Inside the Apple Lightning Cable

We couldn’t help but notice that there is a lot of speculation and discussion (and frankly, a few wild guesses) concerning the functions of the Apple’s new lightning connectors. We don’t normally give (a total of five blogs!) this much attention to a single electronics teardown, but since we haven’t seen it elsewhere yet, we figured the world needed “just one more thing” on the Apple iPhone 5. We have confirmed that the Lightning cable does have four chips embedded in it, plus some passive devices. Two of these chips are very simple (only a couple of transistors), and the third is an NXP NX20P3. However, the fourth and arguably most interesting of these is the TI chip.

The above images show the location of the TI chip on the lightning connector. Once we stripped away the cable housing (easier said than done), and took the die out of the package, we found die markings of “BQ2025”. (See our die photo below). This part number is not published by TI.

However, TI does have published datasheets on the BQ2022, BQ2023, BQ2024, and BQ2026. These four chips are cataloged on TI’s website as battery fuel gauges, but they are not identical, with three of them being serial EPROMs and one of them being a battery monitor IC.

However, all four do have some common characteristics. All use a single wire SDQ interface (TI’s proprietary serial communications protocol), and all have some basic security features such as CRC generation. So, it is certainly likely that the BQ2025 does have some security implemented on it. It would also seem likely that it includes an SDQ interface.

We continued our lab work on the BQ2025 and now have a lower metal sample to view (and purchase in the Chipworks store). On this sample, we have been able to see some further details of this chip. There is a digital logic block occupying the top left portion of the chip. This block includes about 5K gates of logic. Also on the chip is the EPROM, with likely 64 or 128 bits of storage (visual inspection only, full RE not completed). There are also some large driver transistors, quite a bit of analog circuitry, and a fair amount of capacitance. This is certainly all consistent with a serial communication chip including some simple security features.

Part of the magic going on is that the Lightning connector features fewer direct connections than the prior generation connector. This means that Apple needs to apply some intelligence to what wire is sending and receiving the signals because there are fewer connections, but just as much data. Additionally, Apple has a number of patents related to authentication and security between devices. This has useful application by allowing “handshake” access to only certain function necessary for the functioning of a peripheral (such as a speaker docking station) without allowing access to the full functionality of the phone. It has additional application in smart battery applications. Both Apple and Texas Instruments (separately) have documented this security technology in a number of related patents (applied and issued) wherein they describe the passing of information from the host through to the accessory. For those interested, here are a few patent numbers, with the last being a TI patent:  20100173973A1, US8200881, US8239605, US8086781, US8161567, US823881, US8245041.

It is actually very interesting that we may have found a chip with (likely) some modest security in this cable. In this case not only related to securing their revenue stream for cables or ensuring reliable and high quality (licensed) peripherals, but in delivering useful product features that are not necessarily in the consumers top of mind. We are planning a full systems analysis on this device to further understand what exactly is going on.

Previously, we have analyzed security devices regarding medical printer media (armbands), printer cartridges, flash drive memory, batteries, and smart cards, but this is the first secure cable we have seen. The security does not come close to the herculean approaches that are used in (for example) today’s printer cartridges, but resembles the level of effort that cartridge manufacturers used to implement in the olden days. In other words, at this time the security is “just enough.” With future generations of Apple and non-Apple products, we may begin to see even stronger security and control if the market forces merit it.

To complete the story, let’s look at the other three chips on the lightning connector board. The NXP NX20P3 includes one huge transistor occupying over 75% of the die area. It also has a fair amount of analog circuitry, as would be consistent with their line of charging devices for peripherals – from our last trip to the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) we know that this is a market that NXP is very strong in. The last two dies appear to be simple power transistors.Good design wins again for TI and NXP!

http://www.chipworks.com/blog/recentteardowns/2012/10/15/inside-the-apple-lightning-cable/

Samsung and Apple are about to break the contract to supply parts?

