Amazon: People are using Prime Music!
Amazon, as the e-commerce colossus is wont to do, released vague figures Monday about one of its new ventures -- the Prime Music streaming service -- and the stats tell us pretty much what you'd expect. Amazon said that in the week following the introduction of Prime Music, which launched June 12 as a music arm to its $99-a-year Prime program, members streamed tens of millions of songs accounting for millions of hours of music.Members also added more than a million playlists -- curated compilations of about 20 to 50 songs -- to their music libraries.That doesn't mean much, but here's what we can deduce: Some people who were already paying for Prime tried out the new feature, and the usage unsurprisingly pales to the biggest music streamer out there, Pandora -- the best benchmark available for comparison.Surprise!Related storiesAmazon adds streaming Prime Music to play against Apple's BeatsCommentary: Amazon Prime Music is cool, but for now I'll stick with SpotifyiTunes Radio passes Spotify for 3rd in streaming musicAt this pace, iTunes Radio beats Pandora in a monthSpotify grows to 10 million paid subscribersAmazon Prime Music is an on-demand subscription service similar to market leader Spotify and Beats Music, the streaming service that Apple has agreed to buy as part of its $3 billion acquisition of headphones maker Beats Electronics. Prime Music is more limited than those competitors: It has a catalog of more than 1 million songs compared to the 20 million at Spotify and Beats, and Amazon's agreements with labels sometimes prevent Prime Music from getting tracks right when they're released. It differs from Pandora, which operates a radio-like offering supported by ads, allowing anyone to listen to Pandora in the US and a few other countries, unlike subscription-only Prime Music.While Pandora has the biggest audience of any online music service on the Internet, its catalog size is in the Prime Music ballpark -- but you can never pick the precise song you want to hear. Prime Music allows you to stream whatever song you like, so long as Prime has it. Apples-to-apples comparisons between Amazon's figures and stats from rivals are difficult because, well, Amazon provided vague numbers, and because many in the streaming-music space tend to keep listening stats under wraps. The most transparent of the music streamers is publicly traded Pandora. And it comes as no surprise that comparisons between Pandora and the new, limited-catalog Amazon Prime Music depict a giant and a fledgling. Last month, Pandora streamed 1.73 billion hours of music. That breaks down, on average, to about 391 million hours in a one-week span last month. Amazon said its members streamed millions of hours of music, which in Amazon code means probably less than 10 million hours.Though Amazon and Pandora have a similar catalog size, Pandora benefits from a much bigger pool of users. Pandora had 77 million active listeners last month, and it had 250 million registered users as of the end of March. Amazon has previously described its Prime program as having "tens of millions" of members, though most use it primarily for the best-known feature, free two-day shipping on qualifying Amazon purchases. And don't forget, new streaming services can lose momentum once the shine of the new begins to wear off. Apple was quick to tout the 11 milllion users it generated in five days for its iTunes Radio competitor to Pandora, which was launched as part of its revamped iOS in September.But it didn't sustain the lightning pace: Less than six months later, iTunes Radio users still fell short of not only Pandora by a long shot but also iHeartRadio, the online arm of terrestrial radio giant Clear Channel, according to Statista. For now with Prime Music, we must wait until Amazon upgrades the usage cryptography for it. Bets when we'll start hearing about "tens of millions of hours," anyone?
Intel helps Stephen Hawking speak up
Intel helps Stephen Hawking speak up
Living with a neurodegenerative condition that renders him almost completely paralyzed, Stephen Hawking relies on a computer system to communicate with others.But the system he's been using is now decades old, clumsy and time-consuming. So Intel -- looking to give the renowned British scientist a new voice -- worked with Hawking for three years to give him a new communication platform. On Tuesday in London, the tech giant unveiled Hawking's new, custom-built system -- called ACAT, or Assistive Context Aware Toolkit -- that is twice as fast as his old system.The Intel platform will become available for free to researchers and developers next month, with the hope that it could become the foundation for a modern communication system to help people with motor neuron diseases and quadriplegia. Intel's new toolkit can be customized for different users, and be enabled by touch, eye blinks, eyebrow movements or other inputs for communication."The development of this system has the potential to improve the lives of disabled people around the world," Hawking said in a statement, " and is leading the way in terms of human interaction and the ability to overcome communication boundaries that once stood in the way."Hawking and more than 3 million people worldwide live with motor neuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Such conditions, which have few known causes, progressively take away a person's ability to control muscle movements and eventually lead to death. Systems like the one Intel created could help those living with such conditions to more easily communicate with others and remain independent for longer using whatever physical functions they still have.With Hawking's regular input, a team of researchers at Intel Labs made a communications system using Intel-created software. The result was a platform that's faster, more accurate and allows for significant improvement of simple tasks, such as navigating the Web, opening a new document or switching between tasks.For example, to perform a Web search, Hawking previously had to exit from his communication window, move a mouse to run the browser, navigate the mouse again to the search bar and type the search text. The new system automates all of these steps.Hawking's existing cheek sensor is detected by an infrared switch mounted to his glasses and helps him select a character on the computer. Software from SwiftKey, a British company offering a mobile app that predicts people's typing patterns, lets Hawking type far fewer characters to communicate. The information is sent to his existing speech synthesizer so he can communicate to others through his Lenovo laptop."Technology for the disabled is often a proving ground for the technology of the future," Lama Nachman, a principal engineer at Intel Labs, said in a statement. "From communications to genetic research, technology is beginning to open doors to possibilities that can only be imagined."
