‘Amazing Photo and Video’ Promo Offers 50% Off Popular Apps for Mac and iOS [Mac Blog]

Apple today launched a new “Amazing Photo + Video Apps” promotion in the Mac and iOS App Stores, discounting a number of popular photo and video editing apps by 50 percent off or more.

In the iOS App Store, there are 23 apps available at discounted prices, including options like Spark Camera ($0.99), Camera+ ($1.99), Over ($0.99), Mextures ($0.99), Word Swag ($1.99), Union ($1.99), and Juxtaposer ($0.99). There are apps for taking photos, editing them, and adding interesting photo effects, and there are also a few video-centric apps available.

In the Mac App Store, there are 12 apps available at 50 percent off, including popular photo editing app Pixelmator, a favorite Photoshop alternative for Mac users. With the discount, Pixelmator is priced at $14.99, down from its original price of $29.99. Other popular Mac apps on sale include CameraBag 2 ($14.99), Tonality ($9.99), Snapheal ($6.99), Flare 2 ($6.99), and ScreenFlow 5 ($49.99).

The discounted apps are available through each of the App Stores, and the price cuts will be available until next week.

Apple Seeds Seventh OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite Beta to Developers, Public Beta Testers

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of OS X Yosemite to developers, three days after seeding the sixth OS X Yosemite beta and two months after releasing the first OS X 10.10.3 beta.

The new beta, build 14D130a, is available for registered developers through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store and through the Mac Developer Center.

OS X 10.10.3 includes several new features, like the Photos for OS X app. Designed to integrate with iCloud Photo Library and the Photos app on iOS, the Photos for OS X app is a replacement for both iPhoto and Aperture. Reviews have suggested that while Photos is a suitable replacement for iPhoto, with more advanced tools and performance optimizations, it may leave professional users disappointed in its initial incarnation.

Along with the new Photos for OS X app, earlier OS X 10.10.3 betas have introduced a redesigned emoji picker that consolidates emoji into a single scrollable page with clear labels, new diversified emoji and emoji skin tone modifiers, new flag emoji and updated emoji for the iPhone, iMac, and Apple Watch, and support for Google 2-step verification when setting up accounts in System Preferences.

With the fifth and sixth OS X 10.10.3 betas, there were just two minor bug fixes, and today’s update likely includes similar small changes. Given that we’re on the seventh beta, OS X 10.10.3 is undoubtedly getting close to completion and we may see a public release of the software in the near future.

iPhone’s Force Touch Tech May Track Contact Area Instead of Pressure, New 4″ Model Unlikely in 2015

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a respectable track record at reporting on Apple’s upcoming plans, issued a note to investors on Thursday that claims the next-generation iPhone will have a FPC-made capacitive Force Touch sensor under the backlight, laminated with metal shielding. Kuo adds that the change may be significant enough for Apple to call its next iPhone the “iPhone 7″ instead of the so-called “iPhone 6s.”

The analyst claims that the hardware design of Force Touch will be different than the technology used in the Apple Watch and 12-inch Retina MacBook. Instead of directly detecting the pressure applied by fingers, the new improved Force Touch hardware will monitor the contact area where a finger presses to determine how much pressure is being applied. The sensor will use capacitive technology and thin FPC material to save space.

“We believe that iPhone’s Force Touch sensor doesn’t directly detect the pressure applied by fingers. Instead, it monitors the contact area on which the finger touches the screen to decide how big the pressure is.

There are two possible structural designs for Force Touch from a technology viewpoint. The Force Touch sensor can either be placed between the cover lens and the In-cell touch panel or under the In-cell touch panel’s backlight. In the first position, the technological challenge lies with how to produce the transparent Force Touch sensor; in the second position, the challenge is how to reduce signal interference from in-cell touch panel. Our understanding of the technology is that producing a transparent Force Touch sensor is more difficult, so the chances are the new iPhone this year will opt for the second position.”

Kuo adds that Apple is likely to change the hardware design of Force Touch again in 2016 by removing the metal shielding to achieve a thinner form factor. He notes that the changes should improve the iPhone user experience, but will likely create uncertainty for Force Touch module suppliers TPK and GIS, as well as metal shielding suppliers Minebea, Hi-P and Jabil.

Kuo claims that Apple is still targeting 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models for its next-generation iPhones, akin to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and notes that a 4-inch model is unlikely to be released this year. KGI Securities estimates iPhone shipments will total 25 to 30 million units in the third quarter, helping drive momentum for Force Touch components within the supply chain.