A senior company Samsung, on condition of anonymity, told The Korea Times that the South Korean manufacturer of components and the American company Apple are on the verge of breaking commercial relations. According to him, the problem is that Apple representatives have indicated that they do not intend to re-use technology of its main competitor. One of these steps to get rid of the influence of the competitor study was transferring production chipset A7 at the facilities of TSMC. At the moment, this processor has not yet developed, but it is expected that TSMC is not worse Samsung cope with production quad chip for 20-nm process technology. At the same time, the current 32nm A6 is Samsung, although it was entirely developed inside Apple. About that Samsung and Apple d present the main competitors in the market says a lot of facts. Including not only direct market competition, but also a great number of trials around the world, which are regularly covered by media. At the same time, Samsung is one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers and a major supplier of components for Apple. In the case of termination of contracts real hit both companies: Samsung will lose billions of dollars of contracts for the supply of its products, and Apple will have to find new producers, solving the issue of control of quality and production of sufficient production in a short time.

Prince of Persia Classic - iPhone - HD Gameplay Trailer

Prince of Persia® Classic by Ubisoft

It is a time of darkness. While the Sultan is off fighting a foreign war, his Grand Vizier Jaffar has seized the reins of power. Throughout the land, the people suffer under the yoke of tyranny. All that remains is for Jaffar to seize the throne and seal his dominion.
Even in these dark times, love still blooms. An adventurer from a foreign land, innocent of palace intrigues, won the heart of the Sultan's lovely young daughter and in so doing, unwittingly made a powerful enemy. You are that adventurer, cast in the deepest dungeons of the Palace, stripped bare of all that defined you.
You are all that stands between Jaffar and his malicious design for the throne. The Princess has been given an evil choice: Marry the Vizier and accept whatever he desires... or die.
You are the Princess's last hope. Will she be rescued from a doom that awaits her? Will her love win this race against the sands of time? That is up to you.
Answer the call of Destiny, Prince. But make haste. You have only 60 minutes.

Features:

• Old tale, new skin
Replay the epic adventure of the original Prince of Persia in a complete new skin as you battle your way through the dungeon to rescue the Princess.

• Amazing Levels
Battle your way through fiendish traps and daunting enemy and uncover deep seated secrets that will challenge your determination!

• Multiple Game modes
Test your ability with different game modes, each more difficult that the last!

• Facebook and Game Center

Unlock Game Center ACHIEVEMENTS and earn a place on the LEADERBOARDS to challenge your friends to perform better than you.

Share your achievements and score with your friends via FACEBOOK and MAIL.

iTunes Store Page:

http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/prince-of-persia-classic/id464308703

Homepage:

http://www.ubi.com/

Download Redsnow 0.9.15b1 To Jailbreak iOS 6 For iPhone 4/3GS, iPod Touch

We finally have some good news for you who had been waiting for a jailbreak for iOS 6! Redsnow has received a major update. You can now download redsnow 0.9.15b1 to jailbreak iOS 6 for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4 and iPad 1. So folks go ahead and download redsnow 0.9.15b1 to jailbreak iOS 6!

Download Redsnow 0.9.15b1 To Jailbreak iOS 6

Redsnow 0.9.15b1 now official jailbreaks iOS 6 and with it, it also brings a tons of new features including upgrades for re-restoring, fetching SHSH blobs, restoring for iOS 5 to iOS 5 for A5+ devices and much more.

This is the first official redsnow update for iOS 6, so it might have some bugs present. But the best thing about this is, it installs Cydia directly on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch running on iOS 6.

Jailbreak iOS 6 Using Redsnow

Important Notes:

This is a tethered jailbreak but unlike before it will automatically “Just boot” when qualified A4 devices are connected in DFU mood.

This is a untethered jailbreak for old bootrom iPhone 3GS.

Supports Untethered hackativation for iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4

Ability to directly restore to iOS 5 without the previous long method (only for pre-A5 devices)

Fetches new signed blobs for iOS 5 automatically by going to Extras->SHSH Blobs->New.

Redsnow 0.9.15b1 Jailbreak Guide

Supported devices for jailbreak

iPhone 4 (tethered)

iPhone 3GS new bootrom (tethered)

iPhone 3GS old bootrom (untethered)

iPod touch 4 (tethered)

iPad 1 (tethered)

Requirements:

Download redsnow 0.9.15b1 Windows

Download Redsnow 0.9.15b1 Mac

Download iOS 6

Procedure To Jailbreak iOS 6

STEP 1: Download redsnow 0.9.15b1 to jailbreak iOS 6 from the above links.

STEP 2: Run redsnow 0.9.15b1.

STEP 3: Now click on jailbreak followed by Cydia.

