Apple Inc

613 'Apple Inc' stories April 2013 - November 2014

Twitterrific 5 for Mac may become the first casualty in Twitter’s war on developers, but it won’t be the last

Mike Beasley Nov 25 2014 - 6:00 am PT

If you open the Mac App Store right now and do a search for “twitter,” you’ll find results just like the ones in the image above. You may recognize the official Twitter app along with some of the most popular and prolific third-party clients. Right below Twitter for Mac you’ll find Twitterrific.

Twitterrific has been around for quite a while now, and was the very first native Twitter application ever built for Mac. It was also the first app to use the word “tweet” to refer to the posts on the network, and introduced many modern staples like conversations and replies. To this day it remains a popular choice among users and has seen many major updates and redesigns. It’s currently on its fourth major version.

In December 2012, Twitterrific 5 was released for iOS devices. The Iconfactory, Twitterrific’s developers, promised that a Mac version of the updated app was in development and would include support for the new iCloud syncing feature and an all-new design. Three days shy of a year after releasing the iPhone update, however, users were given what is currently the app’s most recent update. It included only two bug fixes. The developers have noted that the 5.0 update for Mac is facing big delays.

So what’s going on here? Why has it taken two years for any more news of the update? When will the new version finally be available?

The unfortunate truth? Not even the developers know.

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Parallels Desktop 10 Black Friday bundle: 1Password, Camtasia, CleanMyMac 2, Gemini, and more for $50 upgrade/$80 new ($285 off)

9to5 Staff Nov 24 2014 - 7:07 pm PT

18 Comments

From 9to5Toys.com:

Starting this evening and running through Black Friday weekend, Parallels is running a special bundle of Mac apps for free when you upgrade to Parallels 10 for $49.99 or buy it new for $79.99. The bundled apps 1Password password manager, Camtasia screen recorder, CleanMyMac 2 file organizer/remover, Gemini file de-duplicator, Acronis True Image backup and restore software and a 2 year subscription to Parallels Access which allows you to run parallels VMs remotely on iOS and Android devices. Not a bad deal at all of you need any of these other apps.

Parallels 10 was announced in August and we reviewed it shortly thereafter noting it was the best way to run Windows and Linux VMs on a Mac.

Not sure you are into Parallels? Grab a 14 day free trial here. Just want Parallels in a shiny box? Amazon has it for $62. More info on the bundled apps below:

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Don’t expect to get a virtual Omega, Cartier or other big-name watch face on your Apple Watch

Ben Lovejoy Nov 24 2014 - 6:25 am PT

28 Comments

Anyone thinking that their Apple Watch might provide a virtual copy of a well-known watch face is likely to be disappointed, reports TorrentFreak: big-name watchmakers are issuing cease-and-desist notices to those creating smartwatch versions of their designs.
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Apple defends safety of Siri use while driving after university study rated it highly distracting

Ben Lovejoy Nov 24 2014 - 4:46 am PT

19 Comments

Apple has responded to a University of Utah study which criticized the safety of using Siri while driving, stating that it didn’t test the company’s in-car versions, Siri Eyes Free and CarPlay.

Of the six speech-recognition systems tested by researchers, Siri was found to be the worst for driver distraction. The study hooked up drivers to heart-rate monitors and other equipment designed to measure the degree of stress experienced by drivers while carrying out a range of voice-command tasks, giving each system a distraction rating from 1 (best) to 5 (worst) …
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KGI: Apple to sell over 71M iPhones in holiday quarter, followed by sub-50M to start 2015

Seth Weintraub Nov 23 2014 - 5:29 pm PT

6 Comments

KGI Research’s Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the few analyst/firms with a respectable record on Apple forecasts, updated its iPhone sales expectation numbers this weekend for the holiday quarter and Q1 of 2015.

