Here's Why Microsoft Coming To Foursquare's Salvation Might Make Sense - TechCrunch

Rumors that Foursquare is looking to take on a strategic investment from a large technology company kicked up a gear when several sources have reported that Microsoft is perhaps the potential suitor, and, to quote Dina Bass of Bloomberg, the talks are "advanced."

What the hell, you might be thinking, does Microsoft want with Foursquare? It's not application support for its platforms, that's already a done deal.

Instead, I think that the investment is being considered for the same reason that Microsoft pumped hundreds of millions into Facebook: Bing. By buying into Facebook as its only corporate investor, Microsoft has locked up a long-term deal to provide mapping and search capabilities for the social giant.

Snagging a chunk of Foursquare is pro-Bing, albeit in a different fashion. Bing competes with Google and Apple to provide local data, and mapping. The two domains are increasingly overlapping as mobile maps become increasingly multifaceted and less about directions, and more about how to live. Bing, of course, on Windows Phone has Local Scout, a tool that combines geolocation and local business information.

Foursquare fits into this by simply having data that Microsoft wants. The startup has spent years accreting information from its users about more than restaurants, hotels, houses, and everything in between. Back that into Bing and it could enrich its offering perhaps past what Google proffers to mobile users.

Bing already uses Foursquare data. That is the reason I think that Microsoft is interested in the stuff: It knows its value. Also, it would hate to see the inflow stop (if Facebook died), or other parties buy it (Yahoo, etc) and cut off its access. The move is a combination of offense and defense. Yahoo, of course, leans on Bing for the moment to power its search technology, but that might not be the case in a year's time.

This would improve the user experience of Windows 8, 8.1, Windows Phone 8, and the online desktop Bing experience.

Now, why not buy Foursquare outright? I don't think that Microsoft has to. Foursquare's last round valued the firm at $600 million. Investors would want a premium, and Microsoft has cash. It would not be a cheap acquisition, even given Foursquare current weaknesses.

But with say, $50 million, Microsoft could bail Foursquare out of its most recent loans, and inject enough capital for it to prove a revenue-fueled future. Microsoft gets access to its data, and doesn't have to pay a meaningful (it's quite rich) price for it. And, if Foursquare really does unwind, who would be there to pick up the pieces and pick out the assets that it wants but Microsoft, a current shareholder.

We're also hearing that Yahoo is a possibility. Let the games begin.

Top Image Credit: Robert Scoble

Apple iPhone 5S - CNET

Golden iPhone?

(Credit: Sonny Dickson)

In a world where almost nothing is certain, this is basically certain: Apple will be having an event on September 10 where the company will announce two new iPhone models. Or so we think.

Despite CEO Tim Cook's pledge to double down on secrecy, it seems like we already know everything about what will be shown: from extremely detailed purported photos and teardowns of the external casing to color options, the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C seem inevitable. The rumors have been fast and furious, and increasingly seem to confirm a similar picture.

If rumors are true, Apple is set to bifurcate the new iPhone lineup into two lines: a more budget-targeted, plastic-backed, candy-colored "5C," and the higher-end iPhone 5S, which looks exactly the same to a casual eye as last year's iPhone 5.

What we think we know

Design: Think iPhone 5, with additional colors
Last year's iPhone 5 wasn't revolutionary, but it did amount to a top-to-bottom restyling and re-engineering of the iPhone 4/4S look into a totally new product. The 5S, on the other hand, looks like last year revisited, down to the two-tone metal/glass back and chamfered edges.

That might make this iPhone feel like one of the most boring iPhone releases ever, but it's a common pattern: new iPhone design one year, bumped-up version in same design the next (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4S).

Those hoping for a jumbo-screen iPhone are likely to be disappointed, too. We're expecting the same-size 4-inch screen, likely with the same Retina resolution.

Well, there's one new thing: that gold-colored version floating around. Thankfully, unlike the gaudy versions originally envisioned, the "gold iPhone" is said to be more of a subtle champagne color.

Beyond gold/champagne, the standard white and black, there's also a rumor of a graphite (slate gray) model. The all-black iPhone 5's finish was scratch-prone, so a silver backing might make more sense. Bottom line: those who love shades of metal will be thrilled.

