MacRumors

For the third year in a row, Apple CEO Tim Cook is participating in a charity auction through CharityBuzz, offering whoever bids the most the chance to enjoy lunch with him at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino. This year's auction also includes two VIP passes to an Apple keynote event to watch Apple unveil new products.

Two people can have lunch with Cook, and the experience will last for approximately one hour. Lunch is included in the auction price, but the winning bidder will need to cover travel and accommodations. The exact date of the lunch will be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time after the auction ends on May 6, 2015.

The auction has an estimated value of $100,000, and bids are currently up to $37,500. This is the third year that Tim Cook has auctioned off an opportunity to spend time with him, offering a coffee meeting in 2013 that sold for $610,000 and a lunch meeting in 2014 that sold for $330,001.

Proceeds from the auction will once again benefit the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, a charity that aims to achieve a "just and peaceful world by partnering with human rights leaders, teaching social justice and advancing corporate responsibility."

After Apple revealed the new 12-inch Retina MacBook at its March "Spring Forward" event, the performance and speed of the sleek-but-slightly-underpowered machine came into question by many. Unlike the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the Retina MacBook comes with an Intel Core M Processor and provides only a single USB-C port to double as an accessory and charging port.

Today, iFixit answered some of those early questions in its teardown of the new MacBook, revealing a few unsurprising details of the base model MacBook, which includes a 1.1GHz processor, 12-inch Retina display, 256GB of flash storage and Intel HD Graphics 5300. What the company did find that was surprising was a battery connector hidden under the logic board, just one of a few internal comparisons to Apple's iPad line made with the new MacBook.

Next, iFixit looked at Apple's new method of tapered battery cells, finding the glued-down cells particularly challenging to remove and replace. Finally emerging from the MacBook's innards, the company discovered a 7.55 V, 39.71 Wh, and 5263 mAh battery, what iFixit calls "just a hair more" powerful than this year's 5100 mAh 11-inch MacBook Air.

Lastly the teardown focuses on the MacBook's much-touted Force Touch trackpad, which iFixit calls a "slimmer, daintier version" of the 13-inch MacBook Pro's trackpad. Delving further, the repair website found a Broadcom BCM5976 touchscreen controller, ST Microelectronics 32F103 ARM Cortex-M based microcontroller, and Linear Technology LT3954 LED Converter with Internal PWM Generator as the main trio of chips running the new trackpad.

All of iFixit's breakdown resulted in a repairability score of 1 out of 10 for the new MacBook, a 10 being easiest to repair. The company points to Apple's proprietary pentalobe screws surrounding the outside case, the tricky-to-remove tapered batteries, and the processor, RAM, and flash memory being soldered to the double-sided logic board as main reasons for the score.

iFixit's full teardown is worth a read, showing intricate details of the Retina MacBook's double-sided logic board and new USB-C connection port. The 12-inch Retina MacBook went on sale on Apple's online store last Friday, April 10, along with pre-orders of the Apple Watch.

Although the base 1.1GHz version of the MacBook appeared to many as an underpowered machine, recent benchmarks of the 1.2GHz model showcased decent speed and power boosts over its entry-level counterpart. No doubt more will be known when consumers begin receiving their MacBooks in the mail, especially regarding the 1.3GHz model, currently at a mid-May dispatch date due to its made-to-order upgrade parts.

Apple will award up to 350 students and developers belonging to select STEM organizations that promote diversity with scholarships to attend its recently announced Worldwide Developers Conference next June 8 to 12 in San Francisco, as spotted by Re/code. The company previously limited WWDC scholarships to 200 students and developers at past conferences, and is raising that limit in an effort to promote diversity within the developer community.

WWDC scholarships are available to students aged 13 or older and members of participating organizations around the world that promote science, technology, engineering and math education for young women and other ethnic groups. Apple awards selected students with a free WWDC ticket, normally $1,599, and may cover travel and accommodation costs at its discretion. All other expenses incurred during the trip must be covered by the student.

