Looking forward to Christmas

At the end of every year, just like everyone else that I know — I look forward to gifting myself with something special.

For this year, I have my sights on that new iPhone 5S, dubbed as the forward-thinking iPhone. Through the years, I have seen every new incarnation of the iPhone that Apple has had to offer. And each time I am a little more impressed with the new model than I was with the last.

And so it is with the iPhone 5S. Fingerprint scanning is an innovation that got the techie in me really curious. Sure, well-meaning friends have told me that aside from the new color that is gold and the fingerprint scanning, nothing much is new with the iPhone 5S.

I still remember it was in 2008 when I got my first iPhone from Globe Telecom, then the exclusive network carrier of the iPhone in the Philippines. After all, I have been a Globe subscriber for almost 15 years now and when they offered it back then, I just had to have one.

Several iPhones later, I have been lucky get my hands on the latest iPhone year after year. Each new iPhone definitely offered something different from any of the other smartphones, and every iPhone fanatic knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Today, with technology changing faster than Superman’s speed of light, there are so many other smartphones in the market that have and continue to spark my techie interest.


But, old habits die hard — and so it is with the iPhone.

There is always something new about the iPhone that captures the world’s attention. Clear sign of this are the thousands of people around the world who line up to be the first to own one.



What’s under the case

For starters, the most notable has to be the new Touch ID fingerprint scanner, which is embedded directly into the home button. I also noticed the dual-LED flash on the back,  as well as the word iPhone in a slightly lighter font near the bottom of the rear to match the look of iOS 7.

When it comes to technology, the 5s steps up from Apple’s A6 chip to the A7, the first smartphone processor with 64-bit support. Rounding up the specs list, the iPhone 5s features Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and GLONASS for navigation, dual-band and options for 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of built-in storage. It also comes in three color options such as silver (just like the iPhone 5), space gray (gunmetal gray with black highlights on the top and bottom) and gold.

I wonder though why the gold-colored one has received the lion’s share of the attention. All that glitters is gold?

I really believe that it was a stroke of genius for Apple to add a state-of-the-art capacitive fingerprint sensor into the home button itself and protected it with a sturdy sapphire crystal overlay. It’s embedded so well, in fact, that the giveaway that it’s a fingerprint reader is the silver ring encircling the sensor. That steel ring acts as a trigger, which detects your finger and then initiates the scan. Once it’s activated, the sensor is capable of taking high-resolution pictures of your fingerprint from any angle, which it then sends back to the A7 chip for analysis.

The setup process is simple: it took me less than a minute to get scanned. The phone can memorize up to five different fingers (or thumbs), and they can belong to the same person or multiple people, depending on how many friends and family members you’d like to grant access. The training process may sound cumbersome at first, but it gets easier after just a few tries.

First, you start by placing your finger on the home button several times — it usually took us six or seven repeats — and then, once the phone has enough information, it asks you to put your finger on the button at different angles. This can be done by rolling your finger from one side to another, or lifting your finger on and off a few times. After that, you’ll see the final version added to your list of learned prints — you could rename each one so you don’t forget which one is which.

The Touch ID is a great added layer of protection while shaving a couple seconds off the unlock process. It also comes in handy for purchasing iTunes content: you can buy apps, music, books and more without having to type the entire password each time.

Get rolling

One of the first activities I tried with my iPhone 5S is video camera feature. The camera is armed with larger image sensor, larger aperture, and increased light sensitivity.  I have to say that I am more than happy with the video clips I took with the iPhone 5S. A friend asked me to video a concert she was a part of.

I had never taken a video of anything. But, I took the task at hand to heart, and armed with my iPhone 5S, I did the best I could.

No one was more surprised than me to watch just how well the sound of the choir and solo singers had come out and just how steady my hand was in capturing the video.  Pat on the back for me.

Connections matter

After I took the video, sharing it on Instagram and Facebook was my next project.

Using my Globe LTE connection, which offers  great Internet speeds, I was able to upload the video in a matter of seconds and read comments almost instantaneously. In this age of social media, it is considered a crime to store your photos and videos in your phone. With a reliable data connection, we are now empowered to share the things we see, hear, taste, smell, and feel to the rest of the world in just a quick click or tap of a finger.

And speaking of data connection, Globe launched its iPhone Forever program perfect for iPhone fans like me. With the iPhone Forever, subscribers can get a new iPhone year after year, allowing them to swap their current devices with the latest iPhone models for free or with a one-time cashout.

In the case of the iPhone 5S, subscribers can get it for free at iPhone Forever Plan 1999, which already comes with one gigabyte (GB) of LTE surfing and a monthly consumable amount for call and text combo services. The postpaid plan is already bundled with one-month free subscription to Globe Gadget Care and free access to Facebook until Jan. 2014.

