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Apple’s New iPhone Set for September 10th

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Unofficial images of iPhone 5s/c (Image Source: Tinhte)
Unofficial images of iPhone 5s/c (Image Source: Tinhte)

AllThingsD is reporting that Apple’s next iPhone will be unveiled on September 10th. The new iPhone is rumored to have some pretty cool features including a fingerprint sensor and a new 12-megapixel camera with dual LED flash.

As for the fingerprint scanner, I would love to have a better way to secure information and biometrics would be nice addition to iPhone. I think this is an area that more companies need to experiment with, it’s been used here and there on many different devices but it has yet to be refined and brought into the spotlight.

Macrumors has more details on what this fingerprint sensor might look like and how it might function on the iPhone. As for the camera upgrade, it makes sense that Apple would push for improvement here as it’s probably one of the most used features of the phone.

iOS 7 is also likely to make it’s official debut during the fall iPhone event as well. iOS7 will bring some of the most dramatic changes to Apple’s mobile OS ever. The new iOS will not be limited to the iPhone 5 but will be available to most of Apple’s current mobile devices.

iPhone 5c images (leaked)
iPhone 5c images (leaked)

It’s also very likely that we could see a new cheaper version of the iPhone. The cheaper iPhone has been unofficially named “iPhone 5c” and is said to be made of plastic. Leaked images of the cheaper iPhone, like the ones pictured above, have been circling the web for some time now and many show a variety of colors and a very slim, slightly rounded look.

 

Apple Sued Over Employee Bag Checks

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Former Apple retail employees have filed a class action lawsuit against the technology giant for unpaid time during bag checks. Allegedly, employees are required to have their bags checked for stolen property before leaving the store at anytime. This bag check occurs anytime the employee leaves the store for breaks, lunch breaks, and at the beginning and end of each shift. All of this goes on off-the-clock, accounting for a lot of unpaid time over the years.

Apple has engaged and continues to engage in illegal and improper wage practices that have deprived Apple Hourly Employees throughout the United States of millions of dollars in wages and overtime compensation,” the complaint reads. “These practices include requiring Apple Hourly Employees to wait in line and undergo two off-the-clock security bag searches and clearance checks when they leave for their meal breaks and after they have clocked out at the end of their shifts.”

There doesn’t seem to be any indication of the amount they are seeking but the cost to Apple could be significant considering this practice is held across all retail stores worldwide.

Apple Employee Class Action

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Gets Emmy Nomination

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The Academy of Television Art & Sciences has nominated Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn for an Emmy in Outstanding Main Title Design. Forward Unto Dawn is a live-action web-series  based on the game Halo and it is definitely worth watching. They are 15 minute episodes that look great and are well produced, this is something that is usually pretty rare when it comes to any live-action productions based on a video game.

Thanks to Destructiod for the update.

AMD Does 5 GHz

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Using eight cores built on AMD’s Piledriver architecture, the FX-9590 is the world’s first processor to reach 5GHz that will be available to consumers from a chipmaker.  The 5GHz barrier has been broken before in labs and basements where extreme cooling techniques were applied to CPUs but not in a boxed chip thats available to the public.

The FX 9590’s frequency will range between 4.7 to 5GHz and will utilize AMD’s AM3+ socket. The processor will be built on a new 32 nanometer die and have 8MB of L2 and L3 cache. The chips power consumption is considerable at 220W but that’s to be expected with a chip like this, especially early on. AMD has always had great pride in producing a lot of bang with a small amount of power and it’s my guess that power consumption will likely get better. It’s also important to note that AMD’s power management will likely keep the CPU “Cool n’ Quiet” when there isn’t a large demand for power from the system.

The new chip isn’t cheap as it will cost you around $900 to pick up and although early benchmarks indicate that the performance is solid, it may not be the ultimate processor we are looking for AMD to release. Still, 5GHz is impressive and well, awesome.

Comic-Con is Here!

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Yes, it’s that wonderful time of year when the world gets a little geekier. It’s Comic-Con!

The international convention started in 1970 and it is now the most recognized convention of it’s type with over 100,000 joining the party. It’s an awesome celebration of what we love including not only comics but films, science fiction/fantasy literature and much more.

Special guests make appearances, often by surprise, including those behind the creation of our beloved comics. Actors/Directors will show up to discuss projects and roles in films as well as sharing interesting stories and in-depth discussions on lore. The action is already underway as things kick off with preview night.

COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL 2013 Hours/Dates:

  • Wednesday, July 17 (Preview Night): 6:00-9:00 PM
  • Thursday, July 18, Friday, July 19, Saturday, July 20: 9:30 AM-7:00 PM
  • Sunday July 21: 9:30 AM-5:00 PM

For a complete schedule and full event details, please head to the official Comic-Con website.