Replace Your Dubious iPhone 7 Headphone Dongle with Lightning Adapter

FijiO Nifty i l Headphone Amplifer

The 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7 has been stopped by Apple and the chances are bleak of the same returning on the iPhone 8 and what users having nice wired headphones ought to do? Probably they could utilise the Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter that tends to come shoved with the 7, though it is far from an ideal solution.

It is said to be one of the lowest rated products on the Apple’s site with 209, one and two star reviews. The customers of Apple tend to disapprove of the adapter. The iPhone 7, with FijO.s nifty i1 headphone amplifier together with the digital converter, iPhone 7 users tend to have a better choice. It comes at a price of $39.99 on Amazon in the U.S. and in the UK at £49.99. The Australian price is not fixed though one could expect the same for around AU$80.

 Comparing the two adapters, of FijO and Apple, beginning with a Sennheiser Momentum 2.0, the i l’s bass definition packed down equalled with the adapter of Apple. The drums and vibes with `Pink Up’ from Spoon’s `Hot Thoughts’ album tend to have plenty of reverb and the i l seems to sound much clearer than the Apple adapter though lot much but with a difference.

Big Sonic Upgrade Over Apple Adapter

When plugged in the Beverdynamic T51p on-ear headphones. The changes observed were quite obvious. Moreover the Apple adapter seemed to sound muted as well as dull and the i l was said to have more life and energy. The i l had also been tried with some in-ear headphones with the Ultimate Ears UE900 where the difference of the quality of the sound seems only a bit insignificant.

 It was not all convincing that i l is a big adequate sonic upgrade over the Apple Adapter with each headphone. But the good news is that considerably improved sound is made available from the AudioQuest DragonFly Black - $99, £89, AU$160, and DragonFly Red - $199, £169, AU$320, portable headphone amplifiers/digital converts which tend to function with iPhones. The no-win situation is they are the size of a USB flash drive and hence they tend to be bigger and much bulkier to carry around than the i l.

Mic & Online Controls

The i l cable is said to have a mic together with the inline controls though the quality of the sound seems to be a bit stifled. There have been occasions where initially the i l had not played music but on unplugging and replugging once of a couple of times, the Lightning connector seems to bring back the sound. The Lightning does not seem to be the most reliable connector for audio devices. The 32-inch cable of the FijO i seems to be too long and could be half the length.

However as it stands, it could be a viable alternative for iPhone users who tend to have decent pair of wired headphone and would prefer something a bit better than the less-than-stellar Lightning adapter of Apple. Hoping that improved adapter does ultimately show up though presently the iPhone 6S may run through which has a 3.5mm headphone jack together with the Lightning connector.

Seeing Al: Microsoft Launches iPhone App That Narrates the World for Blind People

iPhone is known for its dynamic features and extraordinary-stylish appearance. iPhone is the smartphone which is the choice of every smart user. The whole range of applications and options it provides makes it the best amongst the bests. This time iPhone has come up with the best thing in terms of its feature out of the box. ‘Seeing Al’ is the newly launched feature in iPhone.

Microsoft has delved a kind attitude towards those who are visibly challenged. Yes, you heard it right! Microsoft has come up with an application known as Seeing Al with this app now the one who have lost their sight can experience the world around them as this application will narrate everything to its visibly impaired holder. So, now even the one who have not been blessed with the power of eyesight can see the world through their iPhone.

This app is absolutely free and is available on the iPhone’s App Store. This app is capable of defining all sorts of expressions of one’s face, currency notes and it can also portray verbally all the physical scenes till the range of the all, and the range is enough to narrate to someone what is going on in his/her surrounding. This unbelievable app can also read books or any sort inscriptions. It also has the power to scan all sorts of bar codes and provide relevant information.

This was started as a research project by Microsoft, but Microsoft has created a revolution with this invention. There are lot more things to explore from this app. This app successfully acts as the eye for those who are sightless.

Other than narrating only the physical features it can also portray verbally the images present in other art forms. But, the only limitation of the app is that at present it is only available in countries like US, Canada, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong and Singapore, in other countries its application is still at stake.

This innovative project was first initiated by a Software Engineer Saqib Shaikh at Microsoft. He propagated this idea in March 2016.