Inside: A7, new camera
All we've really seen, though, are outer casings. From those it can be gathered that there's a new LED flash in the next iPhone, and with it, most likely, an improved camera.

The iPhone 5S should also feature Apple's next A7 processor, which isn't a surprise (iPhone 4 had an A4, iPhone 4S an A5, and iPhone 5 an A6). Rumors claim it will continue to be a dual-core processor with an emphasis on improved system speed.

We wouldn't call iOS 7 an internal feature, but Apple's newest version of iOS will certainly debut alongside the next iPhone, and as in previous years, the new iPhone will represent the smoothest way to run the new software. History suggests that at least one or two features of iOS 7 will be iPhone 5S-specific, but the good news for existing iPhone owners is that Apple has already confirmed that the new OS will work on iPhone 4, 4S, and 5 models.

The myth (or reality) of fingerprint sensors
Perhaps the biggest new feature on the iPhone 5S could be a fingerprint sensor, which many claim will lurk right under the Home button.

What will a fingerprint sensor be used for? Increased security and maybe a way to encode and bypass entering passwords, but what else? For the everyday person, a fingerprint sensor would mainly make sense for simplified security and possibility some method of secure payment, although no rumors seem to discuss the latter.

Price and release date
We don't know either for sure, but if the iPhone 5S is announced on September 10, previous launch windows suggest availability the following Friday, September 20.

Price isn't much of a surprise, either: for years, the new iPhone's been $199/$299/$399. Expect that to hold true once again.

What we don't really know

So, then, what surprises can there be? Last year's iPhone 5 had a longer, larger display, a better camera, and long-awaited LTE broadband. What can the 5S possibly bring to the table to match it?

Increased storage capacity could be one possibility -- 128GB for $499 on contract? -- or maybe another hidden iOS 7 software feature along the lines of what Siri's debut was for the 4S. The least sexy but most desired improvement could simply involve improving battery life. Our readers agree.

Or, maybe there might be a surprise in store in terms of accessories. At the very least, it looks like handheld game-controller cases are on their way from third-party companies like Logitech.

Stay tuned for September 10
The iPhone 5S feels like a well-detailed reality already, adding up to a product that lacks a sense of excitement. We'll see if that holds true, or whether Apple will surprise us with something more.

What's blocking my file downloads in Windows 8? - The Guardian

I am having problems updating or downloading some, but not all, programs: something is blocking me. I suspect that the problem is either my Internet Explorer settings or my security software. I am on Windows 8 with IE10 and Norton Internet Security. A friend told me to try disabling anti-virus auto-protect in Norton just for the download period, but I am not completely comfortable with that.
Peter

You have identified the most likely culprits, which is a good start.
Browsers and anti-malware programs are trying to protect your PC from external threats, and this can have unintended consequences.

In IE10, the old Tools menu has been replaced with a cogwheel in the top right corner. Click that to pull down the menu, then select Internet Options. When the properties sheet opens, click the second tab, marked Security. Click the Custom button and scroll down the list to the section headed Downloads.

Under File download, there are two radio buttons for Enable and Disable. Make sure the Enable setting is selected.

The Security tab shows a sliding scale with three settings, and the middle one is the best choice: Medium-high. With this setting, IE10 should prompt you before you download something that might be unsafe, without preventing you from doing it. You'd only set the slider to High if you were visiting sites that you didn't think were safe, but you could try the lower setting as a temporary fix.

Are downloads blocked from just one or two websites? If so, you could add these addresses to the browser's list of Trusted sites. To do this, click the green arrow and then the button marked Sites, and paste an address into the box that says "Add this website to the zone". This should stop IE10 from blocking it. Now see if you can download your file.

IE10's compatibility modes

Do some sites always work while others always fail? If so, it may be the website's fault. IE10 is a very good standards-compliant browser, but some sites are behind the times. The way round this, sadly, is to make IE10 pretend to be an older, inferior version.

To do this, go back to the Tools cog and pick "F12 developer tools" from the dropdown menu. This will open a pane at the bottom of the screen. Click on the words "Browser Mode: IE10" to pull down a menu that provides a list of choices. You can choose to make IE10 behave like IE7, IE8, IE9, or use IE10 compatibility mode. I mention this because it's sometimes the only way to get a website to work properly, but I don't recommend it.

