‘BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episode 2’ Expansion Pack Hits Mac and PC Simultaneously [Mac Blog]

The latest expansion pack to BioShock Infinite has launched simultaneously on the Mac and PC. Burial at Sea – Episode 2 is the third and final add-on pack for BioShock Infinite and is included in the season pass for that game.

It is available on the Mac for $15 on Steam and Aspyr’s GameAgent.com store, and will be added to the Mac App Store later this week. BioShock Infinite ($30) is required to play the expansion packs, with the three-episode season pass available for $20.

Set immediately after the conclusion of BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Episode One, this concluding episode puts you in the role of Elizabeth as she journeys through Rapture in an effort to rescue the little sister she abandoned. Developed by Irrational Games, the studio behind the original BioShock and BioShock Infinite, this continuation of the Burial at Sea saga features parts of Rapture you’ve never seen before, built almost entirely from scratch in the BioShock Infinite engine. Explore the city and engage in a story that involves nearly every major character from the original BioShock and BioShock Infinite. Experience modified stealth-oriented gameplay that brings you new weapons and plasmids, as well as some old favorites.

BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Episode Two is the last of three BioShock Infinite add-on packs and it concludes the storyline of BioShock Infinite and Burial at Sea. This pack is included in the BioShock Infinite Season Pass and will contain new Achievements.

BioShock Infinite, its related expansion packs, and BioShock 1 and 2 are available on Steam, GameAgent.com and the Mac App Store.

Apple Bolsters Online Retail Team With Former Delta VP

Apple is beefing up its online retail team with the addition of former Delta Air Lines Vice President of Marketing Bob Kupbens, reports AdAge. According to his LinkedIn profile, Kupbens is now serving as Apple’s Vice President of Online Retail after leaving Delta earlier this month.

Kupbens originally jointed Delta in 2010 and before that, he spent eight years transitioning through several roles at Target, last serving as a vice president. During a 2013 AdAge conference, Kupbens spoke on the importance of “love brands” noting that every consumer has five brands “they really love.”

“I used to work at Target and when you went to a cocktail party and you told people that you worked at Target, you know what they’d say?” he asked. “‘I love Target! I’ll give you a big hug!’ You know what people say when you tell them at a cocktail party that you work at Delta? ‘I hate you! You lost my bag! You had me on the tarmac for seven hours. I’m going to kill you!’ It’s different when you work for a love brand.”

Like Target, Apple is undoubtedly a “love brand” for millions of people, inspiring its fans to wait in line for hours and even days for new products. Many companies even parody consumer dedication to the brand, with Samsung, for example, mocking Apple fans in an array of anti-iPhone commercials.

Bob Kupbens will presumably work under Angela Ahrendts, who will begin her role a Senior Vice President at Apple in the coming months, leading both the company’s retail and online teams. Ahrendts, who is currently transitioning out of her role as Burberry’s CEO, will report directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

With the addition of Kupbens and Ahrendts, Apple will finally have strong leadership for its retail division. The company has been without a leader since John Browett was fired in October of 2012 during a significant management restructuring.

iPhone 6 Concept Imagines iPod Nano-Like Design [iOS Blog]

While the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c saw many part leaks ahead of their September 2013 release, we have seen no solid hints on what Apple’s larger iPhone 6 might look like, leaving it up to designers to imagine how Apple will redesign its flagship product.

Concept artist Martin Hajek has teamed up with iCulture to create a mockup of the iPhone 6 based on some recent rumors, which suggested the iPhone 6 might take some design cues from the iPhone 5c and the seventh-generation iPod nano. While the report indicated the phone could adopt the colored anodized aluminum backing of the nano, Hajek has taken the nano-inspiration even further, with a flat, rectangular design and a 4.7-inch screen.

Apple’s iPhone 6 is expected to be larger than the existing 4-inch iPhone 5s, with a screen size ranging from 4.7 inches to 5.7 inches. Some rumors have indicated the company has plans to release two separate phones in that size range, but it remains unclear if the company will proceed with that plan.

Along with a larger screen size, the iPhone 6 may incorporate a durable sapphire crystal display and will undoubtedly feature processor and camera upgrades. Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 6 in the fall alongside iOS 8.