SwiftKey for iOS Updated With Tap Map Feature, Usage Statistics [iOS Blog]

Popular third-party keyboard SwiftKey for iOS is being updated today with an interesting new feature called Tap Map, which gives an inside look at how the app works. With Tap Map, users can see how the SwiftKey AI adapts to their typing patterns to help them make fewer typos.

The Tap Map, similar to our heatmap on SwiftKey Keyboard for Android, shows how SwiftKey uses artificial intelligence to adjust the keys on your keyboard ‘behind the scenes’ to better fit your typing style. For example, if you typically hit the right half of the F key when you’re aiming for G, the shape of G on your Tap Map will probably be larger and skewed to the left.

SwiftKey is hoping users will share their different Tap Maps on Twitter, and has promised to give prizes to the tidiest and sloppiest SwiftKey users.

Today’s SwiftKey update includes usage statistics, letting users see data on how much they’ve typed, how far they’ve Flow-ed, and how many words have been predicted and corrected. It also includes information on how much a user’s productivity has been improved through the SwiftKey keyboard.

Along with the new usage information, there are also three new language packs available in SwiftKey, including Arabic, Hebrew, and Farsi.

SwiftKey can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Microsoft Launches Standalone ‘Office Lens’ Scanning App for iPhone [iOS Blog]

Microsoft today announced the launch of the Office Lens app for iPhone, following its debut on Windows Phone last year. Office Lens turns the iPhone into a portable scanner, much like popular scanning app Scanner Pro, but it has the ability to upload scanned documents to both OneNote and OneDrive, making them accessible on all devices.

Office Lens‘ scanning capabilities are already built into Microsoft’s OneNote app for iOS, but today’s Office Lens release is a standalone app. It’s able to scan things like business cards, notes, restaurant menus, whiteboards, receipts, and more.

Office Lens is able to detect the corners of a document that’s being photographed, which allows it to automatically crop the image to the right size. It also cleans it up images and enhances them for better readability, and it can even straighten images taken at an angle.

The app includes optical character recognition (OCR) to make receipts and scanned documents searchable via key word in OneNote or OneDrive, and it’s able to convert images of paper documents and whiteboard notes into Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and PDF files.

There’s also an option to automatically generate contacts when business cards are photographed, and images scanned can be inserted into OneNote or OneDrive in different formats, including DOCX, PPTX, JPG, and PDF. Images can also be saved, exported, and shared.

Microsoft’s Office Lens for iPhone app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Force Touch Could Be Exclusive to ‘iPhone 6s Plus’

Apple’s pressure-sensing Force Touch technology could be exclusive to the so-called “iPhone 6s Plus,” according to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News (via GforGames). The report, which claims Taiwanese manufacturer TPK will be responsible for supplying Apple with the Force Touch sensors, makes no mention of the “iPhone 6s,” leading to speculation that the technology could be reserved for the larger iPhone 6s Plus.

It has been reported that Apple will include Force Touch technology on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus on at least three occasions since the beginning of this year. TechNews Taiwan reported that the iPhone 6s will gain Force Touch and 2GB of RAM in January, while AppleInsider reported in March that Apple’s next-generation iPhones will feature Force Touch, but lack a previously rumored dual-lens camera system.

The Wall Street Journal corroborated both reports later in March, claiming that Apple will introduce Force Touch and is considering a new pink color option for its next-generation iPhones. Currently built into the upcoming Apple Watch and 12-inch Retina MacBook, Force Touch lets devices distinguish between a light tap and a hard press, enabling new gestures that yield different actions depending on how much pressure is applied.

While this latest report should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt, making Force Touch exclusive to the iPhone 6s Plus would not be an unprecedented move. Apple limited optical image stabilization (OIS) to the iPhone 6 Plus, and the larger smartphone also features a landscape mode. The higher cost of Force Touch sensors could be another reason that Apple would limit the technology to the more expensive iPhone 6s Plus.

European Commission ‘Concerned’ About Apple’s Streaming Music Plans

European regulators are scrutinizing Apple’s discussions with record labels for its much-rumored streaming music service, according to Financial Times. The report claims the European Commission has contacted several labels and digital music companies to request information about their agreements with Apple, although these actions do not guarantee it will launch a formal antitrust investigation.

