Kiran Upadhyay

Apple and IBM’s enterprise partnership is resulting in its first outward-facing software today, with new apps in IBM’s MobileFirst for iOS making their way to iPhones and iPads at partner enterprises. These include apps built for Citi, Air Canada, Sprint and Banorte, and they allow for various functions covering flight planning, financial advice, customer retention, government case worker support and sales assistance, to name a few. This first fruit of the IBM/Apple partnership makes it clear that the app side of the equation is going to be about providing analytics-driven, secure software that covers a range of industry verticals, and that can be tweaked to suit the needs of any particular customer organization. The list of these initial apps also includes software that focuses on the insurance industry, retail and telecommunication in addition to those listed above. The apps make up just one par of the IBM and Apple partnership, which also includes mobile device management, App

Apple is participating in this year’s Hour of Code, the second annual worldwide event designed to help spark interest in and provide access to coding education among youth and students. Apple’s participation will involve offering free one-hour workshops at its Apple Store retail locations, during which they’ll provide attendees with an introduction to basic computer science concepts. Code.org is the non-profit behind the Hour of Code movement, and is working with a number of corporations to organize this year’s movement. The group has funding from Microsoft and others, and has a goal of reaching 100 million students through its program by year-end. Apple’s workshops will run on December 11th, and will occur in international retail stores as well as domestic, whereas last year they were only available in U.S. locations. Apple is also going to be rolling out a full week’s worth of accompanying speakers and other events, to support Computer Science Education Week, and pointing would

OAKLAND, CA—Newly discovered court documents from two federal criminal cases in New York and California that remain otherwise sealed suggest that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is pursuing an unusual legal strategy to compel cellphone makers to assist investigations In both cases, the seized phones—one of which is an iPhone 5S—are encrypted and cannot be cracked by federal authorities. Prosecutors have now invoked the All Writs Act, an 18th-century federal law that simply allows courts to issue a writ, or order, which compels a person or company to do something. Some legal experts are concerned that these rarely made public examples of the lengths the government is willing to go in defeating encrypted phones raise new questions as to how far the government can compel a private company to aid a criminal investigation. Two federal judges agree that the phone manufacturer in each case—one of which remains sealed, one of which is definitively Apple—should provide aid to the govern

Apple has a new patent granted by the USPTO today (via AppleInsider), which describes a system that can actually re-orient an iPhone during freefall, changing the angle of its eventual impact with the ground after first determining how best to shift it to make sure the fall does as little damage as possible. The patent also includes descriptions of other more advanced and fantastic scenarios, including ejection devices for cables, and even retractable air foils to control the angle of descent, like those Elon Musk is testing for his reusable rockets at Space X, but built into an iPhone. The actual meat of the patent has far more realistic goals, and uses existing tech to control the angle of a fall – the iPhone’s internal vibration motor. It’s still not super likely we’ll see these incorporated into new devices, as the tech described is a variation of the vibration motors contained in models that launched before the iPhone 6. The 6 and 6 Plus contain a different kind of tech to not

Apple has added a new tool to its website for removing phone numbers from iMessage registration, even if you no longer have the iPhone in question and can’t toggle iMessage off in settings. The website lets you simply enter a phone number, where Apple will send you a code via text message, which you then enter into a field on the same site to confirm your desire to remove your number from iMessage. The system will help users who’ve switched platforms to Android devices make sure that their phone number is no longer registered to iMessage. That should solve the issue of users who part ways with their iPhones missing messages which still make their way to iMessage, but don’t end up on any target device. It’s a problem many people who’d switched over to Android without fully deactivating iMessage often reported, and was even the cause of a lawsuit Apple faced from users encountering said issue, and Apple promised a software fix back in May. Apple’s new website also includes instruct

