Employee headcount, Samsung has more than Google, Apple and Microsoft combined

At 275,000 employees, Samsung (just Samsung
Electronics) is the size of five Googles! This explains
Samsung's machine-gun-style device output; the
company has released around 46 smartphones and 27
tablets just in 2014.
If we wanted to, we could cut these numbers down
some more. Google is going to shed 3,894 employees
once it finally gets rid of Motorola. Over half of Apple's
headcount—42,800 employees—is from the retail division,
putting the non-retail part of the company at only
37,500 employees. The "Sony" on this chart only means
"Sony Electronics," the part of the company that is most
comparable to Samsung Electronics. Sony Group has a
massive media arm consisting of Sony Pictures
Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, and Sony
Financial Services.
Samsung Electronics and Sony Electronics are pretty
comparable in terms of product range. They both make
at least one of everything you would find in a Best Buy
(though Samsung has no game console) along with
big component divisions, and Samsung still dwarfs
Sony with a two-and-a-half times bigger employee
count.
What is Samsung doing with all those people? Well, for
starters, the company has a shocking number of
software engineers: 40,506 as of 2013. That's almost an
entire Google's-worth of people making software.
Actually, consider that Google's employee breakdown
only lists 18,593 people in "research and
development" (read: making software), and it seems
Samsung has twice as many software engineers as
Google. This army of software engineers is a fairly recent
development for Samsung. The software headcount has
grown 45 percent since 2011.
Enlarge / Samsung has lots and lots of software
engineers.
Everyone can name notable pieces of Google software,
but Samsung's "2x Google" software engineer headcount
hasn't created the same level of impact. There is, of
course, Touchwiz and Samsung's range of
redundant Android ecosystem apps . The company has to
port Android and Touchwiz to every new handset it
makes, and when you release 70-ish devices every year
and have to support everything for around two years,
that's a very big project.
Samsung Electronics also includes the display and SoC
portions of Samsung, so there is a lot of firmware and
driver writing going on. All of those TVs, cameras, and
other small electronics also need some kind of software,
and the company is exploring writing its own OS with
Tizen .
As for the non-software side, production makes up the
bulk of Samsung jobs, with 159,488 involved in mass
production efforts. It should also be no surprise that the
majority of jobs are in Korea (33.5%), followed by China
(21%), and Southeast Asia (20%). Only 3.9% of
Samsung's jobs are located in North America.
While Samsung Electronics is a huge company, it's part
of an even bigger conglomerate called "Samsung Group."
Whenever we say "Samsung" we're almost always
referring to "Samsung Electronics," but Samsung Group
is made up of about 80 companies most of which are
named "Samsung [thing]," Samsung Electronics being
one of them.
Besides the usual Samsung Electronics product roster of
phones, tablets, wearables, semiconductors, display
panels, TVs, laptops, printers, cameras, home theaters,
and home appliances, Samsung Group makes gigantic
container ships , arctic ice breakers, self-propelled
howitzers , credit cards , oil-refining plants , power
plants, wind turbines, water treatment facilities, steel
mills, life insurance , theme parks , ultrasound machines ,
X-ray scanners , Aperture Science-style robotic
machine-gun sentries , and the world's tallest
skyscrapers (like the Burj Khalifa).
Samsung's setup of companies within companies can
lead to crazy situations like one part of Samsung
Group buying another part of Samsung Group for billions
of dollars.
Samsung likes to cast a very wide net. You can see that
in the company's smartphone lineup, the makeup of
Samsung Electronics lineup in general, and in Samsung
Group. The hunt to offer every product in every category
has created a sprawling company, while Apple and
Google seem to want to pick and choose their hardware
battles with a more focused lineup.

