iWatch Concept Images Show Curved Screen, Thick Band, and Sensors [iOS Blog]

While some hints about the functionality of Apple’s upcoming smart watch have surfaced through software leaks and the company’s hiring of a slew of sensor experts, the design of the product still remains a total mystery.

It is unknown what kind of screen the device will have, how the band will work, and how it will incorporate the myriad sensors it is rumored to include. For that reason, a wide variety of concept images have been surfacing, ranging from the Nike Fuel-style band shared by Todd Hamilton to a new, thicker design concept shared today by Swiss industrial design site DesignerEI.

These concept images feature a wide band with a deeply curved screen that would wrap around the front and sides of a wrist. A home button is built into the band, while a metal clasp potentially houses some sensors.

The underside of the band houses a sensor that would be in contact with the skin, an important design element as many of the sensors that are rumored for the iWatch, such as the heart rate or hydration monitor typically require direct sensor-to-skin contact.

While the creator of the concept suggests the iWatch might be powered via kinetic energy, such a concept is unlikely to provide enough power to the device, which is said to be powered by standard lithium-ion batteries rather than motion or solar energy.

It is unlikely that the iWatch will take on such a thick and bulky design, but this concept does give a look at how various sensors might possibly be incorporated into the product.

Apple Describes Disposable Email Solution to Combat Spam in New Patent Application

Apple has developed a system for both avoiding spam and locating its source, according to a patent application published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday (via AppleInsider).

The patent, originally filed for in 2012, describes an email system that would allow users to create temporary, disposable email addresses linked to a permanent email account. These temporary addresses could be used to join websites or make purchases, with incoming emails to these addresses forwarded to the permanent email address.

If the temporary email address is sold by a site or otherwise compromised and begins to receive spam emails, it can simply be disabled and unlinked from the permanent account, effectively ending the spam emails.

As a bonus, assigning temporary email addresses when signing up for various accounts around the web also allows for specific identification of sites or parties that have misused email addresses. Apple specifies that contextual information can be included in the temporary addresses for easy identification.

An integrated system allows easily creating and using disposable email addresses. The disposable email address is created by an email server, which manages correspondence using the disposable email address to avoid exposing the associated non-disposable email address. Context information may be associated with a disposable email address, where the context information is not visible in email sent using the disposable email address. Should the disposable address be misused, the associated context may allow a user to recognize what correspondent exposed the disposable address to misuse.

Apple’s system would also carefully manage incoming emails, assigning the proper address for replies so that a user’s permanent account is never revealed, and the temporary emails, unlike existing disposable email solutions, would be indistinguishable from standard email addresses.

While there are a variety of sites that provide access to temporary emails such as Mailinator and Guerrilla Mail, none of these services are able to be linked to a permanent account for ongoing usage until spam occurs and must be checked individually. Apple notes that current disposable email systems are difficult to use.

Gmail has its own solution in the form of email aliases, allowing customers to receive messages to username+anyalias@gmail.com, which is treated as the standard email address. Aliases in Gmail can be filtered to specific locations like the trash when subjected to spam, but they cannot be deleted entirely as Apple proposes.

Apple’s solution combines a standard mail service with a temporary service like Mailinator, making it simple to create, manage, and delete disposable email addresses. The described system has the potential to allow users to greatly cut down on the amount of spam emails received if it is implemented, but as with many patents, it is unclear if Apple has plans to move forward with such a system.

Apple’s Biometrics Team Continues to Grow Amid iWatch Rumors

Apple continues to add to its team of medical and biosensor experts, with the hiring of Marcelo Lamego, the former chief technology officer of non-invasive patient monitoring company Cercacor. Lamego’s recent change in employment was spotted by Network World.

Before joining Apple in January, Lamego spent the previous eight years as the CTO of Cercacor working on sensor-based medical technologies like those used in the Pronto-7, a portable, non-invasive device which measures hemoglobin, oxygen saturation, pulse rate and more. The Pronto-7 is sold by pulse oximetry company Masimo, from which Cercacor was spun off in the late 1990s.

