Sony Music CEO Confirms ‘Apple Music’ Unveiling at WWDC

During an on-stage interview at the Midem Music Industry Festival in Cannes today, Sony Music CEO Doug Morris confirmed Apple will indeed be introducing its “Apple Music” streaming service at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote tomorrow, according to VentureBeat. While numerous sources have indicated the service will be unveiled at WWDC, Morris’ confirmation is notable as coming from a close friend of Apple’s Jimmy Iovine and one of the parties involved in the negotiations for launching the service.

Sony Music CEO Doug Morris (right) on stage at Midem (Chris O’Brien/VentureBeat)

“It’s happening tomorrow,” Morris said during an interview at Midem in Cannes that primarily focused on his storied career in the music industry.

A highlight of that career was a 37-year partnership with iconic producer Jimmy Iovine, who now is running Apple’s music services after the company paid $3 billion to acquire Beats. Underscoring Iovine’s role in the music industry, Morris said he still talks to him twice every day by phone. Morris said the move by Apple to bring in Iovine was a brilliant one.

Morris didn’t reveal any other details about Apple Music, which is expected to be priced at $10 per month with a generous three-month free trial period and be accompanied by a revamped iTunes Radio service, but he expressed his view that Apple’s entry into the paid subscription streaming market will be a “tipping point” for moving the industry from downloads to streaming.

Enjoy more apps and games on your Android TV thanks to Google

If you’ve owned a device running Android TV, like the Nexus Player, you probably have come to the realization that it wasn’t exactly easy to find Android TV compatible applications. Well Google has made a big change that helps with that issue. This week, Google released an update to the Google Play Store which brought more than 600 apps to the forefront for Android TV owners.

With this latest update, Google has introduced 20 different “collections” for users to pick through and sift through to find the right apps that you want to download to your Android TV device. Previously, users were stuck with apps that were hand-picked from the folks at Google HQ, and that could be rather annoying, and definitely restricted any type of app discovery.

Now that app discovery should be made easier for users, Android TV devices, mainly the Nexus Player, should begin to close the gap between itself and the likes of the Roku or the Apple TV. Hopefully, we can even begin to see more apps and games created for users to get the full sha-bang and feel the power of what Android TV can do since it’s release last year.

Google is also slowly, but surely adding TV services from the likes of TED, AOL, and Bloomberg, to try and bring the full set-top box experience to your living room. With rumors swirling around the delay Apple’s attempt at a TV service provider of sorts, this simple update really may help Android TV plant its’ cables in the ground and prove that it’s here to stay.

Only time will tell what other updates are in store for Android TV in the future. But hopefully, we can see Google make the push to really take over your living room and convert you into a cord-cutter. Especially with all the price cuts coming to the Nexus Player.

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The post Enjoy more apps and games on your Android TV thanks to Google appeared first on AndroidGuys.

How to Use the Mail App on Apple Watch [iOS Blog]

Dealing with daily emails on Apple Watch is probably low on the list of things you want to do with the wrist-worn device, especially since you can’t actually write or respond to emails in the Apple Watch Mail app. However, Mail can be a useful way to clean out your inbox without pulling out your iPhone. Plus, if you need to address an email right away, you can always use Handoff with your iPhone or Mac.

We’ve got some basics for how to use the Mail app on Apple Watch, plus some useful tips on customizing the app to suit your on-the-go needs.

Reading Email

If you are out and about and want to know if that email you have been waiting for has finally shown up, you can use Apple Watch to help you out. Mail for Apple Watch supports data detectors, so you can tap on phone numbers or addresses to automatically launch the appropriate app right from an email, a convenient feature when you’re out and about.
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Best iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Cases [iOS Blog]

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the two most popular smartphones Apple has ever released thanks to their larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screen sizes. Given that nearly nine months have passed since the devices were launched in September, there are now a variety of cases and accessories available for both. As such, we have rounded up some of the best iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cases based on pricing, quality and features.

Many of the cases featured below were brought to our attention within the MacRumors discussion forums by users who participated in a Ask MacRumors thread earlier this year or in other forum discussions. A few other accessory makers included in this roundup were originally highlighted in our Buyer’s Guide of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cases last September. All testimonials were obtained by MacRumors forum members with minor editing for spelling and grammar purposes.

Apple Leather Case

Look along the back walls of most Apple Stores and your eyes will be treated to a colorful array of Apple Leather Cases for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Available in black, red, midnight blue, olive brown and soft pink, this Apple-designed case has a thin, protective design with a soft microfiber lining on the inside and premium leather on the outside. Available for iPhone 6 ($45) and iPhone 6 Plus ($49), the case is more expensive than some others but a tried and trusted option nevertheless.
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Buyer’s Guide: Discounts on MacBook Air, iMac, Apple Accessories, and More [Mac Blog]

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off next Monday, but there’s no reason to wait to make a purchase of a new iPad or Mac — Apple isn’t expected to introduce any new hardware at the event, instead focusing on software and services.

Deals this week are decent, but there aren’t many discounts on iPads to be had. There are a couple iMac deals worth checking out if you’ve been considering a new desktop. The 21.5-inch 2.7GHz iMac is available for $1,150, and the old 27-inch non-retina 3.4GHz iMac is available for $1,794, the lowest price we’ve seen on that machine.

Some older MacBook Pros are also on sale this week, with deep discounts available, and Best Buy has the new 13-inch MacBook Air with 4GB RAM and a 256GB SSD available at its lowest price yet — $1,099.99.

As always, we’ve also got some solid deals on Apple accessories and we’ve rounded up a list of apps you can get on the cheap.

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 $459 and the 64GB model is priced at $549.99. 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 $454, while the Wi-Fi-only 64GB iPad Air 2 is available for $553.

iPad Air

Both Best Buy and B&H Photo have deep discounts on some remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad Air models, as listed below.

– iPad Air Wi-Fi Space Gray 128GB – $529
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 128GB (AT&T) – $529.99
– iPad Air Cellular Silver 64GB (AT&T) – $499
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 64GB (AT&T) – $500
– iPad Air Cellular Silver 64GB (Verizon) – $566.99
– iPad Air Cellular Silver 128GB (Verizon) – $649
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 64GB (Verizon) – $629
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 128GB (Verizon) – $549

iPad mini 3

Amazon has a few iPad mini 3 models available at a low price. The 16GB Silver Wi-Fi only model is available for $328.97, while the 16GB Space Gray Wi-Fi only model is available for $339.

B&H Photo is offering some modest discounts on various iPad mini 3 models, dropping the price by up to $100. The 16GB WiFi + Cellular iPad mini 3 in gold is available for $479 and the 128GB version is available for $649. the 16GB Wi-Fi only version in Silver is available for $329 (the best deal this week) and the 64GB Wi-Fi model in Silver is available for $449.

Discounts for each model and and color vary, but most models are being offered at a lower price than you’ll find at the Apple Store, and buying from B&H, you won’t have to pay sales tax unless you’re in New York.

iPad mini 2

Best Buy, B&H Photo, and Amazon have remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad mini 2 models, which are a good deal if you’re looking for an iPad mini. Compared to the iPad mini 3, the iPad mini 2 only lacks Touch ID.

– iPad mini Cellular Silver 128GB (AT&T) – $449.99
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 128GB (AT&T) – $449.99
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 64GB (AT&T) – $329.99
– iPad mini Cellular Silver 128GB (Verizon) – $485
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 128GB (Verizon) – $534.99
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 64GB (Verizon) – $419.99

iMac

– 2013 21.5-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) – $1,149.99, $150 off
– 2013 21.5-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) – $1,399, $120 off
– 2013 27-inch 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) (Amazon) (B&H Photo) – $1,649.99, $150 off
– 2013 27-inch 3.4GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) – $1,794.99, $204 off
– 2014 27-inch 3.5Ghz/8GB/1TB Retina iMac (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) – $2,149, $150 off
– 2015 3.3GHz/8GB/1TB (B&H Photo) (MacMall) – $1,899.99, $100 off

Mac mini

– 1.4GHz/4GB/500GB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) – $449.99, $50 off
– 2.6GHz/8GB/1TB (Amazon) (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) – $649.99, $50 off
– 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) – $938, $60 off

MacBook Air

– 2015 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $824.99, $75 off
– 2015 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB (Best Buy) (Amazon) (B&H Photo) (Adorama) – $1044.99, $50 off
– 2015 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (Amazon) (B&H Photo) – $949, $150 off
– 2015 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB (Best Buy) – $1,099.99, $100 off
– 2014 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (Adorama) – $719, $180 off
– 2014 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (Best Buy) (Adorama) (Amazon) (B&H Photo) – $899, $200 off
– 2014 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (B&H Photo) (Adorama) – $819, $180 off
– 2014 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (B&H Photo) (Adorama) – $999, $200 off

