Apple exploring improved outdoor LCD viewing with sunglasses-friendly screens

Apple has shown interest in creating an improved LCD display for devices like the iPhone and iPad that is not distorted when viewed by a user wearing polarized sunglasses outdoors.

The proposed new technology was revealed in a new patent application made public by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week and discovered by AppleInsider. Entitled "Display that Emits Circularly-Polarized Light," the proposed invention describes a liquid-crystal display that reduces perceived distortion when viewed through linearly polarizing filters, such as sunglasses.

In the application, Apple notes that current LCDs are based on polarization optics, and typically utilize linear polarizers on their front surfaces. The problem is that the light from LCDs typically has an electric field that only vibrates in one direction, while polarized sunglasses only allow through light with an electric field that vibrates in the vertical direction.

"Hence a user looking at the LCD display of a portable device... may see a distorted image in the display when viewed through polarized sunglasses, due to the polarized filters in the sunglasses blocking the light when the display is viewed at some angles," the application reads.

When an LCD display is seen through polarized sunglasses, at certain angles the screen may be completely dark or somewhat obscured. The issue can be made even worse when a lens cover is placed in front of a display for protection or industrial design, as these plastics can compound the issue with color and gray artifacts.

Apple's solution is a display that emits circularly polarized light by placing a layer in the path of linearly polarized light.

"The layer receives the linearly-polarized light on one surface, converts the linearly-polarized light to circularly-polarized light, and then emits the circularly-polarized light from another surface," the application reads. "By emitting circularly-polarized light, the display reduces the perceived distortion found at some angles when the display is viewed through a linearly-polarizing filter."

The invention would allow for superior outdoor viewing of displays, like iPhone or iPad screens, by reducing perceived distortion created when a user wears sunglasses.

Apple's adoption of glass screen covers and glossy displays has been a point of criticism against the company, as some have complained they make viewing of devices in sunlight near impossible. The company has even brought back antiglare matte screens to some of its MacBook Pro options as an optional $150 upgrade.

By creating a screen that could accommodate sunglasses, Apple would craft a new LCD that would allow a reduced amount of light to reach a user's eye without distorting the screen. This could improve the ability to use devices like an iPhone, iPad or MacBook Pro outdoors on a sunny day.

Apple first filed for the proposed invention in January of this year. It si credited to John Z. Zhong, Wei Chen, Cheng Chen, Victor H.E. Yin, and Shawn R. Gettemy.

(Quoted from AppleInsider)

Apple posts instructions on how to remove Mac Defender malware

Apple has posted a support document explaining how to "avoid or remove" Mac Defender and stated it would release an update to Mac OS X to automatically find and remove the malware.

The new support document describes the malware as a phishing scam that redirects users from legitimate websites to "fake websites which tell them that their computer is infected with a virus."

The websites then offer phony antivirus software to solve the problem, under the names Mac Defender, Mac Protector and Mac Security, often with MAC spelled in all caps.

Apple's removal steps detail quitting the offending app and deleting it from the Utilities folder it is installed into by default. The primary damage caused by the malware is to nag the user for their credit card information in an attempt to sell them a solution to a nonexistent problem.

Windows PC pundits, notably Ed Bott of ZDNet, have made highly publicized reports of the Mac Defender malware, suggesting it is evidence that Macs are now experiencing malware and virus problems comparable to those experienced by Windows users over the past two decades.

Security expert Charlie Miller, who has regularly won security contests demonstrating Mac exploits, has downplayed that real threat of the few Mac malware titles that have surfaced, recently noting in an interview that "Microsoft recently pointed out that 1 in 14 downloads on Windows are malicious. And the fact that there is just one piece of Mac malware being widely discussed illustrates how rare malware still is on the Mac platform."

Miller explained that while antivirus software can help protect your system from being infected, he also countered that "it's expensive, uses system memory and reduces battery life," stating, "At some point soon, the scales will tip to installing antivirus, but at this point, I don't think it's worth it yet for most people."

Apple recommends that Mac users "should exercise caution any time they are asked to enter sensitive personal information online" and notes that it "provides security updates for the Mac exclusively through Software Update and the Apple Support Downloads site."

The Mac Defender scam presents a phony website scanner with an appearance modeled after iTunes, and depicts itself as being an "Apple security center," apparently modeled after the "Windows Security Center" Microsoft added to its own product.

Because the phony web page and its popups are tied to the browser, they do not look native alerts from Mac OS X. The scam site is also unable to install the malware without the user supplying an administrative password. Even so, hundreds of users have been duped by the scam, although the outbreak appears to be more of a nagware annoyance than a serious security problem.