Living with a neurodegenerative condition that renders him almost completely paralyzed, Stephen Hawking relies on a computer system to communicate with others.But the system he's been using is now decades old, clumsy and time-consuming. So Intel -- looking to give the renowned British scientist a new voice -- worked with Hawking for three years to give him a new communication platform. On Tuesday in London, the tech giant unveiled Hawking's new, custom-built system -- called ACAT, or Assistive Context Aware Toolkit -- that is twice as fast as his old system.The Intel platform will become available for free to researchers and developers next month, with the hope that it could become the foundation for a modern communication system to help people with motor neuron diseases and quadriplegia. Intel's new toolkit can be customized for different users, and be enabled by touch, eye blinks, eyebrow movements or other inputs for communication."The development of this system has the potential to improve the lives of disabled people around the world," Hawking said in a statement, " and is leading the way in terms of human interaction and the ability to overcome communication boundaries that once stood in the way."Hawking and more than 3 million people worldwide live with motor neuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Such conditions, which have few known causes, progressively take away a person's ability to control muscle movements and eventually lead to death. Systems like the one Intel created could help those living with such conditions to more easily communicate with others and remain independent for longer using whatever physical functions they still have.With Hawking's regular input, a team of researchers at Intel Labs made a communications system using Intel-created software. The result was a platform that's faster, more accurate and allows for significant improvement of simple tasks, such as navigating the Web, opening a new document or switching between tasks.For example, to perform a Web search, Hawking previously had to exit from his communication window, move a mouse to run the browser, navigate the mouse again to the search bar and type the search text. The new system automates all of these steps.Hawking's existing cheek sensor is detected by an infrared switch mounted to his glasses and helps him select a character on the computer. Software from SwiftKey, a British company offering a mobile app that predicts people's typing patterns, lets Hawking type far fewer characters to communicate. The information is sent to his existing speech synthesizer so he can communicate to others through his Lenovo laptop."Technology for the disabled is often a proving ground for the technology of the future," Lama Nachman, a principal engineer at Intel Labs, said in a statement. "From communications to genetic research, technology is beginning to open doors to possibilities that can only be imagined."
Apple helps you protect your iTunes Store account_0
Apple helps you protect your iTunes Store account
If you have recently purchased one of Apple's mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod) you most likely have set up an iTunes Store account to easily access music, movies, podcasts, and applications. Occasionally users report phishing attacks (emails designed to trick people into giving third party hackers password information) that target iTunes Store accounts. The following article details what to do if your account is compromised and some best practices for keeping it secure in the future.The first rule of thumb is to never enter your iTunes Store account information in any website that is not Apple's and to never open any attachments from email addresses that are unknown to you, even if the email looks like it could be from Apple. If you think you may have received a phishing attack via email, you can alert Apple using this email address: reportphishing@apple.com.As more and more people switch to iPhone and other Apple mobile products, these phishing attacks are likely to get more prevalent. The key to protecting your iTunes Store account, as with many online accounts, is password security. If you find that you can no longer log in to your account, or if you receive email invoices for purchases from the iTunes Store that you did not make, follow these steps:Go to Apple's iForgot website. iForgot will allow you to reset your account information to regain control of your account. When choosing a password, following simple rules can help you choose a safe and difficult to crack password. First, choose something that does not appear in a dictionary (using numbers to replace letters in a word and adding unique characters, such as exclamation points or question marks can greatly increase security) and be sure that your iTunes Store password is not shared with any of your other online accounts.Let your financial institution associated with your iTunes Store account know about the fraudulent charges.If you are unable to get access to your account using iForgot or if unauthorized charges on your account were made using an iTunes Store credit, contact iTunes Store Support immediately.More tips to keeping your account secureAlways log out of your iTunes Store account after you complete your purchases. Many accounts are compromised because a user leaves their information logged on to a publicly accessible computer. Logging out prevents would-be wrong-doers from gaining access to your account. As mentioned above, use a different password for each of your online accounts. Of course, with the amount of websites that require password authentication this may seem nearly impossible. Try using applications like 1Password on the Mac to help manage your security.You should also be careful how you share your password. The best process for this? Don't do it. Keeping your password to yourself is the best way to ensure no one else will be able to access your account. The same can be said for the secret question security provision (when signing up for an iTunes Store account). Be sure the answer is only something you will know. You should also get in the habit of changing your passwords. Try setting a calendar event to remind you every couple months.
If you have recently purchased one of Apple's mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod) you most likely have set up an iTunes Store account to easily access music, movies, podcasts, and applications. Occasionally users report phishing attacks (emails designed to trick people into giving third party hackers password information) that target iTunes Store accounts. The following article details what to do if your account is compromised and some best practices for keeping it secure in the future.The first rule of thumb is to never enter your iTunes Store account information in any website that is not Apple's and to never open any attachments from email addresses that are unknown to you, even if the email looks like it could be from Apple. If you think you may have received a phishing attack via email, you can alert Apple using this email address: reportphishing@apple.com.As more and more people switch to iPhone and other Apple mobile products, these phishing attacks are likely to get more prevalent. The key to protecting your iTunes Store account, as with many online accounts, is password security. If you find that you can no longer log in to your account, or if you receive email invoices for purchases from the iTunes Store that you did not make, follow these steps:Go to Apple's iForgot website. iForgot will allow you to reset your account information to regain control of your account. When choosing a password, following simple rules can help you choose a safe and difficult to crack password. First, choose something that does not appear in a dictionary (using numbers to replace letters in a word and adding unique characters, such as exclamation points or question marks can greatly increase security) and be sure that your iTunes Store password is not shared with any of your other online accounts.Let your financial institution associated with your iTunes Store account know about the fraudulent charges.If you are unable to get access to your account using iForgot or if unauthorized charges on your account were made using an iTunes Store credit, contact iTunes Store Support immediately.More tips to keeping your account secureAlways log out of your iTunes Store account after you complete your purchases. Many accounts are compromised because a user leaves their information logged on to a publicly accessible computer. Logging out prevents would-be wrong-doers from gaining access to your account. As mentioned above, use a different password for each of your online accounts. Of course, with the amount of websites that require password authentication this may seem nearly impossible. Try using applications like 1Password on the Mac to help manage your security.You should also be careful how you share your password. The best process for this? Don't do it. Keeping your password to yourself is the best way to ensure no one else will be able to access your account. The same can be said for the secret question security provision (when signing up for an iTunes Store account). Be sure the answer is only something you will know. You should also get in the habit of changing your passwords. Try setting a calendar event to remind you every couple months.
