iOS in the Car Development Plagued by Organizational Issues

Organizational issues have been plaguing Apple’s development of iOS in the Car, according to The Information’s Jessica E. Lessin (via AppleInsider). Because iOS in the Car did not fit neatly into an existing hardware or software team at Apple, executives reportedly “didn’t quite know what to do” with the program.

iOS in the Car from iOS 7.1 (Source: Denis Stas)

The disconnect is attributed primarily to overarching organizational issues that are said to place pressure on non-hardware products that do not fit within existing teams.

Even in the lead-up to iOS in the Car’s high-profile unveiling at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference last June, executives were reportedly still unsure about the product’s future.

According to Lessin, the team working on iOS in the Car was forced to “lobby hard” for stage time during the Worldwide Developers Conference where the product was first demonstrated.

Since that time, iOS in the Car has been listed as an iOS 7 feature “Coming Soon” on Apple’s website with no update on its availability. The feature is intended to provide enhanced iOS integration in automobiles, offering an iOS-style interface on the car’s touchscreen dash that allows users to make phone calls, access Maps, control music, and more.

Recently, developer Steven Troughton-Smith released both screenshots and a video of iOS in the Car in action, as the software is partially built into iOS 7.0.3 but unaccessible by default.

The iOS in the Car content shared by Troughton-Smith appears to confirm some of Apple’s struggles with the software. While one design is depicted in the video, Troughton-Smith’s screenshots and commentary on Twitter indicate that iOS in the Car has undergone a redesign from its early depiction on Apple’s website and at least one other redesign in iOS 7.1, which is currently available for developers.

Video of iOS in the Car in iOS 7.1 (Source: Denis Stas)
Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that iOS in the Car is a “key focus” for Apple and the company believes that “having something in the automobile is very important,” but it remains unclear when iOS in the Car might make its official debut.

While many car makers have expressed interest in including iOS in the Car in their 2014 models, cars with the feature have yet to materialize. Thus far, in-car integration with Apple devices remains largely limited to Siri Eyes Free and Honda’s HondaLink, which falls well short of full iOS in the Car functionality.

Enable iOS in the Car in iOS Simulator With iOS 7.1 Beta [iOS Blog]

While developer Steven Troughton-Smith has shared several screenshots and a video of iOS in the Car running on iOS 7.0.3, the iOS 7.1 beta currently available to developers offers even more iOS in the Car functionality, including a redesign.

According to Troughton-Smith, it is difficult to access iOS in the Car in iOS 7.0.3, but another developer, Denis Stas, has discovered that it’s much easier to access iOS in the Car in iOS 7.1 and has detailed how to enable the feature using iOS Simulator.

Stas details three steps that are necessary to get iOS in the Car running in iOS Simulator with iOS 7.1:

– Download the second developer preview of Xcode 5.1
– Clone https://github.com/zyafa/iOSCar
– Build and run cloned project and follow included instructions

Developers with access to iOS 7.1 and Xcode 5.1 DP2 will be able to give iOS in the Car a try, but non-developers will not be able to access the necessary software.

According to Stas, the current implementation of iOS in the Car is both unofficial and unstable. The iOS 7.1 version of iOS in the Car features a different design than was previously seen in iOS 7.0.3, featuring a look more in line with the style of iOS 7.

As noted earlier today, these design changes may be the result of organizational issues that have affected the development of iOS in the Car. While iOS in the Car can be accessed by developers using iOS Simulator, it remains unclear when Apple might officially debut the feature.

AppleScript Support Comes Back to Numbers, Could Signal a Return of Power User Features [Mac Blog]

Last October, Apple angered a lot of iWork power users when it introduced new versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

The new versions were rewritten from the ground up for improved usability and cross-platform compatibility across OS X, iOS and iWork in iCloud, but, as a result, some power user features didn’t make it into the machine at release.

Apple promised to restore the lost features and last week’s iWork update is the first step in restoring those features.

As Macworld notes, Numbers has gained significant AppleScript support, almost fully backwards compatible with previously created scripts for Numbers 2009. The iWork team has also added a number of new scripting features. It seems likely that scripting support will be added to Pages and Keynote in a future update.

