Apple expected to launch iWatch, iPhone 6, larger iPad and HDTV in 2014

A leaked year-end memo from Apple CEO Tim Cook to the company's staff promises 'big plan' for 2014. Without specifying the products Cook said 'we think customers are going to love' the new products.

However, the Apple rumor mill offers a few clues on the company's likely offerings. These include the iWatch wearable computer, a 13-inch iPad Pro, an TV set and a redesigned iPhone, Business Insider reports.  

The memo was considered to be a message by the company’s management to congratulate its employees for 2013 success. These include reaching 50billion App Store app downloads, the launch of the new iPhone 5S and 5C and the introduction of American manufacturing for the Mac Pro - which will be made at a plant in Austin, Texas, instead of in China. 

Apple Has Big Plans For 2014

Now that the holiday’s are over and 2014 is almost here, Apple is eager to jump into the new year. Between statements made by Apple’s CEO Tim Cook as well as rumors suggesting that a larger iPad is on the way, 2014 is already looking as though it will be a huge year for the Cupertino-based tech giant.

We have a lot to look forward to in 2014, including some big plans that we think customers are going to love. I am extremely proud to stand alongside you as we put innovation to work serving humankind’s deepest values and highest aspirations. I consider myself the luckiest person in the world for the opportunity to work at this amazing company with all of you. - Tim Cook, Apple CEO

It is still many months away but the rumors surrounding a 12.9-inch iPad are piling up with the majority of them suggesting that an October 2014 launch date seems to make the most sense for Apple.

Apple’s large-size tablet will be manufactured by Quanta Computer, and was originally expected to adopt either 12.9- or 13.3-inch panels, with recent rumors indicating that 12.9-inch has a better chance to be picked. - Digitimes Report

On top of the massive iPad rumors, some sources are now saying that we could see the iPhone 6 as early as May 2014. This release date would differ from the majority of Apple’s previous releases but sources are justifying it by saying that the company sees the iPhone 6 as more of an incremental update than a completely new system.

Since the iPhone 6 is expected to be nearly the same as the 5S, a large iPad seems to be a bit more interesting for consumers as well as for analysts. The 12.9-inch iPad is reportedly set to be an alternative for laptops which means that it may be setup in a way that is similar to Microsoft’s new Surface Pro tablets.

With iPad keyboards already a popular accessory for the tablet, Apple may use the larger iPad to capitalize on consumer interest in swapping out their computers for tablets.

On top of the iPad and iPhone, reports have surfaced that Apple recently purchased a patent for a heart rate monitor. While heart rate monitors are nothing new, the patent detailed a piece of technology which could actually identify people based upon slight differences in their EKG readings. This sort of technology may not end up making it into any of Apple’s products but if it does, it will surely make a big splash in the tech industry.

Microsoft launches safety app for Windows Phone users in India

Microsoft has launched a safety application called Guardian for Windows Phone users in India, offering features such as distress messages. The app also allows users to track their devices remotely, similar to iOS's Track my iPhone and Android Device Manager. 

Microsoft launches safety app Guardian for Windows Phone users in India.

Users can allow their families and friends to track them in real time during emergency situations by turning on the feature, which runs on Microsoft Windows Azure cloud services and Bing Map APIs. An SOS alert button also lets them connect with security agencies, police and hospitals, or send distress messages to a customized list of contacts via SMS, e-mail or Facebook.

The app was developed over six months by a group of enthusiastic Microsoft employees in India, under the Microsoft Garage intiative which lets staff explore their ideas. It follows a slew of similar apps in India recently catering to heightened concerns over public safety of women, on the back of a high profile gang rape in Delhi earlier this year.

"Our employees wanted to do something to enable people to feel safer in our cities. So they used their spare time to develop Guardian. Guardian is a robust personal security app with more safety features and capabilities than any other comparable app available to Indian smartphone users today," said Raj Biyani, Managing Director of Microsoft IT India.

The Guardian app is officially available for free only for Windows Phone users in India. While Microsoft plans to eventually roll out the service to other countries, it is already downloadable and functional, according to reports.

Summary: The app called Guardian leverages Microsoft Windows Azure cloud services and Bing Maps APIs to enable a "track me" feature. It also has an SOS function that sends out distress messages via SMS, e-mail, or Facebook.

