‘Swype’ Keyboard for iOS Named App of the Week, Available for Free [iOS Blog]

Normally priced at $0.99, Swype is one of the new third-party keyboard apps that was released alongside iOS 8, Apple’s newest operating system that enabled systemwide third-party keyboards for the first time.

Swype, from Nuance Communications, is a gesture-based keyboard that allows users to drag their fingers from key to key in order to create words quickly. The keyboard features a built-in predictive text engine that is able to determine what’s being typed, and it offers predictive punctuation to further speed up typing. As Apple’s App of the Week, the keyboard will be available at no cost for the next seven days.

Swype is the most accurate keyboard on the planet. Whether you type or Swype we enable you to input words faster and easier. It learns the way you type so the more you use it, the smarter it gets.

Product Features:
– Incredibly intuitive language models that accurately predict what you type or Swype
– Five beautiful themes – FREE on iPhone.
– Quickly enter symbols, punctuation and capital letters with Swype gestures
– Swype learns how you type. You can tell it to add or remove words from your personal dictionary
– You can Swype on your iPad as well as your iPhone

Swype, which has long been available on Android, also offers several different themes for custom looks and it will learn from its users to become more intelligent over time, offering improved text prediction capabilities.

In the App Store since September 17, Swype has proven to be one of the most popular third-party keyboards, garnering thousands of downloads. Swype is one of the few keyboards that does not require full access to an iPhone or iPad to function, but that also means it’s a slight bit more limited than other offerings, not offering cloud backups and syncing at this time.

Ahead of going free, the app was updated on November 4 to add 21 additional languages, intelligent emoji support, an improved iPad layout, customizable keyboard layouts, and more.

Swype can be downloaded from the App Store for free for the next week. [Direct Link]

SEC Investigating GT Advanced’s Trading Activity

It appears the United States Securities and Exchange Commission has launched an inquiry into GT Advanced’s trading activity, according to a new filing released today.

The SEC sent a letter to GT Advanced on October 15, letting the company know that it was seeking “certain information regarding trading activity in the Company’s securities,” along with more information on its sapphire business and securities offering dating back to January 1, 2013.

Shortly after GT Advanced filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, it became clear that GT’s CEO Thomas Gutierrez and COO Daniel Squiller had been selling off large amounts of stock, with some of the plans put in place just after production troubles surfaced in February 2014.

Gutierrez sold off 9,000 shares of GT Advanced stock a day before the iPhone 6 was announced as part of a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 Plan enacted in March. He earned $160,000 from that particular sale, but had also sold shares on several other occasions in 2014, netting more than 10 million dollars. Comparatively, Gutierrez sold no stock in 2013, ahead of the company’s Apple deal.

Squiller sold $1.2 million worth of stock in May, and made plans to sell off additional shares throughout 2014, garnering an additional $750,000 before the company’s October bankruptcy filing, and it appears that the well-timed divestitures have roused suspicion with the SEC.

After GT Advanced inked a deal with Apple in 2013, its stock began to rise significantly on rumors suggesting Apple would use the company’s sapphire in its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Stock prices went on to fall more than 1/3 in September after it became clear Apple had not opted to use sapphire for the devices.

According to court documents and leaked information, the deal between Apple and GT Advanced soured over the latter company’s inability to hit necessary milestones and the strict contract terms that Apple imposed on GT. Additional court documents were recently unsealed, and new details on the relationship could come to light as soon as tomorrow.

The two companies have already signed an agreement to dissolve their relationship, with GT Advanced planning to decommission and sell off furnaces to repay the $440 million it was loaned from Apple. GT has already begun shutting down its Arizona plant, with a final shutdown planned for December 31.

Apple Adds CBS News Channel to Apple TV [iOS Blog]

CBS News today announced the launch of a new ad-supported digital streaming news network, making the service available on the CBSNews.com website, CBS News apps for Windows and Windows Phone, and various connected television platforms. While the Apple TV was not announced as one of those platforms, a CBS News channel is indeed just debuted on Apple’s set-top box.

The network features a 60-minute format delivering live, updated news content from 9:00 AM – midnight ET every weekday at launch, and it takes advantage of the interactivity of digital platforms through a unique video player and on-screen interface. It gives viewers the full flexibility within each hour to control what they watch and when they watch it via DVR-like functionality that allows them to watch previous segments and jump back into live programming seamlessly and across devices.

Beyond the live coverage with simulcasts of breaking news, the new channel offers a variety of supplemental on-demand content from sources such as CBS affiliates, CNET, CBS Sports, Entertainment Tonight, and more.

