Chess champ's high-tech cheating scheme involved an iPod touch - Engadget

Georgian chess champion Gaioz Nigalidze has been kicked out and banned from the Dubai Open Chess Tournament after he was caught cheating. What exactly did he do, you ask? Well, he got help from a chess app running on an iPod touch. His opponent, Armenian grandmaster Tigran Petrosian, grew suspicious as Nigalidze literally ran to the toilet a few times (remember, a match can go on for hours) and visited the same cubicle. Game officials eventually inspected the cubicle and found the device hidden behind the bowl and wrapped in toilet paper, along with a pair of headphones. Nigalidze denied it was his, but upon further inspection, authorities found that its social media apps were logged into the Georgian champ’s accounts. They also found his board mirrored on an open chess app.

It’s been 18 years since IBM’s Deep Blue computer managed to beat chess world champion Garry Kasparov. Now, even small smart devices are powerful enough to quickly analyze chess moves. English grandmaster Nigel Short says it’s too easy to cheat with a phone (or in this case, a media player) these days. “My dog could win a major tournament using one of these devices,” he told The Washington Post. “Or my grandmother. Anybody could do this.” Seeing as Dubai Open is awarding the grand winner $ 12,000 in cash, a lot of unscrupulous or desperate people would cheat, if given the chance.

It’s unclear if Nigalidze has done this before, and if he did, to what extent. Nevertheless, his whole career is now under scrutiny, and fellow grandmasters want him to be penalized heavily to deter more people from cheating. He isn’t the first and the only person to cheat on a chess tournament with the aid of a high-tech device, you see. In 2002, an American player tried to pull off something similar, checking out simulations in the bathroom in the middle of a match. Indian player Umakant Sharma was caught cheating in 2006 by communicating with accomplices through a tiny Bluetooth headpiece hidden inside a cloth cap. And then in 2008, the Dubai Chess Club banned an Iranian player after it was discovered that a partner was sending him moves through text messages while watching a live stream of the game.

[Image credit: Dubai Chess & Culture Club (1), (2)]

Source: The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph, Dubai Chess & Culture Club

Tags: apple, ipod, IpodTouch, mobilepostcross

ipod – Google News

Pope Francis' Old iPad Sold for $30500 at Auction - TIME

ipad – Google News

Why Microsoft fans should buy an iPhone over Android (and over Windows Phone) - BGR

Microsoft is still playing catch-up with its mobile business, being a distant third to Google's Android and Apple's iOS operating systems. That means many people choose an Android handset or an iPhone even though their desktop operating system of choice might be Windows.

While Microsoft is currently building a brand new version of Windows that should offer an even more cohesive experience on phones and desktops, Windows fans who don't want to purchase Lumia or other Windows Phone devices would be better off buying an iPhone than an Android device.

In fact, in certain cases they might be better off buying iPhone instead of a Windows Phone model.

DON'T MISS: 5 great free Android apps that do amazing things the iPhone can't

The main reason for choosing Apple's top smartphone if a Windows Phone purchase is out of the question is app quality, Paul Thurrott argues. Microsoft's "mobile first, cloud first" strategy is definitely one to watch, as Microsoft seems to have figured out how to better fight Apple and Google even without enjoying a massive market share increase with its smartphone business.

Microsoft might also secretly be trying to steal you away from core iOS and Android apps and services with better options of its own.

"[If] you are a Microsoft guy, there are good reasons to choose iPhone over Android … and even over Windows Phone," Thurrott writes. "Microsoft mobile apps generally appear on iPhone before they do so elsewhere, and certain Microsoft mobile apps are only available on iPhone, at least for now. In several cases, you will see finished Microsoft apps appear on iPhone, whereas Android receives a rougher preview release instead. In many ways, iPhone—or iOS more generally—is the place to be if you're interested in Microsoft's mobile solutions."

To further prove his point, Thurrott lists a large number of Microsoft iOS apps that are already available on the iPhone – you can check them out at the source link.

iphone – Google News

New iPod Touch Expected At 2015 Apple Event! - Master Herald

The very first iPod Touch showed up on the market back in 2007 and has been quite a hot seller with each model since then. Apple has been making millions on the small, pocket sized music player and the sixth generation is expected to be just as popular. The iPod Touch adds features like Wi-Fi and even the ability to play some games on it. The fifth generation was released back in 2012 and it featured up to 64GB of internal memory.

Improvements over the fourth generation model included the 4-inch screen that was similar to the IPS display that you can find on the iPhone. LED flash for the rear camera, an A5 chip and Apple's Siri was also added to the 5th generation. This year, however, the news has switched over to the possible sixth generation model from Apple. The new iPod Touch is expected to be released last this year, but announced at the next Apple event.

Even though critics have slammed Apple saying that most smartphones perform the same functions as the iPod Touch, there is no reason to release another model. If that made any difference the gadget makers would not release the same device in more than one size within inches of each other in terms of size. At this point, Apple has held 3 events and none of them included any information about the iPod Touch 6G. This is leading some to believe that Apple has decided against releasing the iPod Touch now and decided to wait until the iPhone release in the fall.

Apple is not likely to hold a separate event just for the iPod Touch release, which means it will have to wait until the iPhone release. If Apple released the new iPod Touch now, it would have older specs than the iPhone 6S that is coming in the fall. Since Apple likes to leave the iPod models on the market for a couple of years, it would be out of date by the time it hit the market and would sit stale for the next 24 months.

By holding onto the iPod Touch release until the fall months, Apple would allow for the device to have better specs and a better chance of surviving the next 24 months without any hardware upgrades. That would leave consumers that purchase the 6G model, only with upgrades to the software over that time period. Consumers will have to wait and see at the next Apple event.

ipod – Google News

5 Reasons You Don't Need an iPad Case - Gotta Be Mobile

iPad cases prevent a lot of damage during unfortunate accidents, both to the device and your wallet, but are they really needed?

The main reason why users put cases on their iPads is because accidents happen. Obviously, people don't actually try to purposely drop their tablets, but if someone bumps into you, knocking your iPad out of your hand, you're kind of screwed, and I can't tell you how many times I've set my iPad down, only to realize moments later that it goes falling to the ground because I didn't really pay attention to where I set it down at.

This is a great reason to get a case for your iPad, but even after I've dropped my iPad several times and all four corners are dinged up, I still refuse to put a case on my device, mostly because the cons far outweigh the pros of iPad cases.

Here are five reasons why I don't have an iPad case, and you might be able to relate to some of these as well.

Cases Add Bulk and Weight

The iPad Air is one of the thinnest tablets on the market, and because of that, it's a dream to hold in your hands.

However, tack on a case and you now have a hunk of plastic that makes your iPad a lot bigger in size and makes it weigh more, depending on the case. It's a lot harder to slide in and out of your bag, especially if you have one of those silicon rubber cases that pretty much makes that impossible to begin with.

With a case, I no longer feel like I own a quality tablet, but rather a hunk of plastic that's uncomfortable to hold.

Cases Aren't Accessory Friendly

Because of the iPad's popularity, there are a ton of accessories you can get for it. Some accessories that are fairly popular for the iPad are the Olloclip lens kit and Apple's own smart cover, both of which are accessories that don't work at all when your iPad has a case.

Granted, you can get the Smart Case, which has a Smart Cover included, but that's about as far as I'll go as far as cases are concerned, if I do ever want to put a case on my iPad for any reason.

Furthermore, I discovered that some Lightning cables and audio cables wouldn't fit in their respective ports because the case's port holes sometimes aren't big enough. I ran into this problem with an AmazonBasics Lightning cable, and a few of my audio cables were too big to fit in the headphone jack because the case was in the way.

This was one of the big reasons why I decided to go caseless with my iPad, simply because I needed accessories to work without a case getting in the way. I found myself constantly taking the case off of my iPad in order to get an accessory to work, but I finally just left off the case and I haven't looked back.

Cases Hide the Beauty of iPad Design

The iPad is one of the best-looking tablets on the market. It's one of the few devices that uses an aluminum and glass combo all the way around, which gives it a premium look and feel. Why would anyone want to hide this?

As aforementioned, the iPad's thin design makes it really comfortable to hold in your hands, and the feeling of aluminum on skin is a sensation that isn't far from magical, so why in the world would I want to replace that feeling with a huge piece of cheap plastic?

