By Soham
It’s official (or as official as it gets with Apple). The Cupertino-based tech giant will release a transparent iPhone 6 that might have a transparent glass display on both sides, giving the user the choice of rendering the content in one seamless continuous presentation across the device, or in two individual displays.
Even as rumours about a transparent iPhone 6 (read: iPhone 6 rumours: Transparent, scratch-free screen… features to kill Galaxy S4?) refuse to die down, official details of a ‘wraparound display’ have been revealed, making the iPhone 6 as futuristic in looks as it gets.
In fact, with one masterstroke, Apple will be doubling the screen size of the upcoming iPhone 6 to about 10 inches without losing the handheld functionality. Now that’s the kind of genius innovation we expect from Apple, not incremental additional centimetres to the existing screen.
If this indeed comes true, it – and mark our words – will be the biggest thing to happen to iPhone since the iPhone. In fact, gauging by customer anticipation and response, it may well be the biggest thing to happen to Apple since Apple.
Here are the details.
Last week, on March 27, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) published a patent application from Apple that reveals a future iPhone with a wraparound display so that both sides of this smartphone will be able to display content, either individually or as one continuous display.
According to information and images published by Patently Apple, the wraparound display will also apply to Apple’s possible future wristband communication device, or the much-awaited iWatch, details of which were revealed in February.
Flexible, transparent display
As described in the patent information, the latest iPhone could indeed sport a flexible wraparound display that could be fashioned in aluminium, aluminium and glass, or a fully transparent design.
Fully transparent? Yes, that’s what we’ve been talking about, baby.
According to its patent, Apple states that the design could also be fully formed of transparent (or at least semi-transparent) material such as glass.
Indeed, features will include not just a transparent screen, but a flexible one too – and one that will allow you to scribble notes on it with an ordinary pen, pencil, or your fingernails. Now that’ll be something, ain’t it?
Apple states that one of the advantages of using a polyimide substrate is that the AMOLED display screen can be heated that allows the AMOLED display screen to be configured into any number of shapes.
Moreover, once the heat is removed, the AMOLED display will then ‘remember’ the original shape even if temporarily rolled up or flattened out. In this way, by heating AMOLED display assembly while configured in a shape in accordance with transparent housing AMOLED display assembly easily conforms to the shape of transparent housing.
“In one embodiment, a consumer electronic product is described which includes at least a transparent housing and a flexible display assembly enclosed within the transparent housing. In the described embodiment, the flexible display assembly is configured to present visual content at any portion of the transparent housing,” the recent patent further details.
Look ma, no buttons
This future iPhone design won’t have any physical buttons – so controlling the audio on the iPhone will simply require you to hover your hand over the side of the display to temporarily illustrate the controls on the device’s display (actually, the entire device will be the smartphone’s display).
And with the entire smartphone built out of flexible, transparent glass, there will be no need – or place – for physical buttons on the device. Just virtual ones, thank you. The virtual functionality of the buttons would allow a user to hold a finger over the button, say, a volume indicator, and an action would be triggered by that simple action.
3D in a continuum
Apple states that visual content can be presented by the first flexible display out of a temporal phase with the visual content presented by second flexible display. In this way, an illusion of depth perception can be presented mimicking a 3D experience.
In effect, the new iPhone 6 could also produce 3D visuals through its unique dual display design.
Moreover, utilising a flexible display can provide additional viewing area without increasing either the size or shape of the iPhone. For example, a flexible display can be folded in such a way as to form a continuous loop such that images (still or video) can be presented in a wrap-around manner in which the images appear to be presented in a continuous loop.
This is certainly one of Apple’s hottest inventions of the year. One that has the potential to sweep us off our feet. About time, Apple.
Monday, 1 April 2013
Friday, 8 March 2013
Apple's iOS lineup accounts for 84% of in-flight Wi-Fi traffic from mobile devices
In-flight Wi-Fi provider Gogo on Thursday reported that iOS users account for the lion's share of mobile devices accessing the company's ground-to-air Wi-Fi network, with iPhone owners comprising some 73 percent of all traffic originating from smartphones.