Apple releases 8.0.2 update

Apple has released iOS 8.0.2, a new OS update that
promises to fix some issues introduced in iOS 8.0 — but
more importantly, quite the mess it left behind with iOS
8.0.1. In a statement to The Verge , Apple says, "We
apologize for inconveniencing the iPhone 6 and iPhone
6 Plus users who were impacted by the bug in iOS
8.0.1." The buggy update went out earlier this week, and
was quickly yanked by the company after iPhone 6
owners discovered their phones no longer connected to
cellular networks, and that their Touch ID buttons no
longer scanned for fingerprints.
Workarounds let people revert back down to iOS 8.0, but
required access to a computer with iTunes, and a copy
of Apple's iOS firmware file, leaving many in a lurch.
According to a person familiar with the matter, fewer
than 40,000 people downloaded the iOS 8.0.1 update and
it was available for under an hour before Apple pulled it.
iOS 8.0.2. brings the same change list as the botched
update, including a fix for a bug that kept Apple from
releasing any HealthKit-compatible apps in the App
Store, as well as one that promises to make the iPhone 6
and 6 Plus' reachability feature more reliable. The full
list includes many others:
Fixes an issue in iOS 8.0.1 that impacted cellular
network connectivity and Touch ID on iPhone 6
and iPhone 6 Plus
Fixes a bug so HealthKit apps can now be made
available on the App Store
Addresses an issue where 3rd party keyboards
could become deselected when a user enters their
passcode
Fixes an issue that prevented some apps from
accessing photos from the Photo Library
Improves the reliability of the Reachability feature
on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
Fixes an issue that could cause unexpected
cellular data usage when receiving SMS/MMS
messages
Better support of Ask To Buy for Family Sharing
for In-App Purchases
Fixes an issue where ringtones were sometimes
not restored from iCloud backups
Fixes a bug that prevented uploading photos and
videos from Safari
It remains unclear what exactly went wrong with iOS
8.0.1's release. Users proceeded to do an update
through iTunes (before Apple removed it) reported no
problems. However those who installed it using the over
the air update feature ran into the issues immediately.

Bendgate taunts Apple

Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
It’s a wise saying that few in the tech industry seem to
live by. But it’s alright, we don’t mind. The big names’
desire to capitalize on a competitor’s misfortune is
often a source of hilarity.
Take #bendgate. By now, you probably know that
simply walking around with an iPhone 6 Plus in your
pocket could bend it , sometimes irremediably. In
typical Internet fashion, the issue spiraled into a storm
of 160-character quips, more or less witty memes, and
deep social commentary from everyone and their
grandma.
ADVERTISEMENT
Apple’s got its share of snark and derision over
#bendgate (or is it #bendghazi?). But you can count on
rivals in the Android camp to make it even harder for
the folks in Cupertino.
LG casually recommends users a phone that’s
supposed to be bent, like the G Flex.
Our phone doesn't bend, it flexes...on purpose.
#bendgate
4:43 PM - 24 Sep 2014
View image on Twitter
LG USA Mobile
@LGUSAMobile Follow
3,525 RETWEETS 1,650 FAVORITES
Samsung can’t miss the opportunity to highlight its
own curved phone, the Note Edge.
Curved. Not bent. #GALAXYNoteEdge
9:46 AM - 25 Sep 2014
View image on Twitter
Samsung Mobile
@SamsungMobile Follow
2,933 RETWEETS 1,817 FAVORITES
While HTC probably takes the cake with its own little
jab.
Designed to withstand the most demanding
environments. Like your pockets. #HTCOneM8
10:30 PM - 24 Sep 2014
HTC USA
@HTCUSA
Follow
210 RETWEETS 169 FAVORITES
We are actually surprised that Samsung doesn’t have a
video ad ( or six ) out by now. They’re probably on it,
though.
What’s your favorite #bendgate joke? Should we even
be making fun of Apple? I mean, problems with
Android devices come up all the time.

