Apple Pay mobile payments service to launch on Monday
Apple is rolling out its mobile payments service Apple Pay on Monday, CEO Tim Cook announced at an event on Thursday. He said enthusiasm for the service has been huge, with 500 new banks partnering with Apple since the service was announced last month."It's easy, it's secure and yes, it's a private way to pay for things," Cook said at the event in Cupertino, Calif., Thursday. "We think that it is going to be profound." Apple unveiled Apple Pay with the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September. The company has partnered with Visa, Mastercard and American Express, along with several issuing banks, to allow iPhone users to store their credit card accounts. Apple Pay will be available in 220,000 US merchant locations that already take mobile payments via the NFC chip's short-range, secure wireless capabilities. Previously, Apple announced that it's also working with many retailers -- including Macy's, Walgreens, Duane Reade, Staples, Subway, McDonald's, Disney and Whole Foods, among others -- to bring Apple Pay to physical store locations. McDonald's is even adding Apple Pay to the drive-through, Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Internet software and services, said last month. Disney is expected to have all of its retail locations outfitted with Apple Pay by Christmas. Mobile payments is a natural progression for Apple. The company already lets hundreds of millions of users -- about 800 million, as of Apple's earnings in April -- buy music, books and apps through an iTunes account linked to their credit cards. Expanding this payment process into a digital wallet is a feasible shift for the company. Related LinksApple takes NFC mainstream on iPhone 6; Apple Watch with Apple PayHello, Apple Pay, good-bye credit cards? All bets are offApple Pay to launch October, streamlines online and retail transactions with iPhone 6 handsetsGet to know Apple Pay, the successor to your wallet Cook said last month that Apple's vision is to replace a wallet, and more specifically to replace antiquated, plastic credit cards. Cook noted that there are more than 200 million credit card and debit card transactions processed per day in the US with consumers spending more than $12 billion every day between credit cards and debit cards. The service works by allowing users to simply tap their iPhone devices to payment terminals and then touch their devices' fingerprint sensors to purchase items. Both the devices and the terminals must have near-field communication (NFC) chips that store payment credentials -- something that limits the service to the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus phones. But Apple Pay has another component that doesn't require an NFC chip but does need the company's TouchID. People now can pay for items in apps using a single touch on their device's fingerprint sensor, something that removes time and the hassle of entering credit card and address information over and over. Previously, Apple allowed consumers to use the fingerprint sensor to quickly buy content just from its iTunes, App and iBooks stores. Apple also announced Thursday that it was adding Touch ID to its iPads. Cue previously said that Apple Pay will be integrated with several apps, including the car service Uber; a food app from Panera; Major League Baseball's app, which will allow you to order tickets from your phone; and Open Table, which will allow you to pay your bill from your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. Apple will also be making an application programming interface available in iOS 8 to allow other app developers to integrate Apple Pay into their applications.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play Jim McCarthy, Visa's vice president of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, called these in-app purchase options the real "game changer" despite the buzz around NFC technology. This will allow developers to connect with Apple Pay for a myriad of purposes, and create new services that people haven't imagined possible, he told a group of journalists on Wednesday before Apple's event. That said, McCarthy did not downplay the value of using Apple Pay in the physical world, particularly through connected devices. This includes Apple's Apple Watch, which was also unveiled last month. The watch will sync with an iPhone to receive the same security credentials as the handset. The wearer can then leave the phone behind and purchase items simply using the watch, which will be matched to the wearer's heartbeat. Once the watch is removed, the device will unlink from the phone as a security measure. Even further down the line, McCarthy can imagine a connected car that will allow the driver to pay for gas from inside the car through Apple Pay. Mobile payments has been promised for a long time but so far has struggled to gain much traction. The goal with offerings like Google Wallet was that people could get rid of all their credit cards, loyalty cards and coupons that filled their wallets and instead store and access them from their mobile phones. While the idea itself sounded great, a year after launch Google Wallet still only worked with one credit card and bank combination. And it only worked on one wireless network: Sprint. It's not surprising that Apple has waited until now to introduce the payments service. The company tends to stay away from new technologies until it has had a chance to smooth out the kinks. Typically, Google Wallet and other offerings have relied on hardware-based short-range wireless technology known as near -field communication, or NFC. Using this technology, consumers could load credit card information into an Android app that stored the information in a secure element that was part of the NFC chip, and then, using the short-range wireless technology, it transmitted the payment information from the phone to the sales terminal with a simple tap. The problem with NFC, however, was that both mobile devices and the point-of-sale processing terminal needed the same hardware. But that's changing, with merchants required to switch out machines to include new security technology introduced by the credit card industry. It's not surprising that Apple would see potential not just in payments but in the mobile payments market specifically. According to Gartner, the global market for mobile payments is forecast to be about $720 billion worth of transactions by 2017. This is up from about $235 billion last year.
