iPad Air 3 Rumors: 6 Things To Expect From Apple Inc.'s Upcoming 9.7-Inch Tablet - International Business Times

With Apple's tablet sales in decline, all eyes are now on an expected iPad refresh coming in March, the so-called iPad Air 3. 

Officially, Apple hasn't said a word about the next 9.7-inch consumer iPad, but several hints from its supply chain have pointed to a hefty upgrade for the device, with many features that could be borrowed from the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro, released in November 2015. Here's what to look for in Apple's upcoming tablet:

Smart Connector

Apple's next 9.7-inch tablet could take a page out of the iPad Pro's playbook by including a smart connector, a physical connector located on the side of the iPad. This would enable the tablet to use smart keyboard covers developed by Apple or third-party accessory makers, such as Logitech, according to leaked renderings obtained by Engadget.

The smart connector was introduced with the iPad Pro in 2015. Prior to its launch, customers had to rely on connecting a keyboard to their iPad via a Lightning connector or Bluetooth. With the latter option, the keyboards also required their own battery pack, whereas the iPad Pro's smart connector provides both a data connection and power between the accessory and the tablet. While the general size of the iPad Air 3 is expected to remain the same, there could be some slight size differences, with 0.05 mm added to its thickness and a 0.1 mm to its width.

Rear LED Flash

Since the iPad 2's release in 2011, Apple has included a built-in camera in all of its tablet lines. But one feature that’s been missing is a way to light the shots taken with the tablet in dimly lit situations. With the iPad Air 3, this could change with the addition of a dedicated LED flash built into the tablet's rear case, according to schematics obtained by French Apple blog Nowhereelse.fr.

More Speakers

Another feature that Apple's 9.7-inch tablet may borrow from the iPad Pro is four speakers, one at each corner of the device, to produce louder stereo sound. The feature, which debuted in the iPad Pro, was built directly into the 12.9-inch tablet and automatically adjusts how it outputs sound based on the orientation of the device.

Apple Pencil Support

In addition to many features that mirror the iPad Pro, Apple's upcoming tablet may also take on support for the $ 99 Apple Pencil, according to 9to5Mac. The pencil is a specially designed iPad stylus that is pressure-sensitive and enables users to shade drawings based on the tilt of the instrument. While some styluses are charged using an external USB cable, the pencil can be recharged with the iPad's built-in Lightning port.

Display, RAM and Processor Upgrades

Apple may bump up the screen resolution of the iPad Air 2 from 2048×1536 pixels to 4K resolution — about four times as many pixels as a 1080p display, according to Taiwan's Digitimes. To help power the higher-resolution screen and apps, Apple could also include up to 4GB in memory. A chip based on the iPhone 6S A9 is also expected for the tablet.

Release Date

Apple is expected to unveil the iPad Air 3 during a March 15 media event, which may also include a 4-inch "iPhone 5se" and new Apple Watch bands. The 4-inch smartphone is expected to replace the iPhone 5S and come with features such as the Apple Pay mobile payment system, faster processor and upgraded camera. Both devices are expected to go on sale March 18, three days after the event, according to 9to5Mac.

Apple iPad Air 2 vs Apple iPad Pro LTE | SpecOut

ipad – Google News

A minor iPhone 7 upgrade may give us better Wi-Fi and battery life - BGR

If a new report is accurate, then it seems every single major chip inside the iPhone 7 will get an EMI cover. While it may not sound like much, this minor breakthrough might prove to be essential for further improving the iPhone's overall performance.

DON'T MISS: Grammys 2016: A complete list of all the big winners (and losers)

It might sound boring to most people, but EMI stands for Electro Magnetic Interference. According to industry sources who talked to ETNews, Apple will up its EMI game with the iPhone 7 and cover every major processor inside it. The company already does this with the iPhone's PCB and connector, but not with independent chips.

By applying this EMI coating on the application processor (A10 chip), wireless chips (wireless LAN, Bluetooth), radiofrequency and modem chips, Apple will reduce overall electromagnetic interference.

The first obvious benefit concerns health, as the phones should have a reduced electromagnetic wave output.

But by reducing interference from chips with this special EMI cover, Apple can offer customers and even better wireless experience (think Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity) by reducing electromagnetic interference. This is especially important considering that the iPhone 7 is rumored to have a design that's light on external antennas – though the report doesn't mention any correlations.

Furthermore, by using EMI covers, Apple can create more elaborate mainboard designs and place the chips even closer together. The resulting space that's saved can be used to increase the size of the battery. Rumors say that the iPhone 7 will have 3D Touch support, and that it will be thinner than predecessors. That means Apple also has to find ways to maximize battery life in a design that forces it to shrink the battery size.

Applying EMI shielding will be costly for Apple and will bump up prices for chips, but it's probably a worthy upgrade – again, assuming this report is accurate.

ETNews explains that the EMI cover is actually an ultra-thin layer of metal that's placed on top of chips to reduce interference. The same technology is already used in the Apple Watch for the S1 System-in-Package (SiP) chip design.

iphone – Google News

A Netbook, an iPad Pro and the Surface Walk Into a Bar - Re/code

A version of this essay was originally published at Tech.pinions, a website dedicated to informed opinions, insight and perspective on the tech industry.