Chomp Co-Founder and Maps Director to Leave Apple in April [Mac Blog]

Cathy Edwards, who works as a Director of Evaluation and Quality on Apple Maps, is planning to leave Apple in April, reports TechCrunch. Edwards initially co-founded and served as chief technical officer at app discovery platform Chomp, joining Apple after her company was acquired in 2012.

Apple purchased Chomp in early 2012 to bolster its App Store search and discovery algorithms and incorporated the company’s technology into its App Store in August of 2012, adding a card-style search results format that is still used today.

Following the acquisition, Edwards served as Head of Search and Management, taking on the responsibility of search systems across multiple Apple products. Later, just after the disastrous launch of Apple Maps, Edwards took on the role of Director, Evaluation and Quality, Apple Maps.

She joined that role at a pretty thankless time, if you recall the chaos of Apple Maps-gate. Edwards’ role at Apple Maps has focused on “Building out an organization focused on QA automation, statistical quality analysis and analytics within Maps,” according to LinkedIn. Essentially, her work was about making sure that Apple Maps didn’t suck, something that remains a goal for the company. “We’re hiring, come join us!” ends the description. This remains her role up to today.

It is unclear why Edwards is leaving Apple or what she plans to do next. TechCrunch suggests that the departure may be contractual as it is now two years since Chomp was acquired. It is unknown if other former Chomp employees will be leaving the company as well.

Amazon and Other Book Retailers Issuing Refunds in E-Book Publisher Settlement [Mac Blog]

Amazon today notified customers they are eligible for a refund for books they purchased through the Kindle book store. The refunds were paid by publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin as part of a settlement agreement in ebook price-fixing lawsuits filed by State Attorney Generals and other class-action plaintiffs.

Amazon issued the settlement refund in the form of a Kindle book store credit that is automatically applied to a customer’s Amazon account. The credit is valid for one year and must be redeemed before 03/31/2015.

Good news! You are entitled to a credit of $27.55 for some of your past Kindle book purchases. The credit results from legal settlements reached with publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin in antitrust lawsuits filed by State Attorneys General and Class Plaintiffs about the price of eBooks.

You don’t have to do anything to claim your credit, we have already added your credit to your Amazon account. We will automatically apply your available credit to your next purchase of a Kindle book or print book sold by Amazon.com, regardless of publisher. The credit applied to your purchase will appear in your order summary. If your account does not reflect this credit, please contact Amazon’s customer service.

For more information about the settlements, please visit http://www.amazon.com/ebooksettlements

Your credit is valid for one year and will expire after 03/31/2015. If you have not used your credit, we will send you another email 90 days before it expires to remind you that it is still available.

Thanks for being a Kindle customer.

The Amazon Kindle Team

Select book sellers like Barnes & Noble and Sony are expected to begin issuing similar credits today, with postcard checks from other booksellers being sent via mail to consumers starting March 27, 2014. You can find information on book retailers and their refund payment methods on the e-book settlement web site.

Apple also was included in the antitrust lawsuits, but refused to settle. After being found guilty in federal court of conspiring to artificially inflate e-book prices, Apple was barred from entering into anticompetitive deals with content providers and must submit to court-appointed compliance monitoring. The Cupertino company also could owe as much as $500 million in damages, which are yet to be assessed.

Apple recently appealed the verdict, calling the plan a “draconian and punitive intrusion into Apple’s business, wildly out of proportion to any adjudicated wrongdoing or potential harm.”

Istanbul Apple Store Taking Shape Ahead of April Launch [Mac Blog]

Turkey’s first Apple Store is nearing completion, as seen in new photos posted by Turkish Apple blog ElmaDergisi (via AppleToolbox). Taken on March 24 and 25, the images show the progress on the upcoming Istanbul location.

Located in the heart of Istanbul’s multi-use Zorlu Center, the store is said to feature a concept that includes a design with a cubic glass ceiling. As can be seen in the photos, the wooden frame covering the building has been removed, but the structure itself, said to be entirely glass, remains under wraps.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the Istanbul store will be unique among Apple retail locations, spanning more than 20,000 square feet with a portion of the store located underground.

The Istanbul Apple Store is rumored to open on Friday, April 4. Both Tim Cook and Turkish president Abdullah Gül are both expected to attend the opening.

