Jim Mergard joing Apple - Goodbye Samsung!

Samsung made headlines recently because they decided to include additional members to its team of chip designers, who are based in Texas. Many of the additional members on the team have vast experience in chips that are meant for server systems. Now, one of those team members has decided to leave Samsung for greener pastures at Apple.

 Jim Mergard, who has 16 years of experience in Advanced Micro Devices under his belt, was hired recently by gadget maker Apple. The chip designer held the position of chief engineer and vice president at Samsung before he decided to leave. One of his greatest achievements at his former company is spear-heading the creation of a sophisticated AMD chip. This AMD chip, which was code-named Brazos, was specifically designed for affordable portable computers.

 Currently, there are numerous opportunities available for experienced engineers since their technical talent is in very high demand allowing for movement from one company to another. Moreover, movement of resources between Apple and Samsung could not have come at a more interesting time.

 It is common knowledge that Samsung and Apple are rivals when it comes to smartphones. In addition, the two companies are battling each other in court for one reason or another. Apple has accused the South Korean giant of patent infringement and has thus taken them to court. As is to be expected, Samsung shot back with accusations of its own. Ironically, the two are also partners as Apple relies on Samsung to make their chips for their devices.

 For both Samsung and Apple, chip design is becoming a very important factor. Samsung has claimed that they will up their game with regard to the development of microprocessors as well as other related items. Apple has also been positioning itself in the chip design field by increasing their chip designers over numerous years. As it were, both companies use ARM Holdings technology to develop their processors.

 Patrick Moorhead, of Moor Insights & Strategy, was quoted saying that the latest addition to Apple’s chip design team, Jim Mergard, was a good choice because he brings vast knowledge in PC technology and SoCs. He goes on to say that Mergard’s talents might propel Apple’s Mac PC efforts to change the Intel chips on the Macs to SoCs.

 It is still yet to be determined whether Mr. Mergard will be placed at Apple’s headquarters in California or he will stay in Austin, Texas. Since Apple purchased the start-up company Intrinsity in 2010, its presence in chip design has been felt along with the existence of a customer care center that has been in Austin for a while so the new addition to the team should feel right at home.

iPhone 5 users dominate Galaxy S3 users in web traffic!

 The on-going battle between Apple’s latest device, the iPhone 5 and Samsung’s forerunner, the Samsung  Galaxy S3, has produced a new winner in the latest contest. Recently, a study was carried out by Chitika to find out which of the phones had more web traffic and the results they got proved to be very interesting.

The Galaxy S3 Sapphire Black

 The expectation had been that the Samsung Galaxy S3 would have garnered another win seeing as how it was released in late May and the iPhone 5 was launched only a few weeks ago. However, according to the study performed by Chitika, that is not the case. In their study it became clear that the iPhone 5 won over the Galaxy S3! Or rather, the users did. Let us explain...

 So far, the Samsung has managed to sell over 20 million units of the Galaxy S3 in comparison to the 5 million iPhone 5’s that have been sold since it was launched 3 weeks ago. In addition, the sales of the Galaxy S3 are still more than those of the iPhone 5 according to recent reports. Even with those outstanding numbers, the study revealed that users of the iPhone 5 are more active than the users of the Samsung Galaxy S3 with regard to web traffic. 

The iPhone 5

 The Chitika analysis was carried out over a 7-day period between October 3rd, 2012 and October 9th, 2012. The analysis was based on a large number of mobile advertisement impressions from both the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S3. From those statistics, the analysts were able to track the difference in Internet traffic volumes between the two phones.

 It is expected that more studies will be conducted by Chitika as well as other companies to track various statistics for phones or devices that have been launched recently. The statistics are important because from them we are able to see how mobile development is growing. It is assumed that with time, mobile usage will surpass that of the PC, which may one day become obsolete. 

 Mobile advertisements are going to hold more weight as tablets and smartphones become increasingly available. From the data received by Chitika, it can be seen that search engines like Google would make more profits from mobile advertisements on the iPhone 5 rather than on the Samsung Galaxy S3.

iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4S - the Review

 With the launch of the new iPhone 5, many smartphone users, especially those who bought the iPhone 4S recently, have been left wondering whether it would be worth it to buy Apple’s latest device. To find out which of the two phones is better, we need to compare some of the similar features.

