Engadget UK giveaway: win an iPad Pro courtesy of Mobilefun.co.uk

It’s that time of the year again. A time for food, family, good times and giving. Alright… enough of the pretence: it’s the receiving we’re most excited about. And what better way to usher in the holiday season than with an early Christmas present? This week, we’re giving away a 32GB, silver iPad Pro (WiFi-only model) to supercharge the festive spirit of one lucky reader. Apple’s newest, super-sized tablet has been supplied by our friends at Mobilefun.co.uk, who are also on hand with cases, keyboards and all manner of other accessories for your new 12.9-inch slate. To get involved in this week’s competition, you can enter up to three times via the Rafflecopter widget below. Just don’t forget to give the rules a quick scan while you’re down there.

• Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
• Contest is open to all residents of the UK, 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
• Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) iPad Pro.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
• This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Apple, Mobilefun.co.uk and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
• The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
• Entries can be submitted until December 18th at 11:59PM BST. Good luck!

Source: Mobilefun.co.uk

European Probe of Apple’s Irish Tax Policies Extended to 2016

A decision in the European Commission probe of Ireland’s alleged “sweetheart tax deal” with Apple will likely be delayed until after the Irish elections in early 2016, as Financial Times reports the executive cabinet has now requested supplementary questionnaires in the lengthy investigation.

The European Commission began Apple’s Irish tax probe in June 2014, and the Brussels-based executive body formally accused the iPhone maker of receiving illegal state aid from Ireland in September 2014. A decision was originally expected earlier this year, but the additional information requested will likely cause further delays.

Apple’s tax policies have been scrutinized on numerous occasions over the past three years, as the company is said to utilize multiple subsidiary companies located in the Irish city of Cork to move money around without significant tax penalties. Apple continues to deny any wrongdoing, and Ireland vows to take the European Commission to court over any negative ruling, according to the report.

Apple’s Irish tax probe is part of a larger crackdown by the European Commission on possible corporate tax avoidance in EU countries. Earlier this month, the commission reportedly accused McDonald’s of “benefiting from arrangements that allowed it to pay no tax on European royalties in Luxembourg,” and Fiat and Starbucks were ordered in October to repay up to €30 million in back taxes.

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Apple Cuts Price of the iPhone 5s by Almost Half in India

As it looks to find a better foothold in the Indian smartphone market, Apple today reduced the price of the bestselling iPhone 5s in the country by nearly half of what it sold for in September (via CNET).

Officially, the 2013 iPhone has been reduced from 44,500 Rupees ($665) to 24,999 Rupees ($370) in an effort by Apple to make the two-year-old smartphone more attractive to users in India, where smartphone competition is normally priced below $300.

India is currently the third biggest smartphone market in the world, following China and the United States. Although Apple has a large presence in the latter two countries, it currently doesn’t even crack the top five list of smartphone manufacturers in India.

“To drive volume [in India], Apple will need to keep focus on older iPhone generations,” IDC’s Kiranjeet Kaur said, explaining that older generations will cater to the country’s large midrange smartphone market. Kaur added that there’s a “limited” amount of penetration the company can achieve by exclusively selling in the premium price segment.

Besides the premium pricing of the company’s products, multiple factors have prevented Apple from having the kind of success it experiences in some other regions, including its strict real estate investment laws barring Apple from building traditional brick-and-mortar stores in the country. High import taxes applied to products not manufactured in the country’s borders also hinders Apple’s growth, and allows the market leader Samsung to flourish due to its India-based smartphone manufacturing plants.

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BBC iPlayer Goes Live on New Apple TV in the UK

The BBC today launched its BBC iPlayer app for the new Apple TV in the United Kingdom, bringing the popular streaming service from the UK’s public broadcaster to Apple’s set-top box for the first time. iPlayer had been a notable omission on earlier boxes, but with the new Apple TV supporting a full App Store for third-party apps, there has been increasing demand for the BBC to bring its service to the platform.

Well well. Nice Sunday evening surprise. BBC iPlayer now on the new Apple TV. Boo ya! #bbcrocks #finally #appletv pic.twitter.com/7gdfwtrTtl

— Paul Dunlop (@pauldunlop) December 13, 2015

http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Following Apple’s unveiling of the new Apple TV at Apple’s “Hey Siri” media event, the BBC indicated it had “no plans” at that time to bring iPlayer to the Apple TV, but by the time the new box launched in late October, the broadcaster had changed course and announced iPlayer would be made available “in the coming months.”

(Thanks, Brian!)

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Apple Music’s Taylor Swift concert exclusive is one big bet

Oh, how far Apple has come from the days when it was effectively giving Taylor Swift the cold shoulder. The tech giant has announced that Apple Music will be the exclusive home of Swift’s 1989 world tour concert video when it drops on December 20th. On top of that, Recode understands that Apple is going all-in on using Taytay as a marketing tool: she’ll get an interview on Beats 1, big retail store displays and special iTunes gift cards. We’re sure that even Apple favorites like Drake are feeling a tad jealous.