Retina MacBook Pro

– 2015 13-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $1,234.99, $64 off
– 2015 13-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) – $1,424.99, $74 off
– 2015 13-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/512GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $1,699.99 $100 off
– 2014 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/128GB (B&H Photo) (Adorama) – $1,129, $170 off
– 2014 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/256GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $1,229, $259 off
– 2014 13-inch 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB (B&H Photo) (Adorama) – $1,499 $300 off
– 2014 15-inch 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $1,749, $150 off
– 2014 15-inch 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB (B&H Photo) (Adorama) – $2,299, $200 off

Apps

There are quite a few apps that are on sale at discounted prices or available for free for a limited time. We’ll highlight a few here, but make sure to check out our sister site AppShopper for a complete list.

Third-person shooter Crashsite is available for free, down from $0.99. Hitman GO is available for $0.99, down from $4.99. Point and click game The Inner World is available for $0.99, down from $2.99.

Puzzle game Threes! is available for $1,99, down from $2.99. Word game Alpha Omega is available for free, down from $0.99. Slingshot Racing is available for free, down from $0.99.

To-do app 2Do was named Apple’s App of the Week, so it will be free to download until next Thursday when a new app is picked.

Apple Accessories

Living Social is offering 20 5″ x 4″ Instagram prints from PrinterPix for $3.99, down from $15.80. Sony’s Dock with Lightning Connector is available for $99.99 from Woot, down from $249.99.

Woot is selling Zagg iPad cases for the iPad mini and iPad 2/3/4 for up to 82 percent off. Target has the 5th-generation 32GB iPod touch available for 10% off. The Beats Pill 2.0 Speaker is available for $40 off from Best Buy. JBL’s OnBeat Mini and Micro Speaker Docks are available for $20 to $40 from Meh.com.

Groupon has Apple 5W USB Power Adapters available for $9.99 for one or $17.99 for two. The Noontec Cubee 10,000 mAh charger is available for $24.99 from Groupon, down from $39.99.

The PowerSkin Spare iPhone 6 Battery Case is available for $49.99 from StackSocial, down from $79.99. Best Buy is selling the NeatReceipts Portable Scanner for $129.99, down from $179.99, and is throwing in a free $20 Best Buy gift card.

MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.

Upcoming ‘Apple Music’ Streaming Service to Include Three-Month Free Trial

Ahead of the introduction of Apple’s new streaming music platform, Financial Times has shared some key details about the service, confirming it will be called simply “Apple Music.” With the launch of the service, Apple will be largely abandoning its iTunes branding, using the name only for the online store.

As has been previously shared, Apple will not be offering a freemium ad-supported listening tier like Spotify, and will charge $9.99 per month for the service. Apple plans to draw customers in by offering a three-month free trial, much longer than the 30 days competing services offer.

Apple’s new music service is built upon Beats Music, its existing subscription service that it acquired last year. Apple executives heavily lauded Beats Music’s emphasis on human curation and customization, with many of the features in Beats Music remaining in the new streaming service. For example, the new music service will continue to ask users to select favorite musical genres and styles, and paired with recommendations from artists, Apple hopes to help listeners discover songs.

Apple’s iTunes Radio is also being revamped and potentially renamed, as it is being positioned as a free companion service to Apple’s streaming music offering. We have previously heard that Apple’s new version of iTunes Radio will be aimed primarily at users who are not in the United States, serving as a gateway service to entice people to pay for music.

Apple plans to use well-known DJs and celebrities to present music on its new radio service, and has hired several BBC Radio DJs like Zane Lowe to market the service in Europe.

Some of the celebrities who were photographed wearing Apple Watches ahead of its launch earlier this year, such as rapper Drake, will soon be acting as DJs on Apple’s new radio service, which will emphasise the personal tastes of artists over using algorithms to curate music, as Pandora does.

Apple plans to unveil its new music service at its WWDC keynote, taking place on Monday. The new streaming service and the new radio service will both be built into the revamped Music app introduced in iOS 8.4.

Apple Planning to Change 30/70 Pricing Formula for In-App Media Subscriptions

Apple is planning to alter its pricing formula for subscriptions in a major change that will benefit subscription-based apps and services like Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, and more, reports Financial Times. Apple is said to be considering changing the 30 percent fee that it currently charges and is discussing new commercial terms with media companies.

