iPhone 6 leaks show a device begging for extreme torture-testing

The iPhone 6 seems to be itchin' for a fight, if the rumors are true. Video screenshot by Eric Mack / CNET

CNET - If the rumors hold true, the next iPhone could sport a nearly indestructible and perhaps flexible sapphire screen. That sound you hear is Apple muttering, "Bring it on" to device torture-testers everywhere.

A video making the rounds this week purports to show a sapphire crystal screen panel from the upcoming iPhone 6 withstanding some pretty serious scratches and stabs from a hunting knife and some keys. 

It's an impressive demonstration that, along with other rumors that the next iPhone's screen could also be curved or flexible, means that those like myself in the device torture-testing community might need to up our game in the near future.   Read More

iPhone 6: Every rumor about the specs, release date, and size of Apple's next smartphone

CNET - The rumor mill is already churning out reports about Apple's next smartphone, likely called the iPhone 6. We're collecting every rumor, whether wacky or plausible, that CNET has reported about the iPhone 6 here, so you can stay on top of the latest reports on its release date, specs, and special features. Let us know in the comments below what you're hoping to see from Apple's next iPhone.

What we think we know 

This early in 2014, we don't know much about what Apple has up its sleeves for the next iPhone. That said, some trends are already popping up in the rumors. Analysts and sources claim that Apple will give us two phones this year, just like it did in September 2013 with the 5S and 5C. There will be a large iPhone model, likely with a 5-inch or larger screen, and also a smaller, possibly lower-end, device closer in size to the iPhone 5S.

Apple hasn't even confirmed it's even working on a new iPhone, let alone what it will be called, but following the pattern the company has used to name its previous phones, we are guessing it will be dubbed the iPhone 6.  

Read More & Watch the Video!

Apple Byte : What to expect in iOS 8

New Details On The iPhone 6: It Will Be Super Slim, High Res, Come In Two Sizes, And The Power Button Is Moving

Business Insider - Big changes are coming to Apple's iPhone line this year, says KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi Kuo.

In a note picked up at Apple Insider, Kuos predicts that Apple will release two larger iPhones by the end of the year.

He's calling for a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in the third quarter, and then a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 in the fourth quarter.

Kuo isn't the only person calling for two big iPhones. We've heard it from a variety of sources. The more we hear, the more we think it's going to happen.

Apple knows that it needs to release a phone with a bigger screen. Last year, in an internal presentation, it said big-screen phones are the best-selling phones. Since Apple had only a 4-inch iPhone, it concluded "Customers want what we don't have."   Read More

Apple Working on Spotify-Like Service and iTunes Android App, Report Says

Mashable - Apple may have revolutionized the music business with iTunes, but in the face of users' changing music-consumption habits — namely the rise of streaming services — the Cupertino, Calif. company will reportedly shake things up once again.

Apple is preparing to launch a new on-demand music-streaming service that would rival Spotify, according to music magazine Billboard.

The company took its first major step into streaming last year with the launch of iTunes Radio, a service similar to Pandora that allows users to listen to, and curate radio stations based on genres and types of artists. They also have the option to buy any song being played.

By moving toward a model similar to Spotify, as the report suggested, Apple could effectively offer music fans more tunes at a lower price.   Read More

Steve Jobs quote app rejected by Apple, report says

The app's creator has decided to turn the app into a Web-only program after Apple decided daily Steve Jobs quotes weren't enough.

CNET - A new app has surfaced that features Steve Jobs quotes. But it turns out Apple wasn't impressed, according to a new report.

Quoth Steve has cropped up on the Web as a mobile app that users can run in the browser. The app provides daily Steve Jobs quotes that can be saved, shared via social networks, or synched to different devices. The app was initially planned for Apple's App Store, but according to co-creator John Gill, who coincidentally works as a developer at Amazon, Apple denied its entry into its marketplace.   Read More

Massive makeover makes iOS feel new again - Apple iOS 7 review

CNET Editors' Rating

4.0Stars

Excellent

The good: Apple iOS 7 gets a complete design overhaul and adds useful features like automatic updates to make everyday use easier. Long-overdue Control Center gives quick access to most-used features. AirDrop and iTunes Radio are excellent additions.

The bad: Besides the massively overhauled design and Control Center, there are few ground-breaking new features. The flat design concept favors space over information so you'll generally need to do more scrolling to get the info you need. Some new features aren't available for iPhone 4 and 4S users.

The bottom line: Provided you take the time to find your way around, iOS 7's new design makes it a compelling upgrade that completely transforms Apple's mobile OS.

Read the Full Review

20 great apps for your new iOS device - Great starting apps for iOS

CNET - If you're one of the lucky people who received a new iOS device over the holidays, we have a great collection of iOS apps to get you started. There are both free and paid apps here, but all are tried and true selections for everything from gaming and movie making to photography and cooking. Without further ado, make sure your Apple account is set up with the App Store first, then get your iOS device ready for downloading and browse some of my favorite apps for new devices in this slideshow.