It’s not too hard to see why Apple would pour so much effort (and if leaks are to be believed, money) into making its streaming option virtually synonymous with an artist. This is Apple Music’s first holiday season, and it could be crucial to proving that the service has the staying power that many Spotify rivals lack. It’s a bet that Swift’s tour video is enough to deliver not just a momentary spike in new subscribers, but the kind of momentum Apple needs to become a heavyweight in the streaming music game.

[Image credit: Steve Exum/LP5 Getty Images for TAS]

Via: Recode

Source: Apple Music (Twitter)

Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 World Tour LIVE’ Film Announced as Apple Music Exclusive

As her world tour promoting the 2014 album “1989” came to an end this month, singer Taylor Swift took to twitter to announce an upcoming collaboration between herself and Apple Music in the form of a new concert film called “The 1989 World Tour LIVE.” The backstage film will be published exclusively on Apple Music on December 20.

The Apple Music exclusive documentary was filmed on one leg of Swift’s world tour, at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Austrailia on November 28, 2015. The film will include the singer’s entire performance from the Sydney show with surprise musical and celebrity guest stars and “never before seen footage filmed backstage.” The singer was known for surprising fans with big-name cameos during the 1989 World Tour, and the Sydney show was no different, including artists like Alanis Morissette, Steven Tyler, and Wiz Khalifa.

Swift and Apple Music had an initially rocky relationship, beginning with the announcement of Apple Music’s three-month free trial, which would have seen artists go unpaid for the trial period while users streamed their songs an unlimited amount of times without paying them anything. Swift wrote down her opinion on the matter in an open letter to Apple, subsequently inspiring the Cupertino company to reverse course on the decision and ultimately bringing 1989 to the streaming service over the summer.

With today’s announcement of a full feature behind-the-scenes documentary appearing exclusively on Apple Music, and the release of 1989 on the service in June, it seems the previous drama between the singer and Apple is water under the bridge. Fans will be able to watch the film beginning next Sunday on Apple Music, using an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC, or Apple TV. Those who want to get a sneak peek can tune into Beats 1 at 9 AM PST tomorrow morning for a discussion between Swift and Zane Lowe regarding the creation of the new movie.

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MacRumors Gift Guide by Eric: SteelSeries Nimbus Controller, Apple Watch Dock, BB-8, and More

Following in the footsteps of Juli, Joe, Mitchel, Marianne, and even MacRumors readers, I’m now adding my suggestions to the parade of holiday gift guides we’ve been publishing over the past week. Below you’ll find a varied list of accessories that I, Eric Slivka, use on a daily basis. and hopefully there’s something here for just about everyone with accessories for Macs, iOS devices, the Apple Watch, and the Apple TV all represented here.

– SteelSeries Nimbus Wireless Gaming Controller ($49.99)

SteelSeries has offered Apple-approved game controllers for some time now, but with the launch of the new Apple TV roughly six weeks ago, interest in such controllers is surging. Fortunately for Apple fans, the SteelSeries Nimbus is a solid option that notably relies on a Lightning port for charging, making it easy to use existing cables and even Apple’s iPhone dock to recharge the controller.

Apple has heavily featured the Nimbus alongside the Apple TV, and has equipped demo Apple TV units in its retail stores with the controller. The Nimbus is also included in a Disney Infinity 3.0 starter pack for Apple TV.

Gaming on the Apple TV is still in its early days, but the benefits of a controller over the included Siri Remote are already clear, enabling more precise and varied controls in a package that feels more natural in the hands when gaming. Beyond Apple TV, the Nimbus can also pair with iOS devices, enabling controller functionality for a number of games including Real Racing 3, Oceanhorn, and several titles in the LEGO series.

Make sure to check out our full review of the SteelSeries Nimbus for more details on the controller.

– Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock ($79.00)

I was skeptical of this one when it first leaked and even once it officially launched, but once I got it in my hands, I was hooked. Yes, it seems expensive, but keep in mind that it includes a 2-meter Lightning cable in the box, an accessory that Apple charges $29 for on its own.

Third-party Apple charging stands with the exception of the $130 combination Apple Watch and iPhone dock from Belkin do not include a charging cable of any sort, requiring users to supply their own Apple Watch charging cables at an additional cost unless they want to commit the sole cable that comes with the watch to that effort.

Unsurprisingly, Apple’s dock has a premium feel, with a soft top and a microfiber bottom to prevent scratching. The center charging puck can lay flat or be swung up into a vertical position to charge the Apple Watch on its side, and the mechanism feels smooth and solid. The vertical orientation makes it great for Nightstand mode and for closed-loop bands. And while the disc shape takes up a bit more room than some other Apple Watch stands and docks, it’s incredibly stable and with the charging puck folded flat the dock can be easily stored in a drawer or slipped into a bag.

The use of a Lightning cable for powering the dock is also a major advantage over third-party docks reliant on actual Apple Watch cables. I’ve got Lightning cables all over my house, so it’s easy to move this Apple Watch dock anywhere in the house as needed and just plug a Lightning cable into it.

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