Bend to those who are worthy

Fix Apple's iOS 8.0.1 bug

Did Apple's iOS 8.0.1 update break your iPhone?
Here's a fix that works.
According to Apple's release notes, iOS 8.0.1 was
intended to fix numerous problems, including an issue
that held back HealthKit apps last week. iOS 8.0.1 also
patches up issues with third-party keyboards, a bug
that prevented some apps from getting at the photo
library, reliability around Apple's Reachability feature,
and more. The full changelog follows below. To install
the update on your iPhone or iPad, just head into
settings. This one shouldn't require as much space as
the original iOS 8 release.
Fixes a bug so HealthKit apps can now be made
available on the App Store
Addresses an issue where 3rd party keyboards could
become deselected when a user enters their passcode
Fixes an issue that prevented some apps from
accessing photos from the Photo Library
Improves the reliability of the Reachability feature on
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
Fixes an issue that could cause unexpected cellular
data usage when receiving SMS/MMS messages
Better support of Ask To Buy for Family Sharing for
In-App Purchases
Fixes an issue where ringtones were sometimes not
restored from iCloud backups
Fixes a bug that prevented uploading photos and
videos from Safari

Competition between Apple and Google is fierce than ever by Eric Schmidt

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt and former
SVP of products, Jonathan Rosenberg, recently
published a new book entitled "How Google Works,
which explores topics like corporate culture, strategy,
talent, innovation, dealing with disruption, and more.
The duo have done an interview with Bloomberg to
promote the title, with Schmidt commenting on the
state of affairs between iOS and Google and Apple's
new larger-screened iPhones.
According to Schmidt, competition between Apple
and Google is more brutal than ever before, with
"enormous, enormous racing" going on between the
two companies, which ultimately has "enormous
benefits for consumers worldwide."
In fact I would say that this brutal competition
between Apple and Google over Android and iOS
has enormous benefits for consumers
worldwide. If you look at the innovation on the
Apple side and on the Google side, that
competition which I think is the defining fight of
the computer industry, it benefits global at the
billions of people level.
When questioned about how he feels driving past an
Apple Store and seeing people lined up around the
block to purchase an iPhone, Schmidt said "I'll tell
you what I think. Samsung had these products a year
ago." The interviewer further notes that nobody "had a
huge party" and Schmidt reiterated that Samsung had
larger phones first once again. "I think Samsung had
the products a year ago. That's what I think."
Re/code has also published a short excerpt from
"How Google Works," where Schmidt writes about a
meeting he had with former Apple CEO Steve Jobs in
2010. During the meeting, Jobs made it clear that he
believed Android was based on Apple's intellectual
property, and Schmidt worried that a dispute was
brewing.
The two had sat outside at the California-
cuisine-oriented cafe, discussing Google's
growing mobile operating system, Android.
Steve was convinced that the open-source
operating system was built on intellectual
property created by Apple. Eric responded that
we hadn't used Apple's IP and had in fact built
Android on our own. But his argument was to
no avail. "They are going to fight us," he
thought.
The excerpt goes on to detail the friendship between
Jobs and Schmidt and the release of the iPhone in
2007, which led to Schmidt stepping down from
Apple's board due to the similarities between iOS and
Android. It also covers the differences between
Apple's closed system compared to Google's open
system, and why both methods work.
Apple's control model works not just because of
Steve Jobs's excellence, but also because of
how he organized the company. At Apple — just
like Google — the leaders are product people
with technical backgrounds. When you build a
team of great, smart creatives, and put the
world’s uber-smart creative in charge, then you
have a good chance of being right most of the
time. And when you are right most of the time,
then a highly controlled model can yield
tremendous innovation.

iphone 6 cases

The iPhone 6 cases are, on the whole, sleeker
and far less obtrusive than their Plus counterparts.
And though having a case in the first place might be
less than ideal, these maintain the integrity of your
phone's form as much as possible.

Ipad air 2coming in October, ipad mini with retina 2 some time later-Reports

The iPad Air 2 has more or less fallen out of the Rumor
Mill’s processing, but now that the iPhone, Watch and
Pay are official, Apple’s tablets are expected to be the
next devices to get all the attention.
A new report from Taiwan’s Commercial Times
[translated ] has surfaced, supporting earlier reports
that the iPad Air 2 will begin production sometime in
September (soon, then), and that it will start shipping
in October. The report goes on to add that the iPad
mini with Retina display 2 will not launch in the last
part of 2014, but may actually see the light of day in
early 2015.
The 12.9-inch iPad also saw a reference in the article,
corroborating several earlier reports that the device
will launch in the early part of 2015, as late as the
second quarter of 2015. Up to this point, there have
been rumors that the iPad Air 2 will launch in late
2014, and that the 12.9-inch rumored iPad would
launch in 2015. However, the report suggesting the
iPad Air 2 and iPad mini with Retina display 2
launching at separate times is relatively new. Whether
that means it’s actually happening, though, is
anyone’s guess at this point.
It was just a few days ago that it was reported Apple
would have another media event in the second part of
October, which is where it is likely the company would
announce these new devices — or device

