New Retail Chief Angela Ahrendts Appears on Apple’s Leadership Page
Former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts has officially joined Apple and is now listed on the company’s executive page alongside other major Apple execs like Jonathan Ive, Tim Cook, Eddy Cue, and Craig Federighi.
Ahrendts will take on the role of Senior Vice President of Retail and Online stores, a position that has seen significant turnover in recent years. Back in 2011, Ron Johnson left the position to join J.C. Penney after 11 years with Apple and while the role was filled by John Browett in 2012, he was ousted just months later. Since that time, Apple has operated without a retail leader.
Back in October, when Ahrendts’ hiring was first announced, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted he was “thrilled” she was joining the team, emphasizing that she shared Apple’s values, “focus on innovation,” and the company’s dedication to customer experience.
Prior to joining Apple, Ahrendts served as CEO of Burberry beginning in 2006. She is largely credited with boosting Burberry back to fame after a decline, tripling the company’s revenue and working to merge Burberry’s online experience with the brick and mortar experience.
With her luxury brand experience and her dedication to improving customer experience, it’s possible that Ahrendts could bring some significant improvements to both the online and retail shopping experience at Apple, at a time when the company is poised to launch several new flagship products, including the iPhone 6 and the iWatch.
Apple, Facebook and Google will tell you when the government wants your data
The companies that asked the US government for permission to publish federal data requests last year have apparently lost their patience waiting for a reply. Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft are updating their privacy policies to expand the types of disclosure notifications they give individual users about how often and when the government requests their data. As The Washington Post tells it, the tech companies will only reign themselves in in the event that they receive gag orders from a judge or someone else with legal authority. Naturally, the government isn’t too keen on this and the Department of Justice worries that this could give criminals under investigation ample time to flee or even destroy any evidence that could be used against them.
Google updated its policy this week, adding that data is only withheld when there’s “imminent risk” of physical harm to a potential crime victim, while an Apple spokesperson said that later this month the company will update its policies so it can notify customers in “most cases” when law enforcement requests their personal information. Neither Apple nor The Social Network or Redmond, however, have finalized their updates just yet. If it helps you sleep a little better at night, the Post reports that companies that notify their users have a little more sway with the fuzz: apparently investigators would rather drop their data requests entirely rather than suspects learn they’re being watched.
[Image credit: Google/YouTube]
Filed under: Internet, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook
Source: Washington Post
Apple Will Begin Notifying Users of Information Requests from Law Enforcement
Apple will begin notifying its users of secret personal data requests from law enforcement, according to The Washington Post, as the company believes users have a right to know in advance if their information is being targeted by the government.
Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google all are updating their policies to expand routine notification of users about government data seizures, unless specifically gagged by a judge or other legal authority, officials at all four companies said. Yahoo announced similar changes in July.
Prosecutors, however, say the move could tip off criminals, allowing them to destroy potential digital evidence, cover their tracks and intimidate potential witnesses before law enforcement can build their case. Alternatively, the Post notes that some companies who already notify users before a government requests have found that investigators have dropped data requests to avoid having suspects learn of their inquiries.
In the United States, the typical search warrant requires the police to notify the suspect that they are being searched. However, so-called “sneak-and-peek” warrants are not unheard of and allow investigators to search a suspect’s house or other property without any notification. This ability was expanded in the PATRIOT Act, allowing the Federal Government to utilize such warrants in nearly any crime.
Apple and the other companies are seeking to nullify these sneak-and-peek warrants as they pertain to the digital realm.
Apple’s changes will be unveiled in an updated privacy policy later this month, an Apple spokeswoman told the Post, and users will be notified in “most cases” when their information is requested by a government entity. Cases in which Apple would not notify users include data requests from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and subpoenas from the FBI for national security investigations.
“Later this month, Apple will update its policies so that in most cases when law enforcement requests personal information about a customer, the customer will receive a notification from Apple,” company spokeswoman Kristin Huguet said.
The Cupertino company has been increasingly concerned about privacy matters since the discovery of secret intelligence program PRISM, with CEO Tim Cook saying the NSA would have to cart them “out in a box” before it could access Apple’s servers. Apple has also hired certified privacy professional Sabrina Ross as privacy counsel to oversee the protection of customer data.
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.
‘Notability’ Named App of the Week, Available for Free [iOS Blog]
Popular note taking app Notability has been named Apple’s App of the Week, and as a result, it is available as a free download for the first time since it was released in 2011.
Notability allows users to make sketches, take notes, annotate documents, sign contracts, record lectures, and more. It supports input via a finger or stylus and includes palm rejection to make note taking easier.