Samsung revs up iTunes rival with new Galaxy S III
Samsung revs up iTunes rival with new Galaxy S III
Samsung has found yet another way to compete with Apple.The Galaxy S smartphone maker is officially kicking off its new iTunes rival Music Hub service starting today. Available as an app with the new Galaxy S III phone launching in 28 different countries, Music Hub borrows more than a page or two from iTunes but also adds a paid subscription model.The service will offer Samsung phone and tablet owners access to 19 million songs, with prices comparable to those found on iTunes, according to Reuters. Users can stream music and download it from the Hub to play it locally without having to stay connected to the cloud. They can preview a track for up to 30 seconds before deciding whether or not to purchase it.Related storiesSamsung Galaxy S III is a lookerWith Samsung's Galaxy S III, the experience mattersA slew of accessories await Samsung's Galaxy S IIIBut two subscription plans will offer customers access to unlimited streaming and downloading of more than 3 million tunes. For the $9.99-per-month unlimited mobile plan, Samsung users can access the Music Hub from a single device -- phone or tablet. For the $12.99-per-month unlimited premium plan, users can tap into the hub on up to four devices as well as a PC or Mac.The premium edition also follows in the footsteps of iTunes Match by scanning songs on your mobile devices to match and store them in the cloud.Music Hub will initially be available only on the new Samsung Galaxy S III but will eventually branch out to other devices, including Samsung Blu-ray players and Smart TVs.The company is even hoping to design an iOS app to let Apple users access the service from their iPhones, according to the Register. But as CNET U.K. reporter Luke Westaway points out, we'll have to see if Samsung can sneak that one past Apple's approval process.Samsung's Galaxy S III is plastic, but powerful...See full gallery1 - 4 / 20NextPrevRelated video:This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Samsung has found yet another way to compete with Apple.The Galaxy S smartphone maker is officially kicking off its new iTunes rival Music Hub service starting today. Available as an app with the new Galaxy S III phone launching in 28 different countries, Music Hub borrows more than a page or two from iTunes but also adds a paid subscription model.The service will offer Samsung phone and tablet owners access to 19 million songs, with prices comparable to those found on iTunes, according to Reuters. Users can stream music and download it from the Hub to play it locally without having to stay connected to the cloud. They can preview a track for up to 30 seconds before deciding whether or not to purchase it.Related storiesSamsung Galaxy S III is a lookerWith Samsung's Galaxy S III, the experience mattersA slew of accessories await Samsung's Galaxy S IIIBut two subscription plans will offer customers access to unlimited streaming and downloading of more than 3 million tunes. For the $9.99-per-month unlimited mobile plan, Samsung users can access the Music Hub from a single device -- phone or tablet. For the $12.99-per-month unlimited premium plan, users can tap into the hub on up to four devices as well as a PC or Mac.The premium edition also follows in the footsteps of iTunes Match by scanning songs on your mobile devices to match and store them in the cloud.Music Hub will initially be available only on the new Samsung Galaxy S III but will eventually branch out to other devices, including Samsung Blu-ray players and Smart TVs.The company is even hoping to design an iOS app to let Apple users access the service from their iPhones, according to the Register. But as CNET U.K. reporter Luke Westaway points out, we'll have to see if Samsung can sneak that one past Apple's approval process.Samsung's Galaxy S III is plastic, but powerful...See full gallery1 - 4 / 20NextPrevRelated video:This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
How to score the $3 Camera+ iPhone app for free
How to score the $3 Camera+ iPhone app for free
iPhone users looking for a more versatile and powerful camera app than Apple's default one can now grab a good one for free.Camera+ normally sells for $3 in Apple's App Store. For a limited time, though, Apple is offering the app for free through its Apple Store app, as spotted by the folks at RazorianFly on Monday.Camera+ provides a variety of controls beyond the basic ones outfitted into the built-in Camera app.You can manually set the focus and exposure through onscreen wheels. Moving the wheels around the screen quickly and easily adjusts either feature. You can also tweak both the focus and exposure by opening and swiping across a slider grid at the bottom.Other exposure effects appear at the bottom, so you can simply choose a daylight setting, a fluorescent setting, a candlelight setting and more in order to achieve a certain look to your photo. A small blue button next to the shutter button calls up more options, such as a timer, burst mode, cropping and a macro setting. The app even throws in a set of white balance presets to help you set up your shot.After you've snapped your photo, you can tap into the advanced editing features available in Camera+. You can crop your photos, apply filters and frames, and use preset exposure options. You can also delve into the app's Lab feature where you can sharpen, straighten, flip, blur and do much more to your picture. You can even open existing photos from your Camera Roll to edit them.So how do you grab Camera+ for free?Download the Apple Store app onto your iPhone if you haven't already done so. Open the app.Tap the Stores icon at the bottom of the screen. Scroll to the bottom of the Stores screen, and you'll see a promo for "the ultimate photo app," aka Camera+.Tap the icon for Camera+. Another screen pops up briefly describing the app and inviting you to download it. Tap the green "Download now for free" button.The app tells you that it's taking you to the App Store. Tap Continue. Enter your Apple password to sign into the iTunes Store if requested, and then tap OK.Tap the Redeem link at the top of the screen. Camera+ then downloads and installs on your iPhone. After the installation is complete, simply tap the Open button to launch the app.You can now use Camera+ instead of the standard Camera app and achieve much greater control over your photos.
