Apple Declines Offer to Sell Adele’s Upcoming Album ’25’ in Apple Stores
Apple has reportedly declined an offer made by the British singer-songwriter Adele to stock her newest album, 25, in Apple retail stores (via The Daily Mail). Meanwhile, the singer’s agents at William Morris Endeavor — a talent agency — have pitched the Cupertino company on a possible $30 million tour sponsorship after the album debuts on November 20. It’s not currently clear where the status of that offer is with Apple.
$30 million is about ten times more than the average marketing deal, but Adele’s team is banking on the long-gestating album to be a hit when it launches later in November. The singer has already put out a single, “Hello,” which is on track to set a record for most downloaded single and has already broken Vevo’s previously most-viewed music video record with 27.7 million views in 24 hours. Still, with the brazen tactics at getting the singer a high-profile sponsor deal with the tech company, some in the industry question the success of such a partnership.
“Her team needs to be more realistic about an artist who doesn’t have much of a history of working with corporate partners,” one person familiar with the talks said.
The marketing team working for Adele is pushing for a physical copy-focus debut of 25, in the similar vein of Taylor Swift’s 1989, which debuted a year ago this past Tuesday with exclusive tracks made available only in retail packages sold at Target. Similarly, 25 will get a Target-specific release with a “deluxe version” only available in the retail giant’s physical locations, including three bonus tracks for fans.
“Hello” debuted on Apple Music simultaneously with other streaming services, but the upcoming record’s physical sales approach may limit the streaming support it gets on November 20, although Adele’s team has yet to confirm specifically where 25 will be available when it launches. If the $30 million deal goes through with Apple, it’s likely 25 will see an exclusivity window with Apple Music at launch.
Apple dips a toe into VR with U2 music video
Apple just stepped into the virtual reality game, kinda, via a(nother) partnership with U2. Apple Music and the Irish band collaborated on a special 360-degree video for Song for Someone produced by Vrse — a platform for original VR content. This might be the first consumer VR content with Apple’s name to it, but it’s familiar ground in many ways. The partnership between U2 and Apple is part of a promotional “experience” which includes a bus outside venues of its European Tour, where fans of U2 can view the video via Oculus rift. Apple Music, on the other hand, is clearly trying new ways to win over some of those (many) non-paying users currently testing out its streaming service.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: AtU2
BBC iPlayer and Siri for Apple Music Coming to New Apple TV in Months Ahead
Just over a week after developers pressed BBC to bring iPlayer to Apple TV by building their own proof-of-concept app, the British public broadcaster has now confirmed on Twitter and its website that it will be launching the streaming service for the new Apple TV in the “coming months.”
BBC iPlayer will be coming to the new Apple TV in the coming months…
— BBC iPlayer (@BBCiPlayer) October 29, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
“Available on over 10,000 devices, BBC iPlayer is one of the biggest and best on-demand video services in the world, and has transformed how UK audiences watch programmes online,” said the BBC’s director-general Tony Hall.
“I am delighted that iPlayer will be coming to the new Apple TV in the coming months, helping to bring the BBC’s distinctive and loved content to an even wider audience.”
Auntie Player proof-of-concept iPlayer app for the new Apple TV
BBC iPlayer is an on-demand video service that allows viewers to catch up on TV show episodes and other content airing on the popular British channel. The app was not available on previous Apple TV boxes, except over AirPlay using an iPhone or iPad, despite versions existing for Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and other streaming devices.
BBC has reversed course since the new Apple TV was announced in September, at which time it announced on Twitter it had “no plans currently” to develop an iPlayer app for the latest set-top box. iPlayer had more than 220 million TV requests in August from users on other devices, the BBC says, so a native tvOS app will be a welcomed arrival for many viewers in the United Kingdom and abroad.
Apple also confirmed to BuzzFeed News that Siri is coming to Apple Music on the new Apple TV at the beginning of next year. This functionality will allow Apple TV users to say commands such as “play the top songs from Taylor Swift’s 1989 album” or “play more like this” to control Apple Music on the big screen.
The new Apple TV launches October 30, coinciding with the first deliveries to customers.
BBC iPlayer is finally coming to Apple TV
In its bid to bring programming to the largest possible audience, the BBC supports all manner of hardware and devices for its popular iPlayer service. iPhone and iPad owners have been able to stream on-demand for some time, but the company never completed the set by making it available natively on Apple TV. Now that Cupertino’s new streamer is up for pre-order, however, the Beeb has decided to put everyone out of their misery: it today announced that a dedicated iPlayer app is coming to Apple’s latest set-top box.