Strong iPhone shipments in 4Q14. We forecast overall iPhone shipments will surge 82% QoQ to 71.5mn units in 4Q14, given robust demand for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 Plus supply shortage implies not only robust demand, but also confirms our concerns regarding constraints within the supply chain. We believe 4Q14 iPhone shipments will be stronger if supply chain constraints are eased.

Kuo notes that the iPhone 5c and 4s which are still sold in emerging markets [like Virgin Mobile in the US?!] will be discontinued in 2015 after promotions that ironically will improve low end sales numbers in Q1 2015. Subsequently, average price per device sold will also drop significantly for Apple in Quarter 1…
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iWork for iCloud updated with eight new languages, easier document renaming and more

Ben Lovejoy Nov 21 2014 - 5:25 am PT

5 Comments

Apple has updated its iWork for iCloud web-based productivity suite with eight new languages, the ability to rename documents in the editor and a few minor additional enhancements.

Pages gets all eight new languages: Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish – including bidirectional support for Arabic and Hebrew. Numbers and Keynote get all but Arabic and Hebrew …
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Google reaches agreement to settle patent litigation with Apple-backed consortium Rockstar

Chance Miller Nov 20 2014 - 1:58 pm PT

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Google, according to a report out of Reuters, has agreed to settle all of its patent litigation with the Rockstar consortium, which consists of a variety of tech companies including Apple, Sony, BlackBerry and Microsoft. The Rockstar consortium paid $4.5 billion for Nortel Network Corporation’s huge patent portfolio in 2011, outbidding Google at the time. The Rockstar consortium originally sued Google and a handful of Android manufacturers in October of 2013, claiming that the companies infringed on seven Nortel patents.

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Apple patents smoke detectors in iDevices that can call 911, activate sprinklers and locate building occupants

Ben Lovejoy Nov 20 2014 - 7:43 am PT

12 Comments

The Nest smoke detector may look decidedly old-fashioned if one Apple patent ever makes it into production. Apple has patented the idea of embedding smoke detectors into “electronic devices” and using those devices to provide a comprehensive response to a fire.

In response to detecting smoke with the smoke detector, the electronic device may issue an alert or take other suitable action. The electronic device may transmit alerts to nearby electronic devices and to remote electronic devices such as electronic devices at emergency services facilities. Alerts may contain maps and graphical representations of buildings in which smoke has been detected. Motion detectors and other sensors and circuitry may be used in determining whether electronic devices are being used by users and may be used in determining where the electronic devices are located. Alerts may contain information on the location of detected smoke and building occupants.

In other words, your Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad or Mac could detect smoke, alert you, alert other devices within range, activate sprinklers, call emergency services and use the fact that an iDevice is moving or in use to tell fire crews where in the building you and your family members are …
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Foxconn is building a $2.6B display factory just for Apple [maybe – updated]

Ben Lovejoy Nov 20 2014 - 6:57 am PT

1 Comment

Update: Bloomberg has now removed Apple from the headline and has updated the piece to hint that Apple is the client without actually saying so.

Foxconn’s Taiwanese display subsidiary Innolux is investing $2.6B over the next two years in a new factory whose production will be exclusive to a single client, which Bloomberg reports to be Apple.

Equipment installation will commence next month with mass production of panels to start by the end of 2015 after an urgent request for exclusive capacity […]

Apple Inc., a Foxconn customer, has previously tapped suppliers for dedicated access to factories in a bid to avoid shortages that can crimp sales of its iPhones and iPads.

Shortages of the iPhone 6 Plus have been attributed to supply difficulties with the display, so a move to protect future display supplies would be a logical one for Apple, though Apple has mostly sourced its displays to date from Sharp, Japan Display, LG and Samsung.

Foxconn is Apple’s lead supplier for the iPhone, though secondary supplier Pegatron is believed to be playing a larger role than planned in a bid to help Apple keep pace with demand.

It was first suggested last month that Foxconn was hoping to make displays for the iPhone, along with other higher-end components – though this talk focused on China rather than Taiwan.

Apple supplier Corning says new Gorilla Glass 4 twice as shatter-resistant in drop tests (Video)

Ben Lovejoy Nov 20 2014 - 5:57 am PT

9 Comments

The GTAT mess may have forced Apple to abandon its presumed plans to replace iPhone Gorilla Glass screens with sapphire, but next year’s iPhone displays could still prove up to twice as shatter-resistant, says glass-maker Corning.

Corning said that studying hundreds of broken phone screens had revealed the unsurprising fact that shattered screens most commonly occurred in a one-meter drop onto a rough surface like concrete or asphalt. Drop tests in these conditions found that Gorilla Glass 4 survived up to 80% of such impacts – twice the record of the Gorilla Glass 3 used in current iPhones.

While there was much scientific testing behind the scenes, the videos the company used to illustrate the improved strength were rather less scientific in nature …

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10% of owners of iPhone 5 & up will buy an Apple Watch, predicts Morgan Stanley

Ben Lovejoy Nov 20 2014 - 4:33 am PT

28 Comments

Morgan Stanley is predicting in an investor note that around 10% of those who own an iPhone 5 or later will buy an Apple Watch, generating first year sales of around 30M – right at the top end of the 10-30M range suggested by other analysts.

While predicting likely sales of a new product category is always a rather shaky undertaking, and sales of competitor smartwatches may not prove a reliable guide, Morgan Stanley thinks there is one clue to how well the Apple Watch might sell: the precedent set by the iPad …
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Apple getting serious about iAd as it offers automated purchasing of mobile ads

Ben Lovejoy Nov 19 2014 - 5:46 am PT

3 Comments

When Steve Jobs said something was going to happen, it generally did. One notable exception, though, has been Apple’s mobile advertising platform, iAd. Jobs said back in 2010 that it would grab 50% of the mobile ad market; right now, it’s sitting at just 2.6%. That may be about to change after advertising middleman Rubicon announced that automated purchasing of iAds will soon be supported …
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Switching between views on your Apple Watch won’t even require a touch

Ben Lovejoy Nov 19 2014 - 4:29 am PT

2 Comments

Apple’s announcement of WatchKit, the tools developers will use to create Apple Watch apps, has provided a few insights into what the device will be like to use. We noted yesterday that there will be a Short Look, with just key information displayed, and a Long Look with more details – illustrated above. The Verge notes that switching between the two views won’t even require you to touch the watch.

The “Short Look” is only seen briefly when you raise your wrist — it’s an app icon, an app name, and some brief information. If the wearer keeps their wrist raised long enough — “after a moment,” according to Apple — the screen changes to a “Long Look” notification, which provides more information and is more customizable. For Long Looks, the app icon and name move to the top of the screen, and wearers can scroll down through the interface to use custom actions (such as “comment” or “favorite”) or dismiss the notification.

Third-party apps will initially need a connected iPhone, with ‘fully native’ watch apps coming later in 2015.

Apple has still not provided a specific date for availability of its smartwatch, but there have been reports of chip suppliers gearing-up for production following a leaked comment by retail head Angela Ahrendts that the launch would be in “the spring.”

Adobe streamlines transition from Aperture to Lightroom with built-in migration tool

Ben Lovejoy Nov 19 2014 - 4:01 am PT

0 Comments

Aperture users worried about transitioning to Lightroom following Apple’s decision to cease support for its full-featured photo editing software will now find life a little easier. The latest version of Lightroom includes a built-in migration tool to import both photos and associated metadata from both Aperture and iPhoto.

Star ratings, keywords, color labels, face tags, GPS data, stacks, hidden files and rejects are all transferred into Lightroom to make the transition as painless as possible.

Apple announced back in June that it was ceasing development on Aperture in favor of a more basic Photos app launching next year – leaving pros and enthusiasts out in the cold. Adobe responded initially with a transition guide followed by a plugin migration tool. With Lightroom 5.7 (a free update for existing users), the migration tool is built-in.