---

It's not something I talk about often, but I was right in the middle of the Netbook debacle. The Netbook category was an accident. It was not Intel's intention to have a small, not very powerful, yet cheap "PC" enter the marketplace. Asus took a chip that Intel wasn't positioning for a clamshell form factor, and made a tiny PC that ran Linux. While initial sales of this product were not large, other OEMs caught on and wanted to ship Windows on it. Both Intel and Microsoft thought this was a good idea to get new hardware onto the landscape, but both of them prefaced this thinking with the caveat that these machines could not be "full-powered" PCs. Meaning that it needed to be made clear they could not do everything a full-powered PC can do.

The Netbook fiasco let the cat out of the bag — consumers are not pushing the limits of their PCs.

From the outset, I told both companies, in my analysis notes to them, that this was a bad idea. It would uncover the dirty secret that most consumers do not do very much with their PCs. My firm had just done some dedicated research on PC behavior in consumer markets, and the data we discovered at the time gave us the insight that consumers, on average, use five pieces of software regularly on their PCs, and none of them were CPU-intensive tasks.

My fear was that these machines would be viewed as good enough for most mass-market consumers, and would threaten the PC category as a whole with steep ASP declines. No one believed me. Sure enough, the chips got a little better on Netbooks, enough to watch good-quality videos without skipping, for example. Microsoft eased up and let more of the capabilities of Windows on the hardware and — boom — 40 million devices at its peak of PCs under $ 200.

To add some perspective here, note on this chart of PC sales sliced by consumer and enterprise PC sales, the peak year for consumer PC sales also was the same year that Netbooks peaked:

---

Microsoft and Intel reacted quickly to this, with the help of some smart guidance, and brought this back under control, essentially killing the category. But what the Netbook fiasco did was let the cat out of the bag — consumers are not pushing the limits of their PCs. They are doing simple things like watching movies, browsing the Web, checking email, messaging friends, etc. They aren't creating the next major novel, they aren't exporting cells from Excel. They aren't making a two-hour Hollywood motion picture. Their needs are simple, and the Netbook — an underpowered, small, cheap, Internet-connected, clamshell PC — was good enough for them.

I tell you this because it applies to how I think about the positioning of the iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 4. No, I don't think either of those products are anything like the Netbook. Quite the contrary. However, both represent the needs of and an opportunity for two different markets. The Surface brings all the things a hard-core, technologically literate PC user needs in an ultraportable form factor. You can do everything a tech literate can, and push the boundaries with computing tasks that those users want. You can plug it into an external monitor and do even more. The Surface is a PC, and exists as a form-factor option for those who know how to use and drive a PC like a pro. But remember what I said about the Netbook: That PC user, who can drive a PC like a pro, is not the mass market. Not even close. That's where I've always felt the iPad comes in.

The harsh reality is that mainstream consumers do more with their smartphones to utilize their max capabilities today than they ever did with their PCs.

The iPad is certainly more powerful than a Netbook, and the software is much more capable than ever it was on a Netbook. However, a central question I was wrestling with during the brief Netbook era was, why are consumers not doing more with their PCs? Even those who had a top-of-the line notebook or desktop in that era were still only using a small fraction of its capabilities. What I uncovered was they simply didn't know how. The PC was too complex, too burdensome, they were afraid of breaking it and then having to spend hours on support trying to fix it. Many consumers that we studied and surveyed at the time did not have positive things to say, generally, about their PC experience.

Then the smartphone hit the scene. The harsh reality is that mainstream consumers do more with their smartphones to utilize their max capabilities today than they ever did with their PCs, then and now. I think this is a tragedy. Not because of all the things they do with their smartphone and not a PC, but because humans are capable of so much more with digital tools and creativity. Yet most don't engage in it.

Hardware and software companies need to give consumers the tools to easily — and I stress easily — use these tools to their maximum potential. Desktop operating systems like Windows and OS X are for the professionals. Mobile operating systems are for the masses. The promise of something like the iPad and the iPad Pro — and where Android can go on tablets, or laptops or even desktops — is to empower the masses to do more than they can on their smartphones, with a computing paradigm that focuses on simplicity but still yields sophisticated results.

---

Ben Bajarin is a principal analyst at Creative Strategies Inc., an industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research. He is a husband, father, gadget enthusiast, trend spotter, early adopter and hobby farmer. Reach him @BenBajarin.

---

---

ipad – Google News

MAC Cosmetics Wants to Reward You for Your Makeup Obsession - TeenVogue.com

A few days ago, rumors began swirling that MAC was finally starting a rewards program for its loyal fanbase, AKA the most makeup-obsessed beauty junkies out there. Well, luckily these rumors were true because MAC has finally introduced MAC Select, “a new members only program with privileged access and prestigious service for the makeup-obsessed!”

The program will feature “three elite tiers”, and the more you purchase, the more MAC privileges you’ll earn. If you’re wondering what exactly these privileges are, we’ve got you covered.

