Microsoft Retiring Older Versions of Skype for Mac [Mac Blog]

Microsoft announced today via Computerworld) that it will be dropping support for older versions of Skype on Mac and Windows over the next few months to make way for newer editions.

Specifically, Skype for Mac 6.14 and below will be retired in the near future, as Microsoft noted that users will no longer be able to sign into the service until they upgrade to the latest version of Skype. Skype for Mac 6.14 was originally released in February, with Skype for Mac 6.18 being the most recent release.

In April, Skype made group video calling free for Mac, PC and Xbox One users, and also launched a redesigned iPhone app earlier this month
that featured a streamlined design and improved performance.

Skype for Mac can be downloaded for free from the service’s official website. The application requires Mac OS X Snow Leopard and above in addition to a compatible webcam.

Apple Recruiting Pro Athletes to Test iWatch’s Fitness Capabilities

Apple’s iWatch is currently being tested by professional athletes from the MLB, NHL, and NBA to measure its fitness capabilities in rigorous training environments, reports 9to5Mac, citing a source with knowledge of the testing. Apple has reportedly invited several athletes, like LA Lakers player Kobe Bryant, to its Cupertino campus to discuss the iWatch.

Apple is said to be working with Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Kings right winger Dustin Brown, and a few other star athletes, including a player from the Boston Red Sox, on the testing project. The athletes are said to have signed non-disclosure-agreements regarding the existence of the upcoming Apple wearable device.

Kobe Bryant was seen on the Apple campus back in May and is said to have met with Apple’s chief designer Jony Ive, who has a leading role developing the iWatch. The athletes are likely testing out the multitude of health and fitness sensors built into the device, said to measure everything from sleep quality to heart rate to provide an overall picture of health.

Kobe Bryant at the Apple campus in May, image via 9to5Mac
The source also reiterates that Apple’s iWatch will be “positioned as a fashion accessory,” which is in line with previous reports from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo has predicted that Apple will release the iWatch at multiple price points and in a variety of materials, competing with low and high-end watches alike. At the higher end, the iWatch could retail for thousands of dollars.

Both former Yves. St. Laurent CEO Paul Deneve, who serves as a vice president, and Angela Ahrendts, in charge of retail stores, are said to be involved in marketing and strategies for selling fashion products at Apple locations.

According to recent reports from reputable news outlets, the iWatch will come in at least two sizes, with one device having a screen size of 2.5 inches. The design is said to feature a slightly rectangular face that protrudes slightly from a band to create an arch shape around the wrist. The iWatch, which may launch at an October event, is also said to include a sapphire crystal display, a touch interface, integration with existing iOS devices, and wireless charging capabilities.

Yahoo’s Missed Opportunity with iOS 8 Weather Hints at Uncertain Future in Stocks App

iOS 8 will include a revamped Weather app with data provided by the Weather Channel instead of Yahoo, which previously powered Apple’s weather app for years. This switchover of weather services allegedly was masterminded by former Yahoo board member and Weather Channel CEO David Kenny after he assumed his leadership role at the weather information company last year, reports Re/Code.

Kenny allegedly negotiated a deal with Apple that cut Yahoo out of the loop that provided weather data for iOS. In earlier iOS versions, Yahoo was the provider linked in the Weather app, but the actual meteorological data came from the Weather Channel. Kenny lured Apple away from Yahoo by offering a sweeter deal that included additional technology and more robust weather information than was made available to Yahoo. As a result, the Weather app in iOS 8 now includes a nine-day weather forecast, up from five days in iOS 7, details such as sunrise/sunset times and a new “Today” weather summary located at the bottom of the app.

Though Yahoo reportedly was in talks with Apple about featuring Yahoo services more prominently in iOS, the internet company didn’t realize the Weather Channel was making a power play for iOS, and let this high-profile deal slip away.

“Yahoo had been renting ocean-front property for years and did not realize the lease was up, and the Weather Channel slipped right in and took it,” said a Yahoo exec, who said the company acted too late to save the deal. “It’s a high-profile loss.”

This provider change is a big blow to Yahoo, which as recently as April wanted to increase its role in iOS by making Yahoo the default search engine on iOS.