The iPhone 4S next to the larger iPhone 5

 For starters, the difference between the size of the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5 is minimal-a 1/2inch vertically and over 1 inch in depth. Apple’s newest addition, the iPhone 5, is longer, thinner and has a longer widescreen display (16:9) as compared to the iPhone 4S. 

360 degree view of the iPhone 5

 With regard to design, both of these devices look amazing. The iPhone 4/4S has one of the best designs on any phone so far though it is rather easy to break due to the glass panels placed at the front and back. The iPhone 5’s design has somewhat remedied this problem as it has an aluminum panel at the back. In addition, its appearance is much better than that of the iPhone 4S because the finer points of the device and its overall shape have been devised with accuracy giving it a more stunning look.

 The iPhone 5’s A6 ARM chip processor has the same design as that of the iPhone 4S though it has numerous modifications. These modifications make the phone’s processor better giving it an edge over the previous models. As for its camera, the iPhone 5 has disappointed many of its customers because the update on it is very slight. It still has the same lens speed and megapixel rating as that of the iPhone 4S. The only difference is the lens glass, which is important though not what was expected. And of course there is still the the issue of Purple Flares on the iPhone 5! However, here is a comparison that does show that there is some improvement from the previous model:

 Another disappointing feature on the iPhone 5 is the flash memory storage. The cost to install flash storage on the phone is still very expensive and it hasn’t changed much since the previous models, going as far back as the iPhone 3GS. Therefore, for those who require faster data speeds and are on the Verizon network, it would be advisable to purchase the new iPhone 5. For users on AT&T and Sprint, it is recommended that you stick to the iPhone 4S until the next iPhone launch as it is not that different from the iPhone 5 as far as most users are concerned and educated. 

 Of course, you can always let it all go to hell and get the GooPhone I5, the iPhone 5 clone for $300 in China! Hahaha!

Awesome iPhone 5 Application to Play Around With!

 As is to be expected with the release of Apple’s iPhone 5, there is an influx of new apps into the market. Many of these new apps have been optimized to take advantage of the handset’s larger screen. Since games are a fantastic way to introduce a new gadget, there are quite a number that are being promoted by Apple so as to push its new product.

New Games for iPhone 5

Lili is an awesome 3D puzzle game for the iPhone 5!

 So far, the most remarkable of these new apps for Apple’s latest device is Lili. Lili is the title of a game that has 3D graphics, which are similar to those of a game console like the Xbox or PlayStation. It is an RPG that lets you take control of the main character Lili as she explores the magic island. This game is user-friendly as it has a very easy control system that only requires you to tap items on the screen and drag as you solve the numerous puzzles and tasks.

 Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP is another one of the amazing games available for the iPhone 5. The RPG, which also costs $5, has blocky graphics similar to those used in games produced during the early period of gaming though it is more complicated than Lili. To advance in the game, you will need to use magic and a sword. There is plenty of audio feedback and great albums on the game’s soundtrack therefore you will benefit from using headphones as you play. You can also join forces with friends on social sites such as Twitter.

 Image Editing Apps

 Aside from the great games available for the new iPhone 5, there are apps that are specifically designed to distort (or improve) the quality of the images taken with the iPhone’s exceptional camera. One of these great apps is the Halftone app, which turns your photographs into halftone images with spots similar to those found in a color comic book or magazine. The app lets you include captions, speech bubbles and so much more for only $1.

 Another great app is E Color Splash, which allows the user to alter sections of an image to black and white while the rest of the image remains in color. It is a clever and innovative app that produces a film-like effect in a still photograph. Although some of the controls may be a little confusing, there is a built-in video tutorial that will give you all the necessary guidelines.

 Do not expect any of these to help solve the Purple Flare problem that many have been experiencing with the iPhone 5 camera!

Useful Apps

 Prismatic is one of the apps that have been optimized specifically for the screen of Apple’s latest device. The app calculates one’s interests based on their profiles at social sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. It is hard to say how accurate the application is, but it does seem like a bit of fun.

