Taylor Swift Criticizes Apple Music’s Free Trial in Open Letter

A couple days ago BuzzFeed reported that Taylor Swift’s new album, “1989”, would not be available to stream on Apple Music, denying the service of one of the best-selling albums of the last two years. Today, Swift penned an open letter to the Cupertino company explaining her decision.

I’m sure you are aware that Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service. I’m not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months. I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.

Swift, who calls Apple one of her best partners in selling her music, says that while she is able to take care of herself and her band, crew and management with money from live shows, indie artists do not have the same luxury. She explains that her sentiments about the three-month free trial are echoed by “every artist, writer and producer in my social circles who are afraid to speak up publicly because we admire and respect Apple so much.”

She goes on to say that she understands Apple is working toward a goal of paid streaming and that Apple Music could be the first streaming service that “gets it right” in her eyes in regards to artist compensation. However, she also points out that Apple is “astronomically successful” and could afford to pay artists, writers and producers during the three-month free trial. She closes the open letter asking Apple to reconsider its policy.

But I say to Apple with all due respect, it’s not too late to change this policy and change the minds of those in the music industry who will be deeply and gravely affected by this. We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.

This isn’t the first time Apple has received criticism for not paying labels and artists royalties during the 3-month free trial. Last week, indie labels from the United Kingdom who housed artists like Adele argued that the trial period would “put people out of business”. Singer-songwriter Anton Newcombe also spoke out about the policy, claiming the Cupertino company threatened to ban his music from iTunes if he did not accept no royalties during the 3-month free trial. Apple denied the claim.

Apple Music will launch in just under 10 days, going live on June 30 as part of an upcoming iOS 8.4 update. After the service’s free three-month trial it will cost $9.99 per month for individuals and $14.99 a month for families up to 6.

How to Use Your iPhone With HomeKit-Enabled Devices [iOS Blog]

Now that HomeKit-enabled accessories are hitting the market, you may be wondering what you can do with your new connected devices. Whether you are controlling the temperature, turning off lights, or locking the front door, you will be able to use your iPhone to take care of various activities around the house.

If you are away from home, you’ll even be able to use Apple TV (third-generation or newer running Apple TV OS 7.0 or later) to control some functions while away from home. We’ve got a tutorial for getting your HomeKit-enabled accessories ready for use.

Insteon’s app for HomeKit-enabled lights

Download the App

HomeKit is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch running iOS 8.1 or later. When you get your device, be sure to download the compatible app from the App Store and pair your device using the special code that comes with your new HomeKit accessory.

Setup

Once paired, use Siri to take control of your electronics. You can tell the virtual assistant to set the temperature or turn off the lights in the kitchen. There are some commands that will require you to unlock your iPhone before Siri will comply. For example, you won’t be able to unlock your door until you unlock your iPhone.

Some apps allow you to group multiple accessories together, letting them be controlled with a single Siri command. Groupings need to be set up in third-party accessory apps, and the settings may be called “homes, rooms, or scenes.” Third-party apps that offer HomeKit groupings can often incorporate HomeKit devices they’re not even designed to control. Lutron’s app, for example, can also control a Nest thermostat.
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Buyer’s Guide: Deals on iPad Mini 3, MacBook Air, Apple Accessories, and More [Mac Blog]

Father’s Day is this weekend and there are some decent deals on iPads, iMacs, and the MacBook Air. Best Buy’s running a promo discounting some iPad mini 3 models by $100, so now is an excellent time to pick up an iPad mini 3 if you’ve been waiting for a sale. Best Buy’s also discounting the 2015 13-inch MacBook Air by $100.

We’ve also rounded up some deals on Apple accessories including Beats headphones and iTunes gift cards, plus we’ve highlighted a long list of apps and games that are on sale this week.

iPad Air 2

B&H Photo is offering a small discount on most of its iPad Air 2 models, dropping prices by $30 to $50. With the discount, the 16GB WiFi only iPad Air 2 is priced at $469 and the 64GB model is priced at $559. Prices vary somewhat by model, but there are slight discounts to be had.

MacMall is also offering some discounts on iPad Air 2 models, dropping the prices by $30 to $50. With the discount, the 16GB entry-level Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 is priced at $459, while the Wi-Fi-only 64GB iPad Air 2 is available for $549.
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Review: ShuttenWorks ‘Wave’ is a Compact, Elegant Apple Watch Charging Stand [iOS Blog]

Most of the Apple Watch stands and docks that we’ve reviewed so far have been from major manufacturers, but the Wave Apple Watch Charging Stand from SchuttenWorks is made by a small team in Oregon. Available in several different woods, the Wave is named for its shape, which resembles the crest of a breaking ocean wave.

Visually clean and simple, the Wave uses a clever split design and magnet system to hide away the Apple Watch cable and lock the charger in place. It’s more expensive than most Apple Watch stands at $75, but it’s also arguably more elegant and certainly an aesthetic that some Apple Watch owners will love.

The Wave comes in two pieces, which snap together with a series of magnets and wooden pegs. Each side has cutouts for the Apple Watch charger and cable, which is routed through the middle of the stand and out the back. Setup is super simple — just pull the two pieces apart, nestle the charger at the top, snap the cable in place, and put the two pieces back together again.

All of the cutouts in the wood are perfect and the two pieces of the Wave are flush with almost no visible seam. Snapped together, it looks like a single piece of wood that was designed around the charger. At the top, the Apple Watch charger is held in place with micro suction tape, but even without the tape, the fit is tight enough that it the cable would stay firmly in place.
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Apple Not Coercing Indie Artists Into Apple Music Deals With iTunes Removal Threats

Earlier this week, singer-songwriter Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre took to Twitter to rant about the Apple Music terms he had allegedly been offered by Apple, accusing the company of threatening to take his music off iTunes if he did not agree to the three-month free trial period that’s been a sticking point with indie artists.

Calling Apple a “satanic corporation,” (and mistakenly tweeting at an “Apple Official” Twitter account not run by Apple) Newcombe said Apple offered him a deal that required him to provide his music for free for three months, and when he asked what would happen if he refused, he was told his music would be removed from sale on iTunes.

The biggest company on earth wants to use my work to make money for 3 months and pay me nothing – of I say no,I'm banned

— antonnewcombe (@antonnewcombe) June 17, 2015

Newcombe’s claims have been circulating around the Internet for the last several days, and as of yesterday, they prompted a reply from Apple. An Apple representative spoke to Rolling Stone and said the company has not been threatening to remove artists’ music from iTunes for refusing Apple Music deals. “It will not be taken off,” said the representative.

Newcombe’s representative did not respond to a request for comment following Apple’s statement, but Newcombe has continued his tirade against Apple Music on Twitter.

Apple plans to offer consumers a three-month trial for Apple Music, but during that period, the company will pay no royalties or fees to artists and labels. Several indie labels have spoken out against the move, claiming the trial period will “literally put people out of business.”

Following the free trial period, Apple will give labels a 71.5 percent split of subscription revenue in the United States and will pay out a slightly higher percentage outside of the U.S., but labels say the numbers do little to alleviate the sting of three months of no royalty payments at all.

Apple Music will launch in a week in a half, going live on June 30 as part of an upcoming iOS 8.4 update. The service will be free for the first three months, after which it will cost $9.99 for individuals and $14.99 for families up to 6.

Sprint Expands ‘Slash Your Payment in Half’ Promo to Boost Mobile [iOS Blog]

Sprint today expanded its ongoing bill-slashing promotional campaign to its subsidiary Boost Mobile, giving Cricket and MetroPCS customers a chance to lower their monthly cell phone payments by switching to Boost Mobile service.

Through July 20, Cricket and MetroPCS subscribers who bring their phone number to Boost Mobile can save between $20 and $30 per month for a full year with the promotional plan. Customers will be required to purchase a compatible Boost device to take advantage of the deal.

The value associated with the Slash Your Payment in Half promotion from Boost Mobile is undeniable. A MetroPCS customer that is currently receiving 2GB of data for $40 a month, can now get 2.5GB of high-speed data from Boost Mobile for just $20, while a Cricket customer receiving 10GB of data for $60, can now get the same amount of data for only $30 a month.

Following the year-long promo period, customers who switched to Boost Mobile will be migrated to the Boost Mobile plan that offers a comparable amount of data, with prices that range from $30 to $55 per month.

Sprint began running its bill slashing promotion in December, offering Verizon and AT&T customers a chance to cut their payments in half by switching to Sprint. The promo is still available for eligible AT&T and Verizon customers.

Apple Launches 27″ iMac 3TB Hard Drive Replacement Program

Apple has determined that a small number of 3TB hard drives used in late 2012 27-inch iMacs sold between December 2012 and September 2013 may fail under certain conditions and has initiated a replacement program to replaced affected hard drives. Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) will replace affected hard drives free of charge.

Apple is contacting affected iMac owners that provided a valid email address during product registration to inform them about the new replacement program. iMac owners can check if they are affected by entering the computer’s serial number on Apple’s support website, and visit the Genius Bar, visit an AASP or contact Apple Technical Support to initiate the replacement process.

Apple advises that customers who paid to have their hard drive repaired contact the company for a refund. The replacement program covers affected iMac models until December 19, 2015, or three years from the affected iMac’s original date of sale, depending on whichever is longer. Read about the iMac replacement program on Apple’s support website for further details.