U2’s Bono on Collaborating With Apple: ‘They Let Us Into the Labs’

With the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple announced a partnership with U2 that saw the band’s latest album distributed to iTunes users for free. In interviews following the launch of the album, U2’s manager suggested Apple and U2 had formed a “long-term” relationship that would see them collaborating on additional projects, and now U2 frontman Bono has shed a bit more light on the partnership.

At the Web Summit in Dublin that VentureBeat attended, Bono told the audience that Apple “let us into the labs,” suggesting the band’s been able to work with Apple on unreleased products and services. Bono went on to share a story about an interaction with Steve Jobs that hints at what U2 and Apple might be doing.

Image via Chris O’Brien of VentureBeat

To illustrate the kind of concepts U2 and Apple might be exploring, Bono told the story of being in a house in France with Steve Jobs a decade ago. Bono looked at a version of iTunes being displayed on a TV screen and asked Jobs if he liked design so much, then “why does that look like a spreadsheet?”

Bono said he had wondered why the album covers displayed on iTunes weren’t interactive or why they didn’t display archival photos, lyrics, or 3-D versions of band members: anything that would make for a more engaging visual experience with fans to complement the music.

Jobs replied that the operating system and the technology didn’t quite exist yet for such an experience.

“But it does now,” Bono said.

Over the course of the last few years, Apple has been facing declining music downloads, which has led the company to launch iTunes Radio and purchase streaming music service Beats Music. There are rumors suggesting Apple is planning both a dramatic overhaul of iTunes and a rebranding of Beats Music, possibly merging the two into one all-inclusive service, and it’s possible U2 is offering advice on new iTunes features.

Apple has also been aiming to get artists more involved in the music distribution process. In a recent interview, Apple employees and Beats co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine said Apple’s goal was to bring together the people who create art with those who distribute it, which has been evidenced in the company’s recent endeavors with U2.

In addition to his comments on what the band might be working on with Apple, Bono told the audience that U2 “wanted to work with the creative people at Apple, and that Jony Ive is a guy he’d “like to be in a band with. He’d be like a bigger Edge.” He also commented on the negative reaction that the “Songs of Innocence” album garnered from some users, which he apologized for in October, saying “We got a lot of people who weren’t interested in U2 to be mad at U2. I would call that an improvement in the relationship.”

Amazon Unveils Echo, a Speaker With a Siri-Like Voice Assistant

Amazon today unveiled a new product called Echo, a cylindrical piece of hardware with a built-in Siri-style voice assistant that’s able to answer a variety of requests and perform functions like playing music.

The cloud-connected Echo is entirely controlled by voice and will wake to answer a question when the word “Alexa” is spoken. Like Siri, it can answer questions like “What time is it?” “What’s the weather like?” and more, plus it’s able to complete tasks like setting an alarm, playing music, or creating a shopping list.

According to Amazon, Echo uses far-field voice recognition capabilities with seven microphones to detect a request from anywhere in a room, and its downward-firing speakers “can fill any room with immersive sound.” Echo lets users have access to Amazon Music, Prime Music, iHeartRadio and TuneIn, and with built-in Bluetooth, Echo is also able to play music from a phone or tablet.

As it’s connected to the cloud and Amazon Web Services, Echo is designed to learn and gain functionality over time, and an accompanying Amazon Echo app (Android/Fire OS only) or web interface is what lets Echo create alarms, music playlists, shopping lists, and more.

Echo is priced at $99 for Amazon Prime members and $199 for non-Prime members, but currently users must request an invitation from Amazon to be allowed to purchase the device.

How to Enable Text Message Forwarding and Answer Phone Calls on Your Mac [iOS Blog]

With the release of OS X Yosemite, Apple has included a new set of “Continuity” features that connect iOS devices and the Mac in a number of ways. Most notably, Continuity allows users to place and answer calls with their Macs and iPads that are forwarded through the iPhone.

Similarly, Macs and iPads can now receive SMS messages, even ones sent from non-Apple devices. Before the launch of iOS 8.1 and OS X Yosemite, Macs and iPads could only receive iMessages, as SMS messages were limited to the iPhone via traditional delivery. iMessages are a part of Apple’s proprietary messaging service made for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, while SMS messages are usually intended for communications between mobile phones. Users can now also send SMS messages to any kind of device from the Mac and iPad. Apple previously referred to this feature as “SMS Relay” before the debut of iOS 8.1, but officially refers to it as “Text Message Forwarding” in the Settings app.

The ability to answer calls and SMS messages on a Mac is especially useful when an iPhone is across the room charging or otherwise inaccessible. The iPhone being used to relay calls and texts can even be in sleep mode, meaning that users can manage all incoming calls and text messages entirely through their Mac and iPad.