STEP 4: Now you will need to enter DFU mood. IF you know how to do it, enter DFU mood now. If you don’t simply follow the on screen instructions

• Hold down power button and home button both at the same time for 10 seconds

• After the 10 seconds release the power button and still keep pressing on the home button for another 10 seconds

 STEP 5: redsnow 0.9.15b1 will jailbreak your device running on iOS 6. Once it is done simply click “Autoboot this device when it connects in DFU mode”.

That is it folks. Your iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch or iPad will be jailbroken and Cydia installed on it runningiOS 6.

As you know, this is a tethered jailbreak which means you will need to “Just boot” every time you turn off/on your iDevice. To do that simply connect to this latest version of redsnow and click on Extras followed by Just boot.

http://maypalo.com/2012/10/14/download-redsnow-0-9-15b1-to-jailbreak-ios-6/

Restoration reinvigoration

Today we’re pleased to release redsn0w version 0.9.15b1, with significant new features supporting restoring to older firmware no longer being signed by Apple.  For brevity, we’ll list most of the new features in bullet form.  For more details, please feel free to drop by our comments section, or check out any upcoming guides on tutorial sites like http://iclarified.com

First, the high-level new feature list:

• restore from any 5.x iOS to any other (up, down or the same) 5.x iOS on all devices as long as you have the correct blobs (see more below)
• Cydia now included in the tethered 6.0 jailbreak on A4 devices
• automatically “Just Boot” tethered when qualifying A4 device connects in DFU mode
• untethered 6.0 jailbreak on old-bootrom 3GS
• untethered 6.0 hactivation on any 3GS or iPhone4
• directly restore pre-A5 devices to earlier firmware — no more complicated 15-step how-to’s with stitching, iTunes errors, and “hosts file” concerns
• fetch new signed blobs for any IPSW (present or future — no redsn0w update required) using Extras->SHSH Blobs->New
• block the BB update for any 3GS or iPhone4 restore (past, present, or future — no redsn0w update required) using Extras->Even More->Restore
• deactivate any iPhone, useful for testing your “official” unlock status through iTunes.  (Please only deactivate your own iPhone!)
• activation status shown on “Even more” page
• significantly more (very nerdy) info returned by “Identify” button when device is in Normal mode
• tethered jailbreak of ATV2 supported (but the only thing available for it is the SSH2 custom bundle available here — no Cydia yet.  Must use “Select IPSW” for tethered boot of ATV2 for now).
• auto-exit WTF mode for older devices with broken buttons
• any time a set of blobs is fetched remotely (from Apple or Cydia), redsn0w also saves them locally (and will check there first if you click “Local”)
• for your future restoring convenience, you should also submit all of your past and present TinyUmbrella blobs to Cydia if you haven’t done so yet.  Resubmitting is okay and won’t cause conflicts.

Here are more details on the iOS5-to-iOS5 restores for A5+ devices.  (Note: pre-A5 devices don’t have these restrictions — just follow the redsn0w prompts during the restore).

1. redsn0w now lets you restore an A5+ device from any iOS5 to any other iOS5 as long as you have correct 5.x blobs for the starting (current) and ending points of the restore

• APtickets eliminated “higher-version only” comparison of firmware restores (just like BBtickets did for the baseband)
• example restores supported by redsn0w if you have the correct blobs: 5.1.1-to-5.0.1, 5.0.1-to-5.1.1, 5.1.1-to-5.1.1, 5.0.1-to-5.0.1
• if you don’t have the blobs locally, let redsn0w try to fetch them remotely (redsn0w always tries both Apple and Cydia).  Any succesful remote fetch also saves a local copy too.

2. You DO NOT QUALIFY for iOS5-to-iOS5 restores if you got to your current 5.x via an OTA update

• the tickets saved by Cydia, redsn0w, and TinyUmbrella do not cover OTA update ramdisk images 
• even if they did, it’s the “wrong kind” of ramdisk (you’d need to start at that earlier pre-OTA FW)
• devices fresh from factory or refurb may fall in the “does not qualify” category (your results will vary)
• it’s okay if you previously got to 5.x via an OTA update, as long as your current 5.x was installed via a normal iTunes restore.  All that matters is how you got to your current 5.x most recently
• redsn0w detects an OTA/normal-restore APticket mismatch very early, so if you don’t know your status there should be no harm in trying.  Any device in recovery mode after such a mismatch can boot normally again just by going back to “Even More” screen from the “Restore” screen (or use “Recovery Fix” if you quit redsn0w before doing that).