Samsung shares plummeted to two-year low, as iphone 6 is launched

Samsung has experienced quite the downturn after
hitting lowest share prices since 2012. The Bloomberg
report details some factors leading to this drop,
including Apple's recent release of the iPhone 6 and
analysts lowering profit estimations.
The company lost 2.3 percent on the market, falling to
1,161,000 won. It doesn't sound like much of a turn,
until one considers the $30 billion being wiped from
Samsung's market value. The company has started to
face tough competition from other manufacturers, as well
as Apple, which recently announced over 10 million
iPhone 6 devices were sold during the launch weekend.
Samsung Securities Co. reduced its profit estimate to 4.7
trillion won, down from 5.7 trillion won, noting in a
report yesterday that "its smartphones have lost appeal
-- as evidenced by the solid performances of high-end
Chinese models and unexpectedly strong iPhone 6 pre-
orders."
It's no secret that Samsung already invests heavily in
marketing campaigns, but it will be interesting to see
how the company bolsters its defenses when it comes
to market share, especially with the Galaxy Alpha and
the Galaxy Note 4 making the rounds.
Source: BusinessWeek

Best smartphone LCD-iphone 6 plus display

DisplayMate, which routinely performs thorough
testing of display quality on a variety of electronics,
has released its iPhone 6 Display Technology Shoot-
Out, taking a look at the performance of Apple's latest
handsets using new "Retina HD" technology. While
DisplayMate's Ray Soneira has not shied away from
criticizing Apple's displays on some recent devices,
he found the iPhone 6 Plus to have the "best
performing Smartphone LCD display that we have ever
tested" while the iPhone 6 also scored well in testing.
While the "best ever" designation includes the caveat
of applying to LED displays and DisplayMate
continues to rate the OLED display from the Samsung
Galaxy Note 4 as the best overall smartphone display,
the gains seen in the iPhone 6 and particularly the
iPhone 6 Plus are impressive.
Based on our extensive Lab tests and
measurements, the iPhone 6 Plus is the Best
performing Smartphone LCD display that we
have ever tested. It delivers uniformly
consistent all around Top Tier display
performance. The iPhone 6 Plus is only the
second Smartphone display (LCD or OLED) to
ever get all Green (Very Good to Excellent)
Ratings in all test and measurement categories
(except for Brightness variation with Viewing
Angle, which is the case for all LCDs) since we
started the Display Technology Shoot-Out
article series in 2006, an impressive
achievement for a display. The iPhone 6 Plus
has raised the bar for top LCD display
performance up by a notch.
In particular, the iPhone 6 Plus display sets new
records among LCD displays for peak brightness, low
reflectance, and several measures of contrast and
accuracy.
DisplayMate finds the iPhone 6 display to have many
of the same strong areas of performance as in the
iPhone 6 Plus, but the lower resolution and pixel
density hold the smaller model back somewhat.
Most rescaled images look noticeably better on
the iPhone 6 Plus with 2.1 Mega Pixels
compared to just 1.0 Mega Pixels on the iPhone
6. In addition, even at the native display
resolution, fine text and graphics look better on
the iPhone 6 Plus if you look carefully and
closely at the screen (because you may want to
or need to).
The display on the iPhone 6 is none-the-less
still a Very Good display, and most buyers will
be happy with its performance, but it’s
somewhat disappointing that Apple went for
satisfactory as opposed to the best.
DisplayMate's report includes a variety of charts and
tables comparing the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to the
iPhone 5/5s that are worth a look, as well as some
discussion of how LCDs such as those found in the
latest iPhones compares with OLEDs favored by
Samsung.

