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Apple's New iPad Set For September Release; iPad mini 2 Debut Date Still Uncertain
iPhone 6, Cheaper iPhone 5S, Thinner iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 With Retina Display To Be Announced On A Single Release Date in September?
Windows 8 Tablets 'Haven't Reached Quality Of iPads,' - Air France CIO
Almost Every Major Consumer Electronics Manufacturer Now Working On A Smartwatch - Quartz
More People Use Smartphones For Diet Than Exercise Information
Codekia Releases My Nutrition Intuitive App to Encourage Healthy Eating
HTC Shares Hit Lowest Price in More Than 7 Years
A New Way to View Directions in the Car: Garmin Introduces Its First Portable Head-Up Display (HUD)
Diamond Scale App Lets Phones Accurately Weigh Small Items On The Go
Apple's New iPad Set For September Release; iPad mini 2 Debut Date Still Uncertain
Digitimes' Max Wang and Joseph Tsai report that Apple is expected to announce its fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad in September as scheduled, but the next-generation iPad mini reportedly may be held up for further upgrades in specifications, according to unnamed sources in the upstream supply chain.
Wang and Tsai say now that upstream ODM suppliers have mostly finished preparing for production of the new 9.7-inch iPad, it's unlikely that there will be any more changes in terms of specifications for the device, and that as widely rumored, Apple's new full-sized tablet will features a slimmer bezel design in order to maintain the screen dimensions of previous generations in a device with trimmer overall dimensions and diminished weight. The number of LED backlighting tubes has been reduced from two to one, and battery runtime is also improved.
The reporters say suppliers have not yet received a firm mass production schedule from Apple and are mainly shipping products for pilot production, but affirm that pilot production is already able to satisfy demand for the initial launch, with Apple expected to provide the ODMs with its shipment estimates at the end of July or early August.
However, regarding the next-generation 7.9-inch iPad mini, Wang and Tsai's sources say Apple is still on the fence as to whether to adopt a Retina Display for the device, and if they decide to do so, the product's release may be delayed to the end of the fourth quarter. Apple has reportedly also been asking its upstream supply partners to further shrink the next-generation iPad mini's bezel, shooting for a bezel-less design similar to that of Samsung and HTC's large-size smartphones.
For the full report, visit:
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130708PD207.html
iPhone 6, Cheaper iPhone 5S, Thinner iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 With Retina Display To Be Announced On A Single Release Date in September?
International Business Times' Kristin Dian Mariano says Apple may release all its new and upgraded devices in September in one launching event, according to a new rumor claiming that Apple is set to release its iPhone 6, iPhone 5S, iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 in one big event, citing awide array of separate reports claiming that new generatns of Apple's flagship phone and tablet will be released in September.
The next iPhone is rumored to include a faster A6X processor, larger storage capacity up to 128GB, added security with a fingerprint sensor and longer battery life. An alleged low cost iPhone projected to have the specs of either iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S and be available in a variety of colors is also rumored
Meanwhile the iPad Mini 2 tablet is speculated to get a Retina display with 2048 x 1536 resolution almost four times that of the present iPad mini and equal to the fourth generation iPad, plus a more powerful dual core A7 processor, 10-hour battery life, a FaceTime HD camera, and an iSight camera with 1080 pixels HD video recording all with reduced form factor thickness thanks to Sharp's IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) screen technology.
The full-sized iPad 5 is rumored to have no bezels, and be substantially sleeker overall likewise attributable in part to Sharp's IGZO screen technology.
For the full report, visit:
http://bit.ly/15sH7c0
Windows 8 Tablets 'Haven't Reached Quality Of iPads,' - Air France CIO
Computing's Danny Palmer reports that according to Jean-Christophe Lalanne, CIO of Air France and group CIO of Air France-KLM, Microsoft tablet devices such as Surface Pro have potential and could be useful for enterprise in future, but for now, the iPad is still a better device.
M. Lalanne made the comment during an interview with Computing at the 2013 Air Transport IT Summit in Brussels, noting that "I think that for the staff - not for the pilots, not for the cabin crew - but for the rest of the users, we should absolutely study the use of Windows 8 tablets."