Lamego worked on the Rainbow SET Technology platform used in the Pronto-7 during his time as a research scientist at Masimo, continuing that work after moving to Cercacor. Rainbow SET is described by Masimo as “a noninvasive monitoring platform enabling the assessment of multiple blood constituents and physiologic parameters that previously required invasive or complicated procedures.”

It is not clear what position Lamego holds at Apple, but he is one of many recent biomedical and sensor research scientists who are now employed by Apple. These new hires allegedly were recruited to join Apple’s iWatch team, which according to MobiHealthnews, has grown to include 200 employees. Lamego isn’t the first Apple hire to come from Masimo either. Last year, Apple also added Michael O’Reilly, M.D., former Chief Medical Officer and EVP of Medical Affairs at Masimo, to its ranks.

Network World‘s report also highlights several other health-related experts who are either confirmed or speculated to be working for Apple, including biosensor algorithm architect Nima Ferdosi from Vital Connect. Ferdosi’s hiring late last year came around the same time that Apple hired Ravi Narasimhan from the same company. A third Vital Connect employee, biomedical engineer Alexander Chan, is alsp speculated to have joined Apple, although his LinkedIn profile lists his employer only as “technology company” in the Bay Area.

Several other health-related companies were reported to have lost employees to Apple last year, including AccuVein and C8 Medisensors. Network World has identified AccuVein engineer Yuming Liu as one of those employees and speculates that C8′s Stephen Waydo may be another.

Details on the iWatch are still elusive, with contradicting reports on the features that’ll make it into the launch version of the device. 9to5Mac stands behind its original report that the iWatch will be able to sense hydration and glucose levels, while MobiHealthNews claims the device will drop these advanced functions and focus on basic health parameters like exercise, diet, stress and medication scheduling.

U.S. Consumer Stockpile of Unused iPhones Valued at $13.4 Billion [iOS Blog]

Almost half of the consumers who buy a new smartphone are storing their older phone instead of recycling it in the used handset market, according to the “Mobile Mountain Study” conducted by research group OnePoll for resale site SellCell (via MarketWatch). These unused phones are worth almost $47 billion, with older iPhone models accounting for approximately $13.4 billion of these hoarded phones.

Though many people are storing their iPhones, some owners are taking advantage of the iPhone’s strong resale value by trading them in. A SellCell survey from January 2014 shows that the iPhone 4 and 4S are among the most traded-in cellphones in the US. The most lucrative Top Ten trade-in is the 16GB iPhone 5s, which sells for an average price of $325. The 5s is followed by the Samsung Galaxy S4 16GB at $213 and the iPhone 5 16GB at $211.

Most people (40%) with an old phone sitting in their drawer keep the device as a spare, while others (36%) just don’t know what to do with them. A small percentage (20%) give them away to friends or family or to charity (12%). A surprisingly high number of people are simply “too lazy” to recycle or trade-in their old phones (17%), while others have elected to simply throw theirs in the trash (9%).

The recycling of phones will become increasingly important as the smartphone market reaches its saturation point in the next few years. As customers switch from feature phones to smartphones, iPhone ownership is expected to increase to 68% by 2017 with customers acquiring phones from both new and used sources.

Apple Winding Down iPad 2 Production After Three-Year Run

Apple is winding down production of the iPad 2 as customer interest in the legacy device dwindles, according to a report from AppleInsider. First introduced in early 2011, the iPad 2 has remained in Apple’s product lineup as a lower-price option even as newer iPad models have been discontinued.

According to people familiar with Apple’s plans, the company has made the decision to ramp down iPad 2 production given that customers are resoundingly shifting purchases towards its more modern and capable iPads, namely the iPad mini and iPad Air.

Apple continues to sell 16 GB iPad 2 models priced at $399 for Wi-Fi only and $529 for Wi-Fi + Cellular for the time being, coming in $100 lower than corresponding iPad Air models. There is no word yet, however, on just when Apple plans to stop selling the iPad 2 as its stocks wind down.

