New Photos Claim to Show Various Internal Parts from iPad Air 2

New photos shared by French Apple news website iPhonote (Google Translate) claim to show a number of components for the upcoming iPad Air 2, including the device’s GPS antenna, microphone, and Wi-Fi module. While previous leaks have shown off the device’s front panel and rear shell, these images could be the first look at the various internal components in the iPad Air 2.

Purported iPad Air 2 GPS antenna, microphone, and WiFi module
The website also posted a variety of comparison images between each component for the iPad Air 2 and its corresponding part on the current iPad Air. While no major changes can be immediately spotted from any of the comparisons, it does appear that the next-generation iPad Air’s GPS antenna is longer than its predecessor. Also shown are pictures of the iPhone 6′s front panel, which appear similar to prior leaks of the component.

Apple is expected to announce the iPad Air 2 alongside the next-generation Retina iPad mini at an event this fall. A report from Re/code claimed that Apple would be unveiling the iWatch at an October event, which may also include the introduction of both new iPads. The iPad Air 2 may feature a thinner design thanks to an integrated display, anti-reflective coating, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, a faster A8 processor, and 2 GB of RAM.

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New Research Claims iMessage Accounts for 30% of Mobile Spam Messages

iMessage is responsible for more than 30% of all spam messages on mobile devices, according to research done by security expert Tom Landesman and anti-spam company Cloudmark (via Wired). The researcher notes that there are multiple reasons as to why the platform has become a prime choice for spammers, stating that iMessage’s reach across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac along with its accessibility have made it easy to target users:

That fusion of the desktop and mobile world makes it particularly easy for scammers to write a Mac OS script that can send messages to all types of devices just as fast as Apple will allow. “It’s almost like a spammer’s dream,” says Landesman. “With four lines of code, using Apple scripts, you can tell your Mac machine to send message to whoever they want.”

With iMessage, spammers can send unwanted messages to a user’s associated emails and phone numbers if enabled. The ability for the desktop Messages client to verify numbers with the iMessage network has also made sending spam to confirmed users easier, along with the fact that signing up for the service can be done with just an email. The researcher further notes that iMessage’s read receipts feature (which can be turned off) allows spammers to better generate a list of verified users to spam based on activity.

Apple has made a few moves to combat spam in iMessage over the past year, adding a rate-limit for sent messages after some iOS developers experienced a denial-of-service prank, and adding a spam reporting tool. However, that tool remains a bit complicated to use, as it requires users to send Apple an email containing the screenshot of the spam message, the email or phone number it was received from, and the date and time.

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Walmart Dropping Price of iPhone 5c to $0.97, iPhone 5s to $79 for 90-Day Period [iOS Blog]

Walmart will begin offering the 16 GB iPhone 5c for $0.97 with a two-year contract during the next 90 days, reports Engadget.
The move by the retailer follows a permanent discount of the 16GB iPhone 5c to $29 in June, as Walmart will offer the special pricing to customers on AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and US Cellular. The company is also dropping the on-contract price of the 16GB iPhone 5s to $79, down from $99.

It is likely that these new price drops are being done to get rid of existing inventory before the introduction of the iPhone 6, which will be unveiled on September 9 and likely go on sale about a week later. The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is expected to be launched first, as the release of the 5.5-inch version may be delayed due to production issues. Both versions are likely to incorporate a faster A8 chip, a new camera system, an improved Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and iOS 8.

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Photo of Possible 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 Rear Shell Surfaces

While we’ve seen dozens of part leaks for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, parts for the rumored 5.5-inch version of the device have thus far been scarce, possibly due to the fact that the larger iPhone 6 is said to have entered production later than the 4.7-inch iPhone 6.

Photos depicting what might be the rear shell of the larger device have finally surfaced, however, and have been shared by Evasi0nJailbreak.com. According to the site, the photos have been sourced from “deep within Apple’s supply chain in China,” and may be only a prototype of the final rear shell.

Outside of 5.5-inch iPhone 6 rear shell compared to inside of 4.7-inch rear shell
That said, the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 rear shell images, which are compared in the photos to the rear shell of a 4.7-inch iPhone, do resemble early images of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 rear shell, depicting thick antenna breaks, a rounded True Tone flash, a cutout for an embedded Apple logo, the camera, and the microphone.

Inside of 5.5-inch iPhone 6 rear shell compared to outside of 4.7-inch rear shell
More convincingly, the screw holes on the rear shell image accurately match up with the screw holes on an earlier leaked image of a logic board said to be for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6, so this may be our first look at a true 5.5-inch iPhone 6 rear shell.

Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 6 at an event on September 9, but it is unclear whether the company will show off both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models at the same time. If the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 does make an appearance at the event, it may not ship to customers until several months after the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 ships due to production delays.