However, says Palmer, Lalanne still considers Apple's iPad to be the superior tablet when compared with Microsoft's Windows 8 devices.
That contention was contradicted by easyJet CIO Trever Didcock, who told Computing that devices like Surface Pro are the way forward, and that his preference would be to standardise on a Windows 8 device rather than an iPad.
For the full report, visit:
http://bit.ly/1a5ZXH4
Almost Every Major Consumer Electronics Manufacturer Now Working On A Smartwatch - Quartz
Quartz's Christopher Mims reports that the ailing PC sector, competition among makers of smartphones, and the endless quest for the next big thing has nearly every major consumer electronics manufacturer working on a smart watch or at least contemplating it, the latest being Dell.
The rest of the crowd Mims says include:
Acer
Apple
BlackBerry
Foxconn / Hon Hai
LG
Microsoft
Qualcomm
Samsung
Sony
And
Toshiba
For the full report, visit:
http://qz.com/101058/smart-watch-explosion/
More People Use Smartphones For Diet Than Exercise Information
mobihealthnews.com's Jonah Comstock reports that mobile operator US Cellular has released new data on consumer use of health and fitness apps., finding that 10 percent of US Cellular customers use a mobile phone or tablet for health or fitness on a regular basis, according to a survey conducted on behalf of the company by Consumer Insights.
In the US Cellular survey, among respondents who used a mobile phone or tablet for health and fitness regularly, 64 percent said they used it to look up nutritional information, 61 percent said they used it to track nutritional intake (like a calorie counter app) and only 56 percent said they used it to track workouts,
Comstock reports that US Cellular also found that 16 percent of smartphone users use their phones to help them eat healthier meals and 12 percent said their devices help them spend less time planning and preparing meals. Additionally, 9 percent said mobile devices helped them stay in better shape and 8 percent said mobile health devices helped them lose weight.
In an earlier report, Jonah Comstock cited a Pew Internet & American Life Project Mobile Health 2012 survey reporting that 11 percent of all mobile phone users and 19 percent of smartphone users have at least one health app on their device,
Of the 254 health app-users in the survey, fitness and wellness apps dominated , with 38 percent of respondents using apps to track exercise, fitness, or heart rate, 31 percent tracked diet or food and 12 percent tracked weight. The next largest categories were menstrual cycle trackers at 7 percent and blood pressure trackers at 5 percent. Outside of apps specifically, the survey showed that 31 percent of mobile phone owners have used their phones to look up health information, up from 17 percent in a comparable 2010 survey, and limited to just smartphone owners, that number goes up to 52 percent. The report showed that Latinos, African Americans, those between the ages of 18 to 49, and individuals with college degrees are more likely than others to use their phones to look for health information.
Unwisely, in your editor's opinion, nine percent of the 2,581 mobile phone users surveyed used text messaging to receive health or medical information, with women, African Americans, and those between the ages of 30 and 49 the most likely to receive health information by text.
For the full reports, visit:
http://bit.ly/18tC7ab
and:
http://bit.ly/YPtNLk
Codekia Releases My Nutrition Intuitive App to Encourage Healthy Eating
Sydney, Australia based Codekia has announced the release of My Nutrition, a food nutrition database designed to help users meet their individual nutritional goals. My Nutrition is now available on the iTunes App Store and features what Codekia claims is the most complete comprehensive database of nutritional facts and information containing over 8,000 foods directly from the USDA.
My Nutrition offers users the ability to keep track of everything they eat in one easy to use app. Rather than adding up fat, calories, and other nutritional measurements app counters, users can save foods and meals from the My Nutrition database and have the app keep track of what is consumed. These foods can be searched via the Food Category option, where foods are placed into categories based on food groups (dairy & eggs, fats and oils, poultry products, soups & sauces, etc.) or the food itself (bacon, beans, carrots, peas, etc.). From there users can save foods and meals into their "My Foods" section and easily access them at any time.
My Nutrition also features many optional features that users can benefit from. One of these features is searching by nutrients. For example, if a doctor recommends that someone needs more vitamin D in their diet, a simple search will find all foods high in vitamin D. Once the foods are found and consumed, they can be added to another optional feature of My Nutrition, My Diary. My Diary allows users to keep a daily record of what has been eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and as snacks in order to calculate nutritional totals so that users can meet their nutritional goals.
