MacRumors

Apple today launched an "Enhanced Edition" for A Game of Thrones [Direct Link], the first book in George R.R. Martin's fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire (via The Guardian). The new digital edition marks the 20th anniversary of the release of the novel, and its four subsequently published sequels are also coming soon in the new remade format: A Clash of Kings (October 27), A Storm of Swords (December 15), A Feast for Crows (February 2), and A Dance with Dragons (March 30).

The enhanced editions offer interactive maps, author notes from Martin, glossaries, family trees, and illustrations that "add to the adventure, whether you're new to the books or speak fluent Dothraki." For fans still waiting for the sixth book in the series, The Winds of Winter, each enhanced edition comes with an excerpt from the upcoming novel that was previously published on Martin's website.

“We’re now entering a new period in the history of publishing,” said Martin, announcing the new edition. “The digital book gives readers the ability to experience all this rich secondary material that had not been possible before. These enhanced editions, available only on iBooks, include sigils and family trees and glossaries. Anything that confuses you, anything you want to know more about, it’s right there at your fingertips. It’s an amazing next step in the world of books.”

In a video on the iBooks page for the new collection, Martin calls his partnership with Apple "an amazing next step in the world of books," thanks to the interactivity infused in each edition that can help explain the sometimes overwhelming nature of his novels. Fans interested can purchase A Game of Thrones for $8.99 today [Direct Link], and pre-order the other four books for $11.99 each.

A new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus case launched recently on Indiegogo, called "Fuze," with the explicit goal of providing an integrated 3.5mm headphone jack directly into the body of the protective case. With an integrated Lightning adapter that plugs into the iPhone 7, the Fuze case provides users with the ability to charge their new iPhone and listen to music simultaneously without the need of a dongle or adapter.

As a bonus, Fuze also provides extra battery life to the iPhone, and is rated for 2,400 mAh for the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and 3,600 mAh for the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus. As a comparison, Apple's Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 7 is rated for 2,365 mAh. Fuze said its own case provides "a doubled battery life," with sync-through charging so users can charge their iPhone, the case's battery, and listen to music at the same time.

Fuze restores 3.5mm audio jack for iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. It delivers a doubled battery life as well as scratch and shock protection, all while maintaining the iPhone’s compact profile. We need your help to bring back the jack. When you purchase Fuze, you purchase the freedom of choice.

The company said that its case is made out of durable TPU and ABS plastics, which Apple uses in its first-party battery case, to provide protection against drops and scratches. Fuze also lacks the "chin" of Apple's Smart Battery Case, "adding only 5mm (.2 inches) to the overall thickness of the phone." The case weighs 2.9 ounces as well, which the company equates to less than a deck of playing cards, so Fuze in total "keeps the slim design the iPhone is known for," without unnecessary or bulky additions.

Users can choose from white, black, gold, rose gold, and blue colors for the case, and the company is currently claiming that the first units "should arrive before December 23" of this year. All the same, potential backers should note the sometimes disappointing nature of crowdfunding campaigns, which could lead to schedule postponements, design alterations, or cancellation.

Samsung today issued a statement confirming that more than one million of its Galaxy Note 7 customers affected by reports of overheating, and sometimes explosions, are now using devices with batteries "that are not vulnerable to overheating and catching fire" (via Recode). Following the initial wave of reports, earlier in the month Samsung issued an "unprecedented" recall of 2.5 million Note 7 devices less than a month after the smartphone launched.

According to the company, the one million figure includes devices issued as replacements in the recall, as well as Note 7 handsets originally sold in China that Samsung has deemed safe because "they used batteries that came from a different supplier to those that could overheat." Still, there are reports within China of exploding Note 7 phones that the company is looking into, which it says is not at the fault of the battery.

Samsung, in a statement issued on its China website, apologised to its consumers for failing to providing a detailed explanation why the smartphones on sale in China were safe, as they used batteries that came from a different supplier to those that could overheat. "Currently, the brand new Note 7 products that have been swapped in overseas markets are using identical batteries to those that were supplied and used for the Chinese version," Samsung said.

