We've been experimenting with Apple Music for over a month now, but there are still a few important questions that pop up with the new music streaming service, the first being "How can I import my playlists from Spotify?"
The short answer is that you can't without using third-party software. After much research, we've found there are two fairly reliable third-party services that work well. One is called STAMP, and the other is called Move to Apple Music. Both automatically search for and add tracks from Spotify to Apple Music so you don't have to manually go through your entire collection song-by-song. While the end result is pretty much the same, each app offers different features.
Before you get started, make sure you are logged into iTunes with your Apple ID and subscribed to Apple Music.
With both STAMP and Move to Apple Music, you can download the program from each company's website. Both apps must be given special permission to control your computer.
Nearly ten months after Apple Pay launched in the United States, an increasing number of retailers including Rite Aid and Best Buy have reversed course and announced support for the mobile payments service.
Nevertheless, the United Kingdom is the only country that Apple Pay has expanded to since last October due to roadblocks from major banks and financial institutions in other countries.
Australia may offer a few clues as to why the international rollout of Apple Pay has taken so long, as The Sydney Morning Herald this week reported that its parent company Fairfax Media believes big banks in the country are unwilling to allow Apple to share a portion of the $2 billion interchange fees they collect from merchants each year in return for use of payment infrastructure.
In the United States, Apple is believed to earn about 15¢ on every $100 of transactions. It is understood Apple has been asking for the same amount of interchange fee in Australia.
But Australia's big banks will not agree to this level given that interchange fees in Australia are about half the US level – equivalent to an average of 50¢ $100 of transaction compared with about $1 for $100 of transaction fees in the US.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia chief executive Ian Narev opined that Apple Pay's launch in Australia will not be as easy compared to the United States because tap-to-pay transactions are already possible in the country. Narev says that his bank -- and many others in Australia -- implemented the underlying technology for Apple Pay between 18 months and two years ago.
Mr Narev said CBA had already offered the same functionality as Apple Pay through its app – for users of Android phones – for two years, so it was difficult for Apple to argue it is providing much value. In the US, Apple Pay was innovative because tap-and-go was not a feature of that market.
The report claims that Australian banks are also withholding Apple Pay support due to the Reserve Bank of Australia, the country's central bank and banknote issuing authority, forcing the financial institutions to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the New Payments Platform, a "fast, versatile, data-rich payments system" that businesses will connect to for accepting low-value payments.
As well as being fast, the NPP will be versatile. The basic infrastructure will support various “overlay” services - specially tailored services which individual financial institutions may choose to offer their customers.
This multi-layered infrastructure has been designed to promote competition and drive innovation in payment services. It ensures the NPP will be equipped to meet the evolving needs of Australians in the digital age - and beyond.
Beyond Australia, Apple is planning to launch Apple Pay in Canada in November, according to The Wall Street Journal. The mid-April report claimed that six Canadian banks were in talks with Apple, including the Royal Bank of Canada, TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal, CIBC and the National Bank of Canada. Meanwhile, Apple Pay faces similar roadblocks in China related to fees and market control.
Even as we await the public launch of iOS 9 in September, Apple is already looking ahead to iOS 9.1. During a two week span in July, Apple engineers appear to have focused their attention on developing the first major update to iOS 9, as seen in the MacRumors visitor logs from Apple IPs.
Beginning on July 21, we started seeing a small number of hits from devices running iOS 9.1. Visits picked up on July 22 and peaked in the dozens on July 28, before dying down as August approached. The majority of hits we received came from an iPad or iPad mini-sized device, while the rest came from a device the same size as the iPhone 6 Plus. It is not clear if the visits came from existing iOS devices or from new devices that are in testing, including the iPhone 6s Plus and the iPad mini 3.
Visits to MacRumors.com via Apple's networks from devices running iOS 9.1
Visits from iOS 9.1 devices have since tapered off, suggesting Apple's iOS team is once again working on getting iOS 9 ready for launch. It is not known why a two week period was spent on iOS 9.1, but it's possibly related to testing on the iPad Pro or iPad mini 4, both of which may already be in production or entering production soon.
