Shipments of ‘white box’ tablets overtake iPads
The hottest-selling tablets aren’t likely to be iPads or Galaxy Tabs these days — if anything, they’re the cut-rate slabs you see in the back of the drug store. Strategy Analytics estimates that shipments of generic “white box” tablets (which typically run Android) overtook iPads in the first quarter of this year, claiming 28.4 percent of the market versus Apple’s 24.3. The analysts largely chalk this up to consistently tepid iPad sales, but they also suggest that small, budget-minded tablet makers are having a field day. That’s not totally surprising. Low-cost Android gear also dominates the smartphone market, and a lot of these tiny outfits operate in China, where price is more of a concern. You don’t need a $500 slate just to watch video in bed, after all.
That shift is partly borne out by what’s happening with other big-name competitors. Cost-conscious Chinese brands like Huawei and Lenovo are thriving, while higher-end rivals that don’t do so well in China (such as ASUS and Samsung) are struggling. If these relative outsiders are going to come back, they may need to either compete more on price or give buyers a reason to pony up. There are signs that this is happening (see Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A and rumors of a giant iPad), but you may not see the results of these efforts until later in the year.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Koji Sasahara]
Filed under: Tablets, Apple, Samsung, ASUS, Lenovo
Source: Strategy Analytics
Your Apple Watch’s security can be bypassed pretty easily
Apple’s Activation Lock made the iPhone less desirable to thieves, since they’d also need your Apple password to use it. The Watch is supposed to be similarly unhackable, but the built-in security apparently doesn’t work very well, according to a site called iDownloadBlog. It demonstrated that the passcode protection that’s supposed to kick in when you take the watch off can easily be bypassed by “force touching” the power-off option, as shown in the video below. That will erase everything sans passcode, letting thieves pair your Watch with another iPhone and make it their own. Since the Watch is currently desirable and hard to get, Apple had better jump on the problem, stat.
Via: 9to5 Mac
Source: iDownloadBlog
Apple close to settling with EV battery-maker over poaching lawsuit
If Apple still keeps a “hands-off” list of companies it promised never to poach employees from, (probably not, though) then EV battery-maker A123 is likely not included. The two companies are close to reaching a settlement, after A123 filed a lawsuit against the iDevice manufacturer in February. If you recall, it accused Apple of poaching the company’s top-level engineers in the process of forming its own battery division. That reportedly forced the battery maker to cancel its main projects. Apple tried to get the lawsuit dismissed, but according to Reuters, A123 has recently filed court docs saying the two are just working out the final details of their settlement. Seeing as the case might still be moved to California and how secretive Apple is, though, we’ll have to wait a bit more to know if Cupertino’s truly developing an electric car.
Source: Reuters
Rdio Will Launch $3.99 Streaming Tier as Apple’s Streaming Services Approaches [iOS Blog]
Rdio is planning to launch a new streaming tier for $3.99 a month with specific limitations this Thursday, according to BuzzFeed. The news comes as Apple’s new streaming service, a rebranded version of Beats Music that may be called Apple Music, gears up to launch next month.
Rdio says the service, called Rdio Select, will include two components: 1) Pandora-like streaming radio stations, without ads, and with the ability to skip ahead as often as you want, and 2) daily access to 25 songs of your choosing. Subscribers will be able to download the 25 songs and replace some or all (or none) of them each day, so long as the number doesn’t exceed 25.
Anthony Bay, Rdio’s CEO, tells BuzzFeed that they chose 25 songs because it’s “more than most users download in a day”. He goes on to note that it also allows the company to not lose money at the price of $4 a month, saying that the company agrees with artist Taylor Swift that on-demand playback of music should not be free.
The move, according to Rdio, is an attempt to tap into a market that doesn’t feel ready to pay $9.99 a month for streaming music. Similar to Rdio, Apple’s new music streaming service will not offer a free tier. Apple plans on charging $9.99 a month for the service, which will have a focus on curated content. Apple’s original plans for its new streaming service planned on, like Rdio, undercutting $9.99-a-month streaming services. Apple had reportedly wanted to offer its service for $5 a month and then $7.99 a month before backing down after resistance from record labels.
Earlier today, it was reported that it would incorporate social media tools for artists to share content with fans. The Cupertino company is also planning to offer a range of exclusive content from artists, which could use the new social media tools to do so. While Apple is still working on completing deals ahead of launch, it’s still expected to debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
Apple music service will give artists control over what they share
Apple’s oft-rumored, Beats-based streaming music service may have more to offer artists than a big wad of cash. Tipsters for 9to5Mac claim that the service (reportedly called just “Apple Music”) will give artists the freedom to share things beyond their latest songs — they could post music videos, concert details, photos and track samples, even if the content is from other performers. Think of it as an amped-up SoundCloud page, or a take on Apple’s defunct Ping network that people might actually use. Artist activity is reportedly big enough that it’ll be a “core feature,” and you’d see it in the Android, iOS and desktop versions. Apple isn’t confirming any of these details, as you might imagine, but previous rumors of a WWDC debut suggest that you’ll hear more about this musician-friendly platform in early June.
[Image credit: Adam Berry/Getty Images for Apple]
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Apple
Source: 9to5Mac
Apple Watch Digital Crown Works as Remote Shutter for Camera Apps Using Music Glance [iOS Blog]
Several apps that make use of the iPhone’s camera have a feature that lets the volume button be used as a trigger to snap a photo, and in those apps, the Apple Watch’s Music Glance lets the Apple Watch’s Digital Crown serve as a remote camera trigger.
Discovered by a reddit user this morning, the hidden trick works in any app that lets the iPhone’s volume buttons be used to take a photograph. Examples include Snapchat, Camera+, and Manual, all apps where the iPhone’s volume button works in the same way as a press on the on-screen photo capturing button.
To use the Apple Watch as a remote trigger, open a compatible app like Snapchat, open up the Music Glance, and turn the Digital Crown. The action will cause the camera to take a photograph, much like pressing on the iPhone’s volume button would do. It also works within the Music app itself.
This seems to work because in the Music app and the Glance, the Digital Crown serves as a replacement for the iPhone’s volume controls, triggering the camera functionality. Headphones with volume controls work in much the same way. It’s not clear if this was an intentional feature addition or if it’s a bug that was overlooked, but it’s a handy way to use the Apple Watch as a shutter remote for iPhone apps that support the functionality.
Though the Apple Watch can be used as a remote trigger for compatible apps through the Music Glance, the function is not as feature rich as Apple’s remote control option for the built-in camera. With the default camera, the Apple Watch can turn the iPhone on and capture a photograph.
Apple’s Upcoming Streaming Music Service to Incorporate Social Networking Tools for Artists
Apple’s upcoming streaming music service may be called simply “Apple Music” and it may also include social networking tools for artists, according to a new report from 9to5Mac that cites industry sources with knowledge of Apple’s plans.
Likened to Apple’s now-defunct Ping social networking system that let users follow artists and friends to see posts and music recommendations, Apple’s new music service is said to let artists have landing pages within the music service to share “track samples, photos, videos, and concert updates.”
A profile from iTunes Ping
Hints of the new feature were found within the latest iOS 8.4 beta, released yesterday. In the Settings app, under General –> Restrictions, there’s a new section called “Artist Activity,” said to be correlated to the upcoming social networking features. Presumably, parents will be able to toggle this on or off to enable or disable restrictions on content updates from artists.
Users will reportedly be able to follow artists and comment on artist pages via iTunes accounts, but social networking profiles will not be available to general users. Artists will also have tools for cross-promotion.
Artists will also be able to share the content of other artists in an effort of cross-promotion. For example, all-gold Apple Watch wearer Kanye West could promote a new album from Taylor Swift on his “Apple Music” artist page, if he so chooses…
Using iTunes accounts, all users of the streaming music service will be able to comment on and like these posts from big name artists, but users won’t have their own social network profiles like with Ping.