LockerSync 3.0 secures your music online
LockerSync 3.0 secures your music online
The appeal of a system like MP3tunes and LockerSync, is that gives computer-hopping digital music junkies a means to sync all their scattered DRM-free music to one central, secure, online locker. Not only can all your computers (work, home, laptop) upload to this online storage locker, but they can download from it as well, ensuring that every computer in your life can automatically refresh from one central music database. As someone who often laments the disconnect between the music collection on my work computer and the music collection on my home computer, LockerSync is one of the better solutions I've come across that can consolidate my music in one place. Trouble is, I just don't know if the problem of dislocated music libraries bothers me enough to install the LockerSync upload/download utility on all my computers. For serious music junkies with digital music haphazardly spread across multiple computers, LockerSync might be just the answer. Pick and choose what you want uploaded to your music locker, or just upload everything you've got.To get started with the MP3tunes LockerSync system, you'll first need to download the LockerSync utility in order to upload and download files back and forth to your computer. Once up and running, you can use the utility to upload your entire music library, or a specific artist, album, song, or music folder. LockerSync supports MP3, WMA, M4A, and OGG audio files. Album artwork will upload as well, so long as you already have album artwork associated with your tracks. Even without the artwork, once you have music uploaded you can use an MP3tunes feature called 'Tune Up' to scan the All Music Guide (AMG) database to dress up your naked files. After uploading is completed, its a good idea to go to the Sync Schedule tab determine how often the LockerSync utility checks your hard drive for new music to upload. You can schedule the sync to happen every day, or just once or twice a week. If you don't schedule an automatic sync, the point of the whole system sort of falls apart. Beyond keeping your music collection synced across all the computers in your life, another benefit of the MP3tunes LockerSync system is the ability to stream your online music library using a browser-based jukebox application. When users log into their locker, their music collection is presented to them in an iTunes-like Web application. Unlike feature-limited Web radio jukeboxes such as Pandora, or Slacker, the music in your locker is yours to do with as you please--it can be deleted, repeated, shuffled, and dropped into playlists. The audio-streaming quality pumped out of the jukebox is determined by your connection speed, however, you can manually lock the audio streaming quality to a specific setting in order to keep it from eating up too much bandwidth. Accessing and streaming your uploaded music collection may have limited appeal, but it could be a good solution for those wage slaves who aren't allowed to store music on the company computer.If you're wondering what the financial motivation is for MP3tunes to provide this free service, their hope is to lure you into upgrading to their Premium Locker service. For $40 a year, the premium service enables users to directly stream music to net-connected devices, including laptops, mobile phones, and home stereos.Once your music is uploaded, the MP3tunes locker Web application acts as a full-featured jukebox you can access on any device with an Internet connection. The ability to view your music's album artwork is crippled until you upgrade to the premium account.
The appeal of a system like MP3tunes and LockerSync, is that gives computer-hopping digital music junkies a means to sync all their scattered DRM-free music to one central, secure, online locker. Not only can all your computers (work, home, laptop) upload to this online storage locker, but they can download from it as well, ensuring that every computer in your life can automatically refresh from one central music database. As someone who often laments the disconnect between the music collection on my work computer and the music collection on my home computer, LockerSync is one of the better solutions I've come across that can consolidate my music in one place. Trouble is, I just don't know if the problem of dislocated music libraries bothers me enough to install the LockerSync upload/download utility on all my computers. For serious music junkies with digital music haphazardly spread across multiple computers, LockerSync might be just the answer. Pick and choose what you want uploaded to your music locker, or just upload everything you've got.To get started with the MP3tunes LockerSync system, you'll first need to download the LockerSync utility in order to upload and download files back and forth to your computer. Once up and running, you can use the utility to upload your entire music library, or a specific artist, album, song, or music folder. LockerSync supports MP3, WMA, M4A, and OGG audio files. Album artwork will upload as well, so long as you already have album artwork associated with your tracks. Even without the artwork, once you have music uploaded you can use an MP3tunes feature called 'Tune Up' to scan the All Music Guide (AMG) database to dress up your naked files. After uploading is completed, its a good idea to go to the Sync Schedule tab determine how often the LockerSync utility checks your hard drive for new music to upload. You can schedule the sync to happen every day, or just once or twice a week. If you don't schedule an automatic sync, the point of the whole system sort of falls apart. Beyond keeping your music collection synced across all the computers in your life, another benefit of the MP3tunes LockerSync system is the ability to stream your online music library using a browser-based jukebox application. When users log into their locker, their music collection is presented to them in an iTunes-like Web application. Unlike feature-limited Web radio jukeboxes such as Pandora, or Slacker, the music in your locker is yours to do with as you please--it can be deleted, repeated, shuffled, and dropped into playlists. The audio-streaming quality pumped out of the jukebox is determined by your connection speed, however, you can manually lock the audio streaming quality to a specific setting in order to keep it from eating up too much bandwidth. Accessing and streaming your uploaded music collection may have limited appeal, but it could be a good solution for those wage slaves who aren't allowed to store music on the company computer.If you're wondering what the financial motivation is for MP3tunes to provide this free service, their hope is to lure you into upgrading to their Premium Locker service. For $40 a year, the premium service enables users to directly stream music to net-connected devices, including laptops, mobile phones, and home stereos.Once your music is uploaded, the MP3tunes locker Web application acts as a full-featured jukebox you can access on any device with an Internet connection. The ability to view your music's album artwork is crippled until you upgrade to the premium account.
