The Japanese iTunes Store has gained several other features in addition to iTunes in the Cloud, Apple has announced. This includes access to ringtones, downloading music over 3G instead of just Wi-Fi, and the Complete My Album option. All music on the store is now in iTunes Plus quality, meaning DRM-free, 256kbps AAC files. In some cases, tracks have been specifically mastered for iTunes.
Nike expanded its Nike+ mix Wednesday with two combinations of shoes and apps that go beyond its traditional focus on running. Both Nike+ Basketball and Nike+ Training can track jump height and other factors besides horizontal distance. A new Pressure Sensor integrated into the shoes themselves contributes to the existing motion tracking to reveal details that were previously impossible to follow in the Nike+ system.
Apple took advantage of its current exclusive on The Beatles (iTunes Store) with the first-ever availability of ringtones from the band on iTunes. The initial batch involves ringtones cut from the singles highlight album 1. Picks range from the very earliest songs, such as "Love Me Do," to "The Ballad of John and Yoko" and the very tail end of the band's career.
Makers of the Arc hand-held stabilizer case and arm for the iPhone, iSteady Shot has now added the M-27 action camera mount to its lineup. Featuring aircraft-grade aluminum, hand grips or tripod mounts and a 37mm wide-angle lens, the M-27 is intended to give the iPhone 4 or 4S a further nudge up the scale towards the quality of a dedicated wide-angle camera or camcorder.
The Japanese version of iTunes in the Cloud now supports music, says Macotakara. Users of the desktop and mobile versions of the iTunes Store can now visit a "Purchased" tab to redownload previously-bought music. Prior to this week, only apps and books could be redownloaded in Japan, likely because of rights issues.
MacNN forum goers continue to debate the possibility of a smaller iPad with the next revision in the thread titled "will Apple make a smaller iPad?" A discussion about connecting multiple monitors to a Mac Pro can be found in this thread started yesterday by Googer-Giger.
Google's Senior Communications VP Rachel Whetstone claimed Microsoft was being dishonest in making claims of suspicious browser cookie circumventions in Internet Explorer 9 and elsewhere. The executive argued that Microsoft had effectively ignored the issue since 2002, when it had implemented the P3P approach of requiring a cookie state its intent. Microsoft not only knew about the "loophole" of using an undefined intent for years, letting Amazon and its recent investment target Facebook use the trick, but knew that P3P would break the modern Internet regardless
China Telecom on Tuesday local time confirmed its plans to carry the iPhone 4S. The phone will be available on March 9 with preorders beginning a week earlier, on March 2. Prices will start out at free on a contract for the 16GB iPhone 4S.
The iPhone managed to retake a large part of its share of the UK smartphone space in the past year, Kantar WorldPanel found Monday. It had climbed from 21.7 percent as of late January 2011 to 29.1 percent a year later. Android was still in front with an unspecified amount, but as in the US, it wasn't at the expense of the iPhone.
Microsoft's Corporate VP for Internet Explorer, Dean Hachamovitch, made allegations Monday that Google was bypassing Internet Explorer's privacy settings, not just Safari's measures. After checks, he claimed that Google's cookie text files, meant to allow +1 actions for those who were signed into Google, were skirting the P3P Privacy Protection standard as it was implemented in Internet Explorer 9. The technique supposedly made IE9 take third-party cookies that it would block by default while keeping the action a secret.
Silva has announced the launch of a new line of handmade bamboo cases designed for the iPad 2. The case's exterior is coated with a hard rubber finish, while the interior is lined with a wool felt layer to protect the iPad 2. Magnets are also built into the case to automatically put the iPad 2 to sleep when sealed away. Two variations of the case, with and without a leather handle, are available and can be purchased for $130 with free shipping inside the United Sates.
Google is now known to have applied for a patent that could give Google TV natural language voice commands of its own. The method would use a smartphone or tablet as a voice remote, optionally using a technique similar to Google Translate or Apple's Siri where the commands are uploaded to a server and then deciphered. It could be used for searching both TV and local content, and could send information to more than one computer or device on the network.