Rumors of an integrated social network for artists line up with previous rumors highlighting Apple’s efforts to make some streaming music content available for free. A report from Re/code last week suggested that in addition to free trials, Apple would offer a SoundCloud-like sharing experience. It’s possible that clips and videos uploaded by artists on their social networking pages will be available for free to all users, rather than limited to subscribers.
Apple plans to charge $9.99 per month for its streaming music service and it will not offer a freemium tier like other music services. Built on the existing Beats music service, Apple’s rebranded and revamped streaming music service will continue to focus on curated content. To draw in additional customers and to distinguish itself from competing services, Apple is planning to offer a range of exclusive content from artists, which it could do in part through the aforementioned social networking tools.
Apple is still working to complete deals ahead of the launch of the new streaming music service, but it is on track to debut at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
Apple Makes New App Analytics Beta Available to All Developers [iOS Blog]
At the beginning of the month, Apple debuted a new app analytics platform that gives developers a detailed look at app usage statistics. The feature was initially limited to those who requested access to the beta testing program, but as of today, Apple is giving all developers access to the App Analytics beta.
Developers are now receiving emails letting them now about the availability of the new feature, which is free with an iOS Developer Program membership and requires no additional coding or app updates.
App Analytics gives developers access to a number of different usage stats, letting them determine the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and promotions. The feature lets developers see which websites and blogs drive the most traffic to an app, and it determines how many app downloads a developer’s App Store product page earns.
By creating unique links for each marketing campaign, a developer can determine what’s effective and what’s not, and detailed user engagement metrics let developers see how people are using apps. There’s information active devices, number of sessions, and retention, so a developer can tell how long someone’s using an app and how often.
Apple’s App Analytics information is currently available to all iTunes Connect users who have an Admin, Finance, or Sales role. On the consumer end, customers need not worry about developers having access to personal info — Apple only displays aggregated data, not personally identifiable information from customers. Users also need to opt-in to share their app usage data to Apple, which can be done via Settings –> Privacy.
Supplies of 15-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Continue to Tighten Ahead of Broadwell Refresh
For the past several weeks, high-end 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro shipping times have been quietly slipping, first to one to two weeks and then to two to three weeks, sparking questions from MacRumors readers about whether a 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro update is imminent.
While it’s true we’re approaching the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, where Apple often announces new products, Broadwell chip availability remains an issue that makes it unclear whether we might get a refresh announcement at the event.
We have heard no word on the status of Broadwell chips appropriate for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro for several months. The last update on the chips came from a roadmap released in the summer of 2014, which suggested Broadwell chips appropriate for the notebook would be released in July or August of 2015.
In recent weeks, Intel has started shipping a small handful of desktop Broadwell chips, but chips that would be used in the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro and the iMac are not yet shipping out.
The desktop-class Broadwell chips that are currently shipping were also given prospective July/August 2015 release timelines, so their arrival does potentially herald the imminent release of Broadwell chips that would succeed the existing Crystalwell chips in the 2014 Retina MacBook Pro. If these chips are going to ship out earlier than the prospective July/August timeline, it’s possible Apple could make a Retina MacBook Pro update announcement at WWDC.
If the chips are not shipping until July or August of 2015, however, WWDC seems a bit premature for an announcement of a minor chip refresh that would not ship for several months, making a WWDC debut unlikely.
It’s possible the shipping delays on the high-end 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro are due to resource reallocation rather than an imminent refresh. Apple’s suppliers that produce the Retina MacBook Pro are also responsible for assembling the Apple Watch and the MacBook, so the delays that we’re seeing may be a combination of workers being rerouted to work on more pressing products and low demand for the high-end Retina MacBook Pro.
It’s worth noting that the high-end iMac is also seeing similar delays, with a shipping estimate of one to two weeks. The high-end iMac is in the same situation as the Retina MacBook Pro — chips appropriate for an update are not yet available. Furthermore, chip roadmaps call into question whether there will be Broadwell chips available for Apple’s non-Retina 27-inch iMacs at all.
