Apple TV Updated with CNBC and FOX NOW Channels

Apple today added two more channels to the Apple TV, delivering financial news channel CNBC and network FOX NOW to the platform.

CNBC offers access to a live stream of the financial channel, as well as on-demand clips from news segments and full episodes of the channels “Prime” content original series. Viewing requires authentication with one of a number of cable and Internet providers.

FOX NOW includes on-demand access to a number of shows from the network, including 24: Live Another Day, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, Glee, and more. Authentication through a cable provider is required for full access to content.

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New SSD-Equipped Drobo Mini Boosts Speed of Drobo’s Portable Storage Lineup [Mac Blog]

Connected Data today launched an updated version of its Drobo Mini that includes Solid State Disk (SSD) drives (Via ZDNet). The new model offers an 80 percent performance improvement over a similar Drobo Mini equipped only with hard disk drives.

The new Drobo Mini with SSDs is a portable storage solution designed for photographers, videographers and other on-the-go media professionals who require fast drive performance they can fit in their bag.

“The core benefits that any user receives when using a Drobo are still tremendous value. Being able to start with the capacity you need today and growing over time; simplicity to deploy, use and manage is key – no need to be a storage expert,” writes Joe Disher, senior director of product marketing for Connected Data. “Adding the SSDs to our portable Drobo provides tremendous performance as well as the reliability and redundancy needed for filmmakers that don’t have time to have lost data.”

Internally, the Mini includes four 2.5-inch drive bays with an optional mSATA Accelerator bay. You can buy the Mini pre-equipped with SSDs or supply your own drives for a custom configuration. The Mini features both Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 ports that support read speeds of 300MB/sec and write speeds of 225MB/sec.

The Drobo Mini with SSD is available today in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities. Prices start at $1,199 for the 1TB model and climb to $1,799 for the 2TB and $2,999 for the 4TB option.

Apple Launches Retina MacBook Pros with Faster Haswell Processors, More RAM Standard

As indicated over the weekend and yesterday, Apple today launched refreshed 13-inch and 15-inch Retina MacBook Pros.The new notebooks feature faster versions of Intel’s Haswell processors, as all 13-inch models now come with 8GB of RAM standard while all 15-inch models now feature 16GB of RAM. New build-to-orThe high end 15-inch model also received a $100 price cut, going from $2599 to $2499.

New models include:

13-inch:
– $1299: 2.6 GHz dual-core i5 processor, 8 GB RAM, 128GB of flash storage
– $1499: 2.6 GHz dual-core i5 processor, 8 GB RAM, 256GB of flash storage
– $1799: 2.8 GHz dual-core i7 processor, 8 GB of RAM, 512GB of flash storage

15-inch:
– $1999: 2.2 GHz quad-core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 256GB of flash storage
– $2499: 2.5 GHz quad-core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB of flash storage

Build-to-order options now include a 3.0 GHz dual-core i7 processor on the 13-inch model and a 2.8 Ghz quad-core i7 processor on the 15-inch model. Users can also now add up to 1TB of flash storage for both the 13-inch and 15-inch models.

Alongside the refreshed line of Retina MacBook Pros, Apple’s 13-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro received a price cut, going from $1199 to $1099. However, the machine has not been updated with faster internals.

The minor refresh is primarily a stopgap measure until Apple can launch a more significant update to its Retina MacBook Pro line once Intel’s next-generation Broadwell processors hit the market. Broadwell chips appropriate for the MacBook Pro may, however, not arrive until mid-2015. Apple is also rumored to be working on a 12-inch Retina MacBook for 2015 which is said to feature an ultrathin chassis, a fan-less cooling system and a revamped trackpad.

Apple’s refreshed line of Retina MacBook Pros are available today through the company’s various retail location and online store, with all standard configurations showing a shipping avaliability of “within 24 hours.” The new notebooks will also be a part of Apple’s back-to-school program, which gives qualified educational purchasers an Apple Store gift card of $100 with the purchase of a new Mac.

Apple Expands AppleCare+ to Cover iPhones and iPads in Mexico and Sweden [iOS Blog]

Apple today expanded its AppleCare+ program to two new countries, bringing the program to cover iPhones and iPads in Mexico and Sweden.

In Mexico, AppleCare+ coverage for the iPhone and iPad are priced at 1,599 pesos. Meanwhile, AppleCare+ for the iPhone and iPad in Sweden are priced at 799 krona.

Apple last expanded its AppleCare+ program in September 2013, raising service fees for accidental damage, adding iPods, and expanding avaliability to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Austria, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK.

Thanks, Steve!

