Business News Holding

Author: Antony Maina

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook Says Chinese Tastes Considered in Apple Product Designs

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook recently admitted that Apple takes into account Chinese consumer tastes as it designs its products. He further revealed that Apple considers details such as color palettes that are specifically tailored to suit local tastes.

The decision to include a gold iPhone last year for instance was a bold statement of inclusion of its Chinese customer’s tastes where gold is a favorite. Greater Chine, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, is now Apple’s 2^nd largest market and it is also a battleground for the American company as it faces stiff competition from Xiaomi Corp. and Samsung Electronics.

Tim made this comments last month during a tour to China where he was visiting the company’s largest store worldwide in eastern city of Hangzhou. Tim also commented on the Apple Watch saying that it had already had a promising start having attracted more developer interest than the earliest iPads and iPhones had. Developers are developing more than 3,500 apps for the wearable and that is far ahead of the 500 apps available for the iPhone (2008 edition) and the 1,000 apps for the 1^st iPad back in 2010, he added.

Apple is still silent on the initial sales for the watch, which is considered its first truly new product after the death of co-founder Steve Jobs. It is also seen as a key test on Tim’s ability to shape the company’ products.

June 25, 2015
Data Deposit Box goes Oversees with New Site Launch & Regional Partnership

Data Deposit Box, a global provider of recovery tech and cloud backup recently announced partnership with Cloud Solutions and the launch of an Asia Pacific-based site.

Entering the Asia Pacific market is a smart move on their side as this is one of the fastest growing markets in the world today. The Company has a new site in Singapore that will provide support for their International growth while answering growing demands of existing clients in the region.

Their partnership with Cloud Solutions is also a strategic move as Cloud Solutions is the first Asian company to focus 100% on delivering cloud technology to companies implementing computing and cloud storage. The company has also been delivering IT services to Asia for over 25 years, so they are well trusted in the region.

Tim Jewell, CEO & Founder of the Company says that while they have always had clients in Asia Pacific, the recent partnership and the launching of their services there allows them to aggressively pursue business in that region, signing up clients who want their data stored locally.

June 23, 2015
All the new features in iOS 9

Apple has finally unveiled the much awaited iOS 9. This new soon to be launched operating system is more intelligent and packed with improved privacy and Siri features. The system also features new multi-tasking features that’s specifically designed to allow iPad users to simultaneously work with 2 apps, side-by-side.

The new iOS also comes with picture-in-picture feature that allows one to browse the web, compose an email, or use any other app while watching a video.

More so, the built-in apps become more powerful with this new operating system. You will therefore encounter a redesigned Notes app that allows for easy capturing of ideas, an all-new News app that allows for easy access and reading of the news, together with detailed transit information in Maps.

A detailed look into iOS 9 Features is available below:

Siri is Pre-loaded with an all new Super-Effective Design

Siri becomes more intelligent with iOS 9 as it provides for new ways to search videos and photos together with contextual reminders. Proactive assistance provides you with the most relevant info without compromising your own privacy. Your usage patterns allow iOS 9 to automatically suggest the apps to launch or the people to contact even before you start typing. You will also be notified when to leave for appointments, taking into account the traffic conditions at the time. Typed queries will deliver even more precise and accurate results than ever before.

Slide Over feature for your iPad

The Slide Over feature allows you to work on a second app without leaving the first with a simple swipe. A quick tap will give you access to the new Split View feature. The Picture-in-Picture feature allows you to continue watching a video or go on with your FaceTime call and still get to use your favorite apps. A new Shortcut Bar also provides for easier and faster typing.

More Support for the Built-in Apps

You now get even more support and functionality with the built-in apps. For instance, Maps features more precisely mapped subway station entrances and exits together with metropolitan schedules and transit systems. A Nearby feature in Maps will quickly find the nearest shopping mall or restaurant.

The Notes app is also completely redesigned to allow you to easily create checklists, draw a quick sketch with your finger, or snap a photo directly to your note. You can as well easily save important items from other apps directly to your note. Keep them synced across all devices using iCloud.

The News app on the other hand delivers a rich reading experience using an immersive design of a print magazine and the interactivity of digital media. The app will quickly learn your interest and suggest relevant content for you.

