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.
OS X contains many useful and intuitive features that collectively make for a seamless experience, but not every little addition made by Apple over the past few revisions has been so well received. As a long-time Mac user, I've always found the Dashboard to be a bit of a waste of time, and although it could be better if developers of widgets hadn't abandoned the Dashboard en masse, it is, to most, a dud of a feature. Don't get me wrong here, some on OS X use their Dashboards on a daily basis, but for those apathetic about the far-left feature, there's a way to hide it and in turn, speed up your Mac.
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.
The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c may only have been available for two months, but that's not going to stop us looking ahead to what Apple might have up its sleeve for next year. We've already been treated to a bunch of iPhone 6 concepts to accompany the early rumors pertaining the next Cupertino smartphone, and a series of renders recently offered by designer Iskander Utebayev feature an interesting three-sided display. Check it out after the break!
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.
Although the iPhone 5s has now been around for two months, those looking to grab the SIM-free GSM smartphone online in the US haven't been able to. But now, the official online Apple Store is playing ball, with shipping in the United States currently showing at 1-2 weeks from the point of sale, so realistically, you could have yours by the end of the month.
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.
What started out rather amicably has somehow managed to evolve into one of the most interesting and long-drawn out patent battles in tech history. This week's judicial decision to allow Apple the right to go after a total ban on a variety of Samsung's smartphones has been followed up today with a verdict that will see South Korean based Samsung liable for an additional $290 million in damages.
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.
Following hot on the heels to recent updates to its iBooks, iTunes U and Find My friends apps, Apple has released its very first version of the Apple Store app designed specifically for iPad. Some Apple aficionados will feel that the launch of an iPad variant of the popular shopping app is entirely overdue, others will be of the opinion that it has arrived just in time for the festive holiday shopping season. Regardless of public opinion, Apple can be extremely proud of this latest release as it features a gorgeous minimalist design that provides a seamless shopping experience to users.