Samsung said it takes reports of Note 7 fires in China very seriously and has conducted inspections on such devices. Batteries for the burnt phones were not at fault, Samsung said, adding its conclusion was also backed up by independent third-party testing.

Despite the company's work at remedying the issue with the Note 7, reports are still coming in of overheating on replacement handsets. A few users in the United States and South Korea have reported that new Note 7 smartphones, which Samsung sent as replacements for the original malfunctioning devices, are "too hot to place next to the ear during a phone call." Samsung said that this specific issue "does not pose a safety concern" like the original recall, and compared it to normal "temperature fluctuations" on any modern smartphone.

“There have been a few reports about the battery charging levels and we would like to reassure everyone that the issue does not pose a safety concern,” the South Korean giant said in a statement Wednesday, adding that the replacements are operating normally. “In normal conditions, all smartphones may experience temperature fluctuations.”

In one case, Samsung has agreed to replace a customer's replacement Note 7, but it's not clear how widespread the faulty replacement device issue is currently. According to the company, more than 60 percent of Note 7 handsets have been exchanged in the U.S. and South Korea through the recall program, which could cost it between $1 and $5 billion, while 90 percent of customers chose to get a new Note 7 instead of seeking a refund or getting a separate smartphone model.

Samsung's problems with the Note 7 reportedly began when the company decided to push suppliers in order to meet an earlier deadline after learning that this year's iPhone 7 would have no major design changes. Earlier in September, Samsung America president and COO Tim Baxter apologized to consumers, stating that "we did not meet the standard of excellence that you expect and deserve."

Apple Maps has recently been updated with all-new traffic data in Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, and San Marino, providing users with real-time updates about vehicular traffic in four more European countries. As usual, highly congested areas will have orange or red lines along the roads to indicate that drivers may face delays.

Apple Maps traffic data is available in over 30 other countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, China, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland, and other European countries.

Meanwhile, Apple Maps transit directions are now available in São Paulo, Brazil.

Spotify launched in Japan today, 18 months after it opened its first offices in the country (via TechCrunch).

The streaming service has been in protracted negotiations with record labels to flesh out rights for the region, allowing rivals like Apple Music to get a head start in the country's hugely lucrative market.

Music sales in Japan are estimated to be almost $3 billion a year, making it the second largest market outside of the U.S. One potential obstacle for streaming services is that people in Japan prefer to buy and own music on CD rather than purchase digital files, although the convenience of streaming could sway consumers and allow services like Spotify to build a significant subscriber base in the country.

Spotify also becomes the only mainstream streaming service in Japan that offers a free-tier option for users, which may have been a factor in its protracted negotiations with the music industry, but could serve to persuade Japanese consumers to give streaming a try over competitors.

Back in March, Spotify launched in Indonesia, the company's first big expansion in Asia for some time. It first entered the continent in 2013 with launches in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, but had been relatively quiet in the region since.

Spotify has 40 million paying customers compared to Apple Music's 17 million paying customers. Yesterday it was reported that Spotify is in 'advanced talks' to purchase SoundCloud, which has upwards of 175 million listeners per month and could provide a huge influx of users to the service, giving it an edge over Apple.

Union Square Hospitality Group and Resy, a restaurant reservation startup, tonight announced at the TechTable Summit that every manager and sommelier at the Union Square Cafe will be outfitted with an Apple Watch to help improve customer service, reports Eater. The Union Square Cafe is set to reopen in late October and is the flagship restaurant of Danny Meyer, founder of Shake Shack.

An iPad running ResyOS will act as the command center at Union Square Cafe's host's stand while the Apple Watches will pull the info inputted into the iPad in real-time. The Apple Watch's function will be focused on cutting out steps and increasing response time. For instance, when a guest is finished dining a manager will get a notification, allowing them to ping a server for the check or the guest's coat. Sommeliers will get wine orders sent to their Watch, rather than having to wait for a manager to relay the information to them.