According to Gogo, an in-flight Wi-Fi provider operating on 1,800 aircraft across ten carriers, including United, Delta and American Airlines, some 84 percent of all mobile devices connecting to its service have been identified as running Apple's iOS. Products using rival operating system Android account for the remaining 16 percent.
While iOS still rules the skies, the OS saw a decline from a 96.8 percent share in 2011, while Android use grew 400 percent over the same period.
Breaking down the statistics by device, smartphones and tablets combine to make up 67 percent of portables being used to access the internet in-flight. Tablets enjoy the most use with a 35 percent share, while laptops and smartphones comes in at 33 percent and 32 percent, respectively.
Apple's presence is dominating, with the iPhone accounting for 73 percent of smartphones recorded, compared to Android's 26 percent. Handsets running on BlackBerry and Windows didn't break the 1 percent mark.
Gogo said that passengers spend most of their time surfing the Web, with Apple's Safari being the most used browser, followed by Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Google's Chrome. Other Internet activities ranking high on the list of things to do while traveling include writing emails, accessing social media sites, checking sports scores and shopping.
Source-Gogo
According to Gogo, an in-flight Wi-Fi provider operating on 1,800 aircraft across ten carriers, including United, Delta and American Airlines, some 84 percent of all mobile devices connecting to its service have been identified as running Apple's iOS. Products using rival operating system Android account for the remaining 16 percent.
While iOS still rules the skies, the OS saw a decline from a 96.8 percent share in 2011, while Android use grew 400 percent over the same period.
Breaking down the statistics by device, smartphones and tablets combine to make up 67 percent of portables being used to access the internet in-flight. Tablets enjoy the most use with a 35 percent share, while laptops and smartphones comes in at 33 percent and 32 percent, respectively.
Apple's presence is dominating, with the iPhone accounting for 73 percent of smartphones recorded, compared to Android's 26 percent. Handsets running on BlackBerry and Windows didn't break the 1 percent mark.
Gogo said that passengers spend most of their time surfing the Web, with Apple's Safari being the most used browser, followed by Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Google's Chrome. Other Internet activities ranking high on the list of things to do while traveling include writing emails, accessing social media sites, checking sports scores and shopping.
Source-Gogo
Saturday, 2 March 2013
Xbox 720
It appears that some of the technical aspects of the Xbox 720's CPU have recently been leaked to the general public. VG Leaks has gotten ahold of a very detailed description of the Durango CPU, which will power the next Xbox.
The CPU turns out to have total of eight total core processors, much like previous rumors had indicated, with each running a single thread at 1.6 GHz. In comparison, the PlayStation 4 will have eight x86-64 bit "Jaguar" core processors, built by AMD. The Durango is designed to help developers get the most of the powerful CPU, as explained in the leaked information:
"With Durango, a familiar instruction set architecture and high performance silicon mean developers can focus effort on content and features, not micro-optimization. The trend towards more parallel power continues in this hardware; so, an effective strategy for multi-core computing is more important than ever," VGLeaks writes.
It is worth noting that none of this information is verified by Microsoft, so it could very well be that the Durango will be completely different. But in light of others claiming to have leaks about the new system, this looks like it could be the hardware for the Xbox 720. Microsoft is said to be planning on officially revealing the new system in April, so curious gamers will have to wait until then to get the official specs of the new system, if Microsoft reveals them at the announcement at all.
Which one one of the upcoming next-gen consoles are you looking forward to more? The PlayStation 4 or the next-gen Xbox?
The CPU turns out to have total of eight total core processors, much like previous rumors had indicated, with each running a single thread at 1.6 GHz. In comparison, the PlayStation 4 will have eight x86-64 bit "Jaguar" core processors, built by AMD. The Durango is designed to help developers get the most of the powerful CPU, as explained in the leaked information:
"With Durango, a familiar instruction set architecture and high performance silicon mean developers can focus effort on content and features, not micro-optimization. The trend towards more parallel power continues in this hardware; so, an effective strategy for multi-core computing is more important than ever," VGLeaks writes.
