Apple pushes first ever automated security update to Mac users

BOSTON (Reuters) - Apple Inc <AAPL.O> has pushed out its first-ever automated security update to Macintosh computers to help defend against newly identified bugs that security researchers have warned could enable hackers to gain remote control of machines.

The company pushed out the software on Monday to fix critical security vulnerabilities in a component of its OS X operating system called the network time protocol, or NTP, according to Apple spokesman Bill Evans.NTP is used for synchronizing clocks on computer systems.

The bugs were made public in security bulletins on Friday by the Department of Homeland Security and the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute. Carnegie Mellon identified dozens of technology companies, including Apple, whose products might be vulnerable.

When Apple has released previous security patches, it has done so through its regular software update system, which typically requires user intervention.

The company decided to deliver the NTP bug fixes with its technology for automatically pushing out security updates, which Apple introduced two years ago but had never previously used, because it wanted to protect customers as quickly as possible due to the severity of the vulnerabilities, Evans said.

"The update is seamless," he said. "It doesn't even require a restart."

Apple does not know of any cases where vulnerable Mac computers were targeted by hackers looking to exploit the bugs, he added.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

The Best Apple iPad Accessories

Apple's iPads have consistently delivered a potent combination of stunning design and polished software experience. Through its six generations, the iPad has remained our top choice for consumer tablets. The latest iPad Air 2 is the best yet—thinner, lighter, and more powerful than ever. But the beauty of the iPad isn't in raw specs or some whiz-bang feature. For Apple devotees, the iPad itself is just the start, a meticulously crafted piece of hardware that really comes alive when you add iOS apps and clever accessories.

Your first stop should undoubtedly be the iTunes App Store, where you'll find hundreds of thousands of apps, ranging from must-have productivity apps to senselessly addicting diversions and games galore. To get started, check out our list of The 100 Best iPad Apps of 2015. But apps are only part of the equation. The endless world of iPad accessories can take your simple slate from Netflix-binge machine to bonafide mobile workstation—or, you know, a much nicer Netflix-binge machine.

Whether it's wireless keyboards, precise styli, or versatile stands, there's an accessory out there for everyone. Some are no-brainer additions to your gadget arsenal, while others are products you didn't know you needed at all, but will find indispensable nonetheless.

Since the iPad is easily the most popular tablet around, it should come as no surprise that nearly every accessory manufacturer has a product geared specifically towards iPad owners. The bad news is, there's a lot of junk out there.

Rather than wading through the sea of options on your own, take a look at our list of some of our favorite accessories. Consider this a starter kit on your road to iPad power-user status. We've provided different model compatibility for each item, but before you pull the trigger, be sure to double check for your specific iPad model compatibility.

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Apple's Online store now accepts PayPal and also lets you spread the cost

Apple already provides a variety of ways to pay for Macs and iPhones, but there's certainly nothing wrong with adding another alternative. Perhaps that's why the company has decided to add PayPal to its online store in the US and the UK. While you'll now be able to charge the cost of a new iPad to one of your connected PayPal accounts, Apple is also promoting interest-free instalments via PayPal Direct. For orders over $250/£99, the company will let you split payments into equal monthly payments, letting you get your gear now and gradually pay it off by next Christmas.

Apple-1 sold by Steve Jobs auctioned for $365,000

NEW YORK: A fully operational Apple computer that company co-founder Steve Jobs sold out of his parents' garage in 1976 for $600 sold for $365,000 at Christie's on Thursday. 

The Ricketts Apple-1 Personal Computer, named after its original owner Charles Ricketts, is the only known surviving Apple-1 documented as having been sold directly by Jobs to an individual from the Los Altos, California family home, according to the auction house. 

The price fell shy of Christie's estimate of $400,000 to $600,000 and was far less than the $905,000 paid by the Henry Ford organization in October for one of the computers. Fewer than 50 original Apple-1s are believed to be in existence of the few hundred originally produced. 

Also at the sale, Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, with the help of various foundations and private donors, bought a Bacchic figure supporting the globe by 17th-century artist Adrien de Vries for $27.9 million, well in excess of the sculpture's pre-sale estimate of $15 million to $25 million. 

The Rembrandt Society, the BankGiro Loterij, VSB fund, Mondriaan Fund and others helped fund the purchase. 

"It follows the trend of masterpieces achieving outstanding prices," said Jussi Pylkkanen, global president of Christie's and the auctioneer for the sale. 

One of the expected highlights of the auction, which Christie's dubbed the Exceptional Sale, was withdrawn at the 11th hour when the estate of Joan Fontaine, who died aged 96 a year ago, pulled her best actress Oscar for the Alfred Hitchcock film 'Suspicion' from the sale of her collection.

5th generation Apple ipod Touch

looking so similar to the iphone5 in shape. The ipod touch comes with a 4 inch screen as the iPhone 5, the same A5 chip that powers the iPad 2 & 3 and the iPhone 4S, plus a 5mp camera with flash, all fitted into a very slim aluminum body that comes in 5 colors.

