Things have been a tad quiet on the iPhone 6 parts leaks front just lately, but today, we've an up-close look at the rear-facing camera of the 5.5-inch model, and with it, yet more indication that it will feature optical image stabilization, or OIS.
In the run-up to IFA 2014, Motorola's invitation alluded to four separate devices. There were two smartphones, which we now know to be the Moto G and Moto X, as well as the Moto 360 smartwatch. The other, rather more mysterious item in the teaser was an earpiece, which has today been unveiled as the Moto Hint. It's not only tiny, unassuming and stylish, but it works as an all-in-one digital assistant, and while the wearables market is currently littered with head-mounted devices and watches very much like the Moto 360, this interesting product has certainly caught our attention.
That early hype surrounding Google Glass may have petered out a little over the past few months, but despite this, numerous start-ups and major vendors have begun working on their own alternatives in recent times. Baidu first announced its head-mounted Eye gadget last year, and after a lengthy period in development, the company has a working prototype ready to preview to the world.
Motorola's heavily-lauded Moto 360 smartwatch has just gone on general sale in the United States at the cost of $250, and with similar roll-outs in the UK and Canada to follow, there's a strong feeling that this wearable will establish an early sales lead over the rest of the field.
When Google acquired Motorola Mobility a couple of years back, we expected a lot of good to come from the deal, especially for the consumers. Over the course of time, we saw some of those expectations turn to reality as well, in the form of the Moto X and Moto G smartphones - devices that offered high-end specs in relatively low costs, with a pleasant experience overall. Today, we have another offering from the Chicago based company with the name of Moto X (2nd Gen.). Nope, it’s not the old Moto X; it’s the new Moto X for which Motorola has essentially decided to keep the naming convention same (or take a leaf out of Apple’s and HTC’s books).
The security of Apple's iCloud servers has had some considerable focus of late after a host of celebrities had their accounts raided and personal, intimate photos of them distributed online. After initially appearing to have been hacked, iCloud suffered quite the bloody nose over the incident.
One of the great features of Apple's iOS 8 update is the relaxing of the ecosystem allowing third parties to flourish. The keyboard, which has been a pet peeve of iOS users for seven years now, will finally be swappable, and a number of famed Android developers including SwiftKey, Swype and Fleksy have already jumped on board. But while those aforementioned will no doubt enhance functionality, one group is focusing its efforts on customization, and the upcoming Ginger Keyboard for iOS 8 hopes to dazzle users with a seemingly endless inventory of skins and themes.
iOS 8 will add quite a bit to the repertoires of Apple's array of devices, but with the prospect of the company's first smartwatch also on the table, things are shaping up very interestingly. We're already aware of the significant emphasis on health and home automation thanks to the respective introductions of HealthKit and HomeKit back at WWDC, but with NFC finally becoming one of the Cupertino company's 'things', there's been rife speculation that mobile payments will be an integral part of the revitalized iOS experience.
Apple's iWatch is expected to take the smartwatch world by storm when it's announced next week, and although it likely won't begin shipping until early next year, the Cupertino company clearly wants to ensure that its first major wearable is among the competition as smartwatches go mainstream. Jony Ive, Apple's lead designer, is naturally quite excited about the prospect of the iWatch hitting the market, and as quoted by a fellow member of the design team inside Cupertino, has jokingly suggested that Switzerland "is in trouble."
Next week, Apple will take to the stage at the Flint Center for Performing Arts in Cupertino where it is likely to announce the iPhone 6, iWatch, and according to a well-respected analyst, the second-generation iPad Air. The iPhone keynote is regularly beamed live across the world through a variety of different mediums, and with less than five days to go now until the curtains are pulled up, Apple has announced the official live streaming options for those wishing to tune in to the action.