My Recipes and My Family are two more optional features found within My Nutrition. With My Recipes, users can add recipes to My Nutrition by searching the complete 8,000 food database for all the needed ingredients. The recipe can be added to the My Foods section and will contain all the nutritional information desired. The My Family feature calculates calories burned and the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for key members of the family. This allows for easy management of the user's family RDI as well as meal plans, recipes, and healthy lifestyle tips all in one place.
"We designed this app with our heart for our child's specific dietary requirement," says Brett Nash, CTO of Codekia. "We solved a problem of our own and believe My Nutrition can definitely help anyone looking to take control of their diet."
My Nutrition Features:
(*) Search: nutritional facts for 8,000+ foods
(*) My Foods: save favorites foods, and ones you should avoid
(*) Recipes: create your own recipes anytime, anywhere, and discover their total nutrition
(*) Food Diary: keep track of your meals and total nutrients
(*) Share: share foods with others to Facebook and Twitter
(*) Family: calculate recommended daily intake (RDI) for you and your family
Device Requirements:
(*) iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch and iPad
(*) Requires iOS 6.1 or later
(*) 12.4 MB
My Nutrition 2.1 is Free and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Health & Fitness category. The app features in-app purchases for the additional features. My Nutrition is launching with an informative and helpful explainer video in order to better share the outstanding benefits the app offers its users.
My Nutrition 2.1:
http://mynutrition.codekia.com/
Download from iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-nutrition/id639516908
YouTube Video (Trailer):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlErTrmA5mI
Trackback URL:
http://bit.ly/13xZOgv
HTC Shares Hit Lowest Price in More Than 7 Years
A WSJ blog reports that HTC Corp. shares fell to their lowest level since November 2005 on Monday as investors dumped the troubled Taiwanese smartphone makers stock, erasing US$395 million in market value, after its preliminary earnings figures disappointed the market.
For the full report, visit:
http://on.wsj.com/15qmwVV
A New Way to View Directions in the Car: Garmin Introduces Its First Portable Head-Up Display (HUD)
Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. has announced HUD1, the company's first portable head-up display for smartphone navigation apps. Head-Up Display (HUD) is an innovative new way of viewing navigation information in the car, projecting crisp and bright directions onto a transparent film on the windshield or an attached reflector lens. By providing comprehensive road guidance at a glance and right within the driver's line of sight, HUD can help increase safety and reduce driver distraction. HUD receives navigation information from a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone running a Garmin StreetPilot1 or NAVIGON app.
"HUD redefines the navigation experience by allowing drivers to find their way without taking their eyes off the road," says Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. "Head-up displays currently have their place in select high-end cars, but HUD makes this technology available as an aftermarket accessory for any vehicle, at an affordable price.
HUD offers more navigation details than other portable head-up displays, yet presents them in a simplified way that doesn't divert the driver's attention from the road. The directions are easy to follow and allow drivers to navigate even the most challenging interchanges and traffic situations with ease. HUD displays turn arrows, distance to the next turn, current speed and speed limit, as well as estimated time of arrival. It even lets drivers know what lane to be in for the next maneuver and alerts them when they exceed the speed limit. HUD also warns users of potential traffic delays and upcoming safety camera locations. The crisp display automatically adjusts the brightness level so projections are clearly visible in direct sunlight or at night.
Complementing the visual display, spoken turn-by-turn directions are provided simultaneously by a compatible Garmin or Navigon app, either through the smartphone speaker or a Bluetooth-connected car stereo. Music streamed to the car stereo from the smartphone will automatically fade out for turn-by-turn voice prompts. HUD also continues to display navigation information while taking incoming calls.
HUD is easy to set up. Users can choose between displaying navigation information on their windshield, with the included, transparent film, or on the included reflector lens that attaches directly to HUD. The device pairs wirelessly with a compatible Bluetooth-enabled iPhone, Android phone or Windows Phone 8. An integrated USB port on the vehicle power/adapter cable makes it easy to charge the smartphone while driving.
