Apple Notifying Aperture Users of Impending Removal From Mac App Store
Apple has sent an email to Aperture customers this afternoon as a reminder about the impending removal of the professional photo editing software from the Mac App Store. The email confirms that Aperture will be removed from the Mac App Store upon the release of Photos for OS X as we initially reported last month.
“When Photos for OS X launches this spring, Aperture will no longer be available for purchase from the Mac App Store. You can continue to use Aperture on OS X Yosemite, but you will not be able to buy additional copies of the app.
You can migrate your Aperture library to Photos for OS X, including your photos, adjustments, albums, and keywords. After migrating, your Aperture library remains intact. However, Aperture and Photos do not share a unified library, so any changes made after the migration will not be shared between the apps.”
Aperture users will be able to continue using the software on OS X Yosemite following its discontinuation, although the app will no longer be available for purchase on the Mac App Store and new feature updates are not planned. Aperture users can migrate their photo libraries to Photos for OS X, including photos, adjustments, albums and keywords.
Photos for OS X will be available this spring for OS X Yosemite.
Gmail for iOS Updated With Quick Actions, Share Sheet and Attachment Viewer [iOS Blog]
Google on Thursday updated Gmail for iOS with a trio of notable new features: quick actions, the ability to email files from other apps and a new attachment viewer. Gmail users on iPhone and iPad can now attach photos and documents to Gmail from other apps such as Instagram using the updated in-app share sheet, and open attachments from Gmail into any app.
Taking advantage of Apple’s addition of interactive notifications in iOS 8, quick actions enable Gmail users to archive or reply to emails directly from a notification without leaving the app. The functionality also works for notifications in Notification Center and on the Lock screen. The latest release of Gmail for iOS pushes the app to version 4.0 on the App Store.
What’s New in Version 4.0
• Take quick actions – Archive or reply to messages directly from a notification
• Email files from other apps – Attach photos and documents to Gmail right from your favorite apps
• New attachment viewer – Open attachments from Gmail into any app
Gmail for iOS [Direct Link] is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.
CEO of Cyanogen: Samsung and Apple to get slaughtered by startups within 5 years
After forming their own corporation with a round of funding, partnering with OnePlus, and now Qualcomm, things are looking up for Cyanogen. CEO Kirt McMaster sat down with Business Insider to talk about the company, and one interesting tidbit came out of the interview.
Kirt believes that Samsung and Apple won’t be able to stay at the top for long. It won’t be companies like Huawei, LG, Motorola, or HTC that will knock them off their perch though, it will be various startups making low cost handsets. Cyanogen could actually be part of that craze as their software will be part of Qualcomm’s Reference Design (QRD) devices that will release in April. Basically it’s the complete software and hardware package that any startup can use to bring a phone to market within 60 days.
There are already experienced companies like Blu Products in Latin America and Cherry Mobile in the Philippines. According to Kirt…
“All of these guys are arising. They understand local marketing and distribution better than any incumbent that attempts to move into the region. These guys are hustlers; they’re fast moving. They know what it takes to influence market dynamics.”
Samsung and Apple might not even have 5 years according to Kirt….
“It could get pretty bad pretty damn quick. This is often the case. Look what happened to Research In Motion (RIM). Look what happened to Nokia. Last summer Micromax surpassed Samsung as the dominant feature phone player in India. We’re talking literally in eight months this occurred.”
We know that all companies can’t stay on top forever so predicting one’s doom seems bold, but at the same time, when it does happen, the person who predicted it looks brilliant. But let’s not forget that all companies don’t necessarily collapse. Look at Facebook. How many people have been predicting their impending doom as they continue to get bigger and more dominating?
Still, Samsung and Apple need to watch their backs and I am sure they already are. Apple might actually be more in danger since they don’t know how to produce low cost products. At the same time Apple never set out to be the best in terms of market share. They set out to offer the best product. Best or not, lower market shares yield lower profits, which make investors miserable.
The bottom line is that the smartphone market is continuing to evolve and things are likely to be drastically different in a few years not only from many startups, but how about Project Ara? That could really change the game with all kinds of parts from manufacturers jumping on the bandwagon. How will Samsung and Apple fit into that equation?
Stay tuned because I think we are in for a wild ride.
source: Business Insider
Come comment on this article: CEO of Cyanogen: Samsung and Apple to get slaughtered by startups within 5 years
Apple Rumored to Offer Personal Engravings on Apple Watch [iOS Blog]
Apple may give customers the ability to engrave personalized messages onto the upcoming Apple Watch, according to French Apple and tech site iPhonote [Google Translate].
According to the website’s source, who remained anonymous due to their “involvement at Apple”, the company would offer an engraving option similar to that of products like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod lines.
