Steve Jobs Planned to Work on Apple TV Set After Stepping Down as Apple CEO
When Steve Jobs stepped down from his position as Apple CEO on August 24, 2011 due to illness, he didn’t intend to leave the company. Instead Jobs told Recode’s Walt Mossberg he planned work on an Apple-branded television set to re-invent the television industry.
Recode today shared a full recounting of Jobs’ conversation with Mossberg, which took place on the same day that Jobs left the company. The two discussed his plans for television experience that would be “fantastic.”
“He was going to still be involved. Their press release made some vague nod toward that. But he wanted me to know that he was going to be involved in big strategic things, and also that he was going to reserve one particular thing for himself.”
“I said, ‘well, what’s that?’”
“He said, ‘Well, it’s television … I think we figured out a way to do it, and it’s going to be fantastic. I want you to come out, in a few months, and I want to show it to you.’”
According to Mossberg, Jobs didn’t share in-depth information about his television ambitions, offering no details on hardware or programming, but Mossberg believes he was talking about a full integrated television set and software experience.
Mossberg says Jobs was “really excited” about the project and he came away with the sense that Jobs was going to “reinvent the whole TV set” at the conclusion of the conversation. Unfortunately, Jobs didn’t get a chance to further pursue the television project because he passed away from pancreatic cancer on October 5, 2011, less two months after stepping down as CEO.
Jobs famously made similar statements on TV to biographer Walter Isaacson. He told Isaacson that he wanted to develop an integrated television set that’s “completely easy to use,” syncing seamlessly with iCloud. “It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine,” Jobs is quoted as saying. “I finally cracked it.”
Since Jobs’ death, Apple has tried to gain a stronger foothold in the television industry, but it has failed time and time again to establish the deals that would allow it to create the full integrated television programming experience and television set that Jobs envisioned. Most recently, Apple wanted to create a streaming television bundle of approximately 25 channels at a cost of $30 to $40 per month, but negotiations fell through.
There were also rumors for many years suggesting Apple was pursuing a full television set, but those plans are said to have been shelved because Apple couldn’t find untapped features that would give it a clear edge in the television market.
Instead, Apple has focused on its Apple TV set-top box, introducing a new version with a full App Store and Siri support last October. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said several times that “the future of TV is apps,” with Apple working to position the Apple TV as a platform that allows other content providers to distribute their content instead of offering a streaming service itself.
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What to expect from Apple’s ‘See You’ iPhone event
It’s that time of year again. It’s the end of summer, and Apple is once again on the cusp of introducing a new iPhone. Only this year, there’s a different buzz. There’s been talk of Cupertino playing it relatively safe with a new smartphone for the second year in a row or even taking away the time-honored headphone jack. What’s the deal with that? And of course, this is likely just the tip of the iceberg. The Apple Watch is getting long in the tooth, new versions of iOS and macOS are nearly ready… and as many will tell you, large swaths of Apple’s iPad and Mac lineups are gathering dust. But just what are you going to see when Tim Cook and company take the stage? We’ve rounded up some of the more plausible leaks, rumors and educated guesses to help set expectations for Apple’s September 7th media extravaganza.
The next iPhone: Apple giveth, and Apple taketh away
Rendering of the rumored “iPhone 7 Plus” by Martin Hajek.
Historically, Apple has introduced a major redesign of the iPhone every two years, with a milder “S” update in between. However, this year is something special: The Wall Street Journal and other sources expect the next iPhones (unofficially known as the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus) to play it safe. While there will reportedly be more substantial outward changes than you saw in the iPhone 6s, the Cupertino crew isn’t poised to reinvent the wheel either. It would largely share the same aesthetic that you’ve seen since 2014’s iPhone 6, complete with that curved but mostly featureless aluminum frame. The cleaner antenna lines and possible new colors (rumors have swirled of dark black and blue options) may be the only conspicuous ways to show that you have a new phone.
That’s not to say that the changes would be purely cosmetic — far from it. The standard-size iPhone is expected to get a larger camera that will offer improved light sensitivity while the larger Plus variant may tout dual cameras that offer better focusing and low-light photography, much like what you find on the Huawei P9. There’s also talk of a Force Touch-style home button, a speedier A10 chip, an increased 32GB of baseline storage (with a 256GB option) and even possible dual-SIM support for countries like China and India. One rumor has claims we’ll see higher-resolution displays, but the jury’s still out on that report.
