Apple Reportedly Planning to Shut Down Beats Music

Apple is planning to discontinue Beats Music, the streaming music service that it acquired as part of an acquisition of Beats Electronics back in May. According to TechCrunch, multiple sources that include “several prominent employees at Apple and Beats” have confirmed that Apple is shutting down the music service.

Many engineers from Beats Music have already been moved off the product and onto other projects at Apple, including iTunes. It’s not clear when exactly Jimmy Iovine and Dr Dre’s music service will be shut down or what Apple will do with streaming, but every source with knowledge of the situation that we talked to agreed Apple plans to sunset the Beats Music brand.

Apple first acquired Beats Music in May, and at the time, announced plans to leave the music service untouched. There were no plans to integrate Beats Music into iTunes, with the company suggesting that it would remain as a standalone service.

Apple shutting down Beats Music is unusual news given the efforts that the company has gone to in order to promote it in recent weeks, adding it to the list of “Apps Made by Apple” and recommending the app to new iOS users.

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New Reversible USB Type-C Standard Gains Support for DisplayPort Video

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) today announced a DisplayPort Alternate Mode for the upcoming USB Type-C connector standard, which will let USB-Type C connectors and cables deliver DisplayPort signals.

As noted by AnandTech, DisplayPort technology built into USB Type-C has the potential to connect monitors, cables, docking stations, and more. With the ability to support displays and carry video data via USB, USB Type-C could potentially serve as the next Thunderbolt connector, powering 4K and higher resolution displays.

The DisplayPort Alt Mode repurposes some or all of the four existing SuperSpeed USB lanes to deliver full DisplayPort performance, and uses other signaling available in the USB Type-C connector for DisplayPort’s AUX channel and HPD (Hot Plug Detection) function. This enables computers, tablets, smartphones, displays, and docking stations to implement the new USB Type-C connector at both ends while using the DisplayPort Standard over USB Type-C to transmit high-resolution A/V along with USB data and power.

Finalized in August, the USB Type-C connector specifications are much improved over previous USB generations. The slim connector is entirely reversible, making it easier to plug in, and due to its thin design, it’s suitable for both mobile device and larger computers. It’s also certified for USB 3.1 data rates of up to 10 Gbps and can deliver a maximum of 100W of power.

With an alternate DisplayPort mode and four lanes of signaling, one USB Type-C cable could be used to provide power to a device while also driving a connected display. According to VESA, Type-C ports and the first DisplayPort Alt Mode capable devices (using DisplayPort 1.2a) will be available beginning in 2015.

Earlier this morning, a rumor suggested Apple’s upcoming 12-inch MacBook would take advantage of the new reversible USB Type-C connector, which is plausible as that device is rumored to begin shipping in mid-2015.

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iPhone 6 Plus Display Judged ‘Best Smartphone LCD Ever Tested’, iPhone 6 Also Solid

DisplayMate, which routinely performs thorough testing of display quality on a variety of electronics, has released its iPhone 6 Display Technology Shoot-Out, taking a look at the performance of Apple’s latest handsets using new “Retina HD” technology. While DisplayMate’s Ray Soneira has not shied away from criticizing Apple’s displays on some recent devices, he found the iPhone 6 Plus to have the “best performing Smartphone LCD display that we have ever tested” while the iPhone 6 also scored well in testing.

While the “best ever” designation includes the caveat of applying to LED displays and DisplayMate continues to rate the OLED display from the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as the best overall smartphone display, the gains seen in the iPhone 6 and particularly the iPhone 6 Plus are impressive.

Based on our extensive Lab tests and measurements, the iPhone 6 Plus is the Best performing Smartphone LCD display that we have ever tested. It delivers uniformly consistent all around Top Tier display performance. The iPhone 6 Plus is only the second Smartphone display (LCD or OLED) to ever get all Green (Very Good to Excellent) Ratings in all test and measurement categories (except for Brightness variation with Viewing Angle, which is the case for all LCDs) since we started the Display Technology Shoot-Out article series in 2006, an impressive achievement for a display. The iPhone 6 Plus has raised the bar for top LCD display performance up by a notch.

