Review TechRadar: Phone and communications news 08-11-2013

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Report: Apple board 'concerned' over speed of innovation under Tim Cook Aug 11th 2013, 14:20, by Chris Smith Not since the arrival of the first iPad in 2010 has Apple introduced one of the game-changing products, synonymous with the company, and according to reports, the Apple board is starting to worry. In a new report, Fox Business Network correspondent Charlie Gasparino claimed the pressure on CEO Tim Cook is growing with Apple directors seeking the next breakthrough product, and quickly. Gasparino claimed the board is "concerned" the speed of innovation seen during the second Steve Jobs era, which resulted in the iPod, iPhone and iPad change the tech world, has not continued under Cook. He said: "What have they had lately? They have had the iPad, they've had a few other things, but they don't have anything innovating from what came from Steve Jobs. "And that concern is basically manifesting into pressure on Tim Cook to innovate — do something fast," added Gasparino who said the concern hasn't reached the point that Cook's job is under threat. Cook on the clock? Cook has offered numerous hints Apple will be launching an iWatch smart watch and a flatscreen Apple iTV television set, but it does not appear that the launch of either is within sight this year. Cook himself has claimed new products are coming later this year, most likely at an iPhone launch event on September 10, although those launches are likely to be tweaked versions of existing products. There is a genuine feeling that Apple long-standing lead in innovation has been eroded since the late Steve Jobs was forced to relinquish the top job due to ailing health. Others, like Samsung, Microsoft and Google, have certainly made strong efforts to catch up, while Apple's own innovative spirit seems somewhat stunted in the last couple of years. Apple itself is conscious of the mutterings. During the launch of the new cylindric Mac Pro at WWDC this year, the company's bombastic marketing chief Phil Schiller blasted: "Can't innovate anymore, my ass!" Does Apple still have the ability to wow us with yet another epochal product launch any time soon or is the rumoured pressure on Tim Cook to be more like Steve only going to grow? iPhone 5S to house fingerprint sensor within sapphire, convex home button? Aug 11th 2013, 13:41, by Chris Smith Just hours after unofficial word Apple plans to announce its new iPhone 5S at an event on September 10, more speculation emerged over what we might see when Tim Cook and friends take the stage. Various reports have pointed towards the introduction of a fingerprint sensor within the iPhone 5S and now more details regarding how this will affect the phone's design have appeared online. According to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a track better record than most of his prediction-happy fraternity, the fingerprint sensor will sit within a sapphire glass-covered, convex home button. If the note to investors proves reliable, it would see the first significant design change to the iPhone's home button in the history of the device. Protruding The current design features a concave design, but according to Kuo, a protruding convex design has been conceived to give Apple more room to house the rumoured new security tool. The sapphire covering has been selected due to its resistance to scratches (it's the second hardest material after diamonds) the analyst claimed, in a note seen by Apple Insider. Reports of a fingerprint sensor making its way into the iPhone have been rife ever since Apple acquired the AuthenTec company, which specialises in the tech, in June 2012. How would you feel about a protruding home button on your iPhone? Would it make it more difficult to slide in and out of the pocket? Do you think this latest rumour has credence? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. Will all our questions be answered on September 10 and will we see that cheaper iPhone 5C too? iPhone 5S launch event reportedly happening on Sept 10 Aug 11th 2013, 01:20, by Matt Swider One month from today Apple will announce the iPhone 5S to the world at a press conference, according to a report today. The iPhone 5S launch event is said to be scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10, claimed sources who spoke to AllThingsD. Previous rumors point to the next smartphone having a bumped up processor, likely the Apple A6X or the A7, a better camera to compete with the 13-megapixel Samsung Galaxy S4, and superfast LTE-Advanced. There's also a lot of anticipation surrounding a possible fingerprint sensor, which is thought to be used to unlock the smartphone in addition to other security-related functions. One item on Apple's agenda we know about for sure regards hearing more details about the launch of iOS 7, its fresh take on the mobile operating system that was first unveiled in June. Cheaper iPhone, too? Also expected on stage at next month's Apple press conference is an all-plastic, cheap iPhone model, currently being called the iPhone 5C. The rumored budget-friendly smartphone would be a first for the company, with leaked images pointing to multiple colors in addition to a cheaper price. Photos purported to be from factories in China seem to indicate at least five colors: red, blue, yellow, green and white. Whether or not current iPhone owners opt for the cheaper versions may not matter. Apple is thought to be targeting areas of the world where more affordable handsets are popular and phones like the iPhone 5 get passed over. This includes populous countries such as China and India. We will have our "i" on Sept. 10 here at TechRadar, so check back for the iPhone 5S launch event details on that day, if the latest report turns out to be accurate. In the meantime, read about how iPhone 5S may have double the pixels Related Stories Motorola-made Nexus phone to launch before the year is out? T-Mobile's new approach looks a hit, more Apple devices on the way When Aug. 23 comes a-rocking, will the Moto X come a-knocking? LG Optimus F3 and Optimus F6 slip in with T-Mobile's G2 announcement Next Windows Phone update said to get rotation lock, text syncing with PCs Apple brings developer centre back online following July hack Aug 10th 2013, 17:13, by Chris Smith Apple developers now can get back to work on awesome apps for iOS 7 and Mac OS X after the company restored access to the online portal, three weeks after it was taken down following a security breach. As of Saturday morning, the developer.apple.com website was up and running once again with the company assuring its army of developers that all services were performing as normal. Apple has been slowly re-upping services over the last couple of weeks, following a short-lived attempt to bring the site back on line at the end of July. This time the restoration appears to be permanent. Apple has apologised for the inconvenience and extended all memberships by a month to compensate for the inability to access the portal. No sensitive information lost The hack took place in the middle of July and, while Apple assured its developers that no sensitive information had been compromised, it admitted some names, email addresses mailing addresses may have been accessed. The company also announced it was rebuilding the system database while combatting the breach. It appears all of that work as now been completed. As you were, devs. Is Apple's iOS 7 the Frankenstein's monster of the smartphone world? Come on, Apple. Admit it.

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