Apple Pay Expanding to China, Possibly France and Canada’s Big Banks

Apple Pay has launched in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia to date, and the mobile payments service could expand to a fifth country this week: China. A customer service representative for China’s Guangfa Bank, using the bank’s public WeChat account, appears to have confirmed that Apple Pay will officially go live in the world’s most populous country on February 18 at 5:00 a.m. local time.

(Image: Sina via Tech in Asia)
Apple previously announced that Apple Pay will expand to China in early 2016 in partnership with UnionPay, a state-run interbank network that holds a monopoly on the country’s credit and debit card processing. UnionPay cardholders will be able to use Apple Pay on iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad — the latter for in-app purchases only. iOS 9.2 or watchOS 2.1 or later will be required, according to the screenshot.

In November, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple reached deals with China’s big four state-run banks, including the Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and Agricultural Bank of China, to launch its iPhone-based payments service in the country. The report said Apple Pay could launch by the weeklong Chinese New Year, which concluded on February 13.

That prospective date has since passed, but a pair of YouTube videos surfaced in January that appeared to show Apple Pay working with UnionPay bank cards in China for both in-store and in-app purchases. It is possible that Apple soft launched Apple Pay in China with select participating issuers in order to test the payments service, ahead of its official launch in the country in a few days.

Meanwhile, French website iGeneration claims that Apple is preparing to launch Apple Pay in France and could make an announcement in the first half of 2016 — perhaps at WWDC in June. The report claims it is unclear when Apple Pay will become available in French stores, nor does it have information about which banks and participating issuers will support the service upon launch.

Last, new evidence has been uncovered that hints at Apple Pay support coming to Canada’s big banks. Specifically, Twitter user ChaseFromm2016 recently discovered a “NetworkInterac” string hidden in iOS 9.2.1 code, as shared by the blog iPhone in Canada. The same string was also shared on Chinese website Feng last month, in the screenshot pictured right, according to the report.

(Image: iPhone in Canada)
Interac is Canada’s official debit card network, adopted by the country’s largest banks and credit unions nationwide, including BMO, CIBC, Desjardins, Meridian, National Bank of Canada, RBC, Scotiabank, TD Canada Trust, and many others. TD Canada Trust already stirred speculation in October when it inadvertently listed Apple Pay as a method of payment on its website, before quickly removing it.

Apple Pay is currently limited to American Express cardholders in Canada and Australia, and the same partnership will be extended to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Spain later this year. Apple Pay is now available at more than 2 million retail locations, and Au Bon Pain, Crate & Barrel, Chick-fil-A, Cinnabon, Chili’s, KFC, and Starbucks stores now do or soon will accept the payments service in the U.S.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tags: China, Canada, France
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‘Steve Jobs’ Available on Blu-ray and DVD Tomorrow (Win a Copy)

Universal Pictures’ Steve Jobs moving starring Michael Fassbender as Jobs and Seth Rogen as Wozniak will be in retail stores starting tomorrow, February 16, with Blu-ray and DVD copies available for purchase. Special features include a behind the scenes look at the filming of the movie along with commentary from Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle, and other members of the Steve Jobs cast and crew.

– Inside Jobs: The Making of Steve Jobs
– Feature Commentary with Director Danny Boyle
– Feature Commentary with Writer Aaron Sorkin and Editor Elliot Graham

The DVD and Blu-ray release comes two weeks ahead of the 88th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, which will take place on Sunday, February 28. Michael Fassbender, who played Jobs, and Kate Winslet, who played Joanna Hoffman, have both been nominated to win an Oscar. Winslet won Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes in January and took home the award for Best Supporting Actress from The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award ceremony yesterday.

A Digital HD version of Steve Jobs was released earlier this month on several online storefronts, including iTunes. It was given little fanfare by Apple and was not featured under the list of new releases, an unsurprising move given the negative reaction the movie received from Apple executives. Apple CEO Tim Cook called the movie and other similar Jobs-related titles “opportunistic.”

Despite positive reviews, Steve Jobs saw a disappointing box office performance following its October debut, bringing in just $7.3 million during the opening weekend of its wide theatrical release. It was pulled from more than 2,072 theaters just a few weeks after its launch, but it has seen a strong showing during the awards season.

To celebrate the release of Steve Jobs on DVD and Blu-ray, we’re giving away one Blu-ray combo pack to a MacRumors reader, which includes the Blu-ray, DVD, and a Digital HD code. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prizes.

You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (February 15) at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time through 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time on February 19. The winner will be chosen randomly on February 19 and will be contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond a before a new winner is chosen.

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Costume Institute Previews Apple-Sponsored ‘Manus x Machina’ Met Gala Exhibition

Following the launch of its first wearable device, the Apple Watch, Apple has been making a name for itself in the fashion world. As part of its efforts, Apple is sponsoring the 2016 Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala and Costume Institute Exhibition, where Jony Ive will be serving as a co-chair alongside pop star Taylor Swift and actor Idris Elba.

The Met Gala, held each year, is a fund raising event that benefits the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute. The theme chosen for the gala each year reflects the theme of the Costume Institute exhibition and dictates what Met Gala attendees should wear. Last year’s theme was “China: Through the Looking Glass.”

The theme for the 2016 event, which will take place on May 2, is “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.” The show will focus on the dichotomy between handmade haute couture and machine-made fashion, featuring pieces that juxtapose traditional hand techniques like embroidery, pleating, and lacework with technologies like laser cutting and thermo shaping.

This 1994 “Flying Saucer” dress by Issey Miyake will be featured in the 2016 Met Gala. Image via The Verge.
The Costume Institute hosted a preview of the exhibition this morning, with details shared by The Verge. According to Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton, the theme of the gala was inspired by the 1927 sci-fi drama Metropolis by Fritz Lang, a movie that focuses on the struggle between man and machine. Apple design chief Jony Ive gave a statement on the event, saying Apple believes technology and craft “go hand in hand.”

“More than ever, we believe that it is fundamentally important to personally work with materials as a means to truly understand their physical nature and to design authentic objects. Far from being mutually exclusive notions, we believe that technology and craft go hand in hand — much like beauty and utility — and become all the more powerful in combination.”

Designers like Iris van Herpen, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Chanel will have pieces on display at the event that show off the melding of technology and fashion. One dress by Iris van Herpen, for example, will include laser-cut silicon feathers and silicone coated gull skulls, while a second van Herpen display piece features a white polyamide 3D printed dress with acrylic fringe and white goat leather.

The 2016 Met Gala is set to take place on May 2, 2016. In addition to being sponsored by Apple and co-chaired by Jony Ive, it will feature honorary chairs Anna Wintour, Nicolas Ghesquiére, Karl Lagerfeld, and Miuccia Prada.
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Dr. Dre’s ‘Vital Signs’ TV Show Will Be Used to Promote Apple Music

Last week, news hit suggesting Apple is in the middle of developing its first original television series, a show called Vital Signs starring Beats co-founder and Apple executive Dr. Dre. Described as a dark semi-autobiographical drama that’s heavy on sex and violence, Vital Signs seemed like an odd choice for Apple’s first foray into television.

As it turns out, Apple is planning to use Vital Signs as a way to promote Apple Music rather than as a serious move into the television arena. According to sources who spoke to Re/code’s Peter Kafka, the show is part of an effort to create video content that’s designed to “extend Apple Music.”

So, again: Is Apple really getting into the TV business? Yes. But also, not really.

The real answer is more modest: Apple has already been financing video content it uses to market Apple Music — “to extend Apple Music,” in the words of an insider. And it’s doing that with the Dre show. Full stop.

That’s much less exciting than “Apple Is Getting Into TV,” but it’s more accurate.

While Vital Signs is Apple’s first TV show, there were rumors over the summer that the company had produced music videos in-house for several popular songs on Apple Music, including Drake’s “Energy,” Pharrell’s “Freedom,” and Eminem’s “Phenomenal.” Apple also partnered with Taylor Swift to produce her “1989 World Tour LIVE” concert film. Vital Signs appears to be a continuation of Apple’s work on original music-oriented content to be shared on Apple Music.

Details on Vital Signs were published by The Hollywood Reporter last Friday, with Apple Music being mentioned at that time as a potential distribution platform. It remains unclear if Vital Signs will also be released via iTunes. The show is said to consist of a series of six 30-minute episodes that reflect at least in part on the life of Dr. Dre. Each episode is said to focus on a “different emotion” and the way Dre’s character handles it.

Exclusive video content allows Apple to set itself apart from rival services like Spotify and Tidal, boosting subscriber numbers. Last week, iTunes chief Eddy Cue revealed Apple Music now has a total of 11 million subscribers. Apple reportedly plans to produce more video content for Apple Music, but doesn’t have intentions to move into video-making on a larger scale.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Tag: Apple Music
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Buy Now)
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Kanye West Says New Album Will ‘Never’ Be Available Through Apple Music

Kanye West’s latest album, “The Life of Pablo,” is available exclusively on Tidal, the Apple Music rival service created by Jay Z. According to West, he has no plans to offer “The Life of Pablo” through other streaming services, including Apple Music, instead intending for it to be a permanent Tidal exclusive.

In a tweet shared this afternoon, West said “The Life of Pablo” will “never never never” be available through Apple, a statement that presumably includes both Apple Music and iTunes.

My album will never never never be on Apple. And it will never be for sale… You can only get it on Tidal.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 15, 2016

The seriousness of West’s claim about never releasing the album on Apple Music and other streaming services is unclear, as his recent tweets declaring himself to be $53 million in debt and asking Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Page for money may point towards a muddled state of mind.

West, who is an investor in Tidal, announced the launch of his new “The Life of Pablo” album over the weekend following a performance on Saturday Night Life. While West originally planned to release the album on his website as well as streaming it on Tidal, he later changed his mind to encourage potential listeners to buy a Tidal subscription, priced at $9.99 a month for a standard premium subscription or $19.99 a month for a HiFi subscription.

West’s decision has made the Tidal iOS app the top free iPhone app in Apple’s App Store, according to the company’s App Store charts.

Tags: Apple Music, Kanye West
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Apple Music and Sonos Partner to ‘Beat Silence’ in New Ad

Apple Music and Sonos have partnered to create a new ad that was shown during tonight’s Grammy Music Awards. The commercial comes days after Apple Music officially launched on Sonos, allowing Sonos customers to stream Apple Music content and direct access to Apple Music features like For You, Radio and My Music.

The ad features musical artists Killer Mike, Matt Berninger and Annie Clark using Apple Music on Sonos speakers to “defeat silence” in their homes. The ad and its stars argue that sharing loud music in your home can promote creativity and happiness. Previously, Sonos conducted a study a study on the positive effects of music listening in the home. The study, which used an Apple Music subscription paired with a Sonos speaker, found that families who regularly listened to music in their home spent 67 percent more time together, ate meals together more often and other positive effects.

Streaming Apple Music on Sonos speakers can enabled by selecting “Add Music Services” from a Sonos controller app, selecting the Apple Music logo and logging into the service. Either an Apple Music subscription or free trial are required.

Tags: Ads, Apple Music, Sonos
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Real Racing 3 Update Brings Split-Screen Multiplayer to Apple TV

Popular free-to-play iOS racing game Real Racing 3 has received an update which includes a new “Daytona Experience” race pack and enhanced integration with Apple TV.

The Daytona Experience features iconic 700-horsepower NASCAR Spring Cup Series cars and the opportunity to take part in Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in the NASCAR calendar.

From February 16 through March 4, players can compete in the Daytona 500 event on the new Daytona International Speedway track in a bid to unlock four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock cars. The pack also offers the opportunity to choose from a selection of authentic race teams and drive alongside legends of the sport.

In addition, the update builds upon Real Racing 3’s cloud-based Apple TV integration by enabling players to compete side-by-side against each other in a new split-screen mode called Party Play.

The update also brings a new event to proceedings called The Sixth Element, which allows players to take the wheel of the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento.

Real Racing 3 is a free download for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad available from the App Store. [Direct Link]
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HTC Sensation review

Many people were disappointed when HTC presented its line-up at the Mobile World Congress last February. The major missing factor was a flagship device with a dual-core processor.

