Beats Pill Mascots and Siri Join Forces in New ‘Apple and Beats’ Video [Mac Blog]

Beats Electronics today posted a new video to its Twitter account, celebrating Apple’s acquisition of the company alongside Beats Music. The short video (via 9to5Mac) features Beats Pill mascots Tina and Mikey excited about the acquisition, with Siri informing the two that Dr. Dre would be having a party to celebrate.

When the two ask Siri for directions to the party, Siri informs them that the party is by invitation only. When pressed further, Siri responds “Sorry, I didn’t get that”, poking fun at virtual assistant’s typical response when it doesn’t work properly.

Earlier today Apple updated its website with a new page celebrating the Beats acquisition, titled “Welcome to the family”.

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Obama Signs Cell Phone Unlocking Bill Into Law, iPhone Unlocking No Longer Illegal

United States President Barack Obama will today sign a bill that makes cell phone unlocking legal again, writing the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act into law following its unanimous approval by the Senate and House of Representatives.

Obama has long supported the act, which was originally introduced via a 2013 “We the People” petition that gathered more than 100,000 signatures calling for cell phone unlocking to be made legal. It first became illegal to unlock a cell phone in January of 2013, after an exception in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act expired, restricting U.S. customers from shifting their service to other carriers or using their devices abroad with local SIM cards.

Now that cell phone unlocking is once again legal, consumers and third-party unlocking services will be able to unlock paid-for cell phones and tablets without receiving express permission from carriers and without facing criminal penalties. The changes will make it easier for consumers to take their devices to the carrier of their choice after contractual obligations have been fulfilled and it will also be easier to use existing devices abroad.

The bill not only restores the rights of consumers to unlock their phones, but ensures that they can receive help doing so if they lack the technological savvy to unlock on their own.

The most important part of this joint effort is that it will have a real impact. As long as their phone is compatible and they have complied with their contracts, consumers will now be able to enjoy the freedom of taking their mobile service — and a phone they already own — to the carrier that best fits their needs. At a time when partisan gridlock all too often threatens progress on everyday issues that matter to consumers, working together we listened to your voices, and the American people benefited as a result.

In December of 2013, U.S. cellular carriers and the FCC also came to an agreement over a set of voluntary principles that will make it easier for wireless customers to unlock their devices and switch from carrier to carrier after a contract has been fulfilled.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

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Beats Music CEO Ian Rogers to Also Head Up iTunes Radio

Apple’s $3 billion acquisition of Beats was finalized today, and as the two companies merge into one, the positions some former Beats employees will take on at Apple are becoming clearer.

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Ian Rogers, who serves as the CEO of Beats Music, will take Apple’s own iTunes Radio streaming music service under his wing, heading up both streaming music services. Rogers will likely report to Eddy Cue, the SVP of Internet Software and Services at Apple, who oversees all of Apple’s content stores.

Rogers, a former Yahoo executive, will run both teams to create cohesion in Apple’s streaming-music options, according to the people familiar with the matter. Pandora and Spotify, the two-biggest streaming music services, each offer both a free ad-supported service and a subscription-based service.

As previously reported, Beats co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young (aka Dr. Dre) are also expected to take on senior roles at the company, and while it remains unclear exactly what the duo will do at Apple, Iovine may also become involved with iTunes, securing deals and marketing opportunities.

Earlier today, Apple posted a message on its website welcoming the Beats team to the family, as Beats shut down its own online store. While many former Beats employees are transitioning to Cupertino or continuing to work in a Los Angeles office, approximately 200 employees in human resources, finance, and other areas where there was overlap with Apple have only been given temporary positions as the company tries to find new roles for them.

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Buyer’s Guide: Discounts on 2013 Retina MacBook Pro, iPad Air, AppleCare, and Apple Accessories [Mac Blog]

This week’s Buyer’s Guide includes some deals on the previous-generation 2013 Retina MacBook Pros, which are now available at rock bottom prices thanks to the launch of new 2014 Retina MacBook Pros on Tuesday. There’s also a decent discount on the 2014 MacBook Air, and some discounted prices on an array of different Apple accessories.