 If you want to know the Internet speed capacity of your 4G iPhone 5 for cell phone data, you can use the SpeedTest.net app, which is free of charge and certainly were useful with the type of information that it provides.

iPad Mini to be Presented this month!

 There have been rumors circulating for months about the pending release of Apple’s new iPad Mini. Numerous devices are scheduled to be released in October and as the speculation goes, the iPad Mini is expected to be one of those devices.

 Fortune had previously predicted that Apple would announce the release of the smaller iPad during an event on 17th October, 2012. The invites to the reporters were to go out on the 10th however the date has been changed to October 23rd. According to a very reliable technology website on all things Apple, the company is set to reveal the iPad Mini at a media event to be held in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 The change of date from the 17th to the 23rd seems to make more sense since it would be too soon for Apple to announce their release of the new iPad since the invites have not yet been sent out. In addition, October 24th, 2012 is the set date for the launch of Windows 8 from Microsoft as well as the release of Microsoft’s Surface tablet later on in the week. Furthermore, Apple is to release its annual earnings on October 25th, which means that it would be better for the company to announce the release of the iPad Mini before then.

 The iPad Mini will come with 3G/4G cellular connectivity, a smaller screen measuring 7.85 inches and a Lightning Dock Connector that is the same as the one on the new iPhone 5. Images of the smaller iPad have been doing the rounds on the Internet following a report from The Wall Street Journal a couple of weeks ago that mass production of the iPad Mini has already begun.

 In September, Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HD was released starting at $199. The same price was quoted for the Google and Asus’ Nexus 7, which was released in June. About two weeks ago, Barnes & Noble launched the Nook HD and following the trend, it also started at $199. Although no price has been quoted for the iPad Mini, it is safe to assume that it might fall within this price range. So far, Apple has refused to comment on ABC News on the rumors about the iPad Mini. However, if the rumors are true, then more information can be expected from the company very soon.

iPhone 5 India Release Date

 According to reports by BGR India, Apple’s latest device, the iPhone 5, will be launched on October 26th, 2012. It is actually believed that Apple will introduce the phones in numerous countries in two phases-the first phase will begin on October 19th and the second phase will begin on October 26th, which is when the phones will arrive in India. However, the company refused to comment on the much-awaited iPhone 5 launch in India. 

 The Delhi-based executive editor of BGR India, Rajat Agrawal, confirmed that the iPhone 5 will indeed be launched on the last Friday of this month in India. This launch will differ from previous Apple launches because the company claims that they will handle the sales of the device directly other than partnering with Indian telecom firms like Aircel or Airtel. However, Mr. Agrawal said that he is uncertain about the number of units that will arrive in India due to the shortage of iPhone 5’s that Apple has been facing.

 The price of the new iPhone 5 is yet to be set though most experts concur that the basic model will cost approximately Rs 45,000. This estimated cost is based on last year’s launch price for the iPhone 4S and the cost of an unlocked iPhone 5 in nations like Singapore, which is about Rs 43,600. 

The iPhone 5 is selling like wildfire in the USA!

  After the new iOS device was launched in the United States in September, mixed reviews from customers were received as some claimed that it was boring while other stated that the product was amazing. The iPhone 5 was available in other countries such as Britain, Australia, Hong Kong, France, Japan, Germany, Singapore and Canada by September 21st, 2012. In addition to those, the company plans to launch the device in 100 countries as soon as possible, which will make it the fastest unveiling of any iPhone so far. 

 The release of the iPhone 5 in India before the Diwali festival is expected to increase its sales. According to an IDC report, India doesn’t have the subsidized pricing benefits that are available in other markets and therefore the cost of purchasing this iPhone and its accessories will be very high. Due to this reason, it can be assumed that it will take a while before Apple becomes a key player in the telecommunications industry in India regardless of whether or not the sales of the new iPhone will surpass those of the iPhone 4S.

iPhone 5 Supply Running Short! Shortage may damage Apple!

 The current shortage of iPhone 5’s has caused great problems for Apple with regard to its investors and its customers as a whole. Gene Munster, the research analyst and managing director at Piper Jaffray, has attempted to purchase an iPhone 5 by logging on to the official Apple website at least an hour after Apple allows customers to reserve the devices, which are to be picked up the following day at Apple stores. 

 However, the attempt was not fruitful as he and even some of his co-workers, were unable to purchase the phone using that method.

 Somehow, Gene Munster and his co-workers were able to reserve some iPhone 5’s to be picked up the next day, but they had to ensure that they logged on at exactly 10p.m. They tried to reserve some more phones later however they were unable to do so. 

 Mr. Munster stated that the trial was meant to confirm whether the more causal consumer was able to reserve the phone and his efforts proved otherwise. He was also quoted asking when it would be possible for a customer to simply walk in to an Apple store and purchase the phone since the shortage seems to be escalating whilst no solution is forthcoming.

 Although in most cases, a high demand corresponding to a low supply is not necessarily a bad thing, but in Apple’s case it has led to a decline in its stock price. The company’s stock price had reached the $700 per share mark in September, decreased by 10% over the past few weeks.  As at Tuesday, Apple’s stock price closed at a dismal $635.85. In addition, the company’s online stores have shown that shipping of the new iPhone 5 has been delayed by about 3-4 weeks, which is a very bad sign indeed.

The shortage of iPhone 5’s has generally eclipsed the sales lift that Apple would have otherwise gained from the release of the iPad Mini. The smaller and more affordable iPad is set to be released in the near future though the investors are still primarily focused on the supply problems with the iPhone 5.

iPhone 5 Purple Flare Solution?

  Many of the consumers of the Apple products, mostly those using the iPhone 5, have a common problem- the iPhone 5′s camera and flash seems to have a “purple flare” problem that is rather frustrating since the photographs taken using this camera end up marred by the flare, which appears at the edge of the camera. Bellow is an image comparing the quality of the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and a Nikon D300.

 Due to the numerous complaints, Apple released an explanation for this strange and seemingly unforeseen problem and the general consensus, as always, was that the fault lies with the user. This is basically the standard used by Apple spokespeople when confronted with an issue, any issue; the carpenter blaming his tools rather than themselves for work gone wrong!

 According to the company, the “purple flare” problem is not a hardware issue with the iPhone 5’s camera, but rather the user’s limited knowledge of the art of photography. Oh really?! They explained away the problem by stating that the issue of the flare appearing at the edge of the camera was caused by out-of-scene light sources. Apparently, when a source of light is placed at an angle, it reflects off the surface causing the flare.

More problems! Are the users really to blame? We think not!

 After giving an informed diagnosis, Apple went on to suggest that users should correct the issue by altering the position of the camera to reduce the amount of bright light entering the camera’s lens or shielding the camera with one’s hand to minimize the flare. It can be assumed that some, if not most, of the customers had already tried these “solutions” therefore it doesn’t really change the fact that the problem is still there. 

 Other generations of the Apple iPhones, for instance the iPhone 4S, have not had this issue therefore it cannot be the user’s fault, rather not entirely. Being the most advanced smartphone currently on the market, one would assume that the iPhone 5 would not have such issues, but alas! To top it all off, the users are being used as scapegoats while Apple buys time to find an adequate solution for future models. Generally, Apple needs to find a permanent solution for the “purple flare” problem and not expect the users to reduce or deal with it by using a fleshy appendage.

Creating Panorma Photos on iPhone 5 (iOS 6 Guide)

 Panorama camera is mode is a new featured in iOS 6 that can be found on your Apple iPhone 5 device. We have been playing around with it lately and comparing it to a Panorama App for Nokia phones and the results were quite interesting. While we found it that the advanced Nokia sensors create a higher quality picture, the iOS 6 built-in panorama mode is far more efficient in making the most out of its hardware. So how does one create panorama photos on iPhone 5? Let us help you out with that!

Note: The panorama camera mode will only work with the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, and the fifth generation iPod touch.

Using Panorama Camera Mode on iPhone 5   

• Step 1: Prepare a location where you will try out your new panorama mode.
• Step 2: Start the Camera App on your iPhone 5
• Step 3: Go the App menu and select the Panorama option
• Step 4: A new style of the application window will open along with the Camera App which allows you to line up your shot. Tap the box in the center to begin the first part of the panorama.
• Step 5: Going from left to right you should keep the arrow centered on the horizontal line. As you move, you’ll notice the panorama box moving along its track. Continue turning your device until the photo is complete.