We don't know what features will be introduced in iOS 9.1, but logic dictates it may be an update that's designed to launch alongside the larger-screened 12.9-inch "iPad Pro," which has been rumored to be coming in October or November. We did not, however, see visits from a device that corresponds to the rumored 2732 x 2048 display size of the iPad Pro.
For the past several years, Apple's iPads have debuted during the fall, launching in October or November at an event separate from the annual iPhone event. This year, there's been a rumor suggesting the next-generation iPads, namely the iPad mini 4, could debut in September alongside the iPhones, but it is not yet clear if this is Apple's plan.
BuzzFeed's John Paczkowski, who shared the event date for the 2015 iPhone 6 launch, believes new iPads are a possibility, but called the iPad Pro a "wildcard" for the event. Given how little we've heard about the device in recent weeks and the lack of part leaks, it seems unlikely the iPad Pro is ready for a September debut.
A standalone October or November launch date for the device seems more likely, and that launch could correspond to the iOS 9.1 update that is in the works. The iPad Pro may include several new features that will require a dedicated update, such as a pressure sensitive Force Touch display, a stylus, and a USB-C port that could support peripheral devices.
Two of the three major mobile providers in Germany are said to be preparing for an iPhone 6s launch on Friday, September 18, reports German Apple news site Macerkopf [Google Translate]. Carriers expect the iPhone 6s to be available for purchase beginning on that date, which is in line with previous rumors and past launch timelines.
Earlier this month, BuzzFeed's John Packzkowski, who has reliably predicted several Apple event dates in the past, said Apple would hold its iPhone 6s launch event on Wednesday, September 9. After launch events, Apple typically accepts pre-orders on the Friday of the event week, before starting to ship orders on the following week.
If Apple accepts iPhone 6s pre-orders, we can expect them to become available beginning on September 11, with the iPhone then shipping out to customers on September 18, as cited by German carriers. It is not yet clear if Apple will be allowing pre-orders for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
For the iPhone 6, Apple introduced the device on Tuesday, September 9, began accepting pre-orders on Friday, September 12, and then launched the device on Friday, September 19. It appears the iPhone 6s will follow a very similar launch timeline.
As for iOS 9, Apple often releases the operating system a few days before the iPhone becomes available, suggesting we could see a public launch on Wednesday, September 16.
Apple's iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are expected to include an A9 processor, 2GB RAM, Force Touch capabilities, and an improved camera. While the devices will be the same size as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, there may be a small increase in thickness and height to accommodate Force Touch and internal material and structural changes designed to make the devices less prone to bending.
Sprint today introduced a new plan called "iPhone Forever," which grants upgrade eligibility for the newest iPhone to any customer who doesn't have the most current version of Apple's flagship smartphone on their contract. The plan goes into effect today, and the company is opening the data plan to both new and old Sprint users, although the latter must have an upgrade eligible device to start using iPhone Forever.
“We asked ourselves, ‘What could we do that would move our customers forward with the latest and greatest technology every day?’ said Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO. “We decided: How awesome would it be if anytime customers don’t have the latest iPhone, they are eligible to upgrade, and have it be as simple as handing us your existing iPhone and picking up a new one – all included in your monthly rate.”
iPhone Forever lets customers get an iPhone for $22 a month, with the simple rule that anytime they don't have the latest iPhone on their plan, they are automatically eligible for an upgrade. Sprint is also discounting the service to $15 per month for any customer who trades in an existing smartphone, the catch being that the new phone purchased has to be a 16GB iPhone 6, and the monthly rate will increase back to the normal amount after their next upgrade.
The $15 promotion will last until December 31, 2015, and the company notes that iPhone Forever is available on "any eligible Sprint rate plan." Sprint's announcement today follows a few week's worth of othercarriers' detailing the introduction of their own brand new service plans for customers, no doubt all preparing for the next-generation iPhone launch sometime next month.
Best Buy will begin offering AppleCare and AppleCare+ extended warranty plans for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and other eligible Apple products across its U.S. stores starting September 13, according to an internal training video obtained by MacRumors. The news was first reported by 9to5Mac.