Sure, leather cases are a good alternative, because there's really nothing quite like the texture of leather (and don't get me started on the smell). However, no case will ever trump the design and look of a naked iPad.

Cases Don't Offer 100% Protection

Obviously, iPad cases are meant to protect the device that it's enclosing, but it won't prevent damage from every accidental drop. Depending on how you drop your iPad and the way it lands on a certain type of surface, a case might not do much in the way of protection.

For instance, a case can absorb some of the shock from the impact, but if the iPad lands just right, it can still crack the screen or scuff up a small area of the device that isn't protected. All it takes is some luck (or lack thereof).

Of course, having an iPad case is better than not having one at all when it comes to accidental drops, but users tend to get a bit cocky and are more lenient when it comes to caring for their iPad, which opens the door for a higher percentage of accidents, and just one lucky accident is all it takes for an iPad to break somehow, with or without a case

Cases Can Be Expensive

You can get some really cheap iPad cases, with many of them simply made out of cheap plastic that really don't do a single thing when it comes to actually protecting your iPad against damage. If you really want a quality iPad case that actually does its job well, you'll be looking to pay at least $ 50, and that's still on the cheap side.

OtterBox is considered one of the best case makers around, and even some of their most basic cases start at around $ 40, but if you're wanting ultimate protection, you'll be paying at least $ 80, with some cases going as high as $ 90 with extra bells and whistles for the larger iPad models.

With the money that you spend on a case, you could just buy AppleCare+, which costs $ 99.

From Apple's website:

Every iPad comes with one year of hardware repair coverage through its limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary support. AppleCare+ for iPad extends your coverage to two years from the original purchase date of your iPad and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a $ 49 service fee plus applicable tax."

This would allow you to enjoy your iPad without the bulkiness of a case, and at the same time protect you financially from accidental drops.

ipad – Google News

iPhone 6S release date, price and specs rumours - could Apple jump straight to ... - Expert Reviews

With the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September 2014 Apple, for the first time ever Apple gave us two high-end phones and a real choice for consumers. With all of that success, we’re all interested now in how Apple can follow this up with its next smartphones. Here we’ve rounded up all of the likely rumours about the handset, while we peel back the layers of half-truths and outright nonsense to find out what Apple really has in store for us.

Will the iPhone 6S be the iPhone 7?

This is one rumour that simply refuses to go away: Apple may not have an iPhone 6S, but may instead jump straight to the iPhone 7 instead. The latest rumour on this front comes from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and reported by MacRumors, who believes that the inclusion of Force Touch on the new phone is such a big change that Apple will skip straight to iPhone 7.

Apparently, a capacitive Force Touch sensor will be installed under the phone screen’s backlight, and this is enough for Apple to make a complete name change. We really don’t think that this is the case. After all, with the iPhone 5S Apple introduced Touch ID and went 64-bit: these huge changes weren’t enough for the company to jump straight to iPhone 6, and Force Touch isn’t even in that league. We firmly believe that Force Touch will make an appearance (more on that later in this article), but we definitely don’t believe that this alone is enough to make Apple drop a model number.

That’s not to say that Apple won’t go for iPhone 7 instead of the iPhone 6S; however, if it does, the most likely reason will be because the company has decided that the ‘S’ range of phones is a bit confusing and clear model numbers make more sense.

Besides, doing this would completely change how Apple has approached its iPhone line and we’re not convinced that it’s ready to do that. Apple typically launches one new product with a brand-new design, which has a brand-new number: the iPhone 4, iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 are all clear examples of this. The following year, Apple takes the same case (perhaps with some tweaks), makes some internal changes and launches a follow up with an ‘S’ suffix: the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5S are all clear examples of this.

Yet, every year, we have to go through the usual set of rumours suggesting that Apple will skip the S version and move straight to the next number. When the iPhone 4S launched, everyone was disappointed that it wasn’t the iPhone 5; when the iPhone 5S launched, everyone was disappointed that it wasn’t the iPhone 6. Obviously, we’ve got rumours that the next phone will be the iPhone 7.

Based on past form, we’d have to say that is complete nonsense and we refuse to believe these rumours until there’s some hard proof. Until then, this article cover the iPhone 6S, which will launch this year, for bigger changes, we’re most likely going to have to wait until 2015 for the launch of the next phone, which we cover in our iPhone 7 rumours article.

