Apple In Talks to Rollout HealthKit to Medical Professionals Across U.S.

Apple is preparing to rollout its Healthkit development tools to health professionals across the U.S., and has been discussions with health providers at Mount Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins, and Allscripts to use the new system, reports Reuters.

Apple is said to be pushing Healthkit and its Health app as being an all-in-one solution for medical professionals to store patient data like blood pressure, pulse, and weight. Apple is also hoping that physicians will use the available data to improve diagnostics and treatment decisions. The company is also looking to partner with electronic health records provider Epic Systems to integrate its software and services.

The article notes that Apple is likely to face challenges in the mobile health data field due to privacy and regulatory requirements. Apple’s Health app and Healthkit development tools were originally introduced at this year’s WWDC conference this past July. The Health app allows users to keep track and input several different health metrics measured by various devices, and can also allow an at-a-glance view of overall health with the aggregated data. The HealthKit tool for developers can be incorporated into health and fitness apps to access health data stored within the health app.

Both Health and HealthKit will be shipping as a part of Apple’s new iOS 8 mobile operating system this fall.

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Apple Suppliers Gearing Up to Produce New iPads, Larger Model to Feature Anti-Reflective Coating

Apple’s suppliers have already begun producing the next-generation iPad Air and Retina iPad mini, reports Bloomberg. Production for the 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 is underway and according to the site’s sources, the tablet will debut towards the end of the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter. Production of the Retina iPad mini 2 is also said to be beginning soon.

August production dates for both tablets are in line with rumors that have suggested the new iPads will be unveiled at an October event that follows Apple’s September 9 iPhone event.

iPad Air 2 Mockup
Apple’s iPad Air 2 may see some manufacturing issues that restrict available supply, however, due to a new anti-reflection coating that’s being added to the tablet. The coating is said to make the iPad’s screen easier to read.

Output of the larger iPad may be restricted by manufacturing complications related to the use of a new anti-reflection coating, which Apple plans to add to the device to make the display easier to read, said one of the people.

According to recent rumors, the iPad Air 2 and the second-generation Retina iPad mini will both feature form factors that are largely the same as Apple’s existing iPad Air and Retina mini. The iPad Air may see some minor design tweaks including a new speaker grille with a single row of larger holes and a slightly recessed set of volume buttons.

Both tablets are expected to get upgraded A8 processors that are both faster and more efficient and Touch ID fingerprint sensors. The iPad Air may also gain an improved 8-megapixel camera.

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Apple Launches Email Ad Campaign Focusing on Productivity

Apple today began a new email ad campaign drawing customer attention to the iPad’s productivity capabilities by highlighting several different Business-oriented apps for the tablet, including Pages, Numbers, Keynote and Microsoft Office for iPad.

iPad is the perfect way to be more productive than ever. Its powerful apps are designed to take full advantage of the things only iPad can do. So you’ll have everything you need to do what matters most.

The email advertises how customers can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with Apple’s own iWork software, available for free with every new iPad, and it also points towards Microsoft Office, which was released for the iPad in March.

Competitors like Microsoft and Samsung have launched aggressive ad campaigns attempting to position the iPad as a content consumption device without the multitasking capabilities or the software to allow it to serve as a true PC replacement, but Apple has fired back in recent months with an equally aggressive “Your Verse” iPad campaign that shows the iPad being used in hundreds of different ways for a variety of vital tasks that range from composing to choreographing to mountaineering.

Microsoft used the lack of Office software on the iPad as a main advertising point for its Surface tablets throughout 2013, before releasing an iPad version of the productivity software earlier this year. Microsoft has actually seen enormous success with Office for iPad, garnering 35 million downloads as of July, suggesting millions of customers are using their iPads for productivity-oriented tasks like creating documents and presentations.

In addition to sending out emails, Apple launched a promotion for several different productivity apps in the App Store last week, offering discounts on apps like Fantastical, Clear, Notability, Scanner Pro, and more. That sale lasts until August 14.

The company has also been continuing to expand its “Your Verse” advertising campaign, releasing two new stories earlier this morning highlighting Chinese electropop group Yaoband and Detroit Slow Roll city bike ride cofounder and organizer Jason Hall.

Apple’s focus on productivity comes just weeks after the company inked a deal with IBM that will see the two companies teaming up to push for more iPads in enterprise environments.

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Intel Shares New Details on Low-Power Core M Broadwell Processors

Intel today released new details on its next-generation 14-nanometer Broadwell processors, which are designed to combine high-performance and low power to allow for more efficient devices. Haswell ushered in an era of impressively long battery life, which is expected to improve even further with Broadwell.

In a list of features on the new chips, Intel says Broadwell will usher in “new form factors” with systems that are thinner and run both silently and cool, with two times reduction in thermal design point.