If you think you might have made a mess of IE10's settings in Windows 8, you can always re-set them to the defaults by following Microsoft's instructions. (Readers with older versions of Windows can do this by clicking a single Fixit button (Microsoft Fix it 50195).

Of course, if you can't download a file with IE10, the obvious workaround is to use a different browser, preferably the latest version of Firefox. It's slightly less secure than Google Chrome because of Chrome's sandboxing, but it is more stable, and in my experience, handles more tabs while consuming fewer resources. I run it alongside IE10 all the time.

If Firefox doesn't download what you want, Mozilla has a trouble-shooting page: What to do if you can't download or save files.

Disabling Norton

When it comes to Norton Internet Security, I am somewhat handicapped by not having a copy. However, I would expect it to block some websites, and the files from those websites. I would not expect it to block a file from an unblocked website unless it reckons the file is bad. If you are sure the file is safe then you can, as your friend suggested, get around the block. A Norton community member, yogesh_mohan, has provided instructions: Excluding false positives from autoprotect.

If you do this, scan the file with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (quick scan). If MBAM says it is clean, upload the file to Symantec's website: Report a Suspected Erroneous Detection (False Positive).

Again, I'd prefer to find a workaround. Two that spring to mind are using Secunia's PSI and using a file downloader instead of a browser.

One-stop updaters

You mention "problems updating ... some programs" but there are simpler ways to get updates. One of them is to use an "app store" such as All My Apps or Ninite. The idea is to download all the Windows programs you need from the same safe store, which will update them all at once, without visiting all the separate websites. The main difference between the two stores is that Ninite has a very small selection of essential programs — of the order of 100 — whereas All My Apps has about 16,000.

Alternatively, use Secunia's Personal Software Inspector. This scans the programs on your PC and lists the ones that need updating for security reasons. PSI will then fetch and install each update. It's quick and easy, though some programs create problems because they come bundled with "foistware": they try to con you into downloading extra programs that you neither want nor need, such as a Google or Ask toolbar.

It's important to run something like PSI now that a lot of malware exploits insecure third-party programs such as Adobe Reader and Oracle's Java rather than targeting Windows. Also, running PSI means you don't have to put up with half a dozen updaters for separate programs, which otherwise get loaded in the background and run all the time.

The "community-powered" SlimCleaner 4.0 is a great alternative that I also use and recommend. It will find and remove programs you don't need (foistware, crapware etc), clear out junk data (like CCleaner), and find duplicate files. It also includes a Software Updater that installs newer versions of programs for you. It's the Swiss Army knife of modern Windows computing.

Dedicated downloaders

Finally, there are programs designed to download files as easily as possible. These used to be very popular because they could often restart failed downloads, and because they could open multiple download threads. For example, if you wanted to download a 100MB file, the downloader would download four 25MB chunks at the same time, making the download four times faster (if you had enough internet bandwidth). In those days, I used FlashGet, which still looks like a viable option. Now, I'd start with Free Download Manager
(FDM) or JDownloader
(but not Orbit Downloader) as these seem to be popular choices at the moment.

I have not used FDM but I have recently started using JDownloader.
It's designed for fetching files from "cyberlockers" such as File Factory and Depositfiles, but I use it for downloading YouTube videos.
Paste in the address of a 10-minute music video and JDownloader offers the choice of six different downloads including 3gp (for phones), flv, mp4 and WebM, with file sizes from 6.18MB to 22.80MB.

All of the above applies to the Windows 8 desktop and Windows 7 etc.
However, if you like "modern" aka Metro apps for Windows 8 and RT, you could try Vbfnet's free File Downloader from the Windows Store. It looks extremely simple but it can download multiple files from password-protected websites and FTP sites, and downloads can be paused or cancelled. Windows Store apps are easier to install, run securely and, when removed, don't leave anything behind. On technical grounds, they should be your first choice in Windows 8. And mine. But after 23 years of old Windows, it takes time to adjust.

iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C 'leaked' in new video showing new colours and features - Mirror.co.uk

 

A new video shows us what the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C may look like compared with the iPhone 5.