In particular, the iPhone 6 Plus display sets new records among LCD displays for peak brightness, low reflectance, and several measures of contrast and accuracy.

DisplayMate finds the iPhone 6 display to have many of the same strong areas of performance as in the iPhone 6 Plus, but the lower resolution and pixel density hold the smaller model back somewhat.

Most rescaled images look noticeably better on the iPhone 6 Plus with 2.1 Mega Pixels compared to just 1.0 Mega Pixels on the iPhone 6. In addition, even at the native display resolution, fine text and graphics look better on the iPhone 6 Plus if you look carefully and closely at the screen (because you may want to or need to).

The display on the iPhone 6 is none-the-less still a Very Good display, and most buyers will be happy with its performance, but it’s somewhat disappointing that Apple went for satisfactory as opposed to the best.

DisplayMate’s report includes a variety of charts and tables comparing the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to the iPhone 5/5s that are worth a look, as well as some discussion of how LCDs such as those found in the latest iPhones compares with OLEDs favored by Samsung.

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iPhone 6 Adoption Easily Outpacing iPhone 6 Plus [iOS Blog]

Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus may be the most talked about iPhone model due to its larger screen and bigger battery, but early adoption rate metrics (via Mashable), suggest more customers are choosing the smaller iPhone 6 over its bigger counterpart. How much of the difference is due to customer preference versus constrained supplies of the larger model is unknown, however.

According to ad impression data provided by Chitika, the adoption rate for the iPhone 6 is more than 7x higher than the iPhone 6 Plus. On the Monday following launch, the smaller iPhone accounted for 1.5 percent of North American web traffic, compared to 0.2 percent for the iPhone 6 Plus.

Mixpanel, which measures mobile app usage, reports similar results with the iPhone 6 reaching 2.72 percent of measured traffic and the iPhone 6 Plus trailing with 0.54 percent. Mobile analytics firm Fiksu provides a third set of mobile metrics that also suggest the iPhone 6 is more popular among launch day iPhone purchasers.

Chitika explains these results by suggesting that the iPhone 6 Plus may be less popular among consumers because it is niche product due to its larger screen size. Supply constraints also may be a factor, with the iPhone 6 Plus selling out quickly online and reportedly being available only in limited amounts this weekend in stores.

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iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Capable of Faster Charging Using iPad 2.1A Adapter [iOS Blog]

Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus ship with higher capacity batteries that deliver exceptional battery life, but as pointed out by iLounge and MacRumors forum members, the two new iPhone models can also charge significantly faster when used with an iPad charging adapter rather than the smaller adapter included with the iPhones.

According to preliminary tests using a Kill-A-Watt device and OS X system information, the charging profile for the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus match that of the iPad, allowing them to charge using 2.1A. Unlike earlier iPhone models which would only draw 5W regardless of the charger being used, the new phones are capable of drawing up to 12W, allowing them to charge at a faster rate. Early feedback from owners suggest the larger iPhone 6 Plus can charge fully in approximately two hours from an iPad adapter.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus include the standard square 1A/5W charging block that shipped with previous iPhone models. To obtain these faster charging rates, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners may use the 2.1A/12W charger from the iPad or the high-power USB port of a newer model Mac.

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iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Top Most Benchmarks and Battery Tests, While 6 Plus Lags in Graphics

AnandTech spent the weekend benchmarking the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, comparing the duo to the iPhone 5s and competing Android handsets. The test results show that iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models are at the top of the charts in CPU benchmarks and battery life, while the iPhone 6 Plus lags in graphics performance due to the larger screen.