Shoppers on the App Store are complaining of a scam Pokémon app, Pokémon Yellow. Title makes some pretenses of being authentic Pokémon game, for instance by using an official-looking icon, and claiming to have "original sounds, features, Pokémon and characters." A quick look shows inconsistencies though, such as an unknown developer, anonymous five-star reviews, and a statement that "All trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective owners."
Utility maker WinZip has introduced the first iOS version of its software. Users can open and browse ZIP archives stored locally or attached to emails. This includes support for encrypted archives, and ones with multi-file attachments.
Two thirds of those in the 'sweet spot' of ages 25 to 34 have a smartphone, Nielsen said Monday. As of January, 66 percent of everyone studied in the age bracket had one of the more advanced cellphones. The figure had also passed the tipping point for everyone else aged 44 or younger.
Nintendo confirmed a milestone for both itself and the gaming would by revealing that the 3DS should now be its fastest-selling console. The system took less than a year to reach the five million-unit sales mark in its home of Japan, four weeks faster than the 56-week record set by the decade-old Gameboy Advance. The DS took 58 weeks to get to the same point.
Samsung on Monday confirmed rumors it was spinning out its LCD business. The group, to be renamed Samsung Display, would separate from its parent on April 1 pending approval. It would start off with $667.3 million of working capital.
Samsung made much ado of the Galaxy Note during the Super Bowl: the massive 5.3-inch screen and pen were tickets to "freedom" from the comparatively tiny iPhone. But are size and handwriting giving smartphone owners real choice, or is it an attempt to shoehorn the phone/tablet crossover into a market that doesn't want it? Our review of the Galaxy Note will find out if it's rethinking smartphones or just rewinding back to 2006-era PDAs.
A slew of insider trading charges were leveled Friday against a Portland, Oregon-based analyst who allegedly provided significant leaks regarding the technology industry. Consultant John Kinnucan was accused of two counts each of securities fraud and conspiracy for reportedly passing on secret information about F5, Flextronics, and SanDisk to hedge funds that in turn unfairly benefited from the information to a combined $1.58 million. Sources at Flextronics and SanDisk ended up relating information about Apple's iPhone patterns.
Nokia's social and location apps lead Başak Özer chose an interview late this week to tell the public that the company's Pulse app would be reaching Android and iOS devices. Without giving a timeframe, she told the Boston Business Journal that the private social aggregator would be leaving Windows Phone soon. The company was breaking its preference for exclusive apps since it was social and needed to be on "every platform."
Apple on Friday quietly posted a Getting Started guide for new iOS developers. The overview is intended as a top-level look and goes with basics such as setting up Xcode, understanding what types of code are needed, and more abstract issues such as design guidelines and App Store submission.
Apple finished the week by agreeing to a settlement (active in the next few weeks) over the iPhone 4's antenna issues. US customers who were unhappy with the antenna performance of the smartphone will have the option of getting either a free bumper case or $15. Owners will have up to 120 days to make a claim, starting from April 30, and will be both e-mailed in advance as well as given notices in Macworld and USA Today to make sure they can take advantage of the compensation.
Onkyo has announced its 2012 line-up of mid-range audio/video receivers. The upper-end TX-NR616 and TX-NR515 support 7.2 surround sound, while the TX-NR414 and TX-SR313 are 5.1-channel receivers. All four provide a front-panel USB port to connect to an iPod, iPhone, or external storage like a flash drive.
Motorola in an SEC filing Friday said that Apple had formally complained to the European Commission that Motorola was allegedly violating the FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) terms around its 3G patents. The complained had been lodged the same day. Exact details of the complaint hadn't been mentioned.
The ITC in a new ruling (PDF) upheld its decision that Apple wasn't violating patents in HTC's original trade complaint. The conclusion followed a minor review and determined that Apple wasn't copying HTC's energy management and phone dialer technology. HTC can appeal the verdict, but may have trouble persuading the court.
Fair Labor Association chief Auret van Heerden updated his opinions in a conversation on Friday that signaled possibly drastic action ahead. In talking to Bloomberg, he partly rescinded an earlier warm reaction and said the group was "finding tons of issues" at the contract manufacturer. He wouldn't say what these were, but he anticipated "very significant announcements" soon.
Apple capped the week with a countdown that confirmed it was getting close to its 25 billionth App Store download. The figure is the first App Store-related countdown since the 10 billion mark in 2010. As in its more recent countdowns, Apple is promising a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card to whoever either downloads the 25 billionth app or makes a free contest entry at that point.
Foxconn on Friday significantly raised pay for its floor workers in China for the third time in about one and a half years. An entry-level factory worker in Foxconn's main facilities at Shenzhen would now get between 16 to 25 percent more pay per month depending on whether or not the person passed a technical test. The pay would be equivalent to 1,800 yuan ($286) base or 2,200 yuan ($349) with the certification.
Region-specific Gartner data has shown that Apple was losing Chinese smartphone market share in the last few months before the local release of the iPhone 4S. Its portion dropped from 10.4 percent in the summer to 7.5 percent in the fall. The company mostly lost its fourth place position to local designer ZTE's 11 percent.
(Update: Google's full response) Google in a report Thursday night was accused of circumventing the cookie privacy settings in Apple's desktop and mobile versions of Safari. Web ad code seen by Wall Street Journal advisor Ashkan Soltani allegedly bypassed blocks in Safari's settings on about a fifth of the top 100 websites. Google wasn't alone as Media Innovation Group, PointRoll, and Vibrant Media were also using the strategy, but Google through its size and status was the most significant.
Google is now known to have been actively seeking patents on unlock techniques that would help avoid the legal clashes with Apple that have hurt Motorola and others. The patent filing for an "Input to Locked Computing Device" includes multiple possible techniques to get access to an Android phone. One of the core techniques would be a reverse of the ring unlock technique in HTC's Sense 3.0: users would drag an app icon to a screen area that then launches the app.
MacNN is giving away a WaterField iPhone wallet to one lucky reader. The WaterField iPhone wallet fits the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 as well as the iPhone 3GS. This wallet retails for $39, but read on to find out how you can win one.
Clearwire chief Erik Prusch in comments during his company's fiscal results call Thursday set a timeframe for its move to LTE for 4G. He expected an initial round of 5,000 sites to switch on by June 2013. The currently WiMAX-only provider is planning to use TD-LTE on top of WiMAX and will focus mostly on heavy population areas where data use is most likely.
A finding Thursday in a late and possibly Apple-only build of iOS 5.1 has hinted that Apple may have addressed a common complaint about camera access. The pre-GM (gold master) version seen by Brazil's Blog do iPhone would have the camera button always available on the lock screen just require a swipe up to start shooting. Apple's current approach only shows the camera after double-tapping the home button, leading some to miss the camera shortcut entirely.
The FTC in a set of recommendations Thursday called on Android and iOS developers alike to provide more information to adults about what information an app might collect about their kids. Officials wanted simple, direct information to help parents either filter access or avoid apps entirely. It was "almost impossible" to know which apps were scraping data and more difficult still to know where that information was going, agency chairman Jon Leibowitz said.
Gaming peripherals maker Razer has just introduced its Mass Effect 3 branded gear. Developed by and licensed with BioWare, there are seven peripherals in total. This includes a gaming mouse, mouse pad, gaming keyboard, Xbox 360 controller, Xbox 360 headset, iPhone 4/4S case, and messenger bag. All the peripherals are based on Razer's existing products.
Kik launched an offshoot app, Clik, on Thursday. The Android- and iOS-based apps borrow a trick from Sony's Vscreens that lets a mobile device remote control and push video to any target device with a browser. Visiting the website (above) makes a QR code unique to that computer that, when scanned by the app, lets the phone or tablet push YouTube videos to the computer's larger screen. It doesn't require Wi-Fi to work and can have multiple users talking to one host.
Bump, a free app for quickly sharing information between mobile devices, has been completely redesigned with a focus on sharing contact information in social settings and sharing photos with friends and family. Unlike most major updates, Bump 3.0 actually removes more features than it adds, however, the developers feel this has resulted in a streamlined experience that still offers the most requested functions. Bump's new interface uses a swipeable layer that allows users to move between different functions while remaining ready to bump at any time. The existing mutual friends feature has also been expanded and will now instantly show any mutual friends that two new contacts have. At the time of writing the update has not shown in the App Store, but is expected to become available later today.
Apple won a crucial win against Motorola in a Munich court after it won a permanent ban against most Motorola uses of its slide-to-unlock patent. Motorola's current smartphones, though not its tablets, allegedly copy two techniques first seen in 2007 on the iPhone. A third representation leveled against the Xoom (and likely Xyboard) was exempted and likely points to Android 3 and 4 devices not being covered by the victory.
In a surprise step, Apple on Thursday gave developers a preview version of OS X Mountain Lion, the next significant update to the core OS. The new version is directly influenced by iOS 5 and includes Notification Center, Reminders, Notes, Game Center, and Twitter integration, with iCloud syncing where it's relevant. AirPlay Mirroring is also new to the Mac and shares exactly what's on screen through an Apple TV.
Sony at early Thursday Japanese time formally completed its buyout of Ericsson's stake in Sony Ericsson. The move now leaves Sony Mobile Communications as a completely Sony-owned company. Bert Nordberg would still be CEO of the mobile group, which it revealed had about 100 million euros ($130.3 million) in stated working capital.
Apple's latest lawsuit versus Samsung is considerably wider than outlined in its bid for a preliminary ban. Although it's focusing immediate attention on the Galaxy Nexus, a total of 17 devices are alleged to be infringing a twice-as-large set of eight patents. The batch includes the Galaxy Player 4.0 and 5.0 as well as two tablets previously left alone, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and the Galaxy Tab 8.9.
HP's chief Meg Whitman in a presentation at her company's Global Partner Conference on Wednesday was concerned that Google's likely completed Motorola acquisition would create a chilling effect in mobile. While she knew Apple's iOS by definition was closed, she was concerned Google might flip on the concept of openness now that it had its own hardware manufacturer, according to Channel Buzz. To her, this signaled the importance of Open webOS, since it might be the only option for some.
NVIDIA in a mix of quarterly and yearly results disappointed investors even as it teased quad-core phones coming quickly. It expected its first fiscal quarter of the year to get it between $900 million and $930 million in revenue, under a $944 million average investor target, with a lower 49.5 percent margin on what it sold than the 52.1 percent most wanted. The company didn't say what prompted the particular outlook.
T-Mobile's parent company Deutsche Telekom may be looking to offload T-Mobile UK after AT&T dropped its bid for T-Mobile USA, insiders asserted Wednesday. Tips to Bloomberg had it in the early phases of considering a British "exit" now that AT&T's $39 billion proposal had been deemed anti-competitive. The choices could include anything from letting Orange UK take over the other half of the Everything Everywhere partnership to an outside company.
iOS apps will soon be required to ask permission before they can access a user's contact data, says Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr. "Apps that collect or transmit a user’s contact data without their prior permission are in violation of our guidelines," he tells AllThingsD. "We're working to make this even better for our customers, and as we have done with location services, any app wishing to access contact data will require explicit user approval in a future software release."
Cisco has posted a formal appeal of the EU approval for Microsoft's acquisition of Skype. The networking giant accepted the merger on a basic level, but it wanted the European Commission to have imposed interoperability requirements. Making Microsoft adhere to standards would prevent it from trying to "control the future of video communications," Cisco said.
Apple filed with the New York state court handling Kodak's bankruptcy to ask for permission to sue the camera maker over patents. It wanted both a civil lawsuit and an ITC trade dispute over patents relating to digital cameras, photo frames, and printers. The iPhone designer didn't believe it necessarily needed to ask before suing, but was practicing an "abundance of caution" before it went ahead.
Research analytics firm Gartner has released its Q4 report, which shows that Apple took a 24 percent share of the global smartphone market -- the largest share of any single smartphone maker. This was aided by pent-up demand following the extended 15-month period where the iPhone 4 was on sale resulting in Apple achieving a a 121.4 percent of year-over-year increase in iPhone sales over the October to December period. While Apple reported that it shipped 37 million iPhones during the last quarter, Gartner estimates that 35.5 million of these ended up in users' hands helping to push Apple past LG as the world’s third largest mobile phone maker.
In a sign that softening mobile ad budgets and strong competition from Google and other ad agencies has hurt its high-end intentions, Apple's iAd program has cut the minimum amount it charges advertisers to run a campaign on iAd from its original price of $1 million to just $100,000, and is increasing the percentage of ad revenues developers will receive to 70 percent from the previous 60 percent. The company is also making other competitive adjustments.
