Apple and IBM are starting to deliver on
their "landmark partnership" to transform
business use of iPads and iPhones today. After a
deal earlier this year, the first apps designed by
the two companies will start being used by Citi,
Air Canada, Sprint, and Banorte this week. The
first round of 10 apps include a mixture of
applications aimed at financial institutions,
insurance businesses, and even government
agencies.
IBM’s Incident Aware app for iOS is designed to
turn an iPhone into a crime prevention aid for law
enforcement officers. Incident Aware includes
real-time access to maps and video-feeds of
incidents, and the ability for officers to call for
back-up or support. There are also two airline-
focused apps debuting today that help pilots to
be more fuel efficient, and allow crew members to
offer baggage information, re-booking services,
and special offers to customers onboard flights.
Other apps include sales systems for retailers, and
a tech expert help app to assist customers
through FaceTime.
While the apps are clearly focused on specific
industries, they’re just the beginning of Apple’s
battle for enterprise acceptance. "This is a big
step for iPhone and iPad in the enterprise, and we
can’t wait to see the exciting new ways
organizations will put iOS devices to work," says
Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of
Worldwide Marketing. "The business world has
gone mobile, and Apple and IBM are bringing
together the world’s best technology with the
smartest data and analytics to help businesses
redefine how work gets done."
The Wall Street Journal reports that IBM is largely
handling the coding of the apps, alongside its
cloud services. Apple employees provide input on
the design and ease of use of the apps, according
to Bridget van Kralingen, IBM’s senior vice
president of global business services. IBM is also
planning to sell iOS devices to corporate clients
that come preloaded with these new apps. More
will debut in 2015, as both Apple and IBM look to
move the iPad and iPhone into the business of
retail, healthcare, banking, travel,
telecommunications, and insurance industries.
The quest to make a drop-proof smartphone
mostly comes down to strengthening the
display. After all, that’s the most important
part of your device, in terms of actually being
able to use it, and the part that’s most likely
to crack or shatter. But a new patent from
Apple suggests that the company may have
another strategy entirely for keeping future
iPhones protected.
Published earlier today, the patent reveals
plans for a mechanism inside your device that
could recognize when it’s falling and then
physically change how it hits the ground. Under
the hood, your iPhone would pack a redesigned
vibration motor designed to shift its angle to
do as little damage as possible. Your
smartphone would also need a built-in
ultrasonic emitter to help measure spin and
trajectory.
Of course, there’s no guarantee the ideas
described here will ever see the light of day.
The patent actually dates back to 2011, and
since then Apple has moved in a completely
different direction. The Cupertino company still
seems determined to release a sapphire-
covered smartphone, most recently tapping
Foxconn to provide the material after its initial
plans with GT Advanced Technologies fell
through .