Apple's Beats, Bose settle patent spat over noise-canceling tech
Apple's Beats, Bose settle patent spat over noise-canceling tech
Bose and Apple's Beats have agreed to settle a patent lawsuit related to noise-canceling headphones that was filed by Bose in July. In a court filing in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, attorneys for the companies said "they have settled their respective claims" and want to dismiss the case. Both parties will be responsible for their own costs, expenses and attorneys' fees, they said. The companies didn't disclose any information about the settlement.Apple declined to comment. A Bose spokeswoman said "the issue has been resolved, and terms aren't being disclosed." She declined to provide any further information. Headphone and speaker maker Bose filed suit against Beats in July, accusing the (at the time, soon-to-be) Apple companyof infringing five patents related to noise-canceling headphones. The accused products included the Beats Studio and Studio Wireless headphones, and Bose asked for financial damages and an injunction to ban the sale of infringing Beats products.Bose said in its complaint, lodged with the US District Court in Delaware and with the US International Trade Commission, that it had "suffered and will continue to suffer damages, in an amount yet to be determined, including due to loss of sales, profits, and potential sales that Bose would have made but for Beats' infringing acts."See alsoBose sues Beats over patents on noise-canceling headphonesApple may change Beats brand as it spins up music serviceBeats claims NFL players' DNA affected by headphone banColin Kaepernick: NFL fined me $10,000 for wearing Beats headphonesIt added that for almost 50 years, it has "made significant investmentin the research, development, engineering, and design of proprietarytechnologies" used in its products. Its current line of noise-cancelingheadphones, for instance, uses inventions protected by at least 22 USpatents and 14 pending patent applications.Apple, meanwhile, in May agreed to buy Beats for $3 billion, giving the electronics giant a popular headphone business and subscription streaming music service. The acquisition brought Beats co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre to Apple's management team, and Apple said it would continue to use the Beats brand. Beats controls about 60 percent of the $1 billion premium headphone market, according to NPD Group, and it has proved popular with everyone from celebrities to tweens.The deal closed at the beginning of August, and Apple has started promoting the music service with current iTunes users and prominently featuring the headphones in its online store. However, the company may change the Beats brand for the music service, instead folding the streaming offering into its iTunes product. Meanwhile, Apple blog MacRumors on Friday reported that Apple planned to remove Bose products from its stores.Apple declined to comment about the report. Bose didn't immediately respond to requests for comment about the issue. The two companies' feud has spilled over to professional sports. The NFL, which has a deal with Bose, recently banned football players from wearing Beats headphones. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick revealed that he was fined $10,000 for wearing his pink Beats to last Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.Beats flaunts gold version of Studio Wireless...See full gallery1 - 4 / 7NextPrev
Bose and Apple's Beats have agreed to settle a patent lawsuit related to noise-canceling headphones that was filed by Bose in July. In a court filing in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, attorneys for the companies said "they have settled their respective claims" and want to dismiss the case. Both parties will be responsible for their own costs, expenses and attorneys' fees, they said. The companies didn't disclose any information about the settlement.Apple declined to comment. A Bose spokeswoman said "the issue has been resolved, and terms aren't being disclosed." She declined to provide any further information. Headphone and speaker maker Bose filed suit against Beats in July, accusing the (at the time, soon-to-be) Apple companyof infringing five patents related to noise-canceling headphones. The accused products included the Beats Studio and Studio Wireless headphones, and Bose asked for financial damages and an injunction to ban the sale of infringing Beats products.Bose said in its complaint, lodged with the US District Court in Delaware and with the US International Trade Commission, that it had "suffered and will continue to suffer damages, in an amount yet to be determined, including due to loss of sales, profits, and potential sales that Bose would have made but for Beats' infringing acts."See alsoBose sues Beats over patents on noise-canceling headphonesApple may change Beats brand as it spins up music serviceBeats claims NFL players' DNA affected by headphone banColin Kaepernick: NFL fined me $10,000 for wearing Beats headphonesIt added that for almost 50 years, it has "made significant investmentin the research, development, engineering, and design of proprietarytechnologies" used in its products. Its current line of noise-cancelingheadphones, for instance, uses inventions protected by at least 22 USpatents and 14 pending patent applications.Apple, meanwhile, in May agreed to buy Beats for $3 billion, giving the electronics giant a popular headphone business and subscription streaming music service. The acquisition brought Beats co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre to Apple's management team, and Apple said it would continue to use the Beats brand. Beats controls about 60 percent of the $1 billion premium headphone market, according to NPD Group, and it has proved popular with everyone from celebrities to tweens.The deal closed at the beginning of August, and Apple has started promoting the music service with current iTunes users and prominently featuring the headphones in its online store. However, the company may change the Beats brand for the music service, instead folding the streaming offering into its iTunes product. Meanwhile, Apple blog MacRumors on Friday reported that Apple planned to remove Bose products from its stores.Apple declined to comment about the report. Bose didn't immediately respond to requests for comment about the issue. The two companies' feud has spilled over to professional sports. The NFL, which has a deal with Bose, recently banned football players from wearing Beats headphones. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick revealed that he was fined $10,000 for wearing his pink Beats to last Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.Beats flaunts gold version of Studio Wireless...See full gallery1 - 4 / 7NextPrev
Steve Jobs responsible for i-i-i Generation, says chief rabbi
Steve Jobs responsible for i-i-i Generation, says chief rabbi
And he heaped blame for society's rotten, self-centered core on the recently deceased Apple co-founder. "The consumer society was laid down by the late Steve Jobs coming down the mountain with two tablets, iPad 1 and iPad 2, and the result is that we now have a culture of iPod, iPhone, iTunes, i, i, i.What would Jobs have said to that? What would Siri say?Sacks' thesis is that when you only care about yourself, you won't get very far. Which might be news to many in the corporate world, but certainly not to members of the U.S Dream Team basketball squad at one two recent Olympic Games.Rising to his ring tone, the chief rabbi said: "If in a consumer society, through all the advertising and subtly seductive approaches to it, you've got an iPhone but you haven't got a fourth generation one, the consumer society is in fact the most efficient mechanism ever devised for the creation and distribution of unhappiness."It's hard not to have a little sympathy with Lord Sacks' sacking of the consumer culture. Somewhere inside, we know that our greed for more gadgets, more online shopping and a suit that finally fits nicely around our bulging midriff is slightly empty.But the alternatives that seem troubling to so many of us too. For Lord Sacks, the perfect and only antidote to all of this iVenality is faith. At the personal level, faith can offer emotional and spiritual relief. Yet, too often in history, world religions seem to have been at the forefront of rather i-i-i concepts as war and denial of personal freedoms.Just as there is no perfect shopping experience, there is no perfect religion. We have to trudge through life trying to find something, anything to believe in.It may be true that so many people seem to believe in iPads and iPhones rather than whatever they find in their local place of worship. But mightn't this suggest that it is those faiths that have lost their way, rather than the gadget-makers like Jobs?To suggest that it was Jobs who laid down the consumer society seems a little odd. For myself, I can say that my local church was asking for my money on behalf of my maker a long time before the iPad maker.
