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Gmail Android app may get ads soon, APK teardown reveals
Google's Gmail app for Android has remained an ad-free sanctuary, but code uncovered by Android Police in an APK teardown of the application's latest version hints that circumstances might change. Buried within the the program is a new library called "ads," along with messages, functions and classes mentioning advertisements. What's more, a "ShowAdPreferenceManager()" function routes users to the ad settings page for their very own Google account. Its not clear if sponsored bits will make it into the promotions folder just like the web version of Mountain View's inbox, but the clues suggest you should brace yourself to see some marketing relatively soon.
iFixit disassembles new iMacs, finds spare SSD slot and more
iFixit did their patented (well, the process should be patented) teardowns of a pair of brand-new iMacs and as usual, the team of technicians has found some unexpected surprises. In a quest to find out just how repairable the new iMacs are, iFixit opened up both the 21.5- and 27-inch models to see what makes them tick. Both new iMacs sport a way to add a second hard drive through the Fusion Drive SSD port. The port features a PCIe connection, so it will just be up to third-party vendors to come up with adapters to allow a simple drive installation. The 21.5-inch model no longer has a replaceable CPU, with the previously socketed processor now soldered directly to the logic board. Fortunately for power users, they can still replace the CPU in the 27-inch model. Both new iMacs have a new AirPort/Bluetooth card that is on the back of the logic board. The card uses a Broadcom BCM4360 802.11ac transceiver and three Skyworks SE5516 WLAN front-end modules for ultra-fast WiFi, and also features a BCM20702 Bluetooth 4.0 chip. iFIxit also reports that there's a new slimmer CPU heatsink and an update to the hard drive SATA power / data cables. The full teardown for the 21.5-inch model is available here, while the 27-inch is here.
iFixit tears down Apple's Haswell-based iMacs, finds room for extra storage
As is its custom, iFixit has torn down the new Haswell-based iMacs to gauge their repairability -- and the company has found a few surprises despite the iterative design. In addition to new processors, graphics and WiFi, the updated all-in-ones now have unoccupied PCI Express slots in their base configurations. DIY enthusiasts willing to pry open their systems can add PCIe-based SSD if they like, iFixit says. Not every change is good news, however. The 21.5-inch iMac's processor is now soldered to the motherboard; while earlier models weren't all that upgradable, the move prevents even determined hobbyists from using their own CPUs. Whether or not you plan to tinker with Apple's desktops, you'll find quite a lot to explore at the source links.
iFixit starts to tear down the iPhone 5s (Updated)
iFixit is quick to get their hands on the iPhone 5s and start to tear that beautiful piece of hardware down to its screws and rails. This time around, iFixit is not the first to crack open the iPhone 5s. Australian iPhone repair company iExperts can claim that honor as it already showcased the innards earlier today. iFixit, though, has a way with words, which makes the teardown as entertaining as it is informative. Some highlights of the teardown include the confirmation of AuthenTec as the company behind the fingerprint sensor, which was expected since Apple acquired the biometric hardware company last year. The sensor uses a CMOS chip and requires 5 to ten images to create a complete profile of your fingerprint ridges. iFixit also notes that the display in the 5s should be familiar to everyone as it is "no bigger, better, or badder than the [iPhone] 5." In fact, it is the same 326 ppi Retina display assembly. No big surprises yet, but the teardown is just getting started. Check back as we will update this post with additional details as they are uncovered by iFixit. Update: iFixit is done and has given the iPhone 5s a 6 out of 10 for repairability. It gets a lower score for using pentalobe screws, a battery with a more sticky adhesive and an all-in-one front panel that includes the front glass, digitizer, and LCD. Other goodies include the potential identification of the camera module as a Sony component and the sighting of 1GB of RAM. WIth some help from Chipworks, iFixit also confirmed the A7 processor is made by Samsung.
