Apple’s 7.85-inch iPad mini and future iPads to employ ITO film coating, sources say

“A so-called ‘iPad mini’ reportedly in the works at Apple for a late 2012 release may be the first of the company’s tablet devices to include displays coated with indium tin oxide (ITO), an electrically conductive transparent substance that acts as an EMI shield and helps reduce radio interference,” Katie Marsal reports for AppleInsider.

“The 7.85-inch device will reportedly be the first from the Cupertino-based company to employ Efun’s ITO technology, as reports out of the Far East suggest that the fourth-generation 9.7-inch iPad will also receive the same treatment closer to its launch next year,” Marsal reports.

Read more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Dan K." for the heads up.]

Apple’s AuthenTec acquisition, and why they may have wanted to move so quickly

Less than a month ago, a story broke about Apple buying AuthenTec, purveyors of mobile, digital security solutions including fingerprint authentication. While some Apple purchases, like Siri and Intrisity seem to suggest obvious uses, AuthenTec’s portfolio and Apple’s lack of any branded security beyond FairPlay DRM made intuiting this one a little less obvious. But now PREM14A proxy statement papers have been filed, and The Next Webs Matt Brian has dug through them.

Will we see fingerprint technology in the new iPhone (or iPad? It seems almost certain. AuthenTec specialises in a number of security products and software that theoretically could have made their way into Apple’s production line or code branches. Details are scarce but its desire to use the technology and see it developed quickly leads us to speculate that we could see it in just a matter of weeks.

Would the September 12 event give Apple enough time to acquire, develop, and integrate fingerprint technology into the iOS product line? Could this be something on track for the iPhone 5 or iPad mini?

Apple introduced Passbook at WWDC 2012, but cast it as a ticket and coupon repository with deft notification and location hooks. Many have imagined that it could also be a fantastic brand and front end for an Apple mobile payments solution, combining NFC and iTunes transaction processing to help bring about the digital wallet. Securing a system like that with biometrics would certainly add a layer of confidence, and make for a fantastic demo and commercial.

But how would it work? How would Apple, a company that prides itself on the aesthetic elegance and minimalism of their hardware design, integrate a unitasker like a fingerprint reader in an elegant and minimalist way? The Home button would seem ideal, but how well would it work, and how dependable would it be?

The idea of new hardware features always excites, but expectations aren’t always realistic. We’ll have to wait and see. However many questions the securities filings answer, they raise even more — and ones we’ll likely only get answers to when and if Apple’s implementation of AuthenTec technology begins to surface.

Meanwhile, The Next Web has put together an excellent overview and chronology for the Apple/AuthenTec deal, so go check it out.

Source: SEC, The Next Web

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Meet Paul, a sports retail store manager for JJB Sports

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iPhone controlled Scanomat Coffee Faucet

This Coffee Faucet machine isScanomat‘s largest bean-to-cup machine. Unlike other coffee machines, this has got the focus on energy saving, uncompromising coffee quality and user friendliness. Brew unit that can be removed in seconds for cleaning & maintenance. It has a unique adjustable tamper system that may compete with leading Baristas. Speedy high volume serving: 6 cups in 20 seconds, 5 cups of instant coffee and 1 ground coffee. 3 heaters, built-in water tank of 5 litres – used whenever high volume carafe serving is required. The smallest milk foaming device yet seen, developed by Scanomat. The milk is kept cooled until it reaches the frother ensuring freshness and excellent hygiene.

Pre-Orders for Next-Generation iPhone to Begin September 12?

iMore, which was the first source to claim that Apple will be holding its media event to introduce the next-generation iPhone on September 12, now reports that pre-orders for the device will begin on that same date ahead of the already-rumored first wave of launches on September 21.

Apple’s first launch wave typically includes the United States and perhaps a half dozen other countries, and iMore notes that the second wave of launches that will bring the device to additional countries is scheduled for the first week of October.

