Earlier in May this year, news circulated the internet that Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar, Kobe Bryant, spent a day in Apple’s Cupertino complex, meeting with different executives including Apple Inc.’s Senior Vice President of Design, Jony Ive. At that time, it was speculated that Apple brought him on for a possible partnership for testing the company’s latest fitness wearables. While we don’t really have confirmation around that still, in a recent interview with Bloomberg, Kobe confirmed the meeting with Ive and shed some light on how the discussion went.
Apple hasn't even managed to get the iPhone 6 out the door yet, but Samsung has already begun poking fun at not just the phone, but those lining up to buy one, too.
Apple prides itself on the security of its iOS mobile operating system, and aside from the occasional hiccup that besets all software at one point or another, this tends to be the case. However, one jailbreak expert has done some serious digging into the guts of iOS and discovered that while the software is pretty safe from the continued threat of hacks and attacks from malware makers, there are certain loopholes within the iOS make-up that make it potentially easy for Apple and government agencies to covertly get hold of your personal data.
Spam text messages are nothing new, but security research firm Cloudmark is now warning people of a new approach being taken by those who previously relied on SMS to peddle their spam.
Keeping your Apple ID safe and secure has never been more important. Not only does it have your payment details locked in, meaning anyone with access to your account can start downloading apps, video or music, but it also plays host to your emails if you use an @icloud.com email address. Strong passwords are a must - you do have a strong password, don't you? - but sometimes a little extra security must be in order.
Off the back of Apple's deal with IBM to further the presence of products like the iPhone and iPad in enterprise environments, Apple CEO Tim Cook has suggested that he completes around four-fifths, or 80 percent of his work using only the company's famed iPad tablet. In addition, he's also of the opinion that everybody should be able to do likewise, and with laptops still comfortably outnumbering tablets in the business world, hopes that Apple and IBM's new-found allegiance can help to tip the balance.
It's a fair assessment to make that Apple's Passbook feature hasn't been adopted by consumers with the kind of enthusiasm that the early hype suggested, but with NFC said to be arriving with the iPhone 6, the voucher / pass / wallet service could soon become a staple part of iOS users' diets. The Cupertino's move to launch iTunes Pass in Japan is certainly indicative of a more concerted push with Passbook, and as of today, Japanese consumers will be able to top up their iTunes credit via Passbook at Apple's brick-and-mortar retail outlets.
Beats Electronics, which was recently acquired by Apple, has enjoyed an immensely successful first few years in business, and while its hardware arguably offers premium audio quality, there's no doubt that the company's ties with music and popular culture have helped it to reach the dizzy heights of being Apple's largest ever acquisition. As well as music, an industry in which founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine are heavily invested, football / soccer players have certainly helped to broaden the appeal of the brand, and now, Beats has returned the favor by presenting Germany's World Cup-winning squad with some 24-carat gold Beats Pro headphones.
It seems that the 5.5-inch Apple iPhone 6 "will it, won't it" saga is set to continue. Apple is widely expected to continue the development of the iPhone by introducing a new 4.7-inch model as well as a larger 5.5-inch "phablet" variant which will appeal those individuals who love a larger display. The question surrounding the release isn't whether or not the purported larger device exists, but whether Apple and its supply chain partners are able to flawlessly manufacture the parts necessary for the device in the required quantities. According to Ming-Chi Kuo - a well respected industry analyst from KGI Securities - the larger in-cell touchscreen panel and the redesigned metal casing that forms the exterior of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 are proving to be problematic, meaning that a launch could be pushed back to 2015.
FCC filings were once a great way of getting a sneak peak at what Apple is working on, but those little leaks have become more and more rare of late. One has been picked up in the last day or so though, and it's all about iBeacons.
