Apple isn't one to adopt new tech just for the sake of it, and it looks like that's not going to change anytime soon. The Cupertino company refused to use NFC for its Passbook app in iOS 6 due to the fact it'd sap the iPhone's battery life, according to The Wall Street Journal.
But with the iPhone 5 due in October, will we see Apple's own version of NFC incoming?
Paying for things with your mobile is yet to really take off, but expect it to become all the more common if Apple gets involved. The Wall Street Journal reports Apple started experimenting with various methods of mobile payments last year, at the same time as Google was rolling out its own version in the guise of Google Wallet.
Apple played around with NFC and Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy options, but it jacked in both due to the fact they'd rinse the device's battery.
The fact hardly anyone uses NFC was also said to be an issue.
But Apple unveiled Passbook at WWDC as a major feature of iOS 6. And Passbook isn't a million miles away from Google Wallet. So what's the deal?
Well Apple being Apple it's most probably working on its own alternative to NFC. It reportedly has over 400 million credit cards registered with iTunes, which sounds too good an opportunity to pass up. It also considered teaming up with existing payment services and profiting by taking tiny cuts of transactions made on an iPhone. This was reportedly known within Apple as the Superman III option, which suggests it wasn't overly keen on the idea. Still, good to see those Cupertino boys have a sense of humour.
Would you like to see Apple's own version of NFC? Or are its battery life worries unfounded? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
iPhone Cases From Tough And Rigid to Sleek And Shockproof - PC World
Summer is in full swing, and-to paraphrase a tweet that crossed my timeline recently-the temperatures are so high in some places that they could be FM station frequencies. Summer, of course, also means outdoor activities, which mean extra risks for your beloved iPhone -- from sand to water to the inevitable fall, hazards are lurking. Luckily, cases to keep your handset safe are plentiful, and your friends at Macworld are back with a roundup of new cases, just in time for your next trip.
G-Form: The X-Protect (iPhone 4 and 4S; $40) combines a tough, rigid, outer shell with a soft inner core to provide shockproof protection for your iPhone. The case is made of a special set of materials, some proprietary to the company, that improve shock absorption by momentarily stiffening when they encounter a sudden force-such as the impact from a drop or unexpected bump-and then returning to their natural flexible state once the threat has passed. The X-Protect is available in yellow, black, ice, blue, gree, purple, red, orange, pink, or white.
iBackFlip Studios: The Hitch (iPhone 4 and 4S; $20) is a clever case that takes full advantage of the wonders of magnetism. In addition to protecting your iPhone from scratches and bumps, the back plate can be flipped onto itself to act as a stand for landscape viewing, and, because it's fully magnetic, can even be used to mount your handset directly onto any ferro-metallic surface. And if that isn't enough, the case even comes with a convenient mechanism for wrapping your headphone cable. The Hitch is available in red, black, or blue.
iSkin: The Fuze (iPhone 4 and 4S; $50 to $60) features a multi-layer construction that combines two different materials fused together to provide maximum protection. The case includes a cover to keep water and dirt away from your handset's ports, and an integrated ring that helps reduce glare when taking photos with the flash. The Fuze comes in a regular edition, available in blue, pink, or grey, and in a special edition, which provides enhanced protection and features a brushed-metal front plate.
JVB: This company produces a wide range of screen protectors (iPhone 4 and 4S; prices unavailable) for Apple's handsets, including models that provide privacy protection, keep the front and back of your device free of scratches, and, of course, add the occasional splash of color or special feature. Some of the models available include Hello Kitty-themed backings or three-dimensional holograms.
Miniot: The Pouch (iPhone 4 and 4S; €59 to €69; review) is not what you might think: It will completely enclose your iPhone so that you can safely carry it around, but, instead of being made of a soft material like most other sleeves, the case is constructed entirely of solid wood. The case features a soft interior that keeps the phone from inadvertently falling out, while also helping the phone slide in and out easily-a task that the company says is easy to accomplish thanks to the notch carved on the side of the case. The Pouch is made in Holland out of solid blocks of wood obtained from well-managed forests and certified sources; it comes in several variations of zebrano, walnut, teak, mahogany, padouk, elm, oak, vherry, or wenge, each of which can be engraved with a design of your choice.
