Apple iPhone 6 mobile wallet may support NFC payments: report

Apple plans to enable its next iPhone to become a mobile wallet by allowing owners to securely make mobile payments in a store with the touch of a finger, Bloomberg said on Sunday, citing a person familiar with the situation.

The agreement includes participation by Visa, MasterCard and American Express and will be announced 9 September along with unveiling of the next iPhone, according to the source, who Bloomberg said asked not to be identified because the talks are private.

The new iPhone will simplify mobile payment by including a special communication chip, along with a fingerprint recognition reader that debuted on the most recent iPhone, the source said. Officials could not immediately be reached at Apple, Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

With a recent report hinting that the next iPhone and the iWatch will incorporate NFC technology to enable users to pay by touch, we might see NFC being put to some real good use with Apple’s latest iPhone. Apple is working with Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductors NV to add secure NFC into the next iPhone. Financial Times reported that this will allow an iPhone to connect with payment terminals or ticketing systems.

Apple will not fix all iPhone 5 batteries on its list under replacement program

APPLE’S worldwide iPhone 5 battery replacement program is more narrow than the company initially promised, with seemingly eligible Australian customers turned away from its stores.

The Cupertino-based technology giant will launch its iPhone 5 replacement program in Australia today, after admitting some iPhone 5 smartphones sold between September 2012 and January 2013 had faulty batteries.

The batteries, Apple said, “may suddenly experience shorter battery life or need to be charged more frequently”.

Customers were encouraged to enter their iPhone 5’s serial number into an Apple website to determine a handset’s eligibility for a free battery replacement, or a refund if they had already paid to replace it.

But seemingly eligible Australian customers have already been rejected under the scheme after Apple added further tests.

Queensland Apple user Sue Vote said her iPhone 5, purchased shortly after its 2012 launch, was listed on Apple’s website as eligible for repair.

But after she visited the company’s Carindale store with its current user, her mother, Apple staff insisted on testing its battery and rescinded the battery replacement offer.

Ms Vote said the Apple staffer determined the battery was “borderline” defective but “not close enough” to warrant a free replacement, and asked for $99 to install a new battery.

“Mum’s been charging (the iPhone) up to 90 per cent regularly and it goes flat in a couple of hours. She actually carries another old phone with her now because she just can’t trust that it won’t run out of battery,” Ms Vote says.

“I’ve got friends on Facebook thinking they’ve got a ‘golden ticket’ with this Apple offer but that’s no longer clear.”

Apple’s Battery Replacement Program website states users must ensure eligible iPhone 5 handsets have no damage, like a cracked screen, and also states iPhones will “be examined prior to any service to verify (they are) eligible for this program and in working order”.

Apple Australia declined to comment on the issue.

Apple May Give You A New iPhone Battery For Free

Is your Kim Kardashian game draining your iPhone battery too quickly? You may be eligible for a replacement from Apple.



In a post on its website, the company announced that it will replace the battery packs for free in some phones sold between September 2012 and January 2013. A flaw in a "very small percentage" of devices sold during that window causes the phones to suddenly lose charge and need to be plugged in frequently. The company started replacing the batteries on Aug. 22.

To find out if you're eligible, Apple has a serial number checker here. The company also said it would refund customers who have already paid to replace faulty batteries.

But, Apple noted, don't get all crazy and think it's going to give you a freebie after you accidentally dropped your phone on the dance floor last weekend. Broken screens and other damages can make it difficult to replace the battery, so even if you're eligible for a replacement, you might be on the hook for other costs, the company said.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request from The Huffington Post for comment on Sunday.

Apple iPhone 6 production affected by screen snag

Suppliers to Apple are scrambling to get enough screens ready for the new iPhone 6 smartphone as the need to redesign a key component disrupted panel production ahead of next month’s expected launch, supply chain sources said.



It’s unclear whether the hiccup could delay the launch or limit the number of phones initially available to consumers, the sources said, as Apple readies larger-screen iPhones for the year-end shopping season amid market share loss to cheaper rivals.

But the issue highlights the risks and challenges that suppliers face to meet Apple’s tough specifications, and comes on the heels of a separate screen technology problem, since resolved, in making thinner screens for the larger iPhone 6 model.

Cupertino, California-based Apple has scheduled a media event for Sept. 9, and many expect it to unveil the new iPhone 6 with both 4.7 inch (11.94 cm) and 5.5 inch (13.97 cm) screens – bigger than the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5s and 5c.

Two supply chain sources said display panel production suffered a setback after the backlight that helps illuminate the screen had to be revised, putting screen assembly on hold for part of June and July. One said Apple, aiming for the thinnest phone possible, initially wanted to cut back to a single layer of backlight film, instead of the standard two layers, for the 4.7-inch screen, which went into mass production ahead of the 5.5-inch version.

But the new configuration was not bright enough and the backlight was sent back to the drawing board to fit in the extra layer, costing precious time and temporarily idling some screen assembly operations, the source said.

Output is now back on track and suppliers are working flat-out to make up for lost time, the supply chain sources added.

Japan Display Inc, Sharp Corp and South Korea’s LG Display Co Ltd have been selected to make the iPhone 6 screens, the sources said.

Representatives for those three suppliers, and for Apple, declined to comment.

WIDER IMPACT
Apple is known to make tough demands on its parts suppliers for new iPhones and iPads as it competes to create designs, shapes, sizes and features to set it apart and command a premium price in a fiercely competitive gadget market.

This can cause glitches and delays, including screen problems that crimped supplies at last year’s launch of a high-resolution version of Apple’s iPad Mini.