It is worth noting that none of this information is verified by Microsoft, so it could very well be that the Durango will be completely different. But in light of others claiming to have leaks about the new system, this looks like it could be the hardware for the Xbox 720. Microsoft is said to be planning on officially revealing the new system in April, so curious gamers will have to wait until then to get the official specs of the new system, if Microsoft reveals them at the announcement at all.
Which one one of the upcoming next-gen consoles are you looking forward to more? The PlayStation 4 or the next-gen Xbox?
Friday, 22 February 2013
The wait is over PS4: Sony unveils new:PlayStation 4 console
Sony Corp unveiled its first video game console in seven years on Wednesday that will let users stream and play video games hosted on servers, hoping the move will help stem user losses, pre-empt the next version of Microsoft's Xbox and propel it back to the top of the videogame hardware industry.
The company revealed its PlayStation 4 console, which will succeed the PlayStation 3, at a flashy event in New York with game developers like Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard in attendance.
Sony said the console would be available for the holiday 2013 season. It did not immediately disclose pricing.
The console will be up against the next version of the industry-leading Xbox console, which is expected later this summer.
The controller on the new console dubbed "DualShock 4" will have a touch pad, Mark Cerny, lead system architect on PlayStation 4, said.
Sony purchased U.S. cloud-based gaming company Gaikai for $380 million in July. Using that technology, the new console will offer a cloud-gaming service, the company said.
The 8GB PlayStation 4, which has been in development for the last five years, can also instantly stream game content from the console to Sony's handheld PlayStation Vita through a feature called "Remote Play," the company said.
Sony has also revamped the user interface on the new console that keeps tabs on user preferences and added social networking features.
Sony's announcement comes amid industry speculation that Microsoft is set to unveil the successor to its Xbox 360 later this summer. The market-leading Xbox 360 beats the seven-year-old PlayStation 3's online network with features such as voice commands on interactive gaming and superior connectivity to smartphones and tablets.
Gaining a lead over Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo Co Ltd's new Wii U could help Sony revive an electronics business hurt by a dearth of hit gadgets, a collapse in TV sales and the convergence of consumer interest around tablets and smartphones built by rivals Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.
Tablets and smartphones already account for around 10 percent of the $80 billion gaming market. Those mobile devices, analysts predict, will within a few years be as powerful as the current slew of game-only consoles.
After six years, Sony PlayStation sales are just shy of Xbox's 67 million installed base and well behind the 100 million units of Wii sold by Nintendo, according to analysts.
Here is also a look of the kills zone shadowlands for ps4
The company revealed its PlayStation 4 console, which will succeed the PlayStation 3, at a flashy event in New York with game developers like Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard in attendance.
Sony said the console would be available for the holiday 2013 season. It did not immediately disclose pricing.
The console will be up against the next version of the industry-leading Xbox console, which is expected later this summer.
The controller on the new console dubbed "DualShock 4" will have a touch pad, Mark Cerny, lead system architect on PlayStation 4, said.
Sony purchased U.S. cloud-based gaming company Gaikai for $380 million in July. Using that technology, the new console will offer a cloud-gaming service, the company said.
The 8GB PlayStation 4, which has been in development for the last five years, can also instantly stream game content from the console to Sony's handheld PlayStation Vita through a feature called "Remote Play," the company said.
Sony has also revamped the user interface on the new console that keeps tabs on user preferences and added social networking features.
Sony's announcement comes amid industry speculation that Microsoft is set to unveil the successor to its Xbox 360 later this summer. The market-leading Xbox 360 beats the seven-year-old PlayStation 3's online network with features such as voice commands on interactive gaming and superior connectivity to smartphones and tablets.
Gaining a lead over Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo Co Ltd's new Wii U could help Sony revive an electronics business hurt by a dearth of hit gadgets, a collapse in TV sales and the convergence of consumer interest around tablets and smartphones built by rivals Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.
Tablets and smartphones already account for around 10 percent of the $80 billion gaming market. Those mobile devices, analysts predict, will within a few years be as powerful as the current slew of game-only consoles.
After six years, Sony PlayStation sales are just shy of Xbox's 67 million installed base and well behind the 100 million units of Wii sold by Nintendo, according to analysts.