And he heaped blame for society's rotten, self-centered core on the recently deceased Apple co-founder. "The consumer society was laid down by the late Steve Jobs coming down the mountain with two tablets, iPad 1 and iPad 2, and the result is that we now have a culture of iPod, iPhone, iTunes, i, i, i.What would Jobs have said to that? What would Siri say?Sacks' thesis is that when you only care about yourself, you won't get very far. Which might be news to many in the corporate world, but certainly not to members of the U.S Dream Team basketball squad at one two recent Olympic Games.Rising to his ring tone, the chief rabbi said: "If in a consumer society, through all the advertising and subtly seductive approaches to it, you've got an iPhone but you haven't got a fourth generation one, the consumer society is in fact the most efficient mechanism ever devised for the creation and distribution of unhappiness."It's hard not to have a little sympathy with Lord Sacks' sacking of the consumer culture. Somewhere inside, we know that our greed for more gadgets, more online shopping and a suit that finally fits nicely around our bulging midriff is slightly empty.But the alternatives that seem troubling to so many of us too. For Lord Sacks, the perfect and only antidote to all of this iVenality is faith. At the personal level, faith can offer emotional and spiritual relief. Yet, too often in history, world religions seem to have been at the forefront of rather i-i-i concepts as war and denial of personal freedoms.Just as there is no perfect shopping experience, there is no perfect religion. We have to trudge through life trying to find something, anything to believe in.It may be true that so many people seem to believe in iPads and iPhones rather than whatever they find in their local place of worship. But mightn't this suggest that it is those faiths that have lost their way, rather than the gadget-makers like Jobs?To suggest that it was Jobs who laid down the consumer society seems a little odd. For myself, I can say that my local church was asking for my money on behalf of my maker a long time before the iPad maker.
iPod dying- It's already dead
iPod dying? It's already dead
News flash: it's already there. Sure, Apple will still sell millions of units every quarter, and it might even continue to grow unit sales and revenue for a while. But it's clear from Apple's most recent announcements that the company no longer views the iPod as its main vehicle for innovation--new (old) form factors, colors, and one interesting update are the kind of incremental tweaks you make to a cash cow product line, not the groundbreaking innovations that move markets forward. Apple passed its mantle of innovation to the first iPhone a year ago, and that's where the action's going to be, from now on--multifunction devices with interesting new interfaces (touch is just the beginning) that act more like tiny computers than single-purpose devices. iPod? That's just another application icon on the iPhone deck.(And here's something you'll never hear in a presidential debate: I was wrong. Specifically, I was wrong when I suggested that consumers would continue to favor single-function devices and that the iPhone's bet on convergence would sink it. I underestimated the power of the touch screen and Apple's relentless focus on ease of use, which have made the iPhone the first ultraportable computer for mere mortals.)I appreciate Microsoft's latest Zune innovations, but they needed to be in the product when it launched two years ago. MP3 players are becoming a commodity in which low price overrides new features--especially given how tight consumer spending is likely to be this holiday season. Microsoft isn't into commodities, unless it's got dominant market share, so look for the company to turn its attention to building a more competitive version of Windows Mobile. Zune will live on--as the music playback application for Microsoft's mobile phones.
News flash: it's already there. Sure, Apple will still sell millions of units every quarter, and it might even continue to grow unit sales and revenue for a while. But it's clear from Apple's most recent announcements that the company no longer views the iPod as its main vehicle for innovation--new (old) form factors, colors, and one interesting update are the kind of incremental tweaks you make to a cash cow product line, not the groundbreaking innovations that move markets forward. Apple passed its mantle of innovation to the first iPhone a year ago, and that's where the action's going to be, from now on--multifunction devices with interesting new interfaces (touch is just the beginning) that act more like tiny computers than single-purpose devices. iPod? That's just another application icon on the iPhone deck.(And here's something you'll never hear in a presidential debate: I was wrong. Specifically, I was wrong when I suggested that consumers would continue to favor single-function devices and that the iPhone's bet on convergence would sink it. I underestimated the power of the touch screen and Apple's relentless focus on ease of use, which have made the iPhone the first ultraportable computer for mere mortals.)I appreciate Microsoft's latest Zune innovations, but they needed to be in the product when it launched two years ago. MP3 players are becoming a commodity in which low price overrides new features--especially given how tight consumer spending is likely to be this holiday season. Microsoft isn't into commodities, unless it's got dominant market share, so look for the company to turn its attention to building a more competitive version of Windows Mobile. Zune will live on--as the music playback application for Microsoft's mobile phones.