The latest update of Numbers reintroduces AppleScript support in a big way. While Apple could have taken an iterative approach, reintroducing a few commands here and there, it chose instead to go whole-hog: The entire suite of scripting terminology originally supported by Numbers in the 2009 edition of iWork has returned.

This means that, if you have Numbers scripts you used with that 2009 version, most of them should (in theory) now work with Numbers 3.1; those scripts may require tweaks, though, because some features of Numbers itself have changed.

Users with feedback for Apple regarding the iWork apps, including complaints about missing features or suggestions would be well-served to give Apple feedback on its website. With these changes to Numbers, Apple does appear to listen to its users.

Numbers is a $19.99 download from the Mac App Store. [Direct Link]

Justice Department Skeptical About Sprint Acquisition of T-Mobile [iOS Blog]

Back in December, it was reported that Sprint — the U.S.’s third-largest cell carrier — was preparing a bid to acquire T-Mobile, the country’s fourth-largest carrier. The deal, depending on the stake Sprint attempts to buy, could be worth more than $20 billion.

Recently, a pair of Sprint board members met with the U.S. Department of Justice to discuss a possible acquisition, reports The Wall Street Journal. The report says the DoJ has concerns over a potential deal.

The conversation, which occurred in January, signals the seriousness of Mr. Son’s interest in a deal, but also underscores his highest hurdle. U.S. antitrust authorities believe the current lineup of four national carriers is important to maintaining a competitive market, and department officials indicated at the meeting that a deal combining Sprint and T-Mobile could face regulatory difficulties, the people said

According to the WSJ, Sprint has lined up roughly $31 billion in potential financing and the company is not deterred from pursuing an acquisition.

Japanese carrier Softbank purchased a 70 percent controlling interest in Sprint back in 2012 for roughly $20 billion. T-Mobile is majority owned by German telecom giant Deutsche Telekom.

Previously, AT&T attempted to acquire T-Mobile but government intervention prevented the deal from concluding. Since then, the companies have had a growing feud as they launch ever escalating marketing efforts in an attempt to poach each other’s customers.

Automatic Connected Car System Update Adds iBeacon Functionality [iOS Blog]

The Automatic connected car system today received an over-the-air update that allows users to turn their Automatic Link hardware devices into iBeacons, reports TechCrunch. As iBeacons, Automatic devices let users transmit to or receive information from other sensors or devices in the vicinity.

First introduced in March of 2013, the Automatic hardware plugs into a car’s onboard diagnostics (OBD) port and provides detailed data on driving habits and mileage within the Automatic app.

With the addition of iBeacon technology, Automatic could be a far more functional device in the future. While the iBeacon addition has no use at the present time, Automatic co-founder Thejo Kote says that it could be used to enable car-specific applications with a host of potential partners.

Applying iBeacon technology to a vehicle could make it easier for people to pay for things like parking, or gas fill ups, for instance — making the experience much better than it is today.

For right now, those types of applications are still theoretical, but Automatic is interested in seeing where it could go.

iBeacons, which have been growing in popularity over the last several months, use Bluetooth 4.0 to transmit data to nearby devices. This technology has been used within Apple Retail Stores to provide additional information on products, among other things.

In addition to iBeacon support for the Automatic hardware, the Automatic app was also updated today, adding event recording for external APIs and a number of bug fixes and improvements to the software.

Automatic can be purchased from the Automatic website for $99.95. The accompanying Automatic app is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]

AT&T Adds 1.2M Smartphones, 566,000 New Subscribers in Q4 2013 [iOS Blog]

AT&T today announced its 4Q 2013 earnings, revealing the company added 1.2 million postpaid smartphones to its network (both upgrades and new subscribers) and gained 809,000 new subscribers, with 566,000 being postpaid customers with a contract. It is unclear how many of AT&T’s new customers were choosing iPhones, however, as AT&T, like Verizon, no longer reports quarterly iPhone activations or sales.

Smartphones made up 93 percent of total phone sales and 77 percent of the postpaid phone base. The carrier also added 440,000 new tablets during the quarter.

Compared to the year-ago quarter, AT&T gained 300,000 fewer new subscribers, but saw a record low contract churn rate of 1.11 percent and an overall churn rate of 1.43 percent. A company’s churn rate is the percentage of customers that leave the carrier during the quarter. It appears that AT&T is managing to retain most of its subscriber base at this point, but during the next quarter, T-Mobile’s efforts to lure AT&T customers may become more apparent.