We definitely won’t get a bigger battery

One of the things that we know for certain is that the iPhone 6S and, indeed, any future iPhone, will not get a bigger battery. Jony Ive, the iPhone designer, recently said that a bigger battery would make the iPhone less compelling. His argument is that the iPhone is so slim and light that people always use it; making it bigger and heavier to contain a larger battery would mean that people would use it less. Unless Apple dramatically increases screen sizes, making the overall iPhone case bigger, larger batteries are definitely out of the window. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as we’ve found that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus lasted a lot longer than their predecessors, with the phablet easily lasting way over a day in normal use. Besides, if Apple can make its CPU more efficient, it will use less power, extending battery life without requiring a bigger battery. If you need a phone based purely on how long it lasts, our best smartphone battery life articl e will help you choose.

We may see THREE models: iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone 6C

The success of the iPhone 6 and the larger iPhone 6 Plus, means that we’re likely to both models get a refresh with the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. However, that leaves one gap in the market. At the moment, Apple also sells the iPhone 5S, which is just about the best and most powerful mini smartphone available. Come September 2015, though, and this handset will be two years old and getting on a bit.

The question is, will Apple replace this model with a newer 4in device, the iPhone 6C (potentially the iPhone 6S Mini)? Rumours initially said that the handset will use the A8 chip of the iPhone 6S and a similar, but smaller metal case (it won’t be plastic as the iPhone 5C was).

Doubt has been cast on these initial rumours with Digitimes now reporting that Apple will release an iPhone 6C aimed at emerging markets. As expected, it will have a 4in screen and, to keep costs down, it will be made of plastic.

We’re still not convinced by this one, as creating any new handset means starting a new production line, which costs a lot of money. Typically, when Apple has aimed at emerging markets in the past it has merely pushed one of its older handsets, where economies of scale and an existing production line have let it push the price down. This feels more likely to be the case going forward.

We wouldn’t expect to see a smaller iPhone 6S available in the UK, either. With the stunning sales of the 4.7in iPhone 6, which most people agree is the perfect size, there seems to be little point in Apple releasing a slightly smaller handset. We’ll stick our heads out and say that there won’t be three new iPhones this year.

Force Touch may come to the phone

Apple may include a pressure-sensitive display on the iPhone 6S, according to the Wall Street Journal. Introduced with the new MacBook, the technology can sense the difference between a light tap and a hard push (a ‘Force Touch’), performing different actions. For example, a Force Touch on a highlighted word can bring up the Wikipedia entry for it.

Although the iPhone already recognises the difference between a short and a long press, adding Force Touch brings in yet another way to interact with the phone. It could be useful, for example, in games, with a Force Touch in FIFA performing a long pass. It’s likely that Apple would also make changes to iOS in order to recognise the new type of input, most likely inside iOS 9, which will launch this year. 

Given that Apple can build this technology into the Touchpad of the MacBook and the screen of the Apple Watch, it seems likely that it has the capability to add it into the iPhone 6S. The only thing that will likely make a difference is user feedback to the new input: if people generally don’t like or don’t use it, Apple may not choose to deploy Force Touch any further.

Apple SIM may be pre-fitted

One of the highlights of the new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 was the Apple SIM, which comes pre-fitted to the Cellular versions and lets you choose your data plan on the fly. According to AppleInsider, Apple is now planning to roll its SIM technology out to the iPhone 6S, letting you choose your carrier directly from the phone without having to switch SIMs.

It’s a brilliant idea in theory and makes switching contracts easy, but there are plenty of problems to overcome. First, not all network providers support it; in fact, in the UK, the Apple SIM only works with EE. Secondly, not all carriers want to support it, and there have been cases in the US where networks actively removed Apple SIMs.

We think that all networks should support the Apple SIM for the simple reason that it opens up choice to consumers. We’re right behind Apple here and hope that it can use it clout to get more people to embrace the technology.

Gorilla Glass 4 instead of sapphire glass

We really wanted to see the iPhone 6 launch with a sapphire glass front panel. This material is second only to diamonds when it comes to hardness and is practically indestructible. In demonstrations, sapphire glass couldn’t be scratched with a knife. However, the problem with the technology is that it shatters more easily; this is the reason why the Sports version of the Apple Watch is the only one not to use Sapphire.