It is ideal for taking quality photos and playing music all day.

 

 

As we all know, the Apple headphones produces the best groovy sound anyone would ever expect

Reliable Source Leaks Apple iPhone 6 Quick Start Guide, Confirms 128GB And Date

Steve Hemmerstoffer, editor of the leading French Apple blog, nowhereelse.fr, has a long history of reliably covering iPhone launches, and this season is no exception. Today he posted an imagethat he claims was passed to him by his “most trusted and loyal Chinese sources,” (“l’une de mes plus fiables et fidèles sources chinoises”) that shows a proof of a Quick Start Guide insert destined for the packaging of the iPhone 6 itself. This same source passed Hemmerstoffer a similar document “just hours before the launch conference of the iPhone 5s,” on the basis of which he was able to confirm the name and the actual fact of the rumored Touch ID sensor in the home button.

This year’s guide is apparently in keeping with the very austere packaging of the new device which Hemmerstoffer’s source told him “a plain white box with [only] the word iPhone 6… printed on [the] lid. The smartphone will appear nowhere on the packaging…”

Hemmerstoffer points out a little detail I had previously missed. The calendar icon on the image of the iPhone 5S on its box lid, and in all promotional images of the phone, shows the date of the announcement event, Monday, the 10th. By this account he took it as significant that the date of this year’s announcement would appear on the insert guide because the image of the phone itself will be absent from the box lid.

Quick Start Guide for the iPhone 6 and a previous leak for the iPhone 5S guide from Steve Hemmerstoffer, editor of nowhereelse.fr

As you can see in the image above, the details that would be confirmed if this document is genuine would be:

1. The name iPhone 6
2. The date of the announcement, Tuesday, September 9
3. The new position of the Sleep/Wake button on the right side
4. The shape of the volume buttons
5. The presence of the lightning connector
6. The continued presence of the Touch ID sensor in the home button

None of these are controversial facts, all of these points are expected, so there is no particular reason to doubt the veracity of this leak. At the same time, the amount of effort required to produce such a facsimile document is so negligible, and the Apple graphic design style is so consistent that, other than Hemmerstoffer’s reliable track record, there’s no reason give it much credence either. What is interesting is how the leaks in general have been accelerated this year compared to last. The equivalent document (see right side of image above) emerged, as Hemmerstoffer says, only hours before Tim Cook took the stage.

More telling is the unnamed Chinese source’s apparent confirmation that the iPhone 6 will indeed come in a 128 GB modle.

Martin Hajek’s take on the two most likely style alternatives for the final iPhone 6 design

The bigger questions center on the exact design details of those infamous antennae cutouts. See Martin Hajek’s renderings of the two most likely alternatives above. Also of interest, the presence of an NFC chip and the exact capabilities of the new M8 motion sensor chip that is rumored to add significant functionality to Apple’s forthcoming health app. And what about that protruding camera that my colleague Gordon Kelly was prattling on about? My favorite take on that is this cartoonish comparison of the iPhone 6 complaining about bumping its camera under the crushing weight of the 5S, found by Indian blogger Kshitiz Jaiswal at Gizmobic:

iPhone 6 Leaked by China Telecom in Promotional Weibo Post

Major carrier China Telecom has gone ahead and announced theiPhone 6 ahead of Apple, confirming the device's imminent launch with a post on its via its Weibo account last week. Revealed days ahead of theanticipated September 9 event, the firm posted a promotional image of the smartphone, showing its Gold, Silver and Black colour variants.

China Telecom's Weibo post, which now has been pulled down, wasspotted by Sina news (via Forbes), which stated that the Apple iPhone 6 handset will be available as an unlocked device for LTE, WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, and CDMA1X networks. Notably, China Telecom did not sell unlocked versions of the iPhone until now. Nothing more was mentioned in the post.

While the information is not so thrilling, the Weibo does however confirm the existence of the iPhone 6 device, similar to how Verizon leaked the HTC One (M8)on multiple occasions.

The iPhone 6 is expected to arrive in two display size variants, with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models (said to be called the iPhone 6L or iPhone Air) anticipated. A report from last week mentioned that the Cupertino firm is facing production issues for the iPhone 6 devices' screen panels. Two supply chain sources were reported saying the display panel production had suffered a setback after the backlight that helps illuminate the screen had to be revised, putting screen assembly on hold for parts of June and July.

Additionally, last week's leaked schematics tipped the upcoming iPhone 6 tofeature a new 128GB inbuilt storage variant. Reports indicated that Hynix and Toshiba would supply the 16GB storage, while Hynix, Toshiba, and SanDisk will offer the 64GB. Lastly, the schematics show that Toshiba will supply the new 128GB storage only.

We remind readers the above mentioned features are a part of the leaks and rumours, and must be taken with a pinch of salt till confirmation by Apple.

iTunes for Android- Apple plans to bring iTunes to Android

Apple may be looking to bring iTunes to Android. According to a new report from Billboard, Apple is looking for ways to drive more revenue as sales of media slump. The Cupertino company is also looking to create a music service to rival the likes of Pandora and Spotify, according to the same report.

Apple is also reportedly considering spinning iTunes radio away from iTunes, and into its own app. That service would likely be the Spotify-esque service we’re hearing about, which quite honestly needs a bit of work. The winning strategy for streaming seems to be access to a library in its entirety, not fed via radio station. All Access from the Play Store accomplishes that nicely.

Apple could also be offering incentives to music labels for early release of albums on iTunes. The strategy is believed to be for iTunes to get a record a week ahead of CD launches, with sales of singles not available via iTunes until the CD hits stores. That, again, seems a band-aid solution.

The iTunes library is the gold standard, and one we’d welcome on Android — unless it was in the form of radio. If we’re getting an iTunes radio station, it’s not nearly as appealing a subscription model as an all-access offering. While there are no difinitive plans for iTunes on Android, it’s said to be an attractive model for executives at various labels. More exposure means more revenue — for both Apple and music labels.

The Play Store is available on iOS devices, with the lone caveat being that you can’t purchase music on the Apple devices. You have to go a website or use an Android device to buy a track or album, but that's a small concession. It also doesn’t matter much for All Access subscribers, which is the play we’d like to see Apple make on Android.

Moto 360 Android Wear Smartwatch Specs

Details of the recently announced Moto 360 have begun to emerge, following a Google Hangout session with Motorola's lead designer, Jem Wicks, and an interview with him posted on The Verge. Motorola reportedly went through multiple rounds of designs and experimented with screen-friendly square shapes before settling on the round design that felt more familiar and natural to watch users.

The diameter of the device is 46mm, which should be able to accommodate a 1.8-inch diameter screen. The device can sense its orientation and flip the screen contents accordingly, which should make the Moto 360 ambidextrous.

Also confirmed during the hangout was the fact that the Moto 360 is made of stainless steel and is designed to be water resistant, though the extent of that is not known. Users will be able to use swipe gestures and voice input, but the Android Watch device is meant to interact with a smartphone, and does not have a camera or other such features of its own.

The Moto 360 will work with any smartphone running Android 4.3 or newer versions. Ars Technica notes that Notification Access APIs were introduced in Android 4.3, and this functionality is what allows notifications to be read and dismissed via Bluetooth, along with relevant imagery and action commands such as replying to messages, retweeting tweets, and skipping tracks in music apps.

Wicks is clear that the Moto 360 is not for only early adopters or tech-savvy users (which might be a reference to the Pebble's humble beginnings and Samsung Galaxy Gear's feature overload), but for everyone.

Google Now is heavily integrated, as are voice commands. Similar to the Moto X's passive listening feature, the Moto 360 can respond to voice commands triggered by saying "OK Google" without any specific button press. Wicks notes that user interface elements must be simplified, but not as far as "a Dieter Rams-like super-simplified kind of thing" (which is a reference to Apple's design philosophy and inspiration).

More specific details, such as expected battery life and cost, were not discussed. 

Apple MacBook Air 13 selling for Rs 62,800 on Flipkart, grab this deal!

Why buying the MacBook Air makes perfect sense at this price is that this could be the perfect ultrabook that you could be looking for.

The benefits of a slim and light notebook have often been debated, and the positives far outweigh the negatives. Still, I would like to summarize them, before we get down to the crux of this article. Slim and light laptops are the need of a wide demographic of users - students, professionals who travel a lot, and anyone who doesn’t want that machine for gaming. This is exactly why Intel laid down strict guidelines for the ultrabooks. Manufacturers had to stay within a particular outer limit of thickness and weight for the machine to be categorized as an ultrabook. The result: dedicated GPUs were striped out of most affordable ultrabooks.

It has often been said that the Apple MacBook Air has been the inspiration behind the ultrabook idea. We are not debating that, but actually looking at how the MacBook Air might just be the perfect ultrabook-type slim and light machine you have always thought of buying.

The Deal: This is a steal

At the time of writing this, Flipkart.com is offering the MacBook Air 13 (MD760HN/A) at a price of Rs 63,900 against the actual market price of Rs 74,900. This particular version packs in the Intel Haswell Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, a super fast 128GB SSD and the Intel HD 5000 graphics. The 13.3-inch screen has a resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels, and is one of the most well-balanced screen in terms of resolution, quality and color performance.

We would recommend considering the offer by WS Retail: they offer the same above mentioned configuration at Rs 64,490. Apart from the discount on the MRP, there are a couple of other discounts that you could get. The first is the Rs 1,599 additional discount on select Intel powered laptops (the MBA 13 qualifies), which brings the in-cart price down to Rs 62,821. Second discount applies to anyone who is paying with an AXIS bank credit or debit card, with Rs 1,500 as cash-back.

The table below shows the discount structure and what you will pay in-cart for the MacBook Air 13. 

