Apple Introducing New Apple TV Box in April for Holiday Launch, Still Talking With Time Warner Cable

Apple is planning to introduce a new Apple TV set-top box in April according to Bloomberg, but the report says Apple would not begin selling the box for months. Apple is also in talks with content providers including Time Warner Cable to provide TV shows and other media. The new box is said to include an upgraded processor and a revamped interface. The current Apple TV UI is getting a bit unwieldy as the company has continued to add new content channels over the past year.

Time Warner has been in talks with Apple for well over a year and the company has said it would be willing to give control of the customer-facing user interface over to Apple. Bloomberg reported last July that Apple and Time Warner were close to a deal.

Apple is aiming to have the device available for sale by the Christmas holidays, though the release date could change because the company is still in the process of securing new agreements with programming and distribution partners, said two people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private.

Earlier this week, a reference to new Apple TV hardware was discovered in an iOS 7 beta release and rumors have suggested that a new Apple TV could see added support for apps and Bluetooth game controllers in the next few months. At the end of January, the Apple TV received new prominence on the Apple Online Store, suggesting the platform could be developing into more than just a “hobby”.

Apple Likely to Slim Down iPhone and iPad with Thinner and Lighter Backlights

As Apple continues its quest to make its iOS devices thinner and lighter, the company will take advantage of advancements in LED backlighting technology to shift to thinner components for the iPhone 6 and upcoming iPad models, according to a report from LEDinside, a division of research firm TrendForce.

The report notes that a thinner design will see Apple shifting from 0.6 mm thick side-view LED backlights to 0.4 mm thick modules, but also questionably claims that the iPhone 6 will arrive in June. The iPhone 6 is generally expected to arrive in the same September-October timeframe seen in recent years.

According to sources from Apple supply chain, the iPhone 6 is likely to be released in June 2014, and will have larger monitor size of 4.7”. Industry insiders also projected the iPhone 6 will have a much lighter frame, which will lead to upgrades in LED backlight specs. In the previous generation, the iPhone used 0.6t side-view type LED, in contrast the new iPhone will probably be adopting 0.4t side-view type LED.

Apple has been rumored to be increasing display size for the iPhone 6, and while LEDinside‘s report only mentions a 4.7-inch model, a number of other claims have included an even larger model at 5.5-5.7 inches. Larger displays will undoubtedly lead to larger device bodies, but that extra height and width could give Apple more room to spread out components and reduce device thickness from the current 7.6 mm of the iPhone 5s, and thinner backlights could aid that goal in an industry where fractions of a millimeter count.

LEDinside claims that similar changes are coming for the iPad, particularly with a rumored 12-inch model. According to the report, new iPads will see their backlights shift to 0.6 mm thick modules from the current 0.8 mm components.

Versatile TogoDock Turns Any Surface Into Portable iPhone Dock and Charger [iOS Blog]

Fuse Chicken, the company behind the multi-function Une Bobine iPhone stand, today launched a new product on crowd-funding site Indiegogo. Called the TogoDock, Fuse Chicken’s newest iPhone accessory combines a magnet-laden mount with an integrated charging cable, allowing users to turn any surface into a dedicated charging station.

The TogoDock can be mounted on any surface, from a wall to a car dash to a refrigerator. A built-in cable connects to the Lightning port of an iPhone on one end while the USB end can plug into a computer, a charger, or a car port.

“Our goal is to make everyday interaction with technology simple,” said Jon Fawcett, CEO of Fuse Chicken. “Our newest device lets you mount and charge your iPhone anywhere – in the car as a GPS, in the kitchen to follow recipes, next to the bed as an alarm clock; togoDock is simple, cool and useful, and it fits right into your pocket.”

The TogoDock can be mounted directly onto a magnetic surface using its embedded magnets, but may also stick to non-magnetic surfaces with an included self-adhesive disc mount. The product includes a built-in backstop for support along with a cable cord wrap and a car adapter.

Customers can purchase a TogoDock with a $30 pledge on Indiegogo and the first 200 backers will also receive a 3D printed PLUGdock designed to convert a standard iPhone charging cord into an outlet-mounted dock.

New FAA Rule Prohibits Non-Essential Use of Electronics in Airplane Cockpits [iOS Blog]

At the same time the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is easing restrictions on the in-flight use of electronics for passengers, it is tightening its rules on electronics usage by pilots. A new FAA rule (PDF) published on Tuesday prohibits the personal use of electronic devices by flight crew members while an aircraft is being operated. It is an addendum to the FAA’s 1981 “Sterile Cockpit” rule that requires pilots to refrain from non-essential activities during critical phases of flight.

This final rule will prohibit flightcrew members in operations under part 121 from using a personal wireless communications device or laptop computer for personal use while at their duty station on the flight deck while the aircraft is being operated. This rule, which conforms FAA regulations with legislation, is intended to ensure that certain non-essential activities do not contribute to the challenge of task management on the flight deck or a loss of situational awareness due to attention to non-essential tasks.

This FAA rule is a response to earlier instances of distracted flying by commercial airline pilots. In one 2009 incident, two pilots for Northwest, now Delta Air Lines, overshot their destination airport by 150 miles because they were using their personal laptops. During a 78-minute period, neither pilot noticed communications sent by company dispatchers and air traffic control. They only corrected course after a flight attendant called the cockpit to check on the flight’s estimated time of arrival.

Though the personal use of electronic devices is banned, the FAA rule does permit the essential use of electronic flightbooks in the cockpit. Several US airlines, including JetBlue, American Airlines and United, have adopted iPads to replace heavy flight bags. These iPads are equipped with key flight charts, reference documents and checklists necessary for the operation of the aircraft.

While pilots must pay attention while flying, a recent FCC proposal would allow passengers to make phone and data calls while flying. In response to consumer opposition to in-flight calling, lawmakers are drafting a bill that would ban in-flight phone calls, says the Associated Press.

“Most passengers would like their flights to go by as quickly and quietly as possible,” Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., the committee’s chairman and sponsor of the bill, said. “When it comes to cellphones on planes, tap don’t talk.”

The bill requires the Department of Transportation to issue regulations that would prohibit phone calls during flight. The bill has passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and will move to the floor for discussion.

iOS Dominates Enterprise Market with 73% of Mobile Device Activations [iOS Blog]

iOS devices accounted for 73 percent of all enterprise mobile device activations and grabbed the top ten spots for most popular devices in the fourth quarter of 2013, reports Good Technology in its Mobility Index Report for Q4 2013.

From a device perspective, we continued to see an increase in iOS activations this quarter, which we can attribute to two new iPhone models coming to market just before the start of the quarter. The overall number of device activations has increased 34 percent from Q1 to Q4 of this year, indicating strong, continued growth and adoption of the Good Secure Mobility Solution. As many organizations are migrating away from BlackBerry to meet end user demand and embrace newer platforms like iOS and Android, they are deploying Good’s cross-platform solution to secure both their data and devices.

Good obtains this data from its customers that use the company’s Good Dynamics Secure Mobility Platform. Its customer base includes many Fortune 500 companies in commercial banking, insurance, healthcare, retail, and government. The device usage report from these enterprise users shows that the iPhone made up 54 percent of total device activations, while Android smartphones followed with just over 20 percent.

The iPad maintains a strong hold on tablet activations, claiming 91.4 percent of enterprise tablet activations in Q4 2013, while Android accounted for the remaining 8.6 percent. The iPad was most popular in Financial Services and in Business and Professional Services, with the two sectors accounting for 60 percent of all Q4 iPad activations.

Apple routinely highlights corporate adoption of iOS devices during press events and earning conference calls. During Apple’s recent quarterly earnings conference call, CEO Tim Cook confirmed “the enterprise area has huge potential” and said he expects Apple “would have more and more payback in the future” due to the company’s investment in this area.