It also highlights the danger for suppliers of depending too heavily on Apple for revenues, creating earnings volatility.

Earlier this month, Japan Display, said to be the lead supplier for the new iPhone panel, said orders for “a large customer” – which analysts said was Apple – arrived as expected, but shipments may be delayed in the July-September quarter.

Japan Display’s reliance on Apple’s cyclical business has spooked some investors. UBS Securities has forecast that Apple will contribute more than a third of the Japanese firm’s total revenue in the year to March 2015. Japan Display’s share price dropped to a 12-week low of 501 yen after first-quarter earnings on Aug. 7 lagged market expectations.

In Taiwan, home to several Apple suppliers and assemblers, export orders grew less than expected in July, even as factories rushed output ahead of new smartphone launches, reflecting the erratic nature of the business.

“Currently, there’s a small shortage in supply of a specialised component for our communication devices,” said a spokesman for Pegatron, which assembles iPhones. “This kind of problem regularly occurs and the impact on production is negligible.”

Supply chain sources had previously said challenges with the new iPhone’s screen in-cell technology, which eliminates one of the layers in the LCD screen to make it thinner, caused a delay in the production of the larger 5.5-inch version. One display industry source said the in-cell issues had now been resolved.

The pressure on Apple for stand-out products has increased as Samsung Electronics Co and, more recently, a clutch of aggressive, lower-cost Chinese producers such as Xiaomi Inc and Lenovo Group Ltd have eroded the U.S. company’s market dominance.

The iPhone 6 unveiling has been widely anticipated to bolster momentum for Apple shares, which have risen by a third, to above $100 each, since the company posted strong first-quarter earnings in late-April.

Apple iPhone 6 production 'hit' after screen snag

Suppliers to Apple Inc are scrambling to get enough screens ready for the new iPhone 6 smartphone as the need to redesign a key component disrupted panel production ahead of next month's expected launch, supply chain sources said.

It's unclear whether the hiccup could delay the launch or limit the number of phones initially available to consumers, the sources said, as Apple readies larger-screen iPhones for the year-end shopping season amid market share loss to cheaper rivals.

But the issue highlights the risks and challenges that suppliers face to meet Apple's tough specifications, and comes on the heels of a separate screen technology problem, since resolved, in making thinner screens for the larger iPhone 6 model.

Cupertino, California-based Apple has scheduled a media event for Sept. 9, and many expect it to unveil the new iPhone 6 with both 4.7 inch (11.94 cm) and 5.5 inch (13.97 cm) screens - bigger than the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5s and 5c.

Two supply chain sources said display panel production suffered a setback after the backlight that helps illuminate the screen had to be revised, putting screen assembly on hold for part of June and July. One said Apple, aiming for the thinnest phone possible, initially wanted to cut back to a single layer of backlight film, instead of the standard two layers, for the 4.7-inch screen, which went into mass production ahead of the 5.5-inch version.

But the new configuration was not bright enough and the backlight was sent back to the drawing board to fit in the extra layer, costing precious time and temporarily idling some screen assembly operations, the source said.

Output is now back on track and suppliers are working flat-out to make up for lost time, the supply chain sources added.

Japan Display Inc, Sharp Corp and South Korea's LG Display Co Ltd have been selected to make the iPhone 6 screens, the sources said.

Representatives for those three suppliers, and for Apple, declined to comment.

WIDER IMPACT

Apple is known to make tough demands on its parts suppliers for new iPhones and iPads as it competes to create designs, shapes, sizes and features to set it apart and command a premium price in a fiercely competitive gadget market.

This can cause glitches and delays, including screen problems that crimped supplies at last year's launch of a high-resolution version of Apple's iPad Mini.

It also highlights the danger for suppliers of depending too heavily on Apple for revenues, Suppliers to Apple Inc are scrambling to get enough screens ready for the new iPhone 6 smartphone as the need to redesign a key component disrupted panel production ahead of next month's expected launch, supply chain sources said.

It's unclear whether the hiccup could delay the launch or limit the number of phones initially available to consumers, the sources said, as Apple readies larger-screen iPhones for the year-end shopping season amid market share loss to cheaper rivals.

But the issue highlights the risks and challenges that suppliers face to meet Apple's tough specifications, and comes on the heels of a separate screen technology problem, since resolved, in making thinner screens for the larger iPhone 6 model.

Cupertino, California-based Apple has scheduled a media event for Sept. 9, and many expect it to unveil the new iPhone 6 with both 4.7 inch (11.94 cm) and 5.5 inch (13.97 cm) screens - bigger than the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5s and 5c.

Two supply chain sources said display panel production suffered a setback after the backlight that helps illuminate the screen had to be revised, putting screen assembly on hold for part of June and July. One said Apple, aiming for the thinnest phone possible, initially wanted to cut back to a single layer of backlight film, instead of the standard two layers, for the 4.7-inch screen, which went into mass production ahead of the 5.5-inch version.

But the new configuration was not bright enough and the backlight was sent back to the drawing board to fit in the extra layer, costing precious time and temporarily idling some screen assembly operations, the source said.

Output is now back on track and suppliers are working flat-out to make up for lost time, the supply chain sources added.

Japan Display Inc, Sharp Corp and South Korea's LG Display Co Ltd have been selected to make the iPhone 6 screens, the sources said.

Representatives for those three suppliers, and for Apple, declined to comment.

WIDER IMPACT

Apple is known to make tough demands on its parts suppliers for new iPhones and iPads as it competes to create designs, shapes, sizes and features to set it apart and command a premium price in a fiercely competitive gadget market.