Iphone 6 and 6 Plus top most benchmark

AnandTech spent the weekend benchmarking the
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, comparing the duo to the
iPhone 5s and competing Android handsets. The test
results show that iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models
are at the top of the charts in CPU benchmarks and
battery life, while the iPhone 6 Plus lags in graphics
performance due to the larger screen.
In in GPU benchmarks, we generally see a pretty
solid lead over the competition for the iPhone
6/A8. It's seems quite clear that there is a
significant impact to GPU performance in the
iPhone 6 Plus due to the 2208x1242 resolution
that all content is rendered at. It seems that
this is necessary though, as the rendering
system for iOS cannot easily adapt to arbitrary
resolutions and display sizes.
AnandTech also examined battery life, noting that
"Apple has managed to do something quite incredible
with battery life. " Even with a smaller 1810 mAh
battery, the iPhone 6 manages to beat out the iPhone
5s and most other Android phones on the market. Not
surprisingly with its 2910 mAH battery, the iPhone 6
Plus grabs second place behind the Huawei Ascend
Mate 2.
Apple introduced the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus during its
recent September press event and launched the
phones on September 19. The two handsets include
Apple's new A8 processor, M8 motion co-processor,
8-megapixel iSight camera, faster 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Wi‑Fi and NFC. Demand for the two phones was high
with Apple selling 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
units in the first weekend of sales.

Free App of the week "Real steel"

Reliance Big Entertainment’s popular action game Real
Steel has gone free through next Thursday as Apple’s
App of the Week. Real Steel, based on the Dreamworks
movie, starring Hugh Jackman, takes place in a secret
world where boxing has gone high-tech in the not-so-
distant future.
Players lead their robot to greatness, fighting off steel
opponents weighing over 2,000 pounds and reaching
up to 8 feet tall. Real Steel features rich gameplay and
high replay value including new Tournament and
Survival Modes. Choose your fighter from a selection of
over 33 robots, including movie champions Atom and
Zeus.
The game receives frequent updates with new content
packs and other features for strong replay value.
The full features list from the App Store:
“Choose your fighter from a selection of 33 Robots!
Including Movie Champions – Atom & Zeus!
Choose from Tag Team, Challenges, Tournament,
Survival & Free Sparring to fight!
Unlock 8 Special Edition Robots for completing Each
Game Mode!
New Tag Team Mode – 3 vs 3!
Build Customized Robots with your very own Build
Your Own Robot [BYOR] Feature!
Multiple Battle Arena Environments”
Real Steel is free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad
and iPod touch, but only for the next week. A number
of in-app purchases are available.

Iphone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus goes on sale in pictures

Twitter overhauls its UI in iphone

While many different apps were updated on
Wednesday, September 18 to follow in sync with the
public release of iOS 8, some companies waited, like
Twitter. The company has officially updated their
social networking app, though, to take advantage of
some iOS 8 features, and put a bigger focus on
profiles.
The update was detailed via their public blog, and
dives into the new profiles that will be displayed in the
iOS Twitter app from here on out, as long as you’re on
iOS 7 or later. With the new profiles, it’s all about the
content, with the user’s bio right there on the front
screen, and no longer a swipe away. On top of that,
you’ll also see more prominent displays of tweets sent,
and pictures uploaded to the network.
“You can see a bio as soon as you get to the profile
— it’s no longer a swipe away. The timelines for
Tweets, photos and favorites are easy to get to, and
you can access them from wherever you are in that
profile. “
As a final note, Twitter also mentions (as if it’s just a
passing piece of functionality) that Twitter for iOS 8
now supports interactive notifications. So, if you use
the stock Twitter app, you’ll now be able to Reply,
Retweet, Follow, Favorite and more right from the push
notification you’ll receive on your device.

