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Tag: iphone

  • Apple introduces Health app and HealthKit in iOS 8

    Apple introduces Health app and HealthKit in iOS 8

    ios-8-health-app

    Apple has finally released the much anticipated iOS 8. The new operating system is said to be the biggest release by Apple since the introduction of the App Store. The OS comes with tons of new features, apps, and tools that allow developers to “create more amazing apps.”

    Among the new apps is Health app that comes with an easy-to-read dashboard and a HealthKit tool that allows all health apps to work together. The new app allows all your health information to be revealed by just a tap.

    The app is able to gather information from various types of fitness devices and health apps. It then uses the gathered info to come up with a clear, current, and comprehensive overview – in one place.

    With your consent, the app is able to get all your health information from other apps, providing you with a comprehensive report that goes a long way in the overall management of your health and fitness.

    The Health app also allows individual apps to collect health info from other apps, of course with your permission. For instance, if you have Nike+ apps, using NikeFuel you will be able to collect other health data such as nutrition and sleep and this builds a custom user profile that can be used to improve performance in athletics.

    With the app, users can also create an emergency card that shows all the important health information in case of an accident. Such info can include your allergies, blood type, special health conditions, and so on.

    With all these functionalities, the new Health app might just mark the beginning of a health revolution.

  • China Mobile Boosts Subsidies While Waiting For Conclusion of iPhone Deal


    China Mobile, the world’s leading phone company, is set to use a lot of money on subsidies in the coming year as it endeavors to lure its customers to the new speedy service and boost the sale of smartphones by as much as 42%.

    The company is planning to sell 220 million smart devices in 2014 as compared to 155 million that was sold this year. Xi Guohua, the Chairman of China mobile indicated this in remarks made on the carrier’s micro blog account. The official China Daily newspaper reported that China mobile is yet to conclude a legal agreement with the Apple Company to sell the iPhone.

    Guohua Xi indicated that subsidies for handsets are set to expand from the 27 billion CNY or $4.4 billion that was spent in 2013. The carrier also hopes to get much more of the 759 million customers to the faster network with more expensive voice & data plans.

    According to the official Xinhua News Agency, China mobile has entered into agreements with handset manufactures Xiaomi Corp and Lenovo Group Ltd. (992) to provide smartphones running on the fourth-generation network.

    At a developer’s conference in Guangzhou, CEO Li Yue told developers that the 4G service provides a new future and will popularize different types of applications innovations. On December 4th, China mobile got regulatory approval to start commercial services on the 4G network.

    The China Daily wrote that Xi indicated that China mobile hopes to conclude the agreement with Apple as soon as possible. Apple, which currently does not make handsets that are compatible with the China mobile’s 3G networks, has agreed to make an iPhone that will run on the 4G network.

  • Smartphone Market Share Held by Samsung; 2.5x Apple’s


    Samsung's sales per quarter have reached 90 million for the first time. This means that Samsung Electronics has beat Apple with over 50 million units of sale. On the other hand, China’s Huawei is now in the third place after LG electronics showed some slowdown in sales in its third quarter smartphone sales.

    According to an American market survey company, Strategy Analytics, Samsung sold 88.4 million smartphones in its third quarter. This saw it clinch the first place in sales with 35.2% of the market share. This means that one in every three smartphones sold was made by Samsung.

    Apple sold 33.8 million units after the release of the iPhone5S. This saw a 2.6 million increase in sales compared to the second quarter. However, its market share dropped by 0.2%. Neil Mawston, SA Analyst indicated that Apple is poised to get back on its track in Q4 with sales from its iPhone5S.

    Huawei ranked  in third place with 12.7 million units, representing 5.1% market share. LG, which was in third place in Q1 and Q2 sold 12million units, representing 4.8% market share. Meanwhile, China’s Lenovo closely follows LG with 10.8 million units representing 4.3% market share.

    Neil Mawston indicated that Samsung’s Galaxy S4 had a reduction in sales, but the Galaxy Y and Galaxy Note 3 had good sales.