3. Unlike the A4 devices, redsn0w can’t (usefully) prevent the baseband updates of A5+ iPhones and iPads.

• and so, redsn0w automatically flashes the currently signed baseband when it does A5+ restores, even if those basebands didn’t come with the original firmware
• stay away from this if you have an unofficial unlock that isn’t supported by the newest baseband
• the least-tested baseband update code in redsn0w is for iPad2,3 and iPad3,2.  Please give any feedback on those iOS5 restores in the comments section below.

4. iPad2 owners (all three models) with saved 4.x blobs can use those instead, even from 6.x

• if you have both 4.x and 5.x iPad2 blobs, you can always get to 5.x via the 4.x blobs, even if you’re currently on 6.x
• you cannot get to 5.x from 6.x without the 4.x blobs (but you may still qualify for the iOS5-to-iOS5 restore described above)
• if somehow you have 4.x blobs but no 5.x blobs, you can still go down to 4.x from 6.x
• this only applies to iPad2 owners (they’re the only A5+ devices that ever had a public 4.x FW)
• redsn0w still supports (but doesn’t require) jailbreaking A5+ devices at 5.0.1 and 5.1.1.  Just head back to the first page after re-restoring to 5.x.  It’s always much faster to jailbreak those FW versions with a freshly-restored device, before letting iTunes restore from a saved userland backup.

And finally, some random details:

5. ultrasn0w isn’t yet updated for 6.x

• by now you probably should be taking advantage of the extremely cheap IMEI-based unlocks of iPhones sold by established online retailers like http:://cutyoursim.com
• still, IMEI-based unlocks don’t work in all cases.  We’ll announce when ultrasn0w is ported up to 6.x
• redsn0w will still hactivate your 3GS or iPhone4 if you run it before the device is activated.  Due to the current tethered 6.x JB status, redsn0w now hactivates 6.x without requiring subsequent tethered boots.  If you accidentally hactivate with redsn0w, use the “Deactivate” checkbox available from the Jailbreak screen, not the normal one in “Even more”

6. As always, redsn0w lets you “Fetch” the SHSH blobs currently flashed onto your pre-A5 device

• use this if you’re at 5.x or 4.x but without having saved your blobs when the window was open
• this is only useful when Apple is no longer signing the firmware, otherwise Cydia/redsn0w “New”/TinyUmbrella blobs are superior (but you’re welcome to fetch your 6.0 blobs this way anyway)
• fetching blobs in this fashion will automatically forward them up to Cydia, as well as save a local copy

We realize there’s a lot of info in this post.  If you’re at all confused about things remember to visit our comments section, with our very helpful user base and moderators like dhlizard, Frank55, 41willys, and slavakulikoff.

If you’re in the Melbourne, Australia area, MuscleNerd (and another anonymous long-time Dev Team member) will be giving some talks at the Breakpoint conference http://www.ruxconbreakpoint.com this week.  And @mdowd’s iOS talk at the same conference should be quite interesting too!  We’ll also all be attending Ruxcon a few days later, so say hi if you see us!

Here are the download links.  Enjoy!

• redsn0w 0.9.15b1 (OS X — use Ctrl-Click->Open if on Mountain Lion for now)
• redsn0w 0.9.15b1 (Windows — run in Adminstrator Mode)

Apple iPhone 5 hands-on

This is a brief unboxing and hands on of the Apple iPhone 5. We've also included a side-by-side comparison with the iPhone 4S.

iPhone 5 Box Prank - Randomness

watch what happens when you drop boxes of brand new iPhone 5's in front of hundreds of customers camped out for days to be the first to get a new iPhone.

iOS, Not Android, Users More Adventurous in Browser Choice

It’s no secret that mobile devices are growing more and more valuable to Web developers, manufacturers, and marketers alike. This mass-movement that shifted the importance from desktops to mobile devices was dictated overwhelmingly by the popularity of Apple and Android products.

This summer has marked Google and Mozilla’s full commitment to the mobile platform. In late June, Google introduced Chrome to the iOS market (which even spent a few weeks as the top free app on iTunes). Mozilla’s focused much of their attention this summer to Apple’s rival, releasing two updates in two months that improved the usability of Firefox on Android devices. As a result, both Apple and Android users now have a variety of high-profile choices when it comes to replacement Web browsers – but are they actually making the switch? Chitika Insights’ latest study aimed to quantify the answer to this question.