The film, posted online by Macmixing, compares the backplates of both devices to the existing iPhone 5 and gives the clearest look yet at the suspected design of Apple's newest iPhones.

We can see the phones are very similar in size to the existing iPhone 5, although the iPhone 5C is slightly thicker because of its polycarbonate shell.

The iPhone 5S is nearly identical to the iPhone 5 with the exception of the dual-LED rear flash.

The video also showcases the brand new "champagne" colour of the iPhone 5S, which is a light, subtle shade of gold.

The front of the device is expected to be white, although that is not shown in the video.

We can also see the blue version of the low-cost iPhone 5C.

iPhone 5S features a shiny metallic logo along with thinner "iPhone" text, which appears to be in line with both the lettering on the iPhone 5C and Apple's overall move towards thinner fonts.

The iPhone 5C has been rumored to be replacing the iPhone 4S on shelves.

The iPhone 5S will replace the iPhone 5 as Apple's flagship smartphone and is thought to have a number of significant upgrades including an improved camera, A7 processor, fingerprint reader, and a 4-inch Retina Display.

Both iPhones are expected to make their debut on September 10th with releases rumoured for September 20th.

Parallels Desktop 9 soups up cloud storage, improves Windows 8 support - Macworld

Delight in running Windows or Linux applications on your Mac? That's right in Parallels Desktop's wheelhouse, and version 9, which debuted on Thursday, adds even more features to the virtualization program. But while the program is currently available as an upgrade for existing users of Parallels Desktop 7 or 8, the full version won't go on sale until next week.

Among the major new features of Parallels Desktop 9 is optimized support for cloud storage services like iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft's SkyDrive, and more. You can sync files between your Mac and your Windows virtual machine without having the files duplicated, thus saving you precious disk space. And speaking of sharing features between your Mac and Windows VM, there's now a single Security Center for using a complimentary security software subscription for both your Mac and Windows VM.

Mac aficionados can now benefit from a number of Apple-like features in their Windows virtual machines, as well. For example, there's support for Mountain Lion's Power Nap feature on Retina MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs, letting you keep your Windows virtual machine's apps up-to-date even when your computer is sleeping. Additionally, you can now use the three-finger-tap in Windows apps to look up words in OS X's Dictionary, connect storage volumes to your Windows VM via Thunderbolt and FireWire, and print to a PDF on your Mac desktop right from any Windows application.

You can now connect external drives to your Windows VM using FireWire or Thunderbolt.

Also present is improved support for Windows 8 and 8.1, including the return of the real Start menu, and the ability to run modern UI apps in a window, rather than just fullscreen. Enhancements to the Virtual Machine wizards simplify setting up a new VM, even if you don't have a DVD drive on your Mac; there's also better support for connecting to an external monitor while running Parallels Desktop in fullscreen mode, and editable keyboard shortcuts make it easier for users to tweak their Windows setup.

And lest you think all the improvements are focused around Windows, Parallels Desktop 9 also has better integration with Linux guest OSes.

Parallels Desktop is currently available as a $50 upgrade for existing users of Parallels Desktop 7 or 8; those who purchased Parallels Desktop 8 on or after August 15 can upgrade for free.

New users, however, will have to wait until September 5, when they can pick the app up for $80. A student edition will run $40, while the Switch to Mac Edition, which incorporate extra tools to migrate from a PC to a new Mac, costs $100. Also included with Parallels Desktop 9, for a limited time only, is a free six-month trial subscription to the company's recently released Parallels Access, which lets you access your Mac apps from your iPad.

Android exec leaves Google for Chinese phone-maker Xiaomi - Register

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Google's Android product chief is leaving Mountain View for an up-and-coming Chinese smartphone-maker.

Vice president of Android product management Hugo Barra has announced he's joining Android smartphone maker Xiaomi as vice president of its global team to expand the device-maker's product portfolio and worldwide reach.

The company, which developed its own Android fork under the direction of co-founder former Google engineering director Bin Lin, also makes other devices that are integrated with its MIUI-based firmware, including an internet telly set-top box called the Millet.

The Chinese firm, whose employees include other senior Googlers, last week raised $10m in venture funding.

Barra ran Android product development at Google for three years, and first joined Google in 2008.

