A number of smartphone vendors such as Samsung and Nokia are already making use of NFC in their mobile devices. Many people speculated that Apple would also introduce NFC technology in its future devices. In a recently granted patent, Apple has spoken about the use of NFC technology, lending hope to the possibility that the company may finally offer it in the coming days.

Near-field communications, or NFC, essentially allows devices to interact with each other when held close. The communication that takes place through NFC is really fast, thus making it a very useful feature.

The patent that Apple has recently been granted is titled ‘System and method for simplified data transfer’ and it talks about such technology which enables devices to share data automatically. The company has also hinted in the patent description that such a technology may be used in future devices.

Interestingly, the patent doesn’t limit the use of NFC to mobile devices alone. Rather, it envisions that such peer-to-peer communications technology can be used in a whole range of products, including computers, game controllers, Apple TV and more.

While this is hopeful for such Apple users who’ve been waiting for NFC, there’s a catch to it. Apple hasn’t formally announced the use of NFC in any of its upcoming products. So either the company is simply readying the technology for use in distant future or it intends to unveil it as a surprise feature in the products it is set to launch this September.

Apple hasn’t opened up its Apple TV device to all third-party developers yet, but instead just added apps from a few high-profile partners to the platform. But that didn’t stop two avid Plex fans, who were able to bring the media center software to Apple TV, thanks to a clever hack. And the best thing: There’s no jailbreaking involved, meaning that Plex users won’t void their warranty or brick their device.

The hack, dubbed PlexConnect, uses Apple’s own movie trailers app as a kind of trojan horse to bring Plex to the Apple TV. Users simply have to fiddle with their Apple TV’s network settings to route traffic through a computer running a python script that swaps Apple’s movie trailer data with data from a Plex media server.

Users are reporting that Plexconnect isn’t just working for local content, but also for some internet media channels, including a few live streams.

Plexconnect is admittedly a workaround, and Apple can presumably put an end to this through an Apple TV firmware update. But it once again goes to show that Plex is getting a lot of support from a dedicated community, which has allowed the startup to iterate at a rapid pace and expand to a wide range of platforms.

In the world of iPhone battery cases, Mophie seems to have the majority of the mindshare and market with their line of Juice Packs. That may change in the near future, as accessory manufacturer Belkin has just announced the Grip Battery Case for iPhone 5 (US$99.99).

The Grip packs a lot of extra power -- a whopping 2,000 mAh of capacity -- into a colorful case that also protects your favorite iPhone. Colorful means four different designs -- purple lightning and fountain blue, civic blue and stone, whiteout and blacktop, and blacktop and gravel.

Rather than the two-part top/bottom case design used by Mophie, the Grip uses a slide-in battery shell with a Lightning adapter to provide the power, with a shock-resistant bumper to protect the shiny metal sides of your iPhone.

The Grip charges up with an included USB to micro-USB cable, as well as a headphone adapter to attach your earpods to the iPhone through the wall of the case.

IT News Portal 24 will review the Grip case as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can order one directly from Belkin or pick one up at Best Buy.

Compounding the recent stock shortages of Apple’s MacBook Air, it seems Cupertino’s not-quite-so-air-tight seal has leaked a few new model numbers—which point to either a refreshed MacBook Air or Retina Pro waiting in the wings for WWDC.

The four SKUs have been dug up by the often-reliable 9to5Mac, with two pairs of variants, probably denoting two different spec levels for two separate screen sizes. According to rumours, stock of both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with Retina is running out globally too, which normally forecasts an imminent change.

Although this is purely rumour and speculation at this point, it looks like WWDC will hold much more than just Jony Ive’s iOS7. Those Haswell chips being spat out in all the new Windows ultrabooks at Computex sure look tasty. Let’s hope Apple pushes the boat out without ramping up the prices. [9to5Mac]

Apple‘s big annual event, WWDC 2013, is just around the corner. In anticipation of the event, Apple has now rolled out a new iOS app, exclusively for the event. The app will essentially allow the participants to keep track of meetings and get real-time updates.

