It has been claimed that Apple is sharpening its claws for an assault on the mobile fitness industry, with a so-called Healthbook app presenting a Passbook-esque interface of stacked cards, each containing different snippets of information related to your overall personal fitness and well-being. Today, designer Carlos Quijano has thrown up a concept design of Healthbook for iOS 8 in action, featuring, among other ideas, integration with the elusive iWatch.
The iPhone 6 has been a hot topic of discussion during the opening stages of this year, and from what we've heard so far, the Cupertino company could be planning to release two versions of the upcoming handset. We're expecting one model of around 4.7 inches, and another, similarly-equipped handset of around 5.5 inches, and both will, according to reports, look very much identical. Now, it has emerged that Apple may be opting for a "bezel-free" display, which would not only look great, but maximize display real-estate without adding too much by way of bulk.
iTunes Radio, which has hitherto been a U.S.-only affair, has just launched Down Under, the first of several key areas to be introduced to the streaming service during the opening months of this calendar year.
The Apple TV roster seems to grow by the week, and if you're a music fan - specifically, a Beatles fan - then you'll be more than a bit excited by the Cupertino set-top box's latest acquisition. To mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic British group's Stateside debut, Apple has added a Beatles channel to Apple TV, and provides access to an array of content tailored to the most widely-recognized band of all time.
The iPhone is considered a very expensive device to own, but the fact that newer technologies become cheaper with every year enables vendors like Apple to ensure that each new model packs more new and exciting features for roundabout the same price. If prices of the raw materials remained constant, building a handset like the iPhone would be impossible on a large scale, and to emphasize this point, Tech Policy Daily has carried out some research on how much an iPhone would have cost to make in 1991.
Apple products have a reputation for retaining their value much better than rivaling devices made by other companies. The fact that the iPhone doesn't seem to depreciate nearly as much as the likes of the Samsung Galaxies and Lumias of the world means that purchasing a smartphone bearing that famous bitten-Apple logo accounts to a shrewd long-term investment. And as the cost price of an Apple iPhone can vary largely depending on whereabouts you happen to reside, the device is starting to become its very own form of currency.
Apple executives don't often sound off or even hint at future products until they've been announced, but on Thursday, CEO Tim Cook went on record to state that his company is currently working on some "really great stuff" in the category of new products. Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, he didn't go into any specifics, but with 2014 having already been outlined as a significant year in the company's growth by the head honcho, the interest of the tech world has been well and truly piqued.
Yesterday, it emerged that Samsung, a partner of the 2014 Moscow Winter Olympics, was giving away free Galaxy Note 3 handsets in goody bags handed to each and every participating athlete. Only, instead of being a genuine gift with the hope of a little ad coverage if the Olympian was snapped using the device, it was also reported that the Korean company was trying to exercise some kind of jurisdiction over what the athlete could then use (or indeed, not use) with regards to rivaling devices during the opening ceremony. However, official correspondence from the IOC (via MacRumors) has refuted the claim, so while it did make for an entertaining (and strangely plausible) story, Samsung's give away looks a genuine, no-strings gift to the stars after all.
Rumor has it that the iPhone 6 will benefit from - among other things - a robust, Sapphire glass display. With the shield in place, the days of shattered displays and slivers of glass catching our fingers as we swipe and tap around the cracks should be long gone, and if there was ever any doubt as to the credentials of this material, the video seen below dispels them with aplomb. The clip, which you can see after the break, shows how an iPhone 5 is able to withstand a fair amount of punishment from a concrete block thanks to a Sapphire Crystal Screen Protector by Aero-Gear.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak may no longer work at Apple, but he has acquired something of a reputation for scrutinizing products released by the company he helped to build - and not always in a good way. But while the Cupertino outfit can usually take on board the musings of the Woz with an element of seriousness, his latest suggestion will perhaps go down as the most bizarre idea Apple has ever heard. For Wozniak believes that Apple could benefit from creating a smartphone running on - wait for it - Google's very own Android OS, and while Woz's position as a co-founder means that whatever he says re Apple is going to make the headlines, it's quite staggering that he would make such a suggestion.
