Yesterday, it became apparent that actor Christian Bale may well be in the running to play Steve Jobs in the upcoming biopic, written by Aaron Sorkin. Rumor has it that Sorkin will team up once again with director David Fincher, with whom he made The Social Network, and with the script ready, the process of arranging the cast and crew looks well under way. To give us an idea of how Bale might look as Jobs, one image editing wiz has superimposed his face into the famous pose of the late Apple co-founder from the front cover of his official biography, and in all honesty, he pulls off the look plausibly.
The life and times of Steve Jobs is a pretty interesting story for those who have yet to read the Walter Isaacson biography, and even though the only officially authorized book on the late Apple co-founder and former CEO has its fair share of critics, we're still very much enthused by the prospect of the upcoming Sony Pictures movie, based heavily upon the Isaacson biog. No less, of course, because scriptwriter Aaron Sorkin, of The Social Network fame, has a credible track record for turning tech stories into Hollywood blockbusters, and as the search for an actor to play Jobs continues, Christian Bale has emerged as a front-runner.
Back in January, an interesting infographic emerged comparing the actual amount of storage space our smartphones offer versus the quoted capacity, and it showed that Samsung's Galaxy S4 was the biggest culprit for filling devices up with bloatware. Conversely, the iPhone 5c offered the most storage for a 16GB device, and the release just yesterday of a new 8GB iPhone 5c has thrown up the fascinating statistic that in terms of actual storage, the 16GB Galaxy S4 is a mere 3.7GB ahead of Apple's new 8GB iPhone 5c.
With every new software update, particularly a semi-significant one like iOS 7.1, there's always a chance that the numerous changes implemented will leave a few lingering bugs, and with Apple having just released the first major bump to its mobile OS since September, it would appear that some users are encountering problems with the Personal Hotspot function.
A new iPad Pro concept cooked up by the folks of German design outfit CURVED Labs demonstrates precisely the kind of product that power users of the Apple slate would probably be seeking. Packing a sumptuous 12.9-inch 4K display of almost 300ppi, the device, which does seem a little idealistic if we're honest, manages to retain the same thinness as the iPad Air, and although we doubt that Apple could possibly stuff such a high-spec IPS panel in this kind of form factor, it's not as though Jony Ive and his hardware design team haven't pulled off similarly improbable feats in the past.
It was back in 2011 that Apple first brought us the iPad 2, and after three years of loyal service, the device has finally been retired. Replacing it as understudy to the iPad Air will be the iPad 4 - arguably the righteous holder of this particular position - and with a Retina display, Lightning connector and a beefy A6X processor, it's a notable improvement on the iPad 2.
It's not uncommon, as has been the case over the past couple of months, for talk of the next iPhone to begin swiftly following the release of the current model. But while we've only seen tentative upgrades in terms of the Apple smartphone's form factor since the original handset arrived in 2007, the talk of two new devices - the larger of which may pack a display in excess of 5.5 inches - has raised more than a few eyebrows. With this in mind, ISI analyst Brian Marshall not only believes that we'll see unprecedented numbers of consumers upgrading to the new, larger model, but he also foresees scores of Android users jumping ship as Apple finally decides to go big.
A security researcher has discovered major a flaw in the iOS 7 security system, apparently brought about by a botched attempt by Apple to patch an issue specific to iOS 6. The kernel exploit, if anything, has only been aggravated by the Cupertino's intervention, and as such, Azimuth Security researcher Tarjei Mandt believes that iOS 7 is "much worse" than its predecessor with regards security.
The colorful iPhone 5c is widely regarded as a flop, and the fact that Apple remains tight-lipped about sales of its polycarbonate-clad handset speaks volumes. But while many are tipping it for the axe later on this year by the time the iPhone 6 comes around, there may still be life left in the handset yet, with leaked documents from O2 Germany appearing to suggest that an 8GB model is in the offing; and at a cheaper price point.
As well as offering some big improvements upon existing features, iOS 8 is expected to deliver some significant new implementations of its own, and with fitness and tracking-related devices and applications currently in vogue, it is thought that Apple will hop aboard the bandwagon with a new, native app called Healthbook. As the name implies, the app will be to fitness and wellbeing what Passbook is to vouchers and tickets, presenting the health-conscious with an all-in-one hub for tracking key aspects such as exercise, diet and activity. 9to5Mac first shed light on Healthbook a while back, and is now back with some more in-depth tidbits regarding the forthcoming app.