WWDC events are known as the occasions where Apple usually unveils its future plans. In the past, Apple has taken the instance to reveal its upcoming iOS and OS X releases and the same is expected of the company this year too.

WWDC 2013 typically features multiple events, meet-ups and talks going on in parallel at different sessions. If you are among the lucky developers who will get to attend this year’s WWDC, you can be sure that you will miss out a lot, specially all the updates coming from other sessions without the official iOS app.

The official app lets you get all the updates, photos and snapshots of the events at the end of each day. Moreover, you will also be able to find the venues easily and quickly. The app also comes with the apt descriptions of different shows at the event, so that you are sure of where you are headed to.

Moreover, rather than being given hard passes, participants will be handed Passbook credentials which they can present whenever they have to gain entry into a session. If you are worried, from where to download the app, then you can download the app here.

Google has updated Chrome for iOS to version 27, bringing with it a number of new features aimed at Apple users looking for a Siri alternative. Like the recently updated desktop and Android versions, iOS users can verbally ask Chrome a question and get a verbal response. Chrome now talks back to you when it answers your questions. Most of the time. You can see an example video at the bottom of the page.

In my tests, the vocal response is great for basic inquiries for things you might need on the fly. I got verbal answers for questions like "Where is Fast & Furious 6 playing?" and "What is the population of Atlanta?" When I asked it to tell me the original lead singer of the punk band Black Flag it took me to a simple search results page and remained silent. Perhaps Chrome isn't a punk fan, but it probably has more to do with Google's Knowledge Graph.

Voice search in Chrome is now more accurate and faster than Apple's proprietary Siri. It won't let you send text messages or make calls like Siri, but for search, Chrome is the clear winner.

The update also speeds up page reloading, even with a weak or unavailable connection. You can find the latest update in the Apple store now.

Ars Technica has a fascinating story about a lawyer for one of Apple's hired law firms and his close relationship with a patent company that sued the Cupertino company for infringement.

This tale of legal intrigue revolves around lawyer John McAleese who worked for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. At the same time his law firm was working with Apple, he was helping his wife, Jennifer McAleese, launch a patent company, FlatWorld Interactives, that targeted Apple and its iPhone. This conflict of interest dates back to 2007, when the original iPhone was released.

FlatWorld Interactives courted known patent trolls and Apple competitors, suggesting their touchscreen patent could help these companies sue Apple. To Google, Jennifer McAleese wrote:

The patent link below may be of interest to Google regarding Apple's swiping mechanism. Our inventor, Slavko Milekic was granted this patent in 2005. In 2007, we placed the patent in reissue to tailor it more closely to iPhone claims. We have been told by many law firms that the patent is extremely valuable even without the reissue possibilities... If you are interested in discussing the patent please let us know. I think it could be an important asset for your ongoing 'talks' with Apple.

Flatworld Interactives sued Apple in 2012, but John McAleese's role as both a lawyer for an Apple law firm and an adviser to a patent troll was not known until this year. Not surprisingly, Apple is using this potential conflict of interest in its case against Flatworld Interactives. You can read more about McAleese and his wife's patent troll startup in the Ars Technica article.

Apple has revamped its AppleCare technician certification program. Officially called the Service Training and Certification program, it exists to train technicians in diagnosis and repair of Apple products. Until now technicians needed to renew their certification each year and take their exams at a certified examination center.

As of June 23 however, technicians will no longer need to be recertified each year and all exams will be done online. The changes come as a result of feedback from technicians.

From Apple's Service Training and Certification FAQ:

Changes include the following:

No more ACMT recertifications: All service technicians with existing ACMT certifications as of June 23 will be granted a new ACMT certification that eliminates yearly recertification exams. This new certification will allow the same ordering of service parts as the preceding ACMT certification and will not expire.

New exam resources: The following Apple service exams will be available solely from a new online resource:

9L0-010 - Apple Macintosh Service Certification Exam

9L0-064 - OS X v10.8 Mountain Lion Troubleshooting Exam

9L0-E04 - iOS Qualification Exam

Notes:

All other AppleCare online exams are not affected by this change. You will still access other exams at ibt.prometric.com/apple.

