Apple reportedly wants to help test your DNA
Now that Apple has launched a platform for medical research, it’s apparently ready to expand what that platform can do. MIT’s sources understand that the Cupertino crew is working with academics on ResearchKit apps that let iPhone users get DNA tests. Apple wouldn’t directly scoop up DNA, as you might imagine — rather, it would make it easier for you to collect genes and share them with scholars. You could see some findings within the app, too, so you might know whether or not a condition is genetic.
The company isn’t commenting on the claims. However, you may see these DNA apps sooner than you think. Apple has reportedly lined up app-based studies from both New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital as well as UC San Francisco, and it’s hoping that they’ll be ready in time for the Worldwide Developer Conference in early June. Whether or not they are, the rumor suggests that the folks at 1 Infinite Loop want to be more than just passive observers in the medical world.
Filed under: Cellphones, Science, Mobile, Apple
Source: MIT Technology Review
Apple may be under FTC investigation for Beats deals
The hushed whispers surrounding the Federal Trade Commission’s supposed investigation into Apple’s Beats Music service relaunch have gotten a little louder. From the sounds of it, Cupertino’s approached record labels and over a dozen of artists, throwing its weight around as the largest seller of music to snag “limited exclusive” rights and partnerships to pad out a new version of the formerly-owned-by Dr. Dre music service. Bloomberg‘s sources say that the FTC’s still pretty early in the process, but the inquiry revolves around how Apple’s dominance in the music sales space, coupled with exclusive deals, could put the likes of Spotify at a disadvantage. It’s something other streaming outfits like Tidal don’t exactly have to worry about because they don’t have iTunes attached to them.
In other words, it’s checking to see if these deals would push other labels to change how they deal with Apple’s rivals. Specifically? Music moving from free tiers and getting locked behind paywalls is one example. It’s something The Verge‘s sources recently pointed out as an implication, and that Bloomberg‘s corroborate. Naturally, no one involved wants to give an official comment, but with Apple’s World Wide Developer’s Conference coming up it shouldn’t be too long before that changes.
Filed under: Apple
Via: Reuters
Source: Bloomberg
FTC Also Investigating Apple’s Upcoming Music Streaming Service
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Apple’s efforts to set up deals with record labels as it prepares to launch its new music streaming service, a rebranded version of Beats Music, according to Bloomberg. This would make the FTC the third government body to look into the new music service after the U. S. Department of Justice and European Commission.
The FTC’s investigators, still in the early stages, of their inquiry, are asking whether Apple’s efforts will change the way music labels work with other streaming services, for example curtailing ad-supported music and pushing more songs into paid tiers of service at higher rates, according to one of the people.
A couple days ago, a report emerged that Apple was utilizing its power within the music industry to push record labels to stop licensing freemium tiers offered by Spotify and other music services. The Cupertino company also reportedly offered to pay YouTube’s licensing fee to Universal Music Group if the label stopped allowing its music on the website, which is a popular destination for music videos.
The FTC is speaking to multiple record labels about Apple’s practices. However, music-industry executives told Bloomberg that Apple has made no such demands. Similarly, the Department of Justice is also interviewing high-ranking music executives about Apple’s practices. The European Commission is doing the same, concerned that Apple will use its size to force record labels to stop supporting freemium music tiers.
Apple’s Beats-based music streaming service will reportedly launch in June at WWDC, though the company is still finalizing several streaming deals. It will reportedly be deeply integrated into iTunes for Mac and the stock music app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch while apps will also be available for Apple TV and Android, and Apple is aiming to offer exclusive content in the hopes of drawing people from other services. Last month, the company seeded iOS 8.4 beta to developers with a redesigned Music app featuring a new MiniPlayer, a redesigned look for “Now Playing”, and more.
The clone that won’t disappear: ‘Threes’ vs. ‘2048’ on Google Play
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Google removed the quirky puzzle game Threes from the Play store on Tuesday. Its removal was unceremonious and sudden, but that’s not exactly why Threes creator Asher Vollmer found the situation frustrating. That came down to two reasons:
- A robot informed Vollmer that his game was removed from Google Play in a cold, automated message.
- Threes was removed from Google Play because it used “2048” as a keyword — and 2048 is a blatant, known clone of Threes.
Google — probably a human there, not a robot — reinstated Threes after just a few hours offline and following a stream of articles and Twitter activity around its removal. Of course, 2048 remained live on Google Play the entire time, alongside a bunch of other Threes clones. This string of events highlights one of the biggest differences between Google and Apple, and how they approach their app stores. “Apple’s policies are preventative and Google’s policies are retroactive,” Vollmer says. “You can probably figure out which one I prefer.”
Vollmer spoke with a few of his Android developer friends during the Threes blackout and they said his situation was fairly common.
“Google has bots that crawl over their store and look for instances of ‘keyword stuffing’ and then automatically take down the app,” Vollmer explains. “You then have to appeal to get the app back on the store, which can take two to three days. On the Apple app store every app goes through an approval process for a few weeks before it shows up on the store. On Google Play you can publish a game instantly, but you are at risk of Google pulling it at any moment.”
Vollmer has tried to fight against the wave of Threes clones, which popped up at a ridiculous rate starting just 21 days after the original game’s release. Threes took 14 months and more than 500 emails between Vollmer and artist Greg Wohlwend to plan and perfect, and these games took the idea and ran with it, often with a price tag of “free.” Threes, on the other hand, costs $1.99. At first, the developers tried to get rid of the clones whack-a-mole style — and then 2048 showed up.
“There was technically nothing wrong with it,” Vollmer says. “It didn’t steal our art or our name and the creator of the web version was so far removed from the game scene that he had never even heard of Threes. He cloned a clone without knowing.”
Google Play has taken Threes off the store because we used “2048” as a search keyword 😡
– Asher Vollmer (@AsherVo) May 5, 2015
The studio behind 2048 is a notorious clone-making machine, and it’s able to stay in business because it’s not technically breaking any rules.
“My copyright on Threes only covers the look and feel of the game, and 2048 looks very different,” Vollmer says. “My trademark only covers the icon and name, and 2048 has neither. My only hope of legal action would be to patent the game mechanics, which I will never do for a thousand different reasons. All I can do is treat 2048 like a healthy competitor — one that wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for me.”
According to Google Play, Threes has been installed 100,000 to 500,000 times, while 2048 has been installed 10 million to 50 million times.
Clearly, today, Threes was placed on the Google Play support fast-track once people there realized the mistake. This saved Vollmer a few days of not only inactivity, but of potential customers being directed to clones of his game. It was a mistake and at least it was handled quickly, but Google Play’s “publish now, pull later” philosophy remains. The Apple app store has its own issues as well, including oversaturation and pricing standards that feel like a race to the bottom. However, with the ironic removal of Threes, the oddity of Google Play’s app policies are currently on full display.
“I want Google to rely on humans and not on robots to make these decisions,” Vollmer says. “I want Google Play to at least issue warnings before they take these kinds of actions…. This was a completely tone-deaf move.”
Video on demand firm sues Apple over streaming patents
Remember OpenTV, the video on demand software developer that sued Netflix for allegedly violating its streaming patents? It’s back. The company is suing Apple in the belief that virtually everything Apple makes (such as the Apple TV and iTunes) is infringing on five streaming-related patents, including ones for interactive TV and copy protection. Supposedly, you’re borrowing OpenTV technology when you download or rent a movie through Apple’s software. The folks at 1 Infinite Loop haven’t issued a formal response to the suit, although there’s definitely pressure to offer compensation. OpenTV’s parent company, the Kudelski Group, brags that it already has licensing deals (Netflix settled earlier this year) with the likes of Disney and Google — Apple didn’t necessarily use OpenTV’s ideas, but it’ll go against the grain if it fights back.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Apple
Via: AppleInsider
Source: Recode
Charge Your iPhone in the Bathtub With Mophie’s New Juice Pack H2Pro [iOS Blog]
Popular iPhone accessory maker Mophie is known for its line of battery cases and external backup batteries, which provide extra power at a decent price. The company introduced battery cases for the iPhone 6 early this year, but as of today, Mophie’s got an all new iPhone 6 battery case with a brand new feature — water protection.
The Juice Pack H2Pro is Mophie’s first waterproof product, combining the extra power provided with a battery case with protection from the elements. According to Mophie, the H2Pro has an IP-68 rating (and a military rating of MIL-STD 810G), which means the case will work even when submerged for an extended period of time (1.2m for 30 minutes). In addition to being waterproof, it’s also going to keep dust and dirt away from the iPhone, and it offers protection against drops.
Since it offers total device protection, there’s a flexible membrane over the front of the phone’s display, which Mophie says allows for complete access to Touch ID and the touch screen of the iPhone. There are also integrated mute switch, volume, and lock buttons so every iPhone feature remains accessible.
Like Mophie’s $100 Juice Pack Air, the Juice Pack H2Pro offers a 2,750 mAh battery. The iPhone 6 has a 1,810 mAh battery, so the H2Pro can offer approximately one and a half charges. There’s a power button on the case to toggle power on and off so it can be used without draining the extra battery capacity.
The H2Pro is 0.69 inches thick (17.4mm), so it’s going to more than double the thickness of the iPhone 6 (6.9mm), but that’s not unusual for cases that offer heavy drop protection and waterproofing.
The Juice Pack H2Pro can be pre-ordered from Mophie’s website for $129.95. It’s estimated to begin shipping out to buyers in late May.
Apple to Launch Streaming Music Service and Revamped iTunes Radio in Late June
While Apple is still working to get key deals in place for its upcoming streaming music service, the company remains committed to announcing the service at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), likely during the opening keynote on June 8, according to 9to5Mac.
Apple’s streaming music service will reportedly launch alongside a revamped iTunes Radio in a “long list” of countries in late June as part of iOS 8.4 and iTunes 12.2. New Apple TV and Mac apps that will integrate the service remain under development at Apple.
The redesigned Music app in iOS 8.4 beta, seeded to developers in April, will reportedly have different options and tabs geared towards Apple’s streaming music service by time the software version reaches the public. Meanwhile, the all-new version of iTunes Radio will reportedly offer unlimited skipping as a paid option, and become available in additional countries beyond the United States and Australia.
“The beta version of iOS 8.4 in the hands of developers is only a taste of the new design, according to sources, and the different options and tabs across the application will be tweaked to better feature streaming music over music stored offline. Sources said earlier this year that the new Beats-based application will include porting of existing Beats accounts, curated playlists, and the ability to save tracks for offline listening. While Apple initially hoped to charge $8/month for the service, roadblocks from the record labels have reportedly pushed the price back to the existing $10/month.”
The report also reveals a few details about iOS 9 “Monarch,” also expected to be announced at WWDC in June. The next major version of the iPhone and iPad operating system is said to have a redesigned Siri interface that resembles the colorful design of Siri on Apple Watch, and will also contain several security improvements and bug fixes.
Home Depot to Begin Supporting Apple Pay Following Retail System Upgrade
Home Depot plans to officially support Apple Pay in its home improvement stores following a retail system upgrade, reports Bloomberg. Though there’s no timeline on when Apple Pay support will be introduced in Home Depot stores, a spokesperson said the payment service would be available after a revamp to the company’s point-of-sale machines.
News of Home Depot’s plans to support Apple Pay come following earlier reports suggesting the retailer was shutting off Apple Pay access in its stores. Home Depot has NFC-based terminals in its stores allowing for unofficial use of Apple Pay, but as of this morning, a customer discovered he could no longer use Apple Pay at Home Depot.
Contacting customer support resulted in a message stating that while Apple Pay was not supported in Home Depot stores, PayPal was, hinting that Home Depot may be choosing to promote PayPal over Apple Pay, but as it turns out, that’s not the case. According to Bloomberg, Home Depot’s NFC checkout terminals have been disabled as the company works on upgrading its point-of-sale system.
Many Home Depot stores continue to support checkout through Apple Pay using NFC payment terminals at this time, but access may be shut off in the coming weeks until Apple Pay officially launches at the retail chain. Home Depot will likely support Apple Pay both in its retail stores and through its iOS app.
With 2,000 stores across the United States, Home Depot will be the largest retailer to offer Apple Pay.
OpenTV Files Lawsuit Against Apple Over Allegations iTunes Violates Five Patents [Mac Blog]
Software maker OpenTV has filed a patent lawsuit against Apple based on accusations that several of the company’s products and services, including iTunes, infringe upon five of its patents related to streaming digital video. The civil suit was filed Tuesday in a U.S. District Court, and OpenTV is seeking undiclosed compensation for the alleged patent infringement, according to Re/code.
“OpenTV alleges that Apple’s iTunes software for downloading or streaming rented movies violates its patents for securely delivering media to consumer devices. The suit claims that other companies, including Apple rival Google, Cisco Systems and Disney, have licensed its technology.”
In late February, a Tyler, Texas district court ordered Apple to pay $532.9 million to patent licensing firm Smartflash LLC in a separate iTunes-related lawsuit for infringing upon the Texas-based company’s patents related to digital rights management, data storage and managing access through payment systems. Apple argued that Smartflash was exploiting the patent system and vowed to appeal the decision.
OpenTV was an early provider of interactive TV software used in millions of TV set-top boxes, according to the report, and the wholly owned subsidiary of The Kudelski Group now creates software for on-demand video services and digital video recorders. OpenTV’s patents belong to a portfolio of more than 4,400 pending and issued patents related to the secure delivery of media.
Apple TV channel lineup expands with CBS Sports and USA Now
All signs point to a completely revamped Apple TV being in the works. For now, however, the growth of the platform doesn’t appear to be slowing down — even as new hardware and software loom on the horizon. Today, CBS Sports and USA Now launched their on-demand streaming channels on Apple TV, bringing even more entertainment content to owners of the $69 set-top box. While neither channel offers access to live shows, there’s still plenty to watch from both networks, including full episodes and a robust set of shorter length videos. If you’re in the US, you should see these on your Apple TV’s home screen now — otherwise they will be showing up soon.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, Software, HD, Apple
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