The outgoing exec said he had decided to start a new "career chapter".

"In a few weeks, I'll be joining the Xiaomi team in China to help them expand their incredible product portfolio and business globally — as Vice President, Xiaomi Global. I'm really looking forward to this new challenge, and am particularly excited about the opportunity to continue to help drive the Android ecosystem," he said.

Barra's exit follows that of Android founder Andy Rubin in March.

He leaves at the same time as reports emerge of complicated relationship issues inside Mountain View. All Things D reports the spokesperson of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, 40, as confirming his split from wife of six years Anne Wojcicki, also aged 40. The pair, who have two children, are reported to be living apart.

Several reports have claimed that Brin is now seeing a 26-year-old Google Glass marketing manager who reportedly had previously dated Barra.

The BBC, however, reports a "source" as saying the departure "was unrelated to personal issues, adding that Mr Barra had been discussing his move with Xiaomi for some time".

The Reg asked Google for confirmation that Brin is involved with the young woman. We also asked the reason for Barra's exit, and asked the firm about its intended replacement for Barra, but the company did not respond.

Barra joins fellow ex-Googler Lin, who is president of the up-and-coming Chinese firm. Lin was a Google engineering director between 2006 and 2010 and also served time at Microsoft as a software design engineer.

Xiaomi sells cheap Android phones in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, but CEO Lei Jun says its secret is its software. He told Reuters earlier this month that "the mobile phone is only the carrier. Microsoft used to sell Windows in a box with a CD in it. Does that make Microsoft a paper box company?"

Just three years old, the firm sold its first smartphone in October 2011. ®

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iPhone 6 release date, features, price and concepts [updated] - Know Your Mobile

The iPhone 6 is set to be 2014's iPhone launch, with the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C coming this year.

Rumours around the iPhone 6 are pretty few and far between though, with most hype pooling around the iPhone 5S's launch.

We do think Apple needs to break away from the boring mould though and the iPhone 6 would be the perfect opportunity for the manufacturer to reinvent the iPhone, as it's just reinvented iOS.

The iPhone 6 is so far rumoured to feature a 6-inch screen, putting into the same phablet category as the Samsung Galaxy Note.

It's also said to run on Apple's A7 CPU too, giving it an extra speed boost too.

What other rumours are on the iPhone 6 horizon though? Take a look at our release date, features, price and concepts article to see exactly what you can expect in 2014.

22 Aug 2013

iPhone 6 will work on all LTE networks

News has come about that the iPhone 6 will work on all 4G LTE networks, rather than different variations launching in different markets.

Currently, the iPhone 5 only works on EE 4G, but will not work on Vodafone or O2's networks when they go live on August 29.

The news comes via Gotta Be Mobile, who says the device will use Intel's XMM 7160 modem and baseband chips, supporting up to 15 different LTE bands.

Most other chips only support around 8 bands, meaning manufacturers have to put different processors in different devices for markets around the world.

21 Aug 2013

iPhone 6 with 6.2-inch screen takes on Samsung Galaxy Note 3

A 6.2-inch iPhone 6 has broken cover online and it shows some serious competition for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with its rumoured 5.9-inch display. The device in question was innovated by Ran Avni and also shows a home button, with a built -in fingerprint sensor and iSight camera for FaceTime.

13 Aug 2013

iPhone 6 concept shows infinite screen

A new iPhone 6 concept has appeared online, with a wrap-around screen.

Although we've previously heard Apple may be introducing an edge-to-edge display on its next iPhone, this takes it one step further, with the edges (and possibly the back) becoming an active screen.

The iPhone 6 concept appeared on Dribbble and shows how the browser could potentially work, as well as an RSS reader.

Of course, the idea will allow you to see much more than just the 4-inch screen's worth of information, but we're not sure the designer has thought the idea through properly.

The main problem is the way in which you hold your phone. Usually, your palm will touch the edge of a device, meaning you could accidentally click on a web page link, open an app or focus on the wrong part of a vista if using touch-to-focus on the camera.

Another potential issue, identified by Macgasm is that you wouldn't be able to use a case, because cases wrap around the sides of a device, therefore covering up a lot of the surface area.