Apple Pay also receives support for Discover. It also issues rewards for merchant programs such as Kohl’s Department Stores and Walgreens. The Wallet app allows for easy management of store-issued debit and credit cards. Apple Pay will be available to UK users starting July, 2015.

Availability

The iOS 9 SDK and beta software are available for iOS Developer Program members. The beta program will be available for public use starting July, 2015. iOS 9 is however set to launch this fall as a free software update for iPad mini and later, iPad 2 and later, iPod touch 5th generation, and iPhone 4s and later. Some features may only be available for certain regions only.

June 11, 2015
Everything you need to know about Apple’s OS X El Capitan

Apple has finally announced the OS X El Capitan – the latest operating system for Mac. El Capitan features improved Spotlight search with natural language enhancements, new versions of multiple stock apps, including Mail, Notes, and Safari, together with Metal for Mac and other refinements and features that Apple announced at WWDC.

Here’s a deeper look into the OS X El Capitan features:

Mail: The OS X El Capitan Mail app comes with enhancements for its full-screen mode and ability to hide in-progress messages. The OS also features enhanced tabs on the compose window. Delete or archive messages with a gesture enabled swipe feature.

Safari: The new enhanced Safari browser comes with a pinned feature that allows you to easily and quickly keep most important websites at the top of Safari. You can as well mute websites that are playing music without having to close them down.

Metal for Mac: Metal for Mac combines the graphics power of OpenGL and the computing power of OpenCL to form a new API that does both. This therefore means you will need 40% less CPU processing power for graphics and still have 50% rendering improvement with the new system. Metal for Mac also promises improved graphics and better battery life.

Spotlight: The OS X El Capitan Spotlight search has been significantly improved with contextually aware search results and natural language enhancements.

Availability

A preview of the OS X El Capitan is already available for Mac Developer Program members. However, the final version will be available for free this fall in Mac App Store. A public beta version is going to be available starting July, 2015.

June 11, 2015
Confirmed: Apple HomeKit Products to Start Shipping in June

Soon your iPhone will control your locks, cameras, lights, thermostats, doors, plugs and switches via corresponding apps.

Apple has confirmed to Mashable that the HomeKit products will start shipping in June this year. This news comes in the wake of another published by Fortune claiming that Apple users might have to wait longer for HomeKit products.

Trudy Muller, an Apple spokeswoman, said in an email directed to Mashable that the HomeKit had already attracted dozes of partners who are ready to provide HomeKit accessories, with the first hitting the market as early as next month.

The HomeKit platform was first announced in June last year during Apple’s developers conference promising to replace garage clickers, thermostat dials, and light switches with a single control panel that seamlessly integrates with Apple devices. Siri could for example be extended to respond to commands for HomeKit enabled products.

It is important to note that Apple won’t be launching HomeKit by turning on a switch since the HomeKit products will be available once the approved accessory developers go live with their products.

Apple opened the certification process last November and the first batch of approvals came in January. Apple says it is now waiting for the device makers to launch their products.

Also read: Apple TV will be the center of Apple’s smart home

May 22, 2015
VoIP Innovations Launches New VoIP Fraud Detection Service
VoIP Innovations, a company that specializes in providing DID and termination VoIP footprintshas, released a Fraud Detection Tool for ITSPs, VoIP resellers and enterprise customers that analyzes their traffic patterns and warns them when something isn’t right.

The detection tool continually runs an algorithm than analyzes and processes CDRs in near real-time searching for anomalies in traffic patterns. When an anomaly is found an alert is sent as a text message or email.

According to VoIP Innovations, it’s more than just an alert system: “it helps you sleep peacefully knowing you will receive an alert if traffic patterns become abnormal and it provides you with data to hone in on your customer calling patterns.” With this information, users are adequately armed to tweak their service offering for maximum profit potential.

All VoIP innovations clients are eligible for a month free trial service, up to 5,000 minutes worth of CDRs.

A few features that you can expect include:
- Ability to set multiple severity notification thresholds
- Easy to customize fraud detection dashboard
- Monitor local, international, and toll-free origination and termination
To enable the Fraud Detection Tool simply go to the Add-On section of your VoIP Innovation backoffice, where you will be able to enable the service and while at it you can as well set your alerts and customize your widget dashboard.
May 21, 2015
Big Data Storage now Available on Google’s Storage Platform

Google just launched a data storage service that will allow multi-national corporations and big organizations to run big data analysis on its cloud service.

