Rumor: Apple developing iPay as the next iPhone becomes your iWallet

Yeah, I know analysts promised us flying cars many times before, but bear with me for a second. In addition to opining that the time is not right for an Apple-branded television set until 2014 due to dire economic conditions, the same credible analyst also advised clients that a mobile payment platform from Apple is to be expected.

He calls it iPay and guesstimates it’ll work with NFC technology believed to be in the cards for an upcoming iPad and iPhone hardware refresh…

The analyst is “more optimistic” that Apple is developing a mobile payment solution of its own. He thinks it’s going to be marketed under the iPay moniker and require future iPhones and iPads thought to implement the necessary near-field communication (NFC) technology.

NFC technology lets mobile devices talk to each other over short distances, using radio waves. One simply touches two NFC-enabled devices together in order to, say, confirm the payment, exchange contacts and photos and other items.

According to AppleInsider, Moskowitz wrote this morning in a note to clients:

Currently, we do no have any evidence of an iPay platform in development, but it is our view that the company’s current Apple Store app that enables consumers to check themselves out of an Apple Retail Store could be the stepping stone.

Though it’s just a speculation at this point, but it has its merits.

True, it doesn’t seem like iPay will make a whole lot of sense on iPad. That said, mobile payment capability undoubtedly sounds like a natural progression of the feature set folks have come to expect from their iPhones.

It’s not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’.

We know Apple’s been hiring NFC experts and they filed several patents detailing a digital wallet on portable devices. Recently, the United States Patent & Trademark Office granted the company a key patent for iWallet.

And if multiple reports from sources like The New York Times and China Times are anything to go by, the next iPhone will feature NFC technology.

Also important – Apple owns premium customers who spend money via iTunes and willingly entrust club Cupertino with their credit card information and confidential data.

The iTunes ecosystem is huge. Last month, Apple revealed it had a whopping 200 million credit card-enabled accounts on iTunes.

This makes the popular online store the biggest credit card hub on the web.

Adding mobile payment functionality that extends outside the confines of digital content purchases on iTunes is a no-brainer.

Tapping iTunes credit cards and the more than 365 million iOS devices in the wild, Apple’s iPay should take off in an instant.

But what about financial institutions such as credit card companies, banks and payment processors? Apple currently partners with these guys and covers credit card transaction fees incurred with each iTunes purchase.

However, the money guys are unlikely to hand over point-of-sale processing to a middle-man. On the other hand, Apple did disrupt some pretty powerful industries and bankers could be easily next for a sprinkle of Apple magic.

And while Google was the first to crack mobile payments with their Wallet thing, Apple is best poised – in my opinion – to simplify and mainstream this technology.

I can certainly see myself paying for groceries just by waving my iPhone.

Would you trust Apple with your expenses or perhaps you’d rather use good ol’ plastic? 






[Via: idownloadblog]

Photos from inside Apple’s headquarters

Apple’s dedication to secrecy is the stuff of legends. We’ve heard a number of stories regarding the elaborate measures the company takes to ensure that unannounced products and other projects never make it outside its walls.

So as you can imagine, photographs inside Apple’s headquarters are fairly rare. But the folks over at Apple Gazette have put together an extensive gallery of pictures taken inside the building, so we thought we’d share a few of them…

Once you enter Apple’s headquarters, you pass by a large reception desk — where most folks are asked to put away their cameras. But just beyond that, is the building’s atrium. Outfitted with tables, couches, and apparently iPad signage, this is one of the most popular places to hang out at Apple.

Venturing down any one of Apple’s many corridors might look like this: glass walls and wooden floors. But don’t get too excited, chances are if you’re allowed in the area, there’s nothing awesome going on. It’s well known that Apple’s R&D and design labs are accessible by only a handful of people.

This, obviously, is one of the recreation rooms on Apple’s Cupertino campus. When they’re not working on the next iPad or iteration of iOS, Apple employees can come here to play ping pong, foosball, or just relax.

If you found these photos interesting (or not interesting enough) be sure to visit Apple Gazzette’s full gallery.

What do you think of Apple’s headquarters? Would you want to work there?