iPhone users looking for a more versatile and powerful camera app than Apple's default one can now grab a good one for free.Camera+ normally sells for $3 in Apple's App Store. For a limited time, though, Apple is offering the app for free through its Apple Store app, as spotted by the folks at RazorianFly on Monday.Camera+ provides a variety of controls beyond the basic ones outfitted into the built-in Camera app.You can manually set the focus and exposure through onscreen wheels. Moving the wheels around the screen quickly and easily adjusts either feature. You can also tweak both the focus and exposure by opening and swiping across a slider grid at the bottom.Other exposure effects appear at the bottom, so you can simply choose a daylight setting, a fluorescent setting, a candlelight setting and more in order to achieve a certain look to your photo. A small blue button next to the shutter button calls up more options, such as a timer, burst mode, cropping and a macro setting. The app even throws in a set of white balance presets to help you set up your shot.After you've snapped your photo, you can tap into the advanced editing features available in Camera+. You can crop your photos, apply filters and frames, and use preset exposure options. You can also delve into the app's Lab feature where you can sharpen, straighten, flip, blur and do much more to your picture. You can even open existing photos from your Camera Roll to edit them.So how do you grab Camera+ for free?Download the Apple Store app onto your iPhone if you haven't already done so. Open the app.Tap the Stores icon at the bottom of the screen. Scroll to the bottom of the Stores screen, and you'll see a promo for "the ultimate photo app," aka Camera+.Tap the icon for Camera+. Another screen pops up briefly describing the app and inviting you to download it. Tap the green "Download now for free" button.The app tells you that it's taking you to the App Store. Tap Continue. Enter your Apple password to sign into the iTunes Store if requested, and then tap OK.Tap the Redeem link at the top of the screen. Camera+ then downloads and installs on your iPhone. After the installation is complete, simply tap the Open button to launch the app.You can now use Camera+ instead of the standard Camera app and achieve much greater control over your photos.
Symantec cuts Flashback infection estimates in half
Symantec cuts Flashback infection estimates in half
According to Symantec, most of the infections remain in the United States, followed distantly by Canada and the United Kingdom. Flashback is a form of malware designed to grab passwords and other information from users through their Web browser and other applications. A user typically mistakes it for a legitimate browser plug-in while visiting a malicious Web site. At that point, the software installs code designed to gather personal information and send it back to remote servers. In its most recent incarnations, the software can install itself without user interaction.Related storiesMac Flashback malware: What it is and how to get rid of it (FAQ)How to remove the Flashback malware from OS XMore than 600,000 Macs infected with Flashback botnetApple's Flashback problemSecurity experts last week told CNET that the threat was the biggest yet to hit Apple's Mac platform, following in the footsteps of last year's MacDefender rogue antivirus scare. Apple yesterday announced plans to offer a removal tool for the malware, though it has not offered an estimated time of release. Previous such security control features have come as standalone software updates, patching Apple's Mac OS. If you're looking for more information on the malware, and how to remove it, be sure to read CNET's FAQ.
According to Symantec, most of the infections remain in the United States, followed distantly by Canada and the United Kingdom. Flashback is a form of malware designed to grab passwords and other information from users through their Web browser and other applications. A user typically mistakes it for a legitimate browser plug-in while visiting a malicious Web site. At that point, the software installs code designed to gather personal information and send it back to remote servers. In its most recent incarnations, the software can install itself without user interaction.Related storiesMac Flashback malware: What it is and how to get rid of it (FAQ)How to remove the Flashback malware from OS XMore than 600,000 Macs infected with Flashback botnetApple's Flashback problemSecurity experts last week told CNET that the threat was the biggest yet to hit Apple's Mac platform, following in the footsteps of last year's MacDefender rogue antivirus scare. Apple yesterday announced plans to offer a removal tool for the malware, though it has not offered an estimated time of release. Previous such security control features have come as standalone software updates, patching Apple's Mac OS. If you're looking for more information on the malware, and how to remove it, be sure to read CNET's FAQ.
Swype looks beyond Droid X to the iPhone
Swype looks beyond Droid X to the iPhone
The newly announced Motorola Droid X will feature a familiar virtual keyboard. But the smartphone will also come with Swype, a technology that lets people drag their finger from letter to letter to type out a message. According to Swype, it makes for a "very accurate" text-input system that offers "very rapid text entry."But with the Droid X firmly in the Swype camp, the company is looking beyond Motorola to license its technology. And it has its sights set on Apple's iPhone.In an interview with Reuters, Swype CEO Mike McSherry said one of his employees has created a version of Swype designed for the iPhone. Swype wants to license it to Apple."We would like to be on iPhone," McSherry told Reuters. "It remains to be seen."Selling Apple on a new way for people to input text could be a tall order. The company's virtual keyboard is widely regarded as the best nonphysical mobile input system, potentially making Apple less willing to change things up. And now that Swype is on the Droid X, it may cause Apple CEO Steve Jobs to think more than twice about bringing the technology to his company's smartphones.Further reading: CNET review of the Motorola Droid X
The newly announced Motorola Droid X will feature a familiar virtual keyboard. But the smartphone will also come with Swype, a technology that lets people drag their finger from letter to letter to type out a message. According to Swype, it makes for a "very accurate" text-input system that offers "very rapid text entry."But with the Droid X firmly in the Swype camp, the company is looking beyond Motorola to license its technology. And it has its sights set on Apple's iPhone.In an interview with Reuters, Swype CEO Mike McSherry said one of his employees has created a version of Swype designed for the iPhone. Swype wants to license it to Apple."We would like to be on iPhone," McSherry told Reuters. "It remains to be seen."Selling Apple on a new way for people to input text could be a tall order. The company's virtual keyboard is widely regarded as the best nonphysical mobile input system, potentially making Apple less willing to change things up. And now that Swype is on the Droid X, it may cause Apple CEO Steve Jobs to think more than twice about bringing the technology to his company's smartphones.Further reading: CNET review of the Motorola Droid X
Apple Store goes down in advance of iPad event
Apple Store goes down in advance of iPad event
Apple's online store is now offline. The company took down its online retail store at around 5:30 a.m. PT on Thursday as it gets set for a launch event in which it's likely to unveil new iPads, updated Macs, and perhaps a few surprises. Apple is also expected to officially unveil its next operating system -- OS X Yosemite. The event itself kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. CNET will cover the event via a live blog. New iPads will likely be the star of the show. However, many users already got an advanced and accidental peek at Apple's new tablets. On Wednesday, the company inadvertantly posted screenshots of its upcoming iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 in an official user guide to Apple's iOS 8 operating system for iBooks in the iTunes Store. Apple has since replaced the images with screenshots of the current iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display. But the user guide showed photos of the new iPads with the Touch ID fingerprint scanner. The images also revealed a new Burst Mode that lets users take "rapid-fire" photos, a feature that will be available for the iPad Air 2.Click here to follow CNET's live blog from Thursday's Apple event The company is certainly hoping its new iPads will help boost its tablet sales and market share. The iPad may be Apple's second biggest moneymaker, at around 15 percent to 20 percent of revenue, but the device hasn't been selling as well as it used to. Android tablets have carved out a larger chunk of the market over the past couple of years. And tablets in general aren't quite as popular as they once were as more consumers increasingly opt for big-screen smartphones and phablets. The Mac business might not be as big as Apple's mobile business, but it remains a key focus for the company. Apple now generates less than 15 percent of its revenue from Macs, but the devices help flesh out its family of products -- which are increasingly designed to work together. Two products long overdue for an upgrade are the iMac and the Mac Mini, so Apple could reveal new and updated editions of either one or both. Apple will likely show off OS X Yosemite on Thursday. The company may also reveal more about Apple Pay, its new mobile mobile payments system. Apple's website will most certainly come back to life sometime during or shortly after the event following the unveiling of its new iPads and other products.
