Personal Data: Apple releases its first transparency report

Apple, as well as Google, Microsoft and Facebook, is concerned with the transmission of information to governments. The company has just released its first "Transparency Report".

© Josh Edelson / AFP

U.S. group urges the U.S. government to be more transparent about their demands.

For several years, the web giants are used to publish a transparency report which shows the requests for information from governments. Until then, Apple does not provide this information.

For the first time, she reveals in a report that the state of the planet and ask him the answer that was made ​​to them. "We believe that our customers have the right to know how their personal data are processed, and it is our responsibility to provide this information, "said Apple in its preamble that covers the first half of 2013.

The United States are the largest recipients of information. In the first six months of the year, they asked 3542 notifications 8605 devices. Apple says it has responded favorably to 88% of these requests.

Germany and Singapore in second and third place respectively in 2156 and 1498 applications.With 530 requests, France is in the Top 10.

Apple asked the authorities more transparent

Several countries have not been more than one application. These are the Bahamas, Chile, Cyprus, Estonia, Malaysia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. Only Bahamas received a favorable opinion of Apple.

If the Cupertino plays the game with the United States, she said without naming anyone that his model is not based on the collection of customer data. "We have no interest in raising this information. "

It recalls that it wants to protect the "personal conversations by providing end to end encryption on iMessage and FaceTime. "In addition, Apple says she does not" keep the location data, the desired cards or questions to Siri. "

In addition, the U.S. group urges the U.S. authorities to "lift the gag and allow companies to disclose specific figures on the FISA applications and national security letters. "

Apple may launch iPad "giants" from March 2014

Echoing the information published last summer by the Wall Street Journal, a Chinese blog shows tests of Apple iPad 11 and almost 13 inches. These devices could be launched next spring.

While market experts believe that between 18 and 20 million iPad might be released in the fourth quarter of 2013, which would represent a good performance but lower than that recorded for the same period last year (22, 86 million units), Apple is preparing to launch a new iPad model. With a screen of 11.4 or 12.9 inches, these tablets are in the final phase of tests based on a Chinese website that is made specialty fuiter information on tablets under development.

Second alert

In July, the Wall Street Journal stated that Apple was already making tests with tablets equipped with screen larger than usual 9.7 inches. These iPad could be launched as early as March. Apple and revival with this classic launch date for its tablets and occupy the field representatives of post PC twice a year.

The iPad Mini, Apple, and its 7.9-inch slab.

Touch tablet or mobile iOS?

If everything is obviously speculation, the arrival of larger tablets would fit logically in Apple's willingness to make these products productivity tools for which it is necessary to have an adequate work surface . Still, it will be necessary to avoid the problem of weight and bulk that can turn a good idea into a product stuck between laptop and tablet and makes too many compromises to seduce.
Hard to imagine in any case, with such a diagonal tile, Apple does not review its form factor.Or this giant iPad could be a real hybrid, "a portable iOS" in the words of John Gruber , blogger very knowledgable about Apple's plans. 

Foxconn diversifies and will launch in the mobile gaming ...

Known for making the Apple devices and other big names in high tech, Foxconn began a moult, which passes through the cloud, creating services and mobile gaming.

Since May of Hon Hai Precision , better known by his market name Foxconn, makes no secret of its intentions to diversify and not be a manufacturer for the big names in high tech. Furthermore it aims to develop products on its behalf , such as televisions, the Taiwanese giant also plans to make its scope the development of software and services.

Thus, the group has built a set of data centers and a center of research and development focused on software and cloud in Taiwan, where he also received 4G frequencies. Foxconn is putting together a team of developers, mainly focused on developments in HTML 5.

In addition, Terry Gou, founder of the group, recently told Bloomberg to tackle the creation of video games for mobile. His group has it joined forces with a specialist Hong Kong, NetDragon, with which it will develop fun and educational apps for tablets. The first mobile game should be released within six months to believe Terry Gou.

The mobile gaming is exploding, according to a Gartner study , it should be more than $ 22 billion in revenue in 2015. 

To boost iPhone sales, Apple is the "independent" distribution

Currently, the iPhone will sell in the Apple Store for the operators or the authorized distributors of APR network. The distribution could be open to other networks.

© Lionel Bonaventure / AFP

Tim Cook in 2008: "Apple is not married by the model exclusive partnership."

 

Operators, who are partners since Apple launched the first iPhone in 2007, and authorized dealers Apple Premium Resellers, may not take well the news. According to a source who wishes to remain unobtrusive, the Cupertino should start these days to sell the iPhone in the independent distribution.

