Apple Not Able to Open Retail Stores in India Without Selling 30% Locally Sourced Goods
Apple’s plan to open three Apple Store locations in India may fall through following a ruling from the Indian finance ministry that says Apple must sell locally sourced goods if it wants to open stores in the country, reports Reuters.
In India, 30 percent of goods sold by foreign companies must be manufactured or produced in the country, a requirement Apple does not meet as its products are largely made in China. India last year exempted retailers selling state-of-the-art goods from the rule, prompting Apple to file a new application with the Indian government.
Apple was expected to receive an exemption from the rule, earning a recommendation from country’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, but the ministry of finance has decided Apple’s products do not fall into the cutting-edge technology category. A source told Reuters Apple did not provide enough material to justify the exemption.
“They did ask for a waiver but didn’t provide any material on record to justify it. The decision was taken only after a thorough examination of their application,” the source said.
The waiver is available only for investment in “state of the art” or “cutting-edge technology”, he added.
Without the ability to open its own retail stores in the country, Apple will need to continue selling iOS and Mac devices in India through third-party distributors. Apple is eager to expand its business in India as it is a largely untapped market. Last quarter, Apple saw its revenue from India grow 56 percent, surpassing $1 billion.
The ministry of finance’s ruling comes just after Tim Cook spent several days in India, where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other local business leaders, actors, politicians, and developers.
Apple has also announced the launch of a Maps development center in Hyderabad and an iOS app and design accelerator in Bangalore.
Tag: India
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10 3D Touch shortcuts every iPhone owner should know – CNET
Enlarge Image
Matt Elliott/CNET
Apple introduced pressure-sensitive 3D Touch last year for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. If you have either phone, I’d wager you have used 3D Touch gestures more on accident than intentionally. For example, if you press down hard enough on the left edge of the display to engage 3D Touch, you can then call up the multitasking tool with a little swipe right. The thing is, double clicking the home button is an easier and faster way to switch apps.
3D Touch news and tips
- Getting started with 3D Touch
- Everything you can do with 3D Touch
- Google’s reportedly pushes back its answer to 3D Touch
There are, however, some 3D Touch gestures worth knowing. Here are 10 ways to get started down the 3D Touch path.
1. Call most favorite contacts
Press down on the Phone app icon and 3D Touch will spring forth a small window with three contract you can then tap to call. These contacts are the three names at the top of your Favorites list. If you start using this 3D Touch gesture, you may want to edit your favorite contacts so that the three people you call the most are listed at the top of your Favorites list.
2. Quick selfie
The selfie is an exercise in vanity without a lengthy setup process. To snap a quick selfie, press down on the Camera app icon and tap Take Selfie.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
3. Directions home
Need to find your way home? The fastest way to get direction is to use 3D Touch on the app icon for Apple Maps or Google Maps and tap Directions Home or Directions to Home, respectively.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
4. Peek and pop at emails
3D Touch lets you get a quick preview of emails. From the main view of the Mail app, press down on an email from your inbox list to peek at the top part of an email message without opening it. Press down a little harder and you’ll go from peek to pop, opening the message so you can read the entirety of its contents.
5. See who’s on a group text
The quickest way to see the participants of a group text is to press down on the icons on the left of a message from the main list on the Messages app.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
6. Cursor control
When typing on your iPhone’s keyboard, it can be difficult to move the cursor to a specific spot to correct a typo. With 3D Touch, it’s painlessly easy. Instead of fussing with the magnifier you can call up by tapping and holding on the text you are typing, just press down anywhere on the onscreen keyboard to gray out the keys and turn the keyboard into a touchpad you can then use to move the cursor easily and accurately to your desired spot.
7. Update all apps
If you don’t have automatic app updates turned on, then this is the easiest way to update all of your apps that have an update waiting. Press down on the App Store app icon and tap Update All.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
8. Live Photos
The only way to put a Live Photo in motion on an iPhone 6S or 6S Plus is to use 3D Touch. Press down on a Live Photo to view the few seconds of choppy video.
9. New tweet
The Twitter app can be slow to open as it updates your feed before launching. Instead tapping on the app icon to open the Twitter app, waiting for it to open and then tapping the compose button, a faster way to get to the compose window is to press down on the Twitter app icon and then tap New Tweet.
10. Shazam Now
Time is of the essence when attempting to identify a song before it ends. The fastest way to get Shazam’s ears listening is to press down on the Shazam app icon and tap Shazam Now.
Why I’m giving up on Apple’s Podcasts app – CNET
Apple’s Podcasts app is no longer the worst app Apple ever made, as my colleague Rick Broida argued years ago. Broida checked back with the app last year and discovered that, after a major overhaul, it was serviceable, which may be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about the Podcasts app.
