Will it be worth the wait? While the exact specs and features are still totally up in the air, the latest rumor says that Apple’s iWatch will come with some interesting biometric technology. Indeed, according KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, biometrics could play a big part in Apple’s invasion of your wrist. This is for both security and health tracking. The prediction lines up with the fact that Apple bought biometric sensor company AuthenTec last year.

Given the rise in popularity of devices like the Nike Fuelband, Fitbit and Jawbone Up, it makes a lot of sense that Apple also wants to capitalize on this biometric fad too.

As far as the other rumors go, Kuo also says that the iWatch will have a 1.5 to 2-inch display, but earlier reports also indicated that this could be the first Apple device to utilize flexible display technology too. It will be interesting to see how something like the iWatch stacks up against Google Glass.

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News flash: Apple’s iOS is more locked down than Android … okay, that’s not exactly a secret. This is why something like Facebook Home is not available on any iDevice at the moment. But they did bring deep integration for Facebook and Twitter earlier, and are apparently going to do the same trick once again, this time with Flickr and Vimeo.

According to 9to5Mac, the photo-sharing service and the video sharing site are going to get new connections in Apple’s upcoming iOS 7.

The rumor says iOS 7 users will be allowed to sign into their Flickr and Vimeo accounts through the settings menus, like how you can integrate Facebook and Twitter accounts now. And both the services could be accessed by third party apps. You will be able to upload photos and videos to both the services directly from the iOS Photos app.

The iOS users who have Flickr and Vimeo accounts will certainly benefit from the integration, if it happens that is. It will also be good for both the services as well. Yahoo would certainly welcome more traffic to Flickr, which has just been updated in a major way.

But the inclusion of Vimeo is a surprise, as the site is mainly for short films and high-quality videos. Videos shot in a smartphone end up most of the time on YouTube. But, Apple’s OS X is integrated with both Flickr and Vimeo, so the new rumor can’t be pushed aside that easily.

We will keep you updated about iOS 7, so stay tuned to Mobilemag.

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As you might already know, the National Football League (NFL) allows coaches and players access to only laminated playbooks and Polaroid images, and strictly no device that records or plays video is allowed. But that’s going to change with this new deal between the NFL and Microsoft, which will bring the company’s Surface tablet on to the sidelines.

The deal is apparently worth $400 million over five years, and if everything goes as planned you will be seeing teams playing with the Surface to check out replays and plan their next move this season.

Currently many teams might prefer using the Apple iPad as a playbook, about which Darren Rovell says, “Under the Microsoft/NFL deal, players and teams can still use iPads for playbooks, but Apple branding has to be covered up”. There will be Microsoft branding on the replay booth.

Just in case you are wondering, one reason for NFL’s technophobia is that they want to ensure competitive balance. They do not want a team with good techies to have an advantage over other teams. If you are a Formula 1 fan, you should know what we are talking about.

The big question is whether or not the deal will help further popularize the Surface line or not? What do you think of the NFL agreement with Microsoft?

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The post Microsoft’s $400 Million Deal With NFL appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

At the Google I/O conference, the search giant unveiled their Google Play Games, a new gaming service, which will be competing against Apple’s Game Center.

With the new cross-platform service, you will be able to enjoy cloud-synced game progression, in-game achievements, leaderboards, and matchmaking. Some of the developers who have jumped in include Gameloft, Glu, Ironhide Games, and Miniclip. The service is integrated with Google+, so this could be a reason for you to finally start adding people to your circles.

And speaking of the social network, it appears like the old games that you have already been playing on Google+ will be removed on June 30. According to Google, “If you would like to continue playing a particular game, contact the game’s developer to find out if there’s a new destination site for the game“.

If you have made payments to play a game, you will be able to use your unused credits when the game will be migrated to another site, while some games will offer a grace period before shutdown.

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Samsung is right now leading the smartphone race, so something big certainly should come from Apple if they have plans to reach the top again. Apple is expected to bring out their next iPhone at their worldwide developer conference in June. Further evidence that this is happening comes from reports claiming that suppliers are already making the display for the so-called iPhone 5S.

While other companies have already started the manufacturing, the next gen iPhone’s LCD displays from Sharp will enter production in June. All these developments are pointing to a possible launch sometime in June or July.

The iPhone 5S is expected to run iOS 7 and come with an updated processor, a fingerprint sensor, improved cam, and more RAM, among other additions. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has earlier said that the device will take time to arrive due to delays in development of the fingerprint sensor and their next OS.

Meanwhile, the rumored low cost iPhone, which is expected to be unveiled beside the iPhone 5S, could enter mass production sometime in the near future. This has been suggested by a new rumor about Apple supplier Pegatron’s plans to increase its workforce in China by 40 percent in the second half of 2013.

As for their upcoming iPad Mini 2, it is expected to arrive with a high resolution Retina Display, which could delay the manufacturing of the device.

