iPad Mini: why a slimmed down Apple slate is inevitable

Today’s gossip surrounding Apple’s plans for a new iPad Miniwith a 7.35-inch screen would have been greeted with cries of derision 12 months ago. In October last year, Steve Jobs used an Apple conference call to issue a lengthy diatribe on why rivals’ 7-inch devices weren’t up to scratch, saying, “We believe 10-inch screen is minimum.” Leaving aside the fact that the iPad’s screen is actually 9.7-inches, what Jobs was saying is that a tablet needs to be sizeable enough to work as intended.

Fast forward a year though, and the landscape is all set to change. Yes, the 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook has been a disaster, but the imminent arrival of the 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire changes things hugely. Jobs may have said 7-inch slates were “dead on arrival”, but my feeling is that an Apple iPad Mini with a display of that size is inevitable.

Until now, Apple’s competition has been largely from manufacturers offering decent Android Honeycomb slates, but without the same breezy content access and app support which makes the iPad so successful. The dawn of the Kindle Fire, though, changes that. Not only does Amazon’s new tablet offer access to MP3s, movies, TV shows and app content on a beautifully designed platform, it also comes in cheap, thanks in no small part to its size.

Apple is obviously going to feel the heat. 2012 will be the year that competitors, especially the Kindle Fire, finally start to make head way into Apple’s huge lead in the tablet space. It can of course cut prices, but that’s never been the Apple way. What it needs is an entry level product, something to entice those unsure of the tablet space, but definitely sure that they love the Apple brand.

Step forward, then, the iPad Mini. The LG executive who said that his company was working on screens for this device has clearly overstepped the mark. The original story, which appeared in The Korea Times, has been pulled. Is Apple behind such a move? I wouldn’t be surprised. This says everything you need to know about the sensitivity of this device and the likelihood of its existence.

So, what has Apple got to gain by introducing a device which Jobs was so clearly against in the last year of his life? More users inside its ecosystem for one. It’ll also give it the chance to market the iPad to a wider audience, following the same path as the iPod Mini and the iPod nano. Obviously, those were much easier devices to slim down and sell, as they weren’t so reliant on vast swathes of different kinds of content. But hooking new users into iTunes, iCloud and the App Store is just what Apple wants. It can’t face losing out in the tablet space in the same way it did in the PC space in the 80s.

Apple will doubtless want to get the iPad Mini right and will find a way of trying to square Jobs’ previous comments with a new device. But make no mistake, this pared down slate is coming, and means Amazon and countless others will have to redouble their efforts to take down Apple’s slate.

Article: RSS via Electricpig

Tags: Apple, iOS, iPad, iPad Mini, Steve Jobs, Tablet PC's

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Siri reverse-engineered and its inner workings exposed

The engineers at mobile development company Applidium spent some time tearing apart Siri and discovered what makes her tick. Besides understanding the ins and out of how Siri works, the team figured out a way to hack Siri and let it potentially run on other devices.

While using a proxy server, the team discovered that Apple uses a secure HTTPS connection to talk to a server identified as guzzoni.apple.com. The server required a valid security certificate, but, much to their surprise, a self-signed certificate would work in place of the official Apple one. Once they were able to communicate with Apple’s server,  they were able to figure out what information is sent to Apple and what info is sent back to the phone.

Siri, as the developers uncovered, compresses the audio input and sends the audio stream to the server. The server then uses a variety of identifiers, including the iPhone’s UDID, to recognize a trusted device. Apple in return will send back the processed text to the handset. Piggy-backed on top of this text is extra information like confidence scores and timestamps for each word.

To help others understand Siri, the developers released the tools they used to dissect Siri’s protocol. Now that these tools are in the wild, other developers can use them to do their own study of Siri and hack it to support third-party apps. They could also build a malicious app that would take advantage of the SSL flaw discovered by Applidium.

Of course, this all relies on Apple not shutting down the security hole or blocking access to the UDID. As we have seen in the past, Apple is proactive when it comes to these threats and is quick to shut them down. I assume Apple would respond swiftly to this discovery as well.

Article: RSS via IntoMobile

Tags: Apple, Hacks, iOS, iPhone, Siri, Voice Control

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iTunes 10.5.1 beta 3 released with more fixes for iTunes Match

Apple has released a third beta of iTunes 10.5.1 to members of its developer program. According to Apple, “iTunes 10.5.1 beta 3 includes a number of important stability and performance improvements for iTunes Match, and is a required update for all subscribers to iTunes Match beta.”