WWDC scholarship submissions, including a Mac or iOS app, can be made April 22 at 10:00 AM PDT through April 26 at 5:00 PM PDT, and all applicants will be notified about their selection status by May 8. Apple specifies that developers between 13-17 years of age must have their submission completed by their parent or guardian. Eligible students can read Apple's WWDC Scholarships page and WWDC Scholarship Guidelines and Terms for more information.

Note: Due to the controversial nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Samsung has created a standalone team of about 200 employees working exclusively on Apple products, according to Bloomberg Business. The report claims the secretive team was formed on April 1 to build screens for iPads and MacBooks, develop products and help with sales.

The newly formed team implies that the relationship between Apple and Samsung, two fierce technology rivals, may be improving after the two companies spent millions of dollars fighting each other in the courtroom over the past several years. Samsung was also recently awarded the majority of orders for Apple's A9 chip for next-generation products, another likely sign of improving relations.

"Samsung is relying more on its display and semiconductor units after falling into a tie with Apple for leadership of the global smartphone market. Relations between the companies thawed after they dropped all lawsuits against each other outside the U.S., and Apple is now the biggest external customer for Samsung components, one of the people familiar said."

LG Display also has a standalone team dedicated to Apple, the supplier's biggest U.S. customer, according to the report.

Apple Watch demand among U.S. teens remains relatively low even as the device's launch approaches, according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster's latest semiannual teen survey, which asked approximately 6,200 teens in the United States about their device usage habits and future buying plans.

Only 11 percent of teenagers surveyed plan on purchasing an Apple Watch, down from 16 percent in the fall survey. Of those 11 percent, the top reason teens cited for wanting an Apple Watch was style, followed by design. Only five percent of teens currently own a smart watch.

We believe the lower purchase intent reflects a wait and see approach to the Watch as it seems unclear what will be the "killer app" for the Watch. We expect teens to be a good market for the Apple Watch given the popularity of the iPhone, but believe it will take time for influencers (celebrities) to make the watch popular among teens.

Though teens don't yet seem to be interested in the Apple Watch, the iPhone and the iPad remain the most popular smartphone and tablet among teenagers. 66 percent of teenagers surveyed owned an iPhone, down slightly from 67 percent in the fall survey, while 64 percent owned an iPad, compared to 66 percent in fall of 2014.

72 percent of teens expect their next smartphone purchase will be an iPhone, while 60 percent expect their next tablet to be an iPad. Comparatively, interest in smartphones and tablets from other companies remains low. 21 percent of teens expect their next smartphone purchase to be an Android, and 16 percent plan to buy an Android tablet. Interest in Windows tablets has grown slightly, however, and 20 percent of teens expect their next tablet purchase to be Windows-based.

Over the last couple of weeks, the Apple Watch has been popping up on the wrists of celebrities like Pharell Williams, Katy Perry, and Drake, as Apple attempts to boost its popularity ahead of the device's April 24 launch. Celebrity endorsements like these along with heavy marketing may lure teens towards the Apple Watch in the coming weeks.

The next teen survey will be published in October, and by that time, it's possible the Apple Watch numbers will shift dramatically if Apple's marketing tactics are successful.

Apple's recent acquisition of LinX Imaging is one of the company's more exciting acquisitions in the last several months, as the technology being developed by LinX could lead to some significant improvements in camera quality in future iOS devices. Given the significance of the purchase, we wanted to take a deeper look at LinX's technology and what it could do for future iPhone photography.

No More Protruding Camera

LinX specializes in multi-aperture cameras for mobile devices, which offer several benefits over single aperture cameras, including the ability to pack impressive image quality in a smaller size. With a multi-aperture camera, LinX is able to take advantage of several smaller sensors rather than one large sensor, preventing the camera from needing a longer lens.

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus were equipped with protruding lenses so Apple didn't have to sacrifice image quality for thinness, but it's possible Apple could shrink the length of the camera in future iOS devices with LinX technology, resulting in a flush rear exterior. According to LinX, the use of multiple sensors over a single large sensor let it shrink the height of its camera device by a factor of 1.4 to 2. Comparatively, one of LinX's dual-aperture cameras was described by the company as "significantly" thinner than the iPhone 5s camera and able to "fit in a device thinner than the iPhone."

