OS X

OS X Yosemite developer preview 6 released by Apple

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Apple has released the sixth beta of its highly anticipated next generation Mac operating system, OS X Yosemite. This comes about two weeks after the release of the previous developer preview. The new OS, touted because of its redesigned user interface, was first announced at WWDC in June.

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The beta, known as a developer preview, has the build number 14A3429f. As of the time of publication, this new release is only available to registered developers, not participants of Apple’s public beta, which opened in late July. 

In addition to a brand new beta for OS X Yosemite, Apple has released a dictation Language update and has brought Xcode 6 up to beta 6. Apple has since removed Xcode 6 beta 6 from the developer center. 

In addition to a flatter interface, OS X Yosemite brings several other improvements that users are looking forward to. Many of the bug fixes since the first beta release in June have been pointed towards these new features, specifically the features that both OS X and iOS 8 share, Continuity and Extensions. 

Each beta has brought slight tweaks to the user interface. Most of these changes have been minor, just bringing icons and tool bars closer to the new flat design used throughout the rest of the interface.

Changes in OS X Yosemite Developer Preview 6

Similar to previous beta releases, Developer Preview 6 has several minor interface tweaks:

– The System Preferences pane received a newly designed top bar in Developer Preview 5. In DP 6, Apple has redesigned the icons in System Preferences to match the rest of the operating system.

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– They have included a brand new Battery Icon.

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– The new Developer Preview also comes with several Yosemite related wallpapers for the first time.

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– In Developer Preview 4, Apple for some unknown reason removed the Do Not Disturb toggle from the Notification Center. In DP 6 it has returned. 

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– It’s not known how long Dashboard will live now that OS X can have third party widgets in the Notification Center, but in this beta they’ve updated the design to make it fit in with the rest of the operating system.

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– Developer Preview 6 also includes several updates to System Icons, including the standard hard drive icon, Font Book, Mission Control, Terminal, Script Editor, and Notes.

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– Other changes include a redesigned color picker and Inspector in apps that use them. Noticeably, the Get Info window is still using previous designs. Additionally an all new Diagnostics Page is show on start up, as seen below.

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While it is currently unknown when Apple will release the final version of OS X Yosemite to the public, it is fairly well known that these major releases are sent out in October during their second fall event, which is usually iPad and Mac themed. In normal situations, Apple releases the final bits to consumers a few days before the event; occasionally the day of. 

What are you looking forward to in OS X Yosemite? Feel free to comment and let us know.

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Samsung and Apple end patent disputes outside the USA

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According to Bloomberg, Apple and Samsung have dropped all patent disputes outside of the United States. The companies, two of the largest technology companies on Earth, agreed to drop lawsuits in Japan, South Korea, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom.

No statement was made on any licensing agreements, and the two companies are still embroiled in battle in the United States. In a joint statement, the two companies write:

“Apple and Samsung have agreed to drop all litigation between the two companies outside the United States. This agreement does not involve any licensing arrangements, and the companies are continuing to pursue the existing cases in U.S. courts.”

The two companies have a “rich” history of litigating against each other over perceived patent infringements. Back in 2012 Apple secured a $1 billion victory over Samsung; and in 2013 both companies were found to have infringed on competing infrastructure patents. 

Over the last year both companies have shown a willingness to resolve these battles out of the courtroom. Apple resolved all patent disputes with Google and Motorola Mobility in May 2014. In June 2014, Apple agreed to stop seeking injunctions on some Samsung devices, which is a change of attitude in the tech giant.

Some analysts are expecting the two companies to come closer together on these patent issues, as Samsung has started to see significant competition from lower-end Android manufacturers. Despite the signs of peace, every attempt at agreeing on a licensing deal has been met with resistance on both sides.

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Apple begins storing iCloud data in China

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China is the world’s most populous country, and one of Apple’s biggest markets. Apple, it was reported this week, has started to keep personal data on servers located in China. This marks the first time that an American technology company has stored user data in China.

The rationale behind the move, according to Apple, is to allow for faster transfer speeds of iCloud data to iOS and Mac users. iCloud allows users to synchronize data between Apple devices, as well as store certain types of data in the cloud. 

Google, one of Apple’s main rivals in China, has refused to store user data on Chinese soil due to censorship and privacy worries.

According to a report out of Reuters, Apple’s iCloud data will be stored on servers that will be provided by China Telecom, one of China’s largest mobile telecom carriers. 

In a statement on Friday, Apple said:

“Apple takes user security and privacy very seriously We have added China Telecom to our list of data center providers to increase bandwidth and improve performance for our customers in mainland china. All data stored with our providers is encrypted. China Telecom does not have access to the content.”

Several sources close to the matter have said that Apple will heavily encrypt the data, and will store the encryption keys off shore. That will make the data unavailable to China Telecom.

Privacy and Security

Security and privacy have long been two of Apple’s main concerns when it comes to online data. The California company has repeatedly stated that they have devised encryption systems for services like iCloud and iMessage that even they themselves cannot break. 

