Rumor: Apple's 'iPhone 7' to offer improved fast-charge support

One way Apple will aim to keep the "iPhone 7" competitive is the addition of new fast-charge technology, according to one rumor.




The device will use improved circuitry supporting "at least" 5-volt, 2-amp charging, said @the_malignant, a Twitter user specializing in phone leaks. Current iPhone chargers are rated at one amp.

Many Android devices now offer some form of fast-charging, allowing them to hit a practical battery reserve in minutes instead of hours. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, for example, can each go from 0 to 50 percent charge in about 30 minutes.

APPLE’S NEXT LAUNCH: INVITATIONS SENT OUT FOR MARCH 21 EVENT – HERE’S EVERYTHING WE KNOW

Apple have officially sent out the invites for their March 21 event at which they will announce a number of new products, including the iPhone SE.

The event will be held at Apple’s Cupertino campus in California at 10am local time – so the event will be occurring at 5am in AEDT time, on March 22.

The iPhone SE is the most prominent new device expected to be revealed – ‘SE’ standing for ‘Special Edition’. It will look a lot like last generation’s iPhone 5s, with a 4-inch screen and a similar design.

However, all indications are that it will have a lot of features available in the iPhone 6 and 6s, including a more powerful processor, voice-activated Siri, Live Photos, and Apple Pay, though Force Touch seems not to have made the cut.

4-inch iPhone 5se & iPad Air 3 planned to go on sale March 18th

Apple is currently on target to start selling its next iPhone and iPad models the same week that the new products are introduced in March. Apple is currently planning to introduce a new 4-inch iPhone dubbed the “iPhone 5se” and a new iPad Air at an event on Tuesday, March 15th, then put the products up for sale online and in retail stores as early as Friday, March 18th, according to sources. Apple is unlikely to offer pre-orders for the new devices, according to sources who cautioned that the plans could still change.

Launching the new iPhone and iPad models so soon after introduction and not offering pre-orders would be a new strategy for Apple. Apple typically releases new iPhone models one or two weeks following the introduction events and an online pre-order period. A similar strategy has been followed for many new iPad releases, but the iPad Pro hardware actually went on sale over two months following the device’s initial introduction. Manufacturing of the new 4-inch iPhone began ramping up in January, sources say.

Apple's Tim Cook says a converged MacBook and iPad won't happen

Apple CEO Tim Cook isn't sold on the Surface, and the company doesn't plan on bringing together its MacBook or iPad into a single product like Microsoft's computing device, either. In an interview with the Irish Independent, Cook said: "We feel strongly that customers are not really looking for a converged Mac and iPad." This follows comments the CEO made in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, where he questioned why anyone would buy a PC -- those comments were apparently aimed at Windows PCs, not his company's own computer range. "We don't regard Macs and PCs to be the same."

Logitech's iPad Pro keyboard case is relatively affordable

Apple's iPad Pro is pricey even before you add in the $169 official keyboard case, but Logitech may have a way to make the whole package a little more palatable. It's now shipping its promised Create Keyboard Case for the gigantic tablet, and the add-on will sell for a slightly more frugal $150. It only works at two angles, but you'll get perks like backlit keys, automatic pairing (thanks to the Smart Connector) and a raft of iOS shortcuts. And if you don't want to turn your iPad into a makeshift laptop, there's an $80 Create Protective case that ditches the keyboard in return for a more flexible stand. Either shell is available in black, blue or red, so you're not stuck with somber colors on your giant slate.

Apple plans to add 1,000 more jobs in IrelandApple plans to add 1,000 more jobs in Ireland

Apple is gearing up to add another 1,000 employees in Ireland, and it's also expanding its headquarters in Cork to make room for the new crop, reports RTÉ. That would bring the company's total count of employees in Ireland up to 6,000, and it's an easy way for it to demonstrate its commitment to Ireland. That's particularly useful, now that the European Commission is probing into Apple's tax situation in the country, which has been criticized for being a bit too friendly (and illegal). Ireland plans to end Apple's tax deal in a few years, but it'll still have the benefit of fairly low corporate tax rates.