The Insights team analyzed a week’s sample of U.S and Canadian Web traffic, which encompassed hundreds of millions of online impressions from our ad network between August 28th and September 4th, 2012. This gave us a large enough sample size to accurately represent the Web browser share distribution among Apple (iOS) and Android devices.

We found that, while the vast majority of users from both mobile operating systems stick with their default browsers, Apple users are more active at downloading replacements than Android users. Additionally, Apple users were found to be more adventurous with their selections.

Over 91% of Android impressions were referred from the default Android Browser, while about 85% of iOS traffic was from Safari. One point of interest – on Android devices, the mainstream alternative browsers (Chrome, Firefox, and Opera/Opera Mini) make up all statistically significant non-native Browser usage. Compare that to iOS, where 14% of impressions are referred from a variety of smaller, exclusively mobile browsers (Dolphin, Atomic, Mercury, etc).

Despite the mixed numbers, Google and Mozilla’s venture into the mobile browser realm has likely been as effective as they’d have hoped. While both Chrome and Firefox’s share of iOS and Android Web traffic are meager, their modest performances shouldn’t be taken as a statement about poor usability – both browsers received mostly positive reviews from critics. These figures are more a testament to mobile users’ complacency. The vast majority are fine with the performance of the default browsers on their phones and tablets, and don’t see the need to commit to an alternative.

http://insights.chitika.com

Apple A6 Teardown

Geeks rejoice! We have partnered with Chipworks for a double-the-geeks, double-the-fun teardown of Apple's new A6 Processor. The A6 is rumored to make use of two custom 1 GHz CPUs running the ARMv7s instruction set. Along our journey into the A6, we'll also give you a sneak peak at some of the fun toys instruments at Chipworks.

Whether you enjoy getting all science-y with us, or just like to see the insides of the latest products, be sure to follow us @iFixit on Twitter and check out our page on The Book to be updated on the newest iFixit goings-on!

http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple-A6-Teardown/10528/1

Dictionaries ABBYY Lingvo 3.0 for iOS - now with the ability to memorize words

ABBYY has announced the release of ABBYY Lingvo 3.0 for iOS, universal mobile application for fast and accurate translation of words and phrases. As the developers, at the request of users of the program adds features for learning words of 30 languages ​​- the ability to create cards for learning foreign languages ​​and interactive exercises.

In the new version of the application is sufficient to add cards with words that must learn to memorize the list and select one of the exercises. Exercise "Introduction" the user sequentially through all the selected vocabulary cards, and in the exercise "Lesson" - recalls the translation of foreign words from the cards selected for the exercise. To add a word to the list for the study, just click on the "Create a card" when browsing the dictionary article in the dictionary and select one or several translations and examples of usage. Alternatively, you can manually create their cards on the same list of words to memorize. To do this, open the editor on the button "Create a Card", to enter the word to store and transfer. cards in the list can be grouped according to language areas, which allows to study the words in several languages. The user can also edit the card, and add new information, such as other translations, include or exclude the card from the lesson when they learned by heart, and listen to the pronunciation and usage examples glances. For your convenience, the program also adds the ability to work with dictionaries and cards to study in landscape mode. purchasing app for $ 4.99, users get access to 56 basic dictionaries for 27 languages. This version also includes a handy feature fotoperevoda and various opportunities to memorize words and phrases. addition, from the application you can buy more than 200 dictionaries, including dictionaries of general vocabulary, explanatory, idiomatic and specialized dictionaries from such prestigious publishers like HarperCollins Publishers, Compact Verlag, «Russian language - Media," "Rousseau", etc.

Nokia Maps vs Apple Maps

Let's ave it!

In the black corner we have the iPhone 5 armed with Apple maps. And in the Cyan corner (oh yeah) we have the Nokia Lumia 900, of course sporting its muscle in the form of Nokia Maps!

Now, both applications have been put head-to-head by the man himself, Nirave on UK mobile review.

Me, myself, personally, I’m not going to sit here and chirp on about this detailed, blow by blow encounter, I’m just going to say one thing; read the post.

iPhone 5 First Weekend Sales Top Five Million

Apple® announced it has sold over five million of its new iPhone® 5, just three days after its launch on September 21, and more than 100 million iOS devices have been updated with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. iPhone 5 is available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK, and will be available in 22 more countries on September 28 and more than 100 countries by the end of the year. Demand for iPhone 5 exceeded the initial supply and while the majority of pre-orders have been shipped to customers, many are scheduled to be shipped in October.