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SEC and Longhorn Networks Added to ‘WatchESPN’ Apple TV Channel [Mac Blog]

Alongside the new NFL Now channel on the Apple TV debuting today, ESPN has also expanded its WatchESPN channel to include support for college sports with the SEC Network and Longhorn Network.

The SEC Network is a brand-new television network created through a partnership between the Southeastern Conference and ESPN. The network launched last week ahead of the 2014 college football season with plans to cover at least 1000 live events per year from the conference’s 21 sports. The network consists of a standard SEC Network channel, which mirrors featured content from the SEC Network television channel, as well as an SEC Network + channel with additional coverage.

The Longhorn Network is focused solely on the University of Texas at Austin athletic program and is also produced in partnership with ESPN. The network is entering its fourth year of availability, but has just been added to the WatchESPN online service this season.

Both networks were added to the WatchESPN iOS app last week, but it has taken a few extra days to make their way to the Apple TV channel. Access to the content is limited to those who have television subscription packages that include the corresponding channels.

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Best Buy Offers One-Day $75 Discount on All iPad Air Models [iOS Blog]

Best Buy is running a one-day sale on all of its iPad Air models, discounting the prices by $75 across the board. With the discount, the price on the entry-level 16 GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air is $424.99, down from $499, while the price on the entry-level 16 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad Air drops down from $629 to $554.99.

While these aren’t the lowest prices that we’ve ever seen on Apple’s iPad Air models, they are the most significant discount that’s been offered in the past few months. Best Buy also offers $50 off all iPad models through its educational site, which means students can get an iPad Air for as low as $374.99.

According to our Buyer’s Guide, the iPad Air is rated as “Caution” because it’s approaching the end of its product cycle. Apple is said to be working on a second-generation iPad Air with Touch ID and an A8 processor that may debut in October. Best Buy’s current iPad Air deal is still an excellent way to get an iPad Air at a low price, especially for customers who will not mind the absence of Touch ID.

Best Buy’s iPad Air deal is good for one day only and will expire after today.

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NFL Now available to Apple TV-owning football fanatics

We knew that the National Football League’s brand new online network would eventually come to the Apple TV. And now it’s here. After not being a part of the NFL Now device lineup on launch day, Apple’s streaming box is finally adding the video service to its growing channel portfolio. There are no Apple TV-specific features in tow, and therefore you should expect the same type of content as on apps from other platforms — such as real-time highlights, live press conferences analysis and, with NFL Now Plus, access to the league’s NFL Films vault. Don’t worry if you’re not seeing it on your Apple TV yet, as it’s just started rolling out and it may take a little while before you see the app show up. It”ll be there soon, though, scout’s honor.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Apple

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Source: NFL

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Second-Generation iPad Air May Get Memory Boost to 2 GB

Apple’s second-generation iPad Air may get a memory upgrade, bumping it up to 2 GB of RAM instead of the 1 GB in the current-generation device, reports Taiwan’s TechNews [Google Translate] (via iPhone in Canada). According to the site, the increased RAM will be limited to the iPad Air, as the second-generation Retina iPad mini is expected to continue to offer 1 GB of RAM.

Apple began offering 1 GB of RAM with the third generation iPad, keeping the same amount of memory in the fourth-generation device and the fifth-generation iPad Air. With such a long span of time between memory upgrades, customers have been wondering when Apple might opt to bump up the RAM in its tablet lineup.

iPad Air 2 mockup with Touch ID home button
Previous generations of the iPad have likely not seen a memory increase in order to keep costs low, save space, and preserve battery, but with some of the upcoming iOS 8 features, more RAM might be a necessity for smooth performance.

Apple is rumored to be working on split-screen multitasking for the iPad Air, a feature that will certainly be more memory intensive than running a single app at a time. The feature is said to allow two apps to run side-by-side on the iPad in multiple sizes, including 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4. While split-screen multitasking is likely to be available on existing devices, it may run better on Apple’s upcoming iPad Air, which is also expected to gain a new A8 processor.

Thus far, rumors have suggested that split-screen multitasking will be limited to the iPad Air, though support may come to the iPhone and the Retina iPad mini at a later date. Split-screen multitasking is unlikely to be ready for iOS 8′s fall debut, but it may come as part of an 8.1 update.

TechNews also shares some information on Apple’s upcoming iWatch, suggesting the device will sport 512 MB of internal memory along with 8 GB of storage, which cannot be confirmed with previous rumors as little is known about the device.

TechNews does not have much of a track record when it comes to Apple rumors, and what it has shared has seen mixed outcomes. The site accurately predicted a sapphire cover for the Touch ID home button ahead of the launch of the iPhone 5s, but it also incorrectly suggested the home button would be capacitive.

Apple is said to be planning an October event to unveil the iWatch, even though the device may not ship until late 2014 or early 2015. That October event may also include the debut of the second-generation iPad Air and the second-generation Retina iPad mini.

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