Your new, fully gay Nintendo world, as revealed by John Oliver
Your new, fully gay Nintendo world, as revealed by John Oliver
It must have slipped their joysticks.Nintendo apologized last week for its unfathomable oversight in not allowing same-sex marriages in its new game, Tomodachi Life.This was a life-simulator game that didn't quite simulate life.In its apology, the company admitted it was too late now to change the game. Thankfully, though, we have enterprising journo-comedians like HBO's John Oliver, who burrowed away into Nintendo's vaults to discover the essences of some of the company's most famous characters.Given that Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of gay marriage's legalization in Massachusetts, Oliver presented the reactions of, for example, Mario and Link. More Technically IncorrectTeacher allegedly breaks into student's phoneApple-approved drug-dealing game tops iTunes chartDear Ashton Kutcher, where are my T-shirts?Princess Peach and Princess Zelda also seemed in an especially celebratory mood that Nintendo was going to allow same-sex avatars to make it official.Yoshi and Toad, however, decided to finally come out and make the ultimate nuptial stand. You might especially enjoy (or not) their first long, lingering kiss.And then there's the domestic partner that Donkey Kong left behind, again, again, and again. I'll leave you to guess who that might have been.It's good to know that freedom can come to gaming too. Eventually.
It must have slipped their joysticks.Nintendo apologized last week for its unfathomable oversight in not allowing same-sex marriages in its new game, Tomodachi Life.This was a life-simulator game that didn't quite simulate life.In its apology, the company admitted it was too late now to change the game. Thankfully, though, we have enterprising journo-comedians like HBO's John Oliver, who burrowed away into Nintendo's vaults to discover the essences of some of the company's most famous characters.Given that Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of gay marriage's legalization in Massachusetts, Oliver presented the reactions of, for example, Mario and Link. More Technically IncorrectTeacher allegedly breaks into student's phoneApple-approved drug-dealing game tops iTunes chartDear Ashton Kutcher, where are my T-shirts?Princess Peach and Princess Zelda also seemed in an especially celebratory mood that Nintendo was going to allow same-sex avatars to make it official.Yoshi and Toad, however, decided to finally come out and make the ultimate nuptial stand. You might especially enjoy (or not) their first long, lingering kiss.And then there's the domestic partner that Donkey Kong left behind, again, again, and again. I'll leave you to guess who that might have been.It's good to know that freedom can come to gaming too. Eventually.
Yoko Ono- iTunes-Beatles deal still long way off
Yoko Ono: iTunes-Beatles deal still long way off
Yoko Ono said Beatles fans shouldn't hold their breath waiting for a deal that would allow them to buy the band's music digitally from online retailers such as iTunes.In an interview Thursday with Reuters about an upcoming documentary on her New York life with late husband and Beatle John Lennon called "LENNONNYC," she said there were still a few sticking points that need to be worked out between Apple Corps, the holding company that controls the rights to the Beatles music and Apple, the company that owns the iTunes digital music store.The two Apples have had a contentious past. One major issue was their shared name. The music holding company sued Apple, the computer maker, for using its name. The two sides settled their dispute in 2007. And many hoped it would lead to a deal where Apple Corps would finally begin offering the Beatles songs digitally. But three years later, and the two sides are still negotiating.Apple CEO "Steve Jobs has his own idea and he's a brilliant guy," Reuters quoted Ono as saying in her interview."There's just an element that we're not very happy about, as people. We are holding out."Don't hold your breath...for anything," she said with a laugh, the news agency reported.Ono, who is now 77 years old, has been blamed for breaking up the Beatles in 1970. Forty years later, she said that tensions have softened and that she and the other three equal shareholders of Apple Corps--Paul McCartney, bandmate Ringo Starr and Olivia Harrison, the widow of George Harrison--are in agreement over the last sticking points involved in the iTunes negotiation.
Yoko Ono said Beatles fans shouldn't hold their breath waiting for a deal that would allow them to buy the band's music digitally from online retailers such as iTunes.In an interview Thursday with Reuters about an upcoming documentary on her New York life with late husband and Beatle John Lennon called "LENNONNYC," she said there were still a few sticking points that need to be worked out between Apple Corps, the holding company that controls the rights to the Beatles music and Apple, the company that owns the iTunes digital music store.The two Apples have had a contentious past. One major issue was their shared name. The music holding company sued Apple, the computer maker, for using its name. The two sides settled their dispute in 2007. And many hoped it would lead to a deal where Apple Corps would finally begin offering the Beatles songs digitally. But three years later, and the two sides are still negotiating.Apple CEO "Steve Jobs has his own idea and he's a brilliant guy," Reuters quoted Ono as saying in her interview."There's just an element that we're not very happy about, as people. We are holding out."Don't hold your breath...for anything," she said with a laugh, the news agency reported.Ono, who is now 77 years old, has been blamed for breaking up the Beatles in 1970. Forty years later, she said that tensions have softened and that she and the other three equal shareholders of Apple Corps--Paul McCartney, bandmate Ringo Starr and Olivia Harrison, the widow of George Harrison--are in agreement over the last sticking points involved in the iTunes negotiation.
Apple updates figure on work week labor compliance
Apple updates figure on work week labor compliance
Apple on Wednesday updated its tracking of labor compliance, saying that 95 percent of its supply chain partners now comply with a work week that is less than 60 hours. The company also said the average hours of work per week was under 50.The company initially released its Supplier Responsibility Report (PDF) in January, detailing external audits made in 2012 at factories where its parts and products are assembled. In that report, the figure was at 92 percent. Since then, it has updated that figure every month.The January report came from almost 400 audits performed at all levels of the supply chain -- a 72 percent increase from Apple's audits in 2011, the company said. More on the issues behind Apple productsWhat Foxconn workers have to say about making iPhones'No more iSlave:' An activist fights for iPhone workersThe environmental pitfalls at the end of an iPhone's lifeMining the minerals that go into iPhones (and why it's environmentally risky)Apple has been under the microscope for its labor practices for a while now. Last year, The New York Times printed a scathing account of some of the working conditions at the factories of some of its suppliers, which ultimately won the paper a Pulitzer Prize. Later that year, Apple became the first tech company to open its supply chain to the Fair Labor Association. Correction, 11:21 a.m. PT: This story incorrectly reported the release date of Apple's Supplier Responsibility Report. The report initially was released in January. On Wednesday, the company updated the figure on work week compliance.
