Apple Working on New Beats Music Service Integrated into OS X and iOS, Available on Android

Apple is working on a new Beats-based paid music streaming service that will be deeply integrated into iTunes on Mac and the stock Music app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, according to 9to5Mac. The report claims that the Apple-designed streaming service will also be available for Android and through a new Apple TV app in the works.

“Based heavily upon cloud streaming, Apple’s new service is centered around the user’s music library. A new search feature will be able to locate any song in the iTunes/Beats catalog, and users will be able to stream music from the catalog as well as add songs to their personal libraries. Users will be able to select specific tracks to store on their iOS devices and/or computers, or keep all songs solely in the cloud. Apple will also deeply integrate Beats Music’s Playlists, Activities, and Mixes features into the new service, letting users access a vast array of pre-made, human-curated playlists to fit various activities.”

The report adds that Beats Music users will be able to merge their existing account with an iTunes/Apple ID account for seamless transition to the new service. The app’s design will shift away from the traditional red and black branding of Beats and feature a user interface that resembles the look and feel of iTunes and the stock Music app on iOS. New social features will also be included for sharing music and playlists with friends.

Apple’s new subscription-based service is expected to cost $7.99 per month, cheaper than the $9.99 per month charged by Beats Music and competing services such as Spotify, Rdio and Google Play Music. While the new Beats service will inevitably have some overlap with iTunes Radio, iTunes Match and the iTunes Store, the report claims that Apple will retain all three offerings.

While Beats Music is available for Android, this new service will mark the first time that Apple develops an Android app in house. Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously expressed that he does not have an issue developing an app for Android if the circumstances make sense, but this will be the first time the company actually delivers on that idea. Unlike Beats Music, however, no Windows Phone app will be offered.

Due to some personnel changes and other difficulties in the collaboration between Apple and Beats, which the iPhone maker acquired last year for $3 billion, the timeline for this new streaming service project remains in jeopardy. The report claims that while Apple originally planned to launch the service in March, sources claim that the company is now more likely to launch the service at WWDC in June.

Apple in Talks With Content Providers for Web-Based TV Service

Rumors about Apple’s television plans have died down in recent months as no new product has appeared, but the company hasn’t given up on TV. According to industry executives that spoke to Re/code, Apple is in talks with television programmers over deals that would see the company potentially offering a web TV service.

Such a service would potentially allow Apple to offer a television service that would be streamed over the web, providing access to a bundle of channels from participating programmers. The service would not include a full lineup of channels like traditional cable, but it would offer a range of content delivered by Apple with its own interface.

The theory is that Apple would put together bundles of programming — but not the entire TV lineup that pay TV providers generally offer — and sell it directly to consumers, over the Web. That means Apple wouldn’t be reinventing the way TV works today, but offering its own version of it, with its own interface and user experience.

Apple is reportedly far enough along in the development of such a service that it has been showing potential programming partners demos of the service, talks remain in the early stages — pricing and a potential release timeline are unknown.

Apple originally had very ambitious plans for revamping television, which included a desire to create a subscription television service that would replace existing cable subscription packages, but was unable to move forward with that idea due to pushback from content providers.

After a string of failed negotiations, Apple scaled back on its television plans, aiming to wedge itself between cable companies and consumers by designing a set-top box that would play live television in lieu of a traditional cable box. Rumors suggested Apple was in talks with Comcast and Time Warner over such a service, which would also include cloud-based DVR functionality, but that did not materialize.

Apple has repeatedly failed to reach deals with content providers due to a reluctance to change the status quo, but as Re/code points out, the television industry has been shifting towards web-based models in recent months, and both Sony and Dish have managed to establish deals with programmers to provide live TV and video-on-demand over the web.

Apple TV rumors point to a Sling TV, PlayStation Vue competitor

It’s been about six months since we heard significant rumors about Apple + television and as predicted, here they are again. Re/code is hearing whispers that instead of trying to work with pay-TV companies like Time Warner Cable or Comcast, Apple will have its own over-the-top streaming service in the vein of the just-launched Sling TV, or upcoming services from Verizon and Sony. The rumor suggests Apple will license content directly from programmers, although its last go-round of negotiations suggesting a split in advertising revenue was not well-received. That similar services exist now certainly gives this round of rumors a shot in the arm, but Apple has been considering its next move in the living room for years without doing much. CEO Tim Cook mentioned last week that sales of the Apple TV have crossed 25 million units, and as usual the world is wondering what the company will do with its “hobby.” As always, until something is actually announced my advice is to remain skeptical.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Apple

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Source: Re/code

‘Tweetbot 2’ Yosemite Update in the Works, Will Be Available for Free [Mac Blog]

Tapbots, the company behind the popular Tweetbot Twitter client, today tweeted a tantalizing preview image of Tweetbot 2 for Mac, which has received a Yosemite-style redesign.

