Apple’s Beats-based music service is reportedly headed to Android

There have been a few hints that Apple wants to integrate Beats Music into its existing software, but there are now signs that the tie-in will go especially deep — and that Android users won’t be left behind. Sources for 9to5Mac claim that Apple not only plans to weave Beats-based streaming into Apple TV, iOS and iTunes, but that it’s writing its own Android app from scratch (sorry, no Windows Phone version). The move wouldn’t be completely shocking given that Tim Cook said he was cool with Android apps when they made sense, but it’d still represent an important milestone for a company that frequently tries to get away from Google.

As for what the service entails? Not surprisingly, it’s reported to be a best-of-both offering. You could search for anything in the Beats or iTunes catalog, and you’d still see Beats’ human-made playlists and social networking. You could flag those tracks you want to hear offline, too. Importantly, Beats wouldn’t override Apple’s existing services. You could still use the likes of iTunes Match syncing and iTunes Radio streaming, even when they’re occasionally redundant.

How soon this Beats-backed technology would launch could be up in the air, though. The report backs rumors that Apple is trying to lower the price (possibly to $8 per month), which might depend on labels agreeing to different rates. Also, development is supposedly a “mess.” Apple may not be all that clear about its vision for the service, and veteran Apple staffers purportedly aren’t happy to see Beats engineers taking on important positions. While the reworked service was meant to launch in March, the tipsters now think it’s more likely to show up at the Worldwide Developers conference in June. However it shakes out, everything suggests that this Beats-based project is no small feat — Apple wants to take on streaming heavyweights like Spotify, even if it means delays and support for rivals’ platforms.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Apple

Comments

Source: 9to5Mac

Verizon Drops Many Data Plan Prices by $10 Per Month [iOS Blog]

Verizon today announced (via Re/code) that it is planning on dropping the price of most of its More Everything data plans by $10 per month, making its service offerings more appealing in the increasingly competitive cellular market.

Verizon’s 1GB data plan is now priced at $30 instead of $40, and a 2GB plan is priced at $40 instead of 50. Price drops extend all the way up to 8GB, available for $85 rather than $90, and there’s also a $10 price cut on the company’s highest tier 20GB plan, which is now available for $140 instead of $150.

The revamped pricing tiers are available to both new customers and existing customers, but current Verizon subscribers must go to the MyVerizon site on Thursday to opt in to a new plan to get the discount as their bills will not be updated automatically.

Verizon’s price cuts follow continued efforts by T-Mobile to shake up the mobile industry. T-Mobile has introduced a range of Un-Carrier options since 2013, uncoupling device costs from service costs, paying early termination fees, and more.

Most recently, T-Mobile announced a “Data Stash” program that allows customers to save unused data for up to 12 months. Sprint has also been offering aggressive promotions and discounts in an effort to draw customers from AT&T and Verizon.

Job Listings Spark Speculation of Unlikely Full-Fledged Apple Search Engine

Apple on Monday posted a listing to its Jobs at Apple page describing an Engineering Project Manager position for “Apple Search,” sparking speculation the company could be working on a full-fledged search engine for use on OS X and iOS platforms.

As first highlighted by Cult of Mac, the most recent position would be based in San Francisco and asks for applicants who are “technical, driven and creative,” with the ability to “manage back end operations projects for a search platform supporting hundreds of millions of users.” Though Apple’s website lists the job as posted February 2, 2015, entries on other job sites indicate it was originally posted on November 19, 2014.

Though the wording appears to hint at a new service, in all likelihood the job’s parameters are covering Apple’s already-existing search platform, largely embodied in Spotlight. Another job, posted in mid-January, supports the Spotlight probability thanks to frequent mentions of the updated Spotlight Suggestions service.

While gaining attention thanks to the use of the term “Apple Search,” the new listings are less likely to be aimed at an entirely new Apple-based search engine and more likely cover ongoing efforts to improve Spotlight. Job listings have in the past hinted at the company’s work on upcoming projects, but most of the time – as with patents – they are more of an intriguing tease into what may or may not be going on behind the scenes.

Apple is facing some search engine decisions this year, however, with Google’s search engine contract with Apple reportedly set to expire in 2015. That is most likely to be resolved, however, by an extension of the contract for an additional term or perhaps a shift to another provider such as Yahoo or Microsoft, both of which are reportedly lobbying for the lucrative deal.