Details on the new exam resource will be provided in other communications.

No more testing centers: All AppleCare Service exams will be available online. You will be able to take these exams without the need to travel to a testing center.

No more proctored exams: Initial ACMT certification exams will no longer require exam proctors for exams taken at training centers.

Smartphones have been forecast to undercut newspaper photography professionals for years. Still, the Chicago Sun-Times’ decision to eliminate all of its full-time photography staff came as a surprise. This is one of the oldest continuously published newspapers in the United States, established in 1844. Its paid circulation of 260,000 in 2012 makes it one of the biggest newspapers in the country. Laying off 28 photography professionals is a drastic move. In a leaked memo, the Sun-Times’ managing editor mentions “iPhone photography basics” as one of the mandatory training session for journalists.

Newspaper journalists are increasingly facing pressure to pick up photography and image editing skills that used to be the domain of dedicated professionals. The rapidly improving camera quality on smartphones like Apple’s iPhone is a major factor in this ongoing shift; the latest wave of high-end phones feature cameras with resolutions between 8- and 13-megapixels, LED flashes, HD video and fairly sophisticated image stabilization software out of the box.

The Chicago Sun-Times’ print circulation dropped by nearly 8% in the latest last two quarters compared to the same six-month period a year earlier. As print continues its grim downward spiral, papers are slowly consolidating several vanishing stand-alone jobs onto the shoulders of a shrinking number of harried journos.

In the brave new world of newspaper journalism of 2020, the evolutionary pressure is likely to produce a strange hybrid creature snapping photos and shooting video, editing images, designing layouts, devising SEO strategies and cultivating social media presence to promote stories… and perhaps actually writing an article or two.

Apple today squares off against the U.S. Department of Justice in a Manhattan courtroom, defending itself against charges that it was the “ringmaster” of a cartel of publishers that conspired to raise prices in the e-book market. And, at first glance, the odds appear to be stacked against it.

The DOJ claims to have clear evidence of collusion — incendiary e-mail messages from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and other company executives, and the like. The five publishers with which Apple allegedly schemed — HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster and Penguin — have all since settled, leaving it as the lone company fighting the suit. The judge presiding over the trial, Denise Cote, said earlier this month that she doesn’t think it has much of a chance of winning. And legal experts are dubious of Apple’s chances.

As Pam Samuelson, director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, “The DOJ would not be pursuing this case if they thought they would lose.”

But then neither would Apple.

Which is worth considering because the company is clearly taking a “come heavy or not at all” approach to this case. To wit, CEO Tim Cook’s comments last week at our D11 conference.

“The e-book case to me is bizarre,” Cook said. “We’ve done nothing wrong there, and so we’re taking a very principled position. … We’re not going to sign something that says we did something we didn’t do. … So we’re going to fight.”

In other words, it’s Apple’s opinion that the government’s case against it is utter fantasy. And today the company and its legal team will set out to prove it, arguing that Apple acted lawfully when it entered the e-book market in 2010, and that its entrance transformed the market for the benefit of all.

Apple and the Department of Justice both declined comment on the case.

The New York Times is reporting that Apple's much-rumored music streaming service may soon be ready—even in time for next week's WWDC—thanks to the company finally signing contracts with major music labels.

The report suggests that Apple signed a deal with the Warner Music Group over the weekend for both recorded music rights and music publishing. It also apparently cemented an agreement with Universal Music Group over recorded music rights—but remains in discussion with Sony Music Entertainment. If it can snag the third it's home and dry, because together those three dominate the music market.

It is, of course, unclear exactly how the oft-rumored Apple music streaming service could turn out if it does materialize. But there does seems to be general consensus that it will be an internet radio service, differentiating itself from the like of Spotify and Rdio, and inevitably bad news for Pandora. Indeed, the licensing fees paid by Pandora have caused some heartache among music companies, who may now be softening to Apple's advances as a result—even if it is gunning to keep costs down.