Apple on Wednesday updated its tracking of labor compliance, saying that 95 percent of its supply chain partners now comply with a work week that is less than 60 hours. The company also said the average hours of work per week was under 50.The company initially released its Supplier Responsibility Report (PDF) in January, detailing external audits made in 2012 at factories where its parts and products are assembled. In that report, the figure was at 92 percent. Since then, it has updated that figure every month.The January report came from almost 400 audits performed at all levels of the supply chain -- a 72 percent increase from Apple's audits in 2011, the company said. More on the issues behind Apple productsWhat Foxconn workers have to say about making iPhones'No more iSlave:' An activist fights for iPhone workersThe environmental pitfalls at the end of an iPhone's lifeMining the minerals that go into iPhones (and why it's environmentally risky)Apple has been under the microscope for its labor practices for a while now. Last year, The New York Times printed a scathing account of some of the working conditions at the factories of some of its suppliers, which ultimately won the paper a Pulitzer Prize. Later that year, Apple became the first tech company to open its supply chain to the Fair Labor Association. Correction, 11:21 a.m. PT: This story incorrectly reported the release date of Apple's Supplier Responsibility Report. The report initially was released in January. On Wednesday, the company updated the figure on work week compliance.
Apple updates App Store screenshot rules to shutter scam
Apple updates App Store screenshot rules to shutter scam
Apple announced a new App Store policy for developers today that effectively puts an end to a common bait-and-switch scam.In a note on its Developer Portal, Apple said screenshots submitted by developers to accompany app descriptions in its App Store will be locked in place when the app wins approval.Beginning January 9, app screenshots will be locked in iTunes Connect once your app has been approved. New screenshots may be uploaded when you submit a binary for an update to an existing app or a new app.Before the new policy went into place, app developers would often upload legitimate game screenshots to accompany the app description, then switch them out for screenshots that resembled more popular games once the app was approved. The switch often snagged unsuspecting victims who assumed they were downloading a different app.The popular game Minecraft was a frequent target of clone apps, with developers lifting screenshots from the game to promote an unrelated game. One example, cited by Panic Blog, showed a game called Mooncraft with a Minecraft app image that billed itself as "a moon-themed Minecraft-type game for iOS." But as a Panic video shows (see below), the game was instead an app that featured building blocks labeled with numbers and letters. While this presumably means that scamming developers will no longer be able to game the App Store, it also hobbles legitimate developers trying to keep their app descriptions up to date.So, the bad apples in the App Store once again make it harder on the rest of us. Thanks! [I do think it'll help, just wish it wasn't needed]â€" David Barnard (@drbarnard) January 9, 2013(Via MacRumors)
Apple announced a new App Store policy for developers today that effectively puts an end to a common bait-and-switch scam.In a note on its Developer Portal, Apple said screenshots submitted by developers to accompany app descriptions in its App Store will be locked in place when the app wins approval.Beginning January 9, app screenshots will be locked in iTunes Connect once your app has been approved. New screenshots may be uploaded when you submit a binary for an update to an existing app or a new app.Before the new policy went into place, app developers would often upload legitimate game screenshots to accompany the app description, then switch them out for screenshots that resembled more popular games once the app was approved. The switch often snagged unsuspecting victims who assumed they were downloading a different app.The popular game Minecraft was a frequent target of clone apps, with developers lifting screenshots from the game to promote an unrelated game. One example, cited by Panic Blog, showed a game called Mooncraft with a Minecraft app image that billed itself as "a moon-themed Minecraft-type game for iOS." But as a Panic video shows (see below), the game was instead an app that featured building blocks labeled with numbers and letters. While this presumably means that scamming developers will no longer be able to game the App Store, it also hobbles legitimate developers trying to keep their app descriptions up to date.So, the bad apples in the App Store once again make it harder on the rest of us. Thanks! [I do think it'll help, just wish it wasn't needed]â€" David Barnard (@drbarnard) January 9, 2013(Via MacRumors)
Apple updates Apple TV with iTunes Radio
Apple updates Apple TV with iTunes Radio
Apple released a software update for its Apple TV box Friday, adding iTunes Radio as well as features like playing content from iTunes in the cloud instead of your Airplay device.The over-the-air update comes two days after the rollout of iOS 7, the computer maker's most comprehensive change to its mobile operating system since it was introduced six years ago. That added iTunes Radio to Apple devices like iPads and iPhones as well. The new software for Apple TV also adds the iTunes Music Store to purchase music directly on the television and AirPlay from iCloud, which lets Apple TV play content from iTunes in the Cloud instead of your AirPlay device when possible, along with other updates. Ahead of an event last week that unveiled the new iPhone 5C and 5S, reports first raised anticipation that Apple had a new set-top box on deck after long neglecting the device from any significant refresh. But later, the company's TV plans for the event were said to be limited to a simple software update that might, among other things, let one person's Apple-purchased content stream on another person's Apple TV. But no news on Apple's TV ambitions came out of the unveiling. The $99 streaming box itself has been low on the company's totem pole since Chief Executive Tim Cook took over as chief two years ago. Recently, Apple TV's incremental improvements have been limited to bulking up with desirable channels, adding Vevo, Disney, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, Watch ESPN, and Sky News. Sarah Tew/CNETUpdated, 11:33 a.m. PT: with details of additions with software upgrade.