Note:

• The iPhone 5 will stabilize any erratic motion and as long as you taking a panorama shot of a landscape that doesn't have any sudden objects passing by (like vehicles or a lot of people) you will be able to create an amazing shot!
• Your panorama can stretch as far as 240 degrees.
• You can also make the panorama from right to left

  Here is an example panorama photo with the iPhone 5 (click to enlarge):

How to Set-up a Pascode on the iPhone 5 (Guide)

 Our mobile phones store a lot of personal and financial information about us these days and setting up a passcode security system on your iPhone 5 device (or any previous model) is a good choice. We use so many banking applications, mobile payment processors, cloud storage account and social media apps that it would be crazy to risk having all that data compromised and have it fall in the wrong hands. This is essentially why one should set up a Passcode on their iOS device but how does one do that? Well, it is certainly quite a simple thing to do.

 Setting up a Passcode for the iPhone 5:

1. Step 1: Tap on Settings and then head over to General.
2. Step 2: Scroll down, you should find the Turn Passcode On option.
3. Step 3: Select this options, a new windows will now appear.
4. Step 4: Navigate the window keyboard to set up a 4 digit password.
5. Step 5: Set up the Required Passcode Timer and choose something reasonable
• Ideally, your phone should lock itself after 5 minuets of not being used.
• This means that if you set the required passcode timer to 5 minuets, the phone will automatically lock itself after those 5 minuets have passed and nobody has used the phone for anything.

 Choose a Good Passcode

 You might be tempted to put something like "0000" thinking that it's genius and that nobody will ever think of putting that in if they got your phone, but trust us, this is the last passcode you want to have. The same goes for any numerical combination which follows a strict formula. For example, a strictly increasing array such as 0123, 1234 or 1357 (or decreasing for that matter) is also a big no when choosing your passcode.

 The passcode that you setup for you iPhone 5 should be a bit more personal and much more random and of course, difficult to crack for someone who might know you or a lot about you. Birthday days and anniversaries are a possibility, but you should always add something really random into the whole combination. 

 You can refer to this post - How Secure is Your Password from GHack.net for more information.

iPhone 5 Clone Price - GooPhone I5 for only $300?

 Back when we were still anticipating the iPhone and hopping for it to come out as soon as possible, an iPhone 5 clone was already going on sale. This device is known as the GooPhone I5 and the makers tried to build it in manner so that it would look like the iPhone 5 while keeping some obvious differences. The makers of this iPhone 5 clone based the design on leaked images and artistic impressions, as well as on the previous models and the rumors that were circulating around the Internet at that time.

 Copying is rather easy, but copying something before anyone has actually even seen it? You have to give the creator of he GooPhone I5, the iPhone clone, a round of applause for this folks! Obviously, the device runs on Android OS as there is no way that this China manufacturer could even attempt to copy the iOS. The device sports of a 4 inch screen, an Apple-styled design and an impressive Tegra 3 quad-core processor. On the back this iPhone 5 close has an 8 MP camera and its back-plate effectively mimics the iPhone.

 So the question people start to ask right away is what this Chinese manufacturer was thinking when they created the GooPhone I5? Surely they are aware of how powerful Apple is? Even Samsung has lost a gigantic lawsuit against Apple a month ago and this little company can't even afford to go to court with Apple! 

 

 According to previous reports however, it appears that the smartphone business of Shenzhen Shenma Lianzhong e-Commerce, was well ahead of Apple and where planning on suing Apple once they release their iPhone 5, considering that the patented iPhone 5 clone would have been out on sale before the device it was actually copying. What a twist! Of course, in the USA this type of lawsuit would hold on grounds in court, but in China this might actually be something rather court-worthy. After all, Chinese companies are famous for something called Trademark Squatting and many famous brands are often victims of Chinese companies and manufacturers.

 From what can be seen now, the GooPhone I5 is not on sale (at least not online or for those outside of China) but its price is set to be around $300. This is certainly a very impressive iPhone 5 clone to be honest!