In in GPU benchmarks, we generally see a pretty solid lead over the competition for the iPhone 6/A8. It’s seems quite clear that there is a significant impact to GPU performance in the iPhone 6 Plus due to the 2208×1242 resolution that all content is rendered at. It seems that this is necessary though, as the rendering system for iOS cannot easily adapt to arbitrary resolutions and display sizes.

AnandTech also examined battery life, noting that “Apple has managed to do something quite incredible with battery life. ” Even with a smaller 1810 mAh battery, the iPhone 6 manages to beat out the iPhone 5s and most other Android phones on the market. Not surprisingly with its 2910 mAH battery, the iPhone 6 Plus grabs second place behind the Huawei Ascend Mate 2.

Apple introduced the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus during its recent September press event and launched the phones on September 19. The two handsets include Apple’s new A8 processor, M8 motion co-processor, 8-megapixel iSight camera, faster 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi and NFC. Demand for the two phones was high with Apple selling 10 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units in the first weekend of sales.

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Apple’s Ultra-Slim 12-Inch Notebook Rumored to Gain USB Type C and Fanless Internals

Following a previous report claiming Apple’s much-rumored 12″ ultra-slim notebook is planned to arrive in silver, gold, and space gray color options, Jack March has issued a follow-up report sharing additional details on the machine.

According to March’s report, which MacRumors believes to be based on legitimate information, the new notebook has a much thinner design the appears to sacrifice many of the usual ports seen on Apple’s current notebooks and may adopt the new reversible USB Type C connector that has seen its specifications recently finalized.

A source familiar with Apple’s plans describes the 12 inch Macbook Air as having a noticeably thinner design, the source wouldn’t give dimensions however noted that the thinner design may sacrifice the standard USB port and Apple will move to the reversible USB Type C with this product, It is assumed Apple will include an adapter in the box for backwards compatibility.

Interestingly, the report raises some questions about charging on the notebook, indicating that the usual MagSafe port has been removed in favor of a new, unspecified charging method.

In line with previous rumors, the machine is reportedly fanless, suggesting it will adopt an ultra low-power processor such as the Broadwell-Y Core M processors recently announced by Intel. The body of the new notebook is also said to be narrower than the current MacBook Air, with narrower display bezels and a keyboard stretching right to the edges of the machine. Finally, the speakers are said to be located above the keyboard with visible grilles, unlike the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro that have their speakers located underneath the keyboard.

Apple’s 12-inch notebook has been rumored for some time, with the launch perhaps being pushed back due to multiple delays for Intel’s Broadwell chips. March’s previous report indicated Apple appears to be currently looking toward a mid-2015 launch.

(Image: Chassis of current MacBook Air)

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iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Sales Top Ten Million in Launch Weekend

Apple today announced that opening weekend sales of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus topped ten million units, breaking the previous record of nine million units set by the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c last year.

“Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn’t be happier,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We would like to thank all of our customers for making this our best launch ever, shattering all previous sell-through records by a large margin.

As with previous years, the company also claims that demand for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has been very high, as more orders will be fulfilled over the coming weeks. Apple announced last Monday that it processed four million first-day pre-orders on September 12.

Currently, shipping estimates for new iPhone 6 orders remains at 7-10 business days, while the iPhone 6 Plus is still showing a shipping delay of 3-4 weeks. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will also be available in 20 more countries including Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and more on September 26.

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Instapaper Updated for iOS 8 With Enhanced Saving Features, Now Free to Download [iOS Blog]

Popular read-it-later app Instapaper today received a significant update for iOS 8, bringing a redesigned user interface, enhanced saving capabilities, and deeper integration with notifications. The app is also now available for free, as users also have the option to pay for premium features.

Users can now save content to Instapaper from any application that supports iOS’ built-in share functionality by way of a new app extension. The app also includes text-to-speech functionality, and curates saved articles in iOS 8’s Notification Center on a daily basis. A $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year subscription to Instapaper Premium unlocks a number of other features, including full-text search, unlimited highlighting in articles, and text-to-speech playlists.

Instapaper is a free app for iOS devices and can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]

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