djblademan wrote:nice pic above...
Thanks
M_2NR wrote:SRASC,
in all fairness to the Galaxy S, that shot looks overexposed as if the point of focus was not the same as the i4. At least i hope so... lol
Nope, that's really how it was. Got it straight from the phone.
Duane 3NE 2NR wrote:The iPhone 4 has built in HDR which it probably used to get rid of the over exposure in it's photo.
Nope, I still have the original shot on my iPhone 4. No HDR was used in it (which at times surprises me knowing how it works now)
lol
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Oh & 4.3.1 was released today.
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Apple, in late 2009, acquired a mapping company called PlaceBase and since then many rumors have said that Apple is working to revamp their built-in maps application. Rumors have covered a redesigned iOS application all the way to Apple creating their own maps database – with PlaceBase’s data – to replace Google’s backend currently used in iOS maps.
Now, Apple has filed a new job opportunity for an iOS Maps application developer. Apple wants the candidates to work on a team that will “radically improve” maps and location services within their iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch operating system.
Apple also wants the candidates to have “excellent skills in object-oriented software design and programming” and they will be “collaborating closely with Apple’s peerless human interface team to add new and innovative features.” Additionally, the candidates should have “experience at the application and user interface level” and “experience with the iOS SDK and Cocoa programming.”
From that description, it seems that this person will be “radically improving” the entire maps application, not specifically the backend. We speculate that Apple would not revamp their whole maps app if they are not going to give it a whole new backend.
In iOS 5, Apple is expected to introduce a new “Find my Friends” map-based social network, so perhaps this team will be involved in implementing this as well. Apple has not really updated their built-in maps application since an iOS 1.x update.
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According to one analyst's checks with Apple's Asian suppliers, the company is in the process of building a 'Smart TV' prototype as part of an ongoing effort to assert a stronger presence in consumers' living rooms.
In a note sent to investors on Friday, analyst Katy Huberty of Morgan Stanley wrote that the firm's "checks in Asia suggest Apple is working on a Smart TV prototype." Though further details remained scarce, Huberty speculated that an Apple Smart TV could be an opportunity for the Cupertino, Calif., company to consolidate "TV/Video content, gaming, DVR, as well as other features like apps and FaceTime into one product," much like the company did with its strategy for the iPad.
Huberty sees Apple's rumored Smart TV as "potentially the next new product category" and predicts that an Apple-branded TV could add approximately $4 billion per 1 percent share of the TV market captured by 2013.
The analyst also cited three other under-appreciated growth catalysts for Apple in her note: sales growth in Asia Pacific, especially China; expansion of iPhone price points leading to increased smartphone market share and continued dominance of the fast growing tablet market.
Projecting 60 percent annual revenue growth for Apple in Asia Pacific, excluding Japan, Huberty sees the Asian share of Apple's revenue approaching 30 percent in 2013. Huberty also noted that the Asia Pacific region tends to skew toward mobile devices, resulting in a higher profit margin for the company.
Huberty predicts an LTE iPhone from Apple in 2012, with Apple marketing older 3G iPhone models to developing markets. According to the analyst, new features and faster performance of an LTE iPhone could preserve the device's $600 price point, while 3G iPhones would sell for a lower average selling price in countries like China, India and Brazil.
With the international launch of the iPad 2 set to begin on Friday, Apple's lead in the global tablet market is expected to widen. Huberty's long-term view of the device projects adoption rates similar to the iPod. Citing weak sales of non-Apple tablets in the first quarter of 2011 and mixed reviews for upcoming devices, Huberty predicts Apple will easily maintain "well north of 50%" of the tablet market.
Huberty maintains a price target of $410 for Apple stock by November 2011. In a bull case scenario, the analyst sees shares of Apple possibly reaching as high as $540, assuming 55 percent iPhone growth and 74 percent iPad growth. According to the analyst, a bear case scenario could see Apple stock drop to $270 due to the possibility of lower margins and concerns over CEO Steve Jobs' health.
Regarding rumors of a Smart TV from Apple, Huberty is not alone in her prediction. Analyst Gene Munster of investment bank Piper Jaffray has long held the belief that Apple will release a connected television in the near future.
"While Apple's commitment to the living room remains a 'hobby,' we continue to believe the company will enter the TV market with a full focus, as an all-in-one Apple television could move the needle when connected TVs proliferate," Munster said in a note to investors earlier this year. Munster sees a rumored $3.9 billion supply investment for display components by Apple as a possible indication of an upcoming connected TV.
Though Munster does not see an Apple-branded TV coming in 2011, he predicts that Apple could sell 1.4 million units in 2012, adding as much as $2.5 billion in revenue to the company's bottom line.
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A new patent made public by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week and discovered by AppleInsider could hold the key to a new graphical interface for the way contacts and music are displayed on an iOS device.
The patent filing, named "Segmented Graphical Representations for Recommending Elements" shows Apple is looking (or at least was looking, the patent was originally filed back in 2009) at ways to improve the drab text-based interface of the Contacts app, as well as bringing a new interface to the company’s touch-enabled iPod apps.
The filing mentions a new contact screen that could use contextual cues to alter the display to fit a user’s situation. An example could be when on a call to someone from a particular company. The patent would allow for the new interface to then change to show graphical contacts for people who also work for that same company, possibly improving efficiency.
Music would be handled in a similar way. A playing tack could be the basis for a new screen showing album art from that particular artist, with links to iTunes imbedded. New pinching and zooming could also be part of the interface, the patent says.
It’s no surprise that Apple would be looking at more graphical ways of presenting information on its iOS devices, especially with the new higher resolution screen in the iPhone 4. What is surprising though is the date on the patent itself. Originally filed in September 2009, the patent is 18 months old. Is Apple holding onto a new interface, possibly for iOS 5?
With a new notification system high on the iOS 5 wish list already, hopefully the next point-0 release of Apple’s mobile operating system will live up to the expectation!
