Jimmy Iovine: NFL Banning Beats Makes Us ‘Look Like Superheroes’ [iOS Blog]
Jimmy Iovine, Beats’ co-founder who joined Apple after the company acquired Beats in May, today spoke at the University of Southern California’s Global Conversation (via Business Insider) where he commented on the NFL’s recent decision to ban players from wearing Beats headphones in order to promote Bose headphones.
According to Iovine, the ban on Beats has been great for the brand. “I can’t believe I’m this lucky,” said Iovine, in reference to players who have begun wearing Beats headphones with tape over the logo to avoid fines. Iovine went on to say that Bose is “culturally inept.”
Colin Kaepernick wearing Beats headphones with logo covered. Image via Matt Maiocco
“What happened there, you have a tech company that’s culturally inept,” Iovine said. “There’s no one at the company that said, ‘If you ban these guys, you’re going to look bad to the young people, and they’re going to look like superheroes even though they’re just pure capitalists — well they’re not pure capitalists, but they’re real capitalists and [they] sold that company to Apple — but you’re going to make them look like the underdog.”
While Bose and the NFL signed a sponsorship agreement before the season began, the NFL decided earlier this month to ban players from wearing Beats headphones in front of television cameras to support its sponsor. Players are banned from wearing Beats headphones when conducting interviews during training camp, during practice sessions, and on game day, from before the event until 90 minutes after play has ended.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has an endorsement deal with Beats, defied the NFL’s ban and wore bright pink Beats headphones during a press conference, earning himself a $10,000 fine. Since then, Kaepernick has been seen again wearing the same bright pink Beats headphones, but he has placed tape over the Beats logo to avoid further fines.
In addition to being banned by the NFL, Beats headphones have also been banned from other major sporting events, including the World Cup and the 2012 London Olympics.
Apple Pay Roundup Updated
Tomorrow’s iPad-centric event may see Apple divulging more details on its upcoming payment service, including a release date.
Ahead of the event, we’ve updated our Apple Pay roundup with an in-depth explanation of how Apple Pay works, the security behind the technology, Apple’s partners, a prospective release date, and more. If you’ve got questions on Apple Pay, make sure to take a look at the roundup.
HBO to Introduce Standalone Web-Only Subscriptions in 2015
Popular premium cable channel HBO has announced plans to introduce a web-only subscription service designed for cable cutters in the coming months. According to HBO CEO Richard Plepler, who spoke at an investor presentation (via Re/code), the company will begin offering standalone HBO service that does not require a cable subscription in 2015.
“That is a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped. It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO.
“So, in 2015, we will launch a stand-alone, over-the-top, HBO service in the United States. We will work with our current partners. And, we will explore models with new partners. All in, there are 80 million homes that do not have HBO and we will use all means at our disposal to go after them.”
HBO’s decision to offer a standalone subscription is a major victory for cord cutters and the first major shift away from cable-only access to premium content. Cable companies like Time Warner and Comcast have been highly resistant to piecemeal pricing and companies like HBO have been reluctant to shift away from traditional cable delivery models in order to avoid upsetting existing revenue streams.
The television industry’s reluctance to shift to a new content delivery model that strays away from cable has long been rumored to be the major reason why Apple has been unable to deliver the revolutionary television experience that it originally envisioned.
Early rumors suggested Apple was aiming for an a la carte subscription television service that would replace existing cable packages, but the company eventually scaled back on its TV ambitions and is now said to be working with cable companies on a deal that would see it providing cable content overlaid with an Apple TV-style interface.
According to Plepler, HBO will work with “current partners” on its upcoming standalone service, which possibly suggests that the web-only version may allow Apple TV users to access HBO content on their set-top boxes without a cable subscription, but details on the product are scarce at this time.
It is not clear if the standalone service will be the same as the service provided to cable subscribers who opt for HBO, but presumably, the deal will give those who purchase the web-only subscription access to the company’s most popular shows like “Game of Thrones” and “True Detective.”
Doing it wrong: A visual history of awkward iPad photography
Did you know that Apple hasn’t changed the 5-megapixel camera on the iPad for three models running? It’s probably fair to hope that the company adding something to the tablet’s imaging prowess at tomorrow’s event. That said, is it really true that the best camera is “the one that’s with you,” if said snapper is a 9.7-inch slate? We decided to take a little trawl through some of history’s most notable iPad photography incidents to find out if people really are holding it wrong.
[Image Credit: Michael Sohn/AP]
iMac Roundup Updated
Apple is holding a media event tomorrow where it is expected to introduce a new 27-inch Retina iMac. Details are scarce, but find out what we know in our updated iMac roundup.
AT&T No Longer Offering Beats Music Subscriptions to Customers
AT&T is no longer offering Beats Music subscriptions to its subscribers as an add-on service, according to an AT&T employee who spoke to MacRumors. The cellular company has ceased giving customers the option to sign up for Beats Music when purchasing a new phone plan and the Beats Music website has been updated to remove its “Subscribe with AT&T” options.
AT&T employees have also been instructed to stop selling Beats Music subscriptions to customers, suggesting the partnership between Beats Music and AT&T has come to an end following Apple’s Beats acquisition.
AT&T subscription options formerly offered on the Beats Music Pricing page
Beats Music and AT&T first struck an exclusive deal shortly before the service’s initial debut, with AT&T offering multiple Beats Music subscription options, including a family pack that allowed users to share Beats Music with up to five family members. AT&T also offered extended trial periods of up to 90 days and promoted the music service to customers both online and in-store.
