Apple Stores Roundup
A comprehensive tracker of Apple’s retail stores around the world, including new, rumored, and renovated stores.
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BBC iPlayer for iOS Adds Handoff Support and Spotlight Search
BBC’s iPlayer app has been updated for iOS users in the UK today, bringing added support for Spotlight search and Apple’s Handoff feature.
Users of the app can now directly search for TV programs from their home screen by activating Spotlight search with a swipe down gesture, while the addition of Handoff support enables viewers to pick up where they left off when switching to another iOS device.
The update also patches a bug that led to the app crashing on launch for some users, and adds a full catalog of iPlayer programs to the channel page via the A-Z option.
The UK broadcaster recently brought its iPlayer app to Apple TV after initially stating it had no plans to make the service available on the platform.
BBC iPlayer is a free download for users in the UK. [Direct Link]
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Apple Pay Now Accepted by 1000 U.S. Issuers
Apple updated its Apple Pay participating issuers list today with 32 additional banks, credit unions and financial institutions supporting the contactless payment service in the U.S. Apple Pay now has 1000 participating issuers nationwide, including 998 U.S. banks and credit unions and store card support at BJ’s Wholesale Club and Kohl’s.
The newly added Apple Pay participating issuers are reflected below, although it’s worth noting that some banks, credit unions and financial institutions listed may have already had support for the contactless payments service and are only now being reflected on Apple’s website.
The full list of new Apple Pay participating issuers:
- Anderson Brothers Bank
- Bank & Trust Company
- Bank of Labor
- Bank of Yazoo
- BankWest
- Brown County State Bank
- Busey Bank
- Campbell & Fetter Bank
- Central Bank of Oklahoma
- Collinsville Savings Society
- Core Bank
- Covantage Credit Union
- Diversified Members Credit Union
- Farmington Bank
- Florida Parishes Bank
- Fort Worth Community Credit Union
- Great Midwest Bank
- Horizon Bank, N.A.
- Litchfield Bancorp
- Luther Burbank Savings
- Mississippi National Guard Federal Credit Union
- Oregon Community Credit Union
- Pathfinder Bank
- Platinum Federal Credit Union
- Qualstar Credit Union
- Red River Bank
- Seven Seventeen Credit Union
- T Bank
- The Citizens Bank
- Titonka Savings Bank
- US Employees O.C. Federal Credit Union
- Wallis State Bank
Apple is committed to an international expansion of Apple Pay, having launched the mobile payments service in Australia and Canada in November in partnership with American Express. Apple Pay is also coming to Hong Kong, Singapore and Spain this year, and the service appears to have soft launched in China in partnership with UnionPay.
Apple Pay gained support for BJ’s Wholesale Club private label credit cards and 66 new U.S. issuers on December 15, plus nearly another 60 issuers on January 5. On the merchant side, Cinnabon, Chili’s, Domino’s, KFC and Starbucks will support Apple Pay in the U.S. starting this year.
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Apple wants Samsung’s appeal thrown out in Apple vs Samsung patent case
Cast your mind back to the prehistoric tech days of 2012, when Apple was awarded a significant victory over Samsung in a high-profile patent dispute. With a ruling of $1 billion in Apple’s favor, Samsung repeatedly appealed the decision and eventually whittled that figure down to the $548 million settlement it finally paid Apple in December 2015. But the story is not yet over, not by a long shot.
Even before the settlement payment, Samsung had filed papers to take the case to the Supreme Court under appeal, claiming the jury was ill-informed about the complexities of patent law. At the time, Samsung’s appeal was rejected, but no sooner had Samsung paid Apple than it filed a new appeal to the Supreme Court to have the verdict overturned and the money returned as part of a larger demand to have the patent law system reviewed and updated for modern times.
See also: Samsung demands patent law review, thinks the system is “antiquated”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Apple has now urged the Supreme Court to ignore Samsung’s latest appeal and let sleeping dogs lie, claiming Samsung has “had its day in court – many days, in fact”. Naturally, Apple wants this whole thing to be over; after all, it got its money and won a substantial victory over its arch-rival. But Samsung has some pretty high profile supporters.
While Apple might be against the appeal – which could potentially see its favorable 2012 verdict overturned – Google, Facebook, Dell, eBay and HP, among others, have all thrown their support behind Samsung’s request. The case is not so much about Samsung and Apple now than about how patent law is understood more than 120 years after its last revision and how damages are awarded in patent infringement cases.
The prime target of the dispute is the contentious “total profit” rule whereby all profits made by a product found to infringe on a patent can be awarded to the patent holder. That means if a smartphone with a quarter million patents involved in its production is found to infringe on even one of them, all of the money made from that device can go to the holder of that patent. As Samsung rightfully notes, when the patent law system was instituted, a product might only require one patent.