Apple’s decision to drop Yahoo as it weather source also calls into question the search company’s future involvement in the iOS Stocks app. Similar to earlier versions of the Weather app, the iOS Stocks app pulls its stock information from Yahoo Finance. Though not confirmed, some believe Apple could choose Bloomberg, CNBC or Reuters over Yahoo for its stock data in future versions of iOS 8.

iWatch Roundup Updated

Apple iWatch rumors are starting to heat up, and we’ve updated our roundup to reflect the latest news. Apple’s iWatch may be available in multiple sizes up to 2.5 inches, with 10 different sensors to measure various health-related metrics, and wireless charging capabilities. Check out our full iWatch roundup for more information.

Hands-On Installation and Usage of TouchPal’s Gesture Keyboard for iOS 8

Following Apple’s announcement at its Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month that iOS 8 would include support for third-party keyboards on a systemwide basis, a number of companies working on the technology indicated that they would be moving forward with plans to support iOS. Among those companies was TouchPal, with quickly released a video showing an early version of its sliding gesture keyboard in action.

TouchPal has now released its first alpha version of its keyboard for iOS 8 to select media outlets, giving a good look at how third-party keyboard will work on iOS 8.

Installation is straightforward, leveraging a traditional App Store app to add TouchPal as an option when adding new keyboard in the Settings app. Once TouchPal is added, users can simply rearrange their installed keyboards in their preferred order, and rotate through each one while in use by tapping the globe key. Users who have activated the emoji keyboard on their devices will be familiar with that process.

Once activated, TouchPal is available anywhere a keyboard is traditionally used, such as in Mail, Messages, Safari, Notes, iWork apps, and third-party apps.

TouchPal’s keyboard is similar to the perhaps more well-known one from Swype, allowing users to drag a finger in one continuous motion as they spell out the word. Based on the pattern drawn by the user, TouchPal suggests several options for the intended word, with highest-ranked option highlighted in the middle of the suggestions bar. Hitting the space bar or touching the word accepts the suggestion.

Numbers and common punctuation marks are input right from the main keyboard screen simply by flicking up or down on the proper key. Additional punctuation marks and emoticons are available by tapping the “12#” key at the lower left.

In our testing, there were definitely some glitches, particularly when switching between keyboards, but it is still early in the development process and Apple and third-party keyboard companies will continue to refine their implementations in the coming months leading up to the public release of iOS 8 this fall.

Simplistic ‘Yo’ Messaging App Soars in App Store Charts, Proves Vulnerable to Hacking

The Yo messaging app [Direct Link] debuted earlier this year and recently rocketed up the iOS App Store charts, where it currently sits at number five among top free iPhone apps in the United States. The simplistic app that does nothing more than allow users to ping contacts with a simple “Yo” message may be gaining traction with its quirky ease of use, but a hack, confirmed by Yo founders to TechCrunch, may put users’ personal information at risk.

According to the TechCrunch report, a student at Georgia Tech discovered a flaw that allows a nefarious user to discover the phone number of another Yo user, spoof a message from any Yo member and send a text-based push notification to recipient devices. Yo founder Or Arbel confirmed to TechCrunch the service was having “security issues,” but did not provide details on the vulnerability, only stating that the issues will be resolved soon.

Founder Or Arbel has now confirmed that Yo was “having security issues”.

He told TechCrunch: “Some of the stuff has been fixed and some we are still working on. We are taking this very seriously.”

He said he could not reveal which hacks were still live. He said the company has brought in a specialist security team to deal with the issues

Arbel said he hoped the security problems would be fixed “in next few hours.”

According to Valleywag, the idea for Yo came from Israeli investor and Mobli CEO Moshe Hogeg, who wanted an easy way to communicate with his secretary. Developer Or Arbel ran with the idea and created the Yo app, which Hogeg uses. Life Before Us LLC, the company created by Abel, recently received $1 million in angel funding to continue development of the Yo app.

