China bans Apple products for government use

China has apparently decided to blacklist Apple products including the iPad and MacBook lines for official use, according to Bloomberg. The report says that the government has instructed its procurement arm not to purchase desktops, tablets and laptops from the company because those oft-cited “security concerns.” It’s the latest in a series of attacks on western tech companies in the wake of the Snowden revelations — with Windows 8, IBM, Apple, Google, Kaspersky, Symantec and the iPhone all getting singled out for criticism. According to Bloomberg’s analysts, the move is to ensure that the US doesn’t have too much influence in China, and in no way will distract people from China’s own sordid history of snooping.

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Laptops, Apple

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Source: Bloomberg

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Report Claims 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 Will Feature 2,100 mAh Battery

Last month, new photos of a purported battery for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 revealed a 1,810 mAh capacity for the device, which is a modest improvement over the 1,560 mAh battery currently found in the iPhone 5s. Now, ESM-China electronics analyst Sung Chang Xu claims (Google Translate, via G for Games) that the final version of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will actually feature a 2,100 mAh battery.

Citing sources at supply chains across China, the analyst also adds that the previous images of the battery showed test units. A capacity of 2,100 mAh for the iPhone 6′s battery would put it below competing phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 (2800 mAh) and the HTC One M8 (2600 mAh). However, Apple’s traditionally tight hardware and software integration will likely contribute to a more robust overall battery life, as iOS 8 will most certainly be optimized for the iPhone 6.

Xu has previously reported on a number of other rumors pertaining to the iPhone 6, claiming that the device will feature temperature, pressure and humidity sensors in addition to electronic image stabilization. In February, Xu also claimed that the iWatch will use optical sensors to measure heart rate and oxygen levels.

Apple will unveil the iPhone 6 at an event on Tuesday, September 9, with a launch of the 4.7-inch version likely coming a week or so after the announcement. The event may also feature the introduction of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6, which is said to ship later this year or early next year due to production issues. Both iPhones are expected to feature a faster A8 processor, an improved camera, and a thinner chassis.

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Apple and Samsung Agree to End Non-U.S. Patent Disputes

Apple and Samsung have issued a joint statement today announcing an agreement to drop all patent lawsuits against each other outside of the United States, according to Bloomberg.

“Apple and Samsung have agreed to drop all litigation between the two companies outside the United States,” the companies said in the statement. “This agreement does not involve any licensing arrangements, and the companies are continuing to pursue the existing cases in U.S. courts.”

The move is yet another signal that the long-running patent dispute between Apple and Samsung may be winding down, as it was reported in June that the two companies were trying to find “common ground”. The two also agreed to drop their cross-appeal rulings on the ITC ban of older Samsung phones around the same time.

In May, it was reported the two were looking to negotiate an out-of-court settlement. And earlier this year, it was reported that Tim Cook sat down with Samsung Electronics CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon in a mediation session. However, the two sides did not come to an agreement at that time.

Apple has already settled patent disputes with other companies, like Google / Motorola Mobility in May of this year and HTC back in 2012.

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Sprint Abandons Plans to Purchase T-Mobile

Sprint is abandoning plans to purchase T-Mobile US, reports The Wall Street Journal. According to the site, Sprint and its parent company Softbank believe it would be too hard to gain regulatory approval for the deal, with Sprint planning to make an announcement on Wednesday.

Sprint Corp. is ending its pursuit of T-Mobile US, according to people familiar with the matter. The company and its parent, SoftBank Corp. decided it simply would be too difficult to win approval from regulators, the people said.

News that Sprint was working on a potential purchase of T-Mobile US first came in December of 2013, when The Wall Street Journal suggested Sprint was preparing a takeover bid. The deal, which could have been worth more than $20 billion, would have been subjected to significant regulatory scrutiny.

In fact, the United States Justice Department met with Sprint board members to discuss the deal and expressed concerns about the merger. U.S. antitrust authorities reportedly believe that having four national carriers is necessary to maintain a competitive market.

Japanese carrier Softbank purchased a 70 percent controlling interest in Sprint back in 2012, while T-Mobile is majority owned by German telecom giant Deutsche Telekom.