Apple Reportedly Launching Two New iPhones with Larger Flat Sapphire Displays in September

Apple will reportedly release two versions of its next-generation iPhone featuring 4.7 and 5.5-inch sapphire screens in September, reports the South China Morning Post. Citing industry insiders who have “seen the prototypes,” the publication also states that both phones will feature a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch (PPI) compared to the 326 PPI currently found on the displays of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.

Furthermore, the Chinese newspaper adds that the new devices will feature a flat screen instead of a curved screen as suggested by prior reports, and that Apple will be discontinuing the iPhone 5c in favor of an iPhone 5s made of lower-cost materials.

Apple has been experimenting with a range of screen sizes for the next-generation iPhone since early 2013, with size rumors varying from 4.7 to 5.7 inches. The Korea Herald reported yesterday that the iPhone 6 would adopt a “bezel-free” display.

It was also reported last week that GT Advanced, the company that has partnered with Apple to open a plant in Mesa, Arizona, was gearing up to mass produce sapphire displays meant for the iPhone 6. While another report yesterday said that Apple’s initial sapphire production would target the iWatch instead of the next-generation iPhone, the volume of raw material and equipment the company is purchasing would suggest plans to manufacture approximately 200 million 5-inch sapphire displays to meet iPhone demand.

iOS 8 ‘Healthbook’ App Depicted in New Mockups

Several concept images for the rumored “Healthbook” app that may be included with iOS 8 were today published on design site Behance. According to 9to5Mac, the site that shared the original Healthbook rumors, the app mockup “vaguely” resembles the actual app that Apple is working on and thus gives some hints at what such an app might look like.

According to sources, the mockups are “vaguely” the right idea. Of course, Apple is likely testing multiple different user-interfaces for this software, and since we are several months out from an official introduction, things can and likely will change (even drastically)…

Healthbook, which is a health-related app reportedly in iOS 8, is said to pull in health-related data from several sources, including Apple’s much-rumored sensor-laden iWatch and the iPhone itself. Healthbook may be able to manage and track weight loss and monitor and store fitness statistics like steps taken, calories burned, and miles walked.

Rumors suggest it can also monitor vital signs like blood pressure, hydration levels, and glucose levels, aggregating information to provide an overall picture of health. As pictured, the app is said to have a card-style design much like Passbook.

Along with commenting on the Healthbook mockups, 9to5Mac has reiterated some information on both the Healthbook app and the iWatch to refute a report from MobiHealthNews earlier this week that tempered some of the expectations surrounding Apple’s iWatch.

While MobiHealthNews cast doubt on the iWatch’s ability to sense glucose and hydration levels, 9to5Mac argues the device may indeed have those abilities as the Healthbook app is able to read glucose-related data and track hydration. It will not, however, track stress or women’s health/pregnancy as previously reported.

While many aspects of the iWatch and the Healthbook app remain unknown, iWatch rumors do generally agree the device will include several important health-related sensors able to track elements like sleep and exercise. As 9to5Mac points out, Apple has some significant hurdles to overcome with both hardware design and regulatory bodies, so it continues to be unclear what the final device and its accompanying app might include.

Compressor Updated With Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements [Mac Blog]

Apple has updated its Compressor encoding app to version 4.4.1, fixing a number of reliability and stability issues. Compressor is used to encode video files for posting to websites like YouTube and Vimeo, burning to DVD or Blu-ray, and more.

What’s new in Compressor Version 4.1.1

• Resolves issues installing Compressor on a system where Qmaster was previously enabled
• Improves reliability of Send to Compressor from Final Cut Pro X
• Addresses distributed encoding errors when source files are not on the startup volume
• Fixes errors that could cause a hang when submitting a batch
• Fixes a stability issue that could occur if multiple Compressor plug-ins are installed
• Resolves an issue when viewing a plug-in setting without the plug-in installed
• Includes general stability improvements

Compressor is available for $49.99 on the Mac App Store. [Direct Link]