Adobe also release DNG Converter 8.7, with support for 24 new cameras.

Apple analysts: Know what’s really cool? A trillion dollar market cap

Ben Lovejoy Nov 18 2014 - 8:09 am PT

9 Comments

Analysts attending the Reuters Global Investment Outlook Summit in New York have suggested that Apple could eventually be valued at a trillion dollars.

Gains in shares of Apple Inc could take the world’s largest publicly traded company to a market capitalization of perhaps as high as $1 trillion, some of the country’s biggest investors said on Monday.

AAPL got two-thirds of the way there a few days ago, reaching $663B, since climbing further to $670B, and billionaire investor Carl Icahn suggested last month that the company should already be valued at a trillion dollars …
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Korea Times claims Samsung will be lead supplier for next year’s A-series chips

Ben Lovejoy Nov 17 2014 - 7:32 am PT

1 Comment

Korea Times is claiming that a deal has been struck with Apple for Samsung to supply 80% of the chips for next year’s iPhones and iPads, with TSMC picking up the balance of orders.

Samsung Electronics agreed with Apple to produce application processors (APs) from next year for iPhones and iPads, sources said Monday.

The agreement means Samsung will become a primary supplier of APs to Apple, pushing its chief Taiwanese rival TSMC back to second place. From 2016, the company will supply 80 percent of APs used in Apple devices, and TSMC the remainder.

The paper suggests that Samsung will split production of the A9 chip across its Korean and Texas plants, partnering with New York-based GlobalFoundries for additional capacity …

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Jony Ive outlines his three key tips for designers in talk at London’s Design Museum

Ben Lovejoy Nov 13 2014 - 7:33 am PT

8 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KggyHTY1mIA]

UX designer Joseph Shaffery shared some quotes from a talk Apple’s design head Jony Ive gave (another account) to an audience of designers last night at London’s Design Museum – together with his take on the three top tips a designer should take away from the evening …
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Samsung’s not done with its ‘me too’ act yet: announces Continuity clone, Flow

Ben Lovejoy Nov 13 2014 - 6:40 am PT

59 Comments

Not content with being a ‘fast follower’ of HealthKit and HomeKit with its Digital Health and Smart Home platforms, and iBeacon with its Proximity Service, Samsung has just announced a Continuity clone, Flow.

People today use multiple devices in their daily activities: phones, tablets, laptops, smart watches, TVs, and more. But the way we work is still device-centric. We still use one application, within one device, with data that is tied to that application and device.

Samsung Flow is a platform that enables developers to create seamless transitions across devices, so that people can change devices in the midst of an activity and continue right from where they left off.

Flow is compatible with anything that works with Android’s Share feature: if content can be shared with other apps, Flow can be used to to hand it off to other devices …
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Staples Black Friday: Use Apple Pay & save 20% on iPad Air & Retina mini, Apple TV $79, much more

Trevor Daugherty Nov 13 2014 - 5:45 am PT

0 Comments

From 9to5Toys.com:

iPads. Apple TV. iTunes gift cards. Staples has some blockbuster Apple deals in its recently leaked ad. And unlike Black Friday deals from Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and others, they accept Apple Pay! Doors will open on Thanksgiving Day at 6pm until 10pm, and on Black Friday starting at 6am. You’ll be able to make all your Staples Black Friday purchases with your Apple Pay-enabled iPhone, as well. Below we have the best Apple related deals that will be available from Staples:

Apple iPad Air 16GB WiFi $319 (Reg. $399)
Apple iPad mini 2 with Retina display $239 (Reg. $299)
Epson WF-2540 WorkForce color printer w/ AirPrint $59.99 (Reg. $130)
Apple TV $79 (Reg. $99)
10% off all Beats by Dre headphones, ‘Drenched’ $99.99 (Reg. $170)
15% off all iTunes gift cards, $50 or more

See our latest Black Friday coverage here.

