Apple releases iOS 7.0.2 to fix lock screen security bug

Apple's released yet another supplemental update for iOS 7, a little more than a week after the software was first released.
The 7.0.2 update, which went out Thursday morning, fixes a bug that would let users bypass the passcode security on the lock screen. That security issue was discovered just hours after the public update was released, and would give anyone direct access to applications and user data.
Apple last week said it was working on a fix, though did not offer an estimate on when it would arrive.

Along with the security fix, Apple says the update brings back the capability to use a Greek keyboard when typing in passcodes, something that was apparently missing in the early release.
Lock screens offer the primary means of defense against unwanted use of mobile devices. When introducing the iPhone 5S earlier this month, Apple claimed that only about half of smartphone users actually had passcode security enabled. That was just before debuting Touch ID, a new fingerprint scanning technology that's baked into the iPhone 5S and can unlock a phone without users having to enter in their passcode. The feature is expected to be included in all future iOS devices.
Source:Cnet

World’s Thinnest Glass Makes It To The Guinness Book Of World Records

Most popular inventions were never done intentionally, the reason being no one at that time was actually gunning for those. X-rays, Ink-Jet printers, Microwave ovens and many more were results of accidents. Now when scientists at Cornell University and Germany’s University of Ulm were busy in finding ways to produce pure graphene, they stumbled in what they initially termed as “muck”. On further investigation they found it to be a layer of glass which was made up of silicon and oxygen. The million-dollar question then was how this ultra-thin glass was formed? The researchers blame it on an air leak that fuelled the reaction between the copper foils being used for the graphene research project and a quartz furnace.

 

​

David A. Muller who leads the team of researchers, states that this invention has enabled them to find out the exact arrangement of atoms in the glass for the first time. With time they hope that this ultra-thin glass will find its way into transistors and help in increasing processing speed in computers and smartphones. For the meanwhile though, the glass which is just two atoms thick has found its way to the Guinness Book of World Records to be published in 2014.

To obtain more information, on this news we recommend to visit the Cornell University website and its coverage on The Verge and let us know how you think this ultra-thin glass be useful?

Sandisk CFast 2.0 Extreme Fast Reads @ 450 MBps & Writes @ 350 MBps

Sandisk CFast 2.0 Extreme Fast memory card is world's fastest and it's can write the bits at hair blowing 350 MB/s and retrieve them at 450 MB/s. These memory cards are indeed very special. First, these are pin-less cards and are tougher than its rivals. Second, each card comes with a unique serial number which the customer support executives can use to uniquely identify your card. Unfortunately, the card is very limited in compatibility. At this time, the only Arri Amira camera is ready to handle this card. Arri XT and Classic (with the XR module) cameras will be able to use this card with a special adapter.

Stephan Schenk, general manager of ARRI's camera and DI systems business unit said, "SanDisk's new SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 cards deliver tremendous performance, allowing professionals to record ProRes 4444 up to 200Fps with AMIRA, and up to 120Fps with ALEXA XT/XR cameras, on cost-effective recording media." "With the SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 card, we are enabling a next generation card format to meet the needs of high-end professional cinematographers," said Dinesh Bahal, vice president, product marketing, SanDisk. "These cards will enable new digital solutions for professional filmmakers looking to embrace technologies such as high-quality 4K video, and are another example of SanDisk's innovation and leadership in flash memory storage."

With the arrival of 4K cameras, the storage devices need to be very fast to absorb all the incoming data and the Sandisk CFast 2.0 seems to be the first step in the right direction. Sandisk has launched 120 GB and 256 GB versions of CFast 2.0. There's no official word on the pricing of these cards, but be assured that they won't be easy on pockets.

Nikon 1 AW1 Is The World's First Waterproof and Shockproof Interchangeable Lens Camera

The camera on your smartphone has got some features that make it sturdy. For example, Sony Xperia flagships like Xperia Z, Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra have all got waterproof and dustproof casings, but what will the pros do? Yes, they might have access to waterproof casings for their even expensive DSLRs but shooting with a casing is troublesome. So Nikon has decided to remove the need for any casing with the Nikon 1 AW1. This interchangeable lens camera is waterproof up to depths of 49 feet, shockproof from falls from up to 6.6 feet and can withstand freezing temperatures of up to 14° F. Adventurers will also be glad to know that the AW1 has a built-in GPS that can be activated to add the metadata of the exact longitude and latitude information with every photo and video. Nikon has equipped the camera with an altimeter, a depth gauge, an electronic compass and a virtual horizon indicator as well.