“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone.”

iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina™ display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology*—all while delivering even better battery life.**

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and is available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 is available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, select Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S is also available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 is available for free with a two-year contract.***

iPhone 5 will be available on September 28 in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

* LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
** Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
*** Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year rate plan, sold separately.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Phil Schiller Email

Phil Schiller Email

http://9to5mac.com/2012/09/25/apple-marketing-svp-comments-on-iphone-5-scratches-and-chips-that-is-normal-for-aluminum-products/phil-schiller-email-2/

Google says Maps not waiting in wings for iPhone 5

Google Inc has made no move to provide Google Maps for the iPhone 5 after Apple Inc dropped the application in favor of a home-grown but controversial alternative, Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said.

Apple launched its own mapping service earlier this month when it began providing the highly anticipated update to its mobile software platform iOS 6 and started selling the iPhone 5.

But users have complained that Apple's new map service, based on Dutch navigation equipment and digital map maker TomTom NV's data, contains glaring geographical errors and lacks features that made Google Maps so popular.

"We think it would have been better if they had kept ours. But what do I know?" Schmidt told a small group of reporters in Tokyo. "What were we going to do, force them not to change their mind? It's their call."

Schmidt said Google and Apple were in constant communication "at all kinds of levels." But he said any decision on whether Google Maps would be accepted as an application in the Apple App Store would have to be made by Apple.

"We have not done anything yet," he said.

Google and Apple were close partners with the original iPhone in 2007 and its inclusion of YouTube and Google Maps. But the ties between the two have been strained by the rise of Google's Android mobile operating system, now the world's leading platform for smartphones.

Schmidt said he hoped Google would remain Apple's search partner on the iPhone but said that question was up to Apple.

"I'm not doing any predictions. We want them to be our partner. We welcome that. I'm not going to speculate at all what they're going to do. They can answer that question as they see fit," he said.

Google provides Android free of charge and allows developers to add applications on an open basis, betting that by cultivating a bigger pool of users - now at over 500 million globally - it can make more money by providing search functions and selling advertising.

"Apple is the exception, and the Android system is the common model, which is why our market share is so much higher," Schmidt said, adding that success was often ignored by the media, which he said was "obsessed with Apple's marketing events and Apple's branding."

"That's great for Apple but the numbers are on our side," he said.

At one point, Schmidt, who was in Japan to announce the launch of Google's Nexus tablet here, used the device to show off a new function of Google Maps.

The feature allows users to shift their view of an area by moving the device in the air without touching the screen, similar to the effect of looking around.

"Take that Apple," he said, adding quickly, "That was a joke by the way."

source

Chrome for iOS Update

Chrome for iOS has been updated to 21.0.1180.82 and is now available in the App Store.  This version brings compatibility with the new iPhone 5, along with fixes for Gmail on iOS 6.  You can get the update via the App Store, or from the update prompt inside of Chrome.  Known issues are available on the Chrome support site. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug.

Jason Kersey
Google Chrome

Off the Great Wall : Foxconn Worker Claims New iPhone 5 is Poorly Made

Note: Turns out the rumors are true. We broke the news 2 weeks before the iPhone 5 came out. Be sure to watch our other video: What You Don't Know About Your iPhone 5 http://youtu.be/19L11xmIfcw

Want to know what the new iPhone 5 looks like? A factory worker in China sent a bunch of photos of the unreleased iPhone to his friend via text. These photos are now going viral in China and have stirred up heated debate into whether they are legit or not.

Flagship Smartphone Display Technology Shoot-Out Apple iPhone 5 – Samsung Galaxy S III – Apple iPhone 4

Introduction
The iPhone 5 has been the most anticipated mobile device of 2012 together with its cousin the iPad Mini, which we expect to be seeing shortly. Apple has made displays their most prominent marketing feature because it determines the quality of the visual experience for everything on a Smartphone or Tablet – including Apps, web content, photos, videos, and its camera. The Retina Displays on the iPhone 4 and the new iPad were significant advancements – not just in sharpness but in picture quality and color accuracy, which is what provides the display’s real Wow factor.

