This is what Windows 95 looks like running on Android Wear

Any time a new device hits the market, it's always fascinating to see how tech-savvy developers, designers and hobbyists will tinker with it to push it to its limits. Web developer Corbin Davenport has received some attention over the last week for getting both Minecraft Pocket Edition and the original PC FPS Doom to run on Android Wear, but those were just warm-ups for the most impressive feat of all — running Windows 95 on a Samsung Gear Live.

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Posted in 2014 at 11:03PM, October 06

LTE Speeds of iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s Compared in New Video

According to Apple, both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus have "faster LTE download speeds" than the iPhone 5s, reaching up to 150Mbps thanks to the inclusion of the Qualcomm MDM9625M LTE chip, which supports LTE Advanced.



A demonstration of the speed difference between the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6 when connected to a high-quality LTE network has been conducted by iClarified , suggesting the iPhone 6 is able to reach much higher speeds than the iPhone 5s.



The test, which was conducted in London, Ontario, Canada on the Fido network, shows the iPhone 6 topping out at download speeds of 101Mbps while the iPhone 5s reaches 35Mbps. Upload speeds are similarly improved, reaching 27Mbps on the iPhone 6.






According to iClarified, the tests, which were conducted using the Ookla SpeedTest.net app, were done in a spot in the city where the best reception was found.

We were able to consistently reach speeds in the high 90s with the iPhone 6. The absolute highest download speed we were able to obtain was 111 Mbps. I'm confident that if the conditions were optimal we could have obtained even higher speeds.

First introduced in 2013, LTE Advanced takes advantage of carrier aggregation technology, combining separate spectrums into a single faster connection to increase data speeds and network capacity. Several carriers offer the technology, and the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are Apple's first devices to support it. Because not all carriers support LTE Advanced and due to differences in connection strength, not all users may see increased speeds on Apple's new devices.



Along with LTE Advanced, Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus offer several other connectivity improvements, including support for up to 20 different LTE bands. With additional bands (7 more than the iPhone 5s), iPhone users are able to connect to more LTE networks when traveling abroad and LTE connections are available in more countries. The phones also include support for voice over LTE (VoLTE), improving voice quality and allowing some users to access voice and data simultaneously over LTE for the first time.

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Posted in 2014 at 10:36PM, October 06

Apple might sell more than 200 million iPhone 6 units in FY2015

A new report from Asia detailing Apple-related supply chain gossip indicates the company might be selling well over 200 million combined iPhone 6 units in its 2015 fiscal year (from October 2014 to September 2015). Digitimes has learned from sources familiar with the matter that Apple has ordered up to 250 million units of combined iPhone 6 and Apple Watch chips. Of those, up to 40 million chips might be produced for the Apple Watch, leaving the rest for iPhone 6 models.

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Posted in 2014 at 09:15PM, October 06

Cycloramic for iPhone 6 Captures 360-Degree Video Using Power Adapter for Support [iOS Blog]

Back in 2012, the first iteration of Cycloramic launched, using the vibration motor in the iPhone 5 to capture hands-free 360 degree video. When balanced on a flat surface, the vibration motor allowed the phone to spin on its own, a capability that also worked for the iPhone 5s, as it shared the same design as the iPhone 5.



The iPhone 6, however, has rounded edges that prevent the Cycloramic app from working in the same way -- it's no longer possible to balance the phone on its edge, allowing it to spin freely. The Cycloramic team has come up with an innovative solution to enable 360 hands-free panoramic video on the iPhone 6, however, utilizing the power adapter that the two phones ship with.






As demonstrated in the above video, when the iPhone 6 is placed between the prongs of the power adapter that it ships with, the vibration motor is strong enough to spin it around, capturing 360 degree panoramic videos in landscape mode.

Just put your iPhone 6 on top of your power adapter on a smooth and level surface (granite, marble or wood desk) and it will automatically rotates 360 degrees using the phone's internal vibration motor. As it rotates, the phone takes multiple photos, instantaneously stitches them together, and generates a panoramic photo viewable in our immersive viewer.

The hands-free video mode is limited to the iPhone 6, unfortunately, and does not work with the larger-screened iPhone 6 Plus. Other app features, including a guided panorama mode and photo editing tools work with other devices, including the iPhone 6 Plus.



Cycloramic for iPhone 6 can be downloaded from the App Store for $1.99. [Direct Link]

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Posted in 2014 at 08:16PM, October 06

HTC posts a teaser pic of the killer new smartphone it will launch this week

Rejoice, HTC fans: Your favorite smartphone OEM is about to give you the smartphone camera you've been clamoring for. HTC on Monday posted a teaser picture on its Twitter account that seemingly shows off its newest smartphone that will reportedly feature a 13-megapixel camera that will mark a vast improvement over the camera found in its HTC One (M8) flagship phone.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:48PM, October 06

Walter Isaacson's 'The Innovators' Charts the History of Computing and the Internet

More than a decade ago, Walter Isaacson began working on a book to highlight the history of computers and the Internet, but the project was sidelined in early 2009 when he took on the task of writing Steve Jobs' authorized biography. That book, which debuted just weeks after Jobs' death in October 2011, topped best seller charts and revealed a number of interesting details about Jobs and Apple.



Following the publication of Steve Jobs, Isaacson returned to his earlier project of documenting the history of computing, and that work debuts tomorrow as The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution . While Apple and Jobs play relatively minor roles in the book, overall it offers an interesting look at how computers and the Internet developed into what they are today.



Isaacson breaks his book into nearly a dozen different sections, highlighting a number of advancements along the way. It begins with Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage outlining their thoughts on a mechanical "Analytical Engine" in the 1830s and 1840s before jumping ahead nearly 100 years to Vannevar Bush and Alan Turing and their visions for the earliest computers that would follow soon after. Further sections address advances in programming, transistors, microchips, video games, and the early Internet before broaching the topics of the modern personal computer and the World Wide Web.



Throughout the book, Isaacson focuses on the importance of teamwork rather than individual genius in the development of computers, frequently involving contrasting but complementary personalities of visionaries, technical experts, and managers. Popular examples include Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak at Apple, or Bob Noyce, Gordon Moore, and Andy Grove at Intel, but the observation extends further as time and time again teams have been responsible for many of the biggest innovations.

Innovation comes from teams more often than from the lightbulb moments of lone geniuses. This was true of every era of creative ferment. [...] But to an even greater extent, this has been true of the digital age. As brilliant as the many inventors of the Internet and computer were, they achieved most of their advances through teamwork.

Isaacson also emphasizes the importance of building on previous discoveries, including collaboration both within and between generations of scientists. A number of characters in the book appear at multiple stages, often first as innovators themselves and later helping to foster discoveries by the next generation.



Other observations include the various roles of government, academia, and business in the development of computing and how they frequently came together, particularly in the early days, to lead advancements. Isaacson also uses several cases to argue that innovation works best when different business models compete against each other, particularly in software development as with Apple's integrated systems vying with Microsoft's unbundled model while the free and open-source approach maintained its position in the market.

Each model had its advantages, each had its incentives for creativity, and each had its prophets and disciples. But the approach that worked best was having all three models coexisting, along with various combinations of open and closed, bundled and unbundled, proprietary and free. Windows and Mac, UNIX and Linux, iOS and Android: a variety of approaches competed over the decades, spurring each other on -- and providing a check against any one model becoming so dominant that it stifled innovation.

Packing the entire history of computing into 500 pages leaves some topics feeling brief or left out altogether, but Isaacson's book gives an interesting overview for those who may not be familiar with the technical advances stretching back decades that have given rise to the current state of the art. Focusing more on the people and relationships than the technical details, it offers some insight into how breakthroughs have been made and how some innovators have gained fame and fortune while others slipped into near obscurity.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:15PM, October 06

1Password Updated With iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Support, Improved Touch ID Functionality [iOS Blog]

AgileBits today updated its 1Password app for iOS to version 5.1, adding support for the larger-screened iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. With native support for the two new devices, the app is no longer zoomed in and is now able to display more information on the screen.



Along with built-in support for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, 1Password has also been updated with improved Touch ID and PIN functionality. Before the update, it was unclear why the Master Password would often be requested when Touch ID integration was enabled, but the Auto-Lock settings have now been retuned to remove confusion.




1Password on iPhone 6 Plus Before 5.1 update on left, after 5.1 update on right


The app has gained a new setting that allows users to disable third-party keyboards within 1Password to keep passwords more secure, and several bug fixes have been implemented.

- The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are out. Were you one of the lucky millions who got one already? 1Password 5.1 has been updated to give you a beautiful experience on these new devices with 3x images and improved rich icons.



- Touch ID and the PIN Code have been significantly improved. The Auto-Lock timeout will now function across both the Master Password and Touch ID/PIN Code, removing the confusion the separate settings caused. The iOS Keychain will be used to store the Master Password when Touch ID/PIN Code is enabled, allowing Touch ID/PIN Code to be used reliably in the 1Password Extension. Configure what works best for you in Settings->Security.



- Tag you're it. You can now add brand new tags to your items.



- Customer keyboard preference. Choose to enable or disable 3rd party custom keyboards within the Advanced Settings.



- Many fixes for the most popular issues and crashes

1Password can be downloaded from the App Store for free, with the app's full functionality unlockable through a $9.99 in-app purchase. [Direct Link]

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Posted in 2014 at 07:00PM, October 06

Detailed iPad Air 2 Claims Likely Based on Circulating Rumors, Not Genuine Leaked Information

Apple is expected to hold an event on Thursday, October 16, where it will unveil the second-generation iPad Air, Retina iMacs, and OS X Yosemite. Ahead of that event, The Michael Report claims to have acquired "pictures and illustrations" of the iPad Air 2 from "sources within Apple," although it has opted not to share such evidence publicly.



While the site goes into significant detail about the iPad Air 2, it appears to be largely aggregating existing rumors about the device, adding little new information. Overall, the site claims the iPad Air 2 will have a slightly thinner body, something that has been claimed in previous reports and perhaps enabled by a new integrated display, as shown in early part leaks from April.



Along with its display prediction, The Michael Report details several minor design changes that have previously been seen in an iPad Air 2 dummy unit, which MacRumors also has had on hand for several months, suggesting the site may be basing much of its information off of a replica device rather than actual information.



For example, the site suggests that the second-generation iPad Air 2 will do away with the mute switch to "achieve [a] thinner profile," but that is likely an erroneous conclusion based on the unfinished design of the circulating dummy units rather than a legitimate leak as claimed by the site. On the iPad Air 2 dummy units, there is indeed a hole where the mute switch would normally be located. The Michael Report suggests this may be a microphone, but more likely, it is a pilot hole marking the location for the mute switch. Similar pilot holes have been seen for larger physical features such as SIM card trays in other dummy units and unfinished prototypes.




Recessed volume buttons and pilot hole for mute switch from MacRumors' dummy unit

The mute/vibration switch is completely gone in the new redesign, with sources from within Apple telling us that it was a necessary move to achieve the thinner profile of the new tablets. [...]



The microphones on the iPad Air 2 have been relocated from the top of the iPad Air (where it currently is; within the antenna band) to next to the back camera modules. One of them is to the right of the camera module, the other is to the left -- on the sides of the iPad Air.

Other predictions from The Michael Report include recessed volume buttons, a redesigned speaker grille, and a microphone hole relocated near the rear camera, all design elements that have been previously seen in the iPad Air 2 mockups. When examining the dummy device, MacRumors did notice that the recessed volume buttons and hole for the mute switch had been moved higher on the device than on the original iPad Air, nearly in line with the rear camera. The reason for this design change is unclear.



Echoing other previous rumors, the site's predictions include an upgraded A8 processor, an 8-megapixel camera, support for Touch ID and Apple Pay, and 2 GB of RAM, which has not been confirmed but is a rumored upgrade to support split-screen multitasking.



Many of The Michael Report's predictions are based on previous rumors and are likely to be accurate, but some of the more unsubstantiated claims, like 2 GB of RAM and the lack of a mute switch are somewhat more nebulous.




Another image of the iPad Air 2 mockup with Touch ID


Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6, The Michael Report came out with a similar roundup that it claimed was based on contact with Apple employees, but several of the predictions (seemingly based on rumors circulating at the time) turned out to be wrong, including "a waterproof and dust-proof enhanced sapphire glass screen" and an "iPhone 6L" nomenclature, among other things.



Apple is expected to unveil its second-generation iPad Air on October 16, and it is possible the second-generation Retina iPad mini with support for Touch ID will also debut at that event. Apple is also expected to unveil Retina iMacs and provide a final look at OS X Yosemite before its public launch.

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Posted in 2014 at 06:34PM, October 06