Based on the photo, Tweetbot 2 adopts many stylistic elements from Yosemite, allowing it to blend in well with the updated operating system. It features a flatter look with redesigned icons, plus a translucent navigation bar. It also uses circular profile photos, much like Tweetbot for iPhone.

According to Tapbots, the Yosemite update has been “more work than anticipated,” which explains why the Mac app has yet to see an update even though Yosemite launched in October. The company has also confirmed that Tweetbot 2 for Mac will be a free update.

Tweetbot for Mac made headlines last week when it temporarily disappeared from the App Store, leading some to speculate that it had reached its Twitter token limit, a restriction Twitter places on the number of users allowed for third-party Mac clients, but the disappearance was only temporary and Tweetbot returned to the Mac App Store after a day of absence.

Though Tapbots has confirmed that Tweetbot 2 for Mac is in the works, the company has not divulged a possible release date for the software. There is also no new word on a new iPad app, which has not been updated since June of 2014 and has not received an iOS 7 redesign.

Tweetbot for Mac can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $19.99. [Direct Link]

iPhone Keyboard Maker ‘Typo’ Ordered to Pay BlackBerry $860,000

Typo Products, a company that developed a BlackBerry-esque keyboard case for the iPhone, must pay BlackBerry $860,000 for continuing to sell its Typo case despite being ordered to cease sales in March.

The Typo keyboard was first announced in December of 2013 and was backed by media personality Ryan Seacrest (of American Idol fame). Seacrest reportedly invested $1 million into the product, which was the result of a desire to introduce a physical keyboard for the iPhone.

According to Seacrest and his partner Lauren Hallier, they saw many of their friends carrying two phones — one for typing and correspondence, presumably a Blackberry, and an iPhone for everything else. The keyboard that the duo developed, which snapped onto an iPhone, bore a marked resemblance to BlackBerry’s signature keyboards, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the company.

Original Typo iPhone case next to the BlackBerry Q10
Just a month after the Typo keyboard was announced, BlackBerry filed a lawsuit accusing Typo Products of “blatantly” copying the BlackBerry keyboard and infringing on BlackBerry patents. A judge agreed with BlackBerry, handing down the aforementioned injunction that banned the Typo from selling its keyboards, despite Typo’s argument that it was not harming BlackBerry as BlackBerry was already losing market share.

Typo ignored the injunction and continued selling its Typo keyboard cases, leading BlackBerry to file a contempt of court order in August, which resulted in today’s $860,000 fine. BlackBerry had initially asked for $2.6 million in penalties, plus attorneys’ fees for the violation.

In addition to continuing to sell the original keyboard case, Typo Products introduced the Typo2 keyboard for the iPhone 6 in December of 2014, which it says does not infringe on any BlackBerry patents. Typo2 features a sleeker design with a built-in keyboard that unfortunately blocks the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 6. Typo’s website currently sells Typo2 keyboards for both the iPhone 5/5s and the iPhone 6.

Typo2 for iPhone 6
In response to the fine levied against it, a Typo representative told Re/code that the ruling is “part of the ongoing patent litigation related to the initial Typo product” and that it “has no impact on the Typo 2.” A BlackBerry representative only had this to say: “The court’s order speaks for itself.”

Apple’s Beats Music service will be offered on Android

After acquiring Beats, it wasn’t clear what Apple was going to do with the company or its music service and technology. So far, Apple hasn’t ditched iTunes Radio, and all we’ve seen is Apple promoting Beats apps and headphones. That looks like it’ll change this year with Apple finally unveiling a service to compete with Spotify and Play Music.

The app in question will reportedly use a blend of Beats Music playlist and mood suggestions and personal library building backed by Apple’s enormous iTunes catalog. Users can pick out specific songs to stream, so long as it’s offered by Beats or iTunes, and you’ll be able to add those songs to your digital library like we’ve seen with Spotify and All Access.