SLR Image Quality

LinX announced the launch of its most recent mobile-ready multi-aperture camera in June of last year, and in documentation [PDF], the company highlighted the many ways in which its technology improved upon other multi-aperture camera designs, citing image quality as its first priority.

When designing our algorithms and modules our first priority has always been IMAGE QUALITY. We even leveraged the multiple channels to boost the sensitivity of the camera which allows us to capture stunning images at very low light levels and keep exposure times short at normal indoor light levels.

LinX's mobile cameras were described as offering SLR-like images in normal lighting conditions with low noise levels, due to their ability to capture more details than standard single aperture cameras. To offer proof, LinX captured several photos with its LinX 8 mpix, a dual aperture camera with two 4-megapixel sensors with 2.0 micron BSI (backside illumination) pixels, and compared those to images taken with the iPhone 5s (equipped with an 8-megapixel single aperture camera with 1.5 micron pixels) and an iPhone 5.

Noise Reduction and Detail
The images captured by the LinX camera were brighter and clearer, with a significant reduction in noise. Available detail when zoomed into a photo was also much greater, as can be seen in the comparison below.

Indoor Lighting
In the photo below, the image was taken in mid-levels of light, at approximately 40 to 50 lux, similar to a decently well-lit room in a house or restaurant. The LinX sensor let in more light than the iPhone 5 or the Samsung Galaxy S4, for a photo that is clearer and sharper with less noise.

Very Low Lighting
LinX technology is able to significantly improve low light performance by using multiple channels to increase the sensitivity of the camera for better detail. It also keeps exposure times short to cut down on the motion blurring that can impact photo quality in conditions where lighting is not optimal. For a mobile camera in one lux of lighting, the detail that the dual-aperture LinX 8 mpix was able to capture is impressive.

Low light photos with less noise are also achieved through the use of clear pixels (adding clear pixels to standard red-green-blue filters) to let more light pass through in situations where lighting is low. The use of clear pixels lets in light without the need for larger pixels, keeping resolution high. Larger pixels typically result in more light for the sensor, but using large pixels cuts down on resolution. LinX technology doesn't have to compromise between pixel size and resolution, as it can use small pixels but still let in adequate amounts of light.

Pixel Technology

Smaller pixels also often introduce pixel crosstalk that can impact color clarity to result in muddier colors, but the LinX camera's clear pixels are less sensitive to this issue because they can collect more photons per pixel, also cutting down on noise levels.

In its documentation, LinX describes a 1x2 (aperture) camera module with two 5-megapixel sensors with 1.12 micron BSI (backside illumination) pixels, intended for a "super-slim handset with very limited space for the camera module." The camera is cheaper than the one found in the iPhone 5s, but delivers the same resolution due to its smaller pixels, so image quality is largely the same. Presumably Apple would use something a bit more cutting edge in its newer devices, but the product gives an idea of the type of technology LinX was working on.

Depth Mapping for 3D Models

With multiple apertures, LinX camera modules are able to calculate "ultra accurate sub pixel disparities" between images, letting them create detailed depth maps of a scene. With depth information on a per-pixel basis along with RGB information, LinX cameras can create 3D point clouds of objects from a single frame or a complete 3D model by combining several frames captured from different angles.

Outdoors, depth can be calculated even in direct sunlight or in complete darkness with flash lighting (either visible or infrared).

This is interesting technology because it can be used in several fascinating ways. Depth mapping like this can let people create 3D scans of objects from simple photographs taken at multiple angles, and it can also determine the size of an object that's been photographed and its distance from another object (potentially useful for indoor mapping). It's also possible to use the depth information to refocus an image, introducing a synthetic blur that can emulate different depths of field (a method described in one of LinX's patents). In editing, the information could be used to remove and add objects to a photograph.

LinX's Arrays

LinX offers several different camera options, each of which have unique applications. A 1x2 aperture array with a color and mono sensor, for example, can create low quality depth maps, improve low light performance, and produce better images.

A 2x2 array can create high quality depth maps with higher dynamic range, improved low light performance, and general image quality.

A 1+1x2 array uses two small apertures to create a depth map that provides focusing input for the main aperture, leading to ultra fast focusing even in conditions with very low lighting.