This beta update comes just after developers’ iTunes Match libraries were wiped ”as we prepare for the launch of iTunes Match,” Apple said in an email to developers. This latest beta comes less than two weeks after the release of iTunes 10.5.1 beta 2, while 24 days passed between the release of the initial iTunes 10.5.1 beta and its successor.

Accelerating beta releases from Apple are usually indicative of an imminent public launch, but it remains to be seen whether 10.5.1 beta 3 has shaken out enough of the bugs to warrant more widespread release.

Once the service goes live to the public, users who pay US$24.99 per year will have access to virtually all of their music, anywhere, and anytime.

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Tags: Apple, Beta, iTunes, iTunes Match, Music, Software

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What the iPhone 4S really costs: We reveal, piece by piece, what it actually costs Apple to make the 4S

Just saved up for a new £499 iPhone 4S? Then look away now…

It might have underwhelmed the devotees, but sales of Apple’s iPhone 4S topped four million in just three days following last month’s launch, and it’s still the must-have smartphone this winter. Of course, those sleek looks don’t come cheap. Or do they..?

Out of contract, the iPhone 4S will cost you £499, but we can reveal that the nuts, bolts and high-end circuitry inside cost far less – see below for the total.

Expert analysts from technology firm iSuppli have prised open the pristine casing and totted up the cost of each component.

Some are reassuringly expensive – the touchscreen and display unit cost £23 – but others are less confidence-inspiring.

Next time you’re cursing the battery life, remember it’s only worth £3.68.

Article: RSS via This is Money

Tags: Apple, iOS, iPhone, iPhone 4S, Smartphones

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HTC Sensation XL, HTC Rhyme Can Sync With iTunes

With the occasion of launching the Sensation XL in Taiwan, HTC has announced that the company already has two devices which have a special version of HTC Sync available, enabling users to sync with Apple’s iTunes.

The HTC Sensation XL joins the HTC Rhyme with added support for music synchronization with rival Apple’s iTunes software. The new version of HTC Sync, once downloaded and installed to a PC, can detect the presence of iTunes and achieve content synchronization. “We hope consumers will be able to store their music on HTC phones from any platform,” said Jack Tong, President of HTC North Asia. It is for the first time that HTC is allowing sync with content from its rival, Apple.

Article: RSS via Pocketnow

Tags: Android, Apple, HTC, HTC Rhyme, HTC Sensation XL, iTunes, Music, Smartphones

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Siri for iPhone 4: under review at Apple?

A few days ago, some very interesting rumors concerning Siri, Apple’s new voice assistant service for the iPhone 4S surfaced. According to the folks at jailbreaknation.com who claims to have a source close to Apple – the company is said to be testing Siri on devices other than the iPhone 4S, namely the iPhone 4 (and the iPad 2?). Apparently Apple has given its employees access to a special software build that brings Siri to older devices (in case you didn’t already know, at the moment Siri is (officially) only available on the iPhone 4S) and if testing goes well, we should see Siri on non-4S devices in the form of an update in the near future.

If these rumors turn out to be true, it looks like Apple could be blurring the line between the iPhone 4 and the 4S – since Siri is one of its main ”upgrades”, with another one being the improved camera. People with an iPhone 4 wouldn’t see the need to upgrade, for Siri functionality, but then again consumers weren’t going to upgrade just for the voice assistant anyway. Would this lead to increased iPhone 4 sales (since it’s more affordable)? What do you think?

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Tags: Apple, iOS, iOS 5, iPhone, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, Siri, Smartphones, Voice Control

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Apple acquires C3 Technologies for next-generation 3D mapping

This week its been revealed that Apple’s newest investment into its in-house-built Google Maps application is 3D mapping firm C3 Technologies. This is the second business Apple has purchased in the same vein, the first being Poly9 – C3 having been purchased and shut down by its buyer this summer, that buyer now confirmed by 9to5mac to be Apple. C3 is in the business of creating photo-realistic models of our modern city environments using declassified missile targeting methods previously part of aerospace and defense company Saab AB. Thusly this situation is about to get hardcore.

Have a look through the images and video bits in this post and feast your eyes, ladies and gentlemen, because we’re likely not that far away from seeing our world as 3D as we’d see it in real life, but virtually controlled from your handheld device – your iPhone, in this case. Have a look at C3 Technology’s official company description to see its potential power:

C3 Technologies is the leading provider of 3D mapping solutions, offering photo-realistic models of the world for search, navigation and geographic information systems. Since 2007 when it was spun out of the aerospace and defense company Saab AB, venture-backed C3 has redefined mapping by applying previously classified image processing technology to the development of 3D maps as a platform for new social and commercial applications. The Sweden-based company’s automated software and advanced algorithms enable C3 to rapidly assemble extremely precise 3D models, and seamlessly integrate them with traditional 2D maps, satellite images, street level photography and user generated images, that together are forever changing how people use maps and explore the world.