Ashton Kutcher’s ‘Jobs’ Biopic Now Available to Stream on Netflix

Steve Jobs biopic, “Jobs”, is now available on Netflix’s streaming service for U.S. customers. Directed by Joshua Michael Stern and starring Ashton Kutcher as the Apple co-founder, the film is free for customers who subscribe to Netflix’s $7.99 monthly unlimited streaming plan.

Originally released in August 2013, the independent film received mixed reviews with many critics saying the movie focused too much on Apple and not enough on the character of Jobs, providing only a “skin-deep portrait” of the complex figure who lead Apple to greatness. It earned a 27% approval rating among critics and a 41% audience approval rating on movie review site Rotten Tomatoes.

“Jobs” also can be purchased via iTunes for $19.99 in high definition or $14.99 in standard definition. A 24-hour rental option is available for $4.99 (HD) or $3.99 (SD).

Apple Quietly Sells Its 500 Millionth iPhone

As documented in its quarterly earnings reports over the years, Apple reported total sales of 472 million iPhones between the device’s 2007 launch and the end of 2013. With analyst estimates of over 38 million units for the current quarter ending in just a few days, the company has undoubtedly already sold its 500 millionth iPhone, a milestone that passed without mention from the Cupertino company, notes Forbes.

The consensus would have placed the milestone sale around March 8 given that entering the quarter Apple had sold 472 million iPhones. So even if it proves a bit high as it did last quarter, we’ve crossed the point where it’s safe to assume that Apple has sold 500 million smartphones in less than 7 years. And the most recent 100 million took somewhere between 2-6 weeks less than the previous 100 million did.

Apple is known for celebrating notable milestones, changing its homepage for the 30th anniversary of the Mac and setting up countdowns on its website for App Store milestones. The company reached the 50 billion app download milestone in May 2013 and awarded a $10,000 iTunes Store gift card to the person who downloaded the 50 billionth app.

Even though Apple didn’t announce the 500 million iPhone milestone, it is not without significance. Quarterly iPhone sales continue to rise consistently on a year-over-year basis, with the company selling a record 51 million iPhones in fiscal Q1 2014, up from 47.8 million in the same time period in the prior year.

These next few quarters may see a slump in iPhone sales as Apple gears up for a possible fall launch of the iPhone 6. Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6 is widely rumored to include a larger display, which could encourage a significant number of users to upgrade in 2014 and cause another spike in sales later this year.

Japanese Court Rules Apple Does Not Infringe on Samsung Patents [iOS Blog]

A Japanese court ruled today that Apple’s iPhone 4s, iPhone 4 and iPad 2 do not infringe on Samsung’s data communication patents, reports Bloomberg. Tokyo District Court Judge Koji Hasegawa handed down the decision in the infringement case, which was originally filed by Samsung in April 2011.

Samsung said in a statement emailed to Bloomberg that it was disappointed by the decision and may consider an appeal, while Apple has not yet commented on the ruling.

“We are disappointed by the court’s decision,” Samsung said in an e-mailed statement earlier today. “Upon a thorough review of the ruling, we will determine which measures to take, including an appeal.”

This is one of several patent infringement lawsuits filed by the two technology giants in recent years. Apple scored the biggest win when it was awarded $890 million in a high-profile case that was presided over by Judge Lucy Koh in the United States District Court in the Northern District of California.

A second U.S. patent infringement lawsuit is set to begin on March 31, with Apple seeking up to $40 per unit in damages if Samsung is found guilty of infringing all five of Apple’s software patents.

New Image Shows Progress on Upcoming Apple Retail Store in Hanover, Germany [Mac Blog]

A new photo may indicate that Apple is nearing the grand opening of its long delayed retail store in Hanover, Germany, reports iFun.de [Google Translation]. The photo shows the building’s partially constructed internals with an exposed Apple logo on the right side of its entrance, with a flag pole also positioned over the left door.

Furthermore, the layout of the location in question is similar to that of the Apple Store Opéra in Paris, France, which boasts similar features and has become known as as one of the company’s most visually appealing locations.

It is likely that Apple’s Hanover location will open sometime in April, which would mark one year after the company put up its traditional plain black barricades to begin progress on the store. The store will also mark Apple’s 14th location in the country, which includes stores in Düsseldorf, Berlin, and Frankfurt.

Apple announced during its financial results conference call for the third quarter of 2013 that it would be building over 30 new stores in fiscal 2014, with 2/3 of those stores to be located outside of the United States. Apple also plans to remodel 20 stores over the course of the year.