For that reason, it’s expected that Apple will not be rolling out larger Sapphire Glass screens for the iPhone 6S. Instead, the company may be using Gorilla Glass instead, which it has used on previous handsets. Fuelling those rumours is new information about Gorilla Glass 4.

James Clappin at Corning, the manufacturer of Gorilla, was reported by CNet as saying: “We told you last year that sapphire was great for scratch performance but didn’t fare well when dropped, so we created a product that offers the same superior damage resistance and drop performance of Gorilla Glass 4 with scratch resistance that approaches sapphire”.

That doesn’t mean that Apple is ready to give up on sapphire completely, though. Focus Taiwan has reported that  Foxconn is building a new sapphire glass factory, although it seems unlikely that it will be ready and up to capacity in time for September. Hopefully, the iPhone 7 will be the first to use this technology for its front screen.

iPhone 6S release date – this September

There have been rumours that Apple will stagger its launches this year, giving us the iPhone 6S alongside the Apple Watch in April, and dishing out the iPhone 7 later in the year. This really doesn’t seem likely for several reasons. First, this would only give a short gap between the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which would likely annoy people that have just bought the new handset. Secondly, it doesn’t give Apple much time to develop anything new and it’s unlikely that the next CPU, the Apple A9 will be ready in time.

With no firm leaks of new handsets yet (and we’d expect to have more if we really were going to see the phones in April), we think that Apple’s sticking to its current schedule. Going on the previous launch dates (see table below), if Apple sticks to the same sort of release schedule, it should mean that the iPhone 6S will be out on September 18th 2015.

Model	Launch date
iPhone 4S	September 12th 2011
iPhone 5	September 21st 2012
iPhone 5S/5C	September 20th, 2013
iPhone 6/6 Plus	September 19th, 2014

iPhone 6S better TouchID

According to a report by Ming Chi Kuo for KGI, and obtained by 9to5mac, Apple is reportedly going to bring a better quality Touch ID fingerprint reader to the iPhone 6S. According to the report, Apple plans to ship 262m Touch ID sensors this year, as it pushes the technology and its Apple Pay system. The new sensor is said to be more reliable than the older one, offering a better experience.

“We think the new iPhone, expected to launch in 3Q15, will be equipped with an upgraded Touch ID module, with which Apple (US) intends to offer a better and safer Apple Pay user experience with reduced reading errors,” said the report.

Ming Chi Kuo was quick to dismiss rumours, backed up by Apple patents, that the Touch ID would be integrated into the phone’s screen, saying that the home button was here to stay for a while. That makes a lot of sense to us, as a patent isn’t a declaration of intent to make a product, as we explained in our article on how patents work.

iphone – Google News

Update your Mac: Apple fixes major flaw in OS X Yosemite, but won't patch Lion ... - Apple Insider

By AppleInsider Staff
Thursday, April 09, 2015, 12:37 pm PT (03:37 pm ET)

A serious vulnerability present in every iteration of Apple’s desktop operating system since OS X 10.7 — one which allows any user process to gain root privileges — was disclosed to the public on Thursday following the release of OS X 10.10.3, which addresses the issue, and users are urged to update as older OS X versions will remain susceptible to attack.

The problem revolves around an unpublished OS X API used by system processes, like System Preferences, for privilege escalation. TrueSec’s Emil Kvarnhammar discovered that any OS X user, whether or not their account possesses administrative rights, could gain root access by exploiting this API.

This presents a critical security threat for users of unpatched OS X versions. Users who unwittingly install malware containing exploit code could hand over complete control of their Mac to the attacker, no matter what other security precautions they may have taken.

As a result, OS X users are urged to upgrade to Yosemite version 10.10.3 as soon as possible. Apple will not patch versions older than 10.10, reportedly due to the complexity of the fix.

For users running OS X 10.10, 10.10.1, or 10.10.2, a patch for this bug is included in Security Update 2015-004.

Kvarnhammar first discovered the vulnerability in OS X Mavericks last October, and reported it to Apple immediately. The company asked Kvarnhammar to postpone public disclosure — which generally occurs within 90 days of discovery — “due to the amount of changes required in OS X,” and a full fix was not implemented until this week.

mac – Google News