This can cause glitches and delays, including screen problems that crimped supplies at last year's launch of a high-resolution version of Apple's iPad Mini.

It also highlights the danger for suppliers of depending too heavily on Apple for revenues, creating earnings volatility.

Earlier this month, Japan Display, said to be the lead supplier for the new iPhone panel, said orders for "a large customer" - which analysts said was Apple - arrived as expected, but shipments may be delayed in the July-September quarter.

Japan Display's reliance on Apple's cyclical business has spooked some investors. UBS Securities has forecast that Apple will contribute more than a third of the Japanese firm's total revenue in the year to March 2015. Japan Display's share price dropped to a 12-week low of 501 yen after first-quarter earnings on Aug. 7 lagged market expectations.

In Taiwan, home to several Apple suppliers and assemblers, export orders grew less than expected in July, even as factories rushed output ahead of new smartphone launches, reflecting the erratic nature of the business.

"Currently, there's a small shortage in supply of a specialised component for our communication devices," said a spokesman for Pegatron, which assembles iPhones. "This kind of problem regularly occurs and the impact on production is negligible."

Supply chain sources had previously said challenges with the new iPhone's screen in-cell technology, which eliminates one of the layers in the LCD screen to make it thinner, caused a delay in the production of the larger 5.5-inch version. One display industry source said the in-cell issues had now been resolved.

The pressure on Apple for stand-out products has increased as Samsung Electronics Co and, more recently, a clutch of aggressive, lower-cost Chinese producers such as Xiaomi Inc and Lenovo Group Ltd have eroded the U.S. company's market dominance.

The iPhone 6 unveiling has been widely anticipated to bolster momentum for Apple shares, which have risen by a third, to above $100 each, since the company posted strong first-quarter earnings in late-April.

Video - The Apple Conspiracy: Are Apple Products Made To Break?

Watch this Video for some of the facts about Apple INC.

Nintendo Bringing Pokemon To iPad In Trading Card Form

The eternal dream of Nintendo showering the smartphone/tablet community with their Pokemon license may still never come to pass, but at least one aspect of the series is heading that direction. The Pokemon Trading Card Game is coming to iPad, competing with other recent digital card battling games that have found success on the platform like Hearthstone.



The quick snapshot of the game comes from  Josh Wittenkeller on Twitter, and its existence has been confirmed by an official rep of The Pokemon Company. The new game is being showed off at the World Pokemon Championship this weekend, but there’s no timetable for an official release as of yet. The game already exists on Windows and Mac, but this is the first news of a portable tablet release.

I expect to see a lot more digital card games coming to tablets, even as established ones like Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone are already there. The medium is absolutely perfect for card games, though it should be said you don’t see all that many sky high on the app charts like you have with Flappy Bird clones, infinite running titles or shape-matching puzzle games.

The truth is that generally speaking, the app market rejects complexity. Even if a game like Hearthstone is relatively easy to pick up and play for the average gamer, the average gamer is not the average app store customer. Not to insult the intelligence of the general public, but it’s very obvious that simpler games find more success than complex ones a lot of time in the market. Not always, surely, but a good deal of the time. That’s why even if the iPad is a perfect medium for battle card games, they still have somewhat limited appeal. The same will likely be true for Pokemon, which is arguably more complex than something like Hearthstone. That said, developers should always strive to raise the general quality level of the tablet/smartphone game market, because lord knows it needs it.

As for Pokemon itself, this will inevitably start some new debate about how Nintendo must react to the changing winds and release all their games on the Android and Apple AAPL +0.49% app stores. I understand the sentiment, and it does seem like a logical transition, but this goes back to the “should Nintendo stay in the hardware game?” question that’s being asked every few weeks any time a new Nintendo doom and gloom story comes to light.

While I think there’s an argument to be made for Nintendo shifting to software for the console market, as evidenced by the poor sales of the Wii U limiting the reach of their phenomenal first party games, I can’t say the same about mobile yet.

Nintendo understands the mobile market far better than they do consoles at the moment. Their handhelds remain some of the top selling video game systems of all time, and the 3DS is now the 12th highest selling piece of gaming hardware ever. Nintendo is absolutely not going to undercut it by releasing their games on smartphones and tablets.

That said, with 44M sold, the 3DS is still woefully short of even the Game Boy Advance (81.5M) and lightyears away from Nintendo’s past smash hits, the original Game Boy (119M) and the DS (154M). Even if it’s still doing pretty well, there is an obvious trend as there is more and more competition in the mobile games space as the years press on. And you can bet it’s not the PS Vita putting pressure on them.

But Nintendo continues to offer a unique perspective on mobile games, creating quality titles that are leagues better than most offerings in any app store. Though Nintendo is designing mobile games for gamers, where app games are designed for literally anyone. Obviously one is going to have more broad appeal that the other.

We need both, however. Nintendo has created a great mobile experience for those who are willing to pay a little more for better games, and don’t mind carrying around a piece of gaming-specific hardware, even in an age where your keys and wallet can be on your phone.

But hey, if you want a taste of what they could be like on tablets, maybe this new Pokemon game is for you. I’ll certainly give it a shot, even if it’s been fifteen years since I first opened up my dream pack of cards with a holofoil Charizard. That’s worth what, like $500K now? I knew they were a good investment.

7 awesome paid iPhone apps that are free right now ($18 value!)