(Quoted from AppleInsider)

蘋果教現象有科學根據?

Apple的愛好者為數不少，不時會有人把他們形容為「蘋果教徒」，Steve Jobs順理成章就是「教主」。這個現象最近被英國BBC拍成了超級品牌紀錄特輯的一部分，當中提到有神經研究指出，在一些Apple愛好者當中，的確有一些類似宗教式的反應。
研究人員利用核磁共振攝影（MRI），觀察Apple愛好者的腦部活動，結果發現他們 望見Apple產品時，所刺激的部分和宗教信徒看見聖物一樣。紀錄片形容，Apple職員塑造了一種宗教式的狂熱，在Apple Store開幕，或新產品推出時可見一斑。到香港的Apple Store開幕時，可能也會有同樣的情況吧。

來源：CNN

Apple to Introduce a Curved-Glass iPhone 5?

Digitimes reports that according to industry sources, Apple is planning to adopt a "curved cover glass" for its next generation iPhone.

Cover glass makers are reluctant to commit investment to the purchase of glass cutting equipment due to the high capital involved, said the sources.

According to those same sources, Apple has purchased 200-300 glass cutting machines to be used by glass makers.

There has been no timetable yet for the volume production of iPhone 5 as Apple is currently still working with related suppliers including those involved in cover glass, glass cutting, lamination and touch sensors to improve yield rates, the sources commented.

It's hard to say what type of design a "curved cover glass" iPhone would adopt. It would also fly against recent claims and beliefs that the iPhone 5 will adopt a generally similar-to the iPhone 4 form factor but with only minor modifications.


Apple has previously used curved glass in the previous generation iPod Nano. Image above from DailyMail.co.uk.

The Samsung Nexus S uses a concave curved screen. The reasoning behind the move was for comfort:

Well, our tipster tells us Samsung's been shopping this curved display technology to carriers for a while -- as early as CES at the beginning of this year behind closed doors -- claiming that its research showed such a design improved perceived usability over a perfectly flat display.

(Quoted from: MacRumors)

Largan rumored to supply 8MP camera for Apple's next iPhone in Q3 2011

Providing more evidence that the next-generation iPhone will include an improved 8-megapixel camera, a new report says Taiwan's Largan Precision is expected to supply the necessary components.

Industry sources in Taiwan reportedly told DigiTimes that Largan could receive "possible orders" from Apple in the third quarter of 2011. That would align with rumors that Apple will not release its next iPhone until the end of the company's 2011 fiscal year, which concludes in late September.

According to the report, most of Largan's current business comes from selling 5-megapixel lenses, while 8-megapixel camera modules represent just 10 percent of the company's business. But that percentage could change drastically if the company does secure orders from Apple for its so-called "iPhone 5."

Largan already supplies 5-megapixel lenses for the iPhone 4, and last year it was said that the company was selected as the sole supplier of lenses for the iPad 2. The iPad 2 was released in March with a forward-facing camera, as well as a rear-facing one.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo with Concord Securities told AppleInsider in September that the next iPhone will feature "slight modifications" from its predecessor, including a new 8-megapixel rear camera. Other reports have suggested the next-generation iPhone will include both CDMA and GSM radios, making it a world phone compatible with both the AT&T and Verizon networks in the U.S.

Picture quality on the new iPhone is also expected to be improved with a separate component for an improved LED flash. Various reports, including one earlier Tuesday, have suggested the flash will be moved farther from the camera lens to reduce red eye.

(Quoted from AppleInsider)

Phishing and Malware Emails Posing as Apple and the iPhone 5 Launch

We've received a number of warnings from readers over the last couple of weeks about fraudulent emails that look a lot like official Apple emails. These emails are structured just like Apple's promotional emails, but are actually attempts to lure unsuspecting customers into entering their Apple IDs and other personal information. Such so called "phishing" attempts are common and readers should be wary about following links from any emails.

What caught our eye is that the latest round of these fraudulent emails are actually leveraging the hype around the next generation iPhone. The latest email (pictured above) passes itself off as an Apple launch email for the iPhone 5. (Full size). It cobbles together various photos from the internet and entices users to click on "Learn More". The learn more link, however, links to a Windows executable which we presume to be malware (virus, trojan, keylogger, etc...), so readers are warned to avoid clicking on any links from these emails.



Reports of compromised App Store and Apple ID accounts have generated a lot of press in the past due to the scale of the iTunes Stores. It was believed that account details were stolen using these sort of techniques rather than any sort of vulnerability in iTunes itself.

Another example of a fraudulent email: