MCX CEO Out After Best Buy Begins Accepting Apple Pay

Just a day after Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that MCX member Best Buy would begin accepting Apple Pay in stores later this year, MCX, the company behind Apple Pay competitor CurrentC, announced that current CEO Dekkers Davidson has left the company. He’s been replaced by former Bank of America Merchant Services CEO Brian V. Mooney on an interim basis.

“MCX was created to capitalize on a tremendous opportunity for consumers, and I look forward to taking the company through the next exciting phase of bringing CurrentC™ to the market,” said Mooney. “MCX has a talented team in place backed by the determination and resources of many of the world’s largest and most successful merchants. Building on that foundation, we’re focused on making CurrentC™ the consumer preferred mobile payments app.”

MCX spokeswoman Kristin Parran Faulder told CNET that the move had nothing to do with the Best Buy announcement. Coincidence or not, CurrentC, which is expected to launch widely later this year, will face increasing competition in the mobile payments sector from the more recently announced Samsung Pay and Android Pay as well as a growing Apple Pay. In recent weeks, Apple’s payment platform has gained the support of Discover, GameStop, NBA teams and more in addition to Best Buy.

Best Buy was the second MCX member, after Meijer, to offer Apple Pay support. Last October, former MCX CEO Davidson had said that there were no penalties or fines for leaving the MCX program. MCX exclusivity agreements with retailers reportedly end in summer 2015, which means that MCX members like Best Buy would be able to offer Apple Pay in retail stores once the agreement ends. A Best Buy spokesperson told Re/code yesterday that while the company is still invested in MCX they weren’t prepared to declare launch support for CurrentC at this time.

‘Test Model’ iPad Stolen During Robbery and Kidnapping at Cupertino Home [iOS Blog]

An iPad “test model” was one of the stolen items during a robbery and kidnapping at a Cupertino home earlier this month, reports the San Jose Mercury News. It’s unclear whether the test device was for a previous iPad model or a future one.

The robbers took the device, along with electronics, prescription drugs and cash valued at $7,500, from a Cupertino home during an incident in which a 20-year-old man was kidnapped and robbed after answering a woman’s online advertisement.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has arrested the two suspected robbers, who took the items and forced the victim into their car before driving three-quarters of a mile and releasing him. The victim contacted the sheriff’s department five days later and the case is still being investigated. The test iPad has not yet been found.

Apple has had test devices stolen in the past, with the most famous example being the test iPhone 4 that was lost in a Bay Area bar before being found by someone and sold to a reporter for $5,000. The reporter then posted images and a breakdown of the new device before returning it to Apple. After that, the reporter’s house was raided by authorities and his computers and other property were seized.

New ‘LiftPro’ Electric Desk Offers Built-In Docks For iOS Devices [Mac Blog]

iSkelter has released several TechDesks that are designed specifically for Apple devices with Mac air vents and built-in slots for holding the iPhone and the iPad, and as of today, the company’s latest desk, the LiftPro, is available for pre-order on Indiegogo.

The LiftPro is an electric desk that can be adjusted to several different heights suitable for sitting or standing, and like all of iSkelter’s desks, it comes with built-in organizational components. There are display docks for the iPhone and the iPad, along with recessed felt trays for holding accessories, a stainless steel drink holder, and a built-in mousepad that sits flush against the surface of the desk.

Available in natural or hazelnut finishes, the bamboo desk can be customized with one of three leg colors: black, white, or gray. All of the available features are optional and can be chosen at the time of purchase. According to iSkelter, the LiftPro can support up to 355 pounds and its legs have been tested more than 10,000 times. It comes with a 7-year all-inclusive warranty that covers the motor, frame, and all electronics.

LiftPro includes four preset keys for adjusting the desk to different heights (between 24.5 and 49.5 inches) in just a few seconds with the press of a button. Each position is fully customizable and can be set for each user’s preferred sitting and standing heights.

The built-in docks are designed to put the iPhone and the iPad in clear view while sitting at the desk and they also hide unsightly cables. The recessed drink holder sits towards the side of the desk to avoid contact with a Mac, and the lined storage trays at the back of the desk can hold pens, coins, and other small items. Mac cables can also be hidden out of sight, and the desk ships with three cord clips for cable management.

There are a limited number of LiftPro desks available for purchase for $899 on Indiegogo, with prices that go up to $1,099 after early bird purchases have sold out. Desks will begin shipping out to customers in August of 2015, and will have a future retail price of $1,499.

How to Use iCloud Photo Library in Photos to Sync Pictures Between Devices [Mac Blog]

iCloud Photo Library was introduced with iOS 8, but with the launch of the Photos for OS X app, it’s now available on the Mac. In a nutshell, iCloud Photo Library is Apple’s newest photo service that lets you sync all of your images across all your devices and to iCloud.

iCloud Photo Library supports several photo and video formats, storing photos in their original format, and it makes all of your media available on any device that has iCloud Photo Library turned on. This how-to will walk you through how to turn iCloud Photo Library on for each of your devices and how to minimize the space your photos take up on each device.

Tips Before Getting Started

In order to fully take advantage of iCloud Photo Library, you should turn it on for multiple computers, if necessary, as well as your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. It is compatible with iOS 8.3 or later and OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 or later.

You must be connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi in order to begin the iCloud Photo Library upload process. Additionally, your device batteries must be fully charged, or at least connected to a power source.

Apple provides 5GB of iCloud storage for free. It is highly likely you will need more than that to store all of your pictures and videos. If you go over the 5GB limit, Apple will prompt you to upgrade to a larger storage capacity before continuing. iCloud storage starts at $0.99 per month for 20 GB of storage. The 200GB storage plan costs $3.99 per month, while the 500GB plan costs $9.99 per month and the 1TB plan costs $19.99 per month.

Be sure that all devices you wish to sync photos and videos on are signed in using the same Apple ID.
Read more

12-Inch Retina MacBook Receives Mixed Reviews From Early Adopters

Just a few weeks after the 12-inch Retina MacBook became available to order online, a number of early adopters have shared mixed opinions about the notebook within the MacRumors discussion forums. Overall, many users agree that the new MacBook has major design appeal but with too many key compromises, as mentioned by several well-known tech pundits and websites in our review roundup of the notebook.

A handful of users within the discussion forums claimed that they regretfully returned their new MacBooks shortly after receiving one because of those compromises, including the frustration of looking for and purchasing USB-C adapters that are needed to connect various Digital AV, VGA or USB devices, peripherals and cables to the single USB-C port on the ultra-slim notebook. The new keyboard and slow performance were also areas of concern for some users.

MacRumors forum member Audiopablo:

“Took mine back. It was really a wow factor. So light, so beautiful. But in the end, it just wasn’t for me. After spending a day trying to hunt down USB C adaptors in Apple stores (wasn’t available at Best Buy, where I bought mine), I got to thinking about what I loved and what I didn’t.

Could I type on my lap with it? Sure and watch the screen jiggle on my soft legs. Turns out a 13 or even 15 with weight is more stable for me personally. […] Ports is an issue for a user like me. I knew that going in, but I was going to be patient with it. It finally got to me.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t for you. I wouldn’t mind one instead of the iPads we have, but I’ll wait until the price comes down. It just didn’t feel like a step into the future for me. It felt like like some steps back from my 13rMBP or 15MBP. Gone were the Apple touches I felt were worth the premium. I know I’ll catch flack for this, but it felt like an iPad running OS X with a great trackpad and great keyboard for light typing. But then I started trying to touch the screen.”

MacRumors forum member Newellj:

“With some regret I returned my rMB over the weekend. The two reasons I ultimately returned it were that the keyboard didn’t agree with me and, after some practical thinking, I realized that there were going to be issues managing using two laptops concurrently.

The keyboard — I expected to like it or at least to be neutral and get used to it. In the end, to my surprise, it turned out to be a lot harder to type accurately on the new keyboard than my Retina MacBook Pro or my Apple Bluetooth keyboard. This is totally YMMV (your mileage may vary) territory.

The other thing that pushed me over the line when I was thinking about returning it was managing two laptops (in addition to my Mini). Not so much keeping files current, but license management issues. Most of the programs I use a lot are limited to two installations, and keeping track of what is activated on which laptop presented possibilities like taking one of them on a trip having forgotten to deactivate/sign out on the other one, which could be a real problem.”

Not all early adopters of the new MacBook have been disappointed, however, with many other users pleased with the notebook’s ultra-thin and lightweight design, high-resolution Retina display, fanless architecture, all-day battery life, Force Touch trackpad, redesigned keyboard with butterfly mechanism, portability and more. Some users also found the notebook’s performance to be good enough for everyday tasks.

MacRumors forum member Maclee2010:

“It is a staggeringly great little machine.

Virtually no heat coming from it and silent operation.
Runs a long time on a single charge.
It looks fantastic and is the most fun notebook I have ever used.
It handles everything I have thrown at it like any MacBook I have owned.
The trackpad has some really neat new tricks and feels great.
It sits very comfortable on my laptop lap cushion.
The keyboard looks amazing at night and feels great, I type faster.
I am more productive as I love using this notebook.
The performance is great for 98% of everything most users will do.
It is easy to take anywhere you need to go, light as a feather and packs down nice.
The screen is super sharp and makes my late 2013 13″ rMBP screen look fuzzy.
12″ is just right, not to big and not to small.
Makes the 13 rMBP look very outdated.
Single port is just fine, if you need many ports to use your computer today, you are doing it all wrong. I do all my backups and any necessary restorations wirelessly. I use the cloud, not just Apple, but multiple clouds.

Ultimately, the new MacBook, positioned at the lower end of Apple’s notebook lineup, paves the way for the future with its innovative new design and features. If Apple can manage to combine the performance of a MacBook Air with the feature set of the 12-inch MacBook, while maintaining a similar $1,299 entry-level price point, the notebook will be an even more attractive product for prospective buyers in the future.

App Store Review Guidelines Updated to Forbid Time-Telling Apple Watch Apps

Apple has updated its App Store Review Guidelines to reflect an Apple Watch rule that it’s been enforcing over the past several weeks, which prevents developers from creating Apple Watch apps that display the time. According to the newly added 10.7 rule under “User interface,” Watch Apps that have a “primary function” of telling the time will be rejected.

Though this rule, noticed first by 9to5Mac, was not previously listed in the App Store Review Guidelines or in the Apple Watch Human Interface Guidelines until today, Apple has previously been using this guideline to turn down Apple Watch apps, and its enforcement of this rule appears particularly strict based on some of the apps that have been rejected.

MacRumors recently spoke to one developer who had his app rejected from the App Store due to the time telling rule, but offering the time was not the main function of the app. Instead, it was an app that used a clock-like face to display sunset/sunrise times along with the position of the sun and the moon.

The developer was told by Apple that Apple Watch apps containing a clock face, the likeness of a clock, or time-telling functionality would be rejected, and the Apple employee he spoke with mentioned that quite a few developers had been rejected due to the policy.

A video walkthrough of the available watch faces on the Apple Watch
Given Apple’s aim to position the Apple Watch as a fashion accessory, it’s no surprise that the company is maintaining strict control over what’s arguably the most important core function of the Apple Watch — telling the time. In interviews, Apple executives have explained that hundreds of hours of work went into developing the watch faces that are available for the Apple Watch, with an obsessive amount of detail put into each one for the best possible time-telling experience.

Apple’s also advertised the Apple Watch as an “incredibly accurate” timepiece, a claim that it might not be able to guarantee if a third-party time-telling app is allowed to display the time. Watch faces are one aspect of the Apple Watch that Apple is not allowing users or developers to touch. While watch faces can be customized with Apple’s options, users cannot select their own backgrounds as they can do on the iPhone or iPad and developers cannot develop their own Apple Watch face experiences.

Apple often has strict rules when a product launches, but the rules can and do relax over time, as we’ve seen with iOS 8 and the return of the once-forbidden Launcher app. It’s possible that Apple will open up watch faces to developers in the future, or become less strict with apps that include time-telling functionality, but for now those types of apps will not make it into the App Store.

Today’s App Store Review Guidelines update also included a new bit about HealthKit. Rule 27.10 says that apps conducting health-related human subject research must secure approval from an independent ethics review board.

Apple Watch Games Provide Gameplay Bursts With Incentive to Revisit Often [iOS Blog]

Although the main purpose of the Apple Watch is the wearable’s at-a-glance look at bite-sized content on the wrist, many game developers showed up out of the launch gate with new game experiences for the device. Some games appear to still be stuck in the mind-set of play sessions that are slightly too lengthy for a wrist-worn gadget, but a few clever dev teams have built fun, short-burst apps that are perfect for killing time in long lines, before a movie, or even at home.

Many of the games are free extensions of iOS games, but a few range in price from $1.99 to $3.99 on the App Store. Our sister site, TouchArcade, gave its initial thoughts on most of the games listed below in a roundup of Apple Watch games and companion apps.

Starting off with the free games, Nimblebit’s word game Letterpad tasks players with deciphering the spelling of a word using only a short hint and the number of letters within the hidden word. Solving the word progresses players to the next puzzle, the game slowly amping up difficulty along the way. The game uses Force Touch to let users spend hints, shuffle letters and clear spelling attempts. Letterpad is free on the App Store.

Watch Quest! Heroes of Time is designed specifically for Apple Watch and lets players view and interact with a hero on an epic quest. The catch is that the hero is on auto-pilot, fighting enemies and delving into dungeons on their own, but requires help from the player to ensure success.

So, for example, if a user fails to check in after a specific notification (open a treasure chest, battle a particularly tough foe), the in-game hero will fail to succeed at the mission. Watch Quest! Heroes of Time is free on the App Store, with the added caveat that it’s essentially a tutorial mission and the full game can be unlocked at $0.99.

Another interesting RPG-like game is Runeblade, which tasks players with dispatching a rotary of enemies every time they re-visit the app. Upon victory, players win gold that can be used to upgrade damage and attack speed, and then points them onto a new quest and enemies to defeat all leading to bigger boss battles.

Players can look forward to unlockable spells, harder enemies, and “a wealth of items to unlock” as they progress, according to TouchArcade. Runeblade is free on the App Store.

One of the more notable paid apps is called Spy_Watch, which provides a bit of a meta game in letting its players role-play as the offspring of the former head of a famous Spy Organization. While playing, they are faced with the immense task of rebuilding the shuttered group from the ground up while simultaneously digging through clues regarding the player’s mysteriously killed father.

What all this essentially boils down to is the player’s input on the main menu in deciding on which missions to take to advance the story, earn more cash, or training to advance the player’s skill set. After initiating a mission, a timer counts down in real-time, eventually alerting players to return to the game to continue their mission of espionage and discovery on the game’s world map. Bossa Studios’ Spy_Watch is $1.99 on the App Store.

As TouchArcade points out, many of the first wave launch games on the Apple Watch appear to be designed for quick bursts of gameplay with some form of motivation to keep checking back into the experience. While some games still fall flat on either (or both) of those fronts, and are subsequently not worth much of a mention, we will keep updating this roundup of new and notable games for the Apple Watch as they become available.

More notable games for Apple Watch:

– Rules! ($2.99, currently available as a free download within Apple Store app)
– Trivia Crack ($2.99, ad free)
– Letter Zap (Free)
– BoxPop (Free)