Apple focuses on NFC

Apple focuses on NFC

The saga of the adoption of NFC by Apple is far from over! Earlier this year, Apple acquired a company called AuthenTec specialist subject (see dispatch: NFC: Apple switches to higher speed). This company sells fingerprint readers, modules via NFC payment and various security solutions.

Apple focuses on NFC

We just learned that Cupertino is separated from the security division of AuthenTec, thus retaining only the units responsible for fingerprint readers and NFC. A combination that would include Apple to transform its iPhone payment terminal. So confirmation, if any were needed again, Apple has every intention of embarking on the market for NFC, and why not next year (see dispatch: What iPhone for 2013?).

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The iMac 2012, finally iMac 2013

The iMac 2012, finally iMac 2013?

If true, this is very bad news site that brings HardMac: Apple encounter big problems of production for its 2012 iMac, and there's a good chance that the new iMac can not find under the tree most customers wait before the beginning of the year 2013. Today, Apple announced on its website in November regarding deliveries Model 21.5 ", and deliveries in December for the model 27".

HardMac this information has since been corroborated by Mac4Ever, which confirms the delay but said not knowing the release date. Will it then wait until 2013? Announcing results for the third fiscal quarter of Apple, Tim Cook, the company's CEO, had the following words:

On the iMac, we will be limited throughout the quarter significantly. Subcontractors will have little time to develop and I expect strong demand. We have a significant shortage.

There is therefore now no doubt that the situation will be very complicated. Just to keep their heads high after the recent postponement of iTunes 11 (see dispatch: iTunes rescheduled to November 11), it is possible that Apple launches still order but delivery times lengthen quickly. Of course we will certainly keep you updated if new information came to reach us ...

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Ambition for Apple processors

Ambition for Apple processors

This is not the first time that we approach the subject: ARM processors and the like, including that fit the iPhone and iPad, are more powerful and may well land on computers in the coming years (see dispatch: ARM approximates computers). Last month, we learned that Apple had discussed internally the possibility to get rid of Intel (see dispatch: An ARM MacBook? Not immediately.) In favor of smart home. According to Bloomberg, which published a long article about the rumor would be fully justified: Apple engineers are now certain that ARM processors will in a few years to find their place in a Mac.

We suggest you start this article with a small graph, comparing the raw power of Apple's mobile devices over the past three years. As you can see, the power of ARM devices (iPhone and iPad) is well below Intel devices (MacBook Air and MacBook Pro entry level), but the power gain is substantial for three years:

In the reorganization managers Apple last week (see dispatch: Upheaval at the head of Apple), a change passed almost unnoticed: Bob Mansfield is past department "Mac hardware engineering" a new department called " technologies. " This very generic name actually brings teams of wireless (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GSM antennas, 3G, LTE ...) and semiconductors, ie processors. According to Tim Cook himself, this team has "ambitious plans for the future." And according to Bloomberg, Bob Mansfield would be very interested in the possibilities of reconciliation between the iOS and Mac platform.

From our side, we are pleased that the track seems ARM explored. Indeed, these processors consume much less than the Intel chips, and their arrival on a Mac would be a guarantee of battery life much larger than at present, as well as a delicacy and lightness increased.

The issue is regularly discussed on our forums: what power do we need? If we look at the graph GeekBench above, we can see that the 15 "MacBook Pro is a powerhouse compared to the MacBook Air. Nevertheless, an extremely large number of Apple customers are satisfied well the MacBook air, which is capable of delivering ample power for most uses public. Though it is not to be expected a revolution in future too close, the prospect of a MacBook Air running ARM architecture, while maintaining ranges for some time more powerful Intel is promising.

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Mac mini 2012 beats Mac Pro

Mac mini 2012  beats Mac Pro 

The site Bare Feats compared a 2012 Mac mini with a Core i7 quad (model 829 €) to a Mac Pro. After a few measures raw performance, the conclusion is clear: the Mac mini has a more powerful processor than the Mac Pro. This is also the case of the iMac, which is now the most powerful Mac in the Apple lineup.

Mac mini 2012  beats Mac Pro 

Mac mini 2012  beats Mac Pro 

However, the Mac mini still retains a disadvantage that will not be a problem for some, but that may be unacceptable to others: the lack of graphics card is widely felt (see the second figure). If you need power, but the lack of graphics card you do not mind, we recommend you more than ever to buy a Mac mini. Otherwise, an iMac can do the job for less than the Mac Pro, an iMac is that the current range or the previous one.

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ARM is similar computers

ARM is similar computers

ARM is known worldwide to equip a large number of phones and tablets. The iPhone and iPad are also concerned with processors now designed directly by Apple, but the architecture is very close. For some time, a persistent rumor that Apple wants in its laboratories computers with ARM chip instead of Intel today (see dispatch: An ARM MacBook? Not immediately.). And this is precisely what direction taking the foundry: ARM has unveiled a new series of processors, the Cortex-A50, which will have a 64-bit architecture. These processors can equally equip phones and tablets as computers and even servers.

ARM is similar computers

The advantage of this series Cortex-A50 lies both in power, which is still three-fold compared to the most powerful phones currently in circulation, and energy efficiency. Indeed, the integration of these chips in phones requires a mastery of their consumption in order to maintain a sufficient battery life for normal use. Our phones and our tablets, which use much less energy than our computers, yet their catching power at a phenomenal rate. Future Cortex-A50 is certainly not replace the power of monsters that can be found on a desktop machine, but they offer a very interesting alternative which will allow energy savings, and a laptop autonomy largely increased. Will we ever see a Mac with an ARM chip? Everything is possible.

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iTunes 11 postponed to November

iTunes 11 postponed to November

While Apple had announced a release in October for iTunes 11 (see dispatch: iTunes 11 will be available in October), it was not until the last day of October for news. And these are not very good: it was not until November! A representative from Apple has indeed had a conversation with a reporter from CNet, and explained the situation:

The new iTunes takes longer than expected and we wanted to take a little more time to make it perfect.

Apple's website, it has been updated, and reported the delay:

After the fiasco of Apple Maps, this news is not so bad that it: it proves that Apple is not also pressed by the calendar than some say, and she is still able to offset a output in case of problems.

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Apple updates Cards

Apple updates Cards

Cards (App Store link - free) application that proposes to transform a virtual card with themes and photos from the image gallery of the actual iOS device format has been updated by Apple. It offers easy swapping pictures when there are several in a map, and two patches on a display bug in the history of cards sent, and another behind the sudden closure of the app.

Apple updates Cards

Using the application is very simple. Simply create a customized card with a photo and accompanying message. Cards offers no less than 21 models to cover any event (birthday invitations, Valentine, ...), the choice is therefore an appointment.

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