Earlier this month, we got our hands on some unreleased design mock-ups based on leaked specs for Apple’s upcoming iPhone models and sent them to a few YouTubers and notable journalists.
One of the most notable of these YouTubers, Marques Brownlee, has published this video breaking down everything that these physical design prototypes tell us about the new designs!
When Head of Product Media Relations, Dirk Ellenbech decided to go on a caravanning tour to the UK he brought with him not only a shiny comfy camper van but also a slew of IoT and connected Vodafone products.
We caught up with Dirk, his wife, their dog and a camper van bristling with smart tech at Battersea Park in London.
One of the key features of this vehicle is security. With camper van theft and resale, a huge problem in Germany and across the EU, Dirk decided that a few optional extras were necessary.
the camper has Vodafone’s V-Auto autotracker installed with its companion phone app which will alert you, via GPS cleverness, if your vehicle isn’t quite where you thought you’d left it.
It also allows you to disable the engine when the vehicle is safely stopped. (And not while hurtling down an autobahn, in case you’re wondering!)
The autotracker also can also provide data on your driving, length of journey and directions taken, allowing the driver to adjust driving style or pick different routes.
Moving inside by unlocking the doors with another smartphone app we find more tech. A V-Home kit is installed with it’s infrared & standard sensors that detect movement during the day and night and can alert you of intruders or even fire, smoke or water damage via a smartphone app.
The V-Camera is also built in allowing Dirk and family to keep an eye on their four-legged friend, Hazel when they go to less dog-friendly places and have to leave her behind. Dirk told me that although 2-way communication is available through the system, Hazel isn’t keen and it’s purely used to make sure she isn’t getting up to anything she shouldn’t be.
And talking of four-legged friends, the camper isn’t the only thing that’s had a tech overhaul. Their dog Hazel has a V-Pet Tracker pod attached to her collar so her owners can keep an eye on her even if she can’t be seen. With Wifi Bluetooth and GPS you should be able to monitor your pet at all times via your smartphone.
Lastly but probably most usefully on long trips, is the Vodafone Gigacube wireless router, allowing the family to stream video and music to TV and devices while indoors. Of course you need to be in an area with network coverage but as Dirk says, it’s a whole lot easier than attempting to point a dish or an aerial in the right direction!
Though all the gear uses Vodafone sims, Dirk and family’s travels prove that it happily roams across various networks across Europe delivering safety security and entertainment on their travels. I’m sure they’ll have many miles of happy motoring.
A big misunderstanding broke out last night when I published a tweet saying the following.
There are about 200 security officers trying to catch those who dare to sell i6 accessories.
— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) May 30, 2014
Let me straighten things out.
In HUA Qiang North Market, the heart of Asia’s electronics market, there is a building called YuanWang Digital Mall.
There are dozens of iPhone 5 & 6, iPads, and Macs. These units are either real or fake. The real units and all their accessories are being showcased and traded throughout that mall, and later sold and distributed around the whole world. Almost all the goods there are smuggled goods from HK, due to 17% tax at China customs, so smuggling to avoid the high tax is very profitable.
On May 27th, Shen Zhen Customs (Shenzhen anti-smuggling governing body), and Hua Qiang street authorities stormed the YuanWang Mall to try to catch some of those smugglers and whoever was rumored to sell Apple/Samsung/Nokia/etc units, or fake Apple/Samsung/Nokia units. More than 120 government officials are involved in this operation. Continue Reading
I have been quite silent on technology since the launch of the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c. 2013 was a great year with technology but 2014 will be much better. As you know, I’m more interested now in fashion and cars, but doesn’t mean I will completely abandon the technology scene. I am still an Apple enthusiast, and am hoping to bring you sneak peeks every now and then of their latest products.
With the dawn of a new year will come the dawn of a newer, stronger, more diverse version of SonnyDickson.com. Just as one year evolves into the next, we also have evolved – and I think you’re really going to love the results of that evolution.
Technology is changing, as always – it’s one area of human development that’s guaranteed to change, often so quickly that it leaves even technology veterans’ heads spinning. New products are being developed, some will be leaked and some you will see here. Continue Reading
We had a pretty great year in 2013, at least as far as Apple-related leaks are concerned. Many of our photographic part leaks represented the first time the world had truly gotten a look at Apple’s new iPhone and iPad designs for 2013. To sum the matter up, we’ve broken down each of our leaks by category – First iPad, and then iPhone – to show you how we did.
Towards the end of 2013, Apple released the iPad Air and the iPad Mini with Retina. A month before iPad Air’s official release, I had received a couple of pictures of what was said to be the shell of the unreleased iPad Air. Its design was much similar to the iPad Mini. The iPad Mini was also shown two months before its released. I was able to get some pictures of its shell in Space Gray.
Here’s the full breakdown, month by month. Continue Reading
Deep inside the structure of Apple Inc, there is a small division called MediMac. Seemingly sounding like a repair shop for Macs, it is in fact quite a different beast. It is where Apple develops, tests and perfects all of their prototypes. MediMac is designed to assist the select few who are given Apple prototypes.
MediMac is more than just a help desk, once an idea has been conceptualized and given to hardware to make the components, MediMac takes over and plays an important role in the forming and building of the product. They are also there to provide internal support to the prototypes to those developing software for the device.
MediMac is said to be one of the most integral departments in the development stages at Apple. Even more interesting, executives having problems with the prototypes they are developing contact MediMac for support with their products. This includes the ability to contact MediMac from their home directly. Executives who create prototypes are also not allowed to test them without first signing them up with MediMac. Continue Reading
Authorized Service Providers are one of the strongest parts of the history of the Mac – before Apple started building their own retail stores, authorized service providers were the only place you could go to have your Apple computers repaired, but what exactly do those friendly technicians have to go through before they’re allowed to work on your Apple device?
We’ve gotten our hands on one of the secret training videos used to initiate technicians at Apple Authorized Service Providers, including the ideas and values they are expected to uphold. Check it out below! Continue Reading