Hasta La Gadget!

In U.S. trademark filings product categories are divided into 45 classes. Apple seeks to extend its corporate trademark so that its name qualifies for cover under Class 14 as well. Definition for this class states: “This class includes mainly precious metals, goods in precious metals, and, in general, jewelry, clocks and watches.” This means that Apple wants its name protected in the jewelry and watch business. Whenever Apple and watch are mentioned in the same sentence these days it has something to do with its much rumored smartwatch, the iWatch.

This is actually the first time Apple has applied for this trademark extension in the U.S. It has already filed for similar extensions in the U.K., Norway, Mexico and Ecuador. Last year Apple applied for ownership of the iWatch product name, fueling speculation that it was indeed working on a smartwatch. Though so far this product hasn’t materialized.

Recent reports and analyst predictions suggest that Apple iWatch is destined for release later this year, presumably in fall. It is believed to have a flexible OLED display and many fitness related features. Apparently iOS 8′s focus on mobile health and fitness tracking will be aided by relevant data collected by the smartwatch.

Despite Apple’s own claim of entering new product categories this year, the company is yet to confirm that it is working on a wearable device, a smartwatch to be precise. For now rumors are all there is.

Apple Trademark Change Fuels iWatch Frenzy , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Gadgets, iOS 8, iwatch, social hit, Wearable Tech,

A few weeks back Apple released iOS 7.1 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The software update brought a number of new features for supported devices, including CarPlay, which brings the iOS experience to cars. It appears that the company has been working on yet another software update though it just might an incremental one. Apple is expected to release iOS 7.1.1 in the near future and it might primarily bring bug fixes.

This is hardly surprising since Apple often releases bug fixes updates after a major release. iOS 7.1 was the first major update that came nearly six months after iOS 7.0 was first launched to the public late last year. Visits from devices running iOS 7.1.1 are being increasingly tracked online. This behaviour has been an indicator of an impending incremental update in the past as well.

Those who have been waiting for a major software announcement from the company don’t have to sit tight for too long now. This summer Apple is due to unveil iOS 8. There have already been a lot of rumors about what we can expect from the next iOS platform update. Rumors suggest that the company may simplify the overall user experience, shake up iTunes and perhaps even integrate Shazam’s music discovery technology within iOS itself.

iOS 7.1.1 Release Expected Soon , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Apple, Cellphones, Tablets, iOS 7, iOS 8,

Gone are the days when you hear a song on radio or in public and wonder, “What’s the name of that song/Who sang that?” This is thanks to apps such as Shazam and SoundHound that offers the ability to listen to songs and identify them based on their sound waves. However these are third-party apps meaning that users will need to download the app in order to use it.

Now thanks to a report by Bloomberg, it seems that Apple might be interested in making song identification a native feature in iOS 8. The report claims that Apple plans to partner up with Shazam to create a song identification feature that could see itself debut in iOS 8, much like how Yahoo’s Weather and Stock news come preinstalled on iOS devices by default, although we’re not sure what Shazam’s integration will look like.

We have heard the rumors suggesting that Apple could be looking to revamp its iTunes Store and given that Shazam can not only identify songs by television shows and other media, it is possible that by integrating Shazam into iOS 8, it will allow users another method/channel in which they will be able to purchase that song or television show that they have just identified.

Neither Apple nor Shazam have commented on this potential deal yet and we doubt that either company would be very eager to disclose it at this point in time, so take it with a grain of salt for now. Apple is also expected to debut iOS 8 at WWDC 2014 which is taking place later this June, so perhaps we will find out more about the upcoming update then. In the meantime what do you guys think about this potential feature?

iOS 8 Could Feature Built-In Song Identification Thanks To Shazam [Rumor] , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Apple, Audio, Rumors, iOS 8, shazam,

Apple is widely expected to launch health-monitoring software for its mobile operating system, possibly as soon as iOS 8, which should make its developer debut at WWDC this June. The software would monitor and track various aspects of a user’s health, and 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman has a new report out today that details exactly how that might work. Using recreated screenshots based on… Read More

A new report from 9to5Mac details a number of small tweaks we could see in the upcoming iOS 8 release from Apple. As always, the blog stipulates that these are merely things that are in development or have been worked on, and won’t necessarily see introduction in iOS 8, but they could significantly change the overall experience of the OS if included. Much of what the new report from the… Read More