Apple HD TV possible for late 2013

Apple HD TV possible for late 2013


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — Apple continues to expand its reach with a T-Mobile partnership, new data centers, a rumored landmark "Ultra HD" TV and more.

Rumor: Apple working on 4K 'Ultra HD' TV for late 2013/early 2014?

Digitimes is powering up the rumor mill again, this time with another report on the ever-rumored "iTV" — an Apple-branded television set to replace or augment the AppleTV product. Such a device would reportedly be unique from traditional TVs and other "smart" TVs on the market by implementing sport motion and voice input features.

This particular report is unique to past rumors of the iTV in that the proposed product would sport a new "4K Ultra HD" screen — a display with 3840 x 2160 resolution and 8.3 megapixels. While such a screen would provide an incredible viewing experience, the high resolution content necessary to provide such an experience is very hard to find.

Most HD content is at a 1920 x 1080 resolution, which is half the resolution of a 4K display. Until more content is created at these higher resolutions, any 4K screen — including the ever-rumored iTV — would just be a very high-end (and more expensive) HD TV.

New data center opens in Reno

According to a report by AppleInsider, Apple is putting the finishing touches on a new smaller data center facility near Reno, Nev. Planted on 345 acres of land, the facility has plenty of room for growth as Apple continues to expand digital service offerings via iTunes, the App Store, iCloud, and more. According to the report, this first phase of the project may be an experiment to test and help plan future expansion at the site, ensuring that power, water and network connectivity are able to support what could be an enormous facility.

Given the size of the property, it is very likely that Apple will build solar fields to power this and future data centers in the area, much like its facility in Maiden, N.C. Another data center site is also in development in Prineville, Ore., underscoring Apple's interest in providing a solid foundation for current and future data services.

Apple acquires WifiSLAM for $20MFrom a report by the Wall Street Journal, Apple has acquired the indoor location positioning company WifiSLAM for approximately $20 million. WifiSLAM's technology enables mobile apps to pinpoint user location while in a building and without GPS. The technology measures Wi-Fi signal strength to determine the user's location within a room.

While acquisitions are common in the technology industry, this particular acquisition may be a move by Apple to bolster its position against rival Google. Apple's own Maps application has been slammed with poor user reviews and complaints about inaccuracies, and WifiSLAM's technology could help Apple improve indoor mapping products for consumers, as well as unlock opportunities for Apple developers to create new and engaging retail and social networking apps.

Apple ID now supports 2-step verification

Finally, Apple has added two-factor authentication to its Apple ID product as an option to improve customer account security. Consumers use Apple ID any time they make a purchase on iTunes, the App Store and to support other services like Game Center and iCloud synchronization. This update now enables security-conscious users to require their user name, password and a code generated by their phone or another iOS device in order to access their account.

In other words, two-factor authentication means that to log in, users must provide something they know (a password) and something they have (a unique code from their phone). Codes generated by the user's device are random and are valid once. While some view this extra security feature as an inconvenience, the extra precaution can make the difference between protecting and losing your account and personal information. The feature is completely optional and is not required by Apple to open or maintain an account.

Related:

Two-factor authentication has been available to users of Facebook, Google and other services for several years. Apple's adoption of the security feature will help consumers keep their personal information safe from would-be identity thieves and hackers, including protecting credit cards linked to iTunes accounts. Apple has created a support page to assist users in enabling this feature.

Unlocked iPhone 5 debuts on T-Mobile in AprilT-Mobile made waves at its "Uncarrier" branding event on March 26 when it announced that the iPhone is coming to its customers next month. According to AppleInsider, T-Mobile is setting itself apart from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint — which already carry the iPhone — by offering a 16-gigabyte iPhone 5 for $99 up front and 20 monthly payments of $20. Preorders for the device will be taken starting April 5. T-Mobile will also carry the iPhone 4S for $70 down and $20 per month for 24 months, and the iPhone 4 for $15 down and $15 per month for 24 months.

Apart from differentiating on price, Macrumors reports that the T-Mobile iPhone will be a slightly modified version of the device produced for AT&T's network. According to the report, this modified iPhone 5 will "support Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) bands for T-Mobile's network." An Apple representative informed Engadget that existing iPhones cannot be updated to support AWS. The modifications to support AWS appear to be hardware-based, and are not possible to implement via a software patch.


Brent Anderson is a mobile app developer and founder of Juicy Development LLC. He studies information systems at Brigham Young University and loves connecting businesses with technology in new and valuable ways. Online at www.BrentJAnderson.com

Related links

Related stories

Most recent Science stories

Related topics

Science
Brent Anderson

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast