Along with the iPhone 5's release back in late 2012, Apple also took the wraps off its new EarPods earphones, which represented a marked improvement upon the previous ear buds in terms of design, audible output, and comfort. Aside from packing a mic and some basic controls, there wasn't really much else to tell about the EarPods, but a new patent filing by the Cupertino company suggests that an accelerometer and beamforming mics could be thrown in to an improved edition, allowing the peripheral to include its very own voice-recognition facility.
Apple's WWDC event has been confirmed by the company itself, and will commence from the week beginning June 2nd. Tickets will be drawn in the format of a lottery, with developers able to apply up until next Monday, 7th April via the official WWDC site. Thereafter, tickets will be randomly drawn.
In reflection of alterations in exchange rates, Apple will be making subtle changes to its iTunes App Store pricing structure in several countries. For the most part, the modifications will prompt a trivial increase, although customers in Israel and New Zealand will benefit from an equally negligible reduction in price.
Often, when hitting certain milestones, Apple likes to make a bit of fanfare about its achievements. But while the 50 billionth iTunes download prompted a countdown that resulted in some great prizes for one lucky individual, Apple recently sold its 500 million iPhone without so much as a press release.
Amid a swirl of rumors over the past couple of days suggesting that Apple would be adding a cheaper, 8GB variant of the iPhone 5c to its smartphone roster, the company has now confirmed this to be the case, with the handset launching today in select markets.
Apple has, without too much fanfare, decided to cut down its iPhone returns policy from 30 days to just 14, meaning that new purchasers now have only a two-week grace period after which they can no longer change their mind. The move is part of a wider play aimed at offering a more coherent, uniform returns policy across the company's range of products, while also tying in with similar systems offered by mobile carriers.
That's right, we're coming to that time of year again when Apple's current-generation tech has been in our lives long enough for us to start speculating about the next flagship product to be released. The iPhone 5s has been publicly available to purchase for over five months now, which means that it's time to join the iPhone 6 rumor mill and discuss what the guys in Cupertino have in store for us. To keep in line with current smartphone trends, analysts and technology forecasters have widely tipped Apple to introduce the next iPhone with a larger multi-touch display, which is exactly what is depicted in these latest leaked images that claim to be from the iPhone 6.
Apple may not have fallen apart following the death of Steve Jobs, but that doesn't mean that the company isn't missing its talismanic leader. Today, February 24th would have been Jobs' 59th birthday had he survived his battle with cancer, and there are plenty of people remembering him.
Even in this day and age there are plenty of people worldwide that like to collect postage stamps. Once one of the most collected items around, stamps can be worth huge sums of money if preserved well and of a particular vintage and style, so even at a time when communication is becoming more and more of the digital kind, having your face on a stamp is still quite the honor. The Washington Post has gotten wind of a whole slew of new stamps that are on their way into circulation over the next year or two, and one of them in particular will be of interest to technology fans.
Apple and Samsung is a little more than your average company rivalry. There's genuine animosity between the two tech titans, and you only have to look at the ongoing litigation for further evidence of the contempt each feels for the other. Unsurprisingly, both Apple and Samsung regularly take shots at each other with ad campaigns, and in its latest, Sammy has taken a swipe at its old adversary in a new fleet of commercials for the Galaxy Tab Pro and Note 3. Check them out after the fold!
