MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Rugged Waterproof BRV-1 Speaker From Braven
For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Braven to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of the company’s BRV-1 outdoor speakers. The BRV-1 is a rugged speaker that’s ideal for outdoor use at the beach, the pool, hiking, or anywhere else.
It’s light weight and compact at 4.75 x 3.25 x 2.25 inches, able to fit in the palm of a hand, and its shockproof exterior keeps it safe from drops and dings. It has an IPX7 waterproof rating, so it’s going to survive rain and splashes. It can be fully submersed in water up to a meter deep for 30 minutes.
The BRV-1’s battery will last for 12 hours of continuous audio play and it comes equipped with a 1,400 mAh powerbank that can give an iPhone or iPad a little more juice. There’s a built-in noise-canceling microphone and speakerphone and it has a 33 foot wireless range when connected to an iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth.
Braven’s BRV-1 is available from the Braven website for $99, but two MacRumors readers will be able to win one of the speakers through our giveaway. 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 prize.
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 giveawayhttps://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.jsThe contest will run from today (December 4) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on December 11. The winners will be chosen randomly on December 11 and will be contacted by email. The winners have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen. The prizes will be shipped to the winners for free.
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Google to Fix Incorrect 1-Star App Ratings in Search Results Next Week
Google today acknowledged an ongoing issue causing a number of iPhone, iPad and Mac apps to display incorrect one-star ratings in its search results on the web, and confirmed that a fix should be implemented by early next week.
“I’m happy to share that we’ve been working hard on providing a solution, and a new fix has been scheduled for the next release, which should be rolling out early next week,” wrote Google Search community manager AJ in the Google support forums.
A growing number of developers, including the makers of Dandelion, have reported incorrect one-star ratings in Google search results since late October, despite actually having higher-than-one-star ratings on iTunes.
One of the apps that we have developed – Dandelion App – has an average of 4 star rating on the iTunes store, however when you search it on Google Search, it comes up as 1 star. How does Google generate the average ratings on its search page? Is this an error? The app has more than 1 review – so just interested why it’s coming up with the wrong information.
The issue appears to be limited to App Store apps that have not received enough ratings (five or more) to display an average for the current version, a threshold that can take awhile to reach for apps that have limited downloads or frequent updates.
Google community manager AJ advises developers that continue to see incorrect ratings in search results after mid next week to report the issue in the Google support forums so the company can continue to investigate.
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Production of Faster Apple TV 5 Rumored to Begin in Early 2016
Apple will begin trial production of a fifth-generation Apple TV in December 2015, with supplier Quanta Computer ramping up volume production in the first quarter of 2016, according to Taiwanese website DigiTimes.
The report, citing “sources from Taiwan-based supply chain makers,” claims the next-generation Apple TV will feature a new CPU that will “dramatically improve the device’s hardware performance.”
Apple will also reportedly adopt a “heat-dissipation solution” in the streaming box to handle the faster CPU, but it remains unclear how that would differentiate from the large heat sink in the fourth-generation Apple TV. The report adds the next Apple TV will also gain unspecified “new functions.”
The report does not provide a release timeframe for the fifth-generation Apple TV, but it is unlikely to be soon given that Apple just released the fourth-generation Apple TV in late October. Apple beginning volume production in early 2016 would seemingly make a mid- to late-2016 launch possible.
DigiTimes has a mixed track record at reporting on Apple’s upcoming product plans, so this rumor should be treated with caution until or unless other reports substantiate these claims in the weeks and months ahead.
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Samsung to Pay Apple $548 Million Settlement in Five-Year Old Patent Trial
Just under five years after the beginning of the patent dispute between tech giants Apple and Samsung, the companies yesterday agreed to a settlement of $548 million to be paid by Samsung, as ordered by the San Jose federal court hosting the trial (via FOSS Patents). Samsung is said to now be waiting for Apple’s official invoice of the settlement, and if it arrives by the end of day on December 4, it has promised to send the $548 million in full to Apple by December 14.
Samsung found a slight loophole in its agreement to pay the Cupertino company, however, retaining the right to continue appealing the court system and even the ability to “reclaim or obtain reimbursement of any judgment amounts paid” by the company. So, if the court does agree to one of Samsung’s appeals in the future, Apple could see some — or all — of the $548 million returned back to its rival.
“Samsung continues to reserve all rights to obtain reimbursement from Apple and/or payment by Apple of all amounts required to be paid as taxes. […] Samsung further reserves all rights to reclaim or obtain reimbursement of any judgment amounts paid by Samsung to any entity in the event the partial judgment is reversed, modified, vacated or set aside on appeal or otherwise, including as a result of any proceedings before the USPTO addressing the patents at issue or as a result of any petition for writ of certiorari filed with the Supreme Court.”
In its own part of the filing that made its way through the court system on Thursday, Apple noted that it “disputes Samsung’s asserted rights to reimbursement.” Earlier in August, Samsung announced plans to try and appeal the patent trial all the way to the United States Supreme Court, following a series of appeals it lost in the intervening years since the legal battle began in 2011.