​

Now while you have gone through the images above you might have noticed the popup flash, not to fret this one too is waterproof so that you can go to the depths and try to blind a shark with it (pun intended). Coming to the tech specs we can inform you that the Nikon 1 AW1 has a 14.2-megapixel CX-format CMOS sensor and Nikon’s EXPEED 3A image processing engine. Even though the regular 1-Series lenses fit on the AW1, Nikon has also decided to bring two lenses which are as rugged as the camera itself. The 1 NIKKOR AW 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 and AW 10mm f/2.8 lens options are available for the user depending on his/her choice of photos. Finally it is the time to deliver the bombshell, the prices of the camera with a single lens start from 799.95 USD (49,493 INR) and if you want both the lenses mentioned above along with the camera you will have to shell out 999.95 USD (61,864 INR). The camera and lens come in black and white variants but if you wish to spice up the gear you can buy black, khaki and orange skins for 36.96 USD (2,286 INR) along with the camera and lenses from next month.

Source: Nikon USA

World's largest solar power plant to be built in Rajasthan, India

World's largest ever solar power plant with capacity of generating 4000 MW power will soon be built in Rajasthan in India near the Sambhar lake. The official authorities say that it's the first project of its kind and scale. The project expected to set a trend for construction of very large scale solar power plants all over the world. The plant will be constructed through a JV between BHEL, Powergrid Corporation of India, Solar Energy Corporation of India, Hindustan Salts Limited and Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited. Once completed, the solar plant will sell electricity at about Rs. 5.50 per unit.

The project will be constructed in phases. In the first phase, capacity of about 1000 MW will be reached and it's expected to be completed by 2016. The first phase will also offer insights and learning from the challenges faced during construction. Using this knowledge, further expansion will be carried out. The models on which the plant will be based are being worked out. The project will require about 23,000 acres of land out of which majority of the land (about 18000 acres) will be provided by Hindustan Salts Limited.

Ashwini Kumar, director of solar energy corporation said that the Government is aiming to keep the tariff at Rs. 5.50 per unit; arguably lowest ever in the country. The project won't reach its full capacity until 2022 to add full 4k MW of power to the national power grid.

The Rajasthan Solar plant will compete directly with the Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) in California Mojave desert in the United States; which currently is the largest solar power plant in the world. But it's entire capacity is just 354 MW. Once the Rajasthan plant reaches its first phase, its capacity will be more than twice that of the SEGS solar plant.

We do not have information about the technical details of the plant. Typically, the solar power plants use photovoltaic (PV) cells to convert light energy into electricity. The mirrors and lenses reflect and focus all the sunlight on a small beam at the center of the solar array.

The solar plant will definitely be national pride for India. We promise to keep track of the developments and keep you informed.
Source:Internet

Samsung Curved Screen Smartphone To Launch In October - That's The Next Hardware Innovation

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is all set to launch a new smartphone featuring a curved display screen in the next month. In October 2013, South Korea is going to witness the unveiling of the next set of hardware innovation coming from the hands of the world's top handset maker. At CE, for the past one year, we have been frequently covering research news about bendable screens and foldable displays. So, this hasn't been a surprise for the tech town. Since the fall of 2012, we have been seeing protptypes of the foldable and stretchy screens from the Samsung Display Co. that are made of plastic instead of glass. Famous for its AMOLED screens, Samsung had made a choice of OLEDs here again instead of Plasma or LCD because they can be made flexible and transparent.

So, the news of a smartphone featuring these foldable screens came to light when Samsung's mobile business head of strategic marketing D.J. Lee said, "We plan to introduce a smartphone with a curved display in South Korea in October," at an event launching the Galaxy Note 3 smartphone in Seoul. The last time we heard about Samsung's handheld flexible displays was back in CES in January, where a 5.5-inch prototype device named Youm was revealed.

 

​

In fact, we all know that curved display is already commercially available in large-screen televisions. Samsung and LG Electronics Inc have started selling curved OLED TV sets this year priced at about $9,000. There is not much informatiob about the features or specs of this new Samsung handset so far.

But if the curved screens aren't very impressive, you should be reading about something called the 'Morphees'. Developed by Scientists from Bristol University, the morphees are the devices that can change their shape as required. Yeah, so, not just bend, we may now have devices that can alter their form altogether to say make a game easier to control or make the screen easily hidden when entering passwords or secure keys. Bristol's scientists have successfully developed 6 different prototypes using dielectric electro-active polymers (DEAPs), shape memory alloys (SMAs) and other wood-like materials. These 6 prototypes are being tested to see which one is safest to use and consumes least electricity.

