Best Buy is looking to provide what could truly be the best buy available for shoppers in the market for a new iPhone 4S or iPhone 5.
Beginning Sunday, the electronics retailer will slash the prices on all iPhone 4S/5 models by an impressive $50. The sale, we're told, won't be limited to this holiday weekend either. In fact, the promotion will last four weeks.
As of May 26th, shoppers can get the discount as long as they are willing to accept a corresponding two-year contract with Verizon Wireless, AT&T, or Sprint.
Similar discounts are available on leading Android phones, Best Buy confirms.
According to Best Buy, the iPhone promotion means shoppers can get an iPhone 4S for $49, a 16GB iPhone 5 for $149, a 32GB iPhone 5 for $249, or a 64GB iPhone 5 for $349.
9to5Mac shares more details on Jony Ive's redesign for iOS 7, noting that not only will it bring a flatter look to the operating system but also more emphasis on black and white design elements.
Sources have described iOS 7 as “black, white, and flat all over.” This refers to the dropping of heavy textures and the addition of several new black and white user interface elements. [...]
For the upcoming operating system, which Apple says will be unveiled at its June Worldwide Developers Conference, Ive has not simply picked areas of the software design to tweak. He has essentially made his mark on every corner of the operating system, according to descriptions from sources, all while mostly keeping the essence of what has made iOS so ubiquitous.
The report walks through a number of specific changes appearing in the current development version of iOS 7, including changes to the lock screen, notifications, and the home screen. The report also describes how the look of some of the default iOS apps has changed:
[T]he iPhone’s Notes app has replaced the yellow notepad design for a flat white look. Apps such as Mail, Calendar, and Maps have also gained a more uniformed look with flat white textures. While the core elements of those apps are mostly white, each app has been given a unique button color. Essentially, each app has a white base with a respective color theme.
For example, the Calendar app could potentially have red buttons, while Messages could have green controls.
Other changes include the addition of panorama home screen wallpapers that pan as the user swipes between screens, subtle animations in the Weather app, and the possibility of FaceTime being moved out of the Phone app into a standalone app for greater visibility.
Apple is expected to show off at least some of iOS 7's changes at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) where the keynote is scheduled for June 10. Today's report indicates that Apple has tested several different design themes for iOS 7 over the past several months and that things may still change before the public release, but it seems reasonable to expect that aspects shown at WWDC will be close to the final shipping version.
Apple started running a new iPhone ad this evening called 'Music Every Day', the second in a series that launched last month with a spot entitled 'Photos Every Day'. Both ads in the campaign focus on people actually using the phone, rather than just the phone itself.
Every day, more people enjoy their music on the iPhone than any other phone
In a series of colorful clips, the iPhone is used by owners to listen to music at school, in the shower, at the gym, at a club, at a swim meet and more.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has been fairly accurate regarding Apple hardware releases, claims that Apple's smart watch will not be released until the end of 2014.
Kuo cites the lack of maturity among wearable devices in the market, as well as a major changes in iOS, as the reason for the 2014 launch. Previously, it was widely speculated Apple would release a smart watch by the end of 2013.
Apple may not have adequate resources to develop an iWatch version of iOS because it may require big changes to iPhone and iPad iOS this year. In addition, wearable device components aren’t mature. For these reasons, we think mass production of the iWatch is more likely to begin in 2H14, not 2H13 as the market speculates.
Kuo believes the watch will use a 1.5-inch to 2-inch display, and will draw from iPod nano components like the processor and touch screen.
iWatch panel to be 1.5-2.0 inches, and likely to be made by Japanese or Korean supplier. We think a 1.5-2.0 inch panel suits watch applications best. The reason for choosing Japanese or Korean suppliers is that they enjoy closer cooperation with Apple, hence are more likely to become suppliers for Apple’s new products.
iWatch may use iPod nano’s GF2 touch technology and AP. Currently, the iPod nano uses the same GF2 touch technology as used by the iPad mini. Since the size and computing ability requirements of the iWatch are similar to those of the iPod nano, we think iWatch will use iPod nano’s GF2 touch technology and AP.
Finally, Kuo believes that integration with iOS devices, as well as biometrics will be key selling points.
It was just last year when a hologram of late rapper and iconic entertainer Tupac Shakur performed at Coachella 2012. But the world may soon behold another hologram of an industry giant we lost too soon.