The purpose of this decision, which has not yet been formalized, would "avoid litigation and better meet the growing demand for smartphones naked related to the development of Sim Only. "For now, Apple has not confirmed this information.

This approach has already been discussed by Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. In 2008, at the Goldman Sachs Investment Symposium, a meeting with investors, the manager stated that the current distribution model must change. "Apple is not married by the model of exclusive partnership,"he said at the time .

Repair iPhone in the Apple Store

In addition, the site 9to5mac revealed that Apple plans to offer a repair service in its iPhone App Store. Until then, Apple teams replaced with a new iPhone at the problem.

The users will be able to change the screen wearing parts such as the battery, speakers and volume buttons. For 5s, the replacement home button is also part of the affected parts.

According to 9to5Mac, the repairs will be free for customers who have subscribed to the Apple Care warranty. For others, they will cost from 29 to 149 euros depending on the parts concerned.

Patents: Apple and Microsoft declared war on Google and Samsung

The Nortel case took a turn more than tight. The Rockstar consortium, composed among others by Apple and Microsoft, ask Google and its partners a fee on Android.

Some are already calling this confrontation of nuclear war so its impact could change the geography of global high-tech. For Rosckstar consortium of Apple, Microsoft, Ericsson, Sony and BlackBerry compound, there is no other way. And launching the attack on Halloween, the message is clear: go all the way!

The group decided to sue an equally powerful band since it is Google, Samsung, HTC and Huawei together. This new episode is crucial following the case of Nortel patents, Rockstar acquired in 2011 and which Android manufacturers and publishers still have not paid the license fee.

This is what explains certainly calls for Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google, to stop this war of patents it deems detrimental to innovation.

Indeed, given the number of Android devices that run on the planet, the addition could be costly for Google and its partners. The OS currently represents more than 80% market share.

A portfolio of $ 4.4 billion

Seven patents are particularly concerned with one that allows the targeting of advertisements based on research conducted by Internet users. This directly affects the Google ecosystem.

The Nortel case began two years ago when the Rockstar consortium has won the patent portfolio of the Canadian group in big financial trouble after auction supported by Google.Rockstar has finally won by putting $ 4.4 billion on the table when Nortel claimed that $ 900 million.

In missing this, Google had to buy Motorola for $ 12 billion in order to gain a portfolio of patents result.

The iPad Air seduced Americans, according to the mobile operator AT & T

The U.S. mobile operator has announced the activation of three times more iPad than the last launch of Apple tablett. Other analysts confirm strong demand

The iPad Air was released on November 1 in forty countries.

While 38% of readers 01net prefer to wait more accurate tests before surrendering to the lure of the iPad Air, the American heavyweight of mobile AT & T reported November 4, 2013 to triple its activations iPad compared to the previous weekend release of a new Apple tablet.

"The iPad activations increased by over 200% over the last three days compared to weekend launch last year,"said Ralph de la Vega, head of the mobile division of AT & T in a statement.

Apple has released on November  in forty markets its new iPad Air, lighter and more powerful than its previous models. Contrary to his habit when it launches new products, it has not publicly announced Monday estimates of sales for the first weekend.

When output in 34 countries in early November 2012 a new version of his classic fourth generation iPad and iPad mini first, the group at the apple had passed a total of 3 million tablets in three days. The release of the new models is more spread out this year, however, the new version of the iPad mini is expected later in November.

However, the data provided by AT & T is purely indicative. Analysts at Deutsche Bank for their part Monday evoked a "very strong demand" and "ample availability of the iPad Air for all models except the largest capacity of 128 gigabytes," based on surveys in three countries ( United States, Australia, United Kingdom).

Those of Cantor Fitzgerald, which are limited to the New York bank stores, also evoke stockouts for iPad Air, but limited to certain models, as well as strong demand for the first generation of iPad mini whose price has been lowered from 329 to 299 dollars, along with the arrival of new tablets.

Apple launches new offensive in the "Made in USA"

A patriotic initiative that Apple launched the construction of a plant in Arizona that will eventually create 2,000 jobs.

It is in Mesa, Arizona, Apple has chosen to build a new plant components. This site was built in partnership with GT Advanced Sapphire will provide the necessary to produce products in the U.S. technology giant. Used for manufacturing LED, Apple uses to produce the fingerprint sensor of the iPhone 5S.

For Apple, the construction of this plant is a message of economic patriotism sent to U.S. authorities. In a statement, she said her pride expand production at the national level with the new site.

This listing is for a very good eye for Jan Brewer, Governor of the State of Arizona which formalized the announcement on Monday November 4. Especially as the Apple factory is a green building powered by renewable energy and will create 2000 jobs engineering, production and construction ..