According to Samsung, the complexity of modern electronic products demands a review of patent law and the way that damages are awarded in patent cases. Samsung’s response to Apple’s rejection of its appeal states that “if the legal precedent in this case stands, innovation could be diminished, competition could be stifled, and opportunistic lawsuits could have negative effects throughout the U.S. economy.”
Who do you think will win? How do you think patents should be handled for modern devices?
A bidding war could ensue over the NFL’s TNF streaming rights
Earlier this week, the National Football League announced it reached a deal with CBS and NBC to provide both networks with five games each from its Thursday Night Football package. Another eight games will be aired exclusively on NFL Network. Overall, the NFL will get a combined $450 million for giving up ten games to outside parties. But the league isn’t done cashing in on Thursday Night Football’s success in the 2014 and 2015 season. Thursday Night Football averaged over 16 million viewers per game on CBS while NFL Network-only games enjoyed a weekly average only a few million less. So why not try to get another partner and add even more money to the lucrative sport? When Monday’s deal with CBS and NBC was made, the NFL stated it was engaged in “active discussions with prospective digital partners.”
The NFL is shopping exclusive streaming rights to the Thursday Night Football package to the largest technology firms around. Variety is reporting Google, Apple, Amazon, and Verizon are all among those seeking to make a bid and score the most valuable content in the United States.
Scenarios for each of the aforementioned companies are simple to see.
Google would, without question, use YouTube to stream the games live to people around the world. YouTube has experience in showing major events live; therefore, Google wouldn’t need to the service’s infrastructure and the NFL could breathe easy about YouTube being slammed with a large influx of viewers. What’s likely more important to the NFL is choosing a partner open to supporting as many platforms as possible. And that’s exactly what YouTube offers. Also, Google has the added bonus of having devices to really push streaming Thursday Night Football on phones, tablets, and Chromecast-connected displays.
Another possibility for putting the games on YouTube would be for Google to push YouTube Red, the monthly subscription that removes advertisements and unlocks original programming.
Apple is probably the most confusing potential bidder because of its lack of multi-platform support. The company generally sticks to keeping its services solely on its own hardware, meaning people without an Apple device would be kept from watching Thursday Night Football unless they sat down in front of a television. Plus, Apple doesn’t have a proven track record in video streaming (live or pre-recorded) outside of the annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The NFL wants an experienced partner and Apple wouldn’t be one.
Amazon’s situation doesn’t make it a very appealing partner, but it’s one that’s much better than Apple’s. Amazon actually has a video streaming service but never put up any live content to test strength. But, if Jeff Bezos opens his wallet and shells out big bucks for Thursday Night Football, Amazon could get new eyeballs on Prime Video and grow Prime memberships with ease.
Thursday Night Football would likely fare best (assuming Google and YouTube do something wrong) by having Verizon carry the games. The carrier already streams each and every game of the regular season live and on-demand on an exclusive basis, which should give the league a jump in confidence when reviewing Verizon’s bid. Here though, the games wouldn’t be shown to just Verizon customers. Go90, the video streaming service targeted at millennials, would be the place for Verizon to stream the games.
Go90, while not profitable at this time, already hosts content from the NBA and Verizon adding in NFL content in the form of live games would be huge. Millions of people would be forced to turn to Go90 to watch games, and Verizon could then push the service’s other content. Advertisers’ would be salivating after seeing Go90 cater to elusive millennials and stream NFL games.
What every interested company should be aware of, and I’m sure they are, is the flop that occurred when Yahoo streamed a London game on October 25. Yahoo paid $20 million for a game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. Despite those teams being perennial underwhelming teams, Yahoo couldn’t put up a seamless stream. Viewers endured buffering and stuttering issues.
Yahoo averaged just 2.36 million viewers at any given time during the game’s broadcast.
The games, which might include the handful of London-based showdowns, could even end up being distributed by multiple companies if the league wants to ensure fans aren’t limited in accessing Thursday Night Football away from a television. Giving more than of the interested companies non-exclusive streaming rights would practically guarantee fans could watch Thursday Night Football games from anywhere.
Google, Apple, Amazon, and Verizon all have billions to spend. It comes down to whether or not they think enough people will stream Thursday Night Football games to generate advertising revenue surprising the expense to win those streaming rights. That’s why streaming Thursday Night Football games simultaneously on multiple services could be the best case scenario for the NFL and the potential bidders.
