Apple Picks Up Numerous ‘.Camera’ and ‘.Photography’ Domain Names

Last week, we noted that Apple has registered several new “.guru” domains, part of an initial batch of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) being launched over the coming weeks and months.

That rollout is continuing this week, and Apple has wasted no time securing a number of additional domains in the new .camera and .photography families. Among the new domains registered by Apple:

– aperture.camera and aperture.photography
– apple.camera and apple.photography
– facetime.camera and facetime.photography
– imovie.camera and imovie.photography
– iphoto.camera and iphoto.photography
– isight.camera and isight.photography
– photobooth.camera and photobooth.photography
– retina.camera and retina.photography

Other new gTLDs opening for registration this week include .equipment, .estate, .gallery, .graphics, and .lighting. While Apple has apparently placed blocks to prevent registration of its own trademarks under these new gTLDs, such as apple.estate and macbook.lighting, the company so far appears to have only pursued active registrations in the .camera and .photography families.

As with the new .guru domains registered by Apple last week, the company’s new .camera and .photography domains are not yet active, and it is unclear whether Apple has plans to actively use them in the future.

Imagination Technologies Extends PowerVR Licensing Agreement With Apple

Imagination Technologies today announced that it has extended its licensing agreement with Apple. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed, but Imagination confirmed the deal signed was a multi-year, multi-use agreement that provides Apple with access to the company’s PowerVR graphics and video hardware.

Imagination Technologies Group plc (LSE: IMG, “Imagination”) announces that Apple has extended its multi-year, multi-use license agreement, which gives Apple access to Imagination’s wide range of current and future PowerVR graphics and video IP cores.

Under the terms of the above licensing arrangement, Imagination will receive on-going license fees, and royalty revenues on shipment of SoCs (Systems on Chip) incorporating Imagination’s IP.

Imagination also recently announced its Series6XT PowerVR GPUs, which will replace the current Series6 graphics used in Apple’s A7 chipset. In detail, the company claims that its newer GPU chips will deliver a 50% benchmark performance increase when compared to similar configurations of previous generation cores. The technology is expected to debut in devices sometime in 2015.

Apple has used Imagination’s PowerVR graphics architecture in all of its iPhone models to this point, and is a major investor in the company with a 10% ownership stake.

Apple to Open First Retail Store in Brazil on February 15

Apple has confirmed on its website that it will be opening its first retail store in Brazil on Saturday, February 15. The store will be located in Rio de Janeiro’s famous Barra da Tijuca borough, located at the VillageMall luxury shopping center.

The news follows a report from last October stating that Apple was reportedly planning to open its first store in the South American country between February and March 2014, giving the location a few months to be up and running before the start of the FIFA World Cup being held in Rio during the months of June and July.

The prior report also stated that Apple would be seeking some of its U.S. Apple retail employees to temporarily relocate to Brazil to educate local employees about Apple retail procedures and act as in-store workers. However, it is unclear as to whether Apple actually followed through on the initiative or not. Apple’s difficulty in recruiting employees for its Brazilian store was reportedly one of the reasons as to why the company could not open the store in July as originally intended.

Apple began hiring for its first Brazilian retail stores in November 2012, and has been working with Foxconn to move some iPhone and iPad production to the country to avoid hefty import taxes and allow Apple to expand its market share. Last October, a regulatory agency also granted Apple the authorization needed to sell the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in Brazil, as both phones launched in the country shortly thereafter. It was also reported earlier this week that the company will restart iPhone 4 production in order to sell the device in Brazil, India, and Indonesia.

Thanks, Cássio!

Square-Enix Launches ‘Final Fantasy VI’ for iOS Devices [iOS Blog]

Following the release of Final Fantasy IV: The After Years last November, Square-Enix today launched Final Fantasy VI for iOS devices. The game’s story centers around rebels Terra and Locke as they battle an evil force known as The Empire, with gameplay centering around the series’ fast-paced “Active Time Battle” system. Recreated graphics and a touch-optimized battle interface are also present in the release as well, as the game also supports iCloud data syncing across devices.

Features
• Game data saved with iCloud can now be shared across devices! At home or away, on your iPhone or iPad, pick the play style that’s best for you.

