Apple doubles down on the enterprise market
In order to help boost sales of its mobile device amongst enterprises, Apple has announced a partnership with the consulting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP.
On Wednesday, the two companies said that they had formed a new service called Enterprise Next, which would entail 5,000 consultants from Deloitte advising clients in a range of enterprises as to how they could put Apple devices to the best use within their organization.
Fuze case adds a headphone jack to your iPhone 7
Much has been said about Apple's decision to drop the headphone jack in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, but one thing is clear: there are many folks out there who would like to get it back. Some more than others, going as far as drilling a hole in their new smartphone -- and damaging it in the process -- to be able to plug their old headphones in.
Apple has, of course, provided a dongle which lets you use standard headphones, but a new case offers a more elegant solution. It's called Fuze and it comes with a 3.5mm jack built in, so you can forget about carrying an adaptor or buying new headphones.
The iPhone 7 has worse battery life than HTC 10, Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5
Consumer group Which? has conducted a series of battery life tests on the latest smartphones, and the news is not good for the iPhone 7. Pitted against the Samsung Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and LG G5, Apple's latest handset came in last place... and by some distance.
In terms of call time, the Samsung Galaxy S7 lasted for more than twice as long as the iPhone 7, while the HTC 10 had two and a half times the longevity. Things were not quite as bad for the iPhone 7 in internet usage tests... but it was still found bringing up the rear.
Apple is smart to enlist hackers and iPhone 7 jailbreakers to secure iOS and macOS
Apple has historically been very guarded and secretive. While this is still true today, the company has definitely become more open after Steve Job's death. Quite frankly, the fact that there are now public betas for both iOS and macOS is mind-blowing for the Apple faithful. Last month, the company even launched its first bug bounty program! Why did Apple soften its guarded position? It had to. As the technology market advances, and security becomes a bigger focus, it is not possible to catch all bugs and vulnerabilities in house.
While the bug bounty and public betas were very wise moves, the company is apparently taking things a step further. According to Forbes, Apple is enlisting iPhone jailbreakers and other hackers (such as Luca Todesco, Nicholas Allegra and Patrick Wardle) to bolster the security of its products using the aforementioned bug bounty program. In fact, it is rumored to be happening at a secret meeting. If true, is the company smart to trust these people?
Amazon, Google, Facebook, IBM and Microsoft create Partnership on AI -- no sign of Apple
Five of the biggest names in the world of technology have joined forces to create the Partnership on AI. The aim of the group is to increase public awareness of artificial intelligence, conduct research, and promote best practice guidelines.
Comprising Amazon, Google, Facebook, IBM and Microsoft -- although, interestingly, not Apple -- the group says that it does not intend to lobby government or government bodies. Instead, the aim is to promote AI so that it can be used to "help humanity address important global challenges such as climate change, food, inequality, health, and education".
Apple gets a new London home in Battersea Power Station
Apple is setting up its new London headquarters in one of the most iconic buildings of the capital's skyline. Battersea Power Station will soon be home to 1,400 Apple staff, who will occupy 40 percent of the building.
Sitting next to the River Thames, the former power station has been unused for a number of years, but is set to enjoy a new lease of life as part of a redevelopment project in the area.
Apple acquires machine learning startup TupleJump
Apple is on a mission to buy virtually every machine learning start-up it stumbles upon. The latest "victim" in its shopping spree is an Indian-US company called TupleJump. The news was first broken by TechCrunch, and even though Apple is yet to confirm the acquisition there are signals out there to back such an event.
First things first. Apple did give a statement, and a pretty vague one that is arguably open for interpretation. "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans".
Pippa Middleton is the latest celebrity to suffer an iCloud account hack
There have been numerous cases of iCloud accounts being hacked over the years, but it's the celebrity ones that hit the headlines. Well, that and things like the Fappening. The latest celebrity account to fall victim to hackers is Pippa Middleton, sister of British royal Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
A reported 3,000 images have been stolen from Pippa's account, and these are said to include photographs of Kate and her children. Leaked images also show photos from private parties, and shots of wedding dresses.
Don't fall for the secret hack to add a headphone jack to the iPhone 7
As you're probably well aware, with the launch of the iPhone 7 Apple ditched the familiar headphone jack in favour of a wireless audio option. Many people have questioned the sense in this 'courageous' decision which has led some owners to take drastic steps to allow them to use their favorite set of wired headphones.