    He also indicated that the global smartphone market in the third quarter is 251.4 million, which grew by 45% as compared to last year. He asserts that six out of every ten mobile phones sold around the world are smartphones.

  • Tracklander: the Must-Have App for Adventure Seekers

    App developers seem to have already made apps for all kinds of people. Some of these apps become an instant hit and rock the entire industry for months while others create a short-lived stir and then fade into oblivion. Tracklander is the app that's tailor-made for iPhone users with a bit of wanderlust, and it appears to be holding its own in a marketplace brimming with all sorts of apps for active travelers and adventurers.

    If you were to get a couple of days off work to relax, trekking or a road trip would be a perfect choice of recreational activity. However, a week is hardly enough time to properly plan a track. With Tracklander on your phone your entire trip planning will be taken care of and without blowing your budget. You are spared the hassle of using GPS, looking for tracks, and the like when preparing for the trip, as well as the prohibitive expenses of hiring a local guide.

    Tracklander has re-invented travel apps by offering a digital platform based on a new concept of "independent but guided" adventurers. It comes packed with a full range of unique tracks that are customizable depending on the user's preferred terrain difficulty and time at hand. Therefore, your iPhone becomes your easy yet absolutely safe guide.

    The app features a trackbook with numerous tracks in all sorts of destinations around the world for travelers to choose from; there are asphalt roads, off-road routes, mountain treks, and cities. Among these tracks are those suitable for SUV, 4X4, road car, trekking, cycling, and MTB, as well as trail, enduro, and road motorcycles. Each track has add-ons that Tracklander has included to create unique challenges graded from 1 to 5, shortcuts back to the main track if lost, escapes, days, and treats such as a waterfall, palm grove, vineyards, and beaches. Helpful features of the trackbook include photos of every upcoming junction, navigation help and area map, cultural info, and safety info.

    Thanks to Tracklander's ingenious technology, the app will work offline without the roaming hassles and frustrations of finding 3G deep in forests or atop mountains. It is able to produce its own offline maps by using Tracklander's graphical models, NASA's topographical contours lines, and OpenStreetMap. These maps are downloaded once when the iPhone user is downloading the track. You say bye bye to data connection fees when travelling abroad.

    See Tracklander in action:

    The tracks selected are the best adventure tracks in any given area. At the time Tracklander was hitting the App Store there were 33,973 miles of roads and tracks, 1,335 miles of cycle routes, and 667 miles of treks offered, which are equivalent to going around a quarter of the world, travelling from Copenhagen to Barcelona, and crossing Spain respectively.  The brave at heart can use the tracks for Morocco, Andalusia, Tuscany, and Transpirenaica while the rest can pick city-based track versions in Barcelona, Florence, and Lisbon. Even with this diversity, language is not a problem as the app supports English, Catalan, Spanish, German, French, and Italian.

    The app also has the Trip Planner, a featured functionality that enables social networking and sharing of experiences via blogs. You get to invite other Tracklander travelers and organize the trips.

    The app comes free. A number of both city and countryside tracks are also available for free. The rest of the track features vary in price depending on the area chosen and difficulty level. Generally it will cost you €2.99 for a half or full day's travel; €9.99 from one to two days; and €34.99 from six to ten days.

    Get Tracklander from the App Store. 

  • iPhone 5S’s Latest Fingerprint Reader Coming Soon

    The iPhone 5S’s latest fingerprint reader has been mentioned in the news a lot these day. It is the latest addition to the parade of features offered by Apple although Samsung and others competitors may have their say about this. Though it has been been given much hype and has already been publicized, fans and spectators must wait until fall before the fingerprint reader will be unveiled.

    For panicky watchers, they will have to wait until the final release is official. Perhaps, there could be changes in the latest software feature that the giant smartphone innovator will reveal during the WWDC (Worldwide Developer Conference) in June. Some say that the new iPhone might take longer than usual to be released since there could be more updates to be made. The idea of the fingerprint reader innovation was acquired from AuthenTec which is Apple’s security supplier.

