Business News Holding

Tag: ipad

Amazing iOS Features that will Benefit your Business

Apple has announced several revolutionary measures stretching across enterprise IT, developer and consumer spheres.

Among the features is an interesting one known as continuity. This feature allows you to start a given activity on one device and complete it on another. This means you can start working on a document on your iPad and finish it on a Windows PC. Any changes made from one of your devices are replicated on all the others.

Other interesting features are he HomeKit and HealthKit platforms which depend on a range of technologies to incorporate personal data and functionality, that is, your health and your home. Although both do not have an instant enterprise impact, both make iOS devices, such as an iPhone, more personal than they have been in the past.

The incorporation of the HomeKit and the HealthKit, though largely accepted, have their own fair share of concerns. For instance, users are more concerned on what information IT professionals or employees can access or see on a managed device. In view of this concern, Apple has designed features that protect user privacy as they have done with iOS 7. In addition, with iOS 8, the policy has to change from full wiping to wiping only the corporate data. This will prevent wiping off of the user’s personal data.

The introduction of Mail Drop and iCloud Drive is big news to OS X, the iCloud interface, and iOS. The Mail Drop is a welcome addition to iCloud as it has the ability to load huge attachments automatically into your iCloud account.

Other features that you stand to enjoy with the new iOS 8 include AirDrop, Auto-Hotspot, iOS app extensions, and Markup, among others.

Apple currently dominated the enterprise mobility space and it seems it will remain so for a long time to come.

June 13, 2016
Apple Reports Record Q3 2015 Results
Apple has just announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 third quarter (ended June 27, 2015). The company posted quarterly revenue of $49.6 billion and quarterly net profit of $10.7 billion. These results compare to revenue of $37.4 billion and net profit of $7.7 billion in the year-ago quarter.

In the Q3 2015 Apple sold:
- iPhone: 47 million units (35 mln in Q3 2014)
- iPad: 10.9 million units (13 mln in Q3 2014)
- Mac: 4.7 million units (4.4 mln in Q3 2014)
Revenue by product:
- iPhone: $31.3 b
- iPad: $4.5 b
- Mac: $6 b
- Services (iTunes, AppleCare, Apple Pay, licensing and other services): $5 b
- Other products ( Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats Electronics, iPod and Apple-branded and third-party accessories): 2.6 b
Gross margin was 39.7 percent compared to 39.4 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 64 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

According to Apple, “the growth was fueled by record third quarter sales of iPhone and Mac, all-time record revenue from services and the successful launch of Apple Watch.”

“In the third quarter our year-over-year growth rate accelerated from the first half of fiscal 2015, with revenue up 33 percent and earnings per share up 45 percent,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “We generated very strong operating cash flow of $15 billion, and we returned over $13 billion to shareholders through our capital return program.”

Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $.52 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on August 13, 2015, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 10, 2015.
July 21, 2015
A Number of Macs and iPhones are about to become ‘Vintage’ or ‘Obsolete’ in June, losing Apple Repair Support

Starting 9^th June, 2015 a couple of Apple products will be classified as either vintage or obsolete in Europe, Canada, Asia-Pacific, United States, Japan, Latin American and Apple Retail Stores.

According to Apple, vintage products are those that have been in production for more than 5 years and less than 7 years. Apple has discontinued hardware service for all vintage products apart from Macintosh products purchased in Turkey and Products purchased in California, United States.

Obsolete products on the other hand are those that were discontinued more than 7 years ago. These products hardware service has been discontinued with no exceptions.

Some of the iPhone models that are about to get the boot include the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G (China), iPhone 3G, and iPhone 3GS (China). These models will achieve the vintage status if they were bought in California.

Other Apple products that are becoming obsolete come 9^th include iMac (24-inch, Mid 2007), iMac (20-inch, Mid 2007, and MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid-2009). These products will no longer be supported for service or repair unless they were bought in Turkey. In addition, a few more Apple products lose the vintage status after they were marked as obsolete in the US and they include Xserve RAID (SFP, Late 2004), Xserve (Late 2006), AirPort Express Base Station, MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.4/2.2GHZ), and MacBook Pro (17-inch, 2.4GHZ).