 

According to the source speaking with 9to5mac, C3 Technologies CEO Mattias Astrom, CFO Kjell Cederstrand, and lead Product Manager Ludvig Emgard are each part of Apple’s iOS division. In addition, the rest of the C3 team that formerly worked in Sweden, the same place as the original C3 company and now named “Sputnik.” Thusly what we must assume is that this acquisition is slightly different from what Apple did with Siri which retained its name through its re-release on the iPhone 4S. In 2009 Apple purchased a mapping group called Placebase, and with that and these two 3D mapping groups, we must assume that Apple is set to launch their own mapping solution separate from Google maps.

AND back in April of 2011 during the so-called tracking scare, Apple released the following bit of info:

“Q: What other location data is Apple collecting from the iPhone besides crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data?
A: Apple is now collecting anonymous traffic data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database with the goal of providing iPhone users an improved traffic service in the next couple of years.” – Apple

So that’s a 3D Apple-generated mapping service with the ability to give you traffic feedback as well. Sound nice for a feature inside iOS 6 and the iPhone 5? Cool beans! Until then, have a look at our iPhone 4S review as well as our full review of iOS 5. Fully 3D maps on the horizon!

Article: RSS via SlashGear

Tags: 3D, 3D Maps, Apple, Apps, C3 Technologies, iOS, Maps, Navigation, Video

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Siri shows up on an iPod Touch, no longer plays favorites in the iOS family

That Siri gal is certainly making the rounds these days. When she’s not answering your questions on a 4S, she’s showing up on iPads and elder iPhones. Not one to play favorites, Siri’s now lending her considerable talents to an iPod touch. Two enterprising young hackers, euwars and rud0lf77, are the ones who put Siri on the iPod, and you can see the results of their labor in the video after the break. Of course, Apple’s servers still aren’t as friendly as the virtual voice assistant, so Siri’s latest cameo remains a silent one — but some Siri’s better than none, right?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cNOc9Xzb3k

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Tags: Apple, iOS, iOS 5, iPod Touch, Siri, Video

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Apple rumored working on HDTV with iOS, Siri, and FaceTime

Apple has long been rumored to be working on its own HDTVs and the recent revelations from the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson has reignited that speculation. Analysts believe that Apple already has prototypes flowing through factories in China and that those HDTVs would be integrated with iOS, Siri, and FaceTime.

Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White issued a note to investors today, reiterating his previous belief that Apple’s HDTVs are already in early stage pilot and prototype production. White also noted that the hardware refresh for the current Apple TV set-top box may have been delayed due to plans related to the Apple HDTV, which could launch sometime in 2012.

“We believe the TV experience is in need of greater simplicity and innovation, providing Apple with opportunity to yet reinvent another product category and develop even closer ties with its customers,” wrote White.

Estimating that the LCD TV market would generate about $102 billion in 2012, White believes that the market has huge potential for Apple, which could dominate with its “unmatched aesthetics, expansive digital ecosystem and overall quality” as well as charge a premium price two to three times greater than competitors.

Additionally, White believes that Apple would not only use iOS and integrate Siri and FaceTime with the new HDTV, but that the company could also bring in iAds advertising and integrated App Store to allow developers to earn more revenue through apps developed specifically for the HDTV.

Article: RSS via SlashGear

Tags: Apple, Apple TV, FaceTime, HDTV, iOS, LCD, Siri, TV

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iTunes Match toggle shows up in iOS 5 settings

Apple has already launched iOS 5 with the iCloud and the iPhone 4S, but the iTunes Match feature that was promised to also be in tow, still isn’t here. However, today, an on/off toggle for iTunes Match appeared in the iOS 5 Settings app, signaling that the feature is getting closer to launch.

Many users have reported seeing the iTunes Match toggle appear in the Music section under the Settings app. That toggle had been available to developers for testing but had disappeared recently only to reappear again today for both developers as well as the general public.

But if you’re not a developer and you attempt to toggle-on the service, you’ll receive a message to subscribe via iTunes on your computer. And you’ll then find that the service is labeled “coming soon” on your iTunes.

iTunes Match will likely roll out with iTunes 10.5.1, which is still under going beta testing by developers. The service costs $24.99 a year and allows you to sync all your music, including songs not purchased from iTunes. It will likely roll out by the end of this month in the US, followed by releases in other parts of the world later on.

Article: RSS via SlashGear

Tags: Apple, iOS, iOS 5, iTunes, iTunes Match, Music

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