    Adding fuel to the fire, some sources say that soon the “I” on iPhone would mean identity. Since many users know about Apple’s inclination for solving problems, the company is trying to venture into solving digital identity. Experts say that this might be part of a grand strategy. Undoubtedly, phones are great part of many people’s lives and some individuals cannot function well without them. Apple is up for the challenge and will soon launch the fingerprint technology on their phones.

    Experts added that this idea will become at a trillion-dollar valuation by 2020. On the other hand, there is one thing that intrigues sources. It is how Apple will approach this digital identity feature because they cannot figure out if it will work like the FB +2.68% and GOOG -0.96% identity systems.

    Apple says that it will allow the user to be in full control of security and how they will handle it. This could work like the slide to unlock feature in many iPhones. It is said that the latest security feature will allow people to choose the level of security they want as well as what situations or maybe even locations in which they would allow identity using their Smartphone. If this idea works, it might be worth the wait for users. Everyone will have to wait and see what Apple is up to this time.

  • Quickoffice: Mobile File Editing Software Has Arrived

    Being able to share files and add new ones on a mobile device is a process that took a long time to happen but has now officially emerged with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides in a convenient platform.

    Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are a very effective way to share files and add new ones, however, not everyone has converted to the new trend. It is only a convenient process in the business world if everyone associated with the file is able to see it in the form it is in, otherwise, it is a hassle trying to convert from one form to another. Google Apps for Business has started working on the issue of some people being behind in the technology department by developing Quickoffice for the iPad, iPhone, and Android devices to edit Microsoft Office documents.

    Quickoffice was actually invented in 1997 to make Microsoft Office products that were compatible with Palm OS (which is now webOS), Blackberry, Android, iOS, Palm Pilot and Symbian to name a few. Quickoffice was not only the first to be able to translate a file into a mobile form, but it also allowed the file to be edited. Google purchased Quickoffice in 2012 which was an incredible step toward solving the issue of sharing, adding and editing files in the mobile form. This makes it possible for working businesspeople to edit files that need editing while on the go. Whether waiting for a plane at the airport, running to catch a taxi or even taking a quick lunch, Google Apps for Business is helping the busy businessperson out.

    Not only is Quickoffice compatible with Microsoft Office files and Google Docs, Sheets and Slides files, but it is also compatible with programs such as Dropbox, SugarSync, and Evernote. This makes Quickoffice even more universal to even more users.

    When a business is in need of a program that is universal with office type files, Quickoffice is a great program to choose. With the mobility it offers being available on iPads, iPhones, and Android devices, it makes it even easier for more people to use efficiently.

  • New rumor about a cheaper iPhone coming out in August

    We never run out of iPhone-related rumors and this month could not be an exception. Although we have heard of various rumors lately, some of them keep coming around, which might actually show a sign of validity in them.

    According to the Chinese tech site "EMSOne", Apple is planning to release a cheaper version of the iPhone during August, in order to attract the emerging markets and eventually increase their reach. It is rumored that this affordable version of the iPhone will cost almost half the usual price of the popular smartphone, around $330, which makes it very appealing to a wider audience. Of course it won't be exactly the same as the more expansive version, but this doesn't mean that it still won't be an iPhone. In fact, the only rumor that we currently hear is that it will be made of polycarbonate, which is not a significant disadvantage, at least not for those that anticipate to buy their first iPhone at a lower price.

    Although we are not certain yet about this rumor and whether Apple really plans to release a cheaper version of an iPhone, the arguments are taking placing all over the Internet. The advocates of this rumor believe that iPhone was overpriced for no obvious reason up to now, which makes this release ideal for them. On the other hand, Apple's big fans wouldn't be keen on such a release, since they feel that iPhones are losing their value by becoming cheaper.

    Even if Apple really intends to release a cheaper iPhone, Apple's fans should not worry. They won't be neglected, since a new iPhone is on its way too, sooner or later. Thus, Apple could target some big new markets and also maintain their loyal fans throughout the world. It does make sense to us, but what about Apple's point of view?

    We just have to wait and see.