• All graphics have been painstakingly recreated, bringing the world of FINAL FANTASY VI to your mobile device for the very first time! Kazuko Shibuya, one of the graphics designers involved in the FINAL FANTASY series from the very start, personally worked on the main characters and supervised the recreation of the game’s graphics.

• Square Enix’s vast experience in A-list smartphone RPG titles has been harnessed in implementing intuitive user-friendly controls that make the game easy to play on touch screens. The battle interface has received particular attention, with a complete overhaul for use on your smartphone.

• This smartphone release includes the new magicites and events that were introduced in the 2006 remake.

• Some events have been optimized to be played with user-friendly touch controls.

Final Fantasy VI was originally revealed to be coming to iOS devices last October in an interview with longtime Square-Enix producer Takashi Tokita, who also teased a potential release of the mega-popular Final Fantasy VII for mobile devices. However, the producer later clarified his comments about a potential Final Fantasy VII mobile release five days later, stating that the game’s appearance on iOS devices is “years away” because of the space limitations on the platform.

Final Fantasy VI is available on iOS devices for $15.99 and can be downloaded through the App Store. [Direct Link]

Apple Removes Bitcoin App ‘Blockchain’ From App Store [iOS Blog]

Blockchain, a wallet app that allows users to send and receive the digital currency Bitcoin, has been removed from the App Store, according to Bloomberg.

Blockchain.info, the developer of the software, received an e-mail from Apple saying that the app was withdrawn “due to an unresolved issue,” Nicolas Cary, chief executive officer of the London-based company, said.

Cary told Bloomberg that he didn’t understand the timing of the removal of the app, as it has been in the App Store for two years.

Late last year, Apple removed Bitcoin buying and trading platform Coinbase from the App Store and, more recently, Apple required the developers behind Gliph, a secure messaging platform that allowed Bitcoin transfers, to remove the transfer feature in order to keep its app on the App Store.

Blockchain‘s removal is another chapter in Apple’s tumultuous relationship with Bitcoin apps. The company has told developers behind Bitcoin-related apps that they may not include content that “enables, facilitates or encourages an activity” that some countries deem illegal. App Store Review Guidelines require that apps be legal in all locations in which the app is available.

Apple Posts New ‘On The Runway’ Video Showcasing Burberry Fashion Show Shot on iPhone 5s

Apple has added a new video to its iPhone 5s marketing page showcasing footage shot at Burberry’s Spring/Summer 2014 runway show back in September.

The thirty-second spot shows how the then-unreleased iPhone 5s was used to shoot video at the fashion show, including the elaborate camera rigs that were used. The song in the background is Soothing Me So by Victory.

On the runway with iPhone 5s

Burberry Spring/Summer 2014. An incredible collection. Shot with stunning clarity. On iPhone 5s.

Roughly a month after the fashion show was shot with the iPhone 5s, Apple announced the hiring of Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts to run its retail and online stores. Ahrendts will join Apple in the spring and will continue in her role as Burberry CEO until then.

Comprehensive List Details Every Apple Reference in The Simpsons and Futurama [Mac Blog]

An exhaustive list of all the Apple references ever made in long-running television cartoons The Simpsons and Futurama has been compiled by Yoni Heisler of TUAW. On the air since 1989 and 1999, respectively, The Simpsons and Futurama have featured Apple products in various episodes more than 40 times.

Some standouts include a 2010 episode of Futurama where Bender declares the Mac to be better than the PC and a 1994 episode of The Simpsons, featuring the poor handwriting recognition capabilities of the Apple Newton, a PDA device.

Another highlight is a 2013 episode of The Simpsons that depicts a character attempting to use Siri to locate a hospital.

In this particular Simpsons episode, a store owner tries to use Siri to locate a hospital for Homer.

Upon doing so, Siri tells him, “I’m sorry, I don’t see any ‘hos petals’ near you. Deleting all contact information.”

Furious, the man responds, “No, I didn’t ask you to do that Siri!” To which Siri responds, “Delete confirmed.”

