Apple finally realized that audiobooks aren’t music
Have you scratched your head wondering why Apple would put audiobooks in iOS’ music player, rather than… y’know, a book app? So has Apple. Besides a redesigned music app, the early iOS 8.4 beta also moves audiobooks into iBooks, where they arguably should have been all along. You’ll also get must-have playback features like chapter selection and a sleep timer. It’s not certain when 8.4 will be ready for the public (WWDC, perhaps?), but it’s already obvious that this is much more than a simple bug fix.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Apple
Source: 9to5Mac
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference begins June 8th
If you’re wondering what Apple will do next with its mobile devices and the Mac, you won’t have to wait too long to find out. The tech giant has announced the 2015 Worldwide Developer Conference, which starts on June 8th. It’s not providing too many clues as to what will be there, but you can apply for tickets now — and you’ll have the option to stream sessions live if you can’t make it out to San Francisco. It’s safe to say that the event will include news on software for the Apple Watch, iOS and OS X, and it won’t be shocking if Apple has something to say about a new streaming music service or a next-generation Apple TV. Whatever happens, you know we’ll be there to give you the full scoop.
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Wearables, Software, Mobile, Apple
Source: Apple Developer, Apple
Apple’s iOS 8.4 beta includes a brand-new music player
Think that iOS’ music player is overdue for a remake? You’re going to get your wish. Apple has released the first iOS 8.4 beta to developers, and its centerpiece is a shiny, new Music app. The refresh includes at least a few long-sought changes, including some borrowed from iTunes: There’s a mini player that sticks around while you’re browsing, global search and an “Up Next” song queue. You’ll also see a sleeker iTunes Radio interface that helps you discover new tracks. There’s no sign of the Beats-based music service rumored to come alongside 8.4, but that’s not supposed to show up until Apple’s developer conference at the earliest — if it exists, it’s probably going to stay under wraps for a little while.
[Image credit: 9to5Mac]
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Apple
Source: 9to5Mac
Every UK House of Commons member is getting an iPad
When the UK’s Members of Parliament get down to work following the election in May, they’ll have more than just a new government on their hands — they’ll have a tablet, too. The Parliamentary tech team is handing out cellular-equipped iPad Air 2 units to all 650 House of Commons MPs so that they have a secure way to do business wherever they are. While 209 of them already had iPads, this move makes them standard issue.
The effort could do a lot to advance technology in the House, but it’s also receiving a lot of flak. Cost is probably the big issue: while the committee decided that iPads were “competitively priced” given the goals (cellular data, security and a long lifespan), the plan will cost £1 million (roughly $1.5 million) over five years. It should theoretically save money versus printing hundreds of copies of paper documents, but the savings could be larger with lower-cost hardware. Also, Shadow Cabinet Office minister Chi Onwurah isn’t happy with the focus on iOS — Apple’s platform is already part of the House’s practices, but Onwurah would prefer a device-independent approach. Like it or not, though, Britain (and really, the world) is about to find out how well the iPad works as a common legislative tool.
Via: TechCrunch, The Telegraph
Source: Computerworld UK
Apple is making it easier for schools to put iPads in classrooms
Apple’s dreams of putting iPads in classrooms have run into a number of roadblocks, but one of the biggest is simply the amount of work involved — each slate needs its own account, making it a nightmare if you want to outfit an entire school. That won’t be a problem for much longer, however. Both MacRumors and 9to5Mac have discovered that Apple is ditching the requirement for individual IDs on school-supplied iPads as of this fall. Staff will just have to decide which devices get apps or books, letting teachers focus on the actual education instead of getting things running. They’ll still have plenty of control, so kids can’t load up on games and other distractions unless they get the green light. It’s too soon to know if this will lead to more kids taking home tablets instead of textbooks, but there will at least be fewer barriers to making that happen.
[Image credit: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images]
Google Play Music finally equips iPads with its tunes
Even if you prefer iOS, Google Play Music is still a solid option for getting your personal library and access to streaming all in one place. That is, until Apple reveals its plans for Beats Music. While we wait for that announcement, though, Mountain View’s tune-minded app does double duty nicely, and now it properly outfits the iPad. The new version comes with a fresh coat of Material Design, of course, but you’ll still have to contend with Google’s rather frustrating method for uploading files. If you haven’t already been prompted to update, the latest is now available over at iTunes.