Already back then some people suggested that HTC was not willing to share the spotlight with its competitors and would come up with such a device at a later moment. By now that time has come and HTC presented the Sensation. The device was welcomed with rave reviews but it still needs to prove itself in practice.

HTC has a reputation to uphold when it comes to the naming of its Android devices. When after the Hero, Legend, and Desire you call your latest product Sensation you must be very confident that it can compete with the best in the business. In the Android field the HTC Sensation mingles in a battle of giants with the Samsung i9100 Galaxy S2 and the LG P990 Optimus 2X Speed. All three devices have a sturdy display but even more important; a dual-core processor. On top of that the Sensation packs a qHD-display and an 8.0 megapixel camera.

Unboxing

The packaging HTC uses has had the same form factor for quite some time. In the case of the Sensation they have made a slight change by going for a black box instead of a white one. Out of the little box comes a drawer where the device lies on top. Below we find the necessary accessories. The Sensation comes with a 1520 mAh battery and an 8 GB microSD memory card. Also in the box are a headset with integrated remote control, a microUSB cable with adapter for the power socket, and a quickstart guide. The headset has 3.5 mm audio-jack.

Nokia Lumia 800 review

Let’s go back in time, to the end of 2010. Nokia has had to endure some heavy blows. The company makes one loss after another, the profits are under great pressure and managers are leaving the sinking ship en masse.

On the high point of the crisis, even the top executive is replaced by former Microsofts Stephen Elop. It turned out to be the starting point of rigorous changes. The development of Symbian was turned low, MeeGo was regarded as experimental and Nokia arranged a marriage with Microsoft. It was to be either death or glory.

The company announced the release of Windows Phone 7-devices and little more than a year after Elop took office, the moment was there: the Lumia 800 saw the light of day, together with the Nokia Lumia 710. The company surprised friend and foe by having the device on the store shelves in a matter of weeks. By way of comparison: the last showpiece, the Nokia N8, was only available after 5 months.

For Nokia, the question isn’t whether the 800 is going to be a success: it simply has to. Huge advertising budgets are allocated, the press is spoiled with facility trips to London. We don’t take part in things like that: we’ll stay critical, as we always have. Did Nokia succeed in her plans of making a new start with Microsoft, that is supposed to turn the tide? Was the alliance between the two companies nothing but a forced marriage? Or, to put it differently: is the Nokia 800 worth it?

Unboxing

The Nokia Lumia 800 is delivered in a rectangular cardboard box. Clearly, it’s bigger than previous devices. By pulling a lip, one opens the box in which the Lumia 800 is waiting for you. It reminds us of the iPhone box (and that of the Galaxy S2). Underneath, there is a rubber protective case, that is hardly big enough for the 800. Likewise, there is a Quick Guide that contains, among others, all the information about the placing of the SIM-card and, finally, there’s a short manual. All the other accessories are places underneath this: a head phone, a data cable and a plug that forms a charger when put together with the cable. Especially the plug stands out: it’s a small, round design plug. It reminds us of a checker piece.

All in all, the set looks quite complete and of high quality. More importantly, it all looks fresh and not Nokia-like. Even the design of the box and that of the accessories are used to renew the brand’s image.

Better pictures Sony supersmartphone LT29i Hayabusa leaked

We already saw some pictures of the Sony Hayabusa LT29i. This is supposed to be Sony’s next flagship running a Snapdragon S4 processor and 13 megapixel camera. This time we have some better pictures.

The picture below seems to be a render of the new supersmartphone in both black and white. The Hayabusa seems to have a 4.55 inch Reality display and large 2,200 mAh battery. Exactly 100 mAh larger than Samsung’s flagship the Galaxy S3.

Also bigger is the camerasensor; 13 megapixel and uses a Exmor sensor. Judging from the image above it seems the Hayabusa is quite chubby. But don’t worry, rumours state the LT29i is 7mm thick. Is it possible the LT29i will hit market as the Xperia GX. No word on when this will happen. We expect somewhere between June and July. The people of Samsung can expect some though competition this summer.

Via: Phonearena.com