Such an idea is the result of Shaikh being crippled at his eyesight since seven years of age. This thought seemed as a fiction to him, but eventually, he was able to develop this with the support of his entire team. This project was definitely not easy to bring into reality, but he managed it with utmost dedication in his heart to help those who are unable to cherish the beauty of this world by witnessing it, the difficulties which he faced because of his inability to see provoked him to develop such an application like Seeing Al.

Now, seeing will not be an obstacle for those who are crippled in this field. Microsoft has proved that technology can do wonders and now none will be left behind. Everyone will feel themselves to be equally privileged. Seeing Al will actually eliminate the problems faced by those who have lost their eye sight.

Apple iOS 10.3.3 Is Now Available: What Is Included In This Update?

IOS 10.3.3: Apple released fifth beta

Can we soon expect the general rollout of iOS 10.3.3? Apple has released the fifth beta for the next update of its operating system. The increased frequency of the test versions points to the upcoming release for all users - the fourth beta was released less than a week ago. Apple has released a new version of iOS 10 with iOS 10.3.3 after a short beta, which does not bring any new functions, but closes security gaps.

Apple has released iOS 10.3.3 for owners of iPhones and iPads. The update closes security gaps of the mobile operating system. This is a maintenance update without any new functions. A total of 46 vulnerabilities are closed with the update.

A small innovation includes iOS 10.3.3 but for the iPad Pro with 12.9- and 10.5-inch display: For both tablets the update is to include new background images. Parallel to the iOS beta, Apple has also released the fifth test version of macOS 10.12.6. Also the rollout of the new version of the Mac operating system should take place in the near future for all users.

These concern the contact app that attackers can use to execute malicious code. In the core audio section, it is possible to inject and execute code with a manipulation. This also applies to the EventKitUI and IOUSBFamily, and even kernel privileges can be achieved when attacking the latter. Fixes are also available in the Messages area, in the Web browser Safari with Webkit, as well as in the print functions of the browser. Even the phone app got a security update.

Apple released all the information in detailed release notes. The update to iOS 10.3.3 can be over-the-air. It is recommended to back up the iOS device. This is also suggested by the fact that Apple's fifth beta version of iOS 10.3.3 only available for developers and then as a public beta. Thus, soon all users of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch could benefit from the improvements. As the previous versions have shown, the focus is on updating to bug fixes and increasing performance; New features will not bring the update to the compatible devices.

Those who wants, can now download the final version of iOS 10.3.3 and install it on the iPhone and iPad. The betaphase was unusually long and six iterations large.

Apple has released the next beta generation of iOS 10, which is now complete, after the final versions of macOS Sierra 10.12.5, iOS 10.3.2, tvOS 10.2.1 and watchOS 3.2.2 have appeared. In the fall iOS 11 comes on the market, which is also already tested.

Maintenance updates and security enhancements instead of new features

The update, as in the previous generation, will only fix errors and increase security. New features are not included. Probably it is the last version of iOS 10.

The vulnerabilities found are partly critical, allowing attackers to run CodeResponsive websites with Dreamweaver and bootstrap on the affected device. The update should not be deferred but installed at the next opportunity via the iOS settings.

iPhone 7s: The Most Expensive Phone in the History of Apple

New rumors about the next Apple smartphone: In addition to the expected iPhone 8, there could also be an iPhone 7s and an iPhone 7s Plus - with subtle differences.

It is the usual game in the weeks and months before the release of the latest iPhone. Professional bloggers, self-styled experts, alleged insiders and also serious media speculate how the new Apple smartphone will be, as it is said, and what features are expected.

So it's 2017 again. At the heart of the speculation is the generally expected iPhone 8 - if that is the right name. Because so far, Apple only increases the model number by a number every two years. So 2017 would actually be an iPhone 7s in the line.

But maybe there are even both? According to the specialist, referring to the Wallstreet Journal, Apple wants to bring out two other models, which are traded as "iPhone 7s" and "iPhone 7s Plus" in addition to its new flagship. Three at a time could be so in September - if that is the correct release date.

