Apple adds a dedicated selfie section to its iOS App Store
A new App Store section. Not the app store section we needed, but the app store section we deserved.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Apple
Via: 9to5Mac, @Viticci (Twitter)
Source: iTunes
Apple Explores Adding a Lens Mounting System to the iPhone
Apple’s granted patents and patent applications over the last couple of months have revealed a significant interest in camera lens systems that attach to the iPhone’s existing camera, enhancing its photo taking capabilities much like third-party lens attachment solutions from companies like Olloclip.
In a newly published patent application (via Patently Apple), Apple explores a bayonet lens attachment mechanism to fix a separate lens to an iPhone. Bayonet is a type of pin-based of lens mount that is designed to precisely align the mechanical and electrical features between a lens and a body in a traditional camera, preventing the components from rotating.
According to Apple, this attachment method is superior to other solutions such as a separate case that lenses can be mounted to or a magnetic attachment system that may not be strong enough to keep a lens attached while in motion. Apple describes both a case and a magnetic mount as “undesirable” and “unsightly.”
Detachable lenses from third-party manufacturer Olloclip
The application explains in detail how a lens can be mounted to an iPhone or other device through a bayonet attachment, with the iPhone or other device possessing a cavity that the can attach to a lens and the bayonets being located around the aperture of the lens. It also describes quick release methods, should a device with a lens attached by dropped or otherwise damaged.
Attachment mechanisms are provided. The attachment mechanisms may be configured to couple accessory devices, such as lens devices to an electronic device. For example, a lens may be coupled to the exterior of an electronic device with first and second attachment mechanisms.
While there are a range of third-party add-on lenses for the iPhone and the iPad, none of the available solutions are able to use an attachment method as Apple describes due to the fact that such a system would have to be manufactured directly into the iPhone. Instead, they use magnets, cases, or other less than ideal attachment solutions that would be unable to compete with a native solution from Apple, should the company choose to pursue camera enhancements in the form of lens attachments.
A drawing of Apple’s lens attachment method
Apple has also explored other attachment methods in recent years, including a magnetic lens attachment system that was detailed in a patent granted in January and a similar lens attachment system that worked with a removable back panel used to swap in different lenses, unveiled in 2012.
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Ting lets you bring your iPhone 5 to its pay-for-what-you-use cellular service
You haven’t had many choices for non-Android phones if you’ve wanted to switch to Ting, where you only pay for the cellular service you use — aside from the since-vanished HTC 8XT, you’ve had to bring over an aging iPhone 4 or 4S from Sprint. Your options just got a little better, though, as Ting now lets you activate a Sprint-compatible iPhone 5. That still leaves the modern iPhone 5s sadly out of reach, but Ting says that Sprint’s device restrictions are keeping Apple’s latest handset off-limits until September at the earliest. Even so, the newly expanded support is big news for eligible iPhone fans eager to trim their cellphone bills.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Apple, Sprint
Source: Ting
Starbucks app update lets you tip your barista
Starting next week iPhone owners will not only be able to buy your triple-venti-extra-hot-no-foam latte using Starbucks’ mobile app, you’ll be able to tip your barista for making it as well. The king of coffee is updating its app March 19th to add digital tipping for the first time and make the app easier to navigate. If you’re not paying attention in line, a new “Shake to Pay” feature instantly loads your Starbucks card up from anywhere in the app. After you pay, you’ll get a push notification encouraging you to drop between 50 cents and two bucks in the store’s virtual tip jar. Tips can be adjusted for up to two hours after you leave (in case that macchiato really makes your day), and every purchase is saved in the form of a digital receipt you can access later on.
Mobile is a big business for Starbucks. Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman tells us currently over 11 percent of Starbucks transactions are done using its mobile app. That adds up to a whopping 5 million transactions every week. With over 10 million active app users, next week’s iPhone update (which is set to come to Android soon) will hopefully make the coffee experience better for the customers as well as that guy making your Caramel Frappuccino.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Daily Roundup: Bitcoin founder unveiled, Facebook’s redesigned feed, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Wello iPhone case tracks your blood pressure and much more
Scanadu’s new Wello iPhone case promises to make checking vital signs super easy. The wellness device is thin and light, yet it can measure heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and blood oxygen levels. It can even display the ECG waves from your heart. Should it be approved by the FDA, the Wello will ship this fall for $199.
Bitcoin’s elusive founder reportedly discovered living in California
Ever heard of Satoshi Nakamoto? He’s the mysterious individual said to be the creator of Bitcoin, and Newsweek claims to have found him. Indeed, a man by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto lives in California, but whether he’s really the father of the digital currency is still up for debate.
Spotify acquires The Echo Nest
Earlier today, Spotify acquired The Echo Nest: the company which happens to power the majority of internet radio services. What does this mean for the likes of Twitter #Music and Rdio? According to a Spotify representative, the company will continue to work with direct competitors to determine its “next business steps.”
Facebook’s redesigned news feed
This isn’t the first time Facebook has attempted to freshen up its news feed, and it won’t be the last, either. Today’s update brings a few relatively minor UI changes. For instance, comments from your friends will no longer be indented, but will instead be separated into their own post.
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Filed under: Misc
‘Wello’ iPhone case can track your blood pressure, temperature and more
Last year, Scanadu caught our attention with Scout, its simple-to-use tricorder-style health monitor. Now a new iPhone case promises to make monitoring your vital signs even easier. Called Wello, the case has sensors built in that can give you a picture of your overall health after holding it a special way for just a few seconds. The slim device measures your heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and blood oxygen levels and displays the ECG waves from your heart — you can even test your lung function through a small included attachment you blow into.
Designed to be both fast and simple to use, the prototype we tried out this week was ultra-light, and thinner than the Speck case on one of our iPhones. Readings are done with your hands in a comfortable position, and the health tracker was able to return our vital signs as well as a fancy ECG graph of our heart in just a few seconds. Out of the box, you’ll be able to pair it with your Wi-Fi scale and fitness tracker, so you can keep an overall picture of your health in the same place. Over time, additional add-ons could become available for the case to test for other things like glucose. Everything you track can be viewed on a daily, weekly, or monthly scale so you can see at a glance if your health starts to change.
Founder and CEO Hamish Patel has been working on the technology behind Wello for two years. He told us that he sees the device not only being useful for people in the US, but even more so for people in developing countries where access to health services are limited. When the $199 device ships this fall (pending FDA approval) it will be available for the iPhone 4S, 5, and 5S in 35 countries. Android users can also use Wello, but as a standalone device rather than a case for their phone. All of the tech for Wello is contained in a removable card roughly the thickness of your average business card. Azio plans to make the card available for other manufacturers to include in cases, so you might ultimately see Wello come to a third-party Android case, or even a different iPhone case.
Wello is open for pre-orders today in United States as well as Canada, China, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom and across the EU. Early buyers can earn $10 for each person they get to pre-order — depending on how many people you refer, tracking your health could be not only easy, it could be free.
Filed under: Cellphones, Science, Mobile
Wake up and smell the bacon with Oscar Mayer’s new iOS app
There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly cooked bacon to help you get out of bed in the morning. Unless of course, that smell is a clever r(o)use by an iPhone app and there is no bacon. A new alarm app by Oscar Mayer deceives you out of bed every morning to not only the sweet sound of frying bacon, but to the smell as well. A small gadget attached to your iPhone’s headphone jack sends a bacon fragrance your way as the alarm sizzles. But, there is no bacon. It’s similar to what we saw last year with Scentee, except this bacon device isn’t being sold – you’ll have to win it through a sweepstakes on Oscar Mayer’s website. The bacon alarm clock also isn’t for everyone – Android and Windows Phone users will have to opt for a more vegan, but perhaps slightly less heartbreaking, wake up call. Did we mention there’s no bacon?
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Via: TUAW
Source: Oscar Mayer
Apple may make Siri smarter by tapping into your apps
Right now you can ask Siri to nab you some movie tickets or reserve a table at your favorite restaurant, but there’s still plenty she (or he) can’t handle. According to a report from The Information though, the folks in Cupertino are working to make Siri smarter by giving it the ability to search and point to third-party apps.
Pumping up Siri’s search smarts means that the virtual assistant will reportedly be able to recognize what your apps do and point you to them when you ask for something related. Imagine asking Siri to check for nearby cabs or track your run — it could soon route you to apps like Hailo or RunKeeper. Apple has forged relationships with companies like OpenTable, Fandango and Wolfram Research to flesh out Siri’s feature list in the past. Those agreements resulted in some neat app integrations, but this new approach could ultimately mean similar functionality for all apps, not just the ones Apple inks deals with. The Information adds that Siri may soon be able to decide what apps should be displayed when there’s not enough screen real estate for all of them. Sounds like a crucial feature for something like the fabled Apple smartwatch, doesn’t it?
Via: TechCrunch
Source: The Information
Apple’s iPhone Trade-In Program Launches in France Retail Stores [iOS Blog]
Starting today, Apple is expanding its iPhone trade-in program to French retail stores, making France the third country to offer Apple’s in-store recycling initiative. Though not publicly announced, an Apple spokesperson in France confirmed the launch to iPhoneAddicts.
The program allows customers to trade-in an older iPhone at a retail store and immediately receive up to €215 ($296) in a gift card credit that can be used towards the purchase of a new iPhone. French retail store employees have been briefed on the program and have been told to inform customers of the recycling option when they buy a new phone. Trade-in details already listed on France’s Apple Store website.
Apple’s in-store iPhone recycling program debuted in the U.S. in August 2013 and was rolled out to the UK a few months later. Apple has a similar online trade-in program that requires customers to send in their old iPhone before receiving a credit. This mail-in program may offer greater value for a used iPhone, but the in-store program offers the convenience of a no-hassle credit that’s immediately applied to the purchase of a new model.
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Apple is reportedly launching iOS in the Car next week with Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo
Apple’s iOS in the Car has been a long time in coming — we first heard about the automotive interface last June, and it still isn’t ready despite the presence of relevant code in recent iOS 7 builds. The wait may soon be over, though, as the Financial Times hears that Apple will unveil formal car integration deals with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo next week. There aren’t more forthcoming details, although the rumored announcement implies that the automakers could name compatible models and possibly show the technology in action. We wouldn’t refer to iOS in the Car as Apple’s “first in-car operating system,” like the FT does — it’s still dependent on an iPad or iPhone to work. Even so, any potential launch next week would represent a big step forward for 1 Infinite Loop’s in-car efforts, which haven’t advanced much since iPod Out.
[Image credit: Steve Troughton-Smith, YouTube]
Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Mobile, Apple
Source: Financial Times
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