"better than bigger Sony xperia Z3 compact promoted over iphone 6

Apple has been marketing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6
Plus as “bigger than bigger” since announcing the two
smartphones at the Flint Center last week. Sony has
taken advantage of the catchphrase by tweeting out a
new ad that promotes its upcoming Xperia Z3 Compact
as “better than bigger,” an obvious play on words and
subtle poke at Apple.
Sony advertises that the Xperia Z3 Compact features
two-day battery life, waterproofing and a 20.7-
megapixel camera, all of which the iPhone does not
offer. The smartphone has a 4.6-inch display, which is
just slightly smaller than the 4.7-inch model iPhone 6,
and is expected to launch in the United States soon.
Sony is the latest handset maker to mock the iPhone 6
and iPhone 6, which is unsurprising given the
unprecedented demand for the smartphones. Apple
received a total of 4 million pre-orders for the iPhone
6 and iPhone 6 Plus just one day after the
smartphones became available for purchase, and
demand should remain strong through the holidays.
Samsung has also been on the aggressive against the
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus since they were unveiled,
releasing at least a half-dozen ads targeting the
smartphones. In one of its latest ads, the South
Korean handset maker mocked Apple for launching the
iPhone 6 Plus because they seemingly claim to have
invented the large screen .
While these ads might generate a few additional sales
for Sony and Samsung, it is clear that both recognize
the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus as a huge threat. The
lack of a larger screen on iPhones was one reason why
many smartphone users flocked to Android, but that is
no longer a valid excuse with the new 4.7-inch and
5.5-inch screens.

Teardown of iphone 6 plus reveals battery

After launching a new device, a few different things
tend to happen. First, we get to see images of the
launch circulate over the ‘net, and then the inexorable
drop tests always surface. The teardown is part of the
equation as well.
According to iFixit, the site predominantly known for
the teardown treatment of many devices, the iPhone 6
Plus shares quite the striking resemblance to the
iPhone 5s. The layout is similar, yes, but the size is
obviously much bigger. More to the point, the battery
is indeed quite a bit bigger than the previous
generation. In fact, twice as big.
iFixit also notes that there are no “booby traps” once
the front panel of the device is removed from the rest
of the handset, a gentle nod towards the cable that ran
from the Lightning port to the Touch ID sensor in the
iPhone 5s. The battery in the iPhone 6 Plus is indeed
bigger than the iPhone 5s (not that that should have
been a shock at all to anyone), measuring in at
2915mAh at 3.82 volts. (As a reference point, the
iPhone 6 battery is measured in at 1810mAh.)
And finally, iFixit has indeed confirmed that the iPhone
6 Plus has 1GB of RAM, finally to putting to rest those
debates and rumors.

Drop test of ip

With the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
already underway in several countries, many
companies have begun performing tests and
benchmarks on the device. PhoneBuff has taken
the two devices and put them through a drop test,
dropping each on its back, side and front.
The iPhone 6 did well when dropped on the side
and back, but unsurprisingly suffered when dropped
on its face. The 6 Plus, on the other hand, cracked
when it landed on the side. However, it sustained
little further damage when falling on its face.
Based on this one test, both phones may have
performed worse than the iPhone 5 design which
was described as " very durable" and survived
similar drops in a previous drop tests. Without
standardized testing, it's hard to draw definitive
conclusions.

After updating to iOS 8, iphone4s owners may notice more than just slower performance

iOS 8 ( possibly the biggest release to date ).
With it, a ton of new features will find their way out
into the public domain , and a wide range of devices
will be able to get the newest software underneath
their owner’s fingertips. The iPhone 4S included.
Technically, the iPhone 4S is capable of being updated
to iOS 8, the newest version of Apple’s popular mobile
operating system, and owners will indeed see a
notification to update at some point beginning
September 17. However, as a new report published by
Ars Technica points out, updating may not be the best
option for many 4S owners out there. They point out
several different instances where the newest software
may actually worsen the experience for owners, rather
than improve it.
First and foremost, the iPhone 4S’s display size is a
big cramp on iOS 8’s style. While several of the new
features work, like the new Spotlight search, Ars
points out that the smaller display can only show a
max of two results due to the 3.5-inch display, and
the keyboard taking up a good majority of it already.
More often than not, it’s only one result. As the
original report notes, the smaller screen makes iOS 8
feel cramped.
One of the biggest issues, though, may come down to
performance. The report includes a chart that compares
several different areas of testing an iPhone 4S running
iOS 7.1.2, and iOS 8. The results, unanimously, are that
updating to the newest mobile OS means that apps
will open slower. That includes Safari, which opened in
about 1.25 seconds running on iOS 7.1.2, while it took
2.16 seconds on iOS 8. The camera gets bumped to a
slower 1.8 seconds from 1.5 seconds. Even simply
turning the iPhone 4S on takes three seconds longer.
It should also be noted that while the iPhone 4S can
be upgraded to iOS 8, and several new features are
indeed accessible, many are not. That includes, just
like in iOS 7, AirDrop. It also includes TouchID (as this
only launched with the iPhone 5s), Apple’s new
Handoff feature, and support for OpenGL ES 3.0 or the
Metal graphics API.