These are paid iPhone and iPad apps that have been made available for free for a limited time by their developers. There is no way to tell how long they will be free. These sales could end an hour from now or a week from now — obviously, the only thing we can guarantee is that they are free at the time this post is published. If you click on a link and see a price listed next to an app instead of the word “free,” it is no longer free. The sale has ended. If you download the app, you will be charged.

Quickipedia

Check out Wikipedia articles in a gorgeous interface that matches Apple’s iOS 7 UI perfectly.

Read Wikipedia in any of over 250 languages faster than you ever thought possible, powered by Spritz!

Using Spritz, Quickipedia will rapidly flash one word at a time at any of over 40 different speeds. This eliminates the need for your eyes to scan the text in order to read efficiently. Spritz provides a reticle at the ideal position in a word to allow your mind to comprehend each word despite seeing it for only a fraction of a second. Read up to 1000 words per minute while maintaining or improving your current comprehension. The average person reads normally at about 250 words per minute, but with Rapid, you will very soon double or triple that speed.

Features
• Swipe to star articles
• Read in true fullscreen
• Swipe down to dismiss
• Spritz mode or read mode both in fullscreen
• Swipe to rewind/advance
• Jump to any section using table of contents
• Open html version of article for reference
• Select from over 40 speeds
• View time remaining or words remaining
• Retrieve and star random Wikipedia articles
• Seek to any word in the text
• Share any article

This beautifully designed app will give you the smoothest Wikipedia reading experience available anywhere!

Quickipedia is normally $0.99 but it’s free right now.

Download Quickipedia

Daily Goals

Sometimes the gap between having goals and achieving your goals can feel massive. But don’t worry… there’s an app for that.

Daily Goals – Track. Analyze. Succeed.
An ultra simple and colourful app that helps you keep track of your habits.

BUILD HABITS
– Create and track unlimited habits.
– Configure the name, colour, start & end dates, reminder time and schedule for each habit.
– Schedule habits to repeat on specific days of the week or weekly (eg 3 times per week).

STAY MOTIVATED
– Get simple, colourful feedback on your progress by plotting habits of your choice on the history calendar.
– Up to 8 habits can be plotted simultaneously letting you see the big picture.

ANALYZE AND ACHIEVE
– Get insight into your habits with powerful per-habit or overall analysis:
– Per habit analysis types:
+ Current/longest streak per habit
+ % completion last 7/30/365 days per habit
+ completion count per habit last 7/30/365 days
– Overall analysis types:
+ % completion by day/week/month.

DO IT YOUR WAY
– Choose the start day of the week
– Choose when your day ends (handy for night owls)
– Choose between light and dark themes
– Show number of remaining habits on icon badge
– Set a passcode to keep your habits private
– Set a daily reminder to record your progress

FEATURES NOT INCLUDED (YET)
– multiple device sync
– monthly habits

Daily Goals is free for a limited time, down from its typical price of $2.99.

Download Daily Goals

PDF PROvider

If it involves PDF files, this app can do it.

Meet the best-of-breed PDF processor for power users. Scan papers, surf the web and view office documents. Save essential content to Portable Document Format. Easily merge and arrange PDF files. Annotate, sign and share documents on the fly. All with crisp-new iOS 7 look and feel.

In its core, PDF PROvider is the robust convert to Adobe renowned format. Use it to convert Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Pages, Numbers and Keynote files, as well as Web Pages, Maps, Contacts, Photos and other popular content.

With the built-in scanner, internal web browser, Open In command and support for Dropbox storage, PDF PROvider ensures quick access to all your essential documents and major content.

Moreover, you will appreciate advances annotation tools that enable to make comments share thoughts and sign PDF documents.

To organize and store your files, you can take advantage of an innovative file manager that features List and Collection Views. The latter offers an intuitive touch-friendly way to manage documents and perform most frequent operations. Also, you can send PDFs by e-mail, open in other apps and print to the wireless printer.

*Save Web Pages for Offline Reading*

Use PDF PROvider to save blog posts, product listings, bookings, reservations and other web content to PDF and keep for reference at any time. The internal web browser lets do online surfing, convert web pages from different web sources to PDF one by one, into multi-page PDF document.

*Create Content-Rich Digests and Reports*

Merge documents, text, Web Pages, Contacts, Photos and Maps into rich, informative PDF documents, reports and digests. Arrange content by laying out the correct order of the pages.

*Scan and Save to PDF*

Scan paper records and documents into sharp readable images using the built-in scanner. Save digital copies into high-quality PDF files and keep for sharing or back up purposes.

*Make notes and share your thoughts within PDFs*

PDF PROvider offers rich annotating tools. You can add notes, highlight text, insert stamps, shapes, handwriting and other. All annotation tools come with advanced styles and settings.

*Sign Documents*

Use PDF PROvider to sign contracts, agreements and other legal documents and papers. PDF PROvider allows you to select the color of the signature.

Save to PDF and share:
• Pages, Numbers and Keynote documents
• Word, Excel and PowerPoint files
• Photos
• Pictures and Texts from Clipboard
• Contacts
• Web pages
• Maps

With PDF PROvider you can:
• Merge several documents of different formats into single PDF in required order
• Scan paper documents into sharp readable images save them to high quality PDFs
•View web pages
•Annotate and sign PDFs
•Transfer documents from desktop computers
• Copy & Paste notes from the Notes application
• Open documents from Mail and Safari, Box and other cloud storage applications
•Synchronize documents or pictures with your Dropbox account for converting and merging.

PDF PROvider is currently on sale for free, providing big savings compared to the normal $7.99 price tag.

Download PDF PROvider

TouchRetouch HD

Remove blemishes or even people from photos with ease using this nifty iPad app.