If you are an iPhone Forever subscriber, you are bound to get a new iPhone every year. Who gets a new iPhone every year even without finishing the required contract? Only Globe subscribers are given this privilege, and I’m happy to be part of its almost two million postpaid subscriber base.

The forward-thinking iPhone is best paired with a forward-thinking postpaid plan that only Globe can offer with iPhone Forever. Like the millions of others who watch out for every new tweak that Apple adds to its iPhone, in the same way that Globe ups the ante when it comes to its innovative postpaid plan offers, I am there holding my breath and looking forward to see what these will be.

source: philstar.com

In muted fashion, new iPhones make Philippine debut

MANILA, Philippines — Unlike in the last two years when they tried to outdo each other in terms of the grandiosity of their launches, fierce rivals Smart Communications and Globe Telecom chose to quietly introduce Apple’s new iPhones in the country and just channel the money intended for staging the events in assisting the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda.

Both Smart and Globe decided to scale down the public unveiling of the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c, although the PLDT-owned mobile operator held a mid-day press briefing at Fullybooked in Bonifacio Global City to formally announce the post-paid plans for the units.

The iPhone 5s (16GB, 32GB, 64GB) and iPhone 5c (16GB, 32GB) will be offered under Smart Postpaid’s Freedom Plan, All-In Plans 500, 800, 1200, 1800, and 2500; iPhone Plans 999 and 2499; and UnliData Plans 1500, 2000, and 3000.

Subscribers can enjoy premium perks and services when they avail of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c with Smart Infinity Plans 3500, 5000, and 8000.

Subscribers can get any color of the iPhone 5c (16 GB) for P1,499 a month with the iPhone Plan 999 (P999 monthly service fee plus P500 device amortization via credit card). iPhone Plan 999 already comes with 40 free call minutes, 100 free SMS, and unlimited data connection.

For those who need more free voice and text credits, the iPhone 5c (16 GB) can be availed with an UnliData Plan 1500 with a P2,500 cash-out. The UnliData Plan 1500 comes with unlimited data connection plus 60 free all-net minutes and 120 free all-net SMS.

Meanwhile, those interested in the iPhone 5s can get the 16GB model for only P1,799 a month with the iPhone Plan 999 (P999 monthly service fee plus P800 device amortization via credit card).

The iPhone 5s (16GB) is also available at UnliData Plan 2000 with a P2,500 cash-out. UnliData Plan 2000 comes with unlimited data connection plus 150 free all-net minutes and 200 free all-net SMS.

For Smart Infinity subscribers, the iPhone 5s (16GB) at Plan 5000 comes with 2 VIP tickets to Wicked or P14,000 worth of gift certificates. Plan 8000 subscribers meanwhile get both the iPhone 5s (32GB) and iPhone 5C (16GB).

Kathy Carag, head of Smart’s postpaid business group, said existing Smart Postpaid subscribers who wish to subscribe to an iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c package but are still under contract may opt for Smart’s WipeOut program where they can upgrade to an iPhone without waiting for their active contract to expire.

At the event, Smart also launched its online reservation and service application page.

Globe, meanwhile, also launched its iPhone postpaid plans, including an upgrade program dubbed as Globe iPhone Forever that allows new and existing subscribers to swap their current devices with an iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c, allowing them to get a new iPhone every year for free or with minimal cashout.

source: interaksyon.com

Apple sells 9 million new iPhones in three days

Apple Inc sold 9 million new iPhones during their first three days in stores after China joined the list of launch countries for the first time, prompting the company to issue a rosier financial forecast.

Shares in the company closed up 5 percent at $490.64 on Monday after the company said revenue in the fiscal fourth quarter would gravitate towards the high end of its previous forecast for $34 billion to $37 billion.

Apple, which began selling the top-tier iPhone 5s and cheaper, multi-hued iPhone 5c on Friday, rarely adjusts its outlook in the middle of a quarter. Since CEO Tim Cook took the reins, however, the world’s largest tech company has begun to court Wall Street more visibly.

The record sales and beefed-up forecast reinforced expectations of strong demand for Apple’s latest gadgets. Phones based on Google Inc’s Android software and made by the likes of Samsung Electronics have steadily eroded its market share, as customers flocked to lower prices and larger phone sizes proved popular.

Critics had also said the iPhone 5c was priced too high to take advantage of pent-up demand in emerging markets.

“The critics have told you Apple lost its magic,” said Daniel Ernst, an analyst with Hudson Square Research. “Customers are telling you something very different. Clearly, people like the product. That sentiment is almost more important than the number.”