Apple has been granted a new patent by the USPTO today (via AppleInsider), which describes a mouse with an embedded scanner. The scanner can be used to actually scan images, and display them on an embedded screen, but it also would help the mouse deal with varying surface types and track better in general, thanks to the addition of the kinds of chromatic sensor found in scanners. The Apple patent describes how use of the scanner’s sensors would allow it to detect different kinds of surfaces and adjust its behaviour accordingly. The tech is sort of similar to the approach taken with its current Magic Mouse, which uses high-accuracy laser tracking to identify surface irregularity and work on materials other than mouse pads. It can already handle basically anything except for glass, so this is just an alternative tech that likely won’t lead to any big changes in how Apple produces its mice. As a scanner, it would also likely be quite fiddly to use, and other similar products on the

iOS 8.1.1 is now available, as the first update since Apple’s launch of Apple Pay on the platform. It includes a number of bug fixes, improved overall stability, and, most importantly, performance improvements for older devices including the iPhone 4s and iPad 2. These devices, while technically supported with iOS 8.0, suffered a performance hit according to some as a result of the demands of the new OS, and this update should help make life easier for those who’ve already upgraded. Apple doesn’t elaborate any further on just how these improvements work, but even just word of something potentially better should be welcome news to iPhone 4s and iPad 2 owners. We’ve also downloaded and tested the update on newer hardware, including the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and thus far, there haven’t been any major problems like the cellular connectivity bug that affected 8.0.1. It also seems to resolve problems some were having with iCloud Drive and apps including iWork for iOS. The update can be

The researchers at Lacoon Mobile Security identified the malicious software Xsser, capable of stealing text messages, photos, call logs, passwords and other data from iPhones and iPads. The discovery garnered international attention and rightfully so, as it is believed to be a product of the Chinese government targeted at pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. This is not the first time the government has been accused of attempts to steal or spread misinformation, and it certainly won’t be the last. But political discourse aside, there are wide-reaching technological implications here  that are a little closer to home and it’s Apple that needs to listen. Xsser is an example of what’s coming in terms of mobile malware. The whole concept of BYOD will turn into an unmitigated disaster unless mobile operating systems are protected. With Apple, you just don’t have enough access to apply that level of protection. I am calling for Apple to cooperate and collaborate with the security in

At a recent event on its Redmond campus, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella detailed his views on what Google and Apple do best. His comments, as the chief executive of the company worth less than Apple, but more than Google, are notable. For context, in his thus-short tenure at Microsoft , Nadella has completed its purchase of Nokia, and also continued the company’s push into cloud computing. Here’s Nadella’s quote on his rivals: When I think about what Apple does, what Google does and what Microsoft does, therein lies perhaps the simplest answer to why these three identities are actually pretty distinct. To me Apple’s very, very clear, and, in fact, I think Tim Cook did a great job of even describing that very recently where he said they sell devices and that’s what Apple is all about. And Google is about being, it’s about data or it’s about advertising, it is about serving you ads in a tasteful way, and they’ve done a great job of that business. Apple’s massive success in hardwa

Apple’s new payment system is live, and Apple Pay has already garnered more attention than most mobile payment efforts to date. It also has a new ad, which aired yesterday during the opening game of the 2014 World Series, from payment partner MasterCard. MasterCard’s ad accompanies its new rollout of contactless payments at food and beverage purchase points in MLB ballparks across the U.S. The program supports a range of NFC-powered mobile payment options, but MasterCard is pushing the Apple Pay angle specifically, touting the fact that it brings Apple Pay to pro sports facilities for the first time, at ballparks in both Kansas City and San Francisco. MasterCard says that the Apple Pay system works well in the ballpark setting basically because people want their franks fast. Apple Pay/MLB partnerships don’t end there, however – the company is also offering in-app purchase support for Apple Pay users for single-game tickets once those start going on sale in November, via the MLB

Apple released iOS 8.1 today , and with it comes the ability to use Apple Pay on the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. We decided to try it out by going to two nearby businesses that already accept Apple’s NFC-powered mobile payments: Walgreens and McDonald’s. Getting my 6 Plus ready for Apple Pay took less than a minute. I opened the Passbook app, tapped the “Add” button, selected the Credit/Debit Card menu item introduced in iOs 8.1, and was presented with a form to enter my card’s number, expiration date, and security code. There was also an option to scan the details of my card in with the camera. I chose that route, and after a second-long scan only had to enter the security code from the back of my card. After this initial setup, you don’t need to open Passbook to use Apple Pay, though you’ll notice I did in the video above to see what would happen. At Walgreens, we spent more time figuring out what to buy than figuring out how to use Apple Pay. Once everything has been rung up, you just

Today after the bell, Apple reported its fiscal fourth quarter financial performance, including revenue of $42.1 billion, and earnings per share of $1.42. Analysts had expected Apple to report profit of $1.31 per share, on revenue for the period of $39.85 billion. During the fiscal quarter, Apple had net profit of $8.5 billion, up 13.3% from $7.5 Billion in the same quarter last year. Compared to 2013’s fiscal Q4, revenue ticked up 12% (up from $37.5 billion). The company sold 39.3 million iPhones, 12.3 million iPads, and 5.5 million Macs. The company, up 2% during regular trading, is up in after-hours traffic following its earnings beat. The company had revenue of $37.4 billion in its sequentially preceding quarter, earning $1.28 per share in the three-month period. Apple recently launched two new iPhones, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, which it claimed had better first-month sales than any other phone it released before. Apple also announced a number of new iPads. The

Whoaaa — here’s an interesting bit that went unmentioned in today’s Apple announcement: Apple has seemingly built a SIM card that lets you jump between AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile without having to swap it out (or, more annoyingly, track down/purchase a new SIM card when you want to switch carriers). Instead of swapping the card, you just pick a new carrier through the device’s on screen settings. As it should be! Tucked into a page about the iPad Air 2’s wireless connectivity, Apple calls the new SIM — aptly — “Apple SIM.” As they describe it: The Apple SIM gives you the flexibility to choose from a variety of short-term plans from select carriers in the U.S. and UK right on your iPad. So whenever you need it, you can choose the plan that works best for you — with no long-term commitments. And when you travel, you may also be able to choose a data plan from a local carrier for the duration of your trip. The Apple SIM doesn’t seem to be something you can buy separately fo

Apple’s new iPhones have been available for around a month now, and something interesting has happened with this generation: I’m forced to revisit my original reviews and change my initial impression based on later experience. After further testing of the two devices, I find the iPhone 6 Plus has become my smartphone of choice, as a surprising first choice over the iPhone 6. The 6 Plus initially struck me as too large for normal use; it definitely feels more comfortable to use as a two-handed device than as a single-handed gadget, which is what you’d typically expect from a smartphone. But after subsequent weeks of additional testing, I find that the 6 Plus ends up being the one I’d choose for almost any situation, despite its additional size and not-so-pocket friendly dimensions. Why does the 6 Plus end up prevailing? Mostly the screen size, which provides you with a lot more viewing area in general applications like browsing the web or reading e-books. The screen is also amazi

Samsung loves "big." Its phones are big, its advertising budget is big, and as you'll see below, its employee headcount is really big, too. Samsung has more employees than Apple, Google, and Microsoft combined. We dug through everyone's 10-K (or equivalent) SEC filings and came up with this: At 275,000 employees, Samsung (just Samsung Electronics) is the size of five Googles! This explains Samsung's machine-gun-style device output; the company has released around 46 smartphones and 27 tablets just in 2014. If we wanted to, we could cut these numbers down some more. Google is going to shed 3,894 employees once it finally gets rid of Motorola. Over half of Apple's headcount—42,800 employees—is from the retail division, putting the non-retail part of the company at only 37,500 employees. The "Sony" on this chart only means "Sony Electronics," the part of the company that is most comparable to Samsung Electronics. Sony Group has a ma

Apple has moved quickly to release iOS 8.0.2, the update that fixes iOS 8.0.1’s problem of zapping cellular reception on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices. It also includes all the fixes listed in iOS 8.0.1 originally, including a fix for the HealthKit bug that held up release of compatible Health apps in iOS 8. It also addresses a problem whereby third-party keyboards wouldn’t stick when activated in apps, meaning it would default back to Apple’s stock keyboard. Apple released the following statement alongside the update: iOS 8.0.2 is now available for users, it fixes an issue that affected iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who downloaded iOS 8.0.1, and includes improvements and bug fixes originally in iOS 8.0.1. We apologize for inconveniencing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who were impacted by the bug in iOS 8.0.1. Apple says that less than 40,000 iPhone and iPhone 6 Plus devices were affected by the bad release, which was up for just over an hour until the company pulled i

Every year, Apple announces a new iPhone. And every year, we go through a very similar cycle. First it’s rumors and leaks, and then spy shots from factory lines, and then the announcement comes! And then it’s reviews, and long lines, and pre-order figures, and first weekend sales figures… which brings us to today. Welcome to the “-gate” portion of our event, wherein some critical flaw is exposed a few days after millions of people just bought the new, potentially flawed device. Unfortunately, this year we haven’t been able to come up with something entirely new. With the iPhone 6 and, more pointedly, the iPhone 6 Plus, reports suggest that the phone will bend when left in a pocket, seated, for a prolonged period of time. There are a number of photos in the MacRumors forums, and a French blog, MacBidouille, has also put up a photo of a bent iPhone, as well as the German blog Stadt Bremerhaven. Here they are: First off, let’s get something straight. The iPhon

It’s easy to say that the iPhone’s camera has gotten better over time — that’s pretty much a given. But how much better? Lisa Bettany, co-founder of Camera+, decided to put it to the test. Eight generations of iPhone, lined up in a row… all taking the same photo. The results are pretty damn neat. The differences start to get a bit less massive as you reach the last generation or two — but they’re definitely still noticeable. I’d forgotten how bad the first two iPhones were at Macro photos. It’s also a great way to highlight the quirks of each generation’s sensor. Take a look at the crazy color processing/flaring of the iPhone 4 photo up top, for example. If you said #nofilter on that, no one would’ve believed you. These screenshots don’t quite do the shoot-out justice. Check out Lisa’s fully interactive side-by-side comparisons here. (Note: that link seems to be having intermittent issues under increased traffic. If the photos are full size by default rather than a fancy e

Apple will discontinue the streaming music service Beats Music it acquired in May, according to five sources, including several prominent employees at Apple and Beats. Many engineers from Beats Music have already been moved off the product and onto other projects at Apple, including iTunes. It’s not clear when exactly Jimmy Iovine and Dr Dre’s music service will be shut down or what Apple will do with streaming, but every source with knowledge of the situation that we talked to agreed Apple plans to sunset the Beats Music brand. [Update: Apple has told TechCrunch that our report of Beats being shut down “is not true”, but sources familiar with the situation tell Re/code that Apple “may, however, modify [Beats Music] over time, and one of those changes could involved changing the Beats Music brand.” This aligns with what my sources said, which is that the Beats Music brand will be shut down, but that it’s unclear what Apple wants to do in streaming music. It seems quite possible th

Apple has officially confirmed a total of 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sales during their initial weekend on sale. This is a new record for an iPhone launch, besting the 9 million iPhone 5s and 5c sales from that launch last year, and far outpacing the 5 million new iPhone 5 devices sold back in 2012. Analyst estimates for launch weekend sales ranged from between 7-8 million from Bernstein’s Toni Sacconaghi, up to sales in the “low teens” of millions from Wells Fargo analyst Maynard Um. Many had pegged launch device numbers at around 10 million, citing supply constraints as a limiting factor. Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus also launched in one fewer country than did the iPhone 5 and 5s, and that country was a significant one for Apple: China, which has recently become one of its primary hardware revenue drivers. Apple had previously announced a record-setting 4 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus pre-orders during the first 24 hours of availability, after they originally went up for orde