The service is still being worked on and we likely won’t see a launch until later this year, and those close to the matter say we’ll probably see a subscription fee of less than 10 dollars, similar to All Access when it launched.

Interestingly, the service will be made available for Android, marking the first time Apple has released any of its software on an Android device. The app will stick to Apple’s design language, so don’t expect Material Design themes, but if you like the aesthetics of Apple’s applications, you’ll likely appreciate this new service.

The app won’t be made available online or on Windows Phone in contrast to what Beats Music offers now, so it looks like it’s going strictly iOS and Android.

Source: 9 to 5 Mac

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Universal Pictures to Release Steve Jobs Movie on October 9 [Mac Blog]

Universal Pictures will release the long-anticipated Steve Jobs movie on October 9, according to CNBC. The upcoming biopic, based on Walter Isaacson’s official biography of the late Apple co-founder, is directed by Danny Boyle and stars Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs and Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak. Universal took over the film in November.

The filming of the movie began last month in the garage of Steve Jobs’ childhood home, and will reportedly also take place at two auditoriums and a restaurant in the area. The movie will be focused upon three main scenes, including the unveiling of the NeXT computer, the debut of the original iMac, and the introduction of the iPod.

JUST IN: Universal Pictures says the Steve Jobs movie will be released on Friday, October 9, 2015. • $CMCSA

— CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) February 4, 2015

Apple Media Event Rumored for Late February, Apple Watch and 12″ MacBook Air Likely Topics

Apple may be planning to hold a special event during the month of February, according to French Apple-focused website iGen [Google Translate] (via iDownloadblog). The site’s sources, which are often reliable, suggest that the event might take place during the last week of February, potentially on Tuesday, February 24.

The event may see Apple once again showcasing the Apple Watch, which is set to debut in April, and it may also see the launch of the 12-inch MacBook Air. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently predicted that the upcoming notebook will debut in March, which is in line with a late-February unveiling.

Rendering of the 12-inch MacBook Air by Martin Hajek
Apple’s 12-inch MacBook Air is rumored to feature a new ultrathin design that does away with fans and introduces a revamped trackpad. It may include a low-power Core-M processor and it may be the first device to take advantage of the new reversible USB Type-C connector, which is much smaller and allows a USB cable to be inserted into a notebook in any orientation.

Apple may also use the event to unveil additional details on the Apple Watch, such as pricing and battery life. An event showing off the Apple Watch could explain why Apple has been asking some developers to have their apps ready to launch in the App Store in mid-February, as we reported last week. It’s possible that Apple will use apps from these developers to demonstrate additional capabilities of the watch.

Though rumored, a February event is by no means confirmed at this point, and it is unclear what else Apple might cover in addition to the Apple Watch and the 12-inch MacBook Air.

Apple’s Beats-based music service is reportedly headed to Android

There have been a few hints that Apple wants to integrate Beats Music into its existing software, but there are now signs that the tie-in will go especially deep — and that Android users won’t be left behind. Sources for 9to5Mac claim that Apple not only plans to weave Beats-based streaming into Apple TV, iOS and iTunes, but that it’s writing its own Android app from scratch (sorry, no Windows Phone version). The move wouldn’t be completely shocking given that Tim Cook said he was cool with Android apps when they made sense, but it’d still represent an important milestone for a company that frequently tries to get away from Google.

As for what the service entails? Not surprisingly, it’s reported to be a best-of-both offering. You could search for anything in the Beats or iTunes catalog, and you’d still see Beats’ human-made playlists and social networking. You could flag those tracks you want to hear offline, too. Importantly, Beats wouldn’t override Apple’s existing services. You could still use the likes of iTunes Match syncing and iTunes Radio streaming, even when they’re occasionally redundant.

How soon this Beats-backed technology would launch could be up in the air, though. The report backs rumors that Apple is trying to lower the price (possibly to $8 per month), which might depend on labels agreeing to different rates. Also, development is supposedly a “mess.” Apple may not be all that clear about its vision for the service, and veteran Apple staffers purportedly aren’t happy to see Beats engineers taking on important positions. While the reworked service was meant to launch in March, the tipsters now think it’s more likely to show up at the Worldwide Developers conference in June. However it shakes out, everything suggests that this Beats-based project is no small feat — Apple wants to take on streaming heavyweights like Spotify, even if it means delays and support for rivals’ platforms.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Apple

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Source: 9to5Mac