• Google ‘Instant Previews’ come to iOS Safari

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, google, iPhone, News No Responses

    Google has finally brought their helpful ‘Instant Previews’ feature from the desktop browser, down to the mobile experience. ‘Instant Previews’ lets you tap the accompanying magnifying for a pop-up preview of the website. This saves you time, as now you can get a quick glance at the site without actually having to load up the page. The neat part about Google’s implementation in iOS Safari is that you can flick through the previews of a particular search query, like you flick through iOS’s native Safari tabs function.

    At this time it does not look like the new Google ‘Instant Previews’ feature for iOS has hit all user devices, as the feature is yet to appear on our iPhone 4 or iPad. Google has yet to announce the ‘Instant Previews’ feature for mobile, so this could be an early and/or limited rollout. Google has been rolling out new features for the Google mobile website, with the most recent additions being ‘Google Instant’ and enhanced Google Docs editing on the iPad Safari browser.

  • Apple patents magic gloves to use your iPhone in the cold!

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, iPhone, News, Rants & Raves 1 Response

    Apple has patented a new glove that works with capacitive touch screens. Several devices on the market use capacitive screens such as all of Apple’s mobile iOS devices: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This highly advanced touch screen technology senses your inputs based on proximity sensors in the display, in addition to the human body’s natural conductivity.

    Because of these factors, devices like the iPhone cannot be used if the user is wearing something like a glove. Because of this, Apple is researching ways to build gloves that work around the issue. We can’t wait to see these stylishly overpriced Magic Gloves hit Apple Stores. For the full technical rundown of the patent view Patently Apple‘s report.

  • White iPhone 4 Issues Resolved With a New Miracle Paint?

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, iPhone, News, Rants & Raves 3 Responses

    Macotakara reports that Apple has teamed up with a Japanese-based company to develop a brand new paint for the white iPhone 4. This paint is dubbed as a “miracle painting material” and is meant to fix the white iPhone 4′s light leakage issues. The new paint apparently allows Apple to easily control the paint’s thickness prior to application on the iPhone 4.

    It appears that this new paint is truly a “miracle” as it looks like the white iPhone 4 will be launching soon. The device has already appeared in both AT&T‘s and Best Buy‘s databases.

  • Apple to Add NFC Payments to iPad 2 and iPhone 5?

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, iPhone, News, Rants & Raves No Responses

    Bloomberg claims that Apple will be incorporating NFC (Near Field Communication) hardware in the next iPhone and iPad. This feature would allow customers to use the iPhone and iPad to make purchases:

    The services are based on “Near-Field Communication,” a technology that can beam and receive information at a distance of up to 4 inches, due to be embedded in the next iteration of the iPhone for AT&T Inc. and the iPad 2, Doherty said. Both products are likely to be introduced this year, he said, citing engineers who are working on hardware for the Apple project.
    Apple could potentially tie this payment system into people’s existing iTunes accounts. It’s described to allow customers to walk into a store and make payments directly from their iOS device. Apple may also incorporate loyalty rewards and credit system in iTunes as well. Other possibilities include using location based transactions to improve iAd targeting.

    According to this source, Apple has already made prototype payment terminals intended for small businesses to scan NFC-enabled iPhones and iPads. These terminals could be subsidized or even given away to encourage adoption.

    Apple has been hiring NFC experts as well as applied for several patents on the technology. A couple of previous reports have also pegged the next generation iPhone as having NFC technology built in.