iPhone 5S, 5C & iOS7

The overnight launch of the new Apple tech heralded no surprises and no new kit.  As expected Apple launched the new iPhone 5S and 5C and announced the long awaited iOS 7 release date.

Expect to see iOS7 next week (I can't wait) it has a brand new look and some great features, as well as AirDrop and siri will have twitter and facebook integration as well as being able to change settings on your iPhone for you (at least on the 5S)

iPhone 5C - pic from the Apple website

The iPhone 5C is designed for colour with several new colours in the revolutionary poly carbonate single piece shells shells, the 5C builds on the existing iPhone 5, and is aimed at the lower cost market.

The new iPhone 5S builds on the existing 5 with new tech including a new A7 chip but the biggest enhancement has to be the new Touch ID which is an inbuilt fingerprint scanner in the home button.  This can be used as a password to access the iPhone and also as authority to purchase from iTunes & the App store

iPhone 5S - pic from Apple website

As always for more check out the apple website www.apple.com or for local sites www.apple.com/au/ or www.apple.com/nz/

New Apple tech in 5 days?

Are apple about to launch a brand new line of tech? Or is all the hype just over the new iPhone 5S & 5C?

We are all aware that the new iPhone 5S & 5C will launch this month but the invitation (image above) has others abuzz that a new line could also be launched

The invite for the event, to be held on Apple's Cupertino campus, promises that "this should brighten everyone's day," hinting that it may launch more than just the iPhone 5 successor. Rumors have been swirling about Apple launching a new watch, or perhaps even a new TV.

Apple CEO Tim Cook also said earlier this year that Apple would launch "new product categories  from the fall season (Sep-Nov) through 2014.

So we wait to see what next weeks launch brings - will it be something new an innovative? Or is it just clever marketing to create interest?

Read more from ARN HERE

Photo montages

Like many people I use my iPhone as a camera & like many, my photo's get shared on instagram.  As an Instagram user i've noticed people posting montages or collages of photos and recently downloaded an app to do this as well.

Feel free to follow me on instagram (@nzompilot)

I thought I'd share some of the fun I've had recently

©nzompilot - a collection of some recent beer's I've tasted

©nzompilot -  lighting showcase at an event I recently did tech for

©nzompilot - some of my favourite autumn sunrise shots taken over the last few weeks

©nzompilot - tonight is the Roar's toughest finals challenge so here are some pregame.after game shots

©nzompilot - an every day occurance for me Brisbane trains

Apple - life sentance

There is an interesting article on itnews this morning which makes you stop and think just how much of my personal data is stuck in corporate archives for how long?

As most people do I just skip straight to the end of EULA's and T&C's and check the box then move on, but turns out with my apple account I am now a customer for life.

Apple customers are customers for life, thanks to a clause in the company’s terms and conditions requiring a death certificate before an account can be terminated.
An Apple account and associated data can only be closed once Apple has sighted a death certificate for the user.

Just makes you wonder what else big corporate's are hiding in the EULA's &/or T&C's which no one actually stops and reads.  Just proves the point that you should be very very careful about what information you enter into online accounts.

Read the full itnews article HERE

Tech tidbits

So a couple of tech tidbits that have caught my attention today.

Next gen iPad next month?
Reports from iMore seem to suggest that apple will release its next generation of iPad & iPad Mini's next month, while the next iPhone (iPhone 5S) may hit shelves in August.

The report confirmed recent citings of new iPad cases, at a time when accessories for other imminent Apple products appear absent.
It also addressed rumours the iPad mini would likely carry the super high-resolution retina display, which was the key reafture of the 'new' iPad or iPad 3 launched last year, as unlikely.

Read more on the new iDevices from crn.com.au HERE

Aldi Mobile launches

German supermarket chain Aldi has today switched on its new low-cost mobile network across Australia.  The network service is provided through the Telstra Wholesale network which uses the main Telstra network but a a speed slightly slower than Telstra 3G.

Aldi Mobile customers can recharge their prepaid service online, via an upcoming mobile app, and through all 300 Aldi supermarket stores across Australia.
SIM cards for the service are available in standard, micro-SIM and nano-SIM sizes to suit all mobile phones and tablets on the market. Aldi Mobile starter packs ($5) and recharge cards will be sold in all Aldi Stores.

Read more on the new network including plan details etc via arn.com.au HERE or checkout THIS arn.com.au article explaining Aldi mobile allowing people to make international calls but not roam

iOS 5.0.1 is here

As mentioned in the post below there have been battery issues with iOS 5.0 and also with the iPhone 4S - well apple have rectified this today releasing iOS 5.0.1 with a fix for the battery issue and some other minor bug fixes.

The great thing about iOS 5.0.1 is you dont even have to go through iTunes to update it any more, simply plug your iPhone/iPad/iPod into a power source and follow the following simple steps.

> Settings
  > General
    > Software Update
       > Download and Install
          > Agree to the T&Cs

Its that simple!  The update will then download and install on your device and you are ready to go.

Is your iPhone 4S / iOS5 chewing your battery?

Users of Apple's new iPhone 4S have reported that the battery life is abysmal even when no apps are open.  With battery life dropping by up to 10% an hour, with nothing open.  This has also been noticed by a few users of other models of iPhones since upgrading to iOS5.

The problem was first brought to light by The Telegraph in England and apple had been unable to explain it.

The fix for this is quite simple - the battery life is being drained by location services.  To stop this drain simply open your settings, go to location services, scroll down to the bottom where it says System Services and open this.  Then disable every service except for Cell Network Search.

Battery life can also be effected by a bug in the iCloud Contact Sync coding, which causes the processor to work hard, causing the battery to drop 20-30% in 10-15 minutes while running warm.  This can possibly be fixed by by disabling contacts in the iCloud or restarting the device.

But whatever happens expect the engineers at apple to find a solution to the issues and a fix to be issued with the next iOS update.