Some have been spurred on by a YouTube video that reveals a 'secret hack' for returning the headphone jack to the iPhone 7. YouTuber TechRax has created a tutorial for uncovering the hidden jack that Apple left inside the new phone. Except, of course, it is complete nonsense.
The best new features in macOS Sierra
Apple has officially released macOS Sierra, the latest version of its Mac operating system. Just like its recent predecessors, it is available for free. But, unlike any of the major releases introduced since 2001, it no longer bears the OS X name, as Apple wants to bring it in line with its other consumer-facing operating systems.
So, it is called macOS Sierra, and not OS X 10.12 Sierra. Does that mean it is a completely new operating system underneath? No. What Apple has done is improve upon OS X 10.11 El Capitan by adding a significant number of changes that should keep Mac users happy for one more year. The user experience has not been changed dramatically, though there are some pretty exciting things in macOS Sierra.
Apple releases macOS Sierra as free upgrade
Apple's Mac computers -- MacBook, iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac mini -- are works of art. Not only is the hardware beautiful, but the included operating system is visually impressive too. Today, after a series of Beta releases, the final 10.12 version of the desktop operating system formerly known as OS X -- now known as 'macOS' -- is available for download. Apple dubs the latest version of the desktop operating system 'Sierra', after a mountain range in the company's home state of California.
While Windows 10 is a great operating system for productivity, Microsoft simply cannot match the visual beauty of macOS. Still, Microsoft's latest operating system does offer some unique features, such as the voice assistant Cortana -- something that Apple's desktop did not offer. Today, this changes, as the legendary Siri comes to macOS Sierra. Best of all? As usual, this is a free upgrade for owners of compatible Mac computers!
iDevices 'Smart Home Essentials' kit is Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa compatible
As prices continue to drop, and the technology becomes easier to use, 'smart home' devices are set to explode in popularity. As someone who once swore off such things, I now have Wi-Fi-enabled electric sockets and home cameras. When I am away, I can turn on a lamp and monitor my house. It is very cool, but slightly annoying that there is no central app for all of my connected home devices. Since I chose different brands, I unfortunately have a few different apps on my smartphone and tablet.
Today, iDevices announces 'Smart Home Essentials'. This focused kit is both Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa compatible. By purchasing this well-designed kit, you can avoid managing multiple apps. It even comes with free concierge service based in the USA for help setting things up (if needed).
The iPhone's passcode security can be beaten for just $100
Remember how Apple and the FBI clashed regarding the unlocking of San Bernadino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook's iPhone 5c some six months ago?
Apple refused to help the FBI find a way to unlock the iPhone as it believed doing so would, in Tim Cook’s words, "undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect". After lots of posturing from both sides, the FBI eventually found a way to crack the encryption without Apple’s help, although at a reported cost of in excess of $1 million. But now a Cambridge computer scientist says he has managed to crack the iPhone 5c’s passcode security for a lot less than that -- just $100, in fact.
Google and Apple show that tech companies' blase attitude to tax cannot continue
Technology firms, like bankers, are starting to earn a bad name for themselves. The practice of funneling profits from different branches of a company through countries that have favorable rates of tax is nothing new -- far from it -- but it's becoming far more prevalent. Apple was recently asked to pay back $14.5 billion in unpaid tax in Europe, and this is not an isolated incident.
Small businesses understandably feel that they are getting a raw deal when the big players have the clout and resources to play the system to their advantage. But it doesn't always work out. In addition to the $14.5 billion in Ireland, Apple has just paid back $118 million in Japan for 'under-reporting income' and Google is also facing investigation in Indonesia over possible unpaid taxes.
Microsoft Surface and Huawei MateBook are bullying Apple iPad Pro in Windows 10 video
There is no place for bullying in the world. Schools around the country are teaching this important lesson. When one person is mean to another, that is very bad. When two people join forces to bully someone, it can be even worse -- it is hard to stand up for yourself when you are outnumbered.
When Microsoft ran mean-spirited advertisements against Apple's MacBook, my colleague Mark Wilson took umbrage, calling the ads 'childish and imbecilic'. Today, in an all-new ad, Huawei MateBook is joining the Surface Pro in the Apple-bashing. The personified versions of two Windows 10 tablets come across as bullies, belittling Apple's iPad Pro.
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