At the current point in time, all apps and in-app subscriptions work on a 30/70 split. Apple gets 30 percent of what’s paid for an app or service, while the company or developer offering the app gets a 70 percent cut. That means when someone purchases Netflix through the Netflix iOS app, Apple gets over $2 of the fee paid. At the same time, Apple has disallowed direct links to outside subscription sign up services within apps, ensuring it gets its fee.

Apple’s 30 percent subscription cut has been a sticking point for many companies, especially those with tight margins like music services, and it’s gotten Apple into hot water in the past, most notably during the e-book price fixing case levied against it by the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to the Financial Times, changing the App Store subscription terms could make Apple devices more appealing to content creators while also lessening potential pressure from regulators.

Changing the App Store’s terms of trade could improve the economics of online content businesses and reassure regulators that the company is not abusing its position as gatekeeper to one of the world’s most lucrative digital marketplaces.

On the Apple TV, Apple is already offering a more generous split, taking just 15 percent of revenue generated from subscription services like the recently released HBO Now.

There are no specifics on the terms that Apple is potentially considering for companies that offer subscription services, but it appears that the price cuts at this time will not extend to standalone apps.

What to expect from Apple at WWDC 2015

Didn’t we just wrap up a developer conference? Never mind that — Apple’s WWDC kicks off in earnest on Monday, June 8th, and we’ll be there to liveblog the finer points of the morning’s keynote (and bring you some sweet hands-on coverage too, if we get the chance). With just three days left on the calendar before Tim Cook and company take the stage at Moscone West in San Francisco, let’s take a nice, leisurely run through what we expect Apple to show off once the weekend draws to a close.

Our first peek at iOS 9

Apple’s next big iOS release won’t start hitting phones and tablets until later this year, but we’re expecting to get our first proper glimpse of it this Monday. Just don’t expect any dramatic design leaps like we got with iOS 7. Typeface nerds might appreciate (or loathe) the Apple Watch’s San Francisco font, which will reportedly become the standard for iOS, and that’s probably about as big as the visual changes get. Speaking of the Watch, iOS 9 will also reportedly come with deep-seated hooks for Force Touch, so the next-generation of Apple’s phones and tablets will probably crib some interaction tricks from Apple’s wearable.

Beyond that, it looks like one new feature — currently known as “Proactive” — could steal the show. 9to5Mac reports that it’ll basically replace the Spotlight search menu and live in a separate home screen panel to the left of all your apps (you know, the same place where Google Now lives on stock Android devices). From its perch over there, Proactive will draw on information from “apps, contacts and maps” and try to surface the right data at the right time. Got a dinner reservation on the books? Proactive might remind you when to leave and bring up driving directions in the nick of time. Speaking of travel, iOS 9 should also finally sport transit directions so you won’t have to bother figuring out the differences between the L, N, Q and 6 trains.

With the first HomeKit-friendly gadgets now on store shelves, it shouldn’t shock you to hear that Apple might show off a “Home” app as part of iOS 9. It’ll act as a control center for various Internet of Things devices, which you’ll also be able to fiddle with while you’re at the office or running around the park. To top it all off, Apple’s apparently been working to iron out bugs and inconsistencies and to make sure that iOS 9 will work fine on older devices like the iPhone 4s. With new iPhones and iPads expected to arrive this September, there’s a pretty strong argument for ditching your old Apple hardware anyway, but it’s nice to see that hangers-on won’t get the shaft.

What about Macs?

So we’re definitely going to get a peek at the new version of OS X — that’s 10.11 for those keeping count — but the rumored changelog isn’t a super-long one. As with iOS 9, Apple has focused on refining its desktop software instead of making flashy leaps forward. That’s not to say the update will be completely bereft of new doodads, though: You’ll apparently be able to bring up an iOS-like Control Center with quick access to settings by swiping left on your Mac’s trackpad. Throw in a security system called “Rootless” that will keep even administrators from futzing around with highly sensitive system files, and you’ve got a version of OS X that puts a big emphasis on security and stability.

Oh, and we wouldn’t bank on seeing much in the way of new Mac hardware either. Apple just refreshed its 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro and cut prices on its 27-inch 5K iMac in late May; factor in the launch of the MacBook and changes we’ve already seen to the existing Pro and Air lines, and there’s just not much left to touch. Sure, it’s possible we’ll see updates to the Mac Pro, but we’re not convinced just yet. (A note to Cupertino: Please prove us wrong!)