Sales of the new models were nearly double those of the iPhone 5′s 5 million in the first weekend after its launch a year ago, and far surpassed the roughly 6 million that analysts had projected.

But forecasts for Apple’s latest iPhone had proven trickier than in the past, because the company introduced two models simultaneously in 11 countries — including the crucial Chinese market. Apple launched the iPhone 5 in just nine countries.

Another factor was that this time around, Apple signed on NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s largest mobile carrier.

China joined a rollout that included Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States, Australia, Japan, Britain, Canada, Germany, France and Puerto Rico. Previously, Apple began selling phones in China only months after the global launch.

“We underscore one important caveat for investors: Apple’s iPhone seasonality is likely to be exaggerated this cycle because of the addition of NTT DoCoMo, and particularly because of the early launch in China,” said Bernstein Research’s Toni Sacconaghi, who has an “outperform” rating on Apple.

“Although upside exists for the September and December quarters, the risk exists that the fall-off in iPhone sales beginning in the March quarter could be more acute than history, potentially resulting in some downside to estimates.”

Supply limited

Demand for the iPhone 5S has exceeded initial supply and many online orders are scheduled to be shipped in the coming weeks, Apple said. On Friday, long lines formed outside stores in Tokyo, New York, San Francisco and other cities for the new top-of-the-line 5s and the less-expensive 5c. It was the first time Apple launched two iPhone models simultaneously.

The gold-colored version of the 5S, which also comes in silver and gray, was sold out as of Friday and will now ship only in October, according to Apple’s website. As of Monday, the two other colors were also set to be shipped only in October.

“Thanks to all our amazing customers for the fantastic weekend!” said Cook in his second tweet, after he joined Twitter following a visit to Palo Alto Apple store last Friday.

Apple also said gross profit margin would come in near the top of a range of between 36 percent to 37 percent, in line with average forecasts for 36.7 percent. The more optimistic margin forecast should allay investor concerns that, at just $100 less than the 5s, the 5c will draw buyers away from the premium gadget.

Analysts’ average revenue forecast for the quarter stands at $36.1 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Apple, which had grown notorious for providing conservative estimates that it routinely overshot, had resolved to improve its guidance for investors. Analysts have said the change will help rein in some over-the-top financial expectations.

The company said more than 200 million iOS devices are now running iOS 7 mobile software, rolled out just before the iPhone launch.

Apple did not break out separate sales figures for the 5S and 5C. The 5C, which starts at $199 with a contract, offers a touch ID that scans a user’s fingerprint to unlock the phone. The 5C starts at $99 and comes in five colors.

“If Apple could ship so well without even having a larger screen iPhone, which we think it could deliver next year, then Apple is getting over a key hump,” Shebly Seyrafi, an analyst with FBN Securities, said in a note to clients. “We believe that the immediate availability of the phone in China is also a key driver of the strength.”

source: interaksyon.com

Hackers offered cash, booze to crack iPhone fingerprint security

BOSTON — Hackers are gearing up for Friday’s iPhone 5S release with a contest to crack the device’s first-ever fingerprint scanner, a high-tech feature that Apple Inc says makes users’ data more secure.

A micro venture capital firm joined a group of security researchers to offer more than $13,000 in cash along with bottles of booze, Bitcoin currency, books and other goodies to the first hacker who breaks the device in a contest promoted on the website istouchidhackedyet.com/.

Arturas Rosenbacher, founding partner of Chicago’s IO Capital, which donated $10,000 to the hacking competition, said that the effort will bring together some of the hacking community’s smartest minds to help Apple identify bugs that it may have missed.

“This is to fix a problem before it becomes a problem,” he said. “This will make things safer.”

Meanwhile, Forbes.com reported that a 36-year-old soldier living in Spain’s Canary Islands, Jose Rodriguez, has already uncovered a security vulnerability affecting iOS 7, which Apple began distributing to existing iPhone and iPad customers on Wednesday.

The publication said that it is possible to bypass the lock screen of those devices in seconds to access photos, email, Twitter and other applications. It included a video demonstration on its website and advice on how users could thwart the bypass technique: onforb.es/16IU6Y3

Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told Reuters that the company was preparing a fix that it would deliver as an update to iOS 7 when it was ready. “Apple takes user security very seriously,” she said.

Among those getting ready for the hacking contest is David Kennedy, a former U.S. Marine Corps cyber-intelligence analyst who did two tours in Iraq and now runs his own consulting firm, TrustedSec LLC.

“I am just waiting to get my hands on it to figure out how to get around it first,” the founder of the DerbyCon hacking conference told the Thomson Reuters Global Markets Forum this week. “I’ll be up all night trying.”