Even with these security measures in place, placing data in China is dangerous according to some analysts. “If they’re making out that the data is protected and secure that’s a little disingenuous because if they want to operate a business here, that’d have to comply with demands from the authorities,” Jeremy Goldkorn said in a statement to Reuters. Goldkorn is the director of Danwei.com, a Chinese research firm.

China is the fastest growing market Apple competes in for both its Macs and iOS devices. Sales of the iPhone were up 50% year over year just this past quarter.

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Battery rumors for iPhone 6 begin piling up

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The iPhone 6 is expected to be revealed in just a few weeks, so it’s not unusual that rumors are starting to pile up. Two separate reports surfaced today that point to larger batteries in both the 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch devices. 

The first comes out of China, and shows pictures of a purported 2,915mAh battery, which is supposedly headed towards the 5.5 inch, aptly named by the same source, the iPhone 6L. Previous to this, there have been very few leaks pertaining to the larger version of the new iPhone. Most rumors for the 5.5 inch version point to an announcement alongside the 4.7 inch iPhone 6 on September 9th, but a release sometime towards the end of 2014.

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2,915mAh battery via appledaily.com.tw
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iPhone 6 internals via appledaily.com.tw
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iPhone 6 screen via appledaily.com.tw

The second report points towards a bigger battery for the 4.7 inch device. It purports to show a 1,810mAh battery, which is about 25% smaller than the current generation iPhone 5s. This seems to confirm a report that came out in July that showed similar pictures of the iPhone 6 battery. However, it seems to contradict analysis from famed Apple speculator Sun Chang Xu, who claimed that the 4.7 inch device would contain a 2,100mAh battery. 

Of the two reports, the second seems to be the most reliable, as it confirms another rumor that appeared in the press before. What’s most interesting, however, is that this marks the first time that parts for the larger version of the iPhone 6 have appeared online. There are two possible reasons for this. Either the report is false (read: made up), or the 5.5 inch iPhone 6 really is much farther behind in production than the 4.7 inch version. Which it is, is still a matter of speculation and doubt, and will be until the devices are launched in early September. 

In addition to parts leaks, iOS 8 is still getting closer to release, with a new beta expected sometime in the next week and half. iOS 8 contains highly anticipated additions to Apple’s iPhone operating system, including Extensions (for inter-app communication and third party keyboards), Continuity (for app continuous client between Apple devices), and Health (Apple’s first foray into the health market). 

There are still many questions, however, when it comes to Apple’s next iOS devices. For example, it is still unknown what is going to happen to the iPhone 5c. Will there be an update to it, or will that wait until next year? Will the iPhone 5s be this year’s marked down phone (replacing the 5c)? All of these will only be answered once Tim Cook stands on the stage on September 9th.

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Preview: Quick look at the forthcoming iPhone 6

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The iPhone 6 may be the most anticipated iPhone ever. Like every Apple product, there is always a plethora of rumors and speculation put out about the product months before the device is released. This year it looks like Apple will release two brand new iPhone models (last year they released the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c). 

iPhone Air: Screen Sizes

The most prominent rumor out there is that Apple will release two new iPhones with significantly larger screens. One will be a 4.7-inch iPhone, the other a 5.5-inch device. This also seems to be the most solid of the rumors we’ve seen thus far. 

When it comes to timing, the rumors are less clear. There have been some reports that the two devices will be released at the same time, while others claim that the 5.5-inch model will be delayed either later in 2014 or sometime in 2015. There are rumors from respectable tech blogs that Apple is planning to hold an iPhone-related event on September 9.

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iPhone 6 size comparison

Another murky area is the resolution of the iPhone 6 screen. Some rumors claim that Apple will stick with their current aspect ratio and pixel density, while others claim that they will eschew it and go for a more standard resolution like 1080p. The current batches of iPhones are all situated at 326ppi. If Apple sticks with a resolution that keeps that pixel density, they will make developers happy, since apps will be easy to upgrade to the new resolution. However, a more standard resolution like 1080p may make the device more future proof.

iPhone 6: Internals

Beyond size, there are other less-certain rumors relating to the internal components of the iPhone 6. Battery life, for instance, is something that hasn’t been nailed down by the rumor mill. Some rumors claim that it will be about the same as on the iPhone 5s, while others claim that the iPhone 6 might see a 45% increase. 

As for chipset, many analysts speculate that the iPhone six will see a system on a chip called the A8. Some rumors point to this being the first Apple SOC to see 2.0GHz. 

Finally, we know for sure (or at least it’s safe to assume) that the iPhone 6 will be the first device that comes with iOS 8. iOS 8 was announced in June at Apple’s annual WWDC developer event. It comes packed with new features like extensions and Continuity. 

iPhone 6: The Name

Similar to before the iPad announcement in 2010, many are speculating that this will be the year Apple changes the iPhone naming convention. Some speculate that they will mimic the iPad name change, and release an iPhone 6 (which will be the 4.7-inch version), and the iPhone Air (the 5.5-inch version).