  • Apple Launches iOS 6.1: Short List of Improvements

    Apple has released an update package for the 6.1 version of its iOS software platform, bringing few improvements. iOS 6.1 is a minor update designed to improve the LTE compatibility and to repair a series of vulnerabilities.

    iOS 6.1 expands the LTE support for 36 operators in 17 countries, this feature being offered to the iPhone 5, iPad 4th generation tablets and iPad Mini. Those who are using the 3rd generation of iPad will be limited by the LTE support of the modem used by Apple.

    The list of software innovations includes the integration within Siri of the possibility of purchasing movie tickets through Fandalgo, feature limited to the United States, and the possibility of individual downloading and deleting music tracks downloaded from iTunes Match, option that existed in iOS 5, but which disappeared from iOS 6 until this new version.

    iOS 6.1 brings improvements and strengthens the security in the operating system kernel and the modules WebKit, StoreKit and Identity Services, as well as eliminating a security vulnerability discovered in the Broadcom wireless drivers that affected the models iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4th generation and iPad 2.

    The list of minor innovations also includes the possibility of removing identification codes used by advertisers, option available in the General/About/Advertising menu, and small changes in the interface, such as redesign of audio playback control buttons in Lock Screen.

    According to Apple, of the 600 million Apple products running the iOS, half of them are using the latest major release of the operating system.

  • 3 New iPhones to be Released During 2013?

    Rumors about the new iPhone have already started circulating around and this time we're hearing about the possible release of 3 new iPhones during 2013.

    Just a few months after the release of iPhone 5, Apple seems to be designing the next model, with an earlier rumor claiming that it will be presented in June. The new rumor comes from China Times and mentions of a brand new 4.8-inch iPhone that will arrive in June and two other models that are expected during the year. China Times claims that their news come from Apple's supply chain and that except for the traditional iPhone, we should expect one that will be a phablet, something between a phone and a tablet, and one that will have a 12MP camera. In addition, the 4.8-inch phone will have an 8MP camera and it might be the answer to Samsung Galaxy S III.

    It seems that the article is emphasizing on the 4.8-inch iPhone, since it might be the next bet for Apple. After noticing that the market is requesting bigger smartphones, but smaller than tablets, it could be possible indeed to be trying a bigger version of the iPhone we all know.

    However, can they really release 3 iPhones during a year? Will it be a wise move, or should we just wait for one or two models?

    Is there a real gap between iPad mini and iPhone or are they just thinking of ways to decrease Samsung's sales? Should we trust those rumors above or are they just speculations on Apple's future plans? So many questions are waiting to be answered the following months.

  • iPhone 5 reaches 5 million sales in just 2 days

    iPhone 5 was destined to be a successful release, even before reaching in our hands. Apple knows very well that every new iPhone handset will attract significant popularity, which means that it will eventually boost their annual sales.

    It is a circle that goes on the last few years and is justified one more time with the sales of iPhone 5. Apple's brand new release, the iPhone 5, has already reached 5 million sales in just the first weekend of its release. Although it is not yet sold throughout the whole world, not even in half of it, it managed to surpass the sales of iPhone 4S, which reached 4 million sales in its first two days.

    These first stats remind us of the estimates that analysts made even before the release of iPhone 5 claiming that it will be the best selling iPhone of all time. More specifically, they estimated that Apple will sell 58 million iPhone 5 units until the end of this year, which means that it can bring to Apple a revenue of $36.2 billion! And if they sound like they are exaggerating, just consider their prediction of the 10 million sales during the first month. Considering the 5 million sales of the first weekend, not only is a feasible goal, but it can also reach even higher numbers.

    In addition, there are still many countries that anticipate for the release of the iPhone 5, with all the queuing that comes along with this anticipation. Thus, Apple should feel really confident about the sales of the next quarter and even the one following it. Their fans keep buying their products and even Samsung's disregard of the iPhone 5 didn't seem to work that well. Galaxy S III might be a very successful product, but Samsung still has a long way until reaching the level of loyalty that Apple has with iPhones. Till then, we are just waiting for the next stats that are related to the iPhone 5.