NASA Astronauts and Santa Both Work on Christmas Eve

Sometimes NASA astronauts, as well as Santa Claus, have to work on Christmas Eve, if urgent repairs are needed and a spacewalk is called for at the International Space Station. Such was the case on Tuesday, December 24, as two astronauts went out on a spacewalk to repair the cooling system of the ISS. The spacewalk was the second Christmas Eve one in the history of NASA, and it was also the second one within the space of four days for NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins and Rick Mastracchio. Making repairs to the cooling system of the International Space Station were critically necessary, because when the line went out on December 11, all nonessential equipment had to be shut down. Also, several scientific experiments had to be suspended. The pump module removes excess heat and sends it out into the vacuum of space. During the lengthy 7 and a half hour spacewalk 260 miles above the Earth, Hopkins and Mastracchio had to install a new ammonia pump after they removed the old, faulty one last Saturday. The ammonia pump had a bad valve that needed to be replaced. The pump should be fully activated and working with the rest of the cooling system sometime on December 25, Christmas Day. NASA scientists don’t know why the old ammonia pump needed to be replaced, as it had just been installed three years ago by another team of astronauts. They hope to examine it at some point in the future to learn why it failed. That 2010 repair took a total of three spacewalks to accomplish. It took that many spacewalks because it was more difficult to remove the pressurized ammonia fluid lines than the astronauts had realized it might be. The Christmas Eve spacewalk had been originally scheduled for Monday, but Mastracchio accidentally hit a water switch in the air lock at the end of the Saturday spacewalk, and water got into his spacesuit making it unusable this week and forcing him to switch to another spacesuit for Tuesday’s spacewalk. NASA commentator Rob Navias told viewers on TV that since it’s Christmas Eve, “in this holiday way of giving, we’re giving you a spacewalk today.” He added that Mike Hopkins was “taking a special sleigh ride on this Christmas Eve.” The desks of Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston were decked out for the holiday, with Santa dolls, tabletop Christmas trees, and other decorations. Astronaut Michael Hopkins wished everybody a “Merry Christmas” and added that though it took a couple of weeks “to get her done” they finally finished up the repairs by installing the new pump during the rare Christmas Eve spacewalk. If you were wondering when the first NASA Christmas Eve spacewalk occurred and why, it happened in 1999. That eventful spacewalk was necessary in order to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. On Friday, a Moscow-led spacewalk by two Russian astronauts will install new experiments and cameras outside the International Space Station. The Christmas Eve spacewalk proves that Santa Claus isn’t the only one who works on Christmas Eve. Sometimes NASA astronauts have to work then, also, in cases like when repairs to the International Space Station are needed.

UN Adding Peacekeepers to South Sudan; Thousands Likely Dead

The United Nations is sending 5,500 additional peacekeepers to South Sudan, where a U.N. official says thousands of people have likely been killed since fighting began there last week. The U.N. Security Council approved a measure Tuesday to boost its overall force to nearly 14,000 peacekeepers. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said "it may take time" for the troops and police to deploy, and reiterated his call for the country's leaders to resolve their differences through dialogue. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called both President Salva Kiir and former vice president Riek Machar on Tuesday, urging them to halt the fighting and hold mediated political talks. Both men have said they are ready for dialogue, but the government rejected Machar's demand that detained opposition leaders be released first. The government says forces loyal to Machar remain in control of Bentiu, one of two state capitals seized by renegade soldiers last week. It said Tuesday the army retook the other city, Bor, and was clearing out remaining rebel forces. Also Tuesday, the U.N. human rights office said a mass grave was discovered in Bentiu, the capital of Unity State. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told VOA that a U.N. official saw 14 bodies in a grave and 20 at a nearby riverside. She indicated the bodies could be those of some 75 Dinka army soldiers unaccounted for and feared dead. Mr. Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, has blamed Machar, an ethnic Nuer, of masterminding an alleged coup attempt December 15. The United States says 150 Marines have been moved to Djibouti, ready to enter South Sudan to evacuate Americans and protect U.S. facilities. The White House on Tuesday released Dinka- and Nuer-language versions of a recent statement by President Barack Obama, appealing for an end to the violence.

Man dressed as Santa Claus shot with pellet gun in Southeast Washington

The man dressed as Santa Claus and walking along Stevens Road in Southeast Washington saw three babies peering at him from a window, and he did what any Santa would do. Pumped with holiday cheer, he turned, waved and shouted the traditional festive greeting. “Man, this is awesome,” Xavier Hawkins exclaimed on Christmas Eve morning, as he prepared to hand out presents to 800 needy children. “Oh, yes, Merry . . .”

Launch: Samsung upgrades phablet segment with Galaxy Grand 2

Samsung Electronics has updated its popular Galaxy Grand series of phones with a Grand 2 range featuring improved HD viewing, powerful multitasking and a Club Samsung app loaded with localised infotainment content. What is new: The Galaxy Grand 2 has a 5.25-inch HD screen that allows users to open multiple windows. It will also allow for one application to be run in two windows at the same time, facilitating more productivity and collaboration across programs. The new My Magazine interface provides personalised news, social media and entertainment content experience. The phone also has a soft and textured-touch back cover and delicate stitching to its looks. It is also slimmer and lighter at 8.9 mm and 163 gram. What else is there: The Android 4.3 Jelly Bean phone is powered by a Quad Core 1.2GHz processor. The 1.5GB of RAM and 2,600mAh battery allows users to seamlessly multitask by delivering up to 10 hours of video playback or 17 hours of calls. The phone also has two SIM slots. The phone will start selling in January 2014 .