We’ve since learned that iPhone 5 pre-orders are currently planned to begin that same day, at least in the U.S. Release is still planned for 9 days later, on September 21, 2012. We’ve also learned that the second wave of iPhone launches, the ones in international markets, will begin in the first week of October, likely October 5.

The report notes that this sequence of events will be similar but not identical to last year’s, which saw the iPhone 4S introduced on October 4 and pre-orders begin three days later on October 7. The iPhone launched in the United States and six other countries on October 14, with the second wave bringing the device to over 20 additional countries two weeks later.

‘Double,’ the iPad-based telepresence robot rolls around the office when you can’t

“As a remote worker I’m fascinated by telepresence robots, or a remote robotic avatar which lives at an office and roams the halls under your control, typically interacting through a 2-way video chat tool,” Victor Agreda, Jr. reports for TUAW. “Naturally, Double Robotics took the iPad’s advantages and built what looks like a tiny Segway for the iPad to move about on, calling it the Double.”

“The Double mounts an iPad up top for communicating, has an adjustable height, and uses a second iPad for controls,” Agreda, Jr. reports. “The video below shows the robot in action.”

Double by Double Robotics – Pre-order Now from Double Robotics on Vimeo.

More info and links in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "BlackWolf" for the heads up.]

Lunch Time Gets The Space Invader Treatment

Geeks of all ages just love to be a bit different from everyone else, that is because they are and as such, there is a massive market developing to serve these needs. Like this lunch bag, you might think that is just a lunch bag, but it’s a Space Invaders design lunch bag and that little point makes all of the difference.

These are the main features for the coolest lunch bags around;

The outside of the bags is made from 100% cotton and the pattern placement will vary from bag to bag. The lining is made from white polyurethane laminated polyester and is BPA free and food grade compliant. It provides a waterproof barrier that can be washed multiple times at high temperatures. The bags have a white hook and loop closure (like Velcro) that will keep anything from escaping.

You can get a set of two lunch bags for $12 in the US and 7.70 in the UK

Source [Geeks Are Sexy]

Apple has licensed iOS design patents to Microsoft with ‘anti-cloning’ stipulation

“Apple Inc. licensed its prized design patents to Microsoft Corp but with an ‘anti-cloning agreement’ to prevent copying of its iPhone and iPad, an Apple executive said on Monday,” Dan Levine and Edwin Chan report for Reuters. “The testimony from Apple patent licensing director Boris Teksler came in one of the most closely watched technology trials in years”

Levine and Chan report,” Apple’s decision to license its design patents to Microsoft was consistent with its corporate strategy, Teksler said, because the agreement prohibited Microsoft from manufacturing copies. ‘There was no right with respect to these design patents to build clones of any type,’ Teksler said.”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Imagine if such a deal with and “anti-cloning agreement” had been done with the Mac OS way back when.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Andrew W." for the heads up.]

Digg for iPhone lightens up on Facebook requirements

A couple weeks ago, Digg v1 hit the web and the App Store and one of the immediate complaints was that in order to user any of Digg’s special features, like bookmarking articles, saving to your favorite read-later service, or digging an article, you had to be logged into Facebook. The good news is that the folks at Digg were listening and have removed that restriction for bookmarking articles to Digg’s Reading List, Pocket, and Instapaper.

The update also introduces a new feature called “Paperboy”. This allows you to set your home location so that whenever you leave home, Digg automatically updates with the latest stories. Additionally, Digg now also supports offline reading.

Although you no longer need to login into Facebook for save an article for later, if you want to “digg” a story (equivalent to a “like” or thumbs up), you must still login to Digg with Facebook. Although this is annoying, it’s not nearly as restrictive as before and was a very smart move by Digg. Many of our readers chose not to even download Digg once they heard that you couldn’t save articles for later in any way, shape, or form without logging into Facebook.

Now that you can experience more of Digg’s features without Facebook, are you planning to give Digg a second chance? I am. Other than the Facebook restriction, I have been impressed with Digg’s ability to gather interesting articles covering many ranges of topics.

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