The contact, however, remains unsure of whether the feature would be available on the Apple Watch’s launch date or not. They remain “almost certain”, however, that the customization option will emerge for the device eventually.
An engraving option certainly makes sense for Apple’s new fashion–focused wearable, especially considering that essentially all of the company’s mobile products include the personalization option, but the small footprint of the Watch does raise questions on where the actual engraving would be located.
The heart rate sensor located on the device’s backside takes up nearly all of the real estate of the 38mm or 42 mm device, although drastic character count limitations could perhaps fit truncated messages around the sensor. There’s also a possibility that more room could be found on the device’s side opposite the digital crown, but until Apple officially announces the engraving service, it remains to be seen where the personal messages would fit onto the wearable.
Despite being announced nearly six months ago, a number of details on the Apple Watch have yet to be revealed in the lead-up to its April launch. Last week, the company sent out invites for the “Spring Forward” media event to take place Monday, March 9 and for which most evidence points towards a heavy focus on pricing and launch day details for the new wearable device.
(Photo: aBlogtoWatch)
12.9-Inch ‘iPad Pro’ Again Rumored to Have Oxide LCD Display
Apple’s much-rumored 12.9-inch “iPad Pro” could have Oxide LCD display technology and will enter mass production in the third quarter of 2015, according to DigiTimes. The report, citing sources within the supply chain, claims that Apple has elected to use oxide panels for the tablet after weighing the cost versus performance of display technologies a-Si, TFT LCD and Oxide LCD.
“Market rumors over the last six months have stated that Apple would aim to release the device in the first half of the year, with mass production occurring in the first quarter. The company, however, has been assessing different panel technologies ranging from a-Si, TFT LCD and Oxide LCD in terms of cost versus performance, and has only recently decided to move forward with Oxide technology.”
The report adds that Sharp, LG Display and Samsung Display have been sending Apple display samples as they compete to secure component orders for the iPad Pro. Sharp is expected to be the main supplier due to its advantages in Oxide LCD display production, with LG also in the running to be a secondary vendor. The panel suppliers will reportedly produce limited supply in May and begin mass production in July and August.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a respectable track record at reporting on Apple’s upcoming product plans, also forecasted in November that the iPad Pro would be equipped with an oxide panel for “high resolution, quick response, and high color saturation,” with manufacturing difficulties pushing mass production of the tablet into the second quarter of 2015.
Bloomberg Business reported late Wednesday that Apple missed the mark on second quarter production of the iPad Pro and that manufacturing of the tablet is now slated to begin around September. The larger-screened tablet, rumored to potentially have USB 3.0 ports for faster data transfer, could help Apple reverse four quarters of declining iPad sales as overall tablet market growth has slowed.
BMW Denies Report of Electric Car Discussions With Apple
German carmaker BMW on Thursday denied that its discussions with Apple involved developing an electric car, according to Reuters. German automotive magazine Auto Motor und Sport reported hours earlier that Apple and BMW were in close negotiations about developing the automaker’s all-electric i3 vehicle into a so-called “Apple Car.”
“The BMW spokesman said: ‘We are in regular talks with companies from the IT and telecommunications sector, including Apple, concerning topics like connected vehicles. Developing or building a car is not a topic of these discussions.’”
The German report claimed that the electric car could be manufactured by BMW and sold at Apple Stores, with Apple developing a full-fledged operating system for the vehicle that integrates with the car’s fuel consumption and driving data. It is plausible that Apple is working to expand its CarPlay efforts on the dashboard, but it remains to be seen how closely integrated the platform will be with future vehicles.
Multiple reports claim that Apple is working on an electric car that is possibly self-driving and could enter production in 2020. Some other reports, however, downplay the rumors by suggesting that Apple is working on expanding its presence in vehicles through CarPlay. Any electric car project at Apple is likely in the early stages of research and development at this time.
$415 million settlement approved in Silicon Valley employee poaching case
Silicon Valley workers have had their major class action lawsuit against Apple, Google and several other major technology companies tentatively approved by the federal judge dealing with the case. The lawsuit seeks a $415 million settlement for illegal no-poaching agreements designed to prevent rival companies from hiring each other’s employees.
The issue for employees here is that these no-poaching agreements allegedly prevented staff from negotiating better jobs or pay conditions at rival firms, effectively unfairly limiting industry wages. The case was fuelled by numerous emails and other communications exchanged between high-level managers and CEOs at top Silicon Valley companies, which point to widespread agreements not to poach staff from competing firms.
Judge Lucy Koh had previously rejected the first proposal for a settlement valued at $324 million, as it was deemed too low to cover the wages lost by employees affected by the agreement. Companies involved in the case have agreed to increase the amount they would pay out in compensation, which, if agreed to, will avoid an embarrassing trial for some of the US’ leading technology firms.