What do you think about Samsung's move to bring a curved display smartphone? Would there be a solution that lets these tech giants mass produce the parts cheaply and come up with display panels that can be as thin as a sheet and highly heat resistant? Time will tell.
Source:CE

Apple iPhone 5c vs Apple iPhone 5s vs Apple iPhone 5 comparison

	Apple iPhone 5c	Apple iPhone 5s	Apple iPhone 5

General
Alternate names
Release date	September 2013	September 2013	November 2012
Form factor	Touchscreen	Touchscreen	Touchscreen
Dimensions (mm)	124.40 x 59.20 x 8.97	123.80 x 58.60 x 7.60	123.80 x 58.60 x 7.60
Weight (g)	132.00	112.00	112.00
Battery capacity (mAh)			1440
Removable battery	No	No	No
Bundled accessories	Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic, Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter, Documentation	Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic, Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter, Documentation	Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic, Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter, Documentation
Colours	White, Pink, Yellow, Blue, Green	Space Gray, Gold, Silver	White, Black
SAR value	NA	NA	NA
Display
Screen size (inches)	4.00	4.00	4.00
Touchscreen	Yes	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen type	Capacitive	Capacitive	Capacitive
Resolution	640x1136 pixels	640x1136 pixels	640x1136 pixels
Pixels per inch (PPI)	326	326	326
Colours
Hardware
Processor			1.3GHz   dual-core
Processor make	Apple A6	Apple A7 (64-bit ARMv8)	Apple A6
RAM			1GB
Internal storage	16GB	16GB	16GB
Expandable storage	No	No	No
Expandable storage type
Expandable storage up to (GB)
Camera
Rear camera	8-megapixel	8-megapixel	8-megapixel
Flash	Yes	Yes	Yes
Front camera	1.2-megapixel	1.2-megapixel	1.2-megapixel
Software
Operating System	iOS 7	iOS 7	iOS 6.1.4
Skin
Java support	No	No	No
Browser			HTML
Browser supports Flash	No	No	No
Connectivity
Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wi-Fi standards supported	WiFi A, WiFi B, WiFi G, WiFi N	WiFi A, WiFi B, WiFi G, WiFi N	NA
GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes, v 4.00	Yes, v 4.00	Yes, v 4.00
NFC	No	No	No
Infrared	No	No	No
DLNA	No	No	No
Wi-Fi Direct	No	No	No
MHL Out	No	No	No
HDMI	No	No	No
Headphones	3.5mm	3.5mm	3.5mm
FM	No	No	No
USB	No	No	No
Charging via Micro-USB	No	No	No
Proprietary charging connector	Yes	Yes	Yes
Proprietary data connector	Yes	Yes	Yes
Number of SIMs	1	1	1
GSM/ CDMA	GSM	GSM	GSM
2G frequencies supported	GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900	GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800, GSM 1900	NA
3G	Yes	Yes	Yes
3G frequencies supported	NA	1900, 2100	NA
Sensors
Compass/ Magnetometer	Yes	Yes	Yes
Proximity sensor	Yes	Yes	Yes
Accelerometer	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ambient light sensor	Yes	Yes	Yes
Gyroscope	Yes	Yes	Yes
Barometer	No	No	No
Temperature sensor	No	No	No

Source:NDTV

iPhone Touch ID - All That Matters & All You Should Know

The brand new iPhone 5S isn't a big shot upgrade over the iPhone 5, but it does have something, I'd say 'innovative' - the Touch ID. As rumored, it's your fingerprint scanner that leads to a few interesting use cases. As Apple calls it, the sensor takes fingerprint scanning to an entirely new level with 500 PPI resolution. This means that it can scan your fingers very accurately to identify you uniquely. The sensor itself is just 170 microns in thickness and is capable of scanning in every possible direction; called 360 degree scanning.

 ​

What are the possible uses of Touch ID Fingerprint Scanner?

1. The home button which has the sensor retains its old functionality and acts as your quick resort to the home screen from any app.
2. It adds an extra level of security to your Apple store purchases.
3. It adds extra authentication to your iTunes digital downloads.

You will be able to authenticate yourself to iBooks by using your fingerprints. The feature is only available on iOS7; which by the way will make it to compatible Apple devices on September 18.

It's not clear whether the apple will allow multiple user accounts on the same iPhone using the new technology, but it'd definately be something to look forward to.

Security

Apple has promised that the fingerprint data is encrypted and stored in the A7 chip. The data will never be stored in the iCloud or even backed up on Apple's servers. Also, it's not clear how deep access will the developers have to the scanned data for innovative integration in their own apps.

The question is - do all these features push the game forward to the other players? Do you expect Samsung and other manufacturers to include the fingerprint scanners in their devices in coming months?