The beat goes on

If the incessant whirring of the rumor mill is any hint, Apple will finally pull back the curtain on its Apple Music service onstage during the show. Think of the experience as a mash-up between Beats Music (which Apple shelled out $3 billion for) and the existing Music app on your iDevice — tunes from both sources are said to live in seamless harmony, so you’ll be able to search for and play whatever you need when the mood strikes. You can expect to pay about $10 a month for the privilege, just like you would for Spotify, but you might be able to score a free trial of up to three months.

The thing is, recent reports suggest a debut at WWDC might be less guaranteed than we’d initially thought. Bloomberg claims that while Apple indeed aims to launch its streaming-music service on Monday, it still hasn’t completely locked down all the necessary deals with record labels. We can’t imagine Apple not pulling out whatever big guns are needed to sew this whole thing up, though.

Sadly, Apple’s secretive TV project doesn’t seem to be doing so hot either. Reports suggested that we’d see both new Apple TV hardware (with Siri) and a new subscription TV service that would bundle about 25 channels into a package for which you’d pay about $30 or $40. Now it looks like neither will show up in San Francisco, and it all comes down to those pesky licensing deals again. While it’s likely that an updated Apple TV will make an appearance this September next to some new iPhones, the worst-case scenario for that streaming service is a launch delay until 2016. Yeowch.

And finally, the Watch

Love it or hate it, the Apple Watch is the next big frontier for Apple’s legions of app creators. Right now, the Watch can’t do much unless it’s wirelessly tethered to an iPhone, but Apple’s going to unveil the developer tools needed to start creating apps for the Watch itself. That means we’ll soon get a load of apps that take direct advantage of the Watch’s horsepower, rather than run on an iPhone and transfer information to the Watch via Bluetooth. Of course, who knows what sort of toll that will take on the Watch’s battery life — hopefully some forthcoming software updates free up a little more juice for those apps to play with.

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Retailers Cite ‘Insufficient Customer Demand’ as Biggest Reason for Not Supporting Apple Pay

Despite Apple dubbing 2015 “the year of Apple Pay” in its January earnings call, a number of big-name retailers remain skeptical over the contactless payments service, according to Reuters. The service launched last October in the U.S. and has steadily gained support from numerous banks and retailers in the months since.

Working through the National Retail Federation’s top 100 United States merchants, of which Apple said “about half” would begin to accept Apple Pay this year, Reuters found the company’s predictions may be “too optimistic,” with many retailers remaining skeptical about Apple Pay.

Since then, the company has aggressively courted retailers – and claimed significant success. “We’ve spoken to all of the top 100 merchants in the U.S., and about half will accept Apple Pay this year, with many more the following year,” a company spokesperson recently told Reuters.

After questioning and interviewing a total of 98 of the top 100 NRF merchants, it was discovered that fewer than a quarter of the retailers currently accept Apple Pay while nearly two-thirds of the companies confirmed they would not be supporting the mobile payments service this year. Just four retailers confirmed to Reuters that they would in fact be joining the support of Apple Pay in 2015.

Apple has still made significant progress since the service’s debut last October, increasing retail acceptance to over 700,000 points of sale as of the last financial Apple Pay update in March. According to one retailer not accepting Apple Pay, the Cupertino-based company comes on strong when pitching to possible partners.

Interviews with retailers suggest that the company has relied on aggressive marketing to recruit participants. “They have been pushing hard and it’s been that way for months,” said the representative of one large retailer that has no plans to accept Apple Pay. “They have called and tried to persuade us even after we communicated our decision to them.” The company hasn’t adopted Apple Pay, he said, because not even a “small percentage” of its customers have asked for it.

When searching for a reason why so many companies were against backing the service, “insufficient customer demand” was the biggest reason cited by merchants. This was followed by lack of data access granted to customer buying habits, cost of installation, and support of other contactless payments solutions like Current-C. Twenty-eight total retailers noted that lack of data access, and the inability to send customized advertisements to individual users like traditional credit cards allow, is a “key reason” they won’t accept Apple Pay.

Despite questions about the future of Apple Pay, its current partners echo enthusiasm in customer satisfaction and ease-of-use with Apple Pay. Whole Foods spokesperson Michael Silverman told Reuters that Apple’s mobile wallet accounted for 2 percent of its sales dollars as of March, with an expected increase in the future. “Our shoppers are really enjoying the speed, convenience and security of Apple Pay,” Silverman said. With WWDC around the corner, and rumors of much-requested features such as a rewards program coming to the platform, its likely additional companies will come around to Apple Pay as Apple beefs up the still fairly nascent service and consumer traction continues to improve.