a payment, users hold the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus to a receiver while holding the Touch ID home button. Apple states that card numbers will only be stored or shared in Secure Element, and if an iPhone is ever lost or stolen, Find my iPhone can suspend all payments. Apple is also touting privacy, stating that it does not record what users bought or how much they paid. Cashiers also do not see a name, credit card number, or security code.
ApplePay will first launch in the United States next month as an update to iOS 8 and will be compatible American Express, Mastercard, and Visa credit and debit cards, with Citi, Bank of American, Capital One, Wells Fargo, and Chase also listed as partners. Apple is also stating that the program will work with over 220,000 U.S. merchants, including Walgreens, Duane Reade, Macy’s, Nike Bloomingdales, Staples, Subway, and McDonalds more. Apple will also launch a new ApplePay API for developers to integrate the system into their apps.
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Apple’s iPhone and wearables event liveblog!
September is a month synonymous with the beginning of autumn, but it’s also become associated with something else entirely: The iPhone. Today, we’re in attendance at the Flint Center in Cupertino to hear about the latest products and updates from Apple, and we’re expecting at least four new devices (two iPhones and two wearables). Join us at this space beginning at 1pm ET on September 9th, because we’ll be liveblogging the event and bringing you the latest updates as it happens. Should be a long and intense event, so make sure you bookmark this page and come back for it all!
10 days standby for the 6, 16 for the Plus. 11 hours of video for the 6, 14 for the Plus.
Filed under: Announcements, Mobile, Apple
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Meet the iPhone 6 Plus and its 5.5-inch, 1080p Retina Display HD
Well folks, the time for wild-eyed rumors and clandestine reports is finally over – Apple CEO Tim Cook just officially revealed the hefty new iPhone 6 Plus and its 5.5-inch screen in Cupertino alongside a long-rumored (and handier) 4.7-inch model. This thing won’t seem all that foreign if you frequent the geekier corners of the web, but it’s a sure sign that Apple wants to give all those other pocket-stretching phablets out there a run for their metaphorical money. The company’s live press event still chugging along (with a sketchy stream, no less), but here’s what we know so far.
There’s no two ways about it: the star of the show here is the spacious 5.5-inch 1080p Retina Display HD riding up front – to hear Apple’s Phil Schiller tell it, it’s SRGB-accurate, has an ultrathin backlight, photo-aligned IPS liquid crystals, an improved polarizer, and ion-strengthened glass. More importantly (and at long last!), the screen runs at 1080p.
You won’t notice any dramatic design differences between this model and its little brother – it’s still dramatically thinner than the iPhones that came before it (the Plus comes in at 7.1mm thick, and the angular edges of the 5s have given way to a smoother, rounder look in line with the company’s most recent batch of iPads. Remember all those leaks? They absolutely nailed it, and the end result looks, well, really comfortable to latch onto. Also new is Apple’s snappy new 64-bit A8 chipset – Schiller says it’s 50 percent more energy efficient (not to mention a hair smaller) than the the A7 that graced earlier models, and about 25 percent more powerful to boot.
Apple’s iOS 8 got the grand unveiling treatment back at WWDC, but (to no one’s surprise) it packs a few extra features to help it feel more at home on bigger screens. Perhaps the biggest is the inclusion of a two-paned landscape mode which makes the whole thing feel a little more like a tiny iPad than an upscaled iPhone. If you give the TouchID button (yeah, you’re not escaping those sensors), you’ll also invoke a one-handed mode that moves everything down to the lower half of the display for easy access — great if you’ve got some short thumbs.
This is a developing story, please refresh for updates.
Filed under: Mobile
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Apple unveils the 4.7-inch iPhone 6
You were expecting it, and here it is: Apple has unveiled the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. As the leaks suggested, it centers around a 1,334 x 750 Retina Display HD and is decidedly slimmer (not to mention curvier) than its already svelte 5s predecessor, at 6.9mm thick. It’s not all about looks, though. The new handset is also running a beefier A8 chip that’s claimed to be about 25 percent faster than the A7 you saw the last time around, even as it’s up to 50 percent more efficient — important in a device this thin.
Developing…
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
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Apple Looking to Expand Pittsburgh Research and Development Offices [Mac Blog]
Apple is looking to expand its presence in the Pittsburgh area by possibly doubling its office space in the city, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Apple currently operates out of the Robert Mehrabian Collaborative Innovation Center located at Carnegie Mellon University. Apple joined Intel, Carnegie Mellon CyLab and other innovators when it moved into the site in 2005 .
Apple’s lease on the location ends at the end of the year, and there is no room for expansion at the Collaborative Innovation Center. The Cupertino company reportedly talked to Carnegie Mellon about alternative on-campus sites while also hiring a realtor to find a larger facility in a different part of the city. Apple currently leases 12,000 square feet at Carnegie Mellon and is looking to move to a location that offers up to 20,000 square feet. It is not known whether this new office will supplement or replace the current facility at the Collaborative Innovation Center.
Apple is expanding its domestic footprint on many fronts, including building a new data facility in Reno, Nevada and expanding its operations office in Austin, Texas. And just yesterday it was reported Apple is working to expand its facilities in the Boston area where it has a team working on speech recognition.
The company also is building a new corporate office in Cupertino that is under extensive construction. The highlight of the new campus is Apple’s “spaceship” office building, which will occupy 2.8 million square feet when it is completed in 2016. The site also will house a 2,400 car parking garage, 100,000 square foot fitness center, 120,000 square foot auditorium, and more than 4,500 trees.
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Live Coverage of Apple’s September 2014 iPhone and iWatch Event
Apple’s highly anticipated September media event is being held today at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, the site of the unveiling of the original Macintosh and iMac.
Photo via TouchArcade
The event begins at 10:00 AM Pacific Time / 1:00 PM Eastern Time, and Apple is expected to unveil several new products including the iPhone 6 and an “iWatch” wearable device.
Apple will be providing a live video stream on its website for Mac and iOS users and via Apple TV, and the company is also sharing some photos and live blog updates on its event page.
Live Video Stream of Apple’s September 2014 iPhone 6 and iWatch Media Event
In addition, we will be updating this article with summary coverage and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account as the event unfolds. Separate news stories regarding the event announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.
Apple’s online stores around the world are currently down in advance of the event.
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Samsung Belgium Donating a Pear for Each Tweet About an Apple [iOS Blog]
Samsung’s Belgian division is having some fun with the hype surrounding Apple’s press event and using this occasion to support a worthy cause. According to the division’s website, the company will buy a pear for each tweet about an apple. Samsung will distribute the pears free of charge tomorrow at the Brussels-North railway station.
This #aPearForAnApple promotion is one of several campaigns to support Belgian pear farmers who face financial difficulty after Russia recently banned the import of some foods from the EU and the US. Russia is Belgium’s main pear purchaser, buying up to $127 million or 40 percent of the total pear harvest each year. Belgians are using the hashtags #ToffePeer and #ShareAPear to encourage citizens to eat more pears and offset the financial consequences of the ban.
It’s not surprising to see Samsung use the hype surrounding Apple as part of a marketing stunt. The Korean company is known for its clever marketing blitzes that often focus on the iPad, iPhone or Apple fans. In its recent Galaxy S5 commercial, Samsung mocked the iPhone’s integrated battery design and short battery life, calling iPhone owners “wall huggers” who can’t stray from their public power outlets.
Thanks to Jef for the tip.
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