Google Cloud Bigtable is not an entirely new service, as Google has been using it internally for years to manage its core services, such as Google Analytics, Gmail, and Google Search.

Finance companies can use the new service to store petabytes of trading data for analysis of emerging trends. The service can also be used to store sensor data from internet-of-things monitoring system.

Other industries that stand to benefit from the service as well include energy firms, digital advertising firms, telecommunication companies, biomedical industries and other data-intensive corporations.

The Bigtable Google Cloud service is a hosted NoSQL data store. Users can read and write data using the application programming interface (API) for Apache HBase.

Users can use the cloud service with existing Hadoop software since the Bigtable can be accessed through HBase commands. The Hadoop is an open source data processing platform that allows users to work with extremely huge sets of data. The Bigtable will also work with other Google cloud services, including Google Cloud Dataflow and Google BigQuery.

Google fully runs the service offering encryption of data for security and backup through data replication. Additional storage is automatically provided as data grows.

The pricing for this service will depend on a number of things such as amount of storage used, number of nodes deployed, and network usage. The service is still in beta and those interested in using it can sign up for a free trial.

May 18, 2015
Facebook introduces Free Video Calling in Messenger

Facebook just recently introduced video calling in Messenger. With the update, you can now have face-to-face conversations with your fellow “Facebookers” via Messenger.

You can quickly turn a chat into a video call by tapping the video icon available at the top right corner of the screen and you can do this from within an existing Messenger conversation.

Facebook Messenger already has the voice calls function and the introduction of the video calling function will more than likely expand Messenger’s user base. It is interesting to see how the 600 million plus Messenger users receive the service.

The video calling function is available across platforms regardless of one’s OS and it is the latest feature to be added to Messenger, which is great news to users who are already using Messenger to send money to friends.

The video calling feature is already available to Android and iOS users living in Greece, Norway, Oman, Poland, Ireland, Laos, Portugal, the UK, the US, Lithuania, Nigeria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Mexico, France, and Uruguay.

The service will be rolled out on an ongoing basis to other locales and regions in the coming months.

Also read: WhatsApp now with Free Calling Service, new Sharing Extensions, and More…

May 11, 2015
WhatsApp now with Free Calling Service, new Sharing Extensions, and More…

The popular cross-platform chatting service WhatsApp recently released a major update to its iPhone app introducing some new ways to share content with family and friends.

The latest update to the iPhone app allows WhatsApp uses to call other connected users around the world for free. Similar to FaceTime Audio and Skype, WhatsApp calling service uses VoIP rather than the regular cellular service to make calls.

This feature has been expected for a while now since Facebook introduced the same service sometime last year. WhatsApp confirms that this new service will be rolling out to subscribers over the next few weeks.

This updated version will also include an iOS 8 sharing extension that makes it easy to send links, photos, and video to other WhatsApp users from other apps on the iPhone. You can also edit your contacts right from the app, access the camera, or send crop, rotate, and send multiple videos at once.

May 7, 2015
Nokia dispels rumors that it might be manufacturing smartphones again

A report published on Gizmodo stated that Nokia might be getting back into the manufacturing of consumer handsets at the end of the year (Dec 31^st, 2015) – that is immediately after its non-compete agreement expires. However, a statement released yesterday by Nokia dispels the rumors as inaccurate and false.

The statement reads, “Nokia notes recent news reports claiming the company communicated an intention to manufacture consumer handsets out of a R&D facility in China. These reports are false, and include comments incorrectly attributed to a Nokia Networks executive.

Nokia reiterates it currently has no plans to manufacture or sell consumer handsets.”

The return of Nokia into the manufacture and selling of consumer handsets started at Re/code where an article at their site stated that Nokia was plotting a 2016 return. The article speculated that Nokia was looking into designing exciting devices and then licensing the designs and its name to a Chinese manufacturer.

Nonetheless, the recent press release by Nokia pours cold water over the rumor and this somehow makes a Nokia revival pretty damn unlikely, at least for now.

April 29, 2015