Why worry?

Security experts worry about the implications of using the module to grant access to sensitive data on the phone and potentially enabling mobile purchases.

The fingerprint scanner on the top-of-the-line iPhone lets users unlock their devices or make purchases on iTunes by simply pressing their finger on the home button. It has been hailed as a major step in popularizing the use of biometrics in personal electronics.

Security engineer Charlie Miller, known in hacking circles for uncovering major bugs in the iPhone as well as circumventing security in Apple’s App Store, said it could take fewer than two weeks for Kennedy or some other smart hacker to get around the new lock.

Once they’re in, they could gain access to the cornucopia of data typically stored on a user’s iPhone and might potentially be able to buy goods from iTunes and Apple’s App store.

Miller declined to comment on the hacking contest or potential security vulnerabilities in the fingerprint reader.

To be sure, experts say they know of nothing intrinsically wrong with Apple’s fingerprint reader, based on what the company has so far disclosed. Reviewers this week gushed over its ease of use and reliability.

The reader’s sapphire crystal sensor is embedded in the phone’s home button and reviews the fingerprint as a user touches it to verify his or her identity.

Data used for verification is encrypted and stored in a secure enclave of the phone’s A7 processor chip. No information is sent to any remote servers, including Apple’s iCloud system.

HD Moore, a hacking expert and chief researcher with the security software maker Rapid7, said such protections mean “the bar is a little bit higher,” but that certainly won’t discourage hackers from trying to break the new technology.

“This is definitely something to target and something people will want to go after,” he said.

Nothing personal

Apple shouldn’t take hackers’ enthusiasm personally.

All major electronics products are subjected to similar scrutiny as new features are rolled out, including devices from Google Inc, Microsoft Corp and Samsung Electronics Co.

For example, in 2012, Charlie Miller led a team that demonstrated techniques for taking over smartphones running Google’s Android software through their use of near-field communications, or NFC, a wireless technology used for sharing data or making purchases at point-of-sales terminals.

Bugs are often disclosed by “white hats,” hackers who unearth flaws and report them so manufacturers can repair them, preventing criminal exploitation. The hope is the good guys find them before “black hats” uncover them.

White hats have found multiple security issues with iPhones, iPads and in the App store since Apple launched its first smartphone in 2007. They say that scrutiny has helped make it one of the most secure devices on the market today.

Apple executives said at last week’s iPhone launch that the new fingerprint reader, dubbed Touch ID, will help make phones far more secure by dint of its ease of use.

About half of all smartphone users don’t bother to use current screen-locking technology because of the inconvenience of keying in multiple-digit passwords. Apple is betting users may be far more willing to avail themselves of a solution that requires a single finger-swipe.

“The technology within Touch ID is some of the most advanced hardware and software we put in any device,” Dan Riccio, senior vice president of hardware engineering, said at the event.

Kennedy said he needs to examine the new iPhone to figure out how to best attempt an attack.

He said his choices include hacking the software that analyzes the fingerprint data, or physically opening up the phone and connecting it to a custom-built device that would impersonate Apple’s fingerprint reader.

He added that it might be possible to lift a user’s fingerprint from elsewhere on the device and somehow make a clone of it.

Rich Mogul, an analyst with the security research firm Securosis, said he planned to use it and expects it to be widely adopted despite the fact that hackers are circling.

“Nobody has gotten their hands on it to see what the weaknesses are and how easy it is to crack,” Mogul said.

“We’ll have to wait to see.”

source: interaksyon.com

iPhone 5S fingerprint scanner: Two thumbs up!

SAN FRANCISCO — The fingerprint reader on Apple Inc’s top-end iPhone 5S received an early thumbs up for ease of use from two influential reviewers, helping dispel concerns about the scanning technology which has been notoriously unreliable in other cellphones.

Apple’s scanner is seen as a first step toward realizing the full potential for biometrics in personal electronics, heightening security for applications like banking and shopping while doing away with multiple passwords.

“The best part is that it actually works – every single time, in my tests,” wrote reviewer David Pogue of the New York Times.

“It’s nothing like the balky, infuriating fingerprint-reader efforts of earlier cellphones. It’s genuinely awesome; the haters can go jump off a pier.”

The Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg was also enthusiastic, calling it simple and reliable. But he noted that the gadget would inexplicably prompt him for a password when swiping a finger to make purchases, which he blamed on a bug.

“I have come to like it and consider it a step forward, despite a few issues,” he said of the overall device.

Re-tooled iOS7 mobile software, a better camera, a more useful voice-activated “Siri” personal digital assistant and a faster processor combined to make the iPhone 5S the best smartphone on the market, he added.