PhoneSuit: The Elite Battery Case (iPhone 4 and 4S; $80) combines a sleek, shockproof case with a 2,100mAh battery to double your iPhone's power. The case protects both the front and back of the handset, and is only 17 millimeters thick despite incorporating an extra battery. Speaking of the latter, the company says the Elite features a special technology that can fully recharge your iPhone in about two hours. The Elite is available in black or white; both models include a five-LED gauge that indicates the battery's charge level.
Spigen SGP: The Linear Clockwork (iPhone 4 and 4S; $28) is a snap-on case that features a beautiful clockwork-themed image silkscreened on the back plate. The design was developed to provide a three-dimensional look that highlights the beauty of dancing mechanical gears. The case, however, was built with protection in mind, and features a sturdy construction that keeps dents and scratches away from your device. The Linear Clockwork is available in either white or Champagne Gold, and it comes with a screen protector and microfiber cloth.
Hardware hack adds wireless charging to iPhone 4S [video] - YAHOO!
Rumors that wireless charging will be introduced in Apple’s next iPhone seem to pop up at least once or twice ahead of each new iPhone release. Perhaps Apple is indeed working on wireless charging technology, or perhaps people just wish that were the case. Regardless of whether or not Apple has plans to bring futuristic charging tech to an upcoming iPhone, one U.K. man took it upon himself to add the exciting feature to his iPhone 4S.
London-based Tanveer Islam used a Powermat and some electrical engineering prowess to modify his iPhone 4S and add integrated wireless charging that doesn’t need any external case, as existing solutions for Apple’s iPhone currently require.
“There are wireless charging options out there such as the powermat system but they all involve slipping on a jacket around the iPhone,” Islam wrote. “I wanted to internalize the technology so that the beauty of the iPhone is not hidden away! It’s taken a while to complete but it’s finally done.”
The mod involves disassembling the Powermat receiver as well as the iPhone, of course, as well as some soldering. Islam had to tweak the iPhone’s back cover as well in order to provide extra space to accommodate the charging receiver. It’s a bit complicated, but the end result of this warranty-decimating surgery is a fantastic inductive charging mod that only added 1 millimeter of thickness to Islam’s iPhone 4S.
A video showcasing his work follows below.
[Via Ubergizmo]
First ever malware app found in Apple Store (while nothing new for Google Play) - Daily Mail
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Apple's first iPhone application containing malware has been found in their Apple Store.
The Trojan app called 'Find and Call' in both the Apple Store and Google Play for Android was found stealing and spamming users' email and phone contacts after sending the details to a remote server.
Messages then sent from the email of the phone's owner encouraged their contacts to buy the programme and transfer money through PayPal to a company called 'Labwealth.com.'
Significant breach: The first ever Apple app for iPhone containing malware has been found and removed from their store
While its creator has not been confirmed, security consultants at Kaspersky Lab identified the PayPal recipient as being in Singapore.
'Both apps are also able to upload user’s GPS coordinates to the same server but such "feature" is not that new for both malicious and legal apps to be honest,' Kaspersky lab expert Denis Maslennikov wrote in a blog post.
As of late Thursday the app has been removed by Apple and Google.
The app's discovery comes as a significant breach to Apple as no previous incidents of malware have been reported within their store since its launch five years ago.
Method: The application also available to Google Android phones requested user's contact information before sending it to a remote server and spamming them
'Malware in the Google Play is nothing new but it’s the first case that we’ve seen malware in the Apple App Store,' Maslennikov wrote.
'All user comments (both in Apple Store and Google Play) are pretty angry and contain the same complaint that the app sends SMS spam,' he added.
While once proclaiming their Macs as having 'virus immunity,' recent malware attacks on their OS X desktop platform changed their claims to Apples being 'built to be safe.'
A request to Apple for comment was not immediately returned.
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