AppleCare+ purchased through Best Buy will include accidental damage coverage for the same service fees charged by Apple. Both protection plans will also cover the accessories in the box and most other products on the same transaction, such as an Apple Display or AirPort Express purchased alongside an iMac.
Customers that purchase AppleCare or AppleCare+ can receive service at Best Buy or take their product directly to Apple. Best Buy will continue to offer revamped Geek Squad warranty plans for non-Apple products, including Geek Squad Protect & Support, Protect & Support Plus, 24/7 Support and Product Replacement.
Apple is expected to announce the next-generation "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6s Plus" within the first two weeks of September, with in-store availability usually occurring around one week later, so AppleCare and AppleCare+ should be available at Best Buy in time for the launch of those smartphones.
Apple today released a series of three Apple Music ads focused on how the service helps users discover artists. The first ad is a 60-second spot highlighting a number of artists and sharing Apple's motivation for creating Apple Music, ending with the tagline "All the artists you love and are about to love. All in one place."
Music has never had a bigger place in our lives. To have access nearly all the music in world at our fingertips is remarkable. And yet, there needs to be a place where artists and fans can discover one another. Where the entire experience, from playlists to radio to new releases, is powered by people who live and breathe music. A place that brings you the artists you love, as well as the artists you're about to love. That kind of place would be pretty great. And that's what we set out to do with Apple Music.
Two other ads are artist-focused 30-second spots, with one featuring James Bay and the second featuring Kygo.
As with the longer general "Discovery" spot, the artist ads are shot in black and white and end with the new tagline, but the artist ads include no spoken content, focusing only on the artists' work and then briefly overlaying a representation of their Apple Music pages with the Connect feature highlighted.
The new ads come two weeks after Apple began an Apple Music ad campaign in a number of public spaces around the world, including billboards, signage at bus shelters and subway stations, and more.
A group of filings posted to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission website yesterday (via SlashGear) reveal impending upgrades for Apple's Magic Mouse and wireless keyboard accessories. Images accompanying the filings point to the Magic Mouse's successor to simply be titled "Magic Mouse 2," but no specific name for the new wireless keyboard has been revealed.
The internals of both devices will see a notable overhaul in their Bluetooth capabilities, with each device getting a bump from Bluetooth 2.1 to Bluetooth 4.2. The upgrade will bring about Apple accessories that should see a noticeable increase in battery life and more robust communication between the input devices and the main computer.
Also of note is the inclusion of integrated lithium battery packs, which users will have to charge instead of the swapping in traditional AA batteries as seen in the current generation of the Magic Mouse and Apple wireless keyboard. The change is noticeable on the wireless keyboard in particular, with Apple able to do away with the barrel shaped feature on the bottom of the existing keyboard where the replaceable AA batteries are housed.
As we head into the middle of August, there are some recent deals available as retailers try to lure customers into their stores during the back to school shopping period. Best Buy is continuing to discount its entire line of iPad Air 2 models, and there are good deals on Apple's lightweight, affordable MacBook Air.
iMac and Retina MacBook Pro sales are less impressive, so it may be best to wait a week or two to see if better discounts arise if you're in search of one of those machines.
Apple's Back to School promotion is still going on both in stores and online, with Apple offering a free pair of Beats Solo2 headphones with the purchase of an eligible Mac. Eligible Macs include the iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, MacBook, and Mac Pro.
As always, we've rounded up discounts on some useful Apple accessories and we've found plenty of deals on apps and games this week.
Apple's work on its much-rumored Apple Car is progressing, and the company is said to be scouting for secure locations in the Bay Area where the vehicle can be tested, reports The Guardian. Engineers working on the car project are said to have met with officials at GoMentum Station in May to explore the site as a possible testing facility, suggesting work on the car may be further along than previously thought if there are already prototypes ready for testing.
GoMentum Station is a 2,100-acre former naval base run by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority that's located in the East Bay, approximately an hour and a half from Apple's Cupertino headquarters. The site, advertised as "the largest secure test facility in the world," is used to test both Connected Vehicles and Autonomous Vehicles and is poised to become "the center of CV/AV research."