Before You Start

You need iOS 8.1 and OS X Yosemite in order to forward phone calls and SMS messages from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad. You also need to make sure that both your Mac and iPhone are logged into the same iCloud account. Phone calls and SMS routing are compatible with any iPhone and iPad running iOS 8.1 and any Mac that supports OS X Yosemite. Also, the Wi-Fi calling feature needs to be off to enable call forwarding, so ensure it is disabled by going to by going to Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calls.

Steps to Enable Text Message Forwarding

1. Turn on Wi-Fi on your iPhone (Settings -> Wi-Fi) and Mac (Menu Bar -> Wi-Fi -> Turn Wi-Fi On. SMS forwarding will still work between the Mac and an iOS device even if both are using different Wi-Fi networks.

2. Turn on Bluetooth on your iPhone (Settings -> Bluetooth) and Mac (Menu Bar -> Apple -> System Preferences -> Bluetooth -> Turn Bluetooth On).

3. On your Mac, open the Messages app and navigate to Menu Bar -> Messages -> Preferences -> Accounts -> Click on iMessage account -> Check the boxes next to your phone number and email. If your email is not listed, click Add Email and enter your email.

4. On your iPhone, add your email address to your iMessage by going to Settings -> Messages -> Send & Receive. A registered email for iMessage is required in order to enable text message forwarding.

5. Turn on Text Message Forwarding on your iPhone by going to Settings -> Messages -> Text Message Forwarding -> Turn Text Message Forwarding On. A prompt will appear asking you to enter an activation code. The activation code will appear in your Mac’s Messages app. Enter the activation code from your Mac in the prompt shown on your iPhone. An activation code is required for every device that you want to include in text message forwarding.

6. You will now be able to answer any incoming text message on your Mac. Text messages sent to your iPhone will also automatically appear as a push notification on your Mac in the upper-right corner. When a text message appears, you can answer it by clicking “Reply”. Text messages will also appear in the Messages app on your Mac.

Steps to Enable Phone Call Forwarding

1. Turn on Wi-Fi on your iPhone (Settings -> Wi-Fi) and Mac (Menu Bar -> Wi-Fi -> Turn Wi-Fi On. Call forwarding requires both of your devices to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

2. Turn on Bluetooth on your iPhone (Settings -> Bluetooth) and Mac (Menu Bar -> Apple -> System Preferences -> Bluetooth -> Turn Bluetooth On).

3. Turn on iPhone Cellular Calls on your Mac (FaceTime -> Preferences -> Turn On iPhone Cellular Calls) and iPhone (Settings -> FaceTime -> iPhone Cellular Calls).

4. You may now begin placing and answering phone calls on your Mac. Incoming calls to your iPhone will appear as a push notification on your Mac in the upper-right corner. When a call appears, you have the option to answer it by clicking “Accept” or ignore it by clicking “Decline”. You can also click on the arrow to the right of the Decline option and can then choose to send a text message or create a reminder to return the call later.

When you’re on a call, you can silence yourself by clicking “Mute” or switch to a FaceTime video call by clicking “Video”. If another person calls during your current phone call, you will also have the option to click “Hold & Accept” and can even switch between calls by clicking the connected arrows. You can also click “Merge” to merge both calls. If you want to transfer the call from your Mac back to your iPhone, unlock your iPhone tap the “Touch to return to Call” banner.

You can also make phone calls from a number of apps on the Mac, including Contacts, Safari, Mail, Maps and Spotlight. For example, you can call a business after searching for its information in Maps, and can highlight and call a phone number when one is displayed in Safari.

Troubleshooting

A number of users have had difficulty with trying to enable text message and phone call forwarding for their Macs. For text message forwarding, users on our forums have reported that a combination of logging out and back into iCloud on their devices, turning iMessage off and on in the iPhone’s Settings app, disabling and enabling Bluetooth, and restarting both devices fixed their problems. If the activation code to set up text message forwarding is not showing up on your Mac, ensure that an email address is activated for iMessage on your iPhone. Once again, you can activate an email for iMessage on your iPhone by going to Settings -> Messages -> Send & Receive.

Meanwhile, users attempting to fix problems with call forwarding have found that the most common solutions include rebooting both devices, logging out and back into iCloud on their devices, and turning FaceTime off and back on in the iPhone’s Settings app. Other users have found that having Wi-Fi Calling enabled on the iPhone has caused call forwarding to not work, so once again ensure that setting is off by going to Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calls.

Aaron Sorkin Discusses Steve Jobs Movies and the Pressures of Writing

In a newly posted video clip, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin spoke to Bloomberg‘s Emily Chang about his upcoming Steve Jobs biopic that is expected to begin filming sometime next year. When asked why he was filming yet another movie about the Apple co-founder, Sorkin noted that Steve Jobs’ life could provide content for at least ten movies.