There’s one big thing you probably won’t get this year, though: a headphone jack. As with the Moto Z and LeEco’s latest phones, you’ll have to either plug into the data port (in this case, the Lightning port) or go wireless to listen to your tunes. This doesn’t mean that your favorite wired headphones will instantly become obsolete, mind you. Some leaks have suggested that Apple may offer a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter to accommodate the legions of headphones on the market today. There’s no guarantee that this connector will come in the box, but you’ll probably have some kind of fallback if you’re not quite ready to embrace Bluetooth.
There’s one last, looming question about this iPhone: When will it arrive? An AT&T retail leak hints that the carrier may be bracing itself for an in-store launch on September 23rd, but that’s an unusually long wait for Apple. It typically prefers a release on the second Friday following the event, which would be the 16th. Well-known leaker Evan Blass has heard that the retail launch is slated for the 16th, so it seems like the more probable date.
The first Apple Watch refresh
Unless you count new bands and case colors as hardware upgrades, the Apple Watch has gone untouched since it arrived almost a year and a half ago, in April 2015. That makes it ripe for an upgrade… and many suspect that it’ll get its first big revision at the September event. From a logical standpoint, that makes sense. WatchOS 3 has been in testing all through the summer, existing supplies are running low, and Apple likes to showcase major platform revisions with new hardware. Besides, rumors originally had the new wristwear showing up in March. If it wasn’t quite ready then, it may well be ready now.
So what will you get if it does show up? Much like the iPhone 3G, this second model may be more about addressing the first model’s glaring issues than a complete revolution. Early rumors of a camera have died, and cellular data isn’t expected to make the cut due to battery-life concerns. Instead, the big deal may be GPS: You could get accurate navigation and run tracking without relying on your iPhone.
After that, it may be a matter of refinements. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is often on the ball about Apple plans, believes that the next Apple Watch will have a barometer for altitude tracking, stronger water resistance, a larger-capacity battery and a faster processor. That last part is particularly important. While WatchOS 3 will speed up many tasks all by itself, a CPU upgrade could further reduce those annoying wait times that plague the Apple Watch today.
The real mystery is when you’ll see the second-generation smartwatch. There haven’t been any credible leaks, and there’s no extensive history to rely on. The six-week gap between the March 2015 Apple Watch introduction and launch day isn’t typical for the company. If the hardware is ready to go, though, we could imagine it arriving side-by-side with new iPhones in mid-September.
Software upgrade release dates: iOS 10 and more
Software usually plays as big a role in Apple’s September events, and this year is likely no exception. Given that Apple always ties new iPhone hardware to new iOS releases, we’d expect to see a date for the iOS 10 upgrade at the event. The firm tends to ship those updates at least days before the new iPhones arrive.
As for other software? That’s harder to determine. WatchOS 3 seems like a shoo-in for a release date announcement (it’s been in developer testing as long as iOS), especially if there’s a new Apple Watch unveiled at the same time. A tvOS software update is less certain when there’s no word of a matching Apple TV hardware upgrade, although it could happen when Apple TV software updates have sometimes arrived alongside new versions of iOS. And a macOS Sierra launch? Well, that’s up in the air. Although Apple delivered El Capitan in late September last year, there’s no certainty that Sierra will be ready in a similar timeframe. It may have to wait until there’s new Mac hardware. On that note…
Wild cards: new Macs and iPads
Conceptual rendering of a MacBook Pro with an OLED touch strip.
If you ask devotees about what Apple needs to upgrade next, many of them will shout “Macs.” It’s for good reason, too. Outside of the 12-inch MacBook and iMac, the majority of the Mac lineup hasn’t been updated in more than a year. Some of this is due to Intel’s slowing refresh cycle and diminishing performance returns, but it’s still true that Apple’s computer line could stand an overhaul.