In correspondence obtained by the Guardian under a public records act request, Apple engineer Frank Fearon wrote: "We would... like to get an understanding of timing and availability for the space, and how we would need to coordinate around other parties who would be using [it]." [...]
In late May, Jack Hall, program manager for autonomous vehicles at GoMentum Station, wrote to Fearon to postpone a tour of the facility but noted: "We would still like to meet in order to keep everything moving and to meet your testing schedule."
What's most notable about today's rumor from The Guardian, aside from the fact that the project is nearly to the prototype phase, is the site's supposition that the vehicle is autonomous. Previous reports about the car, being developed under the code name "Project Titan," have disagreed about whether the car is self-driving.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the car is electric but not autonomous, while Reuters has sources that say the project does indeed include self-driving cars. It's possible that Apple is exploring both autonomous and non-autonomous electric vehicles under the car project, but Apple's interactions with GoMentum Station don't offer insight into the company's plans as the site is for both autonomous and connected vehicles.
Over the last several months, details on Apple's work on an electric car have been trickling out. Apple is said to have hundreds of employees working on the project, and has been recruiting many automotive experts. Apple has also reportedly met with several automobile manufacturers, and even went so far as to explore using the electric BMW i3 as the base for the Apple Car, though talks did not progress to the partnership stage.
Apple is rumored to be aiming to launch its Apple Car in 2020, giving it five years of development time. Of course, the car is still in the early testing stages, and Apple often tests products that never see the light of day. There's a possibility that the Apple Car may never make it to market, even after years of testing, should Apple's plans for the vehicle not pan out.
Just over six weeks after the launch of Apple Music, Billboard has published a wide-ranging interview with lead radio DJ Zane Lowe, in which he talks about Beats 1, collaborating with Dr. Dre and Trent Reznor, familiarizing himself with American radio stations, moving to Los Angeles from London and a number of other topics.
Zane Lowe hosts a flagship radio show on Beats 1 every Monday-Thursday
Lowe reflected on the first weeks of Beats 1, noting that the personality of the radio station is still developing, with no particular emphasis on which music genres are played. Electronic, alternative rock and hip-hop have been some of the most popular genres on Beats 1 so far, but Lowe ensured there are no set parameters for music.
There’s a lot of electronic music, edgy rock and hip-hop on Beats 1. Are there set genres you’re pursuing? No, not really. We’ve played country music, Mexican house music, South American EDM, German hip-hop. I’ve never been a fan of, “We’ve got to get 22 percent of rock, 17 percent of R&B; where’s our 16 percent of hip-hop and our 9 percent of country?” If you do it that way, you’re not basing it on the merit of the music. You’re basing it on some kind of obligation.
How about pop? The other day I heard the new 5 Seconds of Summer record, and I was like, “Could I play that on my show?” It was really strange. My whole perception shifted, because I had never played 5 Seconds of Summer before; they went straight to [BBC's mainstream] Radio 1 daytime and never really crossed my path. Then I heard this song, and it just sounds like SoCal pop-punk. Cool!
Lowe said that he first met Dr. Dre while he was meeting with Apple's Eddy Cue and Jimmy Iovine about coming to Los Angeles, adding that the iconic hip-hop artist had an "huge influence" on his life while growing up. He also noted that Beats 1 was essentially the idea of Apple Music chief creative director and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor.
Beats 1 was basically Trent Reznor's idea? Yeah. I'm not sure if you've had a chance to sit with Trent, but he's one of the most intelligent, eloquent, passionate people I've ever met, not just for art, but also the way people can use it. He's really committed to the user experience, so his whole thing was like, "People have been splintered off into individual experiences -- let's see if we can bring them back together and if so, what would that feel like for the user? What if they're using it on a device in a music service, and not in the traditional places where radio is experienced?" It was incredibly useful for me to hear him say that because it really [solidified] some of the ideas that I'd been kicking around but wasn't sure if I was on the right path. What is really valuable and exciting about radio is the connection to a community. Trent has been incredibly supportive every step of the way.