Samsung going head-to-head with Apple with iBeacon rival, Proximity

Ben Lovejoy Nov 13 2014 - 5:09 am PT

15 Comments

The rivalry between Apple and Samsung looks set to enter a new field as Samsung has announced a direct competitor to iBeacon, called Proximity.

Samsung Proximity is a mobile marketing platform that connects consumers with places via cutting-edge Samsung location and context-aware technology.

With Samsung Proximity, visitors are able to experience rich content related to their location, and marketers can better engage with customers for increased sales and brand awareness.

The applications Samsung describes for the service are identical to those already in use with Apple’s iBeacon partners …
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Rdio matches Spotify’s family deal of $5/month for each extra person

Ben Lovejoy Nov 13 2014 - 3:57 am PT

3 Comments

Streaming music service Rdio has reduced the price of its family membership plans to match the deal Spotify announced last month of half-price subscriptions for additional family members. This means the first member pays the standard $10/month fee while up to four extra family members get their own account for $5/month.

Rdio has offered family memberships for several years now, but this price reduction brings the service into line with Spotify. As with Spotify, each family member gets their own playlists, keeping things tidy – especially now that you can listen to Rdio in your car thanks to CarPlay support.

With our Family Plan, say goodbye to having only one person being able to listen at a time — or having to share favorites and playlists that aren’t really your own. And say goodbye to friends wondering why “you” are listening to your kid’s music that’s overcrowding the Home feed.

Interestingly, $5/month is rumored to be Apple’s target price when it relaunches Beats Music under its own branding. The company has reportedly been asking record labels to reduce the fees they charge for music streaming to make the deal possible. It has been suggested that the relaunch may take place in February.

Apple has been under pressure to launch a true on-demand music streaming service in addition to iTunes Radio as the money continues to move from downloads to streaming.

KGI: iPad Pro pushed back again to Q2 2015, Q1 to see under 10M iPads shipped

Jordan Kahn Nov 12 2014 - 2:04 pm PT

23 Comments

The latest report from KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple will delay its expected launch of a 12.9 (or 12.2)-inch iPad ‘Pro’ as it predicts a 50% decline for iPad shipments heading into next year. Specifically, KGI thinks Apple will sell just under 10 million units in Q1 2015 following a busy holiday season in the last quarter of this year. That would be a 54.5% drop from quarter to quarter with KGI predicting 21 million iPad units sold during the Q4 2014 Holiday quarter:
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Benefits of Apple Pay over CurrentC to retailers highlighted as Whole Foods transactions hit 1%

Ben Lovejoy Nov 11 2014 - 7:27 am PT

36 Comments

Shortly after retail chain Whole Foods announced that it had processed 150,000 Apple Pay transactions in the three weeks since the service was launched – estimated at around 1% of the company’s sales – a business author and senior Hitachi consultant has spoken about the twin attractions of Apple Pay for retailers.

Jim Maholic, author of Business Cases that Mean Business and vice president in Hitachi Consulting, said major retailers had two main reasons to favor Apple Pay over rival mobile payment service CurrentC …
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Possible Apple-Alibaba partnership could lead to greatly accelerated rollout of Apple Pay in China

Ben Lovejoy Nov 11 2014 - 4:19 am PT

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The potential partnership between Apple and Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba could facilitate a far more rapid rollout of Apple Pay in the country than if Apple goes it alone, suggests a piece in the WSJ. Tim Cook first revealed that he was in talks with the company at the WSJ Digital conference last month.

One possible scenario is for Alibaba’s financial affiliate, which owns the Alipay electronic-payment business in China, to provide back-end services for Apple’s Apple Pay payment system, allowing iPhone users to pay with Apple Pay using the money from their Alipay accounts, Mr. Tsai said.

Such an arrangement would be significant for two reasons …
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