So how good is the display on the iPhone 5? There has been an incredible increase in competition since the introduction of the iPhone 4 in 2010: displays have gotten a lot bigger (possibly too big), more manufacturers are using similar high-end IPS LCDs like Apple, and many Smartphones are using the latest OLED displays manufactured by Samsung – with the Samsung Galaxy S III as the premier Flagship product.

First we’ll compare the display on the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 4 to see if it is indeed much better, which could be an important factor for those considering whether to upgrade. Then we’ll compare the iPhone 5 to its primary competitor, the Samsung Galaxy S III, and we’ll also see how well it compares to the outstanding display on the new iPad.

The Shoot-Out
To compare the performance of the Apple iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S III we ran our in-depth series of Mobile Display Technology Shoot-Out tests on them. We also included the iPhone 4 in order to determine how the display on the iPhone 5 has been improved. We take display quality very seriously and provide in-depth objective analysis side-by-side comparisons based on detailed laboratory measurements and extensive viewing tests with both test patterns and test images. To see how far Smartphones have progressed in just two years see our 2010 Smartphone Display Shoot-Out, and for a real history lesson see our original 2006 Smartphone Display Shoot-Out.

http://www.displaymate.com/Smartphone_ShootOut_2.htm

Foxconn has restored production at the factory after the workers' uprising

As it became known yesterday at one of the factories of the company involved in the manufacture Foxconn iPhone smartphones happened by the workers, which ended in riots, which is why the production had to be stopped. Just protest participated more than 2,000 people, of whom 40 were affected. Because of this, there is fear that in addition to problems with peeling paint Apple runs the risk of even the shortage of devices that are already currently selling faster than the time to bring them to the stores. However, representatives of Foxconn said the unrest had ceased, and this morning the production of iPhone, iPad and other Apple models resumed in full. What exactly was the cause of the workers is not reported. There are two conflicting versions. According to representatives of company management, it all started with a dispute between one of the employees and the owner of Foxconn restaurant on the plant. This version was first announced. Then it was reported that a clash between workers and security guards. But anonymous sources indicate that the cause of the quarrel was not specific, and regular harassment and abuse of workers by managers and guards Foxconn. This resulted in a four-hour carnage in the housing of the plant, where going back panels iPhone 5. But other reports say the main production in this factory - build Nintendo Wii and Apple products, respectively, could not hurt at all.

IPhone 5 sales in the first weekend exceeded 5 million

Apple announced that in just 3 days after the start of sales of 21 September were sold over 5 million new iPhone 5. In addition, more than 100 million users have already installed the new version of the mobile operating system iOS 6. iPhone 5 is already available to users of the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK. He also appeared in 22 countries around the world on September 28 and in more than 100 countries by the end of the year.

According to the company, the demand for iPhone 5 than originally planned shipments, so while most of the pre-orders have already been delivered to customers, a number of orders scheduled for delivery in October.

Published data on the performance of the processor in the iPhone 5

Despite the fact that the use of Apple A6 chip in the new iPhone has been known since its announcement, according to tradition, Apple did not report any details of the parameters of the platform, allowing it really compare with peers.Now, after receiving the device on the market, independent companies were able to assess his actual performance. Among them, was a resource and Anandtech. The platform includes Novgorod iPhone 5 processor with a clock speed of 1.2 GHz, RAM 1 GB, and graphics PowerVR SGX 543MP3 with three cores. Certainly a direct comparison of absolute values ​​does not give a clue as to the iOS 6 products actually work only Apple, and the main competitors for Android.Nevertheless, a number of synthetic tests can be compared. Anandtech chosen BrowserMark, SunSpider and Google V8. In all cases, the unconditional victory went to the iPhone 5. If the question of convenience browser is largely dependent on personal preference on the diagonal and resolution, the technical part of the Safari on iPhone 5 beats its competitors, although this advantage is human and can not be noticeable result. only competitor who was able to show better results in testing the graphic adapter GBL Benchmark 2.5 Triangle Test, was iPad 3 with an A5X, but a difference of a few tenths of points, while the gap between the nearest competitor with Android dozens. But in checking the number of frames per second 1080p Offscreen iPhone 5 lost 2 frames LG Optimus G. A comparison with the iPhone 4S confirmed by Apple announced two-time productivity. But was seen and one unpleasant fact - when connected to a network's performance iPhone 5 drops by about 10%. What caused such a difference is unknown.