The parties involved have three months to submit final comments before the judge approves the settlement on June 9th.
June WWDC Launch Looking More Likely for 12-Inch Retina MacBook Air
Despite rumors earlier this week suggesting the 12-inch Retina MacBook Air could see a launch during Apple’s upcoming March 9 media event, The Wall Street Journal tonight released a report indicating the notebook won’t be shipping until Q2 2015. The site shared the tidbit in a detailed report on upcoming features that might be added to the larger-screened 12.9-inch “iPad Pro.”
While suppliers are gearing up to ship the new 12-inch MacBook Air in large quantities in the second quarter, Apple’s launch schedule remains unclear, the people said.
A Q2 2015 shipment date for the 12-inch MacBook Air suggests Apple could be planning to launch the notebook around June, possibly at its Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple has launched products during WWDC before, introducing the Mac Pro in 2013 and the Retina MacBook Pro in 2012.
Rendering of the 12-inch MacBook Air next to an existing MacBook Air by Martin Hajek
Aside from a potential launch date for the notebook, there’s one other significant point of interest in The Wall Street Journal‘s report — a clear distinction between the 12-inch MacBook Air and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Some users have speculated that due to the similarity in screen size and the iPad-like features rumored for the 12-inch Retina MacBook Air, the two products are actually one, but this new report makes it very clear that Apple is developing two separate product lines.
Separately, Apple also plans to broaden its product offering with a new 12-inch MacBook Air, people familiar with the matter said.
Earlier this year, Apple’s suppliers started mass production of a 12-inch MacBook Air, featuring a higher resolution display, they said.
There is some convergence between the two products, despite the fact that one is an iPad and one is a MacBook. The 12-inch MacBook Air is rumored to have iPad-like colors, fewer ports, and no Magsafe charger, while tonight’s WSJ report points towards an iPad with USB ports, but it’s likely the two products will continue to be separated by operating system.
Though Apple may not plan to launch the 12-inch Retina MacBook Air during its March 9 event, there’s still a good chance the company may refresh its existing 11 and 13-inch MacBook Air lineup, which are overdue for an update. Screenshots said to be from a 13-inch MacBook Air with a Broadwell processor and integrated Intel HD 6000 graphics were shared this afternoon, suggesting a refresh is imminent.
Apple May Include USB 3.0 Ports on Upcoming 12.9-Inch ‘iPad Pro’
Following up on a report from earlier today claiming Apple has pushed back its plans for the so-called “iPad Pro”, asking suppliers to begin production in September rather than this quarter, The Wall Street Journal weighs in with its own claim that Apple is indeed now targeting the second half of this year for the mass production of the device.
Mockup of iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini
Beyond timing, the report also claims Apple is still tweaking plans for the iPad Pro’s design and feature set, with the company considering including USB 3.0 ports to accommodate data transfer and peripherals connectivity.
“Apple has continued to rework some of the features of the larger iPad. It is now considering the faster technology for data synchronization between the larger iPad and other computing devices,” said the person. [..]
The company has also been considering adding ports to connect to a keyboard and mouse, the people said.
Apple is reportedly also looking into ways to speed up charging time for the iPad Pro, as the device will almost certainly come with an even higher-capacity battery than the iPad Air family.
Finally, The Wall Street Journal‘s sources indicate the iPad Pro’s display does indeed measure 12.9 inches diagonally, marking a substantial increase over the iPad Air family’s 9.7-inch display. Rumors have been split between 12.9 inches and 12.2 inches for the iPad Pro’s display.
Apple Watch Site Lets Users Explore Different Band and Casing Combinations [iOS Blog]
Ahead of Apple’s upcoming “Spring Forward” event that is expected to see the company unveiling more information about the Apple Watch, a new website has been launched that allows users to explore all of the different casing and band combinations for the device.
Using images taken from Apple’s Apple Watch website, MixYourWatch lets users pair each of the six different Apple Watch casings (stainless steel, space gray stainless steel, aluminum, space gray aluminum, gold, and rose gold) with the 16 different bands made of fluoroelastomer, leather, and steel.
Rumors have suggested that Apple plans to allow users to purchase extra bands to wear with their Apple Watch devices, but the band options for the various models will be limited. For example, on Apple’s website, the Leather Loop band is only listed as being available for the 42mm Apple Watch, while the Modern Buckle is only available for the 38mm Apple Watch.
Some of the combinations are not particularly attractive, like the space gray aluminum Apple Watch paired the green fluoroelastomer band, and the site gives an excellent overview of how different Apple Watch combinations will look before the device’s launch.
Another site, launched yesterday, is also worth checking out. Watch Aware‘s Apple Watch apps site offers an interactive Apple Watch app experience, giving us a look at what apps will look like on the Apple Watch.
AIVAnet 