iPhone 5 New Dock Connector Details Revealed

The smaller, 19-pin dock connector expected to arrive with the next generation iPhone may be a different design after all. Leaked photos on 9to5 Mac show a dock connector cable with 16 pins, including 8 on each side. Apparently only 8 pins would be used in the iPhone 5, with the other side reserved for future use.

iphone mini dock connector

The plug has contacts that look more like a USB cable or SD memory card, and would not have to be oriented in a particular direction to connect. This symmetrical design simplifies the process of plugging in a dock cable to the port at the bottom of the iPhone or accessories. Speaking of which, there is some concern that the new design will render many third-party accessories obsolete, despite a rumored adapter.

MacBooks Could Wirelessly Charge iPhones in the Future

Wireless charging is not a new concept, the Palm Pre introduced the Touchstone Charger in 2009, and Samsung announced a wireless charging kit along with its Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone earlier this year. Even though the Samsung wireless kit has been delayed, a similar Verizon-branded charging station has been spotted at Verizon stores.

Wireless Charging

According to the DigiTimes, chip maker Intel may be adopting "its self-developed wireless charging technology into Intel-based ultrabooks and smartphones in the second half of 2013". Since Apple uses Intel’s chips in its MacBooks, the company could potentially adopt this upcoming technology... But I wouldn't get my hopes up.

iOS 6 Allows iPhones to Automatically Switch to 3G When Wi-Fi Isn't Doing the Job

Do you hate when your iPhone doesn't automatically switch to 3G if your Wi-Fi connection is too slow? A new feature in iOS 6 will solve this problem. The new option called "Wi-Fi Plus Cellular" allows your iPhone to automatically switch to a cellular connection when Wi-Fi isn't doing the job. iPhone owners can also manage their data usage by toggling specific services on and off. As you can see from the picture below, the cellular option allows you to turn off access to iCloud Documents, iTunes, FaceTime, Passbook Updates and Reading List.

iOS Features

The "Wi-Fi Plus Cellular" option was discovered within the Settings menu in the latest iOS 6 beta by AppAdvice. The blog also discovered a toggle for Shared Calendar Alerts within the beta. When enabled, the new feature will notify you whenever the shared calendar is modified.

New Yorker Magazine Offering One Free Issue to iPhone Owners

The New Yorker is giving away a free digital copy of its August 13 & 20, 2012 issue to anyone who downloads their new iPhone app launched on Tuesday. Users who download the app for free can buy future single issues or subscribe to a monthly or yearly membership.

Free iPhone Apps

The iPhone version features an exclusive introduction to The New Yorker app by Lena Dunham and Jon Hamm, social networking sharing, a weekly slide show of all the current issue’s cartoons, plus more. The new app also makes downloading individual issues a little lighter than before. iPad users were forced to download well over 100MB per issue, while this week's iPhone edition is only 23MB to download.

Sprint CEO Says iPhone Investment Was Worth Every Penny

It's well known that Sprint had to commit at least $15 billion to Apple to become the third major U.S. carrier to carry the iPhone. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse told a group of reporters that taking the risk was the "right decision".

Sprint

“You really don’t want to be on the outside. The No. 1 thing was getting the call from Apple that they were interested in at least having the opportunity, Hesse said at Sprint’s Kansas headquarters. "We committed to $15.5 billion over four years in purchases. That’s a large commitment. We saw no reason to bet against Apple. Today, looking back, I think it was the right decision.”

Hesse also said he would be interested in adding the iPad to Sprint's roster in the future.

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