Apple's online store is now offline. The company took down its online retail store at around 5:30 a.m. PT on Thursday as it gets set for a launch event in which it's likely to unveil new iPads, updated Macs, and perhaps a few surprises. Apple is also expected to officially unveil its next operating system -- OS X Yosemite. The event itself kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. CNET will cover the event via a live blog. New iPads will likely be the star of the show. However, many users already got an advanced and accidental peek at Apple's new tablets. On Wednesday, the company inadvertantly posted screenshots of its upcoming iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 in an official user guide to Apple's iOS 8 operating system for iBooks in the iTunes Store. Apple has since replaced the images with screenshots of the current iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display. But the user guide showed photos of the new iPads with the Touch ID fingerprint scanner. The images also revealed a new Burst Mode that lets users take "rapid-fire" photos, a feature that will be available for the iPad Air 2.Click here to follow CNET's live blog from Thursday's Apple event The company is certainly hoping its new iPads will help boost its tablet sales and market share. The iPad may be Apple's second biggest moneymaker, at around 15 percent to 20 percent of revenue, but the device hasn't been selling as well as it used to. Android tablets have carved out a larger chunk of the market over the past couple of years. And tablets in general aren't quite as popular as they once were as more consumers increasingly opt for big-screen smartphones and phablets. The Mac business might not be as big as Apple's mobile business, but it remains a key focus for the company. Apple now generates less than 15 percent of its revenue from Macs, but the devices help flesh out its family of products -- which are increasingly designed to work together. Two products long overdue for an upgrade are the iMac and the Mac Mini, so Apple could reveal new and updated editions of either one or both. Apple will likely show off OS X Yosemite on Thursday. The company may also reveal more about Apple Pay, its new mobile mobile payments system. Apple's website will most certainly come back to life sometime during or shortly after the event following the unveiling of its new iPads and other products.
Apple still reigns in film downloads, study says
Apple still reigns in film downloads, study says
Netflix may be the Web's top movie rental service, but nobody sells more download-to-own movies than Apple, according to market research by iSuppli. Apple's iTunes accounted for 64.5 percent of all the money spent in 2010 on electronic sell through (EIS) and Internet video on demand (IVOD) despite facing increased competitive pressure from Microsoft's Zune (Xbox), Amazon, Sony's Playstation, and Wal-Mart."Microsoft in 2010 accounted for 17.9 percent of U.S. movie EST/IVOD consumer spending, up from 11.6 percent in 2009," iSuppli found. "Sony in 2010 maintained the No. 3 position in the U.S. with a 7.2 percent share, up from 5.7 percent in 2009." Apple, however, did give up some ground last year. In 2009, iTunes held 74.4 market share, and its share fell 9 percent last year, according to iSuppli. The good news is that the overall market grew by more than 60 percent. Could this increase in download sales have hurt DVD sales? Last week, several of the top Hollywood studios reported dismal disc sales in the holiday quarter.According to iSuppli, Apple managed to hang on to such a big market lead with the help of the iPad and the upgraded Apple TV, the research firm said. "We expect that in the United States, Apple's strong performance in IVOD will allow it to continue to bypass the video-on-demand services offered by many major cable operators."Here's more from iSuppli about how competition is heating up in the sector. Competition from Microsoft intensified...because of the highly successful launch of its Kinect 3D motion controller system for its Xbox 360. This resulted in a bumper fourth quarter for movie revenue on the Zune Video platform, cementing the No. 2 market rank for Microsoft.Wal-Mart's aggressive drive for market share for its U.S. online movies service Vudu has generated a spike in consumption for the service starting in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company announced $0.99 promotional pricing on IVOD movies and support for a wider range of living room devices, including Sony's PlayStation 3 video game console.