Discounted price of MacBook Air 13	Rs 64,490
Special discount for select Intel powered laptops (MBA 13 is eligible)	Rs 1599
In cart price now	Rs 62,821
Additional discount for AXIS Bank credit/debit card holders	Rs 1,500 cash back. (Effective price of the MacBook Air 13 now becomes Rs 61,321)

Reasons why this is a steal deal

Simply put, here is why we would advise you to buy the MacBook Air 13, if you are considering buying a slim and light laptop.

1. Perhaps one of the best built laptops ever to grace Mother Earth, the MacBook Air 13, is far ahead of any of the ultrabooks you will get at this price. No cost cutting with cheap plastic, no flex on the panel to betray thoughtless build and a premium look.

2. The latest generation specifications are what will future proof your purchase, particularly with the Intel HD 5000 graphics. Yes, it is not a dedicated GPU, but the performance is definitely better than the likes of the Intel HD 4400 chips that seem to be on most Windows laptops these days.

3. It has been said many a time that the MacBook is the best machine to run Windows on. If you are still resisting a change to OS X Mavericks, simply Boot Camp the machine and install Windows 7 or Windows 8 on it, in another partition.

4. Despite all the claims of the Windows based ultrabooks regarding battery life, we have tested a lot of the ultrabooks and our experience tells us otherwise. The best you will get from a Windows based machine is about 7-8 hours, while the MacBook Air claims and delivers on the 13-hour battery life promise. This could be a massive point for those who travel a lot, and need the laptop on the move more often than not.

All in all, we would strongly recommend the two MacBook Air deals we have mentioned above.

Apple Mulls Breaking Out iTunes Radio As Its Own App In iOS 8, Report Claims

The streaming radio race is still overwhelmingly dominated by Pandora in the U.S., but that’s not necessarily going to be the case forever: In a recent survey of streaming music users, iTunes Radio had climbed to third place, surpassing Spotify with 8 percent of respondents to the Statista study saying they’d used it in the past month. Apple has plans to potentially skyrocket its usage stats, however, by breaking out iTunes Radio into its own app in iOS 8, according to a report by 9to5Mac.

The report says that this is still in the experimental stage and not necessarily a sure bet for inclusion in iOS 8, but it makes a lot of sense to break out iTunes Radio on its own. The service currently resides inside the Music app on iOS devices, as a single tab among many. It essentially functions as a completely separate app within that software as it stands, so breaking it out shouldn’t be difficult. The separate app would be pre-installed on iOS 8 devices, which would give it a huge advantage over competing services, along with the fact that it’s already free (though ad-supported).

As 9to5Mac notes, this wouldn’t be the first time Apple has taken what was inside the Music app and made it into its own separate thing. Videos was introduced in iOS 6, and Podcasts and iTunes U all contain content that was originally housed in Music. The only potential downside to doing this as a standalone app would be potentially overwhelming users with an abundance of pre-loaded software with similar functionality, but I think it’s likely that the advantages (more users, better positioning for advertisers) outweigh that potential negative.

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Apple Patents A Smarter, More Accurate Wrist-Based Activity Tracker

Apple has applied for a patent for an improved wearable pedometer design, according to a new filing published by the USPTO today (via AppleInsider). The filing describes a way to vastly improve accuracy on wearable step counters, by determining where a user is wearing it and adjusting the way it analyzes movement as a result.

The patent specifically details automatic detection of when it’s on a person’s wrist, and when a person starts to run, making it less susceptible to false positives caused by arm motion. The device could also determine when it’s being worn on a person’s trunk, at or near the waist, and instead of using arm motion to determine movement, would rely on the changes in gravity that occur when a person pushes off for a step vs. when they’re at rest.

Apple’s filing goes into a lot of technical detail, but the key takeaway is that this is tech we could easily see integrated into a wearable device like an iWatch, or a standalone accessory more akin to a Jawbone UP or Fitbit. It’s interesting to think that Apple might be considering both avenues, especially given that rival Samsung has just introduced a series of wearable devices including the Gear Fit, and others like LG and Sony are introducing dedicated activity trackers.

Recent filings coming out of Apple’s R&D department all seem to point towards a steep ramp up in wearable tech, focused mainly on a smartwatch. We’ve seen Bluetooth LE, induction charging, and bezel touch control, for instance, and the company has also been hiring people with expertise related to activity tracking and health tech. This new patent shows that it’s very serious about these efforts, and seeking to improve considerably on what’s available out there now from early entrants in the wearables market, which is good news for those hoping for something category-defining in an Apple smartwatch.

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Why Apple University matters more than ever?

When Steve Jobs hired Joel Podolny in 2008 to create Apple University, the marching orders were to help the company do something it had never spent much time doing: Study itself. 

When Steve Jobs hired Joel Podolny in 2008 to create Apple University, the marching orders were to help the company do something it had never spent much time doing: Study itself. 

Jobs had run the company much like a gigantic startup, enabling him to imprint his management philosophy on everything from product design to advertising. But with his cancer worsening, Jobs wanted Podolny, the well-known, youthful dean of the Yale School of Management, to create a program to distill his approach so Apple's executives would be able to reinforce it after he was gone. 

Working closely with Jobs, Podolny quickly built up a curriculum of courses, including one called "What Makes Apple Apple." Some courses were taught by top Apple executives such as Cook, according to Adam Lashinsky, author of "Inside Apple." Other courses were built around case studies written by a faculty that includes Richard Tedlow, a Harvard University business historian. 

Soon after Podolny arrived, he was promoted to vice president of Apple's entire human resources department to fill a void left by Danielle Lambert, who resigned along with her husband Tony Fadell in late 2008. Apple University remained Podolny's main focus and passion, and he talked about his desire to be released from the larger HR job, said Bob Borchers, a former iPhone marketing executive. 

Now with the promotion of Denise Young Smith to vice president of human resources this week, Podolny got his wish. And it comes at a crucial time if Apple is to maintain Jobs's posthumous impact on the company. People who worked closely with Apple's co-founder have left for other jobs, such as Johnson, who left to become CEO of JC Penney months before Jobs died in 2011. Others are retiring, such as Rita Lane, an operations executive who oversaw development of Mac, iPhone and iPad accessories. And plenty of newcomers are arriving. Apple's total headcount, including its legions of in-store "Geniuses", has grown from 60,400 in September 2011 to more than 80,000 two years later. 

Keeping its best people will become harder for Apple, said Jon Bischke, CEO of Entelo, an online-recruiting service. Part of the problem is unavoidable: As Apple downshifts from a hyper-growth company to slower-growing behemoth, talented employees are more easily lured to startups that promise bigger monetary rewards. If Apple doesn't prove it can bring out world-changing products like the iPhone and iPad, as it routinely did during Jobs's tenure, some of its engineers will keep an eye out for other hot companies that can, he said. 

As with everything around Apple, the company keeps details of the programme secret. According to Lashinsky, there was a course on Apple's decision to consolidate all of its iPhone manufacturing to one factory in China, and another on the decline of A&P, once the dominant grocery chain in the US. 

Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet declined to make Podolny available for an interview or comment on whether there would be any changes in Apple University as a result of the shake-up. 

Fulfilling Jobs's vision for Apple University won't be easy. 

"Joel is a very creative guy, but it's hard to create instant Steve Jobs," said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, another Yale professor who worked with Podolny last decade. 

"The essence of genius is that it's a misfit quality. Misfits don't fit well into institutionalized assembly lines." 

Also, Podolny is swimming against the tide in trying to increase the role of human resources within Apple's no-nonsense culture, said Borchers, the former marketing executive. Unlike many companies that proactively develop executives' capabilities by moving through many jobs, Apple has historically hired specialists in a given field and kept them there to fully exploit their expertise.

French TV channels seek protection from Google, Netflix and Youtube

Heads of France's three largest TV networks have asked the government to protect them from competitors like Google, Apple and Netflix.

PARIS: The heads of France's three largest private television networks have asked the government to protect them from US competitors like Google, Apple and Netflix who are set to enter the market.

The bosses of TF1, Canal+ and M6, alarmed by the impending arrival of the American tech giants, have sought a meeting with culture minister Aurelie Filippetti to discuss "urgent measures" to reform the sector.

"It is not an economic crisis that is being faced by TF1, Canal+ and M6 but a rapid sectoral change," Nonce Paolini, Bertrand Meheut and Nicolas de Tavernost said in the letter written last week and seen by AFP today.

They said they were worried by the "upheavals caused by the arrival of new actors" who had become leading providers of entertainment content across the world.

The TV chiefs said they were also concerned by the "outrageous tax optimisation" used by the US companies.

France is one of a growing number of nations to pursue more aggressively what they see as abuse of tax and accounting rules that allows some multinational companies to pay less tax.

Google for instance has reduced the amount of tax it pays in France by funnelling most of its revenue through a Dutch-registered intermediary and then to a Bermuda-registered holding, Google Ireland Limited, before reporting it in low-tax Ireland.

The French television heads said the government was worsening the situation in a stagnant sector by inviting new operators.

They called for a revamp of tight laws controlling television, a tax overhaul and revised rules allowing advertisements which are currently banned.

Contacted by AFP, the culture ministry refused comment on the letter.

Experts say video-streaming services like those offered by Netflix, Apple and Google, which owns YouTube, could make huge inroads in France which has a big domestic market for films and television series
.

Huawei pokes fun at Apple and Samsung using Siri

Huawei has trolled rivals Samsung and Apple in its new teaser for Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014.

Chinese telecom giant Huawei, the third biggest smartphone maker in the world, has trolled rivals Samsung and Apple in its new teaser for Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014. The company has poked fun at the two biggest smartphone makers using iPhone and a Siri-like voice assistant. 

In a video released on YouTube, a smartphone user asks his iPhone "What's new at this year's Mobile World Congress?" and the digital assistant, whose interface and voice are quite similar to Apple's Siri, gives information about three devices. 