Source: Variety
Come comment on this article: A bidding war could ensue over the NFL’s TNF streaming rights
Apple Says U.S. Supreme Court Should Reject Samsung’s Appeal Request
In December, Samsung asked the United States Supreme Court to hear a final appeal in its ongoing patent battle with Apple, which would potentially nullify a $548 million settlement awarded to Apple. In a lengthy document filed with the court this afternoon (via Foss Patents), Apple urges the Supreme Court to deny Samsung’s request, accusing the company of raising issues that do not “deserve review” in an effort to prolong court proceedings.
Samsung has claimed that the jury did not adequately understand the patents in question because members weren’t provided with enough explanation by the court. The South Korean company has also suggested the case has wider implications that could encourage design patent trolls, an assertion Apple refers to as a “doomsday warning” based on “extreme hypotheticals.”
Samsung’s effort to make this case seem certworthy depends on a made-up narrative in which Samsung, not Apple, is the innovator, despite the overwhelming evidence that Samsung copied the iPhone’s innovative design. […]
Once Samsung’s diversions are swept aside as they should be, the actual issues it presents do not deserve review. The decisions below broke no new legal ground; they simply applied the statute and well-settled law to the extraordinary record of infringement and copying in this case.
Apple goes on to say that Samsung has had its day in court and while the litigation is “high-profile,” it is “legally unexceptional” and Samsung has not presented a legitimate reason as to why the court should prolong it.
While Apple doesn’t feel Samsung’s case is worth the Supreme Court’s attention, Facebook, Google, and other technology companies have all urged the court to take on Samsung’s appeal to overturn the ruling in Apple’s favor. A major concern is the amount that Samsung was forced to pay for its design patent infringement — nearly $400 million — and the implication it has for similar disputes in the future.
Samsung has already paid the agreed upon $548 million settlement to Apple, but should the Supreme Court take on the case and rule in Samsung’s favor, Apple would be required to pay back the money. Samsung’s Supreme Court appeal was a last ditch effort, and should the Supreme Court refuse to hear the case, Samsung will not be able to recoup its money, putting an end to a patent battle that’s been going on since 2012.
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Tim Cook says more Apple apps could come to Android
It looks like more Apple software may be coming to the Android operating system. A recent “Town Hall” event saw Tim Cook revealing to employees that Apple Music was just “testing the waters” of Android to see if there was enough interest to release additional apps on the competition’s platform.
There’s no official word yet as to what apps we might expect from the iPhone manufacturer, but potential choices include a slew of iCloud services from calendars to email to notes. Apple’s messaging service iMessage would be a welcome addition to the Android marketplace for a large number of users who spend their days with a foot in each world, running an Android phone by day but an iPad by night. Apple Pay would be a nice addition too, but there are doubts as to whether it could feasibly make the jump to an alternate operating system and maintain the security it currently has.
See also: Apple Music heading for #1 with 10 million paying subscribers in six months
Apple has found themselves in a little bit of a complicated situation. Both Google and Microsoft have made bold initiatives to make their software available on as many devices as possible, regardless of operating system. However, Apple has remained somewhat exclusive, potentially limiting themselves. Now that they’re trying to branch out, they’re finding themselves competing with much more entrenched software, and it’s uncertain how much demand remains for these apps within the Android ecosystem.
What are your thoughts regarding Apple’s move to make more of their products available on Android devices? A savvy business move, or are they too late to the table? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Next: Report: Google plans to take an ‘Apple-like’ approach to the Nexus line
Apple TV Universal Search Feature Expands to FOX NOW, FXNOW, and NAT GEO
Universal search, which allows users to find content across multiple apps and services using text or Siri voice search, is one of the most useful features on the new fourth-generation Apple TV. At launch, universal search worked with iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Showtime, but Apple promised to expand the feature to include additional content sources over time.
Apple has made good on that promise. As of today, searching for content on the Apple TV will encompass the aforementioned apps along with FOX NOW, FXNOW, and National Geographic. Apple also expanded universal search to include PBS and PBS Kids in January.
Apple maintains a full list of apps that are included in the Apple TV’s universal search feature in a dedicated support document. The new channels aren’t listed yet, but should be added to the document in the near future.
Universal search across iTunes, HBO GO, HBO NOW, Hulu, Netflix, PBS, PBS Kids, Showtime, Showtime Anytime, FOX NOW, FXNOW, and NAT GEO is limited to Apple TV users who are located in the United States. Content from these apps will be displayed when a user asks Siri to find a movie or television show or conducts a text-based search.
In Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK, universal search only encompasses movies and TV shows on iTunes and Netflix, and with all other countries, search is only available for movies in iTunes.