Netflix may be the Web's top movie rental service, but nobody sells more download-to-own movies than Apple, according to market research by iSuppli. Apple's iTunes accounted for 64.5 percent of all the money spent in 2010 on electronic sell through (EIS) and Internet video on demand (IVOD) despite facing increased competitive pressure from Microsoft's Zune (Xbox), Amazon, Sony's Playstation, and Wal-Mart."Microsoft in 2010 accounted for 17.9 percent of U.S. movie EST/IVOD consumer spending, up from 11.6 percent in 2009," iSuppli found. "Sony in 2010 maintained the No. 3 position in the U.S. with a 7.2 percent share, up from 5.7 percent in 2009." Apple, however, did give up some ground last year. In 2009, iTunes held 74.4 market share, and its share fell 9 percent last year, according to iSuppli. The good news is that the overall market grew by more than 60 percent. Could this increase in download sales have hurt DVD sales? Last week, several of the top Hollywood studios reported dismal disc sales in the holiday quarter.According to iSuppli, Apple managed to hang on to such a big market lead with the help of the iPad and the upgraded Apple TV, the research firm said. "We expect that in the United States, Apple's strong performance in IVOD will allow it to continue to bypass the video-on-demand services offered by many major cable operators."Here's more from iSuppli about how competition is heating up in the sector. Competition from Microsoft intensified...because of the highly successful launch of its Kinect 3D motion controller system for its Xbox 360. This resulted in a bumper fourth quarter for movie revenue on the Zune Video platform, cementing the No. 2 market rank for Microsoft.Wal-Mart's aggressive drive for market share for its U.S. online movies service Vudu has generated a spike in consumption for the service starting in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company announced $0.99 promotional pricing on IVOD movies and support for a wider range of living room devices, including Sony's PlayStation 3 video game console.
Apple launches third-party charger trade-in program
Apple launches third-party charger trade-in program
In the wake of an electrocution in China reportedly linked to a third-party power adapter connected to an iPhone, Apple has launched a trade-in program to replace users' third-party chargers with its own.Noting that some third-party or counterfeit power adapters may be poorly designed and result in safety issues, Apple announced Monday that its USB Power Adapter Takeback Program will swap non-Apple chargers with its own for $10."Customer safety is a top priority at Apple," Apple said in a statement. "That's why all of our products -- including USB power adapters for iPhone, iPad, and iPod -- undergo rigorous testing for safety and reliability and are designed to meet government safety standards around the world."Scrutiny of third-party and counterfeit chargers intensified last month after a 23-year-old Chinese woman was reportedly killed while answering a call on her iPhone 5, which is believed to have been connected to a third-party USB charger. In a separate incident, a 30-year-old man in Beijing was shocked while plugging his iPhone 4 into a third-party charger, leaving him in a coma for several days.Beginning August 16, iPhone, iPad, or iPod users can drop third-party chargers at an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider and pay $10 for an Apple USB adapter, which usually retails for $19. Apple said users' old adapters will be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.The deal runs through October 18 and is limited to one trade-in per device. To qualify,iPhone, iPad, or iPod users must bring their device with them at the time of trade-in to verify the serial number. (Via 9to5Mac )
In the wake of an electrocution in China reportedly linked to a third-party power adapter connected to an iPhone, Apple has launched a trade-in program to replace users' third-party chargers with its own.Noting that some third-party or counterfeit power adapters may be poorly designed and result in safety issues, Apple announced Monday that its USB Power Adapter Takeback Program will swap non-Apple chargers with its own for $10."Customer safety is a top priority at Apple," Apple said in a statement. "That's why all of our products -- including USB power adapters for iPhone, iPad, and iPod -- undergo rigorous testing for safety and reliability and are designed to meet government safety standards around the world."Scrutiny of third-party and counterfeit chargers intensified last month after a 23-year-old Chinese woman was reportedly killed while answering a call on her iPhone 5, which is believed to have been connected to a third-party USB charger. In a separate incident, a 30-year-old man in Beijing was shocked while plugging his iPhone 4 into a third-party charger, leaving him in a coma for several days.Beginning August 16, iPhone, iPad, or iPod users can drop third-party chargers at an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider and pay $10 for an Apple USB adapter, which usually retails for $19. Apple said users' old adapters will be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.The deal runs through October 18 and is limited to one trade-in per device. To qualify,iPhone, iPad, or iPod users must bring their device with them at the time of trade-in to verify the serial number. (Via 9to5Mac )
Apple launches sub-$1,000 iMac
Apple launches sub-$1,000 iMac
Apple has quietly launched a cheaper iMac more than a week before earlier reports expected.Apple's new offering costs $999, and comes with a 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3 processor and a 250GB hard drive. The computer is running the AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics card.The cheaper iMac is designed for education institutions only, which means individuals cannot purchase the computer at the discounted rate.Citing a source named, "Mr. X," 9to5Mac reported yesterday that Apple would launch a new iMac as early as next Tuesday for less than $1,000. According to the Apple-focused blog, the computer would come with a 3.06GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard drive.Apple refreshed its iMac line in May. The company offers two 21.5-inch models, boasting quad-core processors and 4GB of memory. The cheapest 21.5-inch model has a 500GB hard drive and retails for $1,199. The slightly more powerful option comes with a 1TB hard drive and sells for $1,499.Related stories:• Apple refreshes iMacs with faster CPUs, Thunderbolt ports• CNET review of Apple iMac 27-inch• Apple offers $899 Intel-based iMac for education with integrated graphics; cancels eMacIn addition, Apple sells two 27-inch iMac models, which retail for $1,699 and $1,999, respectively. They also come with quad-core processors, sport 2,560- by 1,440-resolution displays, and offer 1TB hard drives.This isn't the first time Apple has offered a cheaper iMac for educational institutions. In 2006, the company announced a 17-inch iMac for education customers that cost $899.Update at 6:45 a.m. PT to include details on the new iMac offering.
Apple has quietly launched a cheaper iMac more than a week before earlier reports expected.Apple's new offering costs $999, and comes with a 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i3 processor and a 250GB hard drive. The computer is running the AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics card.The cheaper iMac is designed for education institutions only, which means individuals cannot purchase the computer at the discounted rate.Citing a source named, "Mr. X," 9to5Mac reported yesterday that Apple would launch a new iMac as early as next Tuesday for less than $1,000. According to the Apple-focused blog, the computer would come with a 3.06GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard drive.Apple refreshed its iMac line in May. The company offers two 21.5-inch models, boasting quad-core processors and 4GB of memory. The cheapest 21.5-inch model has a 500GB hard drive and retails for $1,199. The slightly more powerful option comes with a 1TB hard drive and sells for $1,499.Related stories:• Apple refreshes iMacs with faster CPUs, Thunderbolt ports• CNET review of Apple iMac 27-inch• Apple offers $899 Intel-based iMac for education with integrated graphics; cancels eMacIn addition, Apple sells two 27-inch iMac models, which retail for $1,699 and $1,999, respectively. They also come with quad-core processors, sport 2,560- by 1,440-resolution displays, and offer 1TB hard drives.This isn't the first time Apple has offered a cheaper iMac for educational institutions. In 2006, the company announced a 17-inch iMac for education customers that cost $899.Update at 6:45 a.m. PT to include details on the new iMac offering.