But will it get that overhaul in September? It doesn’t seem likely. A recent Bloomberg leak claims that a MacBook Pro with a fingerprint reader, an OLED control strip and USB-C is in the works for the fall but won’t show up on September 7th. And mum’s the word on other Mac revamps outside of vague hints of a MacBook Air refresh. Apple did recently stop selling the Thunderbolt Display and is rumored to be building a stand-alone 5K screen that would go well with new Macs, but the mill has been silent on its fate in recent weeks.
You might see new iPads. The iPad Air 2 is nearly two years old, and AppleInsider tipsters have hinted that at least the 12.9-inch iPad Pro may get an upgrade. Like the Mac, though, there’s nothing strongly suggesting that replacements for either will show up in September. Any updates might end up waiting until a separate October event, if not next year. Just keep an open mind — few would have expected the iPad Pro to be introduced alongside the new iPhone last year, and Apple may be content to introduce modestly improved tablets in September rather than save them for later.
Images: Martin Hajek (iPhone render); Reuters / Andrew Kelly (Apple Watch); Martin Hajek (MacBook Pro)
The DxO One gets Wi-Fi control and a suite of accessories
If you take a lot of photos with your smartphone, you’ve probably noticed they’re not always up to snuff with the kind of images you’d see from a DSLR camera.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many options out there to improve your iPhone’s camera either unless you go for post-processing apps. Luckily, there’s the DxO One, meant to do just that, including a Lightning connector and an image sensor that’s meant to improve the way you shoot photos with your phone.
But any good camera needs accessories, and the DxO’s getting a new suite of accessories including a special shell for waterproofing, weatherproofing and keeping the One itself safe from the elements while you take it on the go. There’s also a stand, Wi-Fi remote control, and an optical adapter for you to attach new filters over the One’s lens.
In a pretty exciting turn of events, you can use the Wi-Fi remote to aconnect to locate networks or your iPhone directly even when not in range of networks, which makes it a pretty nifty little device, and it’s coming to all DxO One camera owners with the 2.0 software update in September.
The September update also includes a slew of other options like Mobile Smart Lighting, improved power consumption, and a new autofocus mode in addition to a white balance setting meant for shooting photos underwater.
You can pick up the outdoor case for $49 and the filter adapter for $25, with the stand going for $20. It’s a decent camera. You’ll probably want to try and keep it protected.
Via: TechCrunch
Tile’s New Slim Lost-and-Found Tracker is as Thin as Two Credit Cards
Tile has introduced a slimmer version of its popular lost-and-found tracker that is as thin as two credit cards.
Tile Slim can be attached to MacBooks, iPhones, iPads, passports, and other important items, or placed inside items like wallets and purses, to help you locate them in the event they are lost. Unlike the original Tile, which remains available for $25, the Tile Slim does not have a circular cutout to attach it to a keychain.
By tapping a button in the companion iOS app, the Tile Slim will deliver an audible chime to help you locate an item by sound when it’s within a range of up to approximately 100 feet but out of sight. Or, if you lost the iPhone itself, simply tap the button on the Time Slim and the iPhone will start chiming, even in silent mode.
If you still cannot find your Tile-affixed item, you can use the Tile app to check its last known location on a map. If your Tiled wallet comes within range of any other Tile, for example, its location will automatically be updated within the iPhone app.
The tracker uses Bluetooth LE and has a built-in unremovable battery that is rated to last one year, at which point customers can participate in the reTile program to purchase a new Tile Slim for a discounted price of $21, or a four-pack for $84.
Tile Slim is available now for $30, or a four-pack can be purchased for $100. Tile ships to the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and most countries in the European Union, excluding Cyprus, Croatia, and Malta.
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Actress Jessica Alba Joins Apple’s ‘Planet of the Apps’ TV Show as a Mentor
Actress and businesswoman Jessica Alba has signed on to serve as a mentor on Apple’s upcoming reality television show “Planet of the Apps,” reports Variety. Alba joins actress Gwyneth Paltrow, hip hop artist will.i.am, and tech investor Gary Vaynerchuk, all of whom will also be acting as mentors and advisors to app developers.
Jessica Alba has starred in a number of movies and television shows, including Sin City, Fantastic Four, and Into the Blue. In 2012, Alba moved beyond acting and founded The Honest Company, devoted to selling non-toxic household goods. The Honest Company has grown steadily since 2012 and is valued at $1 billion.
