Apple’s iPad event is happening tomorrow, get your liveblog here!
Apple’s holding one of its big keynotes tomorrow, and you know what that means, right? Damn straight you do: We’ll be there, liveblogging the whole thing, with up-to-the-minute news updates and (Tim Cook willing) hands-on impressions of all the new stuff. So will we see new iPads? Almost certainly. iMacs? Yeah, maybe. Whatever it is, we only have a day until Apple sets the record straight. Bookmark our liveblog and meet us back there in t-minus 24 hours to watch it all unfold.
Filed under: Announcements, Tablets, Apple
Apple leaks iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 ahead of official announce
Well, this is a bit unlike Apple — the company appears to have accidentally spilled the beans about the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, which are expected to be announced tomorrow. Representations of both devices showed up in a screenshot of the iPad User Guide for iOS 8.1, which we’re also expecting new details about tomorrow. We can’t tell much from the image, but it does confirm that Cupertino’s tablets will be getting Touch ID. A later screenshot also details burst shooting mode, which will be coming to the iPad Air 2, but not the mini 3, according to the document. However, downloading the book didn’t reveal any additional info. In fact, there’s no trace of the content leaked via the preview screenshots at all.
While the leak may seem like a careless mistake, the more cynical out there will note that this happened just moments after Google announced its latest Nexus devices. It might be a coincidence, or the notoriously media savvy company might be trying to push the competition out of the news cycle as fast as possible.
[Image via 9to5Mac]
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, Apple
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: iTunes
Apple to Cease Selling Fitbit Activity Tracking Devices in Stores
Apple has plans to stop selling Fitbit’s line of activity tracking devices in its stores as it prepares to launch its own Apple Watch in the coming months, reports Re/code.
While it is not known why Apple plans to cease selling Fitbit products, its decision comes shortly after Fitbit told its users that it had no plans to integrate with Apple’s HealthKit at the current time, as it was “working on other exciting projects” for its users.
Fitbit’s line of activity trackers are similar in function to the Apple Watch, offering users the ability to track their steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, stairs climbed, and sleep quality. Recent rumors have suggested Fitbit has several new devices in the works that will launch soon, with all of the above features plus a heart rate monitor. A heart rate monitor is one of the key features of the Apple Watch.
Apple sells many other types of fitness tracking devices both in its online store and in retail locations, including the UP from Jawbone and the Nike Fuelband, and it is unclear whether Apple will continue to sell these devices or if the ban is limited to Fitbit.
Fitbit’s activity trackers won’t be the first products Apple has stopped selling in recent weeks. Just last week, news surfaced that Apple was preparing to remove Bose audio products from its stores. While the reason for that removal was unclear, it was likely related to Apple’s recent Beats Electronics acquisition. Apple has indeed gone ahead and started removing the headphones from its retail stores according to both Twitter users and tips received by MacRumors.
Apple’s iPad User Guide for iOS Confirms iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 3 With Touch ID
Apple appears to have mistakenly updated its iPad User Guide for iOS 8 [Direct Link] with screenshots that divulge details on the company’s upcoming iPad updates. The screenshots, designed for its upcoming iOS 8.1 updates, suggests new iPads referred to as the “iPad mini 3″ and the “iPad Air 2″ are coming tomorrow.
Both tablets are confirmed to have Touch ID support in the guide and the design of the two tablets appears to be largely the same as the existing versions. Rumors have suggested the second-generation iPad Air may be thinner than the original version due to new integrated display, but that is not clear from the screenshots.
Apple will introduce the next-generation iPad Air and Retina iPad mini tomorrow, at an event held on its Cupertino campus. Along with Touch ID, the iPad Air is said to be gaining an A8X processor, an upgraded camera, a new anti-reflective display, and a gold color option. It is unclear if the iPad mini will receive updates beyond Touch ID support as rumors have suggested Apple is aiming to focus on its larger, more popular tablet.