TouchRetouch HD is a revolutionary application that lets you remove unwanted content or objects from your photos, using just your finger and iPad. Mark the items you want taken out of the snapshot and hit ‘Go’. That’s all there is to it. Retouching photographs has never been so quick, easy and convenient. Click “…More” to learn why you should download this App today!

You recently got married on a beautiful Caribbean beach. Everything was so perfect. Luckily, you have a lot of memorable snapshots of the crystalline water and white sand backdrop of the ceremony, you and your new spouse silhouetted in the sunset, your guests under a palm tree, that nude sunbather that somehow got included in a shot taken during the exchanging of vows. Yikes!

Before showing your mom those photos, take a minute to remove that accidental guest from an otherwise great picture. Open your TouchRetouch HD app. Using your finger, select the Brush or Lasso tool to mark what you don’t want in the shot, then hit the ‘Go’ button. Okay, you’re done and it’s now safe to share your picture-perfect memories with everybody.

TouchRetouch HD isn’t just for exotic or wedding photo touch-ups, of course. Use this easy yet ingenious application on any photo, newly snapped on your iDevice or taken from your gallery. Remove those wires that are in the way of an otherwise wonderful view, take banners off of buildings, get rid of people, eliminate spots and other imperfections. All without distorting the final image.

You can even have a little fun with TouchRetouch HD. Take away the bicycle from under your brother and it looks like he’s cycling in mid-air. You can make it look like people are flying, jumping or posed oddly, by removing whatever was supporting them.

Do everything mentioned here and more, in mere seconds without any special equipment.

Check out some of the things that you can do with TouchRetouch HD:
* Remove spots from sky or other backgrounds
* Remove wires from your picture
* Remove banners from the buildings
* Remove human-made objects from nature views (bridges, buildings, tents, ships etc.)
* Remove your shadow from self-made picture
* Remove people from the photo
* Remove ghosts and flare
* Remove surface breaks
* Smoothen and retouch the face
* Create funny pictures: for example, remove parachute and leave the guy flying in the sky

This app is just so versatile! It comes loaded with great features and functions that you’re going to love using and appreciate having, especially in an easy-to-use, portable medium that goes everywhere you do.

Features
* In-app video tutorials
* Unlimited Undo\Redo actions
* Smart image background recovery techniques
* No distortions in final image
* Easy to use interface
* Sending retouched images via e-mail
* Original image resolution

Download TouchRetouch HD now and start creating amazing or funny photos. It’s easy, fun and always ready to edit your images in a tap or two – no matter when, no matter where.

Enjoy your new snapshots!

Normally $0.99, this app is free for just one day. There’s also an iPhone version but it costs $0.99.

Download TouchRetouch HD

iPacking

Packing for a trip will never be painless, but this app will at least take some of the hassle out of the experience.

iPacking is an excellent and funny packed app. The app can help you pack your luggage and handle any type of trip you take. Whether you are going to business trip, taking a vacation, going camping or just a road trip. Even more wonderful was that the app lets you more like packed.

Feature:

- A great “Pack Now” option to help users efficiently complete their packing list, while they use simple and intuitive gestures to navigate through each item.
– A database of over 340 possible travel items, plus the option to add an unlimited number of items.
– A database of various travel templates – such as camping, business trip, and so on – that can be customized to fit each user’s current and future requirements.
-The ability to create an unlimited number of lists and categories to easily manage the packing duties for any kind of trip — whether it’s across the city, or on the other side of the world.
– A handy filter to see items that are packed or unpacked.
– Social integration to share packing lists with family, friends and colleagues via Facebook, Twitter or email, so they can confirm that the packing list is complete.
– An “Unpack All” option for travelers who are essentially repeating the same trip, and want to ensure that they take the same items.
– Show only items that are packed, unpacked, or show them all.
– Edit item number.
– Add the item to a new or existing category.
– Copy List : when you need to create a similar one.
– Easier edit items for rearrange, rename, change the category and move them.
– Print your list directly to a printer.
– Save list as template.

iPacking isn’t only for trips. Create lists for shopping, Todo and other miscellaneous tasks.

This app is a bargain at $1.99, but free is even better.

Download iPacking

Scanner with OCR

This app couldn’t be simpler: Just snap a picture of a document and Scanner with OCR will digitize the text.

OCR Scanner is a very useful application for:

- High school students, college students, Students
– When traveling abroad
– In your everyday life (Recipe, Books, Newspaper, etc.).
– Etc.
————————————————-

OCR Scanner is a combination between Pixels (your pictures) and text (what you will get) by Optical character recognition usually abbreviated to OCR which is the mechanical or electronic conversion of scanned images of handwritten, typewritten or printed text into machine-encoded text.

OCR Scanner is the most elegant and easy way extract text from your pictures. It’s a powerful tool that turns your iPhone into a multi-functional mobile scanner with translation capability.

Snap a photo or choose an existing one from your library and the app will instantly extract your text from the picture.

OCR Scanner turns your physical documents into a digital notes that you can edit, translate or share to many apps.

OCR Scanner just works as advertised. It use an advanced image-processing algorithms to eliminate uneven lighting and shadows and improve contrast. The result is the clearest and most readable scans possible from the iPhone’s camera.

What makes OCR Scanner unique:

- Application Interface
It is clean, agile and focused on your productivity.