Via: The Verge
Source: iTunes
iOS 9 reportedly focuses on under-the-hood upgrades
If you feel that Apple is upgrading iOS a little too quickly, you’re not alone — there are concerns (if sometimes overstated) that it’s focusing too much on interface revamps and extensions over making things work well. There may be relief in sight, however. Sources for the historically reliable 9to5Mac claim that iOS 9 will have a “huge” emphasis on behind-the-scenes fixes and performance optimizations. That’s not to say there won’t be any spiffy new features, but this could be more of a tune-up (in the vein of OS X Snow Leopard) than a breakthrough release. Apple likely won’t confirm anything until its next Worldwide Developer Conference sometime in mid-year. If the tipsters are on the mark, though, the new iOS could be good news for anyone who feels that Cupertino hasn’t been living up to its “just works” reputation as of late.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Apple
Source: 9to5Mac
Sprint promo gives you an iPhone, an iPad and service for $100 a month
Are you the sort who has to have the latest phone and tablet? Sprint might have a deal for you. It’s extending its aggressive For Life deals with a promotion that gives you an iPhone 6, an LTE iPad mini 3 and service for both at $100 a month, or about $17 less than what you’d pay to get them separately. While you only get 2GB of data on the iPad, that could be enough for family vacations or regular trips to a WiFi-less coffee shop. The big caveat (besides the conspicuous lack of an Android equivalent) is that the offer ends on April 9th. If you’re all-in on Apple gear, you’ll want to act quickly — Sprint’s determination to win new customers with cut-rate pricing isn’t going to last forever.
Photo by Will Lipman.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wireless, Mobile, Apple, Sprint
Via: GigaOM
Source: Sprint
‘Doctor Who’ coding game for kids arrives on tablets
You no longer have to fire up your computer just to give your children some programming lessons from Doctor Who. The BBC’s educational coding game, The Doctor and the Dalek, is now available on iPads and Android tablets (both through Amazon and soon Google Play). You’ll get largely the same instruction-based Boolean logic puzzles as before, but with a few new levels and new abilities for your one-of-a-kind Dalek companion. The catch? While the game is still free, it’s only available in the UK for now — here’s hoping that the BBC makes it available worldwide so that more kids can help their favorite Gallifreyan.
Apple’s revenues soar thanks to iPhones and China
Well, it’s that time again. Apple has just released its latest batch of quarterly earnings, and wouldn’t you know it — the folks in Cupertino once again sold more iPhones than it has in any other quarter. We’re talking 74.5 million phones changing hands since October, up just about 50 percent from its last utterly insane holiday quarter. Apple doesn’t break down sales numbers by model, but its smartphones’ bang-up performance helped push company revenue to new heights; the company raked in a cool $74.6 billion in revenue, along with $18 billion in pure profit. That is crazy.
So the iPhones did extremely, ridiculously well – what about iPads? Apple only sold about 21.4 million, and while that’s not exactly a number to sneeze at, it’s significantly lower than the more than 26 million the company moved during the last holiday season. There are plenty of possible culprits here, from the less-than-game-changing upgrades the iPad Air and Mini lines received earlier this year, to the growth in demand for the iPhone 6 Plus, a device that not only closes the gap between phone and tablet, but also nets Apple more cash than the bog-standard 6. That sort of dip in performance doesn’t come out of the blue though — we saw it last quarter too, a phenomenon CEO Tim Cook referred to as a “speed bump”.
Bear in mind, we all expected this quarter to be a blow-out. After all, the last few months represent the first full quarter of sales for the company’s new iPhones and iPads, a big push into the holiday buying maelstrom and a more aggressive mobile stance in China. As usual, people are fingering that last, region-specific reason as a big, big reason for that growth. A quick look at Apple’s data reveals why: Greater China accounted for about $16 billion of the company’s overall revenue over the past three-ish months. That’s just about twice the number the region put up last year, making it only slightly less valuable than Apple’s business in Europe. Factor in a new report from analysis firm Canalys proclaiming Apple the victor in Chinese smartphone sales (beating Xiaomi, Samsung and Huawei in that order) and it’s not hard to see just how crucial China is to Apple’s future growth.
Noticeably absent from this first information blast is any word on Apple Pay, which is – among other things – is being baked into some 200,000 self-serve kiosks across the United States. Apple gets a tiny cut from each Pay transaction that gets processed, which could ultimately mean big bucks falling into the company’s coffers when phone and tablet sales slip into slightly more reasonable territory. Here’s hoping it’ll get a detailed shout-out in the customary earnings call, set to kick off shortly.
Filed under: Mobile
Source: BusinessWire
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