For me, the app’s serviceability makes it all the more maddening. It does just enough that I keep using it. But no longer!
Like most phone users, I’m am fighting a war on two fronts. I am battling to stay below my data cap each month, while also attempting to avoid seeing the “Storage almost full” warning on my iPhone. The Podcasts app offers little help on either front because of how poorly it manages downloads.
Matt Elliott/CNET
Where are my downloaded episodes?
I disabled cellular playback (Settings > Podcasts > Cellular Data) so I don’t run up data charges streaming podcasts when I’m away from Wi-Fi. And I don’t have podcasts automatically download (Settings > Podcasts > Download Episodes) because I subscribe to too many podcasts and don’t want them taking up space on my iPhone.
I appreciate these settings, but the Podcasts app does no favors for someone like me who sometimes streams and sometime downloads.
Because I’m usually on Wi-Fi, I usually just stream podcast episodes. But when I have a car trip or a long dog walk ahead of me, I will download a few episodes to take with me. And what makes the Podcasts app for frustrating to me is the egg hunt it forces me to go on in order to find the episodes I’ve downloaded when I’m on a cellular connection.
It’s nearly impossible.
I searched high and low in the Podcasts app for a simple list of my downloaded episodes, but it offers no such list. Instead, it grays out the episodes I haven’t downloaded and makes me hunt through my podcast subscriptions on My Podcasts or the Unplayed list to find the few episodes that aren’t grayed out.
Unless I downloaded recent episodes that sit at the top of the Unplayed list, a good deal of searching is required before I come across a downloaded episode.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
Deleting episodes is a nightmare
Not only is it harder than it should be to find downloaded episodes to play, but it’s also difficult to locate downloaded episodes to delete. If you go to Settings > Podcasts, you can tap the toggle switch for Delete Played Episodes. You can also adjust this setting by tapping the gear icon above the Unplayed/Feed header for each podcast and turning on Delete Played Episodes.
This setting is helpful in clearing out old podcast unless you are like me and don’t listen to the last minute or two of most podcasts because that’s when the host usually runs through the sponsors and plays an ad.
If you have it set to delete played episodes, then make sure you tap the triple-dot button in the lower-right corner of the Now Playing screen and select Mark as Played.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
You can also swipe left on an episode from on the Unplayed list and tap Delete. But this assumes you have located a downloaded episode.
To find and delete all of your downloaded podcasts, go to Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage > Manage Storage > Podcasts. Here, you won’t see individual episodes listed but instead how much space each is currently allocated for each podcast’s downloads. Swipe left on a podcast and tap Delete to delete all of its downloaded episodes.
Podcasts alternatives
Until the Podcasts app receives an update to make finding downloaded episodes easier, I suggest Overcast or Downcast; both podcast apps show only downloaded episodes when you are on a cellular connection and have disabled streaming via cellular. Instead of graying out the episodes you can’t play in such an instance, both apps smartly remove them so you see only the downloaded episodes you can play.
How to avoid ‘text neck’ – CNET
Poor posture can lead to a strained neck.
Alina Bradford
What is your head doing right now? If you’re reading this using your phone, laptop or tablet, chances are you’re hunched over with your head tilted down. Research has found that this posture, called “text neck” can lead to bad posture and cause pain in your neck, shoulders and spine.
What’s text neck and why is it so bad?
The average human head is around 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms). Imagine putting a 10-pound bowling ball on a stick and then slowly leaning it forward. The stick could probably handle the pressure of holding the bowling ball while it was upright, but as you lean it forward, the stick would start to bend and then eventually it would crack.
This is because when you lean a heavy mass that is supported by a narrow column, the force on the column becomes greater the farther the mass is tilted.
One study published by the journal Surgical Technology International aimed to determine just how much force the head puts on the spine as the head tilts. If the head is tilted just 15 degrees forward, that puts 27 pounds (12 kg) of forces on the cervical spine and the supporting muscles. The farther the head tilts forward, the more pressure it puts on the spine:
- 30 degrees puts 40 pounds (12 kg) of pressure on the spine
- 45 degrees places 49 pounds (22 kg)
- 60 degrees places 60 pounds (27 kg)
All of that pressure can lead to pain and pulled muscles. I bet you’re feeling a stiffness in your shoulders and the base of your neck right now. That’s text neck.
Fight text neck with your device
No matter what, we’re going to use our devices, so finding ways to combat text neck without giving up screen time is ideal. Ironically, one of the easiest ways to combat neck pain is by using your device.
There are several apps on the market that detect the angle of your head and alert you to adjust your posture. For example, Text Neck Indicator LITE posts a picture of a head in your notification bar to alert you when you’re head is starting to tilt forward. A red head notification mean you need to straighten up and a green head notification means you’ve got good posture.
The apps work by detecting how tilted your phone is at any given moment, since the tilt of your phone often mimics the tilt of your head. While not a perfect solution, I’ve found that the notifications are a good reminder to straighten up when I’m using my device.
Work it out
Exercise and stretching can play a big part in preventing and relieving text neck. The HeadUp app, like Text Neck Indicator, has posture notifications, but it also walks you through exercises you can do to combat neck pain and to strengthen neck muscles.
Don’t want to download an another app? Add some core strengthening exercises to your workout and stretch your neck at various angles while using your device. Dr. Armin Tehrany, clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, suggests setting your phone timer to go off every hour to serve as a helpful reminder to stretch. You can also set up reminders with Google Calendar Goals.
Here is a good stretch to combat text neck:
Sit up straight or stand.
Tilt your head toward your right shoulder and hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
Tilt your head so that your chin touches your chest for 15 to 30 seconds.
Tilt your head toward you left shoulder and hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
Tilt your head back as far as you can and hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
Repeat 2 to 4 times in each direction.
Tips for using voice on your phone
- The complete list of ‘OK, Google’ commands
- The complete list of Siri commands
- The complete list of Cortana commands
Talk, don’t type
Another way you can lessen the strain on your neck is by reducing the need to look at your screen as often by using voice commands and talk-to-text as much as possible.
“The best way to avoid it is to text with voice recognition, with the device held so that the person is facing forward, and not down,” said Dr. Derek Ochiai, board certified hip arthroscopic surgeon and sports medicine doctor at Nirschl Orthopaedic Center in Arlington, Virginia. “If that is not possible, try a device with a bigger screen, so the device can be held farther away, so that the neck is facing forward.”
When to see a doctor
Sometimes exercise and good posture aren’t enough, or your neck pain may be a sign of a some other condition. “If your neck pain does not improve after a week, or the pain radiates down the arm with associated numbness, tingling, burning or weakness, you should consult a physician for an evaluation,” said Tehrany.
Join by joaoapps: Best thing since Pushbullet (Review)
Overview
When Pushbullet went paid, everyone freaked out. Every well-known tech site scrambled to get something along the lines of “Best alternatives to Pushbullet” on their page. Some people just went ahead and paid like it was no big deal. Long story short, the only reason I still have Pushbullet on my device now is so I can be notified when there are new TeamBlackOut apps. I now use Join for all my file pushing, notification mirroring, and clipboard sharing needs. Join is brought to you by joaomgcd, the same person who brought Tasker users AutoVoice, AutoInput, and AutoWear. Here are the features that the app brings to the table:
- Respond to SMS from other devices
- Sync notifications
- Share clipboard
- Push files
- Locate devices
- Send Tasker commands
- Many, many more
Impressions
Setup
Setting up Join is very simple and took me less than 30 seconds. The intro screen takes you through adding your account and enabling Join’s SMS service. After that, you can enable Join’s accessibility service so it can write to your clipboard. You can also activate notification access, so your notifications can sync to your other devices. After that, you can go through the same process on your other devices such as:
- Windows 10 devices
- Browsers via web app
- Chrome via extension
- Other Android devices
- Firefox (still being worked on)
User Interface
Join is a very minimalistic app with devices listed on the front page and a hamburger menu for other options. Everything is very fluid and pushing between devices is almost instantaneous. Join is an option in Android’s native share menu, and that is taken a step further with Direct share support, which allows you to specifically select a device to share your content to.
Ad Obtrusiveness
Join has very minimal adverts that do not hinder the app in any way. If they still bother you, you can disable them after paying for the app. That being said, there is an option to still show ads after you paid, just in case you want to help out the dev that little bit more.
Pricing
Join for Android has a one-time in-app purchase of four dollars to remove ads and enable all features. However, getting Join on Windows 10 is an additional $1.49. I don’t think this is expensive at all considering all the functionality that comes with Join, and I’d much rather pay $5.49 once than three or more dollars a month (Pushbullet).
Conclusion
Join is a wonderful app with a bunch of functionality. You can share your notifications, respond to SMS, and share your clipboard, but there is so much more. Join offers far more control over your devices than Pushbullet does, at a fraction of the cost.
Download and install Join from the Google Play Store.
Newton Drop Dash!: Watch out for that… Bird (Review)
Developer: AshCorp
Category: Games
Price: Free w/ads
How to Play
In Newton Drop Dash!, you are an apple trying to get to the bottom and hit Newton on the head so he can discover gravity. There are three lanes, and one or more will be open for you to move through. Alternatively, one or two will have obstacles that want to smash our little apple friend. 
Hit one of the obstacles and SPLAT! Game over.
You will need to avoid trees of all shapes and sizes, as well as those pesky penguin-looking birds that fly across the screen from time to time. Tapping on one of the three lanes moves the apple into that lane. Move quick enough and you will avoid even the peskiest PengBIRD!