Here is also a look of the kills zone shadowlands for ps4
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Microsoft suffering loses due to its absence from iOS
Microsoft's absence from Apple's hot-selling tablet iPad may be costing the world's biggest software maker a fortune. In a research note, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Holt said that Microsoft is losing as much as $2.5 billion per year by not providing its Office Suite on Apple's iOS.
Holt estimated that if Microsoft begins offering Office Suite - which includes programmes like Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc - at a price of $60, 30% of iPad users are likely to purchase the app. In his note, he said that approximately 200 million people will be using iPads in 2014, thus allowing Microsoft to rake in $2.5 billion for the year, even after paying Apple the 30% commission it charges.
As of now, the Office Suite is only available on Windows platform and more importantly on Surface tablets, the rivals of iPads. In his note, Holt said, "While Microsoft has resisted offering a full version of Office for the iOS, the company may ultimately decide there is more upside with Office on iPads, particularly if Windows tablets fall short of expectations."
On Windows 8, Holt also said that Microsoft's new operating system provides the company with a new avenue to generate revenue. However, the growth potential of this touch-friendly platform has been hampered by the limited availability of Windows-powered touchscreen devices. Another factor for this is that enterprises have slowed down in upgrading the software they use in office computers.
Holt estimated that if Microsoft begins offering Office Suite - which includes programmes like Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc - at a price of $60, 30% of iPad users are likely to purchase the app. In his note, he said that approximately 200 million people will be using iPads in 2014, thus allowing Microsoft to rake in $2.5 billion for the year, even after paying Apple the 30% commission it charges.
As of now, the Office Suite is only available on Windows platform and more importantly on Surface tablets, the rivals of iPads. In his note, Holt said, "While Microsoft has resisted offering a full version of Office for the iOS, the company may ultimately decide there is more upside with Office on iPads, particularly if Windows tablets fall short of expectations."
On Windows 8, Holt also said that Microsoft's new operating system provides the company with a new avenue to generate revenue. However, the growth potential of this touch-friendly platform has been hampered by the limited availability of Windows-powered touchscreen devices. Another factor for this is that enterprises have slowed down in upgrading the software they use in office computers.
HTC READY TO COMPETE WITH ITS RIVALS
HTC, a smartphone maker based in Taiwan, announced its new flagship device on Tuesday. The phone, which has been christened HTC One, will compete with Apple's iPhone, flagship Android devices and other smartphones. It is powered by Google's Android Jelly Bean aka Android 4.1 and the new version of Sense, a proprietary user interface created by HTC.
The phone is likely to be available in March in various countries. Currently, there is no specific date for the India launch.
HTC, which has seen its market share dwindle in the last one year, is hoping to get back in the game with the new phone. This is one of the reasons why the company has pulled out all stops for HTC One and has equipped it with the best hardware available at the moment. The phone, which has a metal unibody design, is powered by a Qualcomm quad-core processor running at 1.7GHz. It sports a 4.7 inch screen with 1080P resolution and features 2GB RAM.
The phone will be available with 32GB or 64GB internal storage. There is no support for microSD card. It has a 2.1 mega pixel front camera and a battery with a capacity of 2300 mAh.
HTC claims the highlight of the phone is its primary camera, which comes with a new technology that is reportedly better than the camera technology used in the existing phones. HTC One camera will shoot pictures in just four mega pixels. But the company says that more important is what the phone is going to do with these pixels.
At the launch event in the US, an HTC official said, "For years, people have been misled about what is important in a camera - what matters is not pixel count, but pixel size. Bigger pixels let in more light, it's simple physics... We're trying to balance out what a lens can support and what a sensor can support. We're talking about real image quality, not just megapixels for the sake of megapixels. The era of the megapixel is over."
HTC claimed that the camera in its new phone can capture 300% more light than the cameras in existing phones. It can also produce better HDR pictures and videos. Just like the camera in Lumia 920, the camera in HTC One features optical image stabilization.
Taking a leaf from the Nokia's phones, specifically PureView 808, the Taiwanese company has also equipped HTC One with better speakers. It is calling the feature BoomSound.