Yelp App Updated With Short Video Reviews [iOS Blog]

Yelp today updated its iPhone app with the ability to shoot and upload 3 – 12 second videos, allowing users to show off their restaurant and local business experiences in yet another way.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, well now on iPhone you can take 3-12 second videos of your experiences at your favorite local businesses. So that’s worth like… 30 frames per second multiplied by video length… (pulls out calculator)… between 90 and 360 thousand words! Whoa.

Previously, users could write reviews, post tips for potential customers and upload photos for users to get a better visual sense of food, location and more. With video, users can now show off a restaurant’s customer service, live food reactions, noteworthy moments from city attractions and more.

Yelp for iOS is available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Facebook to Cut Messaging From Main App in Effort to Focus on Facebook Messenger [iOS Blog]

Facebook is planning to motivate people to download and use its standalone Facebook Messenger app by removing messaging capabilities from the standard Facebook mobile app.

Currently, users can chat through the Messages tab located on the bottom toolbar in the main Facebook app, but that tab will soon redirect users to download the Messenger app instead. When installed, a message received in the Facebook app will switch the user over to Messenger to chat, as it does now when both apps are installed.

According to TechCrunch, Facebook is making the switch so that it does not have to support two versions of Messenger, thereby improving both apps. Facebook gave TechCrunch an official statement on the upcoming changes:

In the next few days, we’re continuing to notify more people that if they want to send and receive Facebook messages, they’ll need to download the Messenger app. As we’ve said, our goal is to focus development efforts on making Messenger the best mobile messaging experience possible and avoid the confusion of having separate Facebook mobile messaging experiences. Messenger is used by more than 200 million people every month, and we’ll keep working to make it an even more engaging way to connect with people.

Facebook has already forced users in Europe to switch over to Facebook Messenger to send and accept messages.

Facebook for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Facebook Messenger for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Bitcoin Wallet App ‘Blockchain’ Returns to the App Store [iOS Blog]

Back in January, Apple removed popular Bitcoin app Blockchain from the App Store, after cracking down on several other apps that allowed users to send and receive bitcoin, including Coinbase and Gliph.

Apple’s official policy prohibits content that “enables, facilitates, or encourages an activity” that not all countries deem legal, which has left Bitcoin-based apps in a bit of a gray area policy wise.

As of today, Blockchain has returned to the App Store, once again giving iOS users a way to send and receive bitcoin payments, reports bitcoin news site CoinDesk.

According to CoinDesk, Apple announced a more open policy towards bitcoin apps during its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, which has led to the return of bitcoin apps to the App Store. From Blockchain CEO Nicolas Cary:

The moment Apple signalled a shift in their policy toward digital currency apps, we pulled the iOS project off the shelf and got to work. We wanted to use this as an opportunity to improve the wallet, but we were still apprehensive about dedicating huge amounts of engineering time because it wasn’t clear what types of apps would get through the submission and approval process.

Blockchain for iOS has been redesigned and built from the ground up to improve both security and performance. Along with giving users a way to send and exchange bitcoin, the new Blockchain app can also be used to make purchases from merchants that accept bitcoin, both in physical stores and online.

According to Blockchain‘s CEO, iOS is an important platform for the company and in the future, the app will be updated to include Android features like the Merchant Map.

Blockchain can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Hilton to Adopt Digital Check-In, Smartphone-Based Room Keys Worldwide

Hilton Worldwide, a company that operates thousands of hotels around the globe, today announced plans to roll out new mobile-based check-in and room selection tools, as well as digital smartphone-based room keys.

Hilton guests will be able to select their rooms online using their smartphones, which will be able to display floor plans for each available room. Guests will also be able to check-in/check-out using their smartphones, as well as purchase upgrades and make special requests for item deliveries.

Room selection: At 6 a.m. the day before a booked stay, Hilton HHonors members can sign into their account via their mobile device, tablet or computer to check-in and choose their preferred room through floor plan maps or lists populated from the hotel’s available inventory. Photos of rooms are also available to help with their selection. Hilton’s digital lobby function is updated in real-time, so guests no longer have to wait until they are physically in the hotel lobby to be assigned a room.

While Hilton’s new service is limited to check-ins and room selection at the current time, next year the hotel chain plans to allow guests to unlock their hotel rooms with their smartphones.

Hilton is planning to roll out its digital enhancements to select hotels during the summer and the fall, and by the end of 2014, smartphone-based check-ins and room selection will be available for more than 650,000 rooms across 4,000 hotels. The technology that allows smartphones to be used as room keys will begin rolling out in 2015, with wide availability in 2016.

Hilton is not the first hotel chain to begin allowing guests to enter their hotel rooms with their smartphones, as Starwood Hotels & Resorts implemented a pilot program to test the technology earlier this year. Hilton’s eventual rollout will be much larger, however, and it also includes the aforementioned tools for personalized room selections and easy check-ins.