- OCR Recognition Language
OCR Scanner supports 32 recognition languages:

ENGLISH
BRAZILIAN
BULGARIAN
BYELORUSSIAN
CHINESE (SIMPLIFIED)
CHINESE (TRADITIONAL)
CATALAN
KOREAN
CROATIAN
CZECH
DANISH
DUTCH
ESTONIAN
FINNISH
FRENCH
GERMAN
GREEK
HUNGARIAN
INDONESIAN
ITALIAN
JAPANESE
LATIN
LATVIAN
LITHUANIAN
MOLDAVIAN
POLISH
PORTUGUESE
ROMANIAN
RUSSIAN
SERBIAN
SLOVAK
SLOVENIAN
SPANISH
SWEDISH
TURKISH
UKRAINIAN

- Picture Adjustment
You can crop your picture to only select the portion of text that you want to extract

- Editing
You can edit the extracted text to add or remove words.

- Sharing
You can share your text to almost all your favorite apps including:

# Email
# SMS
# Facebook
# Twitter
# Pages
# Evernote
# Word
# Pdf
# Doc2Go
# Dropbox
# and many more

REQUIREMENTS

- OCR Scanner requires network connectivity (WiFi or 3G/EDGE).

All processing happens on your iPhone, and the confidentiality of your data is never compromised. There is also no subscription fee.

Normally $1.99, this app is free right now.

Download Scanner with OCR

Vintage+

What would a list of apps be without at least one photo filter app?

◉ WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT
This is an old photo camera, you can select include the old, retro, mottled, wrinkles, scratches, mold lines, leaky, black and white, yellow, film, magic light, 8mm, brightly colored effects, for your photos to create more memories.

◉ ASTONISHING EFFECTS
• 60 models topic black and white Filters
• 50 models unique Retro Effect
• 40 models Flare Effect
• 35 models Vintage Light Effect
• 30 models Film Leaked

◉ DESIGN STEP
First-time users can follow the designer to do so, first choose to apply your photos to black and white or yellowing photograph looks old filter (Filter) save and reopen the photo, and then the second (or more) apply effects such as scratches and spots (Effect) you can get more levels, more natural realistic old photo effect Oh!
More wonderful visual effect waiting for you to personally try! Download it now!

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Samsung Galaxy Alpha vs iPhone 6

Samsung's freshly-unveiled Galaxy Alpha is a pretty obvious punt at outdoing Apple's premium approach to design.



While it hasn't been revealed yet, rumours have us left with a pretty good idea of what the iPhone 6 will be like. It also appears like it will launch around the same time as the Galaxy Alpha. So, it's time to get comparing.



Design

Until now, Samsung's approach to design has always been 'the more plastic, the better'. This just doesn't cut it in a world where phones like the HTC One M8 or iPhone 5S exist.

Samsung knows this, so has decided to finally incorporate some more premium materials into its design philosophy. Enter the Galaxy Alpha.

The phone is just 6.7mm thick, which puts it right at the top end of slimmest mobile devices out there. It also uses a metallic wraparound, which gives the phone more of a high-end look.

However, Apple looks to be keeping up its tradition of using as much aluminium as possible. The vast deluge of iPhone 6 leaks all point to a super-slim handset with a glass front and a MacBook-style metallic back.

There is also a rumour that the phone will feature a light-up Apple logo just like that found on the firm's laptops, which, while being largely pointless, is a definite design plus point.

While it's a matter of opinion, if the iPhone 6 turns out looking like it does in leaks, then it knocks the Galaxy Alpha out of the park for design.

Hardware

Samsung has included as many cores as possible in the Galaxy Alpha. It comes with either an octo-core processor or a quad-core 2.5GHz unit.

The iPhone will likely stick at a dual-core chip, with some clever GPU tweaks and increased usage of 64-bit technology. The only way we can know the winner here is with a straight up benchmarking test, which we just can't do yet.

Real-world usage rules apply however, which means that the iPhone will probably feel slick in terms of user interface, but that Android's customisation and raw power will put it ahead for those who are more tech-confident.

2GB of RAM in the Galaxy Alpha is more than enough for quite serious multi-tasking. In fact, the only gap we think Samsung has left here against the iPhone is the decision to go for a 720p screen.

If Apple opts to put a higher resolution and larger Retina display in the iPhone 6, then you can be almost certain that it will take the win on the hardware front. Both screens are 4.7 inches.

It's also worth noting that Samsung has used Gorilla Glass for the Galaxy Alpha, whereas Apple will use Sapphire Crystal, a much stronger compound.

Camera

Samsung has incorporated a 12-megapixel unit into the Galaxy Alpha alongside a 2.1-megapixel camera on the front.

Apple already had a corker of a camera with the iPhone 5S. iOS 8 already does a lot to improve its flexibility, so boost the tech for the iPhone 6 and things will at least be on par with what Samsung is doing here.

Rumours point to a 13-megapixel Sony Exmor sensor unit, which would place the iPhone ahead of the Samsung in the sensor race.

Storage

Bizarrely, Samsung made the decision not to include microSD with the Galaxy Alpha, which means you are stuck with the 32GB that the handset ships with.

Apple always offers numerous storage options for its iPhone going up to 64GB, but this time around, there are whispers of a 128GB option. Expect it to be very expensive.

Release date and pricing

On the subject of pricing, neither manufacturer has announced any costs just yet. Apple doesn't like to mess with prices however, so expect the iPhone 6 to cost around £550 off contract.

As for the Samsung, the specifications read more like a mid-tier handset for the Korean manufacturer, so it's possible that it'll be around £350-£400.

As for release date, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 on September 9. Release usually falls two to four weeks later.