AT&T Next, AT&T’s smartphone and tablet upgrade program, has drawn more than 1.5 million customers since it was first launched in July of 2013.

Earlier in January, AT&T competitor Verizon announced smartphone activations of 8.8 million along with 1.7 million new subscribers. Verizon continues to have a bigger postpaid customer base than AT&T at 96.2 million wireless customers compared to AT&T’s 72.6 million.

Overall, AT&T announced a profit of $6.9 billion on $33.2 billion in revenue.

Apple TV Gains New Prominence in Apple Online Store with Valentine’s Day Update [Updated]

Apple’s storefront went offline last night and returned with a new Valentine’s Day theme featuring accents of red and a handpicked shopping guide for gift buyers. Holiday graphics replace the standard stock product photos and updated captions like “Love is in the Air” promote Apple’s top products for the Valentine’s Day shoppers.

Perhaps the most important update is the new promotion of the Apple TV at the top of the Online Store, giving it similar prominence to Apple’s Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPod lines. The new placement for the Apple TV suggests that it’s moving out of the “hobby” status that Apple executives have long assigned it.

Previously, the Apple TV was relegated to the iPod section. Last week, it was rumored that Apple was considering adding game support with Bluetooth controllers and a new App Store to the Apple TV, possibly as soon as March.

New (Top) and Old Apple Online Store Carousel
Apple has revised its shipping estimates with updated information for those shopping for gifts ahead of Valentine’s Day. All products, with the exception of the Mac Pro, currently are in stock and will arrive with free shipping in time for the holiday if ordered before February 5th. Deadlines for 2-3 day shipping and next-day shipping are February 10 and 11, respectively. Engraved items require additional processing and must be ordered one day earlier.

This advertising campaign extends to the company’s Apple Store app (iTunes link), which was updated with similar holiday graphics and a curated list of the “Top Valentine’s Gifts.” The Apple TV gets prominent placement in the app as well, appearing on the home screen just below the iPhone 5s and 5c.

Update: Apple is testing a much improved version of the Apple TV that would utilize existing iOS devices as game controllers, according to a report from 9to5Mac, and the company is also considering combining the Apple TV and AirPort Express products, testing a combined Apple TV and 802.11ac wireless router in order to ensure higher-quality streaming.

The site also says Apple is testing an Apple TV device that can control users’ existing cable boxes with an Apple user interface overlaying their existing content. It was reported last year that Apple was in negotiations with cable companies and TV networks to allow customers to skip commercials on recorded shows and Apple would compensate programmers for the lost revenue. The company has also been looking to “erase the distinction” between live and on-demand video content.

Apple has long been rumored to have an improved Apple TV in the works, though there have been a number of conflicting reports over what the device will include. Apple has repeatedly said that it has has a number of new products in the works for 2014, most recently during its quarterly earnings call with analysts yesterday.

Rap Genius Launches ‘Genius’ iOS App for Song Lyric Discovery [iOS Blog]

Rap Genius, the site that recently had a run-in with Google for its dubious SEO strategies, today launched an official Genius iOS app that allows users to access the site’s archive of song lyrics.

The app includes access to annotated lyrics for millions of songs, and it also includes lyrical breakdowns and explanations that delve into the meaning behind phrases and words in music. Annotations found within the Genius app are designed to explain cryptic lines, reveal references and inside jokes, define unusual terms, and give context.

Have you ever been confused by a song’s lyrics? Or wondered what your favorite artist meant by a line? Now you’ll never have to worry about this (or anything) ever again! Genius breaks down lyrics with line-by-line annotations, many contributed by the artists themselves.

Genius also functions similarly to Shazam or Soundhound, identifying songs that are playing nearby. According to the app’s description, it uses “Genius Recognition Technology” to listen to songs and provide lyrics for whatever’s playing.

Genius isn’t just a music app; it’s your pocket guide to human culture. So whether you’re looking for the true meaning of a line from The Great Gatsby, a breakdown of President Obama’s latest speech, or a guide to Matthew 25, we’ve got you.

Genius by Rap Genius can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]