As for the arrival of such a service at WWDC next week, well, it's an optimistic rumor. But if Apple does manage to have the majority of contracts in place ahead of June 10th it's not beyond the realms of possibility. Either way, we don't have too long to wait before we find out. [New York Times]

In the past, we have seen the likes of Facebook and Twitter plan their own ad exchanges, meant to target their respective users. Rumor has it, Apple is also on the verge of following in these footsteps, is set to launch an ad exchange of its own.

Apple has, without a doubt, a huge ecosystem that comprises of its hundreds of millions of iOS and OS X users. Banking on this user base, Apple can easily prop up an ad exchange. However, in the past, the company hasn’t expressed much desire of indulging in such a business.

Despite such sentiments in the past, Apple may have changed its mind and decided to go for it. Or so certain sources are reporting right now. If Apple did launch such an ad exchange, the company would essentially be allowing the advertisers to reach out directly to users on Apple devices.

In turn, this would also be immensely beneficial to developers who will be able to display these ads across their iOS apps and make more money. Apple certainly seems to have considered such an idea, with its chief Tim Cook having stated recently, “We got into mobile advertising because we want developers to make money…It wasn’t about Apple making money.”

This essentially shows that even when Apple doesn’t intend to turn its revenue from ads into a core business, it may consider the opportunity for the sake of its developers.

Courtesy: Business Insider

Just when the new iPhone will arrive remains to be seen, but those willing to buy the current models can do a so at a pretty hefty savings.

Last week, Best Buy announced a monthlong deal offering $50 off a new iPhone. Now Best Buy is adding another offer–good only Saturday June 1–guaranteeing an extra $150 off for those that trade in a working iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S to get a new iPhone.

Meanwhile, Target said it is offering a $50 price cut on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S on Sprint, Verizon or AT&T. That promotion starts Sunday and running through June 9–the day before Apple kicks off its Worldwide Developer Conference.

In addition, through July 6, Target is offering an additional $50 off an iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S for those who trade in any working cell phone.

The education pricing that Apple offers on its MacBook Pro machines is usually significantly lower than the standard prices. Apple has further dropped the education price of entry-level MacBook Pro, bringing it down from $1099 to $999.

The $999 price tag is being offered by Apple on the 13-inch MacBook Pro featuring a 2.5GHz dual-core Intel core i5 chip. With this price, the 13-inch machine has essentially become $200 cheaper than the standard price for which it is available to non-education customers.

Apple hasn’t officially announced this change in policy yet. However, the new prices have been spotted on Apple’s website, which means that they are already in effect.

The 2.9GHz variation of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with 750GB hard drive has also been discounted for the education customers, with its price trimmed down to $1299. These are great news for education customers who can lay their hands on Apple’s MacBook machines at an even lower price.

We do expect that Apple will make these changes official soon by formally announcing it. To that end, we’ll keep an eye on Apple’s PR page and will update you as soon as there’s any word of it.

Courtesy: 9to5mac

Apple’s iPod Touch is among one of the truly popular products of the company. Launched back in 2007, iPod Touch was somewhat of a mix between a traditional iPod, together with the looks of an iPhone. Now, the company has announced that to date, it has sold more than 100 million iPod Touch units.

Although 100 million units sold is a huge achievement, it may appear rather underwhelming to many given the fact that in the same duration, Apple has sold a lot more iPhone and iPad units. However, the fact remains that the demand for smart devices such as iPod Touch has declined in the recent years.

That is simply because the smartphones and tablets are so well-equipped that consumers buy them rather than purchasing any other devices. With the sheer number of apps and computing power offered by modern-day smartphones and tablets, consumers don’t wish to spend their money elsewhere.

Despite such trends, Apple’s sales of 100 million iPod Touch units shows that the company was successful in sustaining momentum towards the product. Apple announced these numbers right after the company announced a new model of iPod Touch.

While the new model comes packed with a number of fresh features and a slightly modified design, it remains to be seen how exactly will Apple be able to position it amid a mobile market that is increasingly interested in high-end smartphones and tablets.

Courtesy: Loop Insight