POINT OUT February 2014 Edition

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What To Expect In 2014
Apple iPhone 6
The new iPhone will reportedly measure only 6 millimeters
thick. For comparison, the current iPhone 5S
has a depth of 7.6 mm and the old-school iPhone 3GS
is a seemingly clunky brick by 2014 standards, measuring
in at over 12 mm thick.
The iPhone 6 release date could be delayed until
September, and an iPhone phablet is also rumored to
be released to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Note
3 in May, according to new reports out this week.
The report indicates that the iPhone phablet will
not come with Apple’s upcoming A8 SoC, but instead
will feature the iPhone 5S’s 64-bit A7 processor.
It was also rumored that the iPhone phablet will
feature a massive screen to rival that of the Samsung
Galaxy Note 3, which has been receiving rave reviews
across the globe, and could land with a screen of 5.7
inches or larger.
Another report from a Chinese Web site said that
there would be two iPhones coming in 2014 – one with
a 4.7-inch screen and another with a 5.7-inch display,
or bigger. Apple has of course, remained silent on all
rumors concerning future devices as usual, but most
analysts assume any future smartphones released this
year will retain the TouchID fingerprint sensor as seen
on the iPhone 5S. Other rumors suggest Apple will
continue down that route, and also offer an eye scanner
as additional security.
Apple iWatch
What time is it? If you check your smartwatch,
you may find that it’s a text message
past a Twitter notification but if you check
the zeitgeist, you’ll find that it’s wearable
tech time.
After more than a year of relegation to
‘next big thing’ status, the smartwatch is finally
breaking out into the mainstream with
the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Gear and
Sony Smartwatch 2 following where Kickstarter
phenomenon Pebble led.
Rumors of an Apple smartwatch have
abounded since Pebble first hit the big time.
The so-called iWatch has so far failed to materialise
in but will we see Apple get in on
the wrist-worn game in 2014?
The iWatch price is misery. Nobody
but one anonymous analyst who had a stab
at pricing reckons somewhere between
$149 and $229 (£100 to £150 / AU$167 -
AU$250) as the likely tag.
Affordable 3D Printers
Like anywhere else in the world, 3D printing in India is really picking
up for making prototype as well as for making mainstream products
in the market. There is a lot of research by Z Corporation and CADD
centre in India for making sophisticated printing machines. This technology
is slowly coming up in India and is being used by the research
team in manufacturing, architecture, education, geographic, information
system, healthcare, etc. The 3D printing technology can help provide
identical sets of three dimensional physical model at any stage of
production without much hassle. This has greatly helped in improving
communication, eliminate any errors or miscommunication and
thereby save a lot of money and time.
Three-dimensional is proving to be an attractive new business
for technology entrepreneurs also. Indian entrepreneurs are trying to
manufacture 3D printers for as low as Rs 20,000. Global brands that
are imported by India range from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
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FEBRUARY 2014