Apple's iPhone 5s includes a wealth of exciting new hardware features, but whilst we've been more than impressed by the new 64-bit A7 processor, much has been made of the Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Allowing iPhone users to unlock their devices without going through the tiresome rigmarole of typing in a passcode, it has been a big hit in its short lifespan, and according to a recent patent filing by Apple, could be about to get even better.
This week, in the unlikely case that you weren't already aware, is Black Friday week, and the deals and special offers will be running from most of the major retail outlets. In technology terms, it's a great time to go shopping in preparation for the holiday season, particularly since many of these price-cuts don't occur at any other time of year. Apple is a prime of example of a company that seldom alters its price structure except for on Black Friday, and those holding out on an Apple purchase in hope of making some savings later on this week will be pleased to learn that the Cupertino outfit has just announced the details.
Rumors have been floating around for months, and Apple has now confirmed what was already pretty much a certainty - Apple has bought PrimeSense, the company behind the motion and depth detection technology that made the Xbox 360's Kinect accessory possible. It's worth nothing though that the recently released Xbox One's Kinect is based on Microsoft's own in-house cameras and software, rather than something built by PrimeSense.
As far as causes go, The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has to be a pretty good one, and with names like Bono, Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newson, CBE involved in a charity auction for said cause, it was always going to be a success. Though, we suspect the results may have exceeded everyone's hopes by some way.
Well known developer Winocm has managed to achieve "one of the core milestones" pertaining to a project he has been working on for quite some time. Those who follow the activity of the developer on his Twitter feed will more than likely know about the project he has been working on for quite some time. With a little help from Steven Troughton-Smith, Winocm has managed to port the core elements of Apple's iOS operating system onto non-Apple hardware.
Honda may have already announced earlier this year that it would support Apple's Siri Eyes Free feature in some of its cars, but the Japanese car maker hasn't stopped there. Not content with already being towards the forefront of Apple's mobile integration within cars, Honda has now confirmed that it will also be the first car firm to offer iOS mirroring in one of its upcoming automobiles.
Apple's iPad may be used by many of us to play games, view video clips and catch up with bits of work on-the-fly, but as the Cupertino cpmany has pointed out before, the tablet can be life-changing to some. To once again show some of the different benefits of owning an iPad, the Cupertino giant has launched a new webpage entitled "Life on iPad," highlighting a myriad of industries and situations currently taking advantage of the market-leading slate.
Apple's Touch ID had been rumored to be on its way to devices for some time, and when it was finally unveiled as part of the iPhone 5s we all marveled at how Apple managed to take a fingerprint sensor and build it right into the Home button to the extent that you wouldn't know it was there. These things always seem even more impressive when shown as part of an exploded diagram, which is why everyone should take notice of the fact that Apple's Touch ID is now part of a patent application with the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
As consumers continue to snap up the extremely well-received iPhone 5s, we are already hearing speculation suggesting that Apple isin the process of field testing the next generation iPhone. It was only a matter of time before the iPhone 6 rumors began to circulate, with this particular Far East based website going into a fair amount of detail about Apple's current plans and testing schedule for next year's model.
We've already spoken about our high hopes for what Apple's iBeacon may turn into and we've made no bones about the fact that it may be the best kept secret of iOS 7, considering it got little to no press when the mobile operating system launched a couple of months ago. It seems that some people were paying attention though, and hot on the heels of Major League Baseball's decision to trial iBeacon at ball parks, department store Macy's is also putting Apple's location aware technology through its paces at some of its own stores.