I think that you could do ten more movies about Steve Jobs, and I think if you lined up ten writers and said “write a movie about Steve Jobs”, you’d get ten different movies, all of them worth going to see.

Though he spoke relatively freely about Steve Jobs, such as mentions of the three times he spoke with Jobs on the phone including one where he “fixed a couple of typos” in Jobs’ famous Stanford 2005 commencement speech, Sorkin did not address the casting for his upcoming movie, which has been in flux over the past year.

Early reports had Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Bradley Cooper allegedly considered for the leading role, and just weeks ago Sorkin announced Christian Bale was selected without audition for the part. Bale has, however, reportedly pulled out of the project and Michael Fassbender is now reportedly in talks for the role.

Sorkin went on to address the pressure he faces in writing the movie, noting it is “the same pressure that I feel when I’m writing anything…maybe with a little bit of sauce on top of pressure because he is a person that so many people have so many strong feelings about.” He notes that he has met extensively with the other seven main characters in his Jobs movie, including Steve Wozniak, former Apple CEO John Sculley, and former Mac marketing chief Joanna Hoffman.

The film will include 30-minute segments that focus on three major Apple product announcements with Danny Boyle of Slumdog Millionaire fame as director. Seth Rogen reportedly is in talks to play Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, while Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain may also play an unspecified role in the film.

Sorkin’s full interview will air tonight at 8:30 pm ET/PT on Bloomberg’s Studio 1.0.

Twelve South Launches SurfacePad Case for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus [iOS Blog]

Popular Apple accessory company Twelve South today introduced a new addition to its line of SurfacePad cases, the SurfacePad for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The leather case is designed for ultimate portability, with an ultra thin folding design and the ability to transform into a hands-free display stand.

The SurfacePad case attaches to the back of the iPhone using the company’s “SurfaceGrip technology”, which Twelve South claims to allow the removal and reattachment of the case repeatedly.

With two separate slots for credit cards in the front cover, the case bills itself as a companion of sorts to Apple’s new Apple Pay feature.

The inside front cover of SurfacePad for iPhone 6 has two slots for cards. Thanks to Apple Pay and Passbook, you can keep your bank cards and tickets on your iPhone and your ID and transit cards in your SurfacePad. Or simply use the slots for an occasional night on the town with your ID and Bank Card. SurfacePad’s two card slots are the perfect complement to your new lighter Apple Pay world.

Fun new features and the big, beautiful Retina HD display give you so many reasons to use iPhone 6 hands-free, that a case without a stand is not an option anymore. Fortunately, SurfacePad’s built-in stand is perfect for watching movies, hanging out with friends on FaceTime, and taking timed group photos. Flex the back of SurfacePad to put iPhone into display mode, and you’ll be ready for hands-free selfies, watching game highlights at the bar or catching a TED Talk in your favorite coffee shop.

The SurfacePad for iPhone 6 is the latest iteration in a long line of SurfacePad cases for Apple products. The company announced a case for the iPad Mini earlier in the year, and already makes cases for older model iPhones and MacBooks.

SurfacePad for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is available in Black, Red, White, and Camel. It can be purchased on the Twelve South website at $39.99 for the iPhone 6 model and $49.99 for the iPhone 6 Plus.

Pixelmator for Mac Updated With Redesigned Interface, OS X Yosemite Support [Mac Blog]

Popular Mac Photoshop alternative Pixelmator was today updated to version 3.3 “Limestone,” introducing a redesigned interface, a repair tool extension, and support for several OS X Yosemite features including iCloud Drive and Handoff. The update also brings support for the new iMac with Retina 5K display.

Pixelmator‘s subtle redesign was inspired by OS X Yosemite, bringing a flatter look and translucency to many interface elements to help the editing app blend in better with Apple’s newest Mac operating system.

The app now includes full iCloud Drive support, making it easy to access images on any iOS device or Mac, and with Handoff, users can start editing an image on a Mac and instantly switch to Pixelmator‘s recently released iPad app with just a tap. There are also new Repair Tool Action Extensions, letting users edit images in Mail or TextEditor using Pixelmator tools.

Pixelmator 3.3 Limestone adds complete OS X Yosemite feature and technology support and embraces new Continuity features, like Handoff, so you can switch instantly between Mac and iPad apps, as well as iCloud Drive support, so you can safely store and access all your images on the device you have at that time.

Support for OS X Extensions offers an advanced-technology Repair Tool in apps like Mail or TextEdit. You can now easily remove objects and repair images right in the app you are using, without even having to open Pixelmator. Just add your picture to the message or document and use the extension tool to enhance it.

The 3.3 update is rolling out now and is available for free to all existing Pixelmator users. Pixelmator can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $29.99. [Direct Link]