If the rumor mill is correct, a digital version of late Apple CEO and company co-founder Steve Jobs may emerge at a forthcoming Apple event -- possibly even WWDC, which kicks off next month.
When a reporter from TMZ (and, believe me, I hope this is the last time TMZ is cited on MMi) encountered Apple CEO Tim Cook in DC (he was in town for a Senate hearing) a most unusual question based on recent chatter in the rumor mill was posed.
"Will Apple unveil a hologramatic Steve Jobs at its next press conference?" the reporter asked Cook. His response? "I can't comment on that," Cook replied.
Although that's hardly an admission that a Steve Jobs hologram will appear at WWDC, it also isn't a denial.
Following Apple's adoption of sapphire crystal as a strong and durable covering for the rear cameras on the iPhone 5 and fifth-generation iPod touch late last year, rumors of expanded uses for the material have gained some traction. Back in March, we covered a report suggesting that sapphire could see wider adoption as coverings for displays on mobile devices, and just last week a sketchy rumor claimed that Apple is planning to use a sapphire-covered capacitive home button with integrated fingerprint sensor for the iPhone 5S. Amid these discussions of the potential of sapphire, Corning has published a featureoutlining why its latest Gorilla Glass 3 is in fact already a better option than sapphire for mobile device displays, citing greater strength, lower weight, less energy cost in production, and significantly lower pricing. And with those features has come widespread adoption, with Corning reporting that over 1.5 billion devices have been made with Gorilla Glass.
Jeffrey W. Evenson, [Corning] senior vice president, remarked, “Discussion seems to center around sapphire as an obvious solution for a cover material. What would people say if someone invented a cover that was about half the weight, used 99 percent less energy to make, provided brighter displays, and cost less than a tenth of sapphire? I think they’d say that sapphire was in real trouble. It so happens that we at Corning already invented that cover – and it’s called Gorilla Glass.” Evenson added that the company’s tests so far indicate Gorilla Glass requires about three times more force to break than sapphire after both materials have received similar wear and tear.
Corning also discusses its latest work with Gorilla Glass, noting that the company has already trimmed the materials thickness to the point where it can be curved and shaped without losing strength. Earlier this year, The New York Times reported that Apple was working on a curved glass smart watch, a product that could potentially take advantage of Corning's latest Gorilla Glass advancements.
Going even further, Corning lays out its future plans for Gorilla Glass, sharing that the company is working hard on new versions that reduce reflections for better visibility in bright sunlight and which incorporate antimicrobial technology to minimize the germs which are prevalent on mobile devices.
Apple has added support for paying with Paypal to the German Online Apple Store, reports Macerkopf.de.
A help document reveals how the payment option works:
When you place an order with PayPal you will be redirected to the PayPal website. There you will then need to login with your PayPal username and password. Before sending the order, whether the total amount and billing details are correct.
If you are not a PayPal customer, you can still choose this payment option, then set up a new account or pay as a guest.
Your order consists of multiple deliveries, your PayPal account will be charged separately for each shipment.
While Paypal is not currently an option in any other stores, the move suggests Apple could be planning to bring the payment option to other countries as well.
Earlier today Apple revamped its online store with a stronger focus on images.
When you get into a phone call in iOS, your iPhone will automatically dim the display for you when you put the iPhone close to your face because the proximity sensor detects when the iPhone is close to something.
While the feature is nice, it’s not exactly perfect. A new jailbreak tweak called DimInCall by iOS developer snakeninny makes it so the iPhone display dims during a call no matter what, whether the iPhone is close to your face or not. This guarantees that you don't accidentally touch any buttons in the phone interface when the proximity sensor fails to detect when the iPhone is close to your face.
In the event that you want to see the display in the middle of a call to access certain controls, you can press the sleep button or the home button to light the screen up manually.
DimInCall comes with a preferences pane in the Settings application where you can configure a few options:
Most importantly, you can enable and disable the tweak on demand. In addition, the tweak lets you dim the display whenever the iPhone's microphone is in use during a call, dim the display whenever you're in a speaker phone call, dim the display whenever you're in a headphone phone call, or have the iPhone vibrate whenever your call connects since you won't be able to see it on the display because it's dimmed.
DimInCall is a nice way to avoid unwanted mistakes. If you're interested in giving the tweak a try, it's available in Cydia's BigBoss repository for $1.99. The tweak is compatible with iOS 5 and later.