HTC has announced its latest phone just a week ahead of Mobile World Congress where other phone companies are expected to unveil their top devices. Samsung, which competes with HTC, is expected to announce its flagship phone - likely to be called Galaxy S IV -- on March 14.
While HTC had some good smartphones in 2012, it lost to companies like Samsung and Apple that aggressively ramped up their sales and marketing operations. The latest IDC report on global phone market showed that HTC shipped 25% less phones in 2012 compared to 2011. At the same time, its market share halved from over 8% in 2011 to 4% in 2012.
Recently, HTC CEO Peter Chou told Wall Street Journal that his company has suffered because competitors "were too strong and very resourceful, pouring lots of money into marketing."
"The worst for HTC has probably passed. 2013 will not be too bad," Chou told the newspaper.
The phone is likely to be available in March in various countries. Currently, there is no specific date for the India launch.
HTC, which has seen its market share dwindle in the last one year, is hoping to get back in the game with the new phone. This is one of the reasons why the company has pulled out all stops for HTC One and has equipped it with the best hardware available at the moment. The phone, which has a metal unibody design, is powered by a Qualcomm quad-core processor running at 1.7GHz. It sports a 4.7 inch screen with 1080P resolution and features 2GB RAM.
The phone will be available with 32GB or 64GB internal storage. There is no support for microSD card. It has a 2.1 mega pixel front camera and a battery with a capacity of 2300 mAh.
HTC claims the highlight of the phone is its primary camera, which comes with a new technology that is reportedly better than the camera technology used in the existing phones. HTC One camera will shoot pictures in just four mega pixels. But the company says that more important is what the phone is going to do with these pixels.
At the launch event in the US, an HTC official said, "For years, people have been misled about what is important in a camera - what matters is not pixel count, but pixel size. Bigger pixels let in more light, it's simple physics... We're trying to balance out what a lens can support and what a sensor can support. We're talking about real image quality, not just megapixels for the sake of megapixels. The era of the megapixel is over."
HTC claimed that the camera in its new phone can capture 300% more light than the cameras in existing phones. It can also produce better HDR pictures and videos. Just like the camera in Lumia 920, the camera in HTC One features optical image stabilization.
Taking a leaf from the Nokia's phones, specifically PureView 808, the Taiwanese company has also equipped HTC One with better speakers. It is calling the feature BoomSound.
HTC has announced its latest phone just a week ahead of Mobile World Congress where other phone companies are expected to unveil their top devices. Samsung, which competes with HTC, is expected to announce its flagship phone - likely to be called Galaxy S IV -- on March 14.
While HTC had some good smartphones in 2012, it lost to companies like Samsung and Apple that aggressively ramped up their sales and marketing operations. The latest IDC report on global phone market showed that HTC shipped 25% less phones in 2012 compared to 2011. At the same time, its market share halved from over 8% in 2011 to 4% in 2012.
Recently, HTC CEO Peter Chou told Wall Street Journal that his company has suffered because competitors "were too strong and very resourceful, pouring lots of money into marketing."
"The worst for HTC has probably passed. 2013 will not be too bad," Chou told the newspaper.
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Apple iTV Event Set for March
Rumors surfaced that Apple may be interested in acquiring German TV maker Loewe, and now a fresh report has surfaced suggesting that the Cupertino-based company is planning an event in March that will be focused around the TV. What remains unclear, however, is if it’s just an update to the Apple TV (we wonder if that’s enough for an event, despite incredible sales), or if it’s a discussion around the highly rumored iTV.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek is the source of the rumor, and he thinks that an iTV software development kit (SDK) is one possible announcement. He even suggests that Apple is aiming to launch an iTV in September or October.
It’s all very interesting, but we’ll need to wait until invites are official before we get too excited. After all, rumors of an iTV have been floating around for quite some time now.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek is the source of the rumor, and he thinks that an iTV software development kit (SDK) is one possible announcement. He even suggests that Apple is aiming to launch an iTV in September or October.
It’s all very interesting, but we’ll need to wait until invites are official before we get too excited. After all, rumors of an iTV have been floating around for quite some time now.
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