Google Play Store downloads beat out iOS App Store downloads in volume by 60%
According to the latest numbers about app store downloads, Google’s Play Store sees about 60% more volume for downloads than Apple’s App Store. There were roughly 160 million downloads in Q3 on the Play Store, while the App Store only saw about 100 million. Both are impressive numbers however you slice, but Android’s enormous market share globally is really showing through here.
On the opposite end of that, however, the App Store is still consistently bringing in more revenue. Apple makes about 60% more revenue than Google does with their store, much of which can be attributed to the fact that Android gets a ton of its market share from developing countries that are significantly less likely to make any purchases on an app store. When customers do make purchases on the Play Store, it seems like the majority of those buys are on games. Just about all of Google’s revenue growth in the US and South Korea this quarter came from mobile games, not apps.
This report is pretty consistent with what we usually see. Android maintains the lead in volume and numbers, while iOS tends to bring in more money.
source: The Next Web
Come comment on this article: Google Play Store downloads beat out iOS App Store downloads in volume by 60%
Apple Reportedly Rolling Out New ‘3D-Like’ Apple Logo Designs for Upcoming Products
Apple may be enhancing the iconic look of its Apple logo on upcoming products, claims Digitimes in a report sourced from Taiwan-based supply chain insiders. While the site has a sketchy history with Apple rumors, it does sometimes offer accurate information and this is a rather specific and unique claim that could mark an interesting visual change for Apple’s future products.
According to these anonymous sources, Apple has been developing new cutting and etching technology that will give the Apple logo a “3D-like” appearance.
Apple is also planning to upgrade the technologies used for printing its logo onto devices and will use laser cutting and unique embedded technologies to make the logo 3D-like and shine at the edges. All Apple’s products will feature the new logo in 2015, starting with the next-generation iMac, the sources detailed.
Apple is actually expected to introduce the new iMac, which is presumably the machine the report refers to as the first with the new logo, at tomorrow’s media event.
The site also claims Apple will unveil its new 12-inch Retina MacBook Air at tomorrow’s event, but this is all but confirmed to be false, as a report from the very reliable Re/code noted earlier this week that the Retina MacBook Air will not be introduced at the event.
Apple will kick off its media event on Thursday at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. Apple is expected to unveil new iPads, new iMac models and the final details on OS X Yosemite. The possibility of a new Mac mini also was mentioned in one report earlier this year, but further details on this potential desktop refresh have been nonexistent.
Skype for iPhone Now Optimized for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus [iOS Blog]
Skype today announced the release of version 5.6 of its iPhone app, bringing with it a user interface that is scaled for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. This is the second significant Skype update in less than a month and follows an iOS 8-optimized version that debuted at the end of September.
The latest version of Skype for iPhone now supports all device screen sizes from the 3.5-inches of the iPhone 4 up to the 5.5-inches of the new 6 Plus. The biggest difference will be seen by iPhone 6 Plus owners, who now will be able to view additional messages and chat logs on the larger screen.
The full change log for the 5.6 release includes changes to the contact profiles and general improvements to the app.
What’s New in Version 5.6
• Native resolution support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6+
• Presence indicators are now displayed in the “recent” list
• Number of contacts and time zones are now shown on contact profiles
• Individual conversations can be marked as read/unread
• Notification sounds are disabled in “Do not disturb” mode
• General Improvements
Skype for iPhone [Direct Link] is available for free from the iOS App Store.
Ireland will eliminate Apple’s sweet tax deal within four years
Apple and other tech giants had better not lean too heavily on Ireland’s super-favorable tax environment; at least one big perk is going away. Finance minister Michael Noonan has detailed a new budget that, among other things, will phase out the “double Irish” system that let companies operating in Ireland (including Apple) move their revenue to an Ireland-registered offshore tax haven. As of 2015, companies incorporated in the country will have four years to make sure that they’re also tax resident — that is, they’ll pay the same as any other corporation operating on the Emerald Isle.