Retina MacBook Pro

For users who are looking for a deal on a Retina MacBook Pro and don’t mind losing out on the slight speed boost (and extra RAM on entry-level models) introduced with the new 2014 model, there are some ultra low prices available.

MacMall, Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo are all offering the entry-level 2013 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 4GB of memory and 128GB of storage for $1,099, which is $200 cheaper than the corresponding 2014 entry-level model. Best Buy, Amazon, and B&H Photo have the 2013 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 8GB of memory and 256GB of flash storage for $1,299, also a discount of $200. The high-end 13-inch version with 8GB of memory and 512MB of storage is available for $1,599 at Best Buy.

As for the 2013 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, Adorama and B&H Photo are selling the version with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage for $2,249, $250 off the corresponding 2014 model. The 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage is available for $1,649 from Adorama and B&H Photo, an impressive $350 off the corresponding 2014 model.

Best Buy’s discounted Retina MacBook Pro prices can be combined with the site’s educational deal offering $100 off all Macs, making it a solid choice for students. B&H and Adorama, as always, are a good choice for buyers who live outside of New York and New Jersey, as the sites only charge sales tax in those states.

MacBook Air

Deals on the current 2014 MacBook Air aren’t great this week, with the only solid sale being on the entry-level 11-inch version with 4GB of memory and 128GB of storage, which can be purchased for $799 from Adorama and B&H.

There are also no significant deals on iMacs or iPhones this week, but make sure to check out next week’s Buyer’s Guide deals post if you’re looking for a discount on one of those products, because the deals change on a weekly basis.

Before making a purchase of a Mac or iOS device, make sure to consult our Buyer’s Guide to find out if it’s a good time to buy. For example, because the MacBook Air was updated in April, the Buyer’s Guide indicates that now is a good time to purchase.

iPads

Best Buy has the 16GB iPad Air in Space Gray and Silver discounted to $399.99, the lowest price point we’ve seen for the iPad Air. Best Buy also offers an additional $50 off all iPads for students, dropping the price down to $350.

AppleCare

B&H Photo is offering several discounts on AppleCare this week. The AppleCare Protection Plan for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro and the 15-inch MacBook Pro is available for $244, $105 off Apple’s regular price.

The AppleCare Protection Plan for the MacBook Air and the 13-inch Retina Macbook Pro is available for $174, $75 off Apple’s regular price.

The AppleCare Protection Plan for the Mac Pro is available for $174, $75 off Apple’s regular price, while the AppleCare Protection Plan for the iMac is available for $129, $40 off Apple’s regular price.

Apple Accessories

Spigen’s compact car charger with two USB ports is available for $29.99 from StackSocial, a discount of $10. The Fitbit Zip can be purchased for $39.99 in Target stores or for $49.99 from the Target website, a savings of $10-$20.

The OtterBox Commuter case for the iPhone 5c is available for $14.99 from Groupon, a savings of $20. Groupon is also offering the LifeProof Fre case for iPad mini for $34.99, down from the standard $99 price tag.

All LifeProof products are on sale for 10% off this week on the LifeProof website, using the code “BTS10.” Finally, the older model iHealth digital scale with Bluetooth can be purchased at the discounted price of $29.99 from Best Buy, a savings of $40.

Shoppers in several states are eligible to take part in an upcoming sales tax holiday, allowing them to purchase Apple gear without needing to pay sales tax. States that offer some sort of discount on computers include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The tax holiday in most states begins on August 1 and lasts a few days.

MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.

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Apple officially brings Beats into the fold

A smidge over two months after Apple announced its plan to nab Dr. Dre’s headphone and music streaming interests, the folks in Cupertino have officially welcomed Beats to the family. The US government didn’t seem to take issue with the purchase, giving the final stamp of approval. Both sides have also posted statements on their respective sites celebrating the union that’s now a done deal. The $3 billion dollar purchase of the Beats brand brings not only popular audio devices and a personalized streaming service into Apple’s fold, but also the talents of CEO Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre and music head Ian Rogers to the table for future projects. In the meantime, if you’re looking to purchase from Beats, it has moved sales to the new owner’s online store.