Apple plans to continue opening up its universal search API to additional apps going forward.
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Apple Updates Final Cut Pro X, Motion and Compressor With Bug Fixes, Minor Feature Enhancements
Apple today updated Final Cut Pro X, Compressor, and Motion, its software designed for professional video editors. Today’s updates, the first since September, add a couple of new features and introduce a long list of bug fixes.
Final Cut Pro X now includes a Customizable Default Effect that allows users to choose a video and an audio effect to assign to a keyboard shortcut, a 4K export preset for creating video files for Apple devices, and the option to share video to multiple YouTube accounts. It also includes the following bug fixes and feature enhancements:
– Customizable Default Effect lets you choose both a video and audio effect that is assigned to a keyboard shortcut
– 4K export preset to create video files for Apple devices
– Improves speed when opening libraries on a SAN
– Resolves an issue that could affect the timecode display in the Dashboard on OS X El Capitan
– Import Canon XF-AVC including video files from the Canon C300 Mark II
– Ability to share video to multiple YouTube accounts
– Resolves an issue in which a disabled video effect could appear as Missing Effect when opening the project or when sharing to Compressor
– Addresses an issue in which black frames could appear in imported iPhone video clips that were trimmed on iPhone
– Fixes an issue that could cause the playhead to jump ahead when editing short titles
– Fixes an issue that could cause the timeline to stop playback when switching views in the Browser
– Fixes an issue in which points on a Bezier shape could incorrectly switch from Linear to Smooth
– Fixes an issue in which some objects within Motion templates render with soft edges
– Adds iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Pro, and Apple TV (4th generation) to the Apple Devices compatibility list in the Share window
Compressor includes the same 4K export preset for creating video files for Apple devices and several bug fixes:
– 4K export preset to create video files for Apple devices
– Fixes an issue in which Closed Caption files could be incorrectly labeled as SDH subtitles when creating an iTunes Store Package
– Fixes an issue in which the Navigation window fails to display the source clip when the Preview Window is zoomed
– Launch screen displays correctly on OS X El Capitan
– Adds iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Pro, and Apple TV (4th generation) to the Apple Devices compatibility list
Motion received a long list of bug fixes and stability improvements:
– Improves stability when adding Photoshop files to a project
– Improves stability when searching in iTunes and photo libraries
– Improves stability when using the Undo command after ungrouping a parent group
– Correctly saves percentage-based parameters in the Checkerboard generator after closing and reopening a project
– Correctly saves the preview movie for Motion templates created in German, Japanese, and Chinese
– Fixes an issue in which points on a Bezier shape could incorrectly switch from Linear to Smooth
– Fixes an issue in which some objects within Motion templates render with soft edges
– Adds iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Pro, and Apple TV (4th generation) to the Apple Devices compatibility list in the Share window
Today’s minor update comes nearly a year after Apple introduced the last major update to its video editing software in April of 2015, adding new features for motion graphics and enhancements to speed up video editing, packaging, and delivery.
Apple has also updated its Final Cut Pro X microsite to include information on FCP Exchange and Videomaker, both of which offer workshops and tutorials on using the editing software.
Final Cut Pro X can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $299.99. [Direct Link]
Compressor can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $49.99. [Direct Link]
Motion can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $49.99. [Direct Link]
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Tim Cook hints more Apple apps could come to Android
Apple stepped into the Android waters late last year with the launch of Apple Music on Google’s competing mobile OS. But if comments made by Tim Cook at recent “Town Hall” event for Apple employees are to be believed, it might not be the last. According to sources at the event who reported info to 9to5Mac, Cook said that Apple Music on Android was a way of “testing the waters” to see if it could further expand its services division on Android.
Various iCloud services, including calendars, email, notes and reminders all seem like a natural place to start, as does the company’s revamped iCloud photo library. That’s not to mention iMessage, another logical app to bring to Android. That would give the many people out there who use Android tighter integration between their phones and Mac computers and iPads. Apple Pay is also a major initiative for the company, but it seems like it might be harder to pull off from a security standpoint, as Apple obviously doesn’t have the same control over both hardware and software that it does on its own platforms.
There’s also some question as to how many people actually want these services on Android — being able to sync Android photos with your iCloud photo library would certainly be useful, but there’s little question that Apple’s iCloud services lag pretty far behind Google’s in a lot of ways. Still, Microsoft and Google have both made a point of putting their services on all the major platforms as much as they are able to — if Apple wants to compete from a software standpoint, it might have to do the same thing. The company’s annual developer even should be happening about four months from now, a good time for Apple to start planting the seeds for such a move.
Via: Business Insider
Source: 9to5Mac
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