Intel’s 14-nanometer Broadwell package

– The combination of the new microarchitecture and manufacturing process will usher in a wave of innovation in new form factors, experiences and systems that are thinner and run silent and cool.

– Intel architects and chip designers have achieved greater than two times reduction in the thermal design point when compared to a previous generation of processor while providing similar performance and improved battery life.

– The new microarchitecture was optimized to take advantage of the new capabilities of the 14nm manufacturing process.

– Intel has delivered the world’s first 14nm technology in volume production. It uses second-generation Tri-gate (FinFET) transistors with industry-leading performance, power, density and cost per transistor.

– Intel’s 14nm technology will be used to manufacture a wide range of high-performance to low-power products including servers, personal computing devices and Internet of Things.

As has been previously announced, the 14-nanometer Broadwell-Y Core M chip will be the first of the Broadwell processors to hit the market, with retailers releasing Core M devices in the fall. Designed specifically for low power devices such as two-in-one tablet/computer hybrids, the Core M’s low wattage allows for fanless operation and its smaller physical size means it can fit comfortably in devices that are “razor-thin.”

AnandTech has released a detailed look at the Broadwell architecture with a preview of Core M, pointing towards “substantial” GPU increases for the Broadwell line of chips and limited CPU performance improvements.

Apple is said to be working on a 12-inch Retina MacBook that has a slimmer form factor than the existing MacBook Air and a fanless design that aligns with some of the properties of the Core M Broadwell chip, but existing MacBook Air computers utilize the Haswell-U series chips that run at 15 watts while the Core M operates at approximately 5 watts, making it unclear whether it would be possible for a Retina MacBook to be powered by the new chips.

Intel’s Core M processors are expected to ship during the 2014 holiday season, with additional Broadwell chips becoming available in early and mid-2015. The first devices utilizing Core M processors will be shipping before the end of the year.

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Round ‘True Tone’ Flash for iPhone 6 Revealed in Latest Part Leak

Over the last several months, a number of drawings, mockups, and even rear shell parts for the iPhone 6 have consistently shown a round hole for the LED flash next to the rear camera. That feature has been one of the primary sources of skepticism about the legitimacy of these leaks, as many observers have argued it suggests Apple would have to be abandoning the pill-shaped “True Tone” dual-LED flash introduced in the iPhone 5s.

Earlier today, we highlighted a new photo set from Nowhereelse.fr [Google Translate] showing a number of components said to be from the iPhone 6, but one part we neglected to feature shows Apple has indeed developed a new round version of the True Tone flash. The part shows both white and amber LEDs within a single round flash component.

This round flash module is integrated into a purported iPhone 6 flex cable that contains several arms with a power button, a logic board connector, a microphone, and the round True Tone flash. The cable had been seen in a previous leak late last month, but only from the rear where the flash itself was not visible.

iPhone 5s flash module identified in iFixit teardown analysis.
Apple added the dual-LED True Tone flash to the iPhone 5s, replacing the white-only flash module in previous iPhone models. The True Tone flash includes both white and amber LEDs in order to improve white balance and add support for more than 1,000 different color temperatures.

Besides a round flash module, Apple may also improve the photo-taking abilities of the iPhone 6 with an enhanced camera module featuring either optical or electronic image stabilization. The high-quality rear camera may come with an aesthetic cost in some users’ eyes, however, as at least the 5.5-inch model has been rumored to require a slight protrusion from the thin body to accommodate the camera, as seen on the current iPod touch.

The iPhone 6 is expected to launch in two different sizes including a 4.7-inch or 5.5-inch display, along with a more durable Touch ID. Apple is expected to unveil its next-generation handset at a September 9 press event with the retail launch to follow shortly after the announcement.

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Apple Debuts Two New ‘Your Verse’ iPad Stories Featuring Electropop Group ‘Yaoband’, Detroit ‘Slow Roll’ Cofounder

Apple’s “Your Verse” website highlighting the various ways that people use their iPads has been updated with two new stories, featuring electropop group Yaoband and Jason Hall, founder of a biking program in Detroit.

Luke Wang and Peter Feng, the two Chinese musicians who make up Yaoband, use their iPads to capture audio samples, turning them into beats. In a video on Apple’s site, the duo are depicted using the iPad to capture sounds like water flowing over rocks in a river, water dripping from a faucet, a spoon on a bowl, a ringing bell, and more.

Various audio apps then allow them to mix sounds, styles, and techniques, creating a unique sound. To capture and make music, Feng and Wang use apps like iMaschine, iMPC, Music Studio, Notes, MIDI Designer Pro, Figure, and TouchOSC.

With iPad, Luke Wang has the power to make every show unique. “I’ll add new apps, new techniques, and new ideas during the show,” he says. By adding fresh elements to the music, even in a live performance, Yaoband lives up to its vision of an ever-evolving sound. “Creativity and innovation are the essence of music,” says Peter. “For us they’re what keep the power of music alive.”