Apple and LinX's Technology

It's not clear how and when Apple will incorporate LinX's technology into its devices, but it's possible we could see these types of camera improvements as soon as this year. Rumors have suggested Apple is looking into a major camera boost for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, with new technology that could produce SLR quality images, and LinX's multi-aperture lens systems could potentially accomplish that feat.

Apple's iPhone is one of the most popular camera options in the world according to data from Flickr, which has led Apple to focus heavily on camera improvements over the years. Apple's commitment to photo quality has continually led to iOS cameras that offer superior images compared competing smartphones, and the acquisition of LinX could put it even further ahead of the competition.

More detailed descriptions of LinX's technology as well as additional comparison photos can be seen in a June PDF released alongside its latest products.

Apple has purchased Israeli camera technology company LinX Imaging for approximately $20 million, reports The Wall Street Journal. LinX specializes in creating multi-aperture camera equipment for mobile devices and it's possible that Apple will use the company's technology in upcoming iOS devices.

Last year, LinX announced the launch of miniature multi-aperture cameras half the height of standard mobile cameras with the ability to create "stunning color images and high accuracy depth maps" for SLR image quality without the bulk of an SLR camera.

The image quality of mobile cameras has reached a dead end. Device makers are striving to differentiate using imaging capabilities but the pixel size race has ended and next generation cameras do not reveal any dramatic improvements. LinX cameras revolutionize mobile photography and broaden the usability span and user experience, allowing us to leave our SLRs at home.

The engineers at LinX have solved all problems associated with combining multiple images captured from different points in space such as registration errors and occlusion related artifacts which are seen on competing technologies.

LinX's technology uses software to extract depth information for each pixel to create a depth map for that can also be used for 3D image reconstruction. LinX's website is now defunct, but the company offered products with two, three, and four camera arrays in multiple configurations and sizes. Its most recent technology was downscaled enough to be ready for use in mobile devices.

LinX technology includes several other improvements Apple could potentially take advantage of, including multiple sensors for a smaller size, better sensitivity to light, and greatly improved image quality in low light.

There have been rumors suggesting Apple's iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will offer much improved dual-lens camera technology with image quality on par with SLR cameras, which could be made possible through mobile camera advancements like those LinX Imaging has worked on.

Camera improvements and iPhone photography have always been important to Apple, and its iOS devices routinely offer highly competitive picture taking capabilities that often outclass devices from competing companies. In the past, major improvements to camera technology have come in "S" release years, so it is likely we will see at least some boost in picture quality in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

Apple confirmed the purchase of LinX Imaging with its standard acquisition statement, given to The Wall Street Journal: "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."

Popular iOS app Workflow was today updated with support for the upcoming Apple Watch, bringing its highly useful task automation capabilities to the wrist-worn device.

For those of you unfamiliar with Workflow, it's a powerful automation app that was first launched on iOS last December. Workflow lets users create actions and connect apps to automatically perform a huge range of tasks on the iPad or the iPhone.

Workflows can be built from a series of actions to perform tasks like making GIFs from a series of photos, creating PDFs from websites, appending content or recordings to Evernote, seeing older versions of websites, getting images from websites, and translating text on the clipboard. There are hundreds of actions that can be combined for an endless number of different workflows.

On the Apple Watch, Workflow will work in the same way, giving users one-tap access to a wide range of different timesaving actions. For example, it'll be possible to pull up a map to the nearest coffee shop or call an Uber using Workflow. These type of quick-access actions may be particularly valuable on the Apple Watch, given its limited input methods.

One of the best features about Workflow for iOS is its included Workflow Gallery, which makes it easy for even those new to the app to download actions that are immediately useful. The same gallery feature will be available on the Apple Watch for fast access to workflows.

Workflows can be executed by raising the Apple Watch on the wrist to turn it on and swiping up at the bottom of the screen to get to the Workflow Glance. Workflows can be run directly from the Glance portion of the Apple Watch, so accessing them will be similar to accessing an app in the Notification Center on iOS. As a reminder, Glances are quick snippets of information that are meant to be easy to access.

Third-party Glances on the Apple Watch are not interactive and do not support buttons or scrolling, so launching a workflow through the Apple Watch's Glance view is done in a unique way. The Glance automatically scrolls through the different workflows that are available and selecting one is done by tapping on the screen.