HUD has an MSRP of $129.99 and will be available this summer. Garmin StreetPilot and NAVIGON apps, starting at $29.99 for a regional map (NAVIGON U.S. Central, East or West), provide premium turn-by-turn navigation for smartphones, including onboard maps, lane guidance, speed limit warnings, real-time traffic, and many other features.
HUD is the latest from Garmin's consumer automotive segment, the leading worldwide provider of mobile navigation solutions for automobiles, motorcycles and trucks. Garmin's user-friendly personal navigation devices and apps have innovative features that provide time- and fuel-saving benefits to meet the demands of everyday driving.
For more information, visit:
http://www.garmin.com/
Notes:
1 This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.
2 Purchase required. Compatible with Garmin StreetPilot Onboard or NAVIGON navigation apps.
3 Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Subscriptions required. Contact your mobile service provider for more information about your service plan's data and roaming rates. See http://bit.ly/14Zp62S for terms, conditions and limitations.
Diamond Scale App Lets Phones Accurately Weigh Small Items On The Go
A smartphone or tablet can be even more useful with an innovative new app that gives users accurate weight measurements. Diamond Scale from Leviteo transforms a mobile device into a compact and accurate scale. Perfect for jewelry, coins, food and other small objects, Diamond Scale makes accurately weighing items on the go quick and easy. The app ingeniously weighs an object through a simple process using an inflated zipper-top bag and coin to ensure reliable measurements. Mobile phones can weigh items between 1 and 5 grams, and tablets between 1 and 10 grams. Diamond Scale is now available worldwide through the iTunes App Store and Google Play.
"Diamond Scale is the first and only working scale for iOS and Android devices," says Thomas Poniatowicz, strategy manager for Leviteo. "The app provides incredible accuracy when the simple instructions are followed. Having Diamond Scale on your phone is like having a digital scale in your pocket wherever you go."
Perfect for jewelry, coins, food and other small objects, Diamond Scale makes accurately weighing items on the go quick and easy. Mobile phones can weigh items between 1 and 5 grams, and tablets between 1 and 10 grams. The app works best when the mobile device is equipped with a gyroscope and the work surface is sturdy, such as a floor, table or desk.
In preparation for operating Diamond Scale, the user will need an inflated zipper-seal bag or unopened bag of potato chips as well as a coin. Common coins such as the 0.20 EUR, 0.05 USD, 100 JPY, 0.2 GBP or 1 PLN work well.
Diamond Scale ingeniously weighs an object through a simple process. After placing the inflated bag on a steady surface, the user places the mobile device on the inflated bag, which acts a pillow to cradle and cushion it. The user taps the "press to calibrate" bar and waits a few seconds for the "calibration, please wait" message to disappear.
While taking care not to touch the inflated bag or the phone, the user gently places a coin on the lower portion of the phone. Once the app is calibrated again, the user carefully places the object to be weighed on top of the coin. Within seconds the accurate weight of the small object appears on the easy-to-read display.
Diamond Scale provides results in either grams or ounces. When used properly, the app provides accuracy to the nearest tenth of a measure.
"Sometimes it just isn't practical to carry a clunky digital scale as you visit clients looking to sell jewels, hunt for treasure at flea markets or weigh items for class projects and homework," said Poniatowicz. "Hobbyists, professionals, business owners, coin enthusiasts and students alike will appreciate how easy it is to use Diamond Scale and its accuracy."
Device requirements:
(*) iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
(*) Requires iOS 5.1 or later
(*) 3.5 MB
Also available for:
(*) Android phones and tablets on Android 2.2 or later
Pricing and availability:
Diamond Scale 1.01 is available for download through the iTunes App Store in the Utilities category and Google Play in the Tools category for $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies).
Leviteo:
http://leviteo.com
Diamond Scale 1.01:
http://scale.aexol.com/
Purchase and Download (iOS):
https://itunes.apple.com/app/id649265345
Purchase and Download (Google Play): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.diamondscale
YouTube Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NicGAslR6rQ
Facebook Profile:
http://on.fb.me/12ewq8N
Twitter Profile:
https://twitter.com/Diamondscale
Trackback URL:
http://bit.ly/1aUCxHF
Tags: News ď Tech-Industry ď iPhone ď iPhone News ď