Report Claims iWatch Awaiting FDA Approval, Will Feature Blood Glucose and Sweat Sensors

The final version of Apple’s first-generation iWatch is awaiting certification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before it enters mass production for a launch this Fall, claims Chinese website Laoyaoba (Google Translate, via GforGames). Citing inside sources, the site claims that Apple has already finalized the design and specifications of the watch, noting that the company is trying to get the device certified as medical equipment.

The Basis Health Fitness Tracker
It was reported earlier this month that Apple had met with the FDA in December to discuss a number of topics, with some suggesting that Apple might be laying some groundwork for the iWatch. However, a memo issued by the FDA noted that the dialogue merely revolved around its guidance on mobile apps and making sure that the technology industry and regulators are on the same page.

Laoyaoba also claims that the iWatch will come with a number of advanced health sensors, including those that measure heart rate, blood pressure, and blood glucose. Apple has also apparently developed an in-house sweat analysis sensor for the iWatch, which will all work with iOS 8′s Health app to track various health metrics.

This information also contrasts a number of past reports that pointed to the iWatch focusing on more simple functionality to make the health-tracking experience more accessible to everyone. While Apple hired a number of personnel with expertise in fields like blood glucose monitoring, it has been noted that such technologies may not make it into the first-generation iWatch, which require a lengthy-approval process from the FDA and complex hardware integration.

Reports from the The Wall Street Journal and Reuters yesterday noted that Apple is also still trying to finalize specifications for the device. Notably, the Wall Street Journal report suggested that the iWatch will ship in “multiple versions”, while the Reuters report said that the device will sport a 2.5-inch screen and feature wireless charging and pulse sensing capabilities.

The iWatch is expected to be revealed and launched in October, which was a date reported earlier this month by Re/code.

iWatch Coming in Multiple Sizes With More Than 10 Sensors

Apple will launch multiple versions of its highly-rumored “iWatch” smartwatch in the Fall, according to a new report from the The Wall Street Journal. The device is said to come in multiple screen sizes and will utilize over 10 sensors to track health and fitness, with Apple aiming to go beyond the smartphone-related functionalities seen in current smartwatches.

Android smartwatch coming from LG
Apple’s smartwatch could launch as early as October with production to begin in two to three months at Quanta Computer Inc., a Taiwanese manufacturer that has long been Apple’s supplier for Mac computers, said the people familiar with the matter. Quanta will begin some trial runs next month.

In total, sources familiar with the matter estimate that Apple will ship between 10 and 15 million units by the end of the year, as the company is still finalizing specifications before mass production starts.

The report adds additional data to a report from Reuters which claimed that the iWatch would measure in at a surprisingly large 2.5 inches diagonally, and feature wireless charging capabilities in addition to a touch interface. While the new report doesn’t contradict the Reuters piece directly, it’s not clear if the 2.5-inch screen will be one of the “multiple versions” of the watch that launches this Fall. Previous rumors had suggested that the device would come in a 1.3 and 1.6 inch sizes to accommodate different sized wrists.

Apple is expected to introduce the iWatch at an October event, with a launch coming in the same month.

‘Air Stylus’ Turns Your iPad Into a Drawing Tablet for Your Mac [iOS Blog]

Air Display developer Avatron Software today launched Air Stylus, an app that allows users to utilize the iPad as a pressure-sensitive, wireless drawing surface for over 30 graphics programs on the Mac.

The app is compatible with a number of pressure sensitive styli, including the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus and the Adonit Jot Touch 4, and works with popular programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Pixelmator. Air Stylus also includes support for pinch-to-zoom and two finger gestures while drawing, and features the ability to toggle palm rejection on and off.

– Make Your Mark – With palm rejection and multi-touch support, Air Stylus lets you draw naturally and makes your stylus do all the work.
– Quick On The Draw – Air Stylus creates a fast, reliable wireless link so you can immerse yourself in your art without distraction.
– Draw The Line – Pen-based pressure sensitivity means your lines are accurate, whether they’re paintbrush bold or feather light.
– Best Of All – Compatible with 30+ graphics apps so you can incorporate your iPad into your existing workflow (support for Windows and Android imminent!)

Air Stylus can be purchased from the App Store for $19.99 and is available now. [Direct Link]