Scrolling through workflows can be sped up with a rather unique interaction -- knocking the Apple Watch against the iPhone in a pants pocket. This causes the built-in scrolling mechanism to shift to the next available workflow in the list.

Workflows from the iPhone are automatically available on the Apple Watch, including all custom-created workflows constructed from the available actions in the Workflow app. Many Apple Watch apps are somewhat limited in function due to the restricted access developers have to Apple APIs, and the same goes for Workflow.

Apple Watch workflows aren't as full-featured as those on the iPhone -- it's not possible to run workflows that open other apps -- but Handoff is supported to allow users to transfer a workflow on the Apple Watch to the iPhone.

Workflows that involve opening apps, sending messages, or placing phone calls will all require the iPhone because developers cannot use these functions. Workflows that are not supported on the Apple Watch will direct users to use Handoff to swap over to the iPhone.

Though Apple Watch workflows can't open apps (aside from getting directions within Maps) they can still take advantage of the same data available to many iOS apps, like calendar info, contacts, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Currently, 163 out of 226 of available actions within the Workflow app are able to run natively on the Apple Watch, so there's still quite a lot that can be done directly on the device.

Workflow for the Apple Watch is available through an update to the Workflow app as of today, so it'll be accessible on the Apple Watch as soon as the first devices arrive in customers' hands.

Workflow can be downloaded from the App Store for the sale price of $2.99. [Direct Link]

Apple announced on Tuesday that ResearchKit is available today for developers and medical researchers. Starting today, medical researchers worldwide can use ResearchKit to develop their own apps and developers can also contribute new research modules to the open source framework. Apple has created a ResearchKit page on GitHub with a new blog that will share the latest news, updates and tips about the framework.

ResearchKit was previously limited to a handful of exclusive launch partners, including the Weill Cornell Medical College, Mount Sinai, University of Rochester, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Penn Medicine, and Sage Bionetworks, Stanford Medicine and University of Oxford. Now, all developers and medical researchers will have access to the open source framework.

Apple introduced ResearchKit at its Spring Forward media event in March, with a lineup of initials apps available that study asthma, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Apple announced that those apps, including Asthma Health, mPower, GlucoSuccess, Share the Journey and MyHeart Counts, have received over 60,000 signups since being released on the App Store last month.

“We are delighted and encouraged by the response to ResearchKit from the medical and research community and the participants contributing to medical research. Studies that historically attracted a few hundred participants are now attracting participants in the tens of thousands,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations. “Medical researchers all over the world are actively exploring how ResearchKit can help them study even more diseases, and we believe the impact on global understanding of health and wellness will be profound.”

ResearchKit apps use iPhone sensors such as the accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone and GPS to track a user's activity levels, motor impairments, memory and more. The research apps, available on the App Store in the United States, are compatible with the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and fifth-generation iPod touch. Apple notes that it will be introducing the open source medical framework in other countries soon.

“ResearchKit could help us reach people all over the world who are willing to contribute to medical research, but might not know how or be able to get involved,” said Ricky Bloomfield, Director of Mobile Technology Strategy and Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine & Pediatrics at Duke University. “Our team of researchers is now launching the development of an exciting new study using the ResearchKit framework, which will enable us to gather data quickly, from more participants than we are typically able to reach.”

“Because of the ubiquity of iPhone and the elegant implementation of consent, survey and instrumented data collection, ResearchKit has enormous promise for leading the transformation of how we engage patients in research,” said Kenneth Mandl, MD, MPH, of the Boston Children’s Hospital Informatics Program. “Now that we have access to the ResearchKit framework, our team can start customizing the initial modules and even design new ones for our particular study.”

More specifically, when given permission, ResearchKit can attain user data like weight, blood pressure, glucose levels and asthma inhaler use through third-party apps and devices. With hundreds of millions of iPhone users, the service will also give researches a more streamlined experience in recruiting and gaining data from study participants, allowing users to answer surveys and input data right from the app.

The announcement follows a new Apple-IBM partnership to support ResearchKit and HealthKit apps.