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Report: iPad Air & iPad mini Retina to gain Touch ID, 8MP camera, A8 chip this year

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Rumors,

iPad AIr mini touch id

Apple may be prepping the 2014 iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display models to include Touch ID, among other new additions. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the prediction is that we'll see an expected chip bump with the Apple A8 processor, rear iSight camera resolution increased to 8MP, and the aforementioned Touch ID fingerprint recognition security feature in both the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display.

Kuo also believes that this year's iPads will launch earlier than they did last year, which would imply that they should arrive sooner than November. As for the long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad? Kuo says that the larger tablet is unlikely to appear in 2014.


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Ask Andru: How to improve Touch ID and secure your iPhone

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Software,

iPhone 5s Touch ID

We're back for another installment of Ask Andru, where I take your burning tech questions and give you practical answers! This time, we have a two-parter as it pertains to securing your iPhone 5s (see our iPhone 5s review) and iPad, as well as making Touch ID work as well as expected. Here we go, these questions were sent in by Mike:

I have two questions,

  1. I have a two part question, what is the best security app for the iPad mini with Retina display & the iPhone 5s?

  2. Since I picked up my new iPhone 5s from the AT&T Store-Lynwood this past October and two exchanges for two new replacement phones from the Apple Store @ Alderwood Mall, the Touch ID still has not worked for me. Have other users had problems with the Touch ID? In regards to exchanging my 5s for a 5c or a Droid phone, I have been informed that it is past their respective fourteen day warranty period to facilitate an exchange because their operating systems will not allow this transaction to take place. So thus, AT&T and Apple have left me with a defective product.

Regards,
Mike

Let's start with that first one. When most people talk about security apps, I think they're asking about something that will protect them from viruses and malware getting installed on their mobile devices. For Android, for example, you might want to have something installed due to the rampant malware that can be found in the Google Play store. However, Apple sandboxes each app, and as such, none get full access to take over your device, no matter how hard they try. Apple also has a vetting process for each app as well, so there are no antivirus or anti-malware apps that you'll need. Yet, one app that I do love for security and protection is called 1Password. Let me explain.

Click to continue reading Ask Andru: How to improve Touch ID and secure your iPhone


LifeProof Fre for iPhone 5s review: An impressive Touch ID-ready case

Lifeproof Fre white and gray

It's said that Apple product's cycle iteration are improved upon from generation to generation; dubbed the tick tock method. In that regards, LifeProof has proven itself to be in sync. The Frē for iPhone 5s is an incremental update (see our iPhone 5s review) that goes hand in hand with the update of the Apple’s latest iPhone. To the untrained eye, the iPhone 5s' outer design is relatively unchanged from the iPhone 5 except for a few important aspects, which LifeProof simply nails.

Let me say that right off the bat, the Touch ID is nothing short of a marvel. Biometric security is nothing new, but in and of itself, many companies have attempted it and many have failed miserably. On the other hand, Apple has executed it to perfection while making it look easy. My biggest trepidation was how LifePoof's new case would continue to provide protection from environmental factors like snow, water, dirt and shock while still allowing access to the Touch ID's function, without hindering biometric authentication in any way. So, how did it perform? Join us for our LifeProof Fre for iPhone 5s review to find out!

Click to continue reading LifeProof Fre for iPhone 5s review: An impressive Touch ID-ready case


Apple releases iOS 7.0.3 with iCloud Keychain, iMessage fix, Touch ID tweaks

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,

iOS 7.0.3 features

Alongside all the major news coming out of today's Apple iPad event, the company has also released an iOS update. iOS 7.0.3 bring a few new features to the platform, like iCloud Keychain, which works alongside the same feature in OS X Mavericks (which was also released today on the Mac App Store) to keep your account names, passwords, and credit cards synced across your devices, while protecting them with your Apple ID. Here is a rundown of all the changes in iOS 7.0.3:

  • Adds iCloud Keychain to keep track of your on account names passwords and credit card numbers across all your devices
  • Adds Password Generator so Safari can suggest unique hard to guess passwords for your online accounts
  • Updates lock screen to delay display of "slide to unlock" went Touch ID is in use
  • Adds back the ability to search the web and Wikipedia from Spotlight search
  • Fixes an issue where iMessage failed to send for some users
  • Fixes a bug that could prevent iMessage from activating
  • Improves system stability when using iWork apps
  • Fixes an accelerometer calibration issue
  • Address is an issue that could cause Siri and VoiceOver to use a lower quality voice
  • Fixes a bug that could allow someone to bypass the lock screen passcode
  • Enhances the Reduce Motion setting to minimize both motion and animation
  • Fix is an issue that could cause VoiceOver input to be too sensitive
  • Updates the Bold Text setting to also change dial pad text
  • Fix is an issue that could cause supervise devices to become unsupervised when updating software

You should be able to check the Software Update area on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to grab the update now.


iPhone 5s review

iPhone 5s review

According to Apple, the iPhone 5s is the most forward thinking smartphone ever created. Of course, being that this is an S-model iPhone launching in a year that ends in an odd number, and that means that we'll find plenty of naysayers who dismiss Apple's flagship smartphone as simple and iterative. It looks just like last year's iPhone 5 on the outside, so what can be so different, right?