In addition to touch-based input, the app has a built-in text editor and it also has the ability to record audio. Notability lets users import documents in a wide variety of formats, including PDF, DOC, and PPT.
Notability is a universal app and it has iCloud support, so notes can be transferred between the iPad and the iPhone. It also has support for several different services, including Dropbox, Box, and Google Drive.
Welcome to Notability, a powerful note-taker on iPad and iPhone: sketch ideas, annotate documents, sign contracts, complete worksheets, keep a journal, record a lecture, jot travel notes, or teach a class. With iCloud support, your notes always travel with you!
Write, illustrate and annotate using gorgeous ink. Notability’s zoom window helps you quickly and clearly draw every detail, while the palm rest protects your notes from unwanted marks. Choose the right pen and paper for any project.
As Apple’s App of the Week, Notability will be available as a free download from the App Store for the next seven days. [Direct Link]
Tablet demand hits a wall as many are happy with the devices they own
It looks like Apple wasn’t the only tech firm to see its tablet business take a hit this winter; according to IDC, others suffered a similar fate. The analyst group estimates that overall tablet shipments grew just 3.9 percent year-over-year in the first quarter, a sharp contrast with the breakneck pace of the past few years. Amazon took a particularly severe blow, as its shipments dropped almost 50 percent. So what prompted the suddenly chilly market? If you believe researchers, many are happy with the devices they’ve got — they either have a good-enough tablet or a big-screen smartphone that will do in a pinch. Simply put, there was no compelling reason to splurge on something new.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom. Samsung’s shipments grew by a third, in part because it encouraged carriers to bundle cellular tablets with smartphones. Lenovo’s success with slates also continued unabated. While it’s still relatively small in this field compared to Apple or Samsung, its unit numbers more than tripled in the past year thanks to hits like the Yoga Tablet. These are shipments and not sales, so they don’t tell a complete story — Apple claims that pent-up iPad mini demand skewed its figures last year, for instance. Even with that in mind, it’s evident that tablet makers will have to fight harder to capture people’s attention.
Filed under: Tablets, Apple, Samsung, ASUS, Amazon, Lenovo
Source: IDC
iTunes Match Expands to Japan [iOS Blog]
Apple is expanding its iTunes Match service to Japan, according to a MacRumors tipster and the company’s iTunes Match availability website. The service, which costs ¥3,980 per year, allows iTunes users to match their existing iTunes libraries with high quality versions of songs from Apple’s iCloud. After matching, content is available in iCloud and can be accessed from any device. iTunes Match is $25 per year in the U.S and, at current exchange rates, the Japanese version costs roughly $39.
Japan was one of the few countries where Apple sold music but did not offer iTunes Match. Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden all gained iTunes Match last December, and Apple launched its iTunes Radio music streaming service in Australia in February.
Apple Hiring MIT Researcher With Expertise in Ear-Worn Vital Signs Monitor
Apple may be adding to its wearables team, as MIT researcher Eric Winokur will be joining the company in the coming weeks, according to a source who spoke to MacRumors. Winokur, who does research at MIT’s Medical Electronic Devices Realization Center, has recently worked on an ear-worn “wearable vital signs monitor.” According to his LinkedIn page, one of his specialties is “wearable medical device R&D.”
My professional experience includes many aspects of research and development in the electrical engineering field, with an emphasis on medical monitors. From conceptualizing designs to following through with circuit layout (both IC and PCB) and building full prototypes, I have enjoyed being involved in the entire process.
Specialties: Wearable medical device R&D, circuit design, PCB and IC layout, signal processing, physiological to electrical signal conversion
Winokur is listed as an author on a number of academic papers focusing on cardiovascular ear-worn devices that measure vital signs. His work was published in two 2012 papers, the first entitled “An ear-worn continuous ballistocardiogram (BCG) sensor for cardiovascular monitoring” and the second entitled “A wearable vital signs monitor at the ear for continuous heart rate and pulse transit time measurements.” Ballistocardiography aims to measure the movement of blood into major vessels with each heart beat.
Both papers describe an ear-worn device that is designed to wirelessly monitor vital signs using a built-in triaxial accelerometer. The devices are described as taking on the form factor of a hearing aid and are wirelessly connected to a PC for data recording and analysis.
Word of Winokur’s hiring comes just as a rumor has surfaced claiming Apple is planning to launch EarPods headphones with integrated heart rate and blood pressure sensors. While the claim is extremely sketchy, Apple patent applications have revealed the company’s interest in integrating biometric sensors into headphones in the past.
Regardless, it is unclear if Winokur will continue his work on ear-worn monitoring devices at Apple or perhaps move to focus on wearables in general, such as the iWatch. Given the timing of his hiring, it is unlikely his expertise will impact any of Apple’s product plans rumored for later this year, but he may certainly contribute to the company’s ongoing efforts in the health and wearables area.