While falling and avoiding the trees and birds, you will want to collect as many coins as you can. Bronze coins are worth one, silver are worth two and gold are worth five.
There is also a red bar at the top called the fever bar. The bar fills up as you collect coins. In theory, once full, it will trigger FEVER time. However, in my time playing the game, I have never collected enough coins to fill it. Coins will also help you buy things in the store. More on that later.
So, as we are still falling… We see trees, pengBIRDS, coins, and… Power-ups! Because what falling apple couldn’t use a few power-ups, right? Rockets, magnets and helmets OH MY!
The rocket power-up speeds this little apple up and allows you to blow right through any obstacle in your way for a short time. 
The magnet pulls all the coins that are on the screen to you for a short time so that you don’t have to move to collect them. The helmet gives you the win over the next obstacle you encounter by not making the apple go splat when you hit it. These three power-ups give your apple an advantage over the obstacles in your quest to get to Newton.
As we fall further down the map on this journey to the bottom, the seasons will change. I have only gotten far enough to see summer and autumn but I am sure winter and spring are down there waiting for me somewhere.
Remember I told you we would come back to buying things with all the coins we collect? Here you go. There are many things in the store that you can buy. Want to make that rocket blast last longer so you can make it further while not having to worry about any obstacles getting in the way? 
Just collect enough coins and you can make that happen.
There are also wings that make you move faster side-to-side. Other power-ups are also here and you can make them more powerful by spending coins.
We also have the ability to dress the little apple up in cleverly-named skins. My favorite is Luke SkywApple. These things add to the game’s fun factor and make it worth playing to get coins.
The Good
This game is really fun. It is hard, but not so hard that makes me want to give up. I find that I would drop a certain distance and then the next few times, I would get a lower score. Immediately after that, I would beat my previous longest drop out of nowhere.
The power-ups are fun to get and buying new ones to make them better is also a nice way to keep me playing. The fact that it only takes a few minutes max to play a few rounds is good too because I still have stuff like work and family to attend to.
The Bad
The first bad thing I noticed about this game is the ads. They pop up every few games and are mostly the same ad for Mobile Strike. This was really annoying for the first little bit when I was playing. But there is only a six-second wait, and then you can close the ad. I would rather not see ads, but, since the game is free, I understand the developer needing to put them in there. One other bad aspect of this game is the menu. It is a little confusing and takes some getting used to.
Conclusion
All in all, this is a fun game that will keep you entertained for a while. It’s hard, but not too hard. The use of 6-second ad is annoying, but I understand why they have to be there.
Download and install Newton Drop Dash! from the Google Play Store.
Credit: Credit AshCorp for the screenshots.
[App Review] Polarr Photo Editor: We’ve come a long way
In April 2015, when I used to write for a website called TechDissected, I discovered a web app on Chrome OS called Polarr. I needed a tool on my Chromebook that could actually compare to professional tools like Photoshop and Lightroom. To be blunt, about 95% of photo editing apps on Chrome OS are a joke. But I found that Polarr was able to meet almost all of my post processing needs on my laptop and smartphone.
Since then, it’s been great to watch Polarr grow from a lesser-known web app into a powerful tool found on Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android, Chrome OS and even Linux. Polarr even has a digital magazine now called Pixel Magazine, found on Medium. The Android version recently got a big update to version 2.0, which is what I’ll be reviewing.
Features
- RAW editing – probably one of the biggest new features, you can finally edit RAW files with Polarr
- Custom filters – users have been able to create their own filters with Polarr since the beginning, but now you can share them with a QR code
- Color masking – this is a powerful feature that lets you color edit only certain parts of your photo, like making the sun more saturated in a landscape shot
- 2 new local adjustments – blurring and pixelation
- Gradient masks – now your gradient masks can be reflected
- Portrait mode orientation for editing
- Click-and-drag to customize your toolbar
- Newly-designed curve, color toning and cropping tools
As you can see, this is a huge update that makes Polarr even more powerful. RAW editing is great, and it’s rare to find this in a mobile tool. It’s fun to create my own filters, and I can easily share the generated QR code on Instagram or even in a text message.
Speaking of filters, Polarr has recently partnered with Unsplash, a good source for free and high-quality stock photos, to create The Unsplash Collection, which is a collection of ten filters created by the professional photographers of Unsplash.
Although not part of Unsplash, my favorite filter is Film, which is a small group of free filters that emulate the style of traditional film cameras to give your photos an attractive, subtle vintage style.
Polarr is a free app, with in-app purchases to unlock more filters and pro features. I highly recommend buying the pro features, if only to support the awesome team behind the app.
Polarr: Web | Twitter | Instagram | Medium | Facebook
AIVAnet 