Samsung has the phone listed as going on sale at 'the beginning of September', which basically means 'whenever the iPhone 6 doesn't launch'.

7 alternatives to Facebook Messenger

Facebook had a lot of people talking this week about new changes to its popular messaging app – if you want to chat on Facebook, you'll have to download the separate Facebook Messenger app and keep it running at the same time as Facebook.



"That's kind of a pain," says Facebook user Stephanie Smith. "I think it's easier to just press one button, have one click and have it all in an integrated service."

Her sentiments are not unique -- so we went out and surveyed great alternatives to Facebook Messenger for those who don't want to have that second app running all the time.

The advantage of a chat app over straight texting on a phone: Fans say chat apps are more reliable than standalone text apps on phones, because it's internet based, you don't have to worry about your texts not going through.

• What'sApp (Free, Apple, Android, Windows, Blackberry) is the most popular stand-alone chat app, with 450 million users. Facebook snapped up the service earlier this year, for $19 billion, but has yet to make any substantial changes. WhatsApp is more popular overseas than here, as a way to make global texts for free. "It's the easiest way to reach my international friends," says Kelsey Doorey, who runs the Vow to be Chic startup here. "You can contact people who live all over the world."

• Viber (Free, Apple, Android, Windows, Blackberry,) Also popular worldwide, with 300 million users, Viber is more than just free texting – it also has a new desktop app that lets you make free phone calls and texts worldwide to other Viber users from your computer. Japanese media company Rakuten bought Viber for $900 million earlier this year.

• Google Hangouts (Free, Android, Apple.) The old Google Talk chat service morphed into Hangouts in 2013, and while Google hasn't released usage numbers, Hangouts offers video chat and a very cool feature only available on Apple devices – free phone calls to any number in the United State or Canada, from within the app, without having to pay carrier charges.

• MessageMe (Free, Apple, Android) is designed with group messaging in mind. Like Viber, it has a desktop app to keep the conversations flowing between mobile and desktop. "MessageMe has been one of our favorites," says Bob Wall, the Chief Technology Officer for start-up Washio. "One of the nice aspects is that you can do video, you can do photo, you can do text, you can look up pictures from the internet and put them right in there. So it takes messaging like one step further."

• TapTalk (Free, Apple, Android.)The new service advertises itself as "one to one pics and videos in a split second," Wall's Washio boss Jordan Metzner, is a big fan. "It allows you to send a really quick image, or video to your friends, and it knows your location as well. And it's almost instantaneous. So the moment you send it to your friend, you can't send that same picture to someone else, you need to send them a new picture."

• GroupMe: (Free, Apple, Android, Windows) is a way to text beyond one-to-one, with multiple friends.

"I've used it on trips with groups of people, and it's easy," says Giselle Andrea of Los Angeles. "To stay in touch with people."

• TextPlus (Free, Apple, Android,) has both free unlimited texting, and free phone calls via a TextPlus generated phone number to the 60 million TextPlus members. Outside of the network is two cents a minute.

5 myths about Facebook's Messenger app

Facebook's recent effort to force people to adopt its standalone mobile messaging app has privacy-concerned users up in arms. Many of them believe the app is especially invasive.

One blog from the Huffington Post published in December has gone viral, making the rounds on the social network recently because it claims the app gives Facebook "direct control over your mobile device" and allows Facebook to call phone numbers without a users' intervention and send text messages without confirmation, but none of that is accurate.

In truth, Facebook Messenger isn't any more invasive than Facebook's main app -or other similar applications.

The fear and confusion stem from a message that greets owners of Android devices when they install the app. It explains that the app requires permission access to the device's camera, microphone, list of contacts and other information.

Here's what Facebook's mobile messaging app does and doesn't do.

-Myth: You have to use the Messenger app if you want to send messages to your Facebook friends.

-Reality: While it's required to download if you are using Facebook's mobile app on the iPhone or Android smartphones, you can avoid it if use the Facebook messenger service on your desktop or laptop, iPad or even the mobile Facebook website.

-Myth: The Facebook Messenger app's terms of service are different from -and more intrusive than- Facebook's own official terms.

-Reality: Facebook's terms of service are the same for all its mobile apps, including the main Facebook app. You can read it here: m.facebook.com/policies. What's upsetting people is the list of "permissions" they see when they download and install the app on an Android phone. It's a long list with 10 items, each of which states that the app needs access to features on your phone including contacts, calendar, location data and Wi-Fi information. Sure, that's a lot of personal data. But it's the same data most messaging apps have access to. On the iPhone, users don't get the list of permissions when they install the app, but when they use it, permissions pop up individually. You can view the app's list of permissions here:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?idcom.facebook.orca . Click "view details" under Permissions.

-Myth: Facebook's Messenger app will use your phone's microphone to record you.

-Reality: The app needs permission to use your phone's microphone and camera. But it requires that access because the microphone is needed for voice calling, a service that the standalone app offers that the Facebook app doesn't, and sending sound with videos. Same with the camera, it needs access if you want to send your friends pictures.

-Myth: Facebook will direct the app to send SMS, or text, messages without your permission.

-Reality: One of the permissions does say that Facebook can edit, receive, read and send SMS messages. But the company says the reason it wants to send and receive SMS messages is so that if you add a phone number to your Messenger account, you can confirm by a confirmation code that Facebook sends via text message.

-Myth: The Messenger app is new.

-Reality: Facebook's Messenger app has been around since 2011. In April, it started requiring that users in Europe download and install the app if they wish to send messages to Facebook friends. Two weeks ago, the company said it would expand the requirement to other parts of the world. Facebook says it's forcing users to make the switch because a standalone app offers more features. For example, the app is faster, it offers a selfie cam, stickers and can be used to reach people on your contact list who are not Facebook users.

Apple to rollout Healthkit in iPhone 6 amidst tough challenges

Apple has been discussing how its “HealthKit” service will work with health providers at Mount Sinai, the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins as well as with Allscripts, a competitor to electronic health records provider Epic Systems, people familiar with the discussions said.

While the talks may not amount to anything concrete, they underscore how Apple is intent on making health data, such as blood pressure, pulse and weight, available for consumers and health providers to view in one place.

Currently, this data is being collected by thousands of third-party health care software applications and medical devices, but it isn’t centrally stored. Apple also hopes physicians will use this data to better monitor patients between visits – with the patient’s consent — so the doctors can make better diagnostic and treatment decisions.

Apple has not divulged much specific detail on HealthKit, which is expected to be incorporated into the iPhone 6 come September. But Apple intends HealthKit to become a lynchpin in a broader push into mobile healthcare — a fertile field that rivals Google and Samsung are also exploring.

The iPhone maker has previously disclosed partnerships with Nike, Epic, and the prestigious Mayo Clinic, which boasts a suite of mobile apps. Mayo is reportedly testing a service to flag patients when results from apps and devices are abnormal, with follow-up information and treatment recommendations.

Dozens of major health systems that use Epic’s software will soon be able to integrate health and fitness data from HealthKit into Epic’s personal health record, called MyChart, according to a person briefed by Apple. Kaiser Permanente is currently piloting a number of mobile apps that leverage HealthKit, two people have said, and is expected to reach out to Apple to discuss a more formal partnership.

“Apple is going into this space with a data play,” said Forrester Research’s health care analyst Skip Snow. “They want to be a hub of health data.”

But some implementations with HealthKit may be a challenge due to a web of privacy and regulatory requirements and many decades-old IT systems, said Morgan Reed, executive director of ACT, a Washington-based organization that represents mobile app developers.

“Everybody is knocking on the door,” he said. “But I doubt that HealthKit will merge with all the existing systems.”

Apple declined to comment on upcoming partnerships for HealthKit. An Allscripts spokesperson said it did not publicly discuss contractual or prospective agreements. Mount Sinai and Johns Hopkins’ press officers had no information to share at this time.

Cleveland Clinic associate chief information officer William Morris said the clinical solutions team is experimenting with HealthKit’s beta and is providing feedback to Apple. HealthKit and related services could become a means for some technology teams at budget-strapped hospitals to save time and resources, as mobile developers won’t have to integrate with dozens of apps and devices like fitness trackers or Glucometers as they have to now, he said.

Kaiser Permanente’s Brian Gardner, who leads a research and development group responsible for Kaiser’s mobile offerings, said many physicians are thinking about how to leverage patient-generated data from apps and devices.

“Apple has engaged with some of the most important players in this space,” said Gardner. “Platforms like HealthKit are infusing the market with a lot of new ideas and making it easier for creative people to build for health care.”

Long Journey

Apple’s developer relations team has also been working with developers of popular fitness and medical apps, such as Mountain View, California-based iHealth Lab.

Apple has taken pains to ensure that consumers are aware of how data is being collected and stored, said Jim Taschetta, chief marketing officer at iHealth Lab. For instance, an optional toggle will let patients decide if they wish to share data from third-party apps with Apple’s main health app. And if patients choose to store sensitive health data in iCloud, it’s encrypted when they’re in transit and at rest, one Apple employee said.

“It is consumer-controlled and can be turned on or off at any time from the app that collects the data from the original source,” Taschetta said.

Health developers say Apple will not be immune to the challenges they have faced for many years, starting with safeguarding consumer privacy. And along with physicians and consumers, Apple will have to juggle the requirements of regulators at federal agencies or departments. Digital health accelerator Rock Health estimates that at least half a dozen government offices have a hand in some facet of mobile health.

HealthKit relies on the ability of users to share data. But depending on how that data is used, its partners – and potentially even Apple – may be subject to the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA.

HIPAA protects personally-identifiable health information – such as a medical report or hospital bill – stored or transmitted by a “covered entity,” like a care provider or health plan. Patient-generated information from a mobile app, for instance, has to be protected once the data is given to a covered entity or its agent.

Joy Pritts, recently-departed chief privacy officer for the Office of the National Coordinator for Healthcare IT (ONC), said Apple may need to re-determine its responsibility to safeguard data with each new partnership.

For instance, if Apple and Nike team up to collect running data, neither would be subject to HIPAA, she said. But if Apple gets and stores clinical information on behalf of the Mayo Clinic, both would likely have to abide by HIPAA.

“It is really difficult for consumers to know if their health information is protected by HIPAA because it’s so dependent on the specific facts,” Pritts said.

To smooth its path at a time when some other high-profile health-oriented initiatives have run into trouble in Washington — including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to crack down on genetic testing firm 23andMe — Apple has consulted or hired health experts and attorneys, who are well-versed on privacy and regulatory requirements. Senior officials have paid a visit to key government offices, including the FDA and the ONC. Apple is expected to roll out HealthKit, so that providers – and not Apple — are responsible for adhering to privacy requirements.

But there’s the question of reliability. Joshua Landy, a Toronto-based internal medicine and critical care doctor, said physicians will need to learn over time which apps are useful for clinical purposes and safe to recommend to patients. This problem will grow in coming months with hundreds of new mobile medical apps expected to hit the App Store.