In a 2011 interview with ABC, Winokur described the benefit of the medical device he was developing, suggesting it was to be worn in the ear all day for continuous monitoring of blood pressure and heart rate.
“The goal is to have this worn, basically throughout the day,” Eric Winokur, an MIT Ph.D. candidate told Ivanhoe.
It measures heart rate and blood pressure at your head, and could help doctors track conditions like high blood pressure more accurately and continuously to better personalize treatment.
Winokur listed some typical questions that patients will be able to get answers to using the device, “Is my medication working? Should I increase it? Should I decrease it? What’s my overall health?”.
In recent months, Apple has taken an intense interest in health monitoring, hiring multiple health experts with a range of skills and interests, including non-invasive monitoring of heart rate, oxygen saturation, glucose, and more. Many of the experts have joined the company’s iWatch team, focusing on developing a sensor-laden wearable device that may be released later this year.
Alongside the iWatch, Apple is also developing iOS 8, which is said to have a heavy focus on health with its included “Healthbook” app, designed to aggregate health-related data from a variety of sources. While Winokur’s role is currently unknown, he is set to join Apple next month.
Here’s an all-in-one travel adapter for your MacBook charger
Road warriors who carry a MacBook may already have Apple’s world travel adapter kit, or even Twelve South’s PlugBug for that extra USB port; but both products require swapping plugs for different regions. Konnext’s OneAdapter Twist, however, caters to the slightly lazier travelers: It’s essentially a chunky all-in-one travel adapter that sits atop any MacBook charger, though it also works just fine by itself. To switch plugs, simply twist the ring in the middle until it clicks. There’s also a 2.4A USB socket (PlugBug’s is only 2.1A), and if you need more, you can slot an optional three-socket USB hub in between. The OneAdapter Twist won’t be launching until June for around $29 to $39, but for now, we have a quick demo video of a prototype after the break.
Filed under: Peripherals
Source: Konnext
Beats Music Expands to iPad With New Update [iOS Blog]
Streaming music app Beats Music for iOS was today updated to version 2.0.0, adding compatibility with the iPad. The app, first released in January, was previously limited to the iPhone.
The new iPad app includes an interface that has been designed specifically for the tablet’s larger screen, incorporating features like Just for You, the Sentence, Find It, My Library, and Offline Mode. Support is included for both landscape and portrait modes.
Along with iPad support, the app has also gained “Find Your Friends,” a feature that allows users to find and follow their Twitter friends on Beats Music.
What’s New in Version 2.0.0
You asked for it, and we listened! Introducing Beats Music for iPad:
– A stylish and sophisticated interface designed specifically for the iPad’s larger screen
– All your favorite features including Just for You, the Sentence, Find It, My Library and Offline Mode
– Dedicated support for both landscape and portrait modes
– In-app subscription and account management via your iTunes accountAdditionally, so you aren’t listening alone, for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch:
– Find Your Friends — adds the ability to find and follow your Twitter friends on Beats Music
and much, much more!
Beats’ streaming music service has a heavy focus on curation to distinguish it from competitors like Spotify, Rdio, Pandora, and iTunes Radio. The company hires music experts to curate stations and create playlists from the service’s music catalog of 20 million songs.
Beats Music can be downloaded from the App Store for free, but accessing requires a $9.99 per month subscription. Unlimited streaming and unlimited downloads are included in the purchase price. [Direct Link]
Apple Expands iTunes in the Cloud in Germany With Access to Movies and TV Shows [iOS Blog]
Apple today expanded iTunes in the Cloud in Germany, adding access to movies and television shows. As noted by German site iFun.de [Google Translation] German users are now able to download TV shows on their Apple TVs, as well as access previously purchased movie and television content on any of their Apple devices.
Prior to today’s update, iTunes in the Cloud in Germany was limited to music, apps, and e-books, though German users were able to purchase movies via iTunes. Apple has also reportedly updated its terms of service in the country to reflect the new content offerings, but the iTunes in the Cloud support page and the country’s Apple TV page have yet to be updated.
iTunes in the Cloud, which allows iTunes users to download previously purchased content, initially launched back in June of 2011 in the United States, with U.S. users receiving access to movies and TV shows in March of 2012. Apple has been working on expanding movie and television show coverage to additional countries since that time. Currently, a number of countries have iTunes in the Cloud access to movies, while television shows are limited to just five countries.
Apple last expanded iTunes in the Cloud back in August of 2013, adding movie support in Japan and seven other European countries, including Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.
