Apple Music to Support Saving Playlists and Songs for Offline Listening [iOS Blog]
Apple today announced Apple Music, a new all-in-one app and service for discovering and listening to music. Apple Music includes a streaming music service that delivers on-demand music for $9.99 per month, much like Apple’s existing Beats Music service.
Many users have wondered whether Apple Music will allow for song downloads for offline listening, and the answer to that question is yes. Apple did not give details on offline listening during its keynote event or press release, but according to an Apple representative that spoke to Re/code, content from Apple Music can be added to a playlist for offline listening.
“As an Apple Music member you can add anything from the Apple Music library — a song, an album or a video — to your collection,” Apple said in a statement to Re/code. “And that’s just the warm-up act. From there you can create the perfect playlist from anything you’ve added. You can save it for offline listening and take it on the road.”
Offline listening is also listed as a feature available on Apple’s new Apple Music page, which details what you get with an Apple Music membership. Apple Music subscribers will also get unlimited skips when listening to Apple Music radio stations, the ability to play and save Connect content, and the ability to add Apple Music content to one’s music library.
Apple Music will launch to the public on June 30, as part of iOS 8.4. It is priced at $9.99 per month for individuals and $14.99 per month for a family of up to 6.
OS X 10.11 El Capitan Runs on All Macs Capable of Running Yosemite [Mac Blog]
OS X 10.11 El Capitan, the successor to OS X Yosemite, is capable of running on all Macs that are able to run Yosemite, according to the OS X 10.11 release notes (via Ars Technica). The first developer beta is listed as supporting the following Macs, which are the same that are able to run Yosemite:
– iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
– MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
– MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
– Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
– MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
– Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
– Xserve (Early 2009)
OS X El Capital is focused heavily on performance improvements to make the Mac “snappier and more efficient.” According to Apple, apps launch up to 1.4x faster and app switching is up to 2x faster. Displaying the first Mail messages when opening mail is up to 2x faster, and it’s up to 4x faster when opening a PDF in preview.
El Capitan also brings Metal to OS X for the first time, improving graphics for more fluid performance in games, high performance apps, and key system-level graphics operations.
iOS 9, the upcoming update for iOS devices, has also been designed to work with all devices that run iOS 8. Even older A5 devices like the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4s will be able to run the new operating system, and in many cases, performance will improve over iOS 8 thanks to the optimizations being introduced.
Both OS X El Capitan and iOS 9 will be available to the public in the fall, with a public beta becoming available in July.
Mickey Demands Your Allegiance, Compels LG to Release Disney-Themed Phone
In what is either the best news ever or the worst news ever, LG has revealed the latest in its line of “Disney Mobile” phones, available exclusively in Japan. The phone, dubbed the “DM-01G,” because Disney Consumer Products clearly had no input on nomenclature, is the eighth Disney-branded phone sold through Japanese carrier NTT Docomo, Inc.
So here’s the thing: I refuse to say “DM-01G” throughout this article when referencing the phone, so my very Disney upbringing (I grew up next to Anaheim – season passes, yo) is giving me carte blanche to rename the phone for the purposes of conversation. Therefore, I give you the following potential nicknames, which I will use for the remainder of the article, and I leave you to vote on the best one in the comments, or better yet, add your own:
- LG Rescue Ranger™
- LG Pixie Hollow™
- LG We’re Tired of Princess Marketing™
- LG Frozen 2™
- LG DisFlex 8™
- LG WTF
The We’re Tired of Princess Marketing™ sports some solid specs, and it doesn’t quite line up as a repurposed version of an existing LG phone, like the Nexus 5 to the G2. Spec-wise, it’s reasonably close to a G3, but not quite on the money. Pixie Hollow™ has a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS display powered by a Snapdragon 801 processor. Users will also enjoy a 13.2 MP rear camera, a 2.4 MP front shooter, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a 2,920 detachable battery, all coming in at a reasonably svelte 149 grams.
But here’s where things get interesting. The phone, which even has a Mickey Mouse-shaped Home button, comes with a Mickey ears cutout cover through which some pretty rad-looking notifications come up. Admittedly, I’m torn on whether this is awesome or horrifying.
And if that’s not enough, your Rescue Ranger™ also comes with a Swarovski cover wherein crystals represent our dreams that will come true if we only but wish.
DisFlex 8™ runs on LG’s Android UI featuring custom themes based on popular Disney franchises, like Frozen, Cinderella (evidently the live-action one from this year, not the 50s classic), and Alice in Wonderland. Would the WTF™ be superior if it offered skins for The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and Song of the South? Objectively, yes, but that’s OK.
Frozen 2™ comes in blue, white, and pink. A launch date has not yet been announced.
If this were available outside of Japan, would you be all in?
All hail Burbank.
Source: The Korea Herald
Come comment on this article: Mickey Demands Your Allegiance, Compels LG to Release Disney-Themed Phone
Barclays doesn’t support Apple Pay, but it’s likely to
Nearly a year after it launched, Apple Pay is coming to the UK. Most major financial institutions were included in Apple’s WWDC 2015 keynote, but there was one notable exception: Barclays. It’s a weird omission, particularly as Barclaycard, the bank’s credit card arm, is already supported in the US. After news of the launch broke, Barclays has moved to confirm that it won’t be a part of Apple’s NFC payment revolution when it goes live in July, hinting that an agreement over terms is the reason for its absence.
Barclays explains on its Twitter account that it has “been talking with Apple about how our customers could use Apple Pay in addition to our existing mobile and payment services.” It already offers a capable smartphone banking app, but also pioneered a mobile payment service that lets customers send money using only mobile phone numbers. However, it does not yet provide an NFC payment platform that customers can use to pay for goods at a retail store.
The bank notes that “talks remain constructive,” which suggests that while customers might have to wait, an agreement could be reached. We’ve contacted the bank for more clarification on the matter and will update the article should we hear back.
Thanks for your tweets this evening. We can assure you that we’ve been talking with Apple about how our customers (1/2)
– Barclays UK (@BarclaysUK) June 8, 2015
could use Apple Pay in addition to our existing mobile and payment services, and that these talks remain constructive. (2/2)
– Barclays UK (@BarclaysUK) June 8, 2015
Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Apple
Source: Barclays (Twitter)
Apple WWDC 2015: the numbers you need to know
It’s Monday. The work week just started and the last thing you need is to spend two hours of it watching Apple’s WWDC 2015 keynote address. But fear not, even if you missed it, you can still get all the juicy rumors, teasers and event highlights right here. Think of it as a tl;dr but, you know, for press conferences.
‘Forza’ finally gets some Porsche love
There’s been a Porsche-sized hole in the Forza roster for quite awhile, but that changes tomorrow. The German automaker’s coming to Forza Horizon 2‘s open world with 10 models, according to our sister site Autoblog. The pack’s $9.99 and comes with a handful of new Bucket List challenges, Rivals events and over a dozen new achievements for the Gamerscore hungry. Rides hit a wide swath of Porsche’s history, with the 1970 914/6, 1987 959 all the way up to a 2015 Macan Turbo on offer. Apparently gaming giant Electronic Arts had to sign off on the deal because of its exclusive agreement for Porsche cars to appear in the likes of the Need for Speed and Real Racing franchises. Whether or not that means we’ll see any of the German sports cars in the upcoming Forza Motorsport 6 isn’t exactly clear, but the E3 trade show is only a week away.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source: Autoblog
Humble Mobile Bundle 13 updated with Jump’N’Shoot Attack and PUK
Just one week ago, we told you about the Humble Mobile Bundle 13 that featured six great games for a super cheap price point. You still have a chance to take advantage of this deal, but now the Humble Bundle team has added PUK and Jump’N’Shoot Attack to the list of titles. If you’ve never heard of these games, PUK is a fast-paced puzzler that features simplistic graphics and addictive gameplay, and Jump’N’Shoot Attack is a retro arcade game that’s perfect for the nostalgic gamer.
All six of the previous titles are still available in the Bundle, and it’s very easy to download them. Paying whatever amount of money you want will get you access to Timelines: Assault on America (Premium), The Ministry of Silly Walks and Hellraid: The Escape. If you choose to beat the average price (currently $3.21), you’ll be able to download Puzzle Retreat, Worms 3, Twisty Hollow, as well as the two new titles. If you’ve already purchased this group of games, head to the source link below to grab the two new games for no extra charge.
Buying all of these games separately would cost around $28, so this is quite the steal. Be sure to head to the source link below if you’re interested.
FDP 019: Google I/O Redux
Josh’s cold after much traveling kept last week from being podcast-full, but we’re back now with a look at the announcements made at Google I/O! After about a week, Joe gives his thoughts on Android M, Grushie and Nirave talk potential Huawei Nexus devices, and Feisty ponders on Google Cardboard/Expeditions and their effect on our children’s manners. It’s a full panel this week as we’re heading into the summer, which should bring with it plenty of great new releases after the developments from I/O.
The FDP by Android Authority – discussing topics in Android every week.
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Recorded on June 5, 2015 – Hosted and Produced by Joshua Vergara
LG releases a Disney Mobile smartphone for Japan with a Mickey Mouse Swarovski cover
If you’re a resident of Japan and have access to NTT DoCoMo in your area, you may soon be able to get your hands on a new high-end Disney-themed Android handset from LG. Dubbed the LG DM-01G, the new smartphone is the eighth handset in the company’s Disney Mobile lineup that was just launched in Japan earlier today.
As you can tell from the photo above, the new LG smartphone features a Mickey Mouse smart cover, similar to the Quick Circle cases we’ve seen for the G series of smartphones. The cutouts are in the shape of Mickey’s head, and show you quick glances of useful information without having to open the cover. The front cover also includes Swarovski crystals rising up from Cinderella’s castle that are sure to entice Disney fans. The covers are available in multiple color options, including Blue, Pink and White.
On the spec front, the LG DM-01G comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage and a removable 2920mAh battery. The handset also runs LG’s custom UI atop Android 5.0 Lollipop, and features a number of Disney themes for fans of The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Frozen.
As of right now, the handset looks to be exclusive to Japanese mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo, though not much information has been given about the device’s availability.
Apple Merges iOS, WatchOS and Mac Developer Programs [Mac Blog]
Apple today announced that it is merging all of its developer programs into a single developer program, letting developers pay one fee to access both Mac and iOS developer tools. Before today, Apple offered a Mac developer program and an iOS developer program, accessible with separate $100 fees.
The new Apple Developer Program combines everything you need to develop, distribute, and manage your apps on all Apple platforms into one single program, making it easier than ever to bring your creativity to over a billion customers around the world. Get your apps ready for the App Store on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, by enrolling in the Apple Developer Program today.
It now costs $99 to access all SDKs and betas of iOS 9, OS X, and the company’s newest software platform, watchOS. Apple has created a support document to explain the changes and walk developers through the process of transitioning to the new membership program.
All individual and organization developer accounts have been upgraded to the new program and can access the tools for iOS and OS X. Membership expiration dates and Technical Support Incidents have not been changed. For those who had memberships to both former programs, the new single account has an extended expiration date that includes the sum of days that remained in each program.
AIVAnet 