[Via: idownloadblog & Cult of Mac]

WWDC 2012 to take place June 11-15?

Apple’s annual pilgrimage for developers – the World Wide Developers Conference traditionally held in San Francisco’s Moscone West – is approaching fast, but club Cupertino is still mum on exact dates.

As Moscone West gets booked months in advance, a quick trip to their online event calendar shows a five-day slot for a “corporate meeting” on Levels 1-3 scheduled to run between June 11-15. This is likely your WWDC 2012 date.

Apple’s conference typically takes place mid-June and there’s no other corporate meeting set for July. However, plenty of unused slots are still available for the month of July so take this one with a grain of salt as Apple could still book the venue some time in July rather than June…

Rumor has it that Apple will unveil a revamped sixth-generation iPhone at WWDC 2012, although a Fall launch is also in the cards, roughly a year since the iPhone 4S introduction last October. According to the rumor-mill, the device will feature an all new teardrop design.

Earlier today, iDownloadblog discovered evidence in the iOS 5.1 code strongly suggesting that the next iPhone will feature fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution radio technology for fast download speeds over compatible cellular networks worldwide – just like the new iPad that was released last week.

Numerous code strings also suggest that FaceTime video calling will be supported over 4G networks, such as this message saying “Turning 4G off might end you call.”

Another rumor claims that the iPhone 5 (or whatever it will be called) might feature a spacious 4.6-inch display. The iPhone 4/4S feature a 3.5-inch screen some folks deem too small compared to many Android devices that boast 4+-inch displays.

We are also keeping our fingers crossed for the iOS 6 announcement, the next major update to Apple’s mobile operating system powering iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. In the past, Apple tended to feature major iOS updates at separate events that took place in March. This year, no such iOS-related presser has been announced (yet).

Hat tip to Cult of Mac for picking up the WWDC 2012 story from @tobu1.

[Via: idownloadblog]

Jony Ive explains some of the secrets to Apple’s sauce

Jonathan Ive has made quite a name for himself over the past few years. And for good reason too. Apple’s SVP of industrial design is largely responsible for creating the look and feel of several popular products, including the iPod and the iPhone.

The London-born designer has a reputation for being fairly quiet, and rarely does media interviews. So you can imagine our surprise when we found out that Mr. Ive recently opened up to the London Evening Standard about a broad range of topics…

Ive talks about everything from his reaction to receiving a Knighthood from the Queen of England, to what makes design so different at Apple. Here are a few of the questions and answers we found most interesting:

“Q: What makes a great designer? A: It is so important to be light on your feet, inquisitive and interested in being wrong. You have that wonderful fascination with the what if questions, but you also need absolute focus and a keen insight in the the context and what is important – that is really terribly important. It’s about contradictions you have to navigate.”

Q: What are your goals when setting out to build a new product? A: Our goals are very simple – to design and make better products. If we can’t make something that is better, we won’t do it.

Q: What are the biggest challenges in constantly innovating? A: For as long as we’ve been doing this, I am still surprised how difficult it is to do this, but you know exactly when you’re there – it can be the smallest shift, and suddenly transforms the object, without any contrivance. Some of the problem solving in the iPad is really quite remarkable, there is this danger you want to communicate this to people. I think that is a fantastic irony, how oblivious people are to the acrobatics we’ve performed to solve a problem – but that’s our job, and I think people know there is tremendous care behind the finished product.”

Perhaps even more interesting is how Jony Ive explains the differences between Apple and its competition. He says that while other manufacturers strive to create something different or new — something marketable, Apple strives to make something that they love. So they know that other people will love it too.

Ive also reiterates a point Steve Jobs made a few years back that Apple doesn’t use focus groups for its products. “It’s unfair to ask people who don’t have a sense of the opportunities of tomorrow from the context of today to design.”

The entire interview is really worth a read if you have the time. It proves how intelligent Ive is and how masterful he has become at his craft. It also helps shine some light on why Apple’s products look and feel the way they do.

[Via: idownloadblog & TheNextWeb] 

Google pays Apple to get its search onto iOS devices

While it’s true that users can switch between Google, Bing and Yahoo when deciding which search engine to use in Safari on iOS, it’s debatable as to whether anyone does actually change it. We’re going to put our money on the percentage being on the low side!