Teardown of Apple macbook pro retina display 2013

iFixit has performed more of its traditional high-
quality teardowns on both the new 13-inch Retina
MacBook Pro and new 15-inch Retina MacBook
Pro, revealing various improvements to the
components of both that enhance performance, but
also unsurprisingly make both harder to manually
repair.
One of the more interesting changes relative to the
new 13-inch model is that Apple has apparently
reversed its decision to move the 13-inch model's
battery away from the trackpad as seen in the
previous generation of the laptop, instead choosing
to glue the entire battery assembly into the case.
This design is very similar to the battery of the
original 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, which was
heavily criticized by iFixit for being extremely
difficult and time-consuming to remove without
puncturing the cells.
As Apple stated during its press event, the new 13-
inch Retina MacBook Pro now uses faster PCIe
flash storage, but is still proprietary as seen in the
previous generation and does not allow for easy
replacement. Other changes to the new version of
the laptop include Intel's i5 Haswell processor and
Iris Graphics, the inclusion of only one fan as
opposed to two in the last generation, a rearranged
cabling system, and a slight update to the MagSafe
2 connector.
Meanwhile, the new 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro
reveals a similar internal layout to the 13-inch
model, but includes higher grade components such
as Intel's i7 Haswell processor and Iris Pro
graphics . The glued-in battery system and the
soldered RAM as seen in the previous generation
are also still included, which indicates that no
improvements have been made to the accessibility
of the new model.
Overall, the teardowns of both new Retina MacBook
Pros otherwise yield few surprises compared to the
previous models, and the similar challenges of
proprietary pentalobe screws, soldered RAM, an
integrated display, and glued-in battery system
have led iFixit to award each of the new 13-inch
and 15-inch models a repairability score of 1 out of
10. Compared to the teardowns of 2012
models, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro has
scored one point lower than the last generation ,
while the 15-inch MacBook Pro scored the same as
the previous model.

Apple explores bone conductions earpod for noise cancellation

Apple has a new patent application (via AppleInsider )
that describes incorporating bone conduction tech into
its EarPods, as well as packing them with sensors for
better noise cancellation.
The sensors include accelerometers to detect vibration
in a wearer’s skull while they’re talking, and is able to
then identify speech and filter out other ambient noises
that classify as non-vocal. Apple also uses multiple
microphones in the patent, to help better detect voice
from either side of the earbud, and there’s a provision
for embedding mics throughout the cable to form a kind
of beamforming mic array, which is a type of
professional mic setup used to capture and isolate hiqh-
quality audio.
Information coming form the mics is then combined with
the vibrations detected by the bone conducting/
accelerometer-based part of the equation, and the
combination of the two signals tell the system what to
exclude and what to pass on when a user is speaking on
their device to a caller on the other end of the line.
Apple also describes various other types of headphones
that could use this tech, including single earbuds (like
the Motorola Hint), closed headphones (like those made
by its new subsidiary Beats) and more.
Apple hasn’t yet introduced any new kinds of EarPods,
the headphones it ships with every new iPhone, but it
has introduced dual-mic arrays on its mobile devices to
pick up audio input more clearly. If it can bring
something similar or even more effective to its earbuds,
that’s going to be a decent competitive advantage, and
should help the company step up its headphone game.