Designer Claudio Guglieri says it's a promo page designed for the Adventurous RSS reader and says the concept device actually has two screens - one on the front and one on the back.

This would potentially allow you to use two apps at the same time, but it's still far away from becoming any kind of reality.

7 Aug 2013

Will iPhone Light outsell iPhone 5S and iPhone 6?

The iPhone Light will outsell the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 according to an analyst.

UBS analyst Steve Milunovich thinks the cheap iPhone Light, which is referred to as iPhone M, will sell 92 million units by the end of the 2014, accounting for 53 per cent of total iPhone sales.

The iPhone M will make up three per cent of Apple's iPhone sales in 2013, suggesting it will launch at the tail end of the year.

'In our model, the iPhone M is dilutive not only to gross margin but to gross profit dollars. The impact of the M depends on assumptions. We estimate the 4/4S, which the M would replace, currently have a gross margin of 55 per cent because of the low cost of older components. We also assume the gross margin of the M will be near 32 per cent. And we estimate shipment of 92 million iPhone M units in F14 [Fiscal year 2014],' Milunovich said.

'Because the M has such a lower gross margin than the 4/4S, the M reduces earnings in our model. iPhone gross profit declines by 4% or $1.6bn with the iPhone 5/5S profit up $4.9bn and the 4/4S/M profit down $6.5bn. The net iPhone impact is a reduction to F14E EPS of $1.16. In this case, Apple would be looking to add new users to its ecosystem at the expense of short-term profit, which CFO Peter Oppenheimer said the company occasionally does,' he continued.

Quocirca Principle analyst Rob Bamforth told us, 'the iPhone device family lifecycle seems to be hitting a myriad of emotions: shock with launch of first device, desire for many subsequent ones, angry (birds) as the app market grows, but this seems more like fear – fear of competitors, hence a follower move into cheap and colourful.'

'However volume keeps the virtuous cycle turning (devices -> developers -> apps) and this is the longer term play. OS and hardware are becoming battlefields of the past, the future is more about the battle for control of apps and content.'

5 Aug 2013

iPhone 6 concept with Retina 2 display looks amazing

A new iPhone 6 concept has been unearthed with a completely new design and extra strength.

Conceptualised by Johnny Plaid, this iPhone 6 concept shows a device constructed from aluminium-carbon – a material that looks like aluminium but has the strength of carbon fibre – with an edge-to-edge Retina 2 display. The screen is coated in ultra-tough graphene making it practically unbreakable, according to Plaid.

The information along with the concept says, 'It would take an elephant, balanced on a pencil, to break through a sheet of graphene the thickness of Saran Wrap.'

The iPhone 6 is made from aluminium and carbon fibre, making it 40 percent lighter than the iPhone 5 and 60 percent stronger. Apparently, the curent manufacturing process for the iPhone 5 is complicated and time consuming. Using these two materials would make the process a lot more efficient, according to Plaid. The build material is also shatter, scratch and dent resistant.

At the bottom of the device, sits the MagSafe charging port as seen on MacBooks. It's described on the concept as 'MagSafe 2' and, like the MagSafe connector on apple laptops, it will simply detach if knocked without damaging the charger or the charging port.

The iPhone 6 concept also shows off a new way of navigating round the device. Multi-touch gesture support (apparently a feature of iOS 8 – yeah, right, Plaid!), allows you to control your iPhone using just the bottom bezel. Double tap the home icon to trigger multitasking mode, single tap to head to the home screen and press and hold for Siri to launch. The HomePad gestures, in Plaid's view of iOS 8, are customisable so you can change them to access the applications you use.

The iPhone 6 will measure 58.6x123.8x7.6mm according to Plaid, with two 2.8GHz quad-core A7 processors, 8-megapixel front-facing camera, 20.2-megapixel rear camera, water-resistant up to two feet of water, with 4GB 1600MHz memory, 2800mAh battery and will be available in 32GB, 64GB, 96GB and 128GB capacities, starting at a price of $199 (£130), going right up to $499 (£326) on a two-year contract.

3 Aug 2013

iPhone 6 to feature car adjustment tech with iOS 7?

The iPhone 6 may feature technology that allows you to adjust your car from your iDevice.