In 2008, The Simpsons aired what may be its most popular Apple-centric episode, with a satirical anti-Apple focus on the “Mapple Store” filled with MyPods, MyPhones, and a “braniac bar.” The episode also introduced Mapple founder and Chief Imaginative Officer Steve Mobbs. “He’s a genius!” shouts the crowd. “He’s like a god who knows what we want!”

During his compilation of references, Heisler was able to speak with The Simpsons writer Bill Oakley and director David Silverman. According to the duo, computers on the show were often drawn as Macs because it was the platform of choice for animators in the 90s.

Oakley also noted that Smithers, Mr. Burns well-known assistant, was written as a Mac user because he “is the type of progressive young fellow who would have a Mac rather than a PC.”

Silverman wanted to be clear that references to Apple are only added to episodes for comedic effect and the show is carefully written to avoid product placement.

“Even if it’s in the Simpsons universe and we created it,” Silverman explained, “we don’t want to put it in every show because it looks like we’re promoting it, and that’s not our point. Mapple is too close to the real thing.”

The full list of Apple references can be accessed on TUAW and is well worth checking out. The compilation includes images, videos, and additional commentary from show creators.

Olympic Athletes Requested to Cover Apple Logos During Opening Ceremony Because of Samsung Sponsorship

Olympic athletes are being asked by Samsung to cover any Apple logos on their devices during the Parade of Nations at the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony because Samsung is a lead worldwide sponsor of the Games.

The report, from a Swiss site (via Slashgear) [Translate], does not go into much detail on the request, but reports it as a condition of Samsung’s sponsorship. From Slashgear:

Olympics sponsor Samsung is reportedly dropping Galaxy Note 3 smartphones in athletes’ goodie-bags, though the gift comes with a catch: a supposed ban on any other device branding, iPhone or otherwise, during the opening ceremony.

Olympic athletes are controversially banned from mentioning any non-sponsor products during their time at the Olympics, including on social media and clothing.

All accredited competitors, coaches, trainers and officials are required to abide by Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter, preventing athletes from mentioning any non-Olympic sponsor companies. Athletes breaking Rule 40 can be punished with “removal of accreditation and financial penalties” or even total disqualification. The IOC has said on numerous occasions that protecting sponsors is of paramount importance because, without them, there could be no Games.

It’s not entirely clear if this “Rule 40″ was used as the reason for the ban on competitor logos. MacRumors has reached out to the United States Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee, and Samsung for comment but has yet to receive any response.

Apple to Use ‘Stepped Battery’ Technology from LG Chem for iWatch

Apple will use lithium-ion batteries supplied by Samsung SDI, Tianjin Lishen Battery, and LG Chem for its upcoming iWatch, reports The Korea Herald. LG Chem in particular produces stepped batteries that are said to offer both greater longevity and greater flexibility, as they can be made in a variety of shapes.

LG Chem’s Stepped Battery, courtesy of Android Central

“Apple will utilize LG Chem’s stepped battery since it offers better longevity than others and can be applied for different shapes,” a source said, declining to be identified.

A stepped battery is similar to a traditional lithium-ion battery but it also includes an extra ridge or “step” on the back that increases the battery’s capacity. According to LG Chem, the design boosts capacity by 16 percent, which results in three extra hours of battery life in the LG G2 smart phone. Apple would, of course, need to use a much smaller battery, but such a design could help it eke out extra longevity.

Battery life is said to be one of Apple’s major iWatch developmental issues, with a report from last year suggesting the company was seeing just one to two days of battery life in prototype devices. Another January report indicated Apple is still having trouble reaching its target goal of four to five days of battery life.

Along with its efforts to increase battery life, Apple has also been experimenting with a number of effortless charging methods that could make it easier for consumers to charge their devices on a frequent basis. Inductive charging, for example, would allow the iWatch to be charged wirelessly, alleviating the need for a traditional cable charging method. The company has also investigated solar and movement-based charging, but it is unlikely these technologies will be included in the iWatch.

Apple’s iWatch remains in the developmental stages, but the company reportedly has a multitude of employees working on the device. It has hired a number of health and fitness experts in recent months and it appears that the device could include an array of battery-intensive functions and health sensors. It is unknown when the iWatch might be released, but recent reports have suggested that late 2014 could be a target goal, possibly alongside iOS 8 and the next-generation iPhone.