Jason Hall, who cofounded Detroit’s Slow Roll city bike ride that thousands of people participate in, uses his iPad to organize the event, plan routes, create posters, communicate with other organizers, check the weather, and more. Hall uses apps like Mail, Calendar, Facebook Pages Manager, Prezi, Penultimate, and Phoster, managing each bike ride from start to finish on his iPad.

“I wanted to convince other people to see Detroit the way I was seeing it,” he says. “The plan was, let’s start a bike ride and see if people want to go with us.”

It began simply enough. Just 10 friends on a Monday night ride. Soon it was 20. Then 30. In its second year, the ride grew from 130 to 300 cyclists in two weeks. As the numbers increased, Hall turned to his iPad and made it the command center for all things Slow Roll. “We use it for everything we do, from mapping to communicating to ordering new T-shirts,” he says.”

Apple’s newest stories, which are part of its “What will your verse be?” campaign and a continuation of its “Life on iPad” ad campaign, join several previous stories that have shown the iPad being used in a multitude of creative ways. Featured iPad users have included conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, travel blogger Chérie King, mountaineers Adrian Ballinger and Emily Harrington, choreographer Feroz Khan, and biologist Michael Berumen.

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More Photos of Embedded Rear Logo, Rear Camera Ring of iPhone 6 Surface

Nowhereelse.fr (Google Translate) shares more photos said to be of various iPhone 6 parts, including images of the embedded rear Apple logo, external camera ring, Touch ID home button enclosure, flex cables, and more. The pictures of the embedded rear Apple logo and external camera ring also line up with photos shared last week by luxury modified iPhone vendor Feld & Volk.

Apple has not used an embedded logo on the iPhone since shipping the original iPhone in 2007. It was stated last week that the embedded logo may be made of an incredibly scratch-resistant metal, perhaps even a Liquidmetal alloy. Earlier this year, Apple renewed its rights to use Liquidmetal Technologies’ alloy in consumer products, although no other evidence suggests that this logo or any other components are using such a material.

The external camera ring also makes an appearance once again, and may indicate that at least one iPhone 6 model may have a protruding lens. To this point, leaked design drawings, mockups, and rumors have pointed to the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 having a protruding rear lens, while reports have pointed to a flush rear camera for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. It is possible that a protruding lens on the iPhone 6 would appear similar to the one currently on the iPod touch.

Other components such as the headphone jack, Lightning port connector, and Touch ID home button enclosure among others appear to be similar to those found in the iPhone 5s. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 6 on September 9, with a launch likely coming shortly afterward. The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will also possibly be released before the 5.5-inch model, as Apple is said to be experiencing issues with the larger device’s display technology and battery life.

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Microsoft Launches Three New Surface Pro 3 Ads Targeting the MacBook Air

Microsoft today launched three new ads targeting Apple’s MacBook Air and comparing the notebook to its new Surface Pro 3 tablet. All three commercials emphasize the Surface Pro 3′s touchscreen multitasking features and expandable hardware, with each showing how the MacBook Air lacks similar functionality. The ads also end with the tagline “The tablet that can replace your laptop.”

The first spot is titled “Crowded” and focuses on two narrators and how the Surface Pro 3 is a tablet and a laptop. When told about the Surface Pro 3 by the first narrator, the second claims that the tablet doesn’t have the power of the MacBook Air’s Intel i5 processor. The first narrator states that the Surface Pro 3 does have an equal processor, and shows off Microsoft Office, Photoshop, pen support and its touchscreen. The second narrator counters with showing off his own touchscreen (an iPad), and exclaims “I have a lot of stuff to carry.” The ad ends with the first narrator saying “You are more powerful than you think”, referencing Apple’s recent “Powerful” ads for the iPhone 5s.

The second ad, named “Head to Head”, features a direct comparison between the two, drawing a parallel between the 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM on each device. However, Microsoft once again emphasizes the Surface Pro 3′s touchscreen, pen support and detachable keyboard, while the MacBook Air is shown to have none of those features.

The third ad “Power” starts off with a Mac user curious about a full version of Adobe Photoshop running on the Surface Pro 3, once again demonstrating the device’s laptop and tablet capabilities. The narrator claims that the Surface Pro 3 is just as fast as the Mac, boasting a touchscreen with a kickstand along with a Mini DisplayPort and a USB port. The ad ends when the Mac user states “So you’re saying it does more than my Mac?”, and the Surface Pro 3 user going “Well, technically you said it.”

Microsoft originally announced the Surface Pro 3 this past May, and also launched a program offering MacBook Air owners $650 to trade in their laptop towards the Surface Pro 3. In prior years, Microsoft has also released ads poking fun of the iPad and comparing it to the Surface.

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