The patent, filed on the United States Patent and Trademark Office shows the ability to tune the radio into your preferred station, adjust mirrors and seat position so if you share a car, you can make it perfect for your needs with the tap of a screen.

Features you will be able to change include the mirrors, seat and steering wheel position, so whether you share a car with a partner/husband/wife/friend or you use a hire car on a regular basis, it can certainly take the pain out of changing your settings every time you get in the car.

The patent says, 'A user's portable electronic device can learn configuration preferences from a first environment, such as the user's car, and when the user visits another similar environment, such as a rented automobile, those configuration preferences can be imported into the visited environment and used to automatically configure the environment according to the imported preferences.'

iOS in the car was detailed in the iOS 7 launch in May and allows you to connect your iPhone to your car's entertainment system.

It's thought the tecnology could be integrated into iOS 7, although it hasn't been identified in the code of any versions up to iOS 7 beta 4 which launched last week.

The iPhone 6 is said to be launching in 2014 and may include a larger screen of around 4-inches, A7 processor and 12-megapixel camera. The iPhone 5S and iPhone Light are said to be launching in September this year.

30 Jul 2013

iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S will include fingerprint sensor

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S will both include fingerprint sensor technology, according to one investigator.

It has been revealed that iOS 7 beta 4 includes the BiometricKitUI code bundle and includes strings on how to use a fingerprint sensor on an iPhone, says Christian Post.

The strings 'show a photo of a person holding an iPhone with their left hand while touching the home button with their thumb, a photo of a person holding an iPhone with their right hand while touching the Home button with their thumb and a fingerprint that changes color during the set up process,' said the website.au

The rumour that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S will feature fingerprint recognition technology is not a new one.

A month ago, a patent filing showed fingerprint scanner on the next iPhone's bezel.

'By encasing both the bezel and the sensor die in the encapsulation structure, the elements may be brought closer together than otherwise possible. In addition, the encapsulation structure physically protects the bezel and sensor die, and in particular maintains the spacing there between in a fashion that isn't possible by currently known device designs,' reports Patently Apple.

Before that, Apple revealed a job posting for a software engineer in Melbourne, Florida, an area where both recent Apple acquisition AuthenTec is based and Apple has a design centre. Authentec was acquired by Apple in 2012 and is known for its fingerprint security work.

The iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone Light and newly rumoured iPhone 5C are due to be launched in the next six months, although which of these devices turn out to be real and which are purely speculation remains to be seen.

18 Jul 2013

iPhone 6 to be constructed from Liquidmetal?

The iPhone 6 may be made from Liquidmetal according to a patent application filed by Crucible Intellectual Property.

The company is said to represent a joint venture undertaken by Apple and Liquidmetal Technologies in a bid to produce the world's first liquidmetal handset.

Apple initially set up a licensing agreement with Liquidmetal in 2010, but nothing much has been heard of the partnership since then. According to Electronista, Liquidmetal is a material made from 'a group of alloys that have an atomic structure more similar to glass, with an amorphous quality'.

The advantages of using Liquidmetal for a device is that it's strong and has corrosion resistance. It is also said to be extremely malleable, making it an excellent build materials choice for handset makers.

Apparently, there are a number of complications that can evolve from making large objects out of Liquidmetal, mostly because it's hard to create large sheets of controllable thickness. Stretching and manipulating the material can cause it to break.

The patent outlines a number of ways the material can be manipulated without breaking to make a sheet of between 0.1mm and 25mm thick. The generic factory methods include melting the material and using conveyor belts, although it's not entirely clear how Liquidmetal Technologies will get over the problem of the material breaking.

The patent specifically refers to the production of iPhones, iPads, watches or 'any electronic device'. With the iPhone 5S scheduled to launch next one could argue that the first handset to benefit from this type of build material might be the iPhone 6 or perhaps even the iPhone 7.

10 Jul 2013

iPhone 6 concept shows potential for coloured aluminium

iPhone 6 concept renderings are 10-a-penny these days but every now and then something rather cool pops up like this multi-coloured aluminium based design, which comes in a wide range of colours including red and baby blue.

The form is a lot squarer than previous iPhone designs and it also looks much thinner and flatter. The designer claims its aluminium material would also ensure that it is much lighter too.

Although the concept pictures don't provide a lot of information, one curious feature is a microUSB port at the bottom of the device, alongside a 3.5mm jack.

i-phone6.de also goes into UI details, not showing iOS 7, but a totally new UI, with the dialling keypad numbers displayed as round buttons. A large toolbar at the bottom allows you to call the number typed out on the screen.

The site says that because there was a lot of criticism around the new app icon designs in iOS 7, i-phone6.de's designer Philipp Ink tweaked them a little to make them more acceptable.

8 Jul 2013

Plastic iPhone shows up - is it iPhone 6 or iPhone Light?

A new picture of an iPhone has popped up online, but there's no information to suggest whether it's the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 or budget iPhone Light.

In fact, the picture on Techdy could just be an iPhone in a plastic case, a its own-made device it's claiming is an iPhone.

The website claims it acquired more than 40 pictures of the device (no source given) and said:

'The budget iPhone will be made substantially from plastic (we can feel it's actually polycarbonate material). It will have a 4" screen, like the iPhone 5, and interestingly, the budget iPhone actually has a shape that's similar to Apple's original iPod. When we hold the budget iPhone in our hands, the plastic chassis does not feel cheap at all. Unlike the plastic build quality of the Samsung Galaxy phones, the plastic material used on the budget iPhone feels more sturdy.'

We can see a camera and presumably a flash on the rear, above an Apple Logo and the iPhone branding at the bottom.

The front is just a sea of black with a speaker slot at the top. The screen looks edge-to-edge, but without it turned on, that could just be a black bezel giving the illusion of an edge-to-edge display.

At the bottom of the device, there's the microphone, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Lightning port and two screw holes.

The home button seems to be missing, exposing the inner workings. This could be the biggest clue that this is not an iPhone, but just a made up prototype because there's nothing sitting behind the empty hole.

There also seem to be some odd pin priks where the volume keys and lock/unlock/power buttons are all supposed to be. We can't see a SIM card slot either. It's all very odd.

5 Jul 2013

iPhone 6 concept shows edge-to-edge screen and iOS 7

A new iPhone 6 concept has appeared online with a 6-inch edge-to-edge display.

The concept, by designer Jonny Plaid, shows a slimmer but larger device, constructed from aluminium carbon fibre.

The device will be 40 per cent lighter and 60 percent stronger.

We can also see iOS 7 running on the handset, although there's no home button which is pretty integral to a device running iOS 7 for a using features such as Siri and to access multitasking.

The larger screen will feature the Retina 2 screen, with a graphene layer that makes it stronger than Corning's Gorilla Glass. Plaid said, 'having the thickness of just one carbon atom, graphene is the strongest known material. A single layer of graphene is virtual indestructible.'

Plaid says the iPhone will be available in 32GB, 64GB, 96GB and 128GB with prices between $199 (£150) for the 32GB capacity to $499 (£400) for the top-end device.

These prices seem a little low to us, reflecting the price of the iPhone Light rather than the flagship. We're expecting the 32GB iPhone 6 to cost around £450.

21 Jun 2013`

iPhone 6 fingerprint scanner detailed in patent filing

New patent filings suggest the oft-rumoured fingerprint scanner Apple has been working on will be fused inside the bezel of the iPhone 6, reports suggest.

We say the iPhone 6 because recent leaked images of the iPhone 5S show nothing remotely resembling this feature. Increasingly it seems the iPhone 5S – like the iPhone 4S – will be an incremental update, adding in only a few snippets of updated hardware and some new imaging capabilities.

'By encasing both the bezel and the sensor die in the encapsulation structure, the elements may be brought closer together than otherwise possible. In addition, the encapsulation structure physically protects the bezel and sensor die, and in particular maintains the spacing there between in a fashion that isn't possible by currently known device designs,' reports Patently Apple.

Reports suggest the integrated scanner, although infused inside the bezel, will create a slight bump in the iPhone 6's exterior. Whether this is an actual design feature to make it more tactile or a limitation of the technology's integration remains to be seen.

It's also worth noting that Apple acquired fingerprint technology specialist AuthenTech in late-2012. Combine that with today's patent listing and you have a pretty good argument for the technology appearing inside Apple's next significant iPhone update.