Apple's Tim Cook calls Microsoft's Surface Book 'diluted' (updated)

On top of announcing an expansion in Ireland, Apple CEO Tim Cook also took some time to weigh in on Microsoft's newest hybrid laptop, the Surface Book. "It's a product that tries too hard to do too much," he said, according to the Irish Independent. "It's trying to be a tablet and a notebook and it really succeeds at being neither. It's sort of diluted." Ouch. We actually found the Surface Book to be a pretty darn good hybrid laptop in our review. Cook's comments are particularly rich on the heels of the iPad Pro's launch this week, a large tablet with keyboard and stylus accessories that looks like it was inspired byMicrosoft's Surface hybrid tablet. Of course, the big difference is that the iPad Pro is running iOS, not OS X. Cook seems to be taking more issue with Microsoft's attempt to unify desktop and mobile interfaces in a single platform.

Apple is reportedly working on peer-to-peer payments

Apple is reportedly in negotiations with US banks to create a mobile personal payment platform that would compete with PayPal's popular Venmo app. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources close to the talks, states that discussions are currently ongoing though there's no confirmation that any banks have actually signed on yet. Chase, Capital One, Wells Fargo and Bank have all been named as potential partners.

Apple CarPlay review: A useful companion, even in its early stages

It's been two years since Apple announced its plot to put your iPhone's core featuresinside the dash of your car, but only now is its CarPlay software becoming available in lots of new models. In brief, CarPlay allows you to connect your trusty iOS device to a vehicle's infotainment system to make things like texts, maps and music accessible from the console. Sure, the goal is to provide an easier way to use your phone on the road, but it also nixes the distraction of swiping through screens on the phone itself. To put CarPlay through its paces, I hit the highway for a 7.5-hour road trip in a 2016 Camaro SS, a model that'll arrive soon at your local dealer. From Philadelphia to Raleigh, North Carolina, I used it to navigate, find food and stream in-car entertainment along the way. This first version of Apple's software for the car is certainly useful, but as I found, there's room for improvement.

OS X El Capitan tips and tricks you need to know

Some tips on how to make Apple's new Mac OS X El Capitan work for you.

Get the most out of OS X El Capitan

With OS X El Capitan, Apple decided to focus on the overall user experience and improving performance rather than jam packing the update full of brand new features. If this at all sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same exact strategy Apple implemented with iOS 9. Thus far, even users running older hardware have reported that their machines are running noticeably faster with OS X El Capitan. Still, Apple did manage to add a number of compelling and useful features that are worth highlighting. Here are some of the more interesting features to help you get the most out of OS X El Capitan.

Apple Stores show off iPhone 6s 3D Touch with fancy tables

Apple is doing a new trick at its flagship San Francisco and New York Stores to show off the benefits of 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. A video from Grate App (below) shows the phones rigged up to a table that's actually a very large display. When you press on the iPhone's swimming fish screen-saver, it creates ripples in the screen around the phone, which vary in size depending on how hard you press. (The table itself doesn't appear to be force-sensitive, but rather just takes 3D Touch input from the phones.) It's a clever way to tout a feature that's a bit hard to grok, but there's no word on whether you'll see it in any other stores.

Introducing iPad Pro

iPad has always offered a uniquely immersive experience. Now, with its 12.9-inch Retina display, powerful A9X chip, and dynamic four speaker audio, iPad Pro lets you be more creative and more productive

Our first look at the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus

So those new iPhones -- the 6s and 6s Plus -- took their tour of the stage here in San Francisco and are being prepped for a worldwide launch on September 25th. Now the question is whether or not all the new goodies Apple crammed inside them make these updated phones worth some more of our collective dollars. The (very) early answer? Yes, but it'll take time for these things to really shine.

MacBook review: Apple reinvents the laptop again

For months, the internet was abuzz with two similar, and somewhat contradictory, Apple rumors. Depending on whom you believed, the famously secretive company was working on either a 12-inch "iPad Pro" or a Retina display MacBook Air. To date, neither of these products has materialized, but there's reason to believe that both rumors were actually pointing toward the new 12-inch MacBook. The laptop, which goes on sale tomorrow, is in many ways a traditional notebook, with an Intel processor, OS X and a unibody aluminum enclosure similar to what you'll find on the MacBook Air and Pro. At the same time, it takes some cues from the iPad, including space gray and gold color options, and a slim, fanless design that makes room for just one miniature USB port. With the lid shut, it looks at once like a tablet with a keyboard attached, as well as the two-pound computer that it actually is.

It's the future of laptops, at least as Apple sees it, but it's also not without compromises: To build a machine this compact, the company had to reimagine everything from the keyboard to the trackpad to the components inside. And yes, the port selection, too. All that in the name of building the thinnest and lightest MacBook ever, not to mention the smallest one with a Retina display. In many ways, it's aimed at the same person the original Air was: a loyal Mac user who wants the most portable laptop that money can buy. But are you that person? And even if you are, is it worth the $1,299 asking price?