The above products will achieve their new status (vintage or obsolete) sometime next month and they will therefore no longer be supported for repair by authorized resellers or Apple Stores. However, Apple will continue offering support to AppleCare customers by phone.

A comprehensive list of the vintage and obsolete Apple devices is available here.

May 26, 2015
Broadcom’s Internet of Things WICED Platform Now Offers Full HomeKit Support
Broadcom has announced that its Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) SDK now offers full HomeKit support. As the first company to meet HomeKit technical specifications for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Smart, Broadcom expands its Internet of Things (IoT) portfolio offerings.

Broadcom’s WICED platform enables developers and OEMs to take advantage of the growing Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem. By helping companies create IoT products that are HomeKit compliant, Broadcom is said to reduce time-to-market and improve the consumer experience.

Broadcom’s WICED platform can also connect endpoints through a process known as bridging that delivers the benefits of HomeKit through a hardware module. This allows a product like a Bluetooth Smart light bulb to connect to a smart plug containing Broadcom’s WICED module, creating a bridge from the light bulb to the user’s HomeKit-supported app on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

HomeKit offers a set of common protocols making it easier for customers to control HomeKit-enabled accessories using Siri or iOS applications. HomeKit is built on a secure foundation with end-to-end encryption which provides customers a secure connection between their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and HomeKit-enabled accessory.

Key Features:
- Support for 802.11ab/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Smart
- Compact design to support multiple microcontrollers (MCUs) and systems-on-a-chip (SOCs)
- Low memory footprint
- Integrated development tools
- Reliable interoperability and integrated security
- Upgradeable over wireless connections
Availability
Broadcom’s WICED SDK and hardware module with HomeKit support are available now.
May 14, 2015
Apple Launches iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 and 5K Retina iMac

Apple has released what it says is the thinnest tablet in the market – the iPad Air 2. The new iPad is expected to retail at about $499 while the newly released iPad mini 3 will cost about $399. Preorders start today, both iPads will be available in 29 countries starting later next week

The iPad Air 2 comes with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and it is just 0.24 inches thick. The device also comes with a faster A8X processor. The new iPad also features an anti-reflective coating.

The iPad mini 3 also got Touch ID fingerprint sensor, so users can make purchases within apps using Apple Pay.

To top it all, Apple also announced the introduction of a new iMac with 5K Retina display. As a matter of fact, Apple says that the new iMac has the highest resolution display in the market at the moment.

The new iMac features a 27-inch display and a 5k resolution (5210×2880 pixels). This is almost 5x more detailed than the 1080p full HD TV.

The new iMac is now available for sale and the basic model retails at $2,499.

During the event, Apple also announced an upgraded version of the Mac Mini.

Closing it up, Apple also added that iOS 8.1, which supports Apple Pay, would be available starting Monday.

October 17, 2014
Apple and IBM partner to bring a ‘new class’ of business iPhone and iPad apps to enterprise
Apple and IBM announced yesterday an exclusive partnership to transform enterprise mobility through a ‘new class’ of business apps – MobileFirst for iOS that will bring IBM’s big data and analytics capabilities to iPhone and iPad.

The partnership aims to ‘address key industry mobility challenges’ by creating:
- a new class of more than 100 industry-specific enterprise solutions including native apps, developed exclusively from the ground up, for iPhone and iPad;
- unique IBM cloud services optimized for iOS, including device management, security, analytics and mobile integration;
- new AppleCare® service and support offering tailored to the needs of the enterprise; and
- new packaged offerings from IBM for device activation, supply and management.
As part of the agreement, IBM will also sell iPhones and iPads with the industry-specific solutions to business clients worldwide.