Well, being an S-class device, the iPhone 5s follows a now-familiar pattern. The iPhone 3GS in 2009 doubled the speed of the iPhone 3G from the year before and added video recording and basic voice commands. The iPhone 4S brought Siri, 1080p video, and dual-core processing. This year, Apple has highly focused the iPhone 5s on three big changes. The iPhone 5s is the first smartphone to ship with a 64-bit processor, and includes the first 64-bit version of iOS in iOS 7. It's also the first smartphone to ship with a capacitive fingerprint sensor, and includes a greatly improved camera system. Sure, these things may not be important to those who are just fine with their current iPhone (or competing device, for that matter,) but for Apple, these moves are a big deal and set up the future.

But is a phone so focused on a future worth your attention today? Join us for our full iPhone 5s review as we seek out the answer.

Click to continue reading iPhone 5s review


Unboxing Live 121: Apple iPhone 5s

Apple's iPhone 5s is the first flagship smartphone from the company to ship in three different colors - silver, gold, and space gray. Two of the colors are new for the iPhone 5s, with Apple doing away with the black & slate model, and adding the golden hue to the lineup. There have been severe supply constraints of the new model, but we were lucky enough to get our hands on them on day one. In this episode, ee head to the Apple Store at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Washington to be one of the first to get our hands on the iPhone 5s, and we unbox it in store to give you a look inside the box! Also, be sure to check out our in-depth iPhone 5s review as well.

You can pick up the iPhone 5s now from Apple.

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Apple iPhone 5S: Touch ID, 64-bit processor, new camera for $199 on September 20

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds,

iPhone 5S

The iPhone 5S is now official, and Apple says it is the "most forward-thinking smartphone ever made." What makes that so? Firstly, it's the first and only smartphone to ship with a 64-bit processor in the new Apple A7 processor with desktop-class architecture. That means that iOS 7 will run in 64-bit, and that will be a vast performance improvement. CPU performance is 40x faster than the iPhone 5, and graphics are 56x faster as well...depending on what you are doing. All-in-all, the iPhone 5S is about 5x faster than the iPhone 5.

The camera remains at 8 megapixel, but with larger pixels that are 1.5 microns in size, with advanced true tone flash. One flash is a cool color while the other is warmer, and iOS 7 can automatically set the right tone for the flash to make better photos that don't have that harsh flash look. Image stabilization is present, as well as a burst mode that can shoot up to 10 images per second. On the video front, you can now record in 120 fps super-slow motion in 720p.

Another big, and expected, feature on the iPhone 5S is Touch ID.  It's a fingerprint sensor that is built-in to the Home button, which now has a detection ring around it so it knows when to read, with no need to actually press down on the home button to unlock the phone. The home button is now covered in sapphire, so it won't scratch. Aside from using Touch ID to unlock the iPhone, you can also use it to authenticate for things like buying apps, rather than using your iTunes password, which is awesome. Multiple fingerprints can be stored for devices that are used y more than one person.

The 5S will be available in three colors: Gold with white, Silver with white, and Space Gray with black. Pricing starts at $199 for 16GB, with 32GB costing $299, and 64GB at $399 with two-year contract. Pre-orders begin on September 13, and the phones go on sale September 20th.

Click to continue reading Apple iPhone 5S: Touch ID, 64-bit processor, new camera for $199 on September 20


iPhone 5S fingerprint sensor to be called Touch ID?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Rumors,

iPhone 5S Touch ID fingerprint sensor

The folks at Nowhereelse.fr have got their hands on a purported iPhone 5S illustrated guide, which indicates that the new fingerprint sensor that is rumored to be embedded into the Home button will be referred to as the Touch ID sensor by Apple. Of course, until it's officially announced by Apple, we're chalking it up as a rumor, but as far as Apple naming conventions go, Touch ID sounds pretty Apple-esque. We'll know more in just over an hour, so keep it locked here--today is gonna be a big news day.

Read More | Nowhereelse

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