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Have an iPhone or iPad? Thinking about buying a new app? Today’s the day to do it. Apple is currently running the 50 billion apps competition.  One lucky winner will snag a $10,000 Apple Store Gift Card if they happen to be the 50 billionth app purchaser.

You can finally get that Macbook you’ve been wanting and a lot of swag to go along with it.  The 50 billionth download will get the grand prize, but fear not if you are not the lucky type, the next 50 downloads will each win a $500 gift card.  The promotion began on April 29, and will run until the last card has been given away.  They are already up over 49 billion, so you better get on it!

No entry required, just download and you’re in the running.  You are limited to 25 entries and must be 13 years or older. There is also a no purchase necessary option, just go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/50-billion-app-countdown/entry-form/ and complete the entry form.  It’s nice to see companies giving back to their customers, so hop on the Apple Store and get downloading!

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BlackBerry devices have always been marketed as being very secure. It looks like the Department of Defense agrees. The DoD has officially approved the use of BlackBerry 10 devices, including the full lineup of the Z10, Q10 and the PlayBook, on its network.

This approval has come after earlier reports that the DoD was going to approve Apple iOS devices and some Samsung Galaxy handsets. While iOS 6 devices are expected to join BlackBerry 10 devices in being allowed in the next two weeks, devices running Samsung Knox, the South Korean company’s enterprise mobile solution, have already got the green light.

The Knox was earlier expected to be available with the S4, but later reports have pointed to the feature being available only by July. Samsung is certainly making a good effort, but BlackBerry is still the best when it comes to security.

Scott Totzke, SVP, BlackBerry Security at BlackBerry says: “BlackBerry 10 is ideal for our government customers because it offers a rich, highly responsive mobile computing experience, along with BlackBerry’s proven and validated security model – a combination that’s unmatched in the industry. This approval will enable DoD customers to connect their BlackBerry Z10 or BlackBerry Q10 smartphones to DoD networks and securely access assets from work, while enjoying the wealth of consumer-oriented functionality that BlackBerry 10 brings to market”.

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Apple is still top dog when it comes to tablet market share, a pretty impressive feat for a company with only 2 tablet models to choose from, however they aren’t sitting quite as pretty as before as their share has slipped while rivals begin to catch up.

When the ‘tablet wars’ kicked off, the Apple iPad seemed all but unbeatable, but times have changed and the iPad mini came a little late to the party giving the likes of Samsung, Amazon, Asus and others the chance catch up with their pint-sized offerings. The shift in market share is quite dramatic with Apple slipping from a 65% share at the start of 2012 to just under 40% this year. In second place Samsung enjoys a 18% market share, with Asus and Amazon making up the rest and Microsoft coming 5th with 1.8%.

From what we have been seeing Apple’s share will continue to slip unless they really do something special with the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2, but even then it won’t be easy, as a new Nexus tablet is expected soon, along with more Samsung tablets on the way.

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Recently Bloomberg reiterated its earlier reports that there is a risk of delays to the Apple iOS 7 due to a much anticipated UI refresh and an extensive “software overhaul.”  Bloomberg also reported that Apple was “exploring more dramatic changes” for the Calendar and iOS 7 Mail apps.  These apps are expected to be so different that they will likely come at a later release.  Overseeing the development of the iOS 7 remake is Jony Ive.  He has reported to Bloomberg that it will contain stunning “realistic” images and UI elements over that of a flat UI.

However, Apple is not just looking to change the look of the new OS, Jony Ive supposedly has been keeping his eye on innovation and exploring new ways for consumers to interact and control their devices in future OS releases.  Ive has reportedly “met with makers of gesture technology” to discuss the addition of new features to the iOS.  Bloomberg does stress however that these extreme interface changes are most likely not going to be part of the iOS 7 release, but for future unveils.  Apple has promised that it’ll have both the new version of OS X and iOS 7 to developers by this year’s June WWDC conference.

It sounds like Apple is keeping their eye on the future and continuing to develop new technology to maintain their foothold on the tech market.

Are you excited for the release of iOS 7 and the new mail and calendar apps?  What new things are you hoping to see?

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Regardless of what mobile platform you currently use, you are likely well aware of the major rivalry between iPhone users and Android users – or more specifically, Samsung users. With that in mind, Microsoft’s latest commercial takes a humorous look at the war and weighs in with its own comment about switching to Windows Phone instead.

Whether or not you like Windows Phone, it is admitedly a fun commercial. Does it do much to truly promote Windows though? Honestly, not really. The commercial really doesn’t focus on the phone’s features at all, instead it just has two waiters using Lumia handsets talking about how Android and iOS fans like to fight.

What do you think of Microsoft’s latest marketing attempt for Windows Phone 8? Effective, humorous? Or totally missed the mark? Let us know in the comments below.

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