Apple launches Steve Jobs tribute page
Apple launches Steve Jobs tribute page
Apple has launched a Steve Jobs tribute page displaying messages it has received from Apple customers and employees to remember the death of the company's co-founder."Over a million people from all over the world have shared their memories, thoughts, and feelings about Steve," Apple writes on the tribute page. "One thing they all have in common--from personal friends to colleagues to owners of Apple products--is how they've been touched by his passion and creativity. You can view some of these messages below."Below the message, a scrolling list of notes is displayed remembering Steve Jobs."Steve, you are the man of the era," one message reads. "We really miss you." Another person, wishing "condolence to Steve Jobs' family," called Jobs "one of the greatest minds of all-time."Related stories:• Apple co-founder, Chairman Steve Jobs dies• Apple to close some stores during Jobs celebration• The death of Steve Jobs, 1955-2011 (Roundup)Apple's tribute page launch follows reports that the company has decided to temporarily close some of its retail stores today as part of a celebration of the life of Steve Jobs. The event, according to a leaked memo to employees, is scheduled to take place at Apple's headquarters at 10 a.m. The employee-only event will also be available via Webcast.Steve Jobs passed away earlier this month after a long battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. Soon after the announcement was made, people around the globe took to social networks, including Twitter, to remember Jobs. Many of the people that worked with Jobs over the years, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, also commented publicly on his death.Now, Apple is offering another outlet for people to share their memories of the Apple visionary. To submit a message to Apple for display on the Jobs tribute page, users must e-mail the company at "rememberingsteve@apple.com."(Via TheNextWeb)
Apple has launched a Steve Jobs tribute page displaying messages it has received from Apple customers and employees to remember the death of the company's co-founder."Over a million people from all over the world have shared their memories, thoughts, and feelings about Steve," Apple writes on the tribute page. "One thing they all have in common--from personal friends to colleagues to owners of Apple products--is how they've been touched by his passion and creativity. You can view some of these messages below."Below the message, a scrolling list of notes is displayed remembering Steve Jobs."Steve, you are the man of the era," one message reads. "We really miss you." Another person, wishing "condolence to Steve Jobs' family," called Jobs "one of the greatest minds of all-time."Related stories:• Apple co-founder, Chairman Steve Jobs dies• Apple to close some stores during Jobs celebration• The death of Steve Jobs, 1955-2011 (Roundup)Apple's tribute page launch follows reports that the company has decided to temporarily close some of its retail stores today as part of a celebration of the life of Steve Jobs. The event, according to a leaked memo to employees, is scheduled to take place at Apple's headquarters at 10 a.m. The employee-only event will also be available via Webcast.Steve Jobs passed away earlier this month after a long battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. Soon after the announcement was made, people around the globe took to social networks, including Twitter, to remember Jobs. Many of the people that worked with Jobs over the years, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, also commented publicly on his death.Now, Apple is offering another outlet for people to share their memories of the Apple visionary. To submit a message to Apple for display on the Jobs tribute page, users must e-mail the company at "rememberingsteve@apple.com."(Via TheNextWeb)
Apple launches My Support Profile Web page
Apple launches My Support Profile Web page
The service uses your Apple log-in information, and lists your registered products along with your Apple ID contact information. There are options for quickly adding new products, and nicknaming them for easy identification, which may be helpful if you have more than one of the same product.Clicking a product will bring up the support options for it that are still available. There are also options to view past and current support cases and repair activity pertaining to the specific device. In addition, the site offers device-specific help resources such as how-to guides and troubleshooting articles.If you choose to create a new help case for a product, the site will launch Apple's Express Lane service, in which you select a product and narrow down the issues you are having to see if there are any existing solutions to your problem. If none are available then contact information for Apple will become available in addition to Apple's SelfSolve service for performing your own service and repair.Unfortunately, much of the service requires the product to be either under warranty or covered by AppleCare. If the product is not covered then the service will warn you that pursuing help may require you to purchase a single incident of support, which will cost $29 for an iOS device and $49 for a Mac OS device.Overall this service looks like a useful way for people with supported products to work with Apple to solve problems and get technical support, but once your product is out of warranty then the options become rather limited. Nevertheless, if you have a new Mac OS or iOS product, we recommend you register it and explore the support options so you will be better prepared in case something goes wrong.Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.
The service uses your Apple log-in information, and lists your registered products along with your Apple ID contact information. There are options for quickly adding new products, and nicknaming them for easy identification, which may be helpful if you have more than one of the same product.Clicking a product will bring up the support options for it that are still available. There are also options to view past and current support cases and repair activity pertaining to the specific device. In addition, the site offers device-specific help resources such as how-to guides and troubleshooting articles.If you choose to create a new help case for a product, the site will launch Apple's Express Lane service, in which you select a product and narrow down the issues you are having to see if there are any existing solutions to your problem. If none are available then contact information for Apple will become available in addition to Apple's SelfSolve service for performing your own service and repair.Unfortunately, much of the service requires the product to be either under warranty or covered by AppleCare. If the product is not covered then the service will warn you that pursuing help may require you to purchase a single incident of support, which will cost $29 for an iOS device and $49 for a Mac OS device.Overall this service looks like a useful way for people with supported products to work with Apple to solve problems and get technical support, but once your product is out of warranty then the options become rather limited. Nevertheless, if you have a new Mac OS or iOS product, we recommend you register it and explore the support options so you will be better prepared in case something goes wrong.Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.
Apple launches 'find maps' list in App Store
Apple launches 'find maps' list in App Store
Having officially apologized to usersover the quality of its new Maps application, Apple has now gone one step further by promoting a list of alternatives to its customers.A new curated list in the "featured" section of Apple's App Store offers alternative mapping applications for iPhone and iPad users.The list of apps (click to enlarge).Josh Lowensohn/CNETSo far the list includes just over a dozen applications:MotionX GPS Drive (99 cents)Waze Social GPS (free)MapQuest (free)GPS by TeleNav (free)Scout by Telenav (free)Garmin U.S.A. ($39.99)Gokivo GPS Navigator (99 cents)Navigon USA ($39.99)CoPilot Live Premium HD-USA($12.99)CoPilot GPS (free)Bing (free)Magellan RoadMate USA ($49.99)AT&T Navigator (free w/subscription)The list is slightly shorter on the iPad, at just eight apps, and differs by country. In Canada, for instance, Apple is pushing Canadian and North American versions of apps from Navigon, Garmin and Sygic. It's the same in the U.K., with localized apps from Microsoft, Skobbler and AA Satnav.In an apology to users earlier today, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company was working to make its own maps software better, though did not provide any sort of estimate on when that might happen. In the meantime, Cook suggested users download an app, or use a mobile Web-based service from competitors, including Google, Microsoft and Nokia. Apple debuted its own maps technology at its annual developers conference in June, and shipped it to users as part of iOS 6 last week. While the on-stage demos were quite impressive, many users have found the newer version of the software, which uses various Apple and third-party mapping data, to be underwhelming or inaccurate compared to Google Maps. Apple reportedly ditched Google for its own Maps app because of disputes over control and branding of the app, which comes pre-installed on more than 400 million iOS devices.(via RazorianFly)This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Having officially apologized to usersover the quality of its new Maps application, Apple has now gone one step further by promoting a list of alternatives to its customers.A new curated list in the "featured" section of Apple's App Store offers alternative mapping applications for iPhone and iPad users.The list of apps (click to enlarge).Josh Lowensohn/CNETSo far the list includes just over a dozen applications:MotionX GPS Drive (99 cents)Waze Social GPS (free)MapQuest (free)GPS by TeleNav (free)Scout by Telenav (free)Garmin U.S.A. ($39.99)Gokivo GPS Navigator (99 cents)Navigon USA ($39.99)CoPilot Live Premium HD-USA($12.99)CoPilot GPS (free)Bing (free)Magellan RoadMate USA ($49.99)AT&T Navigator (free w/subscription)The list is slightly shorter on the iPad, at just eight apps, and differs by country. In Canada, for instance, Apple is pushing Canadian and North American versions of apps from Navigon, Garmin and Sygic. It's the same in the U.K., with localized apps from Microsoft, Skobbler and AA Satnav.In an apology to users earlier today, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company was working to make its own maps software better, though did not provide any sort of estimate on when that might happen. In the meantime, Cook suggested users download an app, or use a mobile Web-based service from competitors, including Google, Microsoft and Nokia. Apple debuted its own maps technology at its annual developers conference in June, and shipped it to users as part of iOS 6 last week. While the on-stage demos were quite impressive, many users have found the newer version of the software, which uses various Apple and third-party mapping data, to be underwhelming or inaccurate compared to Google Maps. Apple reportedly ditched Google for its own Maps app because of disputes over control and branding of the app, which comes pre-installed on more than 400 million iOS devices.(via RazorianFly)This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Apple leads, Dropbox gains in cloud storage wars
Thus, the combination of iCloud and iTunes Match was said to account for 27 percent of cloud storage usage in the United States during the third quarter of 2012.Ed Barton, director of digital media at Strategy Analytics, highlighted in the report how music has become a "key battleground in the war for cloud domination."This primarily pits the tech giants of Apple, Amazon, and Google against each other, given that they arguably have the largest and most successful digital media and entertainment marketplaces online.However, neither Amazon nor Google came in second on this list. That honor went to Dropbox, which doesn't have a dedicated entertainment service whatsoever. (But it was noted that 45 percent of Dropbox users do use the cloud storage lockers for saving music.)Accounting for 17 percent of major cloud media usage in the U.S. last fall, Dropbox skirted past Amazon Cloud Drive by just two percentage points.Barton suggested that this reflects "that an integrated content storefront isn't essential to build a large user base. Nevertheless, he hinted that Dropbox might head in this direction with the prediction that "competition to intensify sharply over the coming years."(Via Engadget)This story originally appeared at ZDNet's Between the Lines under the headline "Strategy Analytics: Apple leads cloud storage wars, but Dropbox is gaining."
Apple launches new MacBook Pros with Ivy Bridge, from $1,199
Apple today launch its new MacBook Pro line.Announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, the new MacBook Pros will boast third-generation Ivy Bridge processors and the Nvidia GeForce GT650M graphics. The line also includes both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 supportUnlike Apple's next-generation MacBook Pro, its 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros don't come with the Retina display. Instead, the 13-inch version boasts 1,280 x 800 resolution, and comes with the 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor. The 15-inch MacBook Pro offers a larger 1,440 x 900 display and starts out with a 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 chip. Other than that, the differences across Apple's MacBook Pro line aren't all that major. Both the 13- and 15-inch options come with 500GB of storage, and deliver seven hours of battery life. The cheapest 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros start with 4GB of RAM.Check out our Apple WWDC keynote live blog.Apple's new MacBook Pro line starts at $1,199 for the 13-inch option, but can go much higher. The 15-inch MacBook Pro starts off at $1,799. Both devices are available now.Apple's WWDC 2012: iOS 6, Mountain Lion,...See full gallery1 - 4 / 27NextPrevThis story has been updated throughout the morning.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)