Welcome to the family—Jimmy, Dre, Luke, Ian and the entire beats team! http://t.coqECVlXlYQZ

– Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 1, 2014

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Apple

Comments

Source: Apple, Beats

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Home Button and Sensor Flex Cables From 4.7-Inch and 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 Shown in New Photos

Nowhereelse.fr [Google Translate] has published several high-resolution images purportedly showing flex cables from both the 4.7-inch and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6. These latest images add to the growing number of flex cables and other internal components for the iPhone 6 that have surfaced in the past few months.

These images include a possible look at the home button cables from both iPhone 6 models. The photos show two different designs for the part, each with a square section for the Touch ID sensor but distinct from the iPhone 5s part. While Apple’s iPads are also rumored to be gaining Touch ID functionality this year, the parts shown in the photos are compact enough that they are much more likely to be for the iPhone.

Another set of photos shows a flex cable with the ambient light/proximity sensors and a microphone. The corresponding part from the iPhone 5s includes the device’s FaceTime camera, but the camera is not included on the purported iPhone 6 cable.

As the rumored September launch of the iPhone 6 approaches, we expect to see additional part leaks, especially for the 5.5-inch model which may enter mass production in the coming month. Supply chain reports claim the 4.7-inch model entered mass production in July.

Rumors suggest Apple may stagger the launch of the iPhone 6, introducing the 4.7-inch model in September and following that launch with the 5.5-inch version later in the year.

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Apple Welcomes Beats to the Family as Beats Electronics Closes Its Online Store

Apple today updated its website with a new page celebrating its acquisition of Beats Electronics and Beats Music.

Today we are excited to officially welcome Beats Music and Beats Electronics to the Apple family. Music has always held a special place in our hearts, and we’re thrilled to join forces with a group of people who love it as much as we do. Beats cofounders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre have created beautiful products that have helped millions of people deepen their connection to music. We’re delighted to be working with the team to elevate that experience even further.

And we can’t wait to hear what’s next.

The page also links visitors to the the front page of the revamped Beats Electronics website, which contains a message from the Beats team about joining Apple.

As part of these changes, Beats Electronics also has confirmed the closure of its online store. Going forward, all transactions will be handled through Apple’s Online Store and customers are advised to contact Apple about purchases made after August 1, 2014.

Apple’s acquisition of Beats Electronics and Beats Music is moving forward, with the deal recently receiving regulatory approval from the European Commission. U.S. regulators are expected to weigh in on the deal in a decision to be announced sometime this quarter.

In other acquisition news, Bloomberg also reported that Vivendi sold its 13 percent stake in Beats Electronics to Apple for $404 million. This stake was held by Vivendi’s Universal Music Group.

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Delta Airlines Launches In-Flight Entertainment for iOS Devices Through Updated Apps [iOS Blog]

Delta Airlines today updated its Fly Delta apps for the iPhone and iPad, allowing customers to access free in-flight entertainment through its new Delta Studio initiative. Avaliable on all domestic and two-cabin aircrafts, the app will allow access to a number of TV shows and movies including Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Frozen through on-board Wi-Fi.

The updated Fly Delta app also allows access to past and current issues of Delta’s Sky Magazine, as well as the Glass Bottom Jet feature which provides tracking information for a current flight. The airline is also allowing users of the Gogo Video Player app [Direct Link] to stream and access content through in flight entertainment services.

Delta’s move to offer in-flight entertainment through its apps for iOS devices follows a similar move by United Airlines, which started its movie services for the iPhone and iPad in April. This September, Hawaiian Airlines will also begin offering iPad minis on flights, as those units will come with equipped with a variety of movies and TV shows in addition to games.

Fly Delta for the iPhone [Direct Link] and iPad [Direct Link] are free apps and can be downloaded through the App Store.

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