Samsung reportedly drops out of A8 chip production race citing low yield rates

Apple’s next-generation A-series chip, the A8 processor, was rumored to be produced by long-time partner Samsung as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC). But a new report claims that Samsung has dropped out citing low yields of the A8 chip, leaving TSMC as the sole manufacturer. The A8 chip will reportedly be based on a 20nm process, and will be used in the iPhone 6 and the next-generation iPads. Samsung is facing problems specifically with its 20 nm process required to manufacture the A8 chip. As a result, TSMC, which was expecting around 70 percent of all A8 production, will now be responsible for all production. While many rumors claim that Apple wants to reduce its reliance on Samsung for critical components of the iPhone, Apple will still go back to Samsung for the A9 chip in 2015, according to this report. The production of the A9 will reportedly start based on a 16nm process at TSMC, and Apple will then move to Samsung’s 14nm process later on. [TechNews Taiwan via MacRumors] Continue reading →

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Navigate and Talk with Your Hands on the Wheel [Deals Hub]

It’s important to remember never to text and drive. Using your phone for any purpose while behind the wheel is a risk you shouldn’t take. But we do understand how handy a phone can be while on the road. You can communicate, navigate, and stay entertained without having the phone in your hand. The Universal Car Mount makes it possible, and it’s on sale now in the iPhone Hacks Deals Hub. There isn’t a phone that the Universal Car Mount can’t handle, and it’s the ideal cradle for your iPhone or any phone of your choosing. It’s equipped with the ability to rotate at 360 degrees, so you can always keep an eye on the screen when you’re using the GPS or you can swing the display over to a passenger so they can make use of the device while you watch the road. You can get the Universal Car Mount on sale from the iPhone Hacks Deals Hub for just $14. That’s a 51% savings off the retail price. It’s a great price for such a handy accessory for your travels, so grab this deal today. Continue reading →

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Apple reportedly exploring purchase of health tracker maker Basis Science

Though nearly confirmed to land later this year, possibly ahead of the iPad Pro, Apple’s first ever smartwatch, fittingly called iWatch, is still most likely a long way from completion. Otherwise, Cupertino wouldn’t be looking for sleep researchers, physiologists and biomedical specialists to help them get the project off the ground. Adding more fuel to the gossip fire, Apple is in the news again with a story potentially connected to the iWatch, as it’s reportedly interested in a Basis Science buyout. Basis is a small but fairly visible manufacturer of health-focused gadgets, including the aptly named Health Tracker Watch. However, their financial state is apparently not what you’d call rosy, so in order to ensure their investors (DCM, Mayfield Fund and Norwest Venture Partners) a decent return, they’re on the market for a price south of $100 million. That might not sound like a lot compared, say, to how much Google recently coughed up on Nest ($3.2 billion), or even the rumored costs of Apple’s Snappy Labs acquisition ($200m), yet it’s enough to ensure the auction will have but a few fiscally potent participants. Enter Apple, as well as Google and, surprise, surprise, Samsung and Microsoft. Mind you, none of the tech giants has confirmed an actual interest in the deal, so ultimately it could be just smoke and mirrors. You know, a fabricated story to bolster the reputation of Basis, and aid them in an upcoming C round of funding. On the other hand, Apple clearly needs all the help it can get to build the best possible smartwatch and boost the fledgling wearable market into the mainstream tech world. As does Samsung for Galaxy Gear follow-ups, and perhaps Google for its own first intelligent wristwatch. Microsoft? Who knows what they’re planning? Via [Tech Crunch] Continue reading →

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How to take a screenshot on your iPhone, iPad, even with a broken Home or Power button

Want to share what’s on your iPhone or iPad’s screen with a friend of family member? Here’s how you can take a screenshot of what’s on your iOS device’s display in a few easy steps. Go to the screen whose image you want to capture. Once you’re ready, press the Home button right below your screen and the Sleep/Wake (Power) button at the top. You’ll see your screen go white for a brief moment, indicating that the screenshot has been taken. To access the screenshot, open the Photos app and go to your Camera Roll. The last image taken should be your screenshot. Have a broken Home or Power button? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Just follow these steps: Open the Settings app and navigate to General > Accessibility > Assistive Touch and turn the switch on. You should now see a translucent black square on one of the edges of your screen. Navigate to the screen whose screenshot you wanted to capture. Click on black square and navigate to Device > More and tap on the screenshot icon. The Assistive Touch menu will automatically be dismissed, and your screenshot will be saved in the Photos app. You can now mail, or iMessage your screenshot with the people you want to share it with. Let me know it goes in the comments. Continue reading →