iFixit blows apart the iPhone 5s, fingers Apple's Touch ID sensor
Apple's latest flagship smartphone is due in stores tomorrow morning, and naturally, iFixit has put one of the shipping units under a screwdriver before launch. We can't say we're surprised: these folks have sort of made a habit of it. The iPhone 5s teardown is currently marked as "in progress," but the disassembly artists have already found the device slightly more difficult to take apart than its predecessor, due to the Touch ID sensor's short connector cable. The new iPhone's 1560mAh battery (a modest upgrade from the iPhone 5's 1440mAh) is also held down by a ton of glue. The team expresses some concerns over the CMOS Touch ID sensor's sapphire crystal cover, cautioning that its accuracy could degrade over time if it isn't adequately protected. At the time of this writing, the 5s is still coming apart, and iFixit is adding more detail by the minute. Hop on over to the source link below to see the tear down in progress, or check back here later for an update with the company's final word.
Daily Update for September 19, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
iPhone 5c, 5s teardown by Australian repair shop
They're not due in the US until tomorrow, but it's already tomorrow somewhere in the world, and that somewhere is Australia. Well, that didn't make any sense, but the point is that some blokes at Sydney, Australia-based iExperts got their hands on some brand-new iPhones and did a teardown before the guys at iFixit were able to do the same. As usual, the devices are locked down with pentalobe screws and require the use of a suction cup to remove the screen. The team noticed that there's a special cable that connects the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone 5s to the charging port assembly -- not sure of the reason, but I'd speculate that it's for grounding the sensor when the iPhone is docked and charging. The batteries on the new devices have higher capacities than the one on the iPhone 5 (5.45 Whr), with the iPhone 5s coming in at 5.92 Whr and the iPhone 5c at 5.73 Whr. Those batteries, according to iExperts, are made by Apple Japan, something they've never seen before on iPhone batteries. The logic boards for the new iPhones are quite compact in comparison to the one in the iPhone 5, and iExperts noted that the 5s and 5c boards share a similar design. The team also marveled at the "incredible functionality for such little circuitry" found in the Touch ID sensor on the 5s (below). If you're one of those people with an iPhone 4, iPod touch, iPod nano (sixth generation) or iPhone 5 that had a power switch failure, you'll be happy to know that the switch assembly has been changed in the new iPhones. The iExperts team will be posting more information on the chips located on the logic board later, so be sure to visit their site to get more information as the day rolls on.
Oregon Scientific's Meep! X2 kid's tablet gets gutted at the FCC
Since it's been nearly a year since Oregon Scientific's MEEP! kiddy tablet arrived on the scene, it makes sense that we're due for a refresh. We did see a listing for the MEEP! X2 pop up earlier this month, but the device's arrival at the FCC is the first concrete sign that the slate will arrive stateside. The documents reveal that the unit packs a microSD slot, HDMI-out, Bluetooth 3.0 and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, while French site Maginea claims that it will feature a 1.2GHz dual-core Cortex A9 CPU, a 7-inch 800 x 480 display, 1 GB RAM and 4GB of built-in storage. Naturally, we can't confirm the legitimacy of those last specs, so enjoy this gallery of teardown images instead.
iFixit teardown of Moto X finds it plenty repairable
Mere hours after the Moto X made it to stores, the iFixit guys have already torn it apart, revealing its innards to all. The guts of the American-assembled handset aren't entirely a surprise: under the hood we've got a motherboard, 16GB of eMMC NAND storage, the usual rear and front camera modules, inductive charging coils and a 3.8-volt 2200mAH lithium-ion battery. The disassemblers praised the replaceability of various modular components, as the tablet uses only one type of screw throughout. Its taped-in battery, display-fused digitizer and sticky adhesives took the Moto X down a few pegs, but its final score of 7 out of 10 still makes this one of the more easily repairable smartphones on iFixit's list. To have a look at just how Google and Motorola's lovechild was put together, hit the source link below.