The first is "a new tablet with a beautiful, slim design" and its "huge battery gives you days of use." The second is a smartphone "with an amazing front camera." The last "really amazing" device headed to MWC 2014, as per the voice assistant, is "a multimedia tablet that gives the ultimate entertainment experience." This tablet also supports the fastest next-generation LTE (4G) connections. 

And now comes the punch line. The smartphone user asks the voice assistant "What are they? Fruit (indirectly Apple) or Some Song (Samsung's turn here)?" In response, the software says, "No, they are Huawei. It looks like Huawei is ready to amaze the world again." 

Huawei has been struggling to make headway into the profitable US market, despite strong sales in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa and Middle East. The company has been a fast mover, launching smartphones with big screen or thin profiles, but has been embroiled in controversy over claims of spying on US networks for China. 

The company has 4.8% share of the global smartphone market in 2013 and 5.7% in the fourth quarter of the year. 

Apple future in cars, medical devices for growth | Apple's answer to Google Boston Dynamics and Nest Labs

Apple Inc is looking at cars and medical devices to diversify its sources of revenue as growth from iPhones and iPads slow, according to a report.

Apple's head of mergers and acquisitions, Adrian Perica, met with Tesla Motors Inc founder Elon Musk at the company's headquarters last year around the same time analysts suggested that Apple acquire the Model S electric car maker, the reported said on Sunday.

The company is also exploring medical devices and sensors that can help devices and sensors that can help predict heart attacks by studying sound blood makes at it flows through arteries.

The company's senior vice president of operations, Jeff Williams, has met with US Food and Drug Administration chief Dr. Margaret Hamburg and Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, who oversees the agency's approval for medical devices, to discuss "mobile medical applications," the paper reported, citing FDA records.

Apple could not be reached for comment.

Rival Google Inc recently bought thermostat maker Nest Labs for $3.2 billion, robot maker Boston Dynamic and artificial intelligence startup DeepMind Technologies Ltd. The company has also been working on projects including Google Glass and self-driving cars.

Investors hope that Apple, which last came out with a new device - the iPad - in 2010, has something up its sleeve for 2014. Speculation currently revolves around a smartwatch or even a long-rumored TV product.

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 6, a mid-range smartphone, and may also launch wearable devices such as iWatch, in the second half of the year. 

Others say Apple can use its huge iPhone and iTunes base to get into mobile payments or advertising.

Apple reported lower-than-expected iPhone sales for the holiday shopping quarter and gave a weaker-than-expected revenue forecast. The company has been ceding ground to Samsung Electronics Co and other rivals in China, its No. 2 market.

Microsoft Office for iOS

While Microsoft Office Mobile for iPhone released last summer and we've yet to see software release for Apple tablets. Not only is the slate-focused productivity suite alive and well, it's apparently going to launch before July. ZDNet reports that development of Office for iPad (codenamed Miramar) could allow for its debut ahead of the touch-friendly Windows 8 version. This means that the previously reported fall 2014 timeline has been accelerated, and Microsoft may release the iPad version as soon as it's ready -- rather than keeping it under wraps until Q3. As Mary Jo Foley notes, the iOS package will likely require an Office 365 subscription and tap into OneDrive as its main storage repository. For now, we'll just have to wait and see -- but that wait could be shorter than initially expected.

iPad Air Review | Apple Flagship Tablet | Best Tablet |

Apple Inc has not reinvented the wheel with the iPad Air like it did so in case of iPhone 5s but the thinner device, priced higher than many of its competitors, is a major improvement on a successful product, the reviewers wrote on Tuesday.

Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg called the iPad Air the best tablet he has ever reviewed.

"That isn't just because of its slimmer, lighter design, but because Apple boasts 475,000 apps optimized for tablet use - far more than any other tablet platform," Mossberg wrote.

The new full-sized iPad goes on sale from Friday and will be priced starting $499.

Damon Darlin of the New York Times said the Air is lighter than its predecessors, adding that the gadget is a delight to use.

Reviewer David Pogue, who recently left the New York Times to start a new consumer-tech website at Yahoo, said the iPad Air is "a fantastic leap into the future if you're upgrading from an original iPad, or if you've never owned a tablet before."

However, all three reviewers highlighted that the iPad Air is pricier than many of its competitors.

"Do you need to plunk down $500 or more for an Air if you already have an earlier version of the iPad?," Darlin asked, calling the improvements on the new device "incremental, not revolutionary."

Amazon.com Inc's 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX costs $379, Microsoft's Surface 2 starts from $449, while Samsung's Galaxy Tab 3 10.1-inch tablet has a suggested retail price of $400.

Pogue said that given the price, an iPad probably does not need replacing every year or even every other year.

Mossberg concluded: "Bottom line: If you can afford it, the new iPad Air is the tablet I recommend, hands down."

Apple’s full-sized, 9.7-inch iPad has been given a design overhaul and, as the moniker suggests, it’s thinner, lighter and more tapered—like the MacBook Air—than ever. There is a retina display and the bezel around it has been slimmed down, making this fifth-gen iPad 20 percent thinner than before. It has also had 45 g shaved off the weight, making it the world’s lightest full-size tablet, though we’ll see how long Samsung, Amazon and Sony allow that to stand.





The Air still boasts the same sturdy aluminium unibody, now in space grey or silver, and it hasn’t slacked off in the spec department, with the expected bump to the same A7 processor and accompanying M7 co-processor as on the iPhone 5S. That means you’ll get the full 64-bit slice of iOS 7 and less battery-sapping access to apps that rely on sensing motion, such as fitness monitors.

The camera still delivers five-meg/1080 p goodness, but now works with the A7 processor to take better pictures and videos. There’s also an HD FaceTime camera up front, with dual mics for clearer video calling. Despite this, Apple claims to have kept the battery life at 10 hours. Storage options remain the same—16GB, 32GB, 64GB or 128GB in Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi + cellular.

After waxing lyrical about the iPad Air, Apple chief Tim Cook wasn’t ready to get off that stage in a hurry. There was the small matter of an updated iPad Mini to discuss. Rumours had suggested that it would sport a retina display and, predictably, they were spot on. The new Mini’s screen is the same 2048x1536 resolution as the Air, but shrunk to 7.9 inches, which means a higher ppi count. It weighs in at 331 g and is just 7.5 mm thick.

Following the theme of delivering iPad Air-matching specs in a smaller package, the new Mini has the same A7 and M7 processing double-team—Apple reckons it’s four times faster than the original Mini. There’s also what appears to be the exact same cameras as the Air and you can now choose a 128 GB model if you so wish. Colour options? Space grey and silver, again. We spy a theme…

iPad Air is now out in India, with the price ranging from Rs 35,900 to Rs 65,900 depending upon the specifications. iPad Mini costs between Rs 28,900 and Rs 58,900.

So which will it be, Air or Mini? Or neither of the above?

Apple.com/In

Courtesy T3 (This material is reproduced from T3 magazine and is the copyright of or licensed to Future Publishing Limited, a Future plc group company, UK2010. Used under licence. All rights reserved.)

© Thomson Reuters 2013

Apple's new iPad with Retina Display - Review: The best tablet money can buy

The iPad is the kind of product that doesn't come around very often. Like Xerox, Walkman and, more recently, the iPod, it's when a particular product sees so much success that it becomes synonymous with the entire category. Less than two years after its launch, the iPad is already a category-defining product.

Not sure what we mean? Here's an anecdote. Only the other day someone walked into our office and popped the question - "Should I buy Motorola's iPad?" Hint: they were referring to the Motorola Xoom.

Back to Apple's iPad. The new iPad - yes, that's what it's called, not iPad 3 - more on that later - builds on the incredible success of its predecessors. Rather than offering something radically different, the new iPad retains the familiar and throws in some compelling upgrades.

What's in a name?
While the name new iPad has confused, and even amused, many Apple's intention is to bring the nomenclature of its mobile products in line with that of traditional computing devices. The 'new' in the name is surely transitional, and the next iteration would almost certainly be simply called 'iPad'.

The latest generation of Apple's ultra-portable laptop is called MacBook Air, just like the four generations before it. Why should the tablet be any different? Indications are that the next iteration of the iPhone would drop the number from its name as well. Years, instead of version number style monikers, would come to represent every product generation, such that the current iPad would be known as the iPad 2012 in the annals of time.

First impressions
The first thing you notice upon taking the new iPad out of the box is that it looks exactly like the iPad 2. It's not until you hold the new iPad in your hands that you notice something different - it's slightly heavier than its predecessors. People who generally use their iPad with a case or Apple's smart cover probably won't even notice the difference.
 
If you've never used an iPad before, do not let reports of the extra weight bog you down. Just like its predecessor, extended periods of holding the new iPad promise only joy and excitement, and not hurting hands.

As per Apple's specifications, the new iPad is slightly thicker than the iPad 2, but we couldn't tell the difference. We did, however, experience the new iPad's infamous heat. It definitely runs hotter than the iPad 2 because we don't recall our iPad 2 ever warming up to us like the new one does. It didn't deter us from holding the iPad for extended periods of time, so we filed this away under the 'minor irritant' category and moved on.

Display
It's not until you power it on that the new iPad really begins to shine. The all-new Retina Display is everything that it is made up to be, and more. This may feel like your old iPad but the moment you watch your first video, or simply open your favourite website (this one, of course) in Safari, we promise you'll hand down the iPad 2 to your kids faster than they can spell Chhota Bheem.

The official specs peg the Retina Display resolution at 2048x1536 pixels. That's more pixels than a typical full-HD screen (1920x1080). We could wax lyrical about the new display for hours, but nothing will convince you faster than this simple test. Walk in to the closest shop that has both, the iPad 2 and the new iPad, on demo and play any (full-HD) trailer using Apple's Trailer app. The difference between the two will be evident to even the most casual of observers.

The speakers seem unchanged from the iPad 2, loud enough, but not ones that would ever win an award for sound quality.

Camera
The other big improvement from the iPad 2 is the camera. The rear camera is now a 5-megapixel camera, capable of recording full-HD video, just like the one in iPhone 4. Image quality is noticeably better (see comparison shots below), and the lens seems capable of taking slightly wider shots as well.

  
See the difference in details captured between the cameras in iPad 2 (top) and new iPad. Notice the slightly wider shot as well.

The front-camera is beefed up too and it's perfect for FaceTime, Skype or anything else that you would want to do with a front-camera.

While we remain unconvinced about the need of having great rear-cameras in tablets, truth is, Apple would have been criticised if it had stuck with the generation-old camera. We are yet to see people hold their 10-inch tablets in the air to click photographs en-masse, but it's nice to know you have a quality option to fallback on should you have a "photography emergency".

Processor & GPU
Apple made a rather bold claim when it introduced new iPad's A5X processor with quad-core graphics, saying its performance blows the competition away. While NVIDIA was initially upset at Apple's claims and wanted to benchmark the A5X against its Tegra 3, but the fact that they have gone quiet since probably means they might have conducted the benchmarks in private and realised Apple was indeed right in its claim.

As it turns out, the additional processing power in the new iPad is not a luxury but a necessity. The apps you run may not feel any faster, but there's a lot more going on in the background, even when your iPad is simply displaying a webpage on screen.

The new Retina Display has four-times as many pixels as the iPad 2, which means refreshing the display is four-times the work. The quad-core graphics engine does a stellar job in handling this extra load, which means you'll almost never notice any lag in terms of performance.



However, we did stumble upon one such moment of "lag", while trying to take a screenshot of a full-HD iTunes rental video in action. There was a slight, longer than expected, delay between the time we pressed the home and power buttons and when the screenshot was taken. However, that was the only situation where we experienced any kind of a lag and the iPad handled everything else we threw at it flawlessly.

Apps/ Software
The new iPad has access to all apps that worked on the iPad and the iPad 2. However, apps updated to feature graphics optimised for higher resolution display of the new iPad will look a lot better than older apps. Overall, the iPad/ iOS ecosystem trumps all other competing tablet platforms (if you can call them that) combined, in terms of quality as well as quantity of apps available.

The new iPad also features voice dictation. We're not sure if it was the Indian accent or the speed at which we spoke, but our experience with dictation ranged from the outrageous to downright hilarious, with the most unexpected of results. 

Battery Life
In a departure from usual next generation Apple products, the new iPad is, as mentioned earlier, heavier and thicker than its predecessor. With a faster processor and a bigger display to power, Apple decided to increase the battery size, even if it meant giving up the slimmer, lighter maxim it loves. The move seems to have paid off as the new iPad features the same incredible battery life that made its predecessors famous.

4G/ LTE
"What 4G/ LTE?" you might ask, and rightly so. As of date, India has only one 4G network, restricted to one city/ region, so the 4G/ LTE networking feature seems to be a non-starter. What's worse, even when 4G/ LTE takes-off in our country, the new iPad is unlikely to work in 4G/ LTE mode, since the chip inside is designed to work on a different spectrum than what the Indian networks are expected to use. Customers in UK and Australia are already experiencing the problem and Apple has been asked to stop advertising its models as 4G in these countries.

The good news is that the new iPad works just fine on 3G-mode out-of-the-box, with performance similar to its predecessor. The GSM version of the iPad (the one available in India) comes factory-unlocked, so you can pop in any compatible SIM. The iPad now also supports the Personal Hotspot feature, that lets you create a Wi-Fi network on the iPad for other devices (like your phone) to use.

Verdict
If you're in the market for your first tablet and not looking for bargains at the very bottom of pit, the new iPad is an absolute no-brainer. Apple products are, often incorrectly, perceived to be premium or expensive but nothing could be further from the truth in case of the new iPad. As of today, no other company could possibly deliver a tablet with iPad like specs at this price-point. Apple manages to do so thanks to its amazingly efficient supply-line and economies of scale.

If you have the original iPad, the present generation offers a compelling upgrade. The new display, cameras and the overall performance gain you'll experience compared to the original iPad, makes the new iPad worth your money.

Things are not so cut-and-dry if you have an iPad 2. At the end of the day, the only thing significantly better in the new iPad is the screen. So is that alone worth spending upwards of 30,500 rupees? Not if you use your iPad for email and browsing alone. However, if you love playing games or watching movies, you should give the new iPad a spin and take a call based on your spending ability.

With Android tablets still trying to get their act together in terms nailing down the hardware as well as the ecosystem to go with it, the iPad seems devoid of any genuine competition. In such a scenario, we can safely say the new iPad is the best tablet money can buy.

Pros

• Stunning display
• Battery life
• Cameras
• Apps

Cons

• Wi-Fi+4G option slightly overpriced
• 4G option not compliant with Indian network(s)

Ratings
Design: 4.5
Display: 5
Performance: 4.5
Software: 4.5
Battery Life: 5
Value for Money: 4.5 Wi-Fi only, 4 Wi-Fi + 4G
Camera: 4.5
Ecosystem: 5

Overall: 4.5