You’d be able to shop new collections before anyone else, and you’ll also gain access to members-only limited-edition products. And we all know MAC stores come with some of the best artists in the biz. With MAC Select, you’ll be able to enjoy complimentary makeup services — you know, the one’s we’d usually have to schedule weeks in advance, and also require a purchase. Oh, and if you’re more of an online shopper, you’re also guaranteed expedited shipping on your order with MAC Select.

We also have the full breakdown of each MAC Select tier.

SEDUCED
To become seduced, you just have to join MAC Select. The perks in this tier include: exclusive limited-edition products, product samples online, complimentary standard shipping, an annual gift just for Seduced members, back-to-MAC expanded, and convenient Back-to-MAC tracker.

DEVOTED
To become Devoted, you’d have to spend $ 150 or more in a calendar year. In this tier you’ll get: exclusive limited-edition products, a head-start on shopping select collections, complimentary express makeup application, enhanced product samples online, complimentary two-day expedited shipping ($ 50 minimum spend), an exclusive annual gift just for MAC Devoted members, Back-to-MAC expanded, and convenient Back-to-MAC tracker.

OBSESSED
In the third tier of MAC Select, you’d have to spend $ 500 or more in a calendar year — it’s all in the name. As a member of the Obsessed tier, you’ll get: exclusive limited-edition products, be the first to shop select collections, first access to new products, two complimentary makeup applications, complimentary two-day expedited shipping ($ 50 minimum spend), deluxe annual gift just for Obsessed members, Back-to-MAC expanded, and convenient Back-to-M∙A∙C tracker.

You can head over to maccosmetics.com for more information.

Related: Kylie Jenner’s New Lip Kit Shade Is Coming for Ruby Woo

mac – Google News

Syncing iTunes Store videos with older iPods - iLounge

By Jesse Hollington @jhollington ● 7 hours ago

Although many users are likely focused mostly on HD videos these days, Apple has still been taking steps recently to increase the quality of the SD video content in the iTunes Store, pushing the envelope beyond what older traditional iPods can handle. If you're still using an iPod classic or iPod nano for storing and watching videos, you may start running into an error message that "high-quality SD video is not compatible with this iPod" when you try to sync or transfer your videos.

If you encounter this, the fix is relatively simple: just go into your iTunes Store preferences and uncheck the option to "Download high-quality SD videos." You'll need to delete the problematic videos and then download them again from your iTunes Store Purchases section to get them in the slightly lower, iPod-compatible quality, at which point you should be able to sync them onto your iPod classic or iPod nano without any problems.

ipod – Google News

iPhone 7 rumored to wow with killer camera, reports say - Fox News

Apple is focusing on a major upgrade to its camera tech on the next-gen iPhone 7, according to a bevy of reports.

The future iPhone 7, expected to be the first full-version upgrade in two years when it’s released, may include an innovative new camera. Reports from Asia say camera lens makers there are gearing up to supply Apple with a dual-lens camera, Currently, suppliers are sending samples to Apple, according to a report in Taipei-based Digitimes.   

Related: Apple ‘iPad Air 3′ coming soon, report says

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the iPhone 7 will come with a dual camera option, according to 9to5Mac.com.

So, what could a dual-lens camera do for a future iPhone? One possibility is that Apple taps technology from LinX Imaging, a company it acquired last year. The company describes itself as a "pioneer in the development of multi-aperture imaging technologies."

Related: Smaller iPhone, new Apple Watch could be coming this year

In a past press release, LinX states that the image quality of smartphone cameras has reached a "dead end" but that its technology can overcome these limitations with, for example, dual-camera systems that boost image quality to match standalone digital cameras.

Other improvements that could come with a dual-lens camera include optical zoom – which would be a first for the iPhone (which now only offers inferior digital zoom).  Speculation also points to two iPhone 7 models, similar to the iPhone 6s and high-end 6s Plus, with the high end model getting the dual-lens system.

Related: Apple Watch winning as Samsung, Android Wear struggle, says researcher

A good camera has become a must-have for high-end smartphones, particularly from rivals Apple and Samsung, who offer some of the best cameras in the business on the iPhone 6s and Galaxy S6, respectively. But because mainstream smartphones emphasize thinness, squeezing in camera technology that emulates that found on relatively bulky stand-alone digital cameras has been difficult. While Samsung in the past has offered optical-zoom-capable phones like the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom, they’ve been relatively bulky, non-mainstream phone/zoom-camera hybrids.

New camera tech isn’t the only thing rumored for the iPhone 7. Other features reportedly could include: 

–Elimination of the 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of a different connection technology, possibly in the form of an Apple Lightning connector. One report, for example, claims that Apple will bundle Lightning connector-equipped EarPods with the next iPhone. Apple could also offer wireless headphones based on Beats technology it is developing now.

–Models with more storage, possibly up to 256GB

–Improved water resistance and/or waterproofing

–Thinner chassis

–So-called Li-Fi technology: Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is similar to Wi-Fi.  Suffice to say, it's much faster than Wi-Fi.

iphone – Google News