Given the significant delays with Broadwell chips, their release timelines merge with the release timelines of Intel’s next-generation Skylake chips and an investigation into Intel’s release plans suggests that the company may jump directly to releasing Skylake chips in the third-quarter of 2015, bypassing Broadwell chips for certain machines all together.
Roadmap for Intel’s desktop chips
As an example, the successor to the Core i5-4670 chip used in the low-end 27-inch iMac is the Core i5-4690 used in the low-end 27-inch Retina iMac, and the successor to that chip appears to be the Skylake Core i5-6600, suggesting a potential refresh for the non-Retina iMac might use that Skylake chip rather than the older Broadwell chip. Any upgrades to the 27-inch Retina iMac will also use Skylake chips rather than Broadwell chips.
Processor upgrades for the 21-inch iMac are a bit murkier as the chips used in those machines have no Skylake equivalents at this point in time, so it’s tougher to speculate about potential chip successors Apple could use. It’s also worth noting that the close proximity of Skylake and Broadwell chip releases could see Apple waiting for Skylake chips not only for the iMac, but also for the Retina MacBook Pro.
The major takeaway from the increased iMac and Retina MacBook Pro shipping estimates is that the Broadwell delays have thrown Apple’s upgrade cycle into disarray, making it difficult to determine when we might see an update due to all the variables involved. If Apple chooses to go with a minor Broadwell update for the high-end 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro and those chips ship soon, we could very well see an announcement at WWDC.
If, however, those chips are not ready or if Apple should choose to forego Broadwell in favor of Skylake for a more substantial update, it’s unlikely we’ll see a WWDC refresh announcement for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro. iMac updates are even more difficult to pin down, but it seems unlikely a refresh is imminent.
Apple Watch Vulnerable to Theft With No Activation Lock
Our iPhones and iPads are protected by Activation Lock, a security feature that prevents thieves from wiping and using a stolen Apple device with a new account, but the recently released Apple Watch has no similar security feature.
As pointed out by iDownloadBlog in a detailed post on the security of the Apple Watch, there is nothing that stops a lost or stolen Apple Watch from being wiped and paired with a new iPhone. The Apple Watch has a passcode option that requires a sequence of numbers to be entered every time it’s removed from a wrist, but the passcode protects only data.
The passcode is also easily bypassed with a reset. Pressing down on the side button of the Apple Watch brings up the power down options and a force press on this screen brings up an option to Erase All content and Settings. Erasing the Apple Watch in this manner erases the passcode and allows the Apple Watch to be paired with a new device, with no hint of the original owner’s information available.
Because there’s no Activation Lock and because the Apple Watch is reliant on the iPhone, there’s also no Find My iPhone option to locate a lost or stolen Apple Watch. Due to this lack of security, it’s possible the Apple Watch will become a major target for thieves.
It’s an expensive device (especially the higher-end Edition versions), it’s compact, it’s highly desirable, it has a high resale value like all of Apple’s products, and it’s easily visible on a wrist rather than hidden away in a bag or pocket like an iPhone. In short, it’s an easy target for muggers.
iPhone theft in major cities like San Francisco and New York became such an issue that government officials called for Apple and other cell phone manufacturers to implement a “kill switch” that would disable stolen devices, leading to the eventual release of Activation Lock alongside iOS 7.
Activation Lock had a positive impact on smartphone thievery, dropping iPhone theft by 25 percent in New York, 40 percent in San Francisco, and 50 percent in London as of early 2015. If Apple Watch theft causes crime rates to spike like iPhone theft, it’s possible lawmakers will once again step in to call upon Apple to improve the security of the wrist worn device.
As iDownloadBlog notes, Apple could potentially introduce stricter security measures in a future version of Watch OS. A simple solution would check the last known Apple ID of a paired device, refusing a new connection without a password or other authentication. Given the number of sensors in the Apple Watch, it’s also not unimaginable that a future biometric solution could also be implemented for additional security.
AIVAnet 