“I started The Honest Company because I saw an opportunity in the market for a brand that spoke to conscious consumers and created safe and effective products for every need,” said Alba said in a statement. “As a mentor on ‘Planet of the Apps,’ I’m looking forward to meeting entrepreneurs looking to address a problem with an innovative solution, and to help them realize their vision. I can’t wait to see the ideas the app developers bring to the table.”
Lightspeed Venture Partners, one of the initial investors in Snapchat, has also joined the show as a venture-capital partner. Lightspeed will spend $10 million to fund app development during the course of the show.
“Planet of the Apps” is described on a casting website as an unscripted reality television series focusing on apps and the developers who create them. The exact format and content of the show remain a mystery ahead of its 2017 launch, but advisors will offer developers chosen for the show “hands-on guidance” and “funding from top-tier VCs” to improve their apps. Apple plans to use the show to promote iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS apps and its App Stores.
Casting for “Planet of the Apps” began back in July and applications are still being accepted until September 21, with the series seeking up to 100 developers to participate. The inaugural season will take place in Los Angeles with filming beginning in late 2016.
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Apple Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Unresponsive iPhone 6 Touchscreens
Thomas Davidson of Pennsylvania, Todd Cleary of California, and Jun Bai of Delaware have filed a class action lawsuit against Apple over an alleged defect that causes iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus touchscreens to become unresponsive and fail, according to court documents filed electronically this week.
The class action complaint, filed with the U.S. District Court for Northern California, accuses Apple of violating California’s consumer fraud statutes, through fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of implied warranty, unjust enrichment, and for violations of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act.
Apple has long been aware of the defective iPhones. Yet, notwithstanding its longstanding knowledge of this design defect, Apple routinely has refused to repair the iPhones without charge when the defect manifests. Many other iPhone owners have communicated with Apple’s employees and agents to request that Apple remedy and/or address the Touchscreen Defect and/or resultant damage at no expense. Apple has failed and/or refused to do so.
As a result of Apple’s unfair, deceptive and/or fraudulent business practices, owners of the iPhones, including Plaintiffs, have suffered an ascertainable loss of money and/or property and/or value. The unfair and deceptive trade practices committed by Apple were conducted in a manner giving rise to substantial aggravating circumstances.
The complaint, lodged by California law firm McCuneWright, LLP, seeks an order that requires Apple to repair, recall, and/or replace affected iPhones and to extend the warranties of those devices for a reasonable period of time. The plaintiffs also seek unspecified damages. A jury trial has been demanded.
The lawsuit cites repair website iFixit, which last week shared a blog post and video about the defect, nicknamed “touch disease.” The defect presents as a gray flickering bar at the top of the screen and a display that’s unresponsive or less responsive to touch. The problem is said to be caused by the touchscreen controller chips soldered to the iPhone’s logic board losing contact after a period of normal usage.
The complaint specifically claims that Apple’s failure to incorporate a “metal shield” or “underfill” over the logic board, as it did with the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c respectively, makes the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus “substantially less durable to foreseeable and reasonable use by consumers and ultimately causes the touchscreen defect.”
iFixit said the defect has affected a growing number of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus owners, citing its own repair shop colleagues and dozens of complaints on the Apple Support Communities. Multiple customers who brought their iPhones to Apple Stores were told that Apple doesn’t recognize it as an issue and nothing could be done as their iPhones were no longer covered by warranty.
Related Roundup: iPhone 6s
Tag: lawsuit
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone (Caution)
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Spotify Punishing Artists Who Offer Apple Music Exclusives
Spotify and Apple Music are becoming increasingly bitter rivals, and according to new reports from The New York Times and Bloomberg, the feuding is now affecting artists. Spotify has been punishing artists who agree to Apple Music exclusives, displaying their content less prominently and offering fewer promotional opportunities.
Spotify has explicitly told artists who offer Apple Music exclusives that their music won’t be included on featured playlists, and Spotify has also “buried” their songs in its search rankings. The music streaming service has reportedly been using these retaliatory tactics for about a year.
Spotify has been retaliating against musicians who introduce new material exclusively on rival Apple Music by making their songs harder to find, according to people familiar with the strategy. Artists who have given Apple exclusive access to new music have been told they won’t be able to get their tracks on featured playlists once the songs become available on Spotify, said the people, who declined to be identified discussing the steps.