It’s likely the deal between Beats Music and AT&T has ended due to Apple’s $3 billion purchase of both Beats Music and Beats Electronics in May, but it is unclear why AT&T has been able to continue to offer Beats Music subscriptions up until October.
Rumors have suggested that Apple has plans to rebrand Beats Music, and its upcoming retooling may also be the reason behind the dissolution of the AT&T partnership. Along with changing the Beats Music name, Apple is said to be planning to introduce new features and it is also hoping to offer the service at a lower cost, asking music labels to cut their rates.
It is unknown when Apple plans to reveal its revamped music service, but rumors have hinted that its debut could come alongside the 2015 Grammy Awards in February, which means that Apple engineers and designers are likely already hard at work on the rebranding.
Apple plans to pull Fitbit’s activity trackers from its retail stores
Last week, news broke that Fitbit didn’t have any plans to beam its gathered data to Apple’s HealthKit offering. Recode reports that the folks in Cupertino are planning to pull the wearable company’s line of activity trackers from its retail stores’ shelves. While there may not be a link between the two, the timing certainly seems curious. Of course, Apple has it’s own wrist-worn device on the way, but we’d surmise that it wasn’t too thrilled with the outfit holding the largest share of the fitness-tracking market staying out of iOS 8’s Health app. Jawbone, Wahoo, Withings and others also have health-focused devices that are currently sold both in-store and online. Two new Fitbit gadgets leaked yesterday, so those offerings will seemingly have one less retailer to call home when they arrive. We reached out to Fitbit for a comment on the matter, and a statement from co-founder and CEO James Park resides after the break.
“As the #1 selling connected device with 69% year-to-date 2014 market share (source: NPD), Fitbit is currently sold in 46 countries and in over 37,000 retail stores, including Amazon, AT&T, Best Buy, Bloomingdales, Brookstone, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kohls, Microsoft Store, Nordstrom, REI, Target, The Sports Authority, Tory Burch, Verizon and Walmart. Fitbit looks forward to a robust holiday season as the connected health and fitness category continues its rapid growth.”
Source: Recode
Facebook and YouTube Apps Updated With iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Support [iOS Blog]
Facebook for iOS was today updated to version 16, adding support for the larger-screened iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices. The app’s new look introduces a smaller top bar, a slimmer bottom bar, and text that’s sized appropriately. With its iPhone 6 redesign, the Facebook app looks much nicer on Apple’s big-screen devices.
It is unclear what other changes the update brings, as Facebook’s release notes are the same notes the company has shared for the last several weeks, noting that it plans to bring App Store updates on a monthly basis.
Before iPhone 6 update on the left, after iPhone 6 update on the right
Along with Facebook, YouTube for iOS has also been updated with support for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, again introducing a new look that does away with the zooming that apps automatically employ to fit the larger-screened phones. YouTube‘s update also brings several different bug fixes to the app.
Now updated for iPhone 6. Includes bug fixes to:
– Prevent the status bar from overlapping the UI
– Address keyboard orientation issues
– Make scrubbing more responsive
– Show all playlists when adding videos
Facebook can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
YouTube can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Christian Bale in Talks to Star in Sony’s Steve Jobs Film
Actor Christian Bale is in talks to play the leading role in the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic being produced by Sony, reports Variety. Leonardo DiCaprio was originally in talks to play Jobs, but withdrew from negotiations earlier this month.
Penned by Aaron Sorkin, the Steve Jobs biopic was originally set to be directed by “The Social Network” director David Fincher, who was said to be in talks with Sony earlier this year, but the director title went to Danny Boyle instead, who also directed the hit movie “Slumdog Millionaire.”
When David Fincher was still attached to the project, he reportedly was hoping to cast Christian Bale in the lead role due to his undeniable resemblance to the former CEO. Christian Bale is also known for his ability to adapt to roles, shedding and gaining weight as necessary to accurately portray characters.
Ashton Kutcher famously starred as Steve Jobs in the “JOBS” movie that focused on the former Apple CEO’s younger years, but the Sony film will be quite different, using material from Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography. The film, which has yet to receive a release date, will focus on three separate 30-minute scenes depicting three of Apple’s product launches.
Mac Apps With OS X Yosemite-Specific Features Begin Hitting the App Store
Ahead of tomorrow’s media event that will likely see Apple previewing OS X Yosemite one last time ahead of the software’s public release, apps that contain support for Yosemite-only features have begun hitting the Mac App Store.
PCalc, a popular calculator app for Mac, for example, has been updated with full support for OS X Yosemite, offering a Notification Center Widget and Handoff capabilities.
The arrival of Mac apps with Yosemite support suggests that the new operating system will be debuting shortly after the upcoming media event, possibly arriving as soon as tomorrow. Apple has seeded three separate Yosemite GM candidates, suggesting the software is nearing completion.
OS X Yosemite introduces a system-wide redesign that brings a flatter, more modern look to OS X, with a heavy emphasis on translucency. The update includes a redesigned dock, a new look for windows, and a new “Dark Mode” option.
Along with a redesign, Yosemite also offers a range of new features, such as improved integration with iOS 8 through Continuity, a new “Today” view in the Notification Center that offers integration with third-party apps, a retooled Spotlight search with new data sources, and several new features for key apps like Mail, Safari, and Messages.
Like OS X Mavericks, OS X Yosemite will be available to all Mac users as a free download.
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