The iPad 2 remained popular even up until the launch of the iPad Air, with educational institutions and other specialized markets preferring the device for a combination of its lower price and its compatibility with numerous accessories through the legacy 30-pin dock connector. But with the introduction of the dramatically thinner iPad Air and Retina display-equipped iPad mini late last year, sales of the iPad 2 dropped dramatically and the company has apparently decided that continued production is not worthwhile.

Rovio Announces New Female-Themed ‘Angry Birds Stella’ [iOS Blog]

Rovio today announced a new version of its popular Angry Birds game after hinting about it yesterday on Twitter. The upcoming Angry Birds Stella features the “fierce and feisty” female lead character, Stella, along with her “friends and (fr)enemies.”

Angry Birds Stella will open a door to a part of the Angry Birds universe you’ve never seen before! There will be plenty of fun and adventure, but the bunch of passionate pals will also have to deal with some serious issues in order to protect their friendship and the environment they live in. Luckily, Stella and her friends are good at finding creative solutions!

Angry Birds Stella is expected to launch sometime this fall on iOS, as Rovio is also expected to tie-in animations, books, toys and more with its new title.

Rovio has rocketed to success on the back of the original Angry Birds title for the iPhone, bringing the game to other platforms and producing a line of Angry Birds-branded merchandising.

Besides Angry Birds, Rovio has also released other titles such as Bad Piggies [Direct Link] and Amazing Alex [Direct Link] games.

Images of Apple’s First Brazilian Retail Store Surface Ahead of Opening [Mac Blog]

Photos of Apple’s first Brazilian retail store in Rio de Janeiro have surfaced by way of website MacMagazine [Google Translate]. The store, which is located at the VillageMall luxury shopping center, is notable for taking on a unique “pavilion” look with a single floor and a curved glass exterior. Unlike most Apple Stores, the location is based on the concept of having two large separate spaces, with one side dedicated entirely to product testing and the other focusing on accessory sales and services.

The store’s opening was first announced by Apple on its website last week, as Brazilian news site The Globe [Google Translate] also interviewed Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer about the location. Oppenheimer stated during the interview that Brazil is an “increasingly important market” for the company and that Apple was aiming to open its first Brazilian store ahead of the FIFA World Cup being held in Rio during the months of June and July.

Oppenheimer also confirmed plans for more stores in the country eventually, stating that Apple sees “great opportunity” in the region. Brazil has been a tough market for the company as prices on iOS devices in the country have been steep due to high import taxes on electronics. Apple cut the price of the iPhone 4 and 4s in Brazil back in early 2013, and just recently announced plans to continue selling the low-cost iPhone 4.

The first Brazilian Apple Store will open on Saturday, February 15 at 11 A.M.

Verizon Launches New ‘More Everything’ Plans with Doubled Monthly Data, 25GB of Cloud Storage [iOS Blog]

Verizon today introduced its new “MORE Everything” plans, which offers up to double the monthly data for customers while also implementing doubled bandwidth, a complimentary 25GB of cloud storage, and unlimited international messaging.

The carrier is also offering discounts for customers enrolled in its Verizon Edge early upgrade program, as those with monthly data plans of 8GB of data or less receiving a line discount of $10, while others will receive a $20 line discount if their plans include 10GB of data or more.

The move comes in the midst of a marketing war between U.S. cellular carriers. Recently, AT&T launched lower-cost Mobile Share Value Plans for families and announced a new promotion to offer up to $450 in credits to customers that switch to it from T-Mobile. Meanwhile, T-Mobile launched its own program offering up to $350 in credits to customers that switch to its network.

Verizon also posted its results for Q4 2013 last month, stating that it had activated 8.8 million smartphones, down from 9.8 million smartphones in the year ago quarter. Notably, Verizon failed to announce sales numbers for the iPhone on its network, marking the first time that the carrier has done so since it began selling Apple’s device in February 2011.