Apple released a software update for its Apple TV box Friday, adding iTunes Radio as well as features like playing content from iTunes in the cloud instead of your Airplay device.The over-the-air update comes two days after the rollout of iOS 7, the computer maker's most comprehensive change to its mobile operating system since it was introduced six years ago. That added iTunes Radio to Apple devices like iPads and iPhones as well. The new software for Apple TV also adds the iTunes Music Store to purchase music directly on the television and AirPlay from iCloud, which lets Apple TV play content from iTunes in the Cloud instead of your AirPlay device when possible, along with other updates. Ahead of an event last week that unveiled the new iPhone 5C and 5S, reports first raised anticipation that Apple had a new set-top box on deck after long neglecting the device from any significant refresh. But later, the company's TV plans for the event were said to be limited to a simple software update that might, among other things, let one person's Apple-purchased content stream on another person's Apple TV. But no news on Apple's TV ambitions came out of the unveiling. The $99 streaming box itself has been low on the company's totem pole since Chief Executive Tim Cook took over as chief two years ago. Recently, Apple TV's incremental improvements have been limited to bulking up with desirable channels, adding Vevo, Disney, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, Watch ESPN, and Sky News. Sarah Tew/CNETUpdated, 11:33 a.m. PT: with details of additions with software upgrade.
Apple updates App Guidelines with eye on children's privacy
Apple updates App Guidelines with eye on children's privacy
Apple has tweaked its guidelines for app developers to emphasize the latest rules regarding children's privacy.The guidelines have been updated to reflect the latest changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and Apple's renewed focus on education with iOS 7, says blog site MacRumors.In the past, COPPA prevented developers from gathering the names, addresses, and phone numbers of children under 13 without parental consent. Since the start of the year, those restrictions have extended to photographs, videos, and audios as well.The specific guidelines now read as follows, according to MacRumors:17.3 Apps may ask for date of birth (or use other age-gating mechanisms) only for the purpose of complying with applicable children's privacy statutes, but must include some useful functionality or entertainment value regardless of the user's age17.4 Apps that collect, transmit, or have the capability to share personal information (e.g. name, address, email, location, photos, videos, drawings, persistent identifiers, the ability to chat, or other personal data) from a minor must comply with applicable children's privacy statutes.As part of its new emphasis on the educational market, Apple also updated its guidelines with a new section known as "Kids Apps," MacRumors added.Children under 13 will now be able to have their own individual iTunes accounts. But developers who design apps for kids must follow certain rules, such as including a privacy policy, excluding behaviorial advertising, and requiring parental consent before letting children "link out of the app or engage in commerce."
Apple has tweaked its guidelines for app developers to emphasize the latest rules regarding children's privacy.The guidelines have been updated to reflect the latest changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and Apple's renewed focus on education with iOS 7, says blog site MacRumors.In the past, COPPA prevented developers from gathering the names, addresses, and phone numbers of children under 13 without parental consent. Since the start of the year, those restrictions have extended to photographs, videos, and audios as well.The specific guidelines now read as follows, according to MacRumors:17.3 Apps may ask for date of birth (or use other age-gating mechanisms) only for the purpose of complying with applicable children's privacy statutes, but must include some useful functionality or entertainment value regardless of the user's age17.4 Apps that collect, transmit, or have the capability to share personal information (e.g. name, address, email, location, photos, videos, drawings, persistent identifiers, the ability to chat, or other personal data) from a minor must comply with applicable children's privacy statutes.As part of its new emphasis on the educational market, Apple also updated its guidelines with a new section known as "Kids Apps," MacRumors added.Children under 13 will now be able to have their own individual iTunes accounts. But developers who design apps for kids must follow certain rules, such as including a privacy policy, excluding behaviorial advertising, and requiring parental consent before letting children "link out of the app or engage in commerce."
Apple unveils iPhone OS 4
Apple unveils iPhone OS 4
Multitasking: iPhone developers and users will finally be able to switch back and forth between applications without having to shut down the app entirely to enter the new one. Probably the biggest development unveiled Thursday, it comes with a catch: iPhone 3G users won't be able to multitask due to hardware restraints.Folders: Apple's App Store has thousands and thousands of applications sorted in lots of categories, but once those applications made it to the iPhone they were laid out side by side in a checkerboard pattern, forcing users to scroll back and forth across multiple screens. No more: iPhone 4 users will be able to create folders like "Games" and drag and drop apps into those folders, simplifying the home screen.VoIP and location: Voice-over-Internet-Protocol applications like Skype could be found in the App Store already, but the new OS will make it possible for them to run in the background, mimicking the way the iPhone's native dialer allows users to open up another app while remaining on the phone. And like the VoIP apps, navigation apps and others that need your current location will be able to run in the background while doing other things with the iPhone.In-box improvements: Unified in-boxes and organize-by-thread features are coming to the iPhone, which will give heavy e-mail users some more options for organizing their e-mail.iAd: This was perhaps the one announcement where Apple is changing the playing field: it's going to give developers and advertising agencies a way to create in-app advertisements with iAd, giving ads OS-level integration that will expand the creative possibilities. It's a clear shot at Google and its plans to transform its desktop Web ad dominance into the mobile Web, if something that regular users aren't likely to be all that excited about.Stay tuned for much more coverage on the new software and its impact on users, developers, and the mobile industry.