NVIDIA Shield teardown dives deep inside the massive handheld
The folks at iFixit are braver souls than us, taking on NVIDIA's tank-like new gaming handheld, the Shield, in a teardown. Shield's cavernous shell houses a mess of multicolored parts, and hilariously reveals its Batman mask-esque properties when freed of said parts. Though it certainly doesn't look like an easy process, the repair site offers a six out of 10 rating; it specifically cites the battery and screen as being tricky to replace. NVIDIA's Shield was a big surprise at this year's Consumer Electronics Show -- CEO Jen-Hsun Huang showed up with the device on-stage during his company's press briefing, where he used it to demonstrate the just unveiled Tegra 4 processor. We finally got our hands on the final retail version earlier this month and you can find the full review right here. Consumers can also finally purchase the $300 handheld as of yesterday.
HTC One is highly repairable with special secret tool, says lead designer
Many folks who've torn down an HTC One agree that it's practically impossible to do so without damaging the body, hence iFixit's low repairability score of 1/10. That said, as we found out from HTC's Frequencies Asia event earlier today, there's apparently an elegant solution to this problem. This little surprise came from none other than Justin Huang, the man who personally sketched the phone's conceptual designs. "During the development [of the One], there was another team inside HTC who looked at the repair process," said Huang, who's also the Senior Manager of the One's design team. "So every phone sent to HTC, they have a special tool to disassemble the back cover, to let us have the ability to access all the components inside." Huang added that his folks can even put everything back together neatly, as you'd expect. But the problem is that only HTC has this tool, and our man wasn't keen on revealing the magic behind it. This is bad news for those who want to do a bit of DIY repair or modification -- especially with different colors. "Don't try it," teased Huang with a smile. Fine, we'll just have to keep an eye out for this oh-so-precious kit in the Huaqiangbei markets. Or we can just tickle Peter Chou when we next see him.
Apple's newest AirPort Extreme base station gets dissected
The skyscraper? The hauteur router? The dapper WAP? All reasonable nicknames were considered, but in the end, Apple's sticking with "AirPort Extreme." The newest base station -- the one introduced alongside the company's Haswell-infused MacBook Air at WWDC -- takes on a new look and gains 802.11ac support, but that's not what you're here for. You're here for two reasons: first, you want to see this thing reverse engineered, and second, you want to get an idea of just how repairable it is. The gurus over at iFixit have done their usual teardown, offering up a plethora of lovely JPGs and settling on a respectable 8 out of 10 on the Repairability Index. Eager to learn more? Give that source link below a soft tap... with the key word being soft.
New Xbox 360 torn down, shows we're all the same on the inside
A teardown of the new Xbox 360 announced at Microsoft's E3 press conference by iFixit showed some surprising non-changes to the redesigned system. Namely, the console still uses the storage, cooling fan and processing power from the current version of the system first announced in June 2010. Among the changes made to the system (referred to as the Xbox 360 E), iFixit noticed that Microsoft updated the RF module and that "the absence of the power button backlight found in the Xbox 360 S is easily noticed." The redesigned console is available now for the same price as the existing models. We got a good look at the system ourselves at E3, albeit from the outside.
iFixit tears down the 2013 Xbox 360, finds surprisingly familiar insides
The Xbox 360 has gone through quite a few hardware transitions in its lifetime, but the 2013 model still intrigues us -- it's potentially the last, most advanced iteration that we'll see. iFixit must be equally curious, as it's tearing down the console just days after its launch. The shock of this latest system may rest in what hasn't changed: despite being smaller and (reportedly) quieter, the updated 360 is still using the cooling, processing power and storage of its 2010 predecessor. Most of the differences exist in the enclosure and some minor component tweaks, like the new RF module. This model isn't a revolution, then, but iFixit appreciates its more repairable design. Gamers wanting to explore this tiniest of Xbox 360s can check out the full teardown at the source link.
iFixit breaks down the MacBook Air 13-inch Mid-2013
iFixit got its hands on a shiny new 13-inch MacBook Air and tore the diminutive machine apart. On the outside, the new MacBook Air is similar to last year's model, but the innards revealed a few minor differences like a smaller SSD module, and updated AirPort card, a new heat sink clamp and more. They also noticed dual microphones that'll help cut down on background noise during a FaceTime call. In the end, the MacBooks Air was awarded a Repairability Score of 4 out of 10, with 10 being the easiest to repair. The case is easy to remove and some the parts are easily replaceable, but several key components like the RAM, SSD and certain screws are proprietary. iFixit also confirmed that the RAM is still soldered to the Air's logic board, and the SSDs are not compatible between generations. You can read more about the teardown on iFixit's website.
Thorough Google Glass teardown reveals 570mAh battery capacity
Among the handful of Google Glass teardowns (and attempts at doing so) out there, this one by Star Simpson and Scott Torborg is one of the most thorough. The pair deconstructed the eyewear down to components so small they fit on a dime, using considerable force to tear through glue and plastic. Peeling back the cover of the battery enclosure revealed a non-replaceable 2.1 Wh (570mAh) single-cell lithium polymer unit. Simpson and Torborg note that while they do not recommend dismantling Glass (it's hard enough to get your hands on one), they didn't encounter major hurdles when they did and even managed to put it back together in working order. Most of you are familiar with what Google Glass looks like by now, but if you want to see all its parts individually, hit the source below. [Image credit: Catwig]
iFixit tears down 2013 MacBook Air, finds bigger battery and smaller SSD
iFixit has a tradition of tearing apart Apple gadgets (and many others) as soon as they're on sale, and it's maintaining that custom with a fresh peek at the 2013 edition of the 13-inch MacBook Air. This isn't a repeat of last year's by-the-book affair, however -- there's a few minor surprises in store. We now know that Apple is bolstering the efficiency of Intel's Haswell chips with a larger 7,150mAh battery pack, and that Broadcom makes the 802.11ac WiFi chip. The solid-state drive inside also represents a major rethink: while we've heard that Apple has switched the drive's interface from pokey SATA to PCI Express, we can see that the SSD itself has shrunk dramatically since 2012. iFixit is still down on the Air's repairability and scores it four out of ten, but those who've wanted to answer a few of Apple's more recent riddles will still want to check out the full examination at the source.
Tearing down an Ouya: iFixit finds it to be easily repairable
The Ouya team sent the gentlehands at iFixit a retail unit of the tiny Android console to rip apart and gauge its openness and repairability. IFixit found only one moving component, the fan, in the entire little box and remarked on the hardware's "very clean and simple layout." The Ouya scored a 9 out of 10 on iFixit's Repairability scale, because it uses standard-head screws, no weird glues, and most of its components are easily removed and replaced. IFixit factored in the Ouya controller to its score, knocking it for having the joysticks soldered to the circuit board, meaning a broken stick may necessitate an entire board transplant.
OUYA console gets torn down, found to be highly repairable
Now that OUYA consoles are shipping out to the masses, the folks at iFixit were able to grab a box and immediately undo all of the precious packaging work accomplished at the factory. In its usual style, the site gently dissected the world's best-known Android game console, commenting on "a very clean and simple layout." Overall, the splaying seemed to happen with little to no fuss, with the fan being the only modular (and moving) component in the entire thing. All told, the OUYA notched a 9 out of 10 on the all-important Repairability Meter, aided by the fact that only standard-head screws were used, and that no abstract glues or other black magic was used while piecing it all together. You'll definitely want to give the source link a look if you're yearning for more eye candy.
Second-gen Nest teardown reveals high degree of repairability, fun with curved glass
Chances are if you've bought a $250 thermostat you aren't going to immediately rip it apart to see what makes it tick. Thankfully, there are folks like iFixit that do these sorts of things for us, and they've now finally done the honors with Nest's second-generation unit. As with the original model, there's an ARM Cortex A8 CPU powering things inside, and iFixit is especially impressed with the ease of access to the replaceable battery and other components; only some adhesive holding the front assembly together proved a tad difficult, which it says could complicate matters if you need to replace the screen or front glass. If you do take it off, though, iFixit notes that the curved glass can also double as a handy magnifying glass. Hit the source link below for the full step-by-step account.