The report, citing people familiar with the matter, claims that the European Commission is “concerned” that Apple will use its size and influence to persuade the music groups to abandon free, ad-supported services such as Spotify. Apple has nearly 1 billion iTunes users, and the company could face hefty fines and be required to change its business practises if committed of wrongdoing.

Apple is expected to launch a revamped streaming music service at WWDC in June, and its rumored price tag of $7.99 per month would be a few dollars cheaper than rivals such as Spotify, Rdio and Google Play Music. The service will reportedly be deeply integrated into iTunes on Mac and the stock Music app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and apps will also be available for Apple TV and Android.

European Commission ‘Concerned’ About Apple’s Streaming Music Plans

European regulators are scrutinizing Apple’s discussions with record labels for its much-rumored streaming music service, according to Financial Times. The report claims the European Commission has contacted several labels and digital music companies to request information about their agreements with Apple, although these actions do not guarantee it will launch a formal antitrust investigation.

The report, citing people familiar with the matter, claims that the European Commission is “concerned” that Apple will use its size and influence to persuade the music groups to abandon free, ad-supported services such as Spotify. Apple has nearly 1 billion iTunes users, and the company could face hefty fines and be required to change its business practises if committed of wrongdoing.

Apple is expected to launch a revamped streaming music service at WWDC in June, and its rumored price tag of $7.99 per month would be a few dollars cheaper than rivals such as Spotify, Rdio and Google Play Music. The service will reportedly be deeply integrated into iTunes on Mac and the stock Music app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and apps will also be available for Apple TV and Android.

Apple Watch Featured on Cover of Canadian Fashion Magazine ‘Flare’

Apple Watch continues to be marketed around the world leading up to its highly-anticipated launch in April, this time making its Canadian debut in the upcoming May issue of fashion magazine Flare. The publication features actress Hailee Steinfeld wearing an Apple Watch Sport on two separate covers in both silver and space gray, accompanied by an article listing things you can do with your Apple Watch.

In addition to the fashion shoot, the magazine outlines more than a dozen ways the Apple Watch can be used beyond timekeeping, such as for ordering a coffee, boarding a flight, learning a new language, hailing a cab, managing finances, tracking health and fitness, identifying songs, controlling a vehicle, becoming a karaoke star, controlling an Apple TV, unlocking a hotel room and more.

Apple Watch has been featured in several fashion and fitness magazines worldwide in recent months, including Self, Vogue, Style, East Touch, YOHO, Fitness Magazine and Elle. Apple has heavily promoted its first wearable device in the fashion industry leading up to its launch, and has set up boutique shops at Galeries Lafayette in Paris, Isetan in Tokyo and Selfridges in London for the product.

Canada is one of nine countries where the Apple Watch is set to launch later this month, alongside the United States, Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and United Kingdom. The wrist-worn device will be available for pre-order and try-on appointments beginning April 10 ahead of an April 24 release date. Wider international availability is likely to occur in the near future.

Philips Debuts ‘Hue Go’ iPhone-Connected Portable Light [iOS Blog]

Philips today announced a new addition to its popular line of iPhone-connected lights, the Hue Go. Hue Go is a WiFi-enabled portable light that connects to and functions like the company’s existing Hue lights, but it can be moved from its base to any room in the house.

Hue Go has a rechargeable internal battery that lasts for up to three hours when removed from the base, and its bowl-like shape lets it be positioned in several different ways so it can serve multiple functions as an accent light.

Philips Hue Go can be moved from the garden to the living room to the bedroom without the worry of wires; letting you create and enjoy a new ambience each time. It can also be positioned in different ways to adapt to your needs; enhance a living space by positioning it to face a wall washing it with light, add ambience to an intimate dinner by placing it as a center piece on the table or focused on a piece of work by directing the light where you need it.

The light connects to an existing Hue Bridge and it can be controlled with the Philips Hue iOS app or any of the hundreds of apps that take advantage of the Hue API. Like the rest of the color-enabled Hue lights, there are 16 million color choices available. It works with Philips Hue and Friends of Hue products.

Hue Go also has a built-in control button that will let you change the color of the light to one of several included scenes even when your iPhone isn’t nearby. Presets include Cozy Candle, Sunday Coffee, Meditation, Enchanted Forest, and Night Adventure, and Philips says each one of these color schemes features a unique mix of colors.

Philips Hue Go will be available in the U.S. at the end of May or in early June, and it will be priced at $99.95. Like other Hue lights, it will be available in the Apple Store, at Best Buy, and on Amazon.com.