Spotify’s tactics may not affect major artists in a significant way, but according to Bloomberg, the service has also threatened smaller acts who introduce their music on Beats 1 Radio with Zane Lowe.
Since Apple Music launched last year, Apple has been using exclusive content as a way to lure new subscribers to the service. Artists like Drake, Frank Ocean, Dreezy, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry have debuted content exclusively on Apple Music, something both Spotify and record labels have become increasingly uncomfortable with.
Earlier this week, Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grange told employees that UMG is now prohibiting its artists from offering music exclusives, meaning popular content from Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, and more, will no longer be eligible for debut solely on Apple Music. UMG’s new policy has already affected Apple, preventing Apple Music from inking a deal with Lady Gaga.
At its one year anniversary in June, Apple Music boasted more than 15 million subscribers, and should it continue its rapid growth rate, the service could eventually eclipse Spotify as the most popular streaming service. Spotify continues to have approximately twice as many subscribers but the music service continues to struggle because it has yet to become profitable.
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iPhone 7 could have tap-to-pay feature for Japan’s subways
Apple might give its upcoming iPhones an extra feature exclusively for people living in Japan. According to Bloomberg, the tech titan is planning to add tap-to-pay support for the country’s extensive subway system. To accomplish that, it will equip the devices with FeliCa chips, the Sony-developed mobile tap-to-pay standard in the country. Think of FeliCa as Japan’s equivalent to NFC, except a lot more people use it.
Since the feature would also require being able to store virtual transit cards to the Wallet application, Apple is reportedly in the midst of negotiating with providers. The feature’s launch with the next phone depends on the success of those talks. If Cupertino fails to hash out an acceptable agreement, it will have to delay the feature’s launch.
By installing FeliCa chips, Apple will also give people a quick way to buy from vending machines and convenience stores in the country. Those chips can also store e-money, see, and the technology can process payments in 0.1 seconds — much faster than the time it takes for Apple Pay to approve and process transactions.
While this particular info might not be as interesting if you live in other parts of the globe, there are quite a few leaks and rumors going around that could tide you over until Apple’s September event. In the same Bloomberg piece, for instance, the publication mentions that the next iPhones could drop the Home button completely to focus more on the display.
Source: Bloomberg
Apple patents a way to collect iPhone thieves’ fingerprints
Apple’s done a lot to curb iPhone theft via the “Find my iPhone” feature and encryption that locks out users if an incorrect code or fingerprint is used too often. However, it’s thinking about getting more proactive, judging by a new patent. It claims a method of “capturing biometric information for identifying unauthorized users,” including fingerprints, video or audio. The information could be stored or send to a server, where police could presumably use it to figure out who nabbed your device.
The system is pretty simple. The Touch ID sensor, front camera and microphone are already there, they simply need to be switched on without alerting the bad guy. In one scheme, the system could capture biometric data after a single failed passcode attempt; in another, it would only store it after a pre-determined number of failed attempts. On top of storing video, audio and fingerprint data, it could save and transmit “forensic” info like a GPS location. (The patent doesn’t specifically mention the iPhone or iPad, but those are Apple’s only devices with fingerprint sensors.)
Such a feature might be on shaky legal ground, however. Apple, maybe more than any company, understands the downsides of storing data without notifying users. And while it’s fun to speculate about patents, the tech rarely makes it into actual products. Still, Apple can already track thieves, and such a scheme would let you nab them without having to traipse around the world.
Via: Apple Insider
Source: USPTO
Google App on iOS Gains Expanded Support For 3D Touch Actions
Google today updated its iOS app of the same name, with increased support for 3D Touch on compatible devices.
The update expands on 3D Touch support originally introduced to the Google app in December, allowing iPhone 6s and 6s Plus owners to make more use of the devices’ “peek” and “pop” gestures.
Deep pressing on a title or map in Google search results now offers a “peek” preview of the linked page, while pressing harder “pops” the page into fullscreen view.
Elsewhere, users can deep press on the “G” button to start a search from anywhere within the app. Users without a 3D Touch-supporting device can long press on the button instead for the same action.
Google for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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