If there was ever any doubt that we're now firmly in the midst of an iPhone rumor storm, then it's fairly safe to say that the events of the last few days should put to rest any lingering wonderments.
Normally we're only too keen to have the monotony of never-ending iPhone rumors broken by something different, especially if it's not a smartphone. Watches aren't phones, but while we're as keen to see what Apple does when it finally enters the smartwatch fray, we have to admit to being more than a little tired of the constant 'will they, won't they' arguments that fill our Twitter streams on a daily basis.
It is strongly suspected that the next-generation iPhone, unofficially dubbed the "iPhone 6" for obvious reasons, will sport a larger, 4.7-inch display. Various case leaks, analyst reports and concept designs have turned this notion into mainstream consensus, and with a fairly solid idea of what a display increase may do to the form factor of the Apple smartphone, how does it stand up against some of the more sizeable flagship Android handsets currently available?
It's been almost a year since Apple's MacBook Air range was afforded a hardware upgrade, and a pretty significant upgrade it was too. The introduction of Intel's energy-efficient Haswell processor saw battery life potential increase by hours on both the 11 and 13-inch models of the ultra-thin notebook, and now, both configurations are in line for another customary bump according to a new report.
As time rolls on and we get very closer to the inevitable iPhone 6 announcement, speculation is beginning to grow about what the brand new iPhone will look like, and what key features it will bring to Apple's product line. The current best bet scenario is that Apple will bring two new iPhones to market, one packing a 4.7-inch screen and another sporting a larger 5.5-inch display. It's that larger device that is making all the headlines right now though, thanks to an apparently leaked iPhone 6 case that seems to fit very well with the larger iPhone claims that have been prevalent for some time now.
Apple's decision to keep OS X and iOS as close to each other as possible when it comes to the underlying technology that powers them both has been beneficial to the firm in the past. Unfortunately that also means that some security holes found in one are likely to also be evident in the other, meaning both will require patching. Conventional wisdom says that if you have two platforms with the same security problem, you patch them both at the same time, but it seems nobody told the folks at Apple, leaving one security researcher to lay into the company over the matter.
Scarcely a day goes by without some kind of update on the state of the so-called iPhone 6, and one of our favorite designers has come through with an interesting concept that, based on various leaked info, shows how an "iPhone 6s" might stand up against an "iPhone 6c" if both current devices were upgraded.
There's been a lot of speculation in recent weeks about what Apple will announce during this year's WWDC in San Francisco. Apple's annual developer meet and greet will undoubtedly feature an early iOS 8 reveal, giving us all a chance to see what the future of iOS holds.
Apple has just rolled out iOS 7.1.1, and although the majority of the changes packed within the minor update are not particularly significant, one just-discovered addition will be more than welcomed by frequent downloaders of apps and games. For in the Featured and Top Charts sections of the App Store, any app or game featuring in-app purchases is now labeled as such, meaning a user will not get stung by constant micro-payments in order to progress through a title or unlock the key features within an app.
Hitherto, those looking to test out beta releases of Apple's OS X would need to sign up to the Developer Program, which, for $99 per year, looked quite a steep fee for the casual, inquisitive user. Now, however, the Cupertino company has introduced a new OS X Beta Seed Program, whereby users can test out pre-release builds of the Mac software simply by signing up with an Apple ID - no annual fee required.