Apple, Samsung Usher in the 20nm, 64-bit Smartphone Generation

By Michael J. Miller

It's taken longer than we would have originally expected, but it looks like the 20nm generation of application processors for smartphones is beginning to appear, powering the Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, as well as some versions of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge, due out shortly.

When it announced the iPhone 6, Apple said it would be powered by a new processor, the A8, manufactured at 20nm and that it would be Apple's second 64-bit processor, following the A7 which debuted in the iPhone 5s.

iPhone 6 Bending and 10 Other Apple Product Glitches

• Email

Click To View Slideshow»

Apple's exciting, groundbreaking technologies have a history of glitchy beginnings.

Since the start of the second Steve Jobs era at Apple, the company has consistently been at the bleeding edge of consumer tech. The unfortunate downside of all this innovation is that when a device has a glitch, those problems make headlines around the world.

In the competitive world of consumer technology, where there are billion-dollar paydays for being the first to perfect a technology that captures the public's imagination, it's very much in companies' interest to keep their cards very close to their corporate chest. That means that in Apple's case, much of its testing appears to be conducted within the confines of its Cupertino headquarters (though there might be a good reason for that). This inevitably leads to issues to identified and fixed only after the devices hit consumers' hands.

For example, Apple's latest experience with this paradigm is #BendGate. Many early adopters of the new super-sized 6 Plus are finding that their phones are becoming warped. Note that the iPhone 6 Plus is not designed to be curved like LG's G Flex.

10 Gorgeous Apps for the Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Click To View Slideshow»

Here are 10 apps that show off just what the iPhone 6 Plus can really do.

The iPhone 6 Plus is a huge change for Apple, and it's a huge change for app developers. iPhone developers have never needed to write for a 1080p screen before, so many third-party apps on the 6 Plus, for now, are simply magnified: bigger, not better.

Beyond mere size, though, the 6 Plus invites a different way of looking at apps. It's not just an iPhone Plus—it's an iPad mini-mini. Turn it sideways, and there's enough room for multiple panes of information like you have on a landscape-format iPad. Apple has encouraged app developers to take advantage of this, but few have yet.

It's early days for the iPhone 6 Plus, of course. The phone has been on sale for less than a week. But we know how eager you are, so we downloaded a whole bunch of apps and found 10 that say they show off the power of the Plus. Have you found more Plus-friendly apps? Add them to the comments below.

Source

Apple explains how to fix its busted iOS 8 update, new one coming soon

Went ahead and downloaded the newest, freshest version of iOS for that new iPhone 6? Then immediately regret doing so? Apple's released a statement saying that users who have lost carrier service or Touch ID functionality should reinstall the initial version of iOS 8, until version 8.0.2 is ready to go. The company says this will take a few more days. We've got the full statement after the break.

"We have a workaround for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who lost cellular service and Touch ID functionality today after updating to iOS 8.0.1. Affected users can reinstall iOS 8 through iTunes, for more information visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6487. We apologize for the great inconvenience experienced by users, and are working around the clock to prepare iOS 8.0.2 with a fix for the issue, and will release it as soon as it is ready in the next few days."

WSJ: Apple considering two iPhones with larger screen sizes and metal casings

Maybe you've heard the rumor: Apple's considering larger screens for its next iPhones. Because, yeah, the mobile market's been trending that direction for a while now, so it'd make sense. That doesn't mean it's necessarily true, but with theWall Street Journal weighing in on it today, the notion is gaining a bit more credibility. This is all, of course, attributed to "people familiar with the situation" that peg Apple's next two phones as having target screen sizes larger than 4.5-inches and 5-inches, respectively. What makes this rumor even juicier is the possibility that Apple might abandon the polycarbonate casing of the iPhone 5c in favor of the tried-and-true metallic approach of its latest generation.

Tim Cook Sued Over iOS 7 Software Update Download

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been sued in small claims court by Mark David Menacher, a California customer who is upset that Apple has forced download of the iOS 7 install file onto his devices with no way to remove it.

http://iClarified.com/34897

Tim Cook Sued Over iOS 7 Software Update Download

www.iClarified.com

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been sued in small claims court by Mark David Menacher, a California customer who is upset that Apple has forced download of the iOS 7 install file