Source: BBC iPlayer (Twitter)
Apple TV 4 Orders Begin Shipping for October 30 Delivery
Roughly 24 hours after orders for the new Apple TV began shifting to “Preparing for Shipment” status, Apple has begun notifying customers that their orders have shipped. Early reports so far all appear to be from Australia where it is currently the afternoon of October 29, and deliveries are scheduled for Friday, October 30. Shipment notifications for customers in other countries should begin rolling out in the coming hours as the clocks roll around into business hours on Thursday.
Apple began taking orders for the Apple TV on Monday, with the earliest deliveries being quoted Friday, October 30 arrival dates. Apple’s own retail stores are also expected to begin carrying the new Apple TV on Friday, with other retailers such as Best Buy apparently not seeing availability until next week.
Press reviews of the new Apple TV landed just a few hours ago, with the new set-top box generally receiving a positive response for its evolutionary advances, although it does not yet completely remake the television experience as many have been hoping for Apple to do for a number of years. One key feature of the new Apple TV is the tvOS App Store, however, and we’ve yet to really see how developers will embrace the new platform that opens up apps to the living room.
(Thanks, Rogan!)
Huawei has hired former big time Apple employee
Huawei has hired Abigail Brody who was Apple’s former creative director. Her new position will be chief user experience (UX) designer. Huawei made the announcement of the hire on Weibo.
Translated statement from Huawei:
“Based on our plan, Huawei is going to set up a user experience design studio in the U.S., tracking and leading pioneering design concepts in the industry, working with China’s domestic design teams to provide the best user experience of Huawei’s ultimate products.”
Brody’s LinkedIn profile goes over her history at Apple. She was Apple’s creative director and hiring manager up until 2011. She was also one of the key players in designing the first iPhone and iCloud. Recently, she was vice president of global design at eBay and PayPal.
Via: CNBC
Come comment on this article: Huawei has hired former big time Apple employee
Apple TV 4 Reviews: Siri is Helpful and There’s Loads of Potential
With the launch of the new fourth-generation Apple TV just a couple days away on Friday, October 30, the first batch of reviews for the new set-top box have arrived online. Most sites have come away with positive impressions of the new Apple TV, noting that Siri is extraordinary helpful and the inclusion of tvOS and apps give the device a lot of potential for the future.
BuzzFeed says that the biggest new feature on the Apple TV, the new Siri Remote, is a “drastic” improvement over the remote included with previous Apple TV remotes. The touchpad is “surprisingly accurate and easy” to use for pinpointing certain moments during a film or TV show. The universal search via Siri, however, will have longtime Apple TV users “resenting Apple for not enabling it sooner.” Siri, according to BuzzFeed, is both useful and clever.
“Rewind 30 seconds,” “Show me Anchorman,” and “Who directed this?” all work well. And thanks to “What did he say?” — which skips back to replay a character’s comment with closed captioning, I finally know what Benicio Del Toro’s character was mumbling in The Usual Suspects. (“I said he’ll flip you. …Flip you. Flip ya for real.” Kind of a letdown. Don’t even get me started on Lost in Translation.) Also: For a few glorious moments last night I was able to taunt my wife by repeatedly what-did-he-saying a favorite moment in Blue Velvet.
While The Verge also enjoyed Siri on the Apple TV, saying that the execution is “among the best in the game,” they noted that there are several limitations in place. Siri only works with a handful of apps at the moment, including Netflix, iTunes, Hulu, HBO and Showtime. However, The Verge does mention that a Siri search API is on the way.
On apps, The Verge says that most tvOS apps are currently just very large iPhone apps. There are few apps that take advantage of TV, though they do note that apps like the QVC app show the potential of the new Apple TV and tvOS.
The QVC app is the only app that really and truly blends television with interactivity: it shows you a live feed of QVC, and it overlays the familiar information box on the left side of the screen with a buy button. So you’re watching the regular QVC TV channel, and you can just click to buy, or swipe down to see more photos of the item and related items while the video keeps playing.
Mashable notes that setting up the Apple TV is extremely simple and easy if the user has an iPhone with iOS 9.1 installed.
Simply plug the Apple TV into HDMI and power and then use the Bluetooth connection from your iPhone or iPad to share information such as iCloud and iTunes Account preferences and your WiFi password.
However, Yahoo Tech says that while Siri and the new setup process make things simpler, users will still have plenty of text entry to do on the new device. Users still have to enter their user information in certain apps that require authentication, like Hulu or HBO Go. Unfortunately, Yahoo Tech’s David Pogue says that the new on-screen keyboard is far more difficult and “excruciating” to use than the previous on-screen keyboard.
Finally, BuzzFeed mentions that the new Apple TV accessory, the Remote Loop, which is intended to keep the new remote from flying out of the hands of new Apple TV users who want to play games, is better used in another way.
But frankly, the loop is better used as a means of locating and rescuing the diminutive remote after it’s gone missing between couch cushions. I’ve used it for this purpose at least three times so far, and given the loop’s utility for this sort of thing, it’s puzzling that Apple doesn’t view it as a crucial part of the remote, instead selling it as a silly $13 accessory.
The new fourth-generation Apple TV is available for pre-order now and will be available in Apple Stores this Friday. It’s available for $149 for a 32 GB version and $199 for a 64 GB version.
Other reviews: CNET, USA Today, Re/code, The Wall Street Journal.
Nintendo Announces First Mobile Game ‘Miitomo,’ Arrives March 2016
During a strategy meeting with its investors tonight, Nintendo announced its first smartphone game, according to The Wall Street Journal. The game is called Miitomo and will the the first of five games that’ll be released by March 2017.
The game will be a free-to-play title with “attractive add-ons” that people can pay for. Users will create their own avatars, known as Miis, that can communicate with other users. Miis can communicate with other people’s Miis without a users knowledge, and Nintendo says the game will find ways “to encourage people who are hesitant to talk to share things about themselves” with other users.
However, Nintendo says that the game has been delayed until March 2016; the game was originally intended to launch this year. The company says that one reason for the delay is the need to fully promote and explain what Miitomo is, but that it wants to currently concentrate its marketing efforts on other titles in its product pipeline. As noted by The WSJ, Nintendo’s partner DeNA will focus on the operations of the games, indicating that Nintendo may be designing the games.
While Miimoto is a free-to-play game, Nintendo says that other games will be pay-to-download. The company also announced a new membership service called Nintendo Account, which will connect PC, Nintendo hardware and smartphone users. It’ll also enable the transfer of game data between mobile and console games.
Video Review: Spigen’s Cases for the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus
Spigen is a well-known and well-respected manufacturer of accessories for Apple’s lineup of iPhones and iPads, and in today’s video review, we took a look at the company’s line of iPhone cases for Apple’s newest devices, the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. Spigen has a huge number of cases available, from those that are super thin to those that offer more coverage and better protection from drops and damage.
The thinnest cases we looked at include the Air Skin and the Thin Fit. The Air Skin is the thinnest case Spigen makes, and it’s really just designed to keep the iPhone safe from scratches. It’s not going to offer much protection when dropped, and it’s not very sturdy – ours broke.
Spigen’s Liquid Crystal TPU case is slightly thicker, but it offers a lot more protection than the two thinnest cases. And it’s clear, so it’s a great way to show off the new Rose Gold iPhone. When it comes to thicker, more protective cases that still won’t overwhelm a device, Spigen’s got the Rugged Capsule and the Ultra Hybrid.
There’s also a line of two-piece cases, and our favorite of these was the Neo Hybrid, which we thought had the cleanest look of all the Spigen cases. It offers a good compromise between a streamlined look and protection.
For the maximum amount of protection, Spigen has the Slim Armor and the Tough Armor, Spigen’s thickest, toughest cases. These are much bulkier than the other cases Spigen offers, and we weren’t a fan of the kickstand, which we found tough to deploy.
All of Spigen’s iPhone 6s and 6s Plus can be purchased from the Spigen website. Prices range from $14.99 to $34.99.
Satechi Announces Type-C Hub Adapter for MacBook
Apple’s 12-inch Retina MacBook eschews all ports and traditional charging methods for a single USB Type-C port, which is used for charging and to connect peripherals to the machine. With just a single port to work with, hub solutions are a must for anyone who wants to attach more than one accessory at once and use older accessories that aren’t compatible with USB Type-C.
Popular Apple accessory maker Satechi is today announcing a new Type-C Hub Adapter, which expands the capabilities of the USB port on the MacBook. The small hub, which plugs into the side of the MacBook, includes three USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a Micro SD card slot, and an SD card slot.
The Type-C Hub Adapter is available in gunmetal, silver, and gold, three colors that are designed to match each shade of the Retina Macbook. When plugged in, the thin adapter sits flush with the MacBook, and a green light comes on when it’s in use.
It should be noted that the USB-C hub does not include a second USB Type-C port for passthrough charging, so while the hub is in place, the MacBook won’t be able to charge through its USB-C connector.
Satechi’s Type-C Hub Adapter is available from the Satechi website and from Amazon.com for $34.99.
AIVAnet 