Maureen Cushing, Union Square Hospitality's VP of Technology, tells Eater that ResyOS and the Apple Watches are "another way to respond and listen to our guests." She also notes that the Apple Watch will not replace communication between servers and management, as servers will not be receiving Apple Watches with ResyOS.

This isn't the first time that the food and beverage industry has embraced Apple products to improve hospitality. Many smaller restaurants and food trucks have opted to use iPads or iPhones as POS systems in lieu of more traditional options.

Skype today updated its iOS app to version 6.25, adding support for new features that were introduced with iOS 10. Skype now integrates with Siri, allowing users to ask Siri to make a call using Skype for a hands-free way to keep in touch with friends and family.

With iOS 10 and SiriKit, calling someone on Skype is as simple as using the same voice commands you're already using. Let's say you're trying to call Lucy Archer on Skype. If you have her Skype contact information saved in your iOS device, simply say "Call Lucy Archer." Siri may ask for you to confirm it has the right contact--one click later and your Skype call is initiated!

In iOS 10, contact details for Skype users can be added directly to the Contacts app, which makes it easier to initiate Skype calls and messages through Siri without the need to open the Skype app. You can also invite friends to join Skype from the Contacts list.

Today's update also introduces support for CallKit, allowing incoming Skype calls to be displayed on the iPhone just like a regular phone call. Skype calls can be answered like traditional phone calls using the built-in iOS functionality, which means they're answerable from the lock screen.

Skype can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link: iPhone/iPad]

Back in June, Apple announced some major changes to the App Store, including the addition of ads to App Store search results. App Store Search Ads have gone live as of today, and Apple is allowing developers to purchase ad spots. Ads from developers will be displayed starting on October 5.

Search Ads have been in beta testing since the feature was announced, and developers were previously able to participate in a beta testing program to provide ads that were visible to App Store users.

With Search Ads, developers can bid to have their app listed as the top result when certain keywords are used, improving app discoverability. Ads are available through an auction system, with one ad displayed to customers on each search result page. Ads are clearly marked and ad content is the same content that's available on the App Store app description pages as it uses App Store metadata and imagery.

According to Apple's Phil Schiller, Apple "thought about how to carefully" do search ads in a way that "customers will be happy with." Apple also believes the ad auction system is fair to developers, including indie developers.

Developers do not need to pay a minimum amount to use Search Ads, so it's possible to buy ads for a small sum of money. Apple prices Search Ads based on a cost-per-tap model, so developers only pay when a user taps on an ad. Apple displays ads based on a combination of bid amount and an app's relevance to the search query, with ad matching done automatically.

Developers who sign up to offer Search Ads are being given a free $100 credit to get started with the program.

Streaming music service and Apple Music rival Spotify is in "advanced talks" to acquire audio distribution platform SoundCloud, reports Financial Times. Little information is available on the terms of the potential deal at this time.

SoundCloud, which allows users to upload, promote, and share audio recordings ranging from music to podcasts, has upwards of 175 million total listeners a month, which could bring a huge influx of customers to Spotify and give it an edge over Apple.

Spotify has 40 million paying subscribers compared to Apple Music's 17 million paying subscribers, but Apple Music's numbers have been growing steadily since its 2015 launch. Apple Music is also backed by the strength of Apple's subscriber base, which dwarfs that of most other music services and gives the company a huge pool of potential future subscribers.

As competition heats up between Spotify and Apple Music, the two have become bitter rivals and have been involved in some public battles over issues like exclusivity, the App Store, and free listening tiers in recent months.

SoundCloud recently introduced a new subscription service designed to compete with Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and other music streaming options. SoundCloud Go, priced at $9.99, gives users on-demand ad-free access to 125 million tracks, including premium licensed content.

With a SoundCloud acquisition, Spotify could potentially add all of that user-created content to its own music catalog, giving customers more original content to listen to along with its existing licensed content.