That’s why being the default search option on iOS is so important. If you’re the one chosen out of the box, then the chances are you’ll be the one that gets the vast majority of hits from users. Right now, that default choice is Google, and they pay handsomely for the privilege according to Macquarie analyst Ben Schachter.

Just how handsomely, you ask?

According to Shachter, Google pays Apple a cool $1 billion to be the default search option in Safari across a range of devices. Yokes.

In return for that outlay, Shachter believes that Google sees around $1.3 billion in revenues, which considering the outlay may not seem much. As is often the case with Google though, things aren’t that simple. While the money is obviously welcome, it is the data that the search giant can collect on all those extra users that is the most valuable part of this transaction, and one which Google will not want to see go away.

Apple, for its part, probably doesn’t want to have to rely on the inferior Bing or Yahoo, either.

[Via: idownloadblog & Business Insider]

iPad3 NO home button

After months of rumors, Apple finally sent out media invitations yesterday to what appears to be its highly anticipated iPad 3 event. As expected, the keynote will take place next Wednesday, March 7th in San Francisco, California.

The invites themselves, which feature a picture of what most believe to be Apple’s new tablet, have sparked some interesting conversations throughout the web as pundits attempt to identify Apple’s embedded clues.

But there’s one particular element of the photo that has everyone perplexed: where is the iPad’s Home button?

The iPad depicted in the invitation appears to be missing a Home button, leading to a lot of speculation that Apple’s next tablet won’t have one. But is the company really ready to ditch the popular feature?

Gizmodo sure seems to think so:

“Not only that, but there seems to be NO home button, which explains the mention of the “And touch.” in their invitation. How can we know? First, the photo they are showing is on portrait mode. You can’t achieve that icon spacing in the landscape mode (which is the only explanation for the lack of home button).

Moreover, the icon falls right onto the same water drop that the current iPad 2 falls while in portrait mode. The same happens with the reflection on the dock.”

So then it’s settled, right? No Home button? Not exactly. There are still a number of explanations for why we don’t see a Home button in the photo. Perhaps it’s hidden behind the user’s hand. Or maybe, despite what some are saying, the iPad is in landscape mode. You would think if it were in portrait mode, we would see page dots (you know, the dots above the dock the show you what Spring board page you’re on).

The point is, we are all likely reading way too much into the image. As MG Siegler notes, the chances of Apple leaking a major design change in one of its biggest product releases of the year via an event invitation are slim to none.

But hey, it’s fun to speculate.

What do you think, will Apple’s next tablet have a physical Home button? 








[Via: idownloadblog]

Apple unveiling iPad 3 on 7th March in San Francisco

The Verge just reported (and The Loop concurred) that Apple sent invites for that iPad 3 introduction you have waited for, likely with tingling anticipation. The presser is March 7 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at 10 a.m. PST. The three app icons featured on the shot hold subtle clues: The Maps icon shows an infinite loop (it is the “who,” as Apple’s address is 1 Infinite Loop); the Calendar displays Wednesday, March 7 (the “when”); and, the “what” is conveyed through the self-explanatory Keynote app icon.

This news officially exposed CNBC’s report calling for a March unveiling in New York City as grossly inaccurate. True to Apple’s form, the invite teases with an iPad close-up shot featuring a finger touching upon the Calendar icon. The tagline reads:

"We have something you really have to see. And touch."

Both the wording (“something you really have to see”) and the image (can you discern the individual pixels on iPad’s display?) would appear to confirm the long-standing rumors of an ultra high-resolution Retina Display (2048-by-1536 pixels), reportedly the key selling point of the device. Also interesting is lack of the physical home button—assuming the close-up was meant to depict iPad 3 in portrait orientation. Some fans also took to Twitter to note how Apple unmistakably sent out invites just as Eric Schmidt was delivering his Google keynote talk at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Our sources expect at least three next-generation iPads possibly running a dual-core A5X chip sporting an improved graphics engine. Per Apple’s naming convention, the A5X seems to be an alleged evolution of iPad 2′s A5 processor and not a major upgrade the rumored quad-core A6 chip is expected to be. Today’s announcement also reinforces claims of near-immediate availability based on sightings of iPad shipments landing at ports of multiple countries around the world.