Specifically, the two companies are working together to deliver the following elements of enterprise mobile solutions:

– Mobile solutions that transform business: The companies will collaborate to build IBM MobileFirst for iOS Solutions—a new class of “made-for-business apps” targeting specific industry issues or opportunities in retail, healthcare, banking, travel and transportation, telecommunications and insurance, among others, that will become available starting this fall and into 2015.

– Mobile platform: The IBM MobileFirst Platform for iOS will deliver the services required for an end-to-end enterprise capability, from analytics, workflow and cloud storage, to fleet-scale device management, security and integration.

– Mobile service and support: AppleCare for Enterprise will provide IT departments and end users with 24/7 assistance from Apple’s customer support group, with on-site service delivered by IBM.

– Packaged service offerings: IBM is introducing IBM MobileFirst Supply and Management for device supply, activation and management services for iPhone and iPad, with leasing options.
July 16, 2014
Apple introduces iCloud Drive

At the WWDC 2014 Apple has introduced iCloud Drive that will be available this fall with the newly announced iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite.

What does iCloud Drive bring to the table?

There are a lot of features and benefits that comes with the drive, but one that is really dominant is the freedom. With iCloud Drive you can access, edit, and safely store your data across all your devices. You can also edit one of your documents and the changes reflect on all other devices, including iOS devices, Mac and Windows.

iCloud Drive brings with it a next generation level of cooperation and collaboration between apps, enhancing the ability to work, edit, and access the same file across multiple apps and devices.

How to Store

The storage process of any file/document is as easy as promised. To upload, you just have to drag your item/s to your drive on your Mac, PC or any iOS powered device. You can also start a new document on any of the iCloud-enabled apps and they will be stored on your drive.

With iCloud Drive, you can also open/start working on a document on one app and finish it on another. For instance, if you are creating a picture, you can start it on a sketching app and move it for painting on a paint app and so on.

June 4, 2014
Apple introduces Health app and HealthKit in iOS 8

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.

June 3, 2014
The Stunning Features of the new iPad Air from Apple

The leaked videos, images and specs speculated for the past few months have finally proven true. The fifth generation iPad is now here and it resembles the iPad mini. However, Apple surprised many by giving the new gadget a new branding: the iPad Air.

The Thinnest and Lightest Tablet

Apple claims that the new tablet is the thinnest in the world. This is 20 percent thinner compared to its predecessor. The new tablet is also lighter and weighs only 1 pound compared to the previous version’s 1.4 pounds.

A7 Chip

The iPad Air’s A7 chip takes it to new peaks of speed and power. Games are even more responsive and apps run insanely fast. Everything you do with this gadget feels quicker. It also supports the OpenGL ES edition 3.0, which enables detailed visual effects and graphics once possible only among game consoles and desktop computers. The A7 chip has 64-bit architecture that opens a door for more powerful and robust apps hence more possibilities for the things you could do with the new iPad Air.

M7 Coprocessor

The M7 coprocessor is the main proof that iPad Air was created to be just on the move. The M7 coprocessor measures motion from the iPad Air by simply pulling data from the gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass.

Thus, based on iPad Air’s movement, you can get a better experience from your apps. While A7 would typically shoulder this task, M7 does it more efficiently thus saving power.
Awesome Battery Life

Well, iPad Air remains powerful though not power-hungry. While it’s twice as fast and 20 percent thinner than the previous version, it still provides the same stunning battery life of 10 hours. This is because the A7 chip is not only more powerful but also more efficient.

Ultrafast Wi-Fi

Whether it’s your best app, movie, or book, iPad Air’s ultrafast wireless allows you to access what you love hence you can stay in touch and in sync. With the dual-band (2.4GHz & 5GHz), MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) technology, and two antennas, the download speed can reach 300 Mbps. This is twice the previous version’s data rate.
Pricing

The cost of iPad Air will be $499 and above. The devices will be available starting November 1.

October 23, 2013
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.

January 31, 2013