September, 2013

• 22 September

  Apple iPhone 5s 64

  

  Samsung recently said that it is planning to have 64-bit chips in its own range of smartphones — turns out it may have had a head start. Apple’s A7 is the first 64-bit ARM processor to land in a smartphone. (Credit: CNET) Chipworks, working with iFixit, has torn down the iPhone 5s, allowing it to …

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• 22 September

  Moto X beats out iPhone 5S, 5C, and Galaxy S4 for durability

  

  Apple fanboys and Samsung believers aren’t going to like this: Google’s Moto X has been crowned the king of durability. The latest “breakability” score by protection plan company SquareTrade claims Moto X is the best surviving smartphone when it comes to drops, slides, and water dunks. Coming in second place is Apple’s iPhone 5S, then Apple’s iPhone 5C, and lastly …

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• 22 September

  Sony sensor found inside iPhone 5s

  

  The boffins at iFixit have uncovered yet another Sony sensor inside the latest iPhone. The camera module inside the iPhone 5s. (Credit: iFixit) What differentiates the 8-megapixel unit from that found on the iPhone 5 is the larger pixel pitch. Jim Morrison from Chipworks is quoted by iFixit, stating that: “the DNL markings are consistent with the markings on the …

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• 22 September

  BlackBerry loses US$950m, job cuts to follow

  

  BlackBerry has announced that it anticipates losing between US$950 million and US$955 million in the second quarter of this financial year. BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins. (Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) The loss has initiated a number of changes at the beleaguered company, with 4500 jobs set to be axed and a company-wide change in strategy to refocus on the business and “prosumer” …

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• 22 September

  Apple Touch ID “hacked”

  

  German hacker group the Chaos Computer Club claims to have hacked Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner using “easy everyday means”. (Credit: Apple) It was only a matter of time before someone claimed to have defeated Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner — and German hacker group the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) is the first to step up, with what it is …

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• 22 September

  Getting to know Control Center on iOS 7

  

  Jason Cipriani/CNET The simple act of enabling Bluetooth, or disabling Wi-Fi on an iOS device has never been truly simple. The process required way too many taps to navigate to a switch buried deep within the Settings app. With iOS 7 the process to control things such as Wi-Fi, orientation lock, music, brightness, airplane mode, and Do Not Disturb has …

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• 22 September

  Foxtel unveils movie

  

  Foxtel has introduced a new service into its ever-growing brand family, called Presto. (Screenshot by Nic Healey/CNET Australia) The service will cost AU$24.99 per month, with users gaining access to all seven of Foxtel’s movie channels: Foxtel Movies Premiere, Foxtel Movies Comedy, Foxtel Movies Drama/Romance, Foxtel Movies Thriller/Crime, Foxtel Movies Action/Adventure, Foxtel Movies Family and Foxtel Movies Masterpiece. Presto is …

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• 22 September

  Australian wireless microphone frequencies become illegal in 2015

  

  The use of many wireless microphones and transmitters in Australia will be illegal from the start of 2015 thanks to a change in the frequency range. (Credit: Sennheiser) Currently, the spectrum between 520MHz-820MHz is used for TV broadcasting, and wireless microphones can operate in the gaps between. As the transition between analog and digital broadcasting is completed, the frequencies between …

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• 21 September

  BlackBerry on why you should give BBM a chance (Q&A)

  

  BlackBerry Messenger finally makes its debut on iOS and Android devices this weekend. But will anyone care? Related stories Best Password Manager to Use for 2022 Your Phone Screen Is Gross. Here’s How to Clean It Without Causing Damage Spending All Night With the First iPhone Kanye West’s Donda 2 Skips Spotify, 5G BlackBerry is Dead BlackBerry’s 5G Phone Is …

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• 20 September

  Apple’s iPhone 5C ad stresses the plastic, not the specs

  

  To the tune of Sleigh Bells’ Ring Ring (and you have to wonder if the New York duo had phone ads in mind when they composed this catchy song), Apple reveals its new iPhone 5C to the world. Not the keynote-following, tech-literate world, but the rest of the world — the ones who’ll buy this hyper-coloured mobile. The ad is …

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