9to5Mac will provide live coverage of the announcements as they happen. 






[Via: 9to5mac]

Top 3 smartphones sold in 2011

The iPhone has seen an enormous amount of success worldwide. Apple announced during its fiscal Q1 2012 earnings report that the iPhone sold a total of 37 million units in one quarter. Ranked the third phone manufacturer in the world, Apple is continuing to sell an abundance of iPhones.

When it comes to iPhone sales in the US, Apple sold the top three smartphones in 2011,according to a new report released by ComScore. The iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4S found their way into the most hands of consumers…

So why isn’t the iPhone 4S ranked first? Remember the iPhone 4S launched October 14th, 2011, only giving the handset three months to rack up sales. In that three month period, the iPhone 4S earned an impressive spot at third most sold phone in the US.

The iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS are obvious for the one and two spot, being on the market during 2011 for a total of nine months. Being priced at $99, people saw the iPhone 3GS as a cheaper alternative to the iPhone 4.

Once the iPhone 4S was launched in October, people saw the iPhone 4 as a cheaper alternative, also at $99. For those who weren’t looking to spend too much, they could also choose from the iPhone 3GS for $50.

It’s interesting to see RIM’s BlackBerry Curve, most likely popular in the corporate world, earning the fourth ranked spot. Only one Android phone was found to be in the top five, the first 4G device — Sprint’s EVO 4G.

Yesterday, research group in US NDP released numbers indicating that Apple’s iPad was also the top tablet in the US. Amazon’s Kindle Fire trailed in second place. What about Malaysia & Singapore ? I think iPad2 will take Place.

For now, it appears Apple will remain king with device sales in the US. With the iPad 3 coming next month and rumored iPhone 5 coming in the summer, expect Apple to have another impressive year.

[Via: idownloadblog & MacRumors]

Tim Cook says Apple’s working on new products that “will blow our minds”

Apple hosted its annual shareholder’s meeting two days ago in Cupertino, California. This marked the first time that Tim Cook addressed the company’s board and its investors as Apple’s CEO.

Topics of the meeting ranged anywhere from Apple’s record-breaking quarter last year, to its relationship with Facebook. Those who attended the affair described Cook as witty, knowledgeable, and passionate as he talked about Apple’s future…

Tim Cook said:  “You can be assured we are working as hard as ever this year to deliver an incredible year and some products that will blow your mind.”

“Products that will blow your mind.” At first glance, this obviously sounds like a CEO selling his company. But if we take it at face value, the phrase has far more meaning.

When was the last time Apple unveiled something that blew your mind? I mean really blew your mind. Was it last year, with the iPhone 4S? No. Don’t get me wrong, Siri is cool and all. But it’s not mind-blowing. So the iPad 2 then? No. It was essentially the same thing as the original iPad, but thinner.

No, the last time that an Apple product really blew our minds (and this is clearly debatable) was the iPad — back in 2010. With its 10″ multitouch display, 10 hour battery life and seemingly endless array of possible uses, the iPad was definitely a game-changer.

With that in mind, the fact that Tim Cook says that Apple has products coming out this year that will blow our minds has us salivating. Is he talking about the iPad 3? Is the next iPhone really going to be that awesome? Will we finally see the rumored Apple television?

The world has been waiting to see if Apple can continue to churn out hit products now that Steve Jobs is no longer at the helm. Perhaps this is the year we start finding that out.

[Via: idownloadblog & Forbes] 

ABC’s documentary ‘A Trip to the iFactory’

ABC’s 25 minute documentary ‘(Video)A Trip to the iFactory‘ just aired on Nightline, where correspondent Bill Weir traveled to Foxconn for the world’s first full view of the operation inside. For those unfamiliar, Foxconn is the factory where Apple’s and other top brands’, products are manufactured.

In recent years, the Shenzhen, China based Foxconn has had a negative vibe in the public’s view. People have viewed Foxconn as exploiting workers, hiring people underage, and causing workers to become so depressed they commit suicide.

ABC was granted the first inside look at the factory, showing working and living conditions workers are under to produce our favorite Apple products. But did the way ABC portrayed Foxconn match public perception, or did it bring a whole different view (spoiler alert)?

As the program begun Bill Weir was quick to disclose the ties ABC has with Apple. ABC’s parent company is Disney, and not only is their CEO Bob Iger on Apple’s board, but Steve Job’s trust is the single largest shareholder. Weir tried to instill there wouldn’t be any biasedness.

The documentary begun with Bill Weir entering the Foxconn gates, guided by Foxconn execs. I instantly got the feeling that this place was run like a large city, because it really is. With over 1 million workers there has to be restaurants, stores, and more, for workers to enjoy themselves after long shifts.

Weir was told he was able to talk to any employee, at any time. Many employees told Weir about life at Foxconn. One employee complained about the trees blocking the dorms that didn’t let enough sunlight in, while even more complained about low wages. When Foxconn’s CEO was asked about low wages, he said he’d love to raise them. Which recently, Foxconn already did.

The documentary gave a real sense to how the production lines are at Foxconn. There’s nothing automated and workers are doing most of the work by hand. For example, it takes 141 production steps for one given Apple product (I didn’t catch which). Also, in a given day there can be 300,000 camera chips manufactured for the iPad. Foxconn literally churns out products.

To keep up with demand, Foxconn has to keep their production lines staffed at all times. ABC taped one Monday morning, as 3,000 Chinese citizens rushed through the gates at Foxconn in hopes of getting a job. A shocking 80% on average are hired.

When a prospective employee was asked about the suicides at Foxconn, she responded with, “it’s not really the company’s fault.”

While working at Foxconn, workers also stay in the dormitories. Suicide nets line every single building, after there were a string of 17 suicides in 2010. Apple’s then-COO Tim Cook brought together a group of social workers to help fix the problem. Interestingly, Foxconn’s suicide rate is lower than the rest of China.

Speaking to one worker about the overall atmosphere, he told Weir that it was equivalent to college life in the United States. Meals are expensive and everything is crowded.

When the production crew went out into the villages surrounding Foxconn, you could tell that people inside the plant really seemed to be better off. Living conditions ultimately felt more comfortable on the inside.

For those who have already seen it: did the documentary change your view on Foxconn?

[Via: idownloadblog]

Apple building the nation’s largest end user owned solar energy farm

Last Fall, word got out that Apple was planning to build a solar energy farm to power its newly-built data center in North Carolina. The facility, which hosts a bulk of Apple’s iCloud service, went live during the Summer of last year.

We knew the solar energy farm was going to be massive, but we had no idea how big. Today, in a company-wide environmental footprint report, Apple announced that the array is going to be one of the largest in the nation…

CNET reports:

“Apple’s massive North Carolina data center will be powered by the nation’s largest end-user-owned solar array, the company revealed today in a report on its environmental footprint. The facility, which is being constructed in Maiden, N.C., has been awarded LEED Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council, the company said in its report.

“We know of not other data center of comparable size that has achieved this level of LEED certification,” the company said in its report. “Our goal is to run the Maiden facility with high percentage renewable energy mix.”

After years of taking criticism, Apple has recently started making a serious effort to decrease the size of its carbon footprint. The company now has plants in Texas, California, and Ireland that run completely on renewable energy — a sizable feat.

But the iPhone-maker still admits it has tons of work ahead of it. In its footprint report, Apple estimated that it was responsible for 23 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2011.

[Via: idownloadblog & GigaOM] 

Apple working on iTunes and App Store redesign

According to 9to5Mac‘s Mark Gurman, Apple is going to overhaul the iTunes Store and App Store designs later this year.

The new design of the iTunes Store and App Store is going to be easier to use and be simpler. The ways of finding new content such as songs, videos, and apps is apparently going to be faster and more efficient…

The new design is also going to be a full application versus the web browser interface that is currently available. The design overhauls are going to first be on the Mac & PC, and the iOS version will be coming a short time after.

What are your thoughts? Are you excited?

[Via: idownloadblog & 9to5Mac]