However, he argued that owners of the previous-generation iPhone 5 may not have a compelling reason to buy the latest device unless they specifically wanted the fingerprint reader.

Many industry analysts view the iPhone 5S and the cheaper 5C as being modest improvements on the previous generation, reviving fears that Apple’s most innovative days may be behind it. They said the mere fact of a fingerprint scanner was unlikely by itself to make the gadget a sure win in a crowded market.

Apple has embedded the scanner into the iPhone’s home button, while other mobile devices usually have it on the back, making it awkward for the user and increasing the number of failed attempts.

Archrival Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and fellow South Korean electronics manufacturer LG Electronics Inc have had problems incorporating the technology into finished products.

source: interaksyon.com

Apple unveils two new iPhones

CUPERTINO, California — Apple on Tuesday unveiled two new iPhones, fielding a slick new top-end model along with one aimed at budget-conscious smartphone shoppers around the world.

“The business has become so large that this year we are going to replace the iPhone 5 and we are going to replace it with two new designs,” Apple chief Tim Cook announced at the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters.

Apple will begin taking orders on Friday, and on September 20 the two devices will go on sale in the United States, Australia, Britain, China, France, Germany, Japan and Singapore.

The iPhone 5C is part of Apple’s bid to counter the flood of low-cost smartphones from rivals, most of which use the Google Android operating system.

Apple designer Jony Ive said that despite the lower cost, the polycarbonate iPhone 5C with a steel frame “is beautiful.”

The iPhone 5C with 16 gigabytes of memory will start at $99 with a two-year US carrier contract and $549 without a contract — $100 less than previous iPhone base models.

“The 5C is a no-compromise device,” Gartner analyst Van Baker told AFP after trying out Apple’s new phones. “It is just in a plastic case instead of a metal case, and they basically reduce the price by the cost of materials.”

But Baker said it was an “open question” whether the price cut for the iPhone 5C would be enough to attract customers in emerging markets.

“Anyone expecting Apple to come truly down-market with the iPhone 5C was fooling themselves,” said Ovum analyst Tony Cripps.

“The day that happens is the day the company signals that it has run out of headroom for expansion.”

Apple would not name its China telecom launch partners, who might step in with subsidies to help push down iPhone prices there. Apple planned a separate press event in China on Wednesday.

The top-line iPhone 5S, which starts at $199 with a contract for US buyers and $649 without one, “is the most forward thinking phone we have ever created,” said Apple vice president Phil Schiller.

“It is the gold standard in smartphones.”

Schiller said the 5S model includes a speedier chip which puts computing performance on par with desktop machines.

“It has over a billion transistors in it,” he said, adding that the device will be a mobile game lover’s delight with blazing smooth, rich graphics.





The 5S will also have some 10 hours of talk time, or 40 hours of music listening, Schiller added.

Apple introduced a fingerprint sensor for the iPhone 5S as a new security measure in place of passwords.

“You can just press the home button to unlock your phone,” Schiller said. “You can use it to authenticate iTunes purchases.”

Schiller added: “We have so much of our personal data on these devices, and they are with us almost everyplace we go, so we have to protect them.”

Reticle Research principle analyst Ross Rubin described Touch ID as a “show stealer” that addresses “a necessary annoyance that many consumers have to deal with many times a day.”

Apple also broadened its color palette, announcing the low-cost phone in blue, white, pink, yellow and green, and the top-line model in silver, gold and a new “space gray.”

Apple said its iOS 7 software will debut September 18. It includes a free iTunes Radio Service featuring more than 200 stations “and an incredible catalog of music from the iTunes Store.”

The two new handsets keep the four-inch screen of current iPhones, despite some speculation Apple would boost the size to compete with larger phones from rivals like Samsung.

The smartphone market is now dominated by Android devices, with roughly three-fourths of all handsets, but a forecast by research firm IDC suggested Apple will increase its share this year to 17.9 percent from 16.9 percent.

IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said that with the 5C, “Apple is staking out its space in the lower-cost smartphone category.”

Llamas said Apple is seeking to fend off lower-priced rivals while “it enjoys bigger profit margins and still maintains the aura of being an aspirational brand.”

The event was a disappointment to some who were looking for a fresh device from Apple, such as a smartwatch or TV service.

“I think there was an expectation for that ‘one more thing,’” said Roger Kay at Endpoint Technologies. “People were looking for some pizzazz and they didn’t get it.”

Apple announced separately a deal with Japan’s biggest mobile phone carrier NTT DoCoMo to bring the two new iPhones to that country.

source: interaksyon.com