A difference between the model series could then be the display. While the iPhone 7s is based on a flexible OLED display

How does the iPhone 7s look - and what features does it bring with it? 

In fact, many indications for the new iPhone point to a new design. Apple's proprietary patents suggest, for example, that the display will be completely borderless. This means not only a larger display with the same or nearly the same overall size of the device but also that the home button could completely disappear.
The entire screen could then become a fingerprint sensor.

The release could also be possible - even speculations - but also by facial recognition. A 3D laser scanner could come into play.

According to the WSJ report, the Lightning adapter could also have some changes. The Apple may possibly replace with a USB-C connector - as it has since 2015 with Macs. This could simplify the connection of additional devices to the iPhone - but would also have the consequence that Lightning would be replaced again after five years.

Better battery in the iPhone? 

The next iPhone could get along without a charging cable. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI Securities claims this - and with his forecasts in the past has often been correct. For the wireless, Apple would have to rework the design of the inner life of the iPhone - but this should be without great difficulty. Perhaps then also a slightly larger and thus more powerful battery on board the new iPhone would be. That Apple disciples much more frequently than other mobile phone owners are looking for a socket, is well-known.

As it is well known, in the case of (branded) products in the tech sector, the brand, as well as the patents and development costs of the manufacturer, are to a considerable degree. The pure material costs are pushed by the Far Eastern mass production. A recent evaluation shows how expensive the iPhone 7 is in production.

The analysis of the market research company IHS have looked at how expensive the new iPhone models are purely on their components and the production is reduced. The result: The iPhone 7 costs in manufacturing 219.80 dollars per unit. The iPhone 7 Plus is five dollars more expensive.

The iPhone 7 Plus is, therefore, more expensive in production than the iPhone 6s Plus. The most expensive single item is the touchscreen, which basically consists of two components: the panel and the touch layer. This information applies to the version with 32 GB of memory. The overall cost of iPhone 7s is estimated to be around $1,400

Apple Patents Discreet 911 Calling Technology for iPhone

Patent for Touch ID: iPhone is to Get Panic Mode

Apple was again awarded a whole batch of patents this week, including the description of an iPhone charging station with Siri integration and the possibility to discreet emergency calls. The latter describes the company under the title "Biometric Initiated Communication" as a series of finger movements within a certain period of time. The patent submission should help iPhone owners in danger situations uncomplicated, but effective. The principle is so simple that it could soon be implemented.

In emergencies, an attacker could be in the best case to make an emergency call without warning, by tapping, for example, when unlocking the iPhone in a special way with a finger on the display. The touch ID in the home button of iPhones and iPads could get another meaningful function in the near future. The US Patent Office has published an Apple application describing how the fingerprint sensor can be used as a panic button. The principle is simple: Owners of the devices define a finger whose imprint triggers specific functions in emergency situations. "Apple Patent" has described the various possibilities.

The mentioned Siri dock describes Apple as a screen-equipped charging station for the iPhone. The application from the year 2013 for the now granted patent explicitly also describes the option to charge the iPhone wirelessly. In the event that the next iPhone is actually based on wireless charging technology, Apple would have to spend the autumn announced HomePod only a suitable charge module to exploit the patent protected possibilities.

If an iPhone or iPad is unlocked in the panic mode, personal data such as contacts, e-mails, messages or photos are not available. The device could then look as if it had been reset to the factory settings and behaved accordingly. It is also possible that the surface is not visible at all, that the panic mode was activated. IPhones or iPads could also inadvertently take photos and videos and secretly upload to an Apple server. Alternatively, the recordings could be stored on the device and later retrieved by remote access along with the location data.

If the owner is threatened, a panic mode would also allow him to start sound recordings, which are sent directly to an emergency service. He could, for example, describe a place or name the offender, if he knows it.

An iPhone can only serve as a fast emergency call transmitter in the event of an accident or a certain imprint activates a private mode in which a device is only usable to a limited extent and no access to personal data is possible. To deactivate a panic mode, the corresponding finger can be placed on the home button, the patent application also provides for wipes.

The latter, however, is more likely to be fiction, as usual, when looking at patent applications it must be taken into account that in most cases it is important to keep all doors open. Only a part of the described techniques can be used in the end.