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Latest IDC wearable numbers show Xiaomi’s continued surge
While there was no change in the top two spots for the Q3 2015 IDC wearable numbers, Xiaomi made a staggering jump. In terms of market share, Fitbit is still in the top spot with a 22 percent market share and 4.7 million units shipped in the quarter. The company’s numbers were padded by the fact that a number employers are giving their workers Fitbit devices, including Target’s order of 335,000. Apple remains at number two, where it debuted in Q2. Cupertino shipped 3.9 million units, aided by both the release of WatchOS 2 and its gadgets going on sale in more locales.
Source: IDC
Apple Offering $60 Apple Music / iTunes Gift Card With Beats Headphones and Speakers for Limited Time
Apple today launched a new promotion in its retail and online stores, offering a $60 Apple Music / iTunes gift cards with the purchase of Beats headphones or speakers. The promotion, first spotted by 9to5Mac, runs from December 3 to December 28, 2015.
The promotion is available for all Beats headphones and speakers save for a select few, including the Beats Mixr high-performance headphones, the urBeats in-ear headphones, the special edition Beats Tour in-ear headphones and the special edition Beats PowerBeats 2 wireless in-ear headphones. When users purchase an eligible Beats headphone or speaker, they will receive a $60 iTunes gift card that can be used to pay for an Apple Music subscription.
Apple also launched a promotion involving Beats earlier this year, giving away free Beats Solo2 headphones with the purchase of a Mac in its annual Back to School promotion.
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Rumor: Apple has an updated 4-inch iPhone due early next year
Want a handset with Apple’s fancy new A9 processor, a colorful metal case and a slightly smaller display? GHI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo says you’re going to get one. According to the analyst’s latest research, Apple is on track to launch a 4-inch Apple 5 successor in early 2016 — painting the picture of a device with the same A9 processor as the iPhone 6s, NFC support for Apple Pay, a metal case with multiple color options and a $400-500 off-contract price tag aimed at the budget market.
Source: MacRumors
Apple Shares New ‘On the Set’ Hey Siri Commercial Starring Jon Favreau
Apple today shared another short iPhone 6s video, this time starring actor and director Jon Favreau. In the “On the Set” video, Favreau is directing a gymnastic sequence and uses the hands-free always-on “Hey Siri” feature to ask Siri to bring up pictures of flying squirrels.
The iPhone 6s is here, and the only thing that’s changed with Siri is everything. Because now you just say “Hey Siri” and Siri’s there, hands-free. Which can come in handy.
Today’s ad starring Jon Favreau is the latest in a series of iPhone 6s ads that have featured celebrities and sports figures like Jamie Foxx, Stephen Curry, and Bill Hader using the various features of Apple’s latest flagship device.
The video also comes one day after Apple shared two other iPhone 6s ads, focusing on the Hey Siri feature and the iPhone’s powerful A9 processor. All of the ads are part of a campaign that uses the tagline “The only thing that’s changed is everything.”
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Apple Expands iTunes Carrier Billing Initiative to Russia
Apple has implemented a carrier billing feature that lets Russian customers purchase iTunes content like apps, movies, music, and books using a phone number, reports CNBC. Purchases made with a phone number linked to an iTunes account are then added to a user’s monthly cellular telephone bill without the need for a credit card, debit card, or iTunes gift card.
For its new mobile payment initiative, Apple has teamed up with Beeline, the third largest wireless operator in Russia. Beeline’s Russian site says the mobile billing feature is now available to Beeline customers in the country, with the payments powered by San Francisco-based company Boku.
Apple’s partnership with Beeline comes a month after it established a similar partnership with German carrier O2. As of late October, O2 customers are also able to link a phone number to their iTunes accounts to purchase iTunes content that’s added to a monthly cellular phone bill.
According to CNBC, Apple has started expanding into carrier billing due to lower carrier rates. While carriers have charged as much as 10 to 30 percent to handle transactions in the past, Apple has secured a deal with better rates “in the single digits.”
Apple’s carrier billing partner Boku has partnered with dozens of carriers around the globe, so it’s likely Apple will continue to expand its carrier billing initiative to more countries in the future. Boku works with all of the major carriers in the United States and has established partnerships in countries like Germany, France, Korea, the UK, and more.
Discuss this article in our forums
Apple Expands iTunes Carrier Billing Initiative to Russia
Apple has implemented a carrier billing feature that lets Russian customers purchase iTunes content like apps, movies, music, and books using a phone number, reports CNBC. Purchases made with a phone number linked to an iTunes account are then added to a user’s monthly cellular telephone bill without the need for a credit card, debit card, or iTunes gift card.
For its new mobile payment initiative, Apple has teamed up with Beeline, the third largest wireless operator in Russia. Beeline’s Russian site says the mobile billing feature is now available to Beeline customers in the country, with the payments powered by San Francisco-based company Boku.
Apple’s partnership with Beeline comes a month after it established a similar partnership with German carrier O2. As of late October, O2 customers are also able to link a phone number to their iTunes accounts to purchase iTunes content that’s added to a monthly cellular phone bill.
According to CNBC, Apple has started expanding into carrier billing due to lower carrier rates. While carriers have charged as much as 10 to 30 percent to handle transactions in the past, Apple has secured a deal with better rates “in the single digits.”
Apple’s carrier billing partner Boku has partnered with dozens of carriers around the globe, so it’s likely Apple will continue to expand its carrier billing initiative to more countries in the future. Boku works with all of the major carriers in the United States and has established partnerships in countries like Germany, France, Korea, the UK, and more.
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