Multitasking: iPhone developers and users will finally be able to switch back and forth between applications without having to shut down the app entirely to enter the new one. Probably the biggest development unveiled Thursday, it comes with a catch: iPhone 3G users won't be able to multitask due to hardware restraints.Folders: Apple's App Store has thousands and thousands of applications sorted in lots of categories, but once those applications made it to the iPhone they were laid out side by side in a checkerboard pattern, forcing users to scroll back and forth across multiple screens. No more: iPhone 4 users will be able to create folders like "Games" and drag and drop apps into those folders, simplifying the home screen.VoIP and location: Voice-over-Internet-Protocol applications like Skype could be found in the App Store already, but the new OS will make it possible for them to run in the background, mimicking the way the iPhone's native dialer allows users to open up another app while remaining on the phone. And like the VoIP apps, navigation apps and others that need your current location will be able to run in the background while doing other things with the iPhone.In-box improvements: Unified in-boxes and organize-by-thread features are coming to the iPhone, which will give heavy e-mail users some more options for organizing their e-mail.iAd: This was perhaps the one announcement where Apple is changing the playing field: it's going to give developers and advertising agencies a way to create in-app advertisements with iAd, giving ads OS-level integration that will expand the creative possibilities. It's a clear shot at Google and its plans to transform its desktop Web ad dominance into the mobile Web, if something that regular users aren't likely to be all that excited about.Stay tuned for much more coverage on the new software and its impact on users, developers, and the mobile industry.
The Geek Beat: Costume Ideas to Keep Things Geeky This Halloween
Halloween is nearly upon us, and that means you only have a few more days to ponder the ways in which you can turn up the geekery to 11 this year.Whether you;re suiting up to shake down your neighbors for candy, attending a party, or simply want to impress the kids who knock on your door, a good costume is an important starting point for a successful Halloween. Last week, I offered up some suggestions for a movie marathon inspired by the next wave of high-profile superhero and sci-fi films hitting theaters, and this week it;s all about getting off the couch and gearing up for a geek-tastic Halloween.Just about anybody can put together (or certainly buy) a costume based on one of the X-Men or their foes, but with the big-screen X-Men franchise currently working its way through various generations of pop culture, there;s an opportunity to put a unique spin on your favorite Marvel mutants. Combine the standard claws and Wolverine wig with some groovy ;70s fashion and you;ve gone full Days of Future Past. Make that an ;80s ensemble, and you;re looking ahead to X-Men: Apocalypse. Want to avoid Wolverine? Slip on Magneto;s helmet (replica or homemade), some silver hair dye and goggles (for Quicksilver), or some blue body paint (for Mystique) to cast a wider net on the mutant-verse.The first trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron made a lot of jaws drop – particularly when Marvel Studios debuted Iron Man;s “Hulkbuster” armor. Want to rock your own version of Tony Stark;s best weapon against gamma-irradiated behemoths? You can try to replicate the armor-within-armor configuration of the Age of Ultron armor by doubling up on Iron Man costumes (or simply the helmet/mask). Wear one formfitting costume (or mask) underneath a larger costume that;s been padded out and you;ve got your own version of the Hulkbuster. Take that, Bruce Banner.Of course, there;s never been a better time to gender bend that Ghostbuster costume now that a reboot of the 1984 film with a female cast is gaining momentum. Ladies (and guys looking ahead to the franchise;s future), it;s time to bust some ghosts.Ben Affleck;s upcoming debut as Batman has become a lightning rod for debate regarding Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and you;ll have no shortage of opportunities to let your opinion be known if you decide to go “Super Affleck” this Halloween. Combine a red leather or vinyl jacket and pants (and some homemade batons) inspired by Affleck;s 2003 turn as Daredevil with a Batman cowl and cape, and you;ve got yourself a conversation-starter. (Warning: It may not be a very pleasant conversation.)And because Halloween always seems to bring out the most inappropriately “sexy” costumes, there;s no reason you can;t mine that sad, disturbing trend for an outfit that combines sex appeal with geek cred. Want a costume that will have people saying, “You are one sexy motherf***er”? Give Sexy Predator a try. (And let;s be honest: The costume works for women and men.) In most cases, all you need is a character mask and a lack of modesty to pull off sexy versions of geek-friendly cinema icons who weren;t wearing much to begin with. Sexy Gollum? It can be done, precious. Sexy Yoda? Daring, you are.Warner Bros. surprised everyone earlier this month by announcing an ambitious slate of superhero movies based on DC Comics properties. With that many high-profile characters to choose from, it;s understandable if you;re not sure which one to embody this Halloween. And why do you have to? Mix and match Batman;s cowl with Superman;s cape, Aquaman;s fish-scale shirt, Wonder Woman;s skirt, Flash;s scarlet pants, some Cyborg-inspired metal of your choosing, and Green Lantern;s emerald ring for good measure. Sure, it might look like a mess, but tell everyone you;re a “Crisis of Infinite Costumes” and you;re good to go.On a related note, if you;re not having any luck finding a Wonder Woman costume in the style of the new, Gal Gadot version of the character debuting in Batman v Superman, you can probably get away with a modified version of a Xena: Warrior Princess costume from that series. I;m not saying they;re the same, but well... Okay, they;re pretty much the same.Of course, if you want to be really timely, you can just don an overcoat, a scarf, a Deerstalker cap, and a T-shirt inspired by a certain Sorcerer Supreme and find out who;s been paying attention to the headlines this week.Question of the Week: What;s your Halloween costume going to be this year?Rick Marshall is an award-winning writer and editor whose work can be found at Movies.com, as well as MTV News, Fandango, Digital Trends, IFC.com, Newsarama, and various other online, print, and on-air news outlets. He;s been called a “Professional Geek” by ABC News and Spike TV, and his personal blog can be found at MindPollution.org. You can find him on Twitter as @RickMarshall.
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