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Make a Slick Looking App with iOS 7 App Templates [Deals Hub]

Making an app that functions as expected is only half the battle for app makers. Presentation is also extremely important, because all the moving parts don’t look all that great without a fresh coat of paint over them. With over one million apps in the App Store, it’s hard to stand out without a look of your own. You can give your app some style with these iOS 7 app templates, on sale from the iPhone Hacks Deals Hub. These app templates add that look of custom design and eye-catching visuals that you need to succeed in the competitive app market. These templates are ready to use, built to be coded and fitted to your app. You can even tweak the look and modify the style with the Photoshop PSD files. If you have any extra needs, App Design Vault is happy to help you make the templates work for you. You can get these iOS 7 app templates on sale from the iPhone Hacks Deals Hub for just $39. That’s 80% off the retail price. It’s a great price for these useful templates, so grab this offer today. Continue reading →

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iWatch may use optical sensors for heart rate and oxygen measurements

The iWatch may ship with optical technology to measure common physical parameters like heart rate and oxygen. These two features are mentioned in earlier reports that detail the functionality of the device.Electronics analyst Sun Chang Xu claims that the iWatch will include electro-optical sensors that’ll measure physical parameters like heart rate and oxygen level. In a report published on Electrical Engineering Times, Xu suggests Apple also wanted to incorporate glucose monitoring into the device, but the technology is not reliable enough to make it into the final product. This information comes from supply chain sources who are familiar with the matter. Though we can’t confirm the validity of the source report, it does make sense as similar optical technology is already being used by portable medical devices. Pulse oximetry meters, for example, uses light and optical sensors to measure the heart rate and the oxygen level in the blood. are available for use at medical offices and home, The pulse oximeter attaches to a thin part of a person’s body, either a fingertip, ear lobe or toe. The device shines light of two wavelengths through a person’s body and into a photodetector The sensor measures changes in absorbance of the wavelengths and uses this information to calculate the oxygen concentration of the blood. MacRumors spoke to fitness watch manufacturer Mio CEO Liz Dickinson who said Apple absolutely would use electro-optical sensing in the iWatch. Having said that, using electro optical sensing requires a very specific type of design in order to work accurately. The sensor needs to be in tight contact with the skin with little ability to move. Perhaps Apple does not care about accuracy during motion but in any event, at the time readings were being taken even if the person is still, the watch, or band, would need to be flush to the skin. Apple has hired experts in this filed including Dr. Michael O’Reilly, who joined Apple last year after serving for five years as Chief Medical Officer at pulse oximetry company Masimo. Apple also recently hired Marcelo Lamego, former Chief Technology Office of Cercacor and research scientist at Masimo. At Masimo, Lamego worked on the underlying technology for Pronto-7, a non-invasive medical device that measures a patient’s oxygen saturation, haemoglobin levels and pulse rate. [Via MacRumors] Continue reading →

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ZDNet: Office for the iPad exists and is coming soon

ZDNet Mary Jo Foley has some insight into the future of Office for iPad. Unlike some, Foley believes Office is still actively under development and will debut in the coming months. According to Foley, Office for the iPad is codenamed Miramar and has been given the fast track, possibly appearing before the touch-enabled version of Office for Windows 8. It'll likely land sometime in the first half of 2014. But I hear Ballmer and the senior leaders of the company may have had a change of heart towards the end of last year. According to one of my contacts, Ballmer OK'd the suggestion by the Office team that they'd bring Office for iPad to market as soon as it was ready, even though that would likely mean before the Windows 8 version. I'm hearing that new date for Office for iPad is some time in the first half of calendar 2014. (My sources last summer were hearing Office for iPad wouldn't debut until Fall 2014.) Details on how Microsoft will sell the app are unclear, but the company will likely follow the model it already uses for Office Mobile for the iPhone. As such, Office for the iPad likely will require an Office 365 subscription and will save its files to OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) or OneDrive for Business. Microsoft won't comment on Office for the iPad, but Foley is pretty confident that her sources are accurate. Are you interested in Office for the iPad or has your document needs been met by another app? Continue reading →

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