Not that foreign firms will necessarily be dying to leave. Noonan is keeping Ireland’s lower-than-average 12.5 percent corporate tax, and there will be big tax breaks for companies that conduct research and development on its soil. In essence, the minister is trying to strike a very careful balance. He wants to appease European Union investigators who say that Apple and its peers are flouting the law, but he also doesn’t want to raise taxes so much that these companies bolt toward other nations that offer considerably better deals. However well this strategy works, it’s safe to say that the move won’t have American companies repatriating their cash any time soon.
[Image credit: Anthony Sigalas, Flickr]
Filed under: Misc, Apple, Google, Facebook
Via: The Guardian
Source: Department of Finance
Apple’s iPhone 6 and Apple Watch Event Fees Paid to De Anza College Top $1 Million
Apple’s September iPhone 6 and Apple Watch event marked the first time the company held an event at the Flint Center on the campus of De Anza College since the introduction of the original iMac in 1998, and The Wall Street Journal reports the latest event resulted in Apple paying the college over $1 million for the privilege, including costs for campus disruption and security.
According to the records, the cost included a “disruption fee” to the college of $500,000, rental fees for campus buildings and around-the-clock security involving more than 35 officers from three departments. […]
The agreement was dated Aug. 14, almost a month before its event, but it refers to a confidentiality agreement signed in June by the district and Apple.
The agreement specifies that confidentiality is a “key element,” in order to achieve the “surprise and delight that characterize” Apple’s marketing.
Apple agreed to pay $55,000 to use the college’s Media and Learning Center, $92,000 for the Campus Center and nearly $10,000 for two parking lots. Apple was also responsible for restoring the balustrades surrounding the sunken garden where the temporary structure was located, at an estimated cost of $400,000 to $450,000.
Campus police, Santa Clara County sheriffs, and Mountain View police all contributed to the security detail that was on site for nearly a month leading up to the event.
Apple’s next event takes place tomorrow, but will be a much smaller affair held in the Town Hall auditorium on the company’s headquarters campus in Cupertino. The event kicks off at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, and the company is expected to unveil new iPads, introduce updated iMacs with a Retina display on at least the larger model, and offer a final look at OS X Yosemite before its public launch.
Apple and Facebook will cover the cost of freezing employees’ eggs
Apparently, Facebook has been offering to cover the costs of egg freezing for female employees since January 1st this year, and you know who’s following in its footsteps? Apple. The iPhone-maker plans to offer the same service to its employees starting in January 2015. According to NBCNews, these two might just be the first employers willing to pay for the entire cost of egg freezing for non-medical reasons, which means everyone qualifies for the benefit, not just cancer patients for whom the procedure was originally intended. Most likely, employers hope to encourage female staff members to stay with them even during the last few years most women can conceive (late 30’s to early 40’s), as those are also the years one typically takes on senior positions. They’re probably also betting on the move to save them recruiting and hiring costs in the long run, while keeping top talent around and promoting gender diversity at the same time.
Egg freezing, as you might have guessed, allows women to store their egg cells until they’re ready to get pregnant. These eggs taken during a woman’s younger years have better chances of being fertilized later on, though the procedure doesn’t guarantee a 100 percent success rate. Harvesting around 10 eggs cost around $10,000, with storage adding $500 per year to that amount — both Facebook and Apple are willing to cover up to 20 grand.
While we’re sure there are many women who’d love to take advantage of the opportunity, this move will surely face a lot of criticisms. Some might view it as a ploy to make women sacrifice their childbearing years all for the sake of climbing up the corporate ladder. Others might be worried that having this option readily available places additional pressure on women to put having children on hold. Harvard Law School professor Glenn Cohen also raised a valid point in a blog post last year, where he asked: “…would [female employees] take this as a signal that the firm thinks that working there as an associate and pregnancy are incompatible?”
Still, egg freezing advocates believe it’s the right time to offer the procedure as a perk at work, as more and more people become open to the possibility of going through it. According to the founder of Extend Fertility, which promotes egg freezing in the US, more women now also view it as a means of empowerment and not just their last chance to have a child.
[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Science, Apple, Facebook
Source: NBCNews
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