This is the second time a T-Mobile purchase has fallen through. AT&T previously attempted to acquire T-Mobile but the deal fell through after being blocked by Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice.

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iPhone 6 Roundup Update

Our iPhone 6 roundup has been updated with the latest information. Several reliable media sources have reported Apple is planning to hold a major media event on September 9, where it will introduce the long-awaited larger-screened iPhone 6.

Read our full roundup for details.

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Pebble Launches Limited Edition Classic Smart Watches in Blue, Pink, and Green [iOS Blog]

As of today, the classic Pebble Smart Watch is available in three limited edition colors, including Fly Blue, Hot Pink, and Fresh Green. The bright neon colors are a deviation from Pebble’s line of classic smart watches, previously available in Jet Black, Gray, Arctic White, Orange, and Cherry Red.

Pebble’s new color variations extend to both the face and the band, which remains interchangeable, but the new watches are only available in limited quantities. Watchfaces to accompany the new colors can be downloaded from the Pebble app store.

First introduced in 2012, Pebble’s classic smart watch connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth LE, delivering alerts and notifications. The watch is water resistant with a 5 to 7 day battery life and includes changeable watch faces and a readable daylight display. Pebble also sells its second-generation Pebble Steel smart watch, which includes a stainless steel body, a slimmer profile, and a face covered with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass.

The Fly Blue, Hot Pink, and Fresh Green Pebble smart watches can be purchased from the Pebble website for $150.

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Steve Jobs’ Vision of Widespread Free Public Wi-Fi Guest Networks Yet to Take Hold

In a commentary piece arguing for users to open up free guest networks on their Wi-Fi access points to the public, Re/code‘s Walt Mossberg shares the story of how Steve Jobs saw such networks as the future of Internet access, supplementing cellular networks to allow for faster and broader access for users.

Mossberg notes that Jobs envisioned the open Wi-Fi networks during development of the original iPhone, which was hampered by a “lousy, sluggish cellular-data network.” An open Wi-Fi network built on the cooperation of both business and private citizens who were wiling to share their Wi-Fi connections with strangers would have addressed this problem by offering another connectivity option for iPhone users.

His idea was to get as many wireless router makers as possible to build in a “guest network” option — essentially a second Wi-Fi network, securely walled off from the rest of the home network, and with its own name. Then, he hoped that the industry would encourage people to share their bandwidth with strangers via these guest networks. That way, a smartphone user could walk around, moving from one Wi-Fi hotspot to another, without logging in — much like people using cellular data move from one cell tower to another.

While there are certainly potential issues with security and bandwidth hogging by guest users, Mossberg argues that these issues are not insurmountable, and in fact some companies have made strides in this area. On a micro level, Apple’s AirPort base stations have supported guest networks since 2009, and on a broader scale, some Internet service providers such as Comcast have been working to turn customers’ home routers into Wi-Fi access points available to other customers as a public network.

Use of Wi-Fi to supplement cellular coverage is also growing, with one example being T-Mobile’s effort in the U.S. to route phone calls over a more reliable Wi-Fi network instead of the cellular connection. Apple is adding iPhone support for the feature as part of iOS 8 later this year.

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Google Launches 64-Bit Version of Chrome Canary Browser for OS X [Mac Blog]

Following the launch of a 64-bit beta version of Chrome for Windows 7 and 8 users last week, Google has quietly added 64-bit support to Chrome Canary for OS X, the experimental build of its Chrome web browser designed for Mac users, and to its Mac Dev channels.

As noted by The Next Web, the latest build of Chrome Canary, version 38.2114.2, has 64-bit clearly listed in the About section of the browser, but Google has not yet officially announced the addition of 64-bit support.

According to Google, 64-bit support adds speed, allowing the browser to take advantage of the latest processor optimizations, and stability on Windows, with the same benefits likely available on the Mac.

64-bit support for the Windows version of Canary arrived in early June, before making its way to Beta channels in late July, and it’s possible 64-bit support for Mac could follow a similar timeline, eventually making its way to Google’s stable Chrome browser.

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