This is in no way a definitive list of the best or most essential apps to download, but simply a collection of great titles to get you started with your new iOS device.

View The Apps!

Looking for apps for a new Android device? Sarah Mitroff has a great starter collection forAndroid apps here.

Apple - Making the all-new Mac Pro

iPad Air vs. Surface 2 vs. Galaxy Note 10.1

 

It's a tablet takedown: CNET pits the newly announced iPad Air against the Microsoft Surface 2 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1.

CNET - During a San Francisco press conference today, Apple took the wraps off its newest iPad Air tablet. Sporting a more powerful 64-bit A7 processor, narrower bezels, and a thinner 0.29-inch profile, the iOS 7 device features incremental upgrades from its previous iteration, and retains the familiar aesthetics consumers have come to expect.

And while it's obvious that this iPad is an improvement on the last, Apple isn't the only company out there making top-notch tablets.  

Read More, Watch the Video & View the Photos!

Apple Is Working On A 12-Inch MacBook That Will 'Redefine Laptop Computing'

Business Insider - Over the weekend, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities revealed that Apple has plans for a new laptop in 2014.

In a note picked up at 9 to 5 Mac, Kuo says Apple is planning a high-resolution 12-inch laptop that will be as portable as the 11-inch MacBook Air, but as productive as the 13-inch MacBook Air.

This new MacBook will "redefine laptop computing" according to Kuo, just like the current MacBook Air redefined laptop computers when it was introduced in 2010. (The original MacBook Air was out in 2008, but was flawed. The 2010 version fixed the flaws and became the industry standard.)

This new laptop will be thinner and lighter than the current MacBook Airs, per Kuo.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-is-working-on-a-12-inch-macbook-2013-10#ixzz2hiZsnr00

Slow Motion: See What Happens To A Gold iPhone 5S When You Shoot It With A Sniper Rifle

Business Insider - Apple's Gold iPhone 5S's are so rare — they're has sold out until October — that people are bidding up to $10,000 for them on eBay.

We showed you a lucky handful of people who snagged one when they first went on sale last Friday ... but one of them landed in the hands of Richard Ryan, a video blogger who specializes in slow motion video of things being destroyed by gunfire.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/gold-iphone-5s-shot-with-a-sniper-rifle-2013-9#ixzz2fvomBxnw

Apple iOS 7 feels like a whole new world - Review

Massive makeover makes iOS feel new again

CNET Editors' Rating   4.0 stars - Excellent

 

The good: Apple iOS 7 gets a complete design overhaul and adds useful features like automatic updates to make everyday use easier. Long-overdue Control Center gives quick access to most-used features. AirDrop and iTunes Radio are excellent additions.

The bad: Besides the massively overhauled design and Control Center, there are few ground-breaking new features. The flat design concept favors space over information so you'll generally need to do more scrolling to get the info you need. Some new features aren't available for iPhone 4 and 4S users.

The bottom line: Provided you take the time to find your way around, iOS 7's new design makes it a compelling upgrade that completely transforms Apple's mobile OS.

Read the Full Review

Control these large smart appliances with your iPhone

Looking to justify an iPhone purchase? Here's a handful of smart kitchen and laundry units with iOS-compatible apps.

CNET - The definition of the word "smart" as it applies to appliances is still finding itself. Breville considers its Smart Oven smart because adjusts the active heating elements based on which preset you use. Microwave ovens from various manufacturers have used sensors to measure temperature and humidity for years.

The definition also forks if you narrow down "smart" to meaning "connected." Dacor's high-end Discovery IQ oven and Samsung's RF4289HARS refrigerator both have large touch screens and Wi-Fi connectivity, but no companion mobile app.

Most smart appliances, though, do have an accompanying app. All of those apps are available on iOS, and, to varying degrees, Android (Samsung restricts its washer and dryer app to iOS and to Samsung's Galaxy mobile devices, not the rest of the Android universe). For those of you contemplating a new iPhone purchase, and interested in using it for some degree of appliance control, here are your choices from some major appliance manufacturers.   More

What to Expect From the Apple Event?

iOS 7 and a new iPhone are both near-certainties, but what about everything else?

Ars Technica - On September 10, Apple will host its first major event since its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) back in June. Unlike that event, which revolved around mostly product announcements and not product launches, Tuesday's keynote "should brighten everyone's day" with a bunch of shiny new stuff.

This list isn't comprehensive, but it should encompass all of the major announcements that Apple could make. We'll also share just how likely we think those announcements are.

iOS 7: Definitely

Enlarge

A release date for iOS 7 will be one of the largest announcements we get from the show. While iOS 6 was all about spit-and-polish, iOS 7 is the most extensive redesign Apple's mobile operating system has gotten since its introduction in 2007. It brings new features, new APIs, and a brand new design that sheds faux-realistic textures in favor of flatter, brighter colors and gradients. The new operating system will support the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5; the fifth-generation iPod touch; and the iPad 2, iPad mini, and both Retina iPads. It's the end of the line for both the iPhone 3GS and the fourth-generation iPod touch (though there have been rumblings that the iPad builds may not be ready at the same time as the iPhone and iPod builds).   Read More

Live Blog Tuesday, September 10th, starting at 1PM ET / 10AM PT

Sony Vaio Pro 13 vs. Apple MacBook Air 13-inch

Apple's iOS 7 is almost unrecognizable - Hands on With the New Mobile OS

CNET - SAN FRANCISCO -- To silence a growing chorus of discontent against an operating system design that's remained more or less static since 2007, Apple needed to go big. With iOS 7, it did. Apple's crisp, newly announced OS update gives the mobile operating system a radical new look and some first-for-Apple features for iPhone and iPad fans, like quick-access system controls, automatic app updates, and Apple's AirDrop file-sharing system.

The visual overhaul, which becomes available this fall, is a clean sweep that changes absolutely everything, from the typography and color schemes to the typical icon and button shape across the entire platform. And we mean the whole thing -- from the Safari browser to the photo app.

While there are a few notable new features in iOS 7, the new interface is by far the platform's deepest felt and most profoundly changed of the entire batch. Apple's other features are relatively uninspiring and do little to challenge competitors; however, we have a feeling that Apple is saving some major reveals for its next big iPhone announcement.

The fresh new look of Apple iOS 7 (pictures)

 

Design

Gone are the skeuomorphic interface elements that make icons and apps look like leather or paper or felt. Gone, too, are the slightly bubbly icon effects. Flat graphics and a dappled, pastel color scheme bring an elegant look. When you move the phone or tablet, Apple promises a 3D effect that makes your wallpaper appear some distance behind the icons.

Circles enter the design language, along with visuals that look nearly transparent, like a pane of glass. See what we mean in the slideshow above. The most important part of any deep design work is that it feels smooth and connected from screen to screen. We had a chance to sit down with some of the folks from Apple after the keynote and check out iOS 7 for ourselves.  More

What Apple revealed at WWDC 2013

CNET - At its Worldwide Developers Conference today, Apple gave the world a glimpse of the next products in its pipeline, with the next version of its Mac operating system leading the way. After years of giving OS X cat-related names (Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, and so on), the company has moved on, choosing California-themed titles for future versions of the operating system. And the first in that new line is OS X 10.9, which will be known as Mavericks.

Named after the world-famous surfing competition held near Half Moon Bay, Calif., Mavericks will be available today in a preview for developers, and for everyone else this fall. The new operating system will feature improved battery life, many new applications, better power management, tabs in Finder, and the ability to add tags to file names so they're more searchable.

As well, Apple has built the ability to use multiple displays into Mavericks, giving power users (such as the developers who have filled WWDC to capacity) more screen real estate, and more multitasking capabilities.

The next new product is an updated Safari, Apple's browser. The latest Safari will feature a new home screen with top sites, and what's known as a Reading list, a tool that lets users keep scrolling from the end of articles to the next stories on a site. And on the performance side, the next Safari has Nitro tiered JIT, Nitro fast start, background tab optimization, and better memory usage.

Maps

Given Apple's lost relationship with Google, the company has been forced to develop -- with very mixed results -- its own mapping tools. And now it is bringing Maps to OS X. The newest version of the tool features 3D maps, and the ability to get an instant estimated time of arrival for any address in a calendar event.   More

Apple Event: WWDC2013 - Info, Schedule & Live Blog

 

Policymic - The 2013 World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple's biggest annual event, will take place from Monday until Friday. The keynote event (the one where all the big updates/ products/ news items/ are introduced) is Monday just before 10 a.m. PT.   More

Ars Technica - The 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is about to begin, and Apple's developer community is gearing up for a sneak peek at what's coming next in software on and off the desktop. Apple has once again said the focus will be on iOS and OS X, all but guaranteeing an early look at iOS 7 and OS X 10.9 during Monday's keynote.

We’re hoping to learn more about iOS 7’s new features and the purported “flat” design element that has been exciting the Apple community. Apple has also allegedly been pulling engineers from OS X to assist with iOS work, but we will probably get a look at a few new features.    More

Schedule 

Live Blog

iPad 5 coming next week? - Gumdrop Cases has already started producing cases based on leaked specs

 

Gambling that Apple will introduce the iPad 5 next week, Gumdrop Cases has already started producing cases based on leaked specs.

CNET - Tim Hickman, founder and CEO of Gumdrop Cases, has made it a tradition to announce cases for major Apple products ahead of their launches. He's currently batting 4 for 5, only whiffing badly in 2011 when another of his companies -- Hard Candy Cases -- released an iPhone 5 case in advance of the iPhone 4S launch and it didn't fit. It wasn't even close.

Now Hickman is stepping up to the plate again, trotting out new cases for the iPad 5, which he expects Apple to unveil at next week's 2013 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco. Rumors and leaked images of a new "large" iPad with a trimmer design have been circulating for months, but the time frame for its launch remains up in the air. Initially, some Apple watchers thought the company would unveil the product at this year's WWDC, but other reports had the launch being pushed to this fall.   More