The full-length profile at Billboard is a worthwhile read for those interested in learning more about Lowe's lifestyle and his transition from BBC 1 Radio to running a flagship show on Beats 1. You can listen to Zane Lowe on Beats 1 every Monday-Thursday between 9 AM and 11 AM Pacific, with a rebroadcast between 9 PM and 11 PM Pacific.
Seagate has long sold a line of Backup Plus external hard drives that offer large amounts of storage space at a reasonable price, and in June, the company announced two new features added to all hard drives in the Backup Plus line: 200GB of Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage and the Lyve photo and video management app for automatically backing up photos.
Seagate also announced a new high capacity Backup Plus Portable hard drive, with 4TB of storage and a 20.5mm form factor, priced at $240. Seagate invited us to test out its newest hard drive to test the Backup Plus hard drive and the new Lyve app and service it ships with.
Seagate's new Backup Plus offers the same 4TB of storage that the Backup Plus Fast offers, but it's less expensive and it is a single 4TB hard drive instead of two external drives in a RAID 0 configuration. It's also got more storage than the Backup Plus Slim, which caps out at 2TB, allowing Seagate's newest offering to fill a void between the two existing products (Fast and Slim) in the Backup Plus family.
Design and Features
Seagate's been selling its Backup Plus line for years. Design wise, the 4TB Backup Plus looks like any standard 2.5-inch portable hard drive. It measures in at 4.5 inches in length, 3.1 inches in width, it's .807 inches thick (20.5mm), and it weighs 0.54 pounds. In terms of usability, those dimensions mean it's slim and easy to slip into a bag or a backpack.
The Backup Plus has a traditional black casing that's half metal and half plastic, with the metal plate located on the front of the drive. An LED on the front lights up when the hard drive is plugged in, and there's a single USB port on one side.
Apple today began selling the 38mm Modern Buckle band on a standalone basis, marking the first time the Modern Buckle band has been available for purchase since the Apple Watch launched on April 24.
Over the course of the last several months, all other bands have become readily available, but the Modern Buckle bands in all sizes and colors has continued to say "Currently unavailable," with no prospective ship date given. The only way to get a Modern Buckle band prior to this morning was to purchase it alongside an Apple Watch.
The Modern Buckle is made from Granada leather sourced from a single small tannery in France, which may explain why it has been available in such limited quantities. The Modern Buckle also includes a unique magnetic buckle closure and the leather of the band is reinforced with Vectran weave to keep it from stretching.
All sizes and colors of the Modern Buckle band -- including Brown, Black, Soft Pink, and Midnight Blue -- are in stock. Orders placed today will deliver between August 24 and September 1, with in-store pickup being unavailable at this time.
Apple today introduced a new Link Bracelet Kit, which is equipped with six additional stainless steel links to make the 42mm Link Bracelet able to fit wrists that exceed 205mm. The six links expand the band by up to 40mm, for a maximum size of 245mm.
The Link Bracelet is Apple's only modular band, with size that can be adjusted by adding or removing links. That makes it the only band that can be expanded in this way, and with six additional links, it'll be the band best suited for wrists larger than 215mm, which is where the Classic Buckle maxes out.
Apple has also introduced new sizing options for the Apple Watch Sport Band, introducing an L/XL sizing option for 42mm Apple Watches. Apple Watch Sport Bands are now sold in two configurations: S/M & M/L, and M/L & L/XL. The new L/XL size option is available in black or white and expands the size range of the Sport Band to 245mm.
While Apple Watch bands were initially designed to fit a range of wrist sizes from 135mm to 215mm, there have been complaints that the Apple Watch bands are not large enough for bigger wrists. Quite a few people on Apple's support forums have requested XL-sized bands, and Apple's effort to introduce a kit for the Link Bracelet and new sizing options for the Sport Band is its first move towards offering an wider range of sizes.
Apple's Link Bracelet Kit is priced at $49 and available for purchase immediately through the company's online site. It ships out in 5 to 7 business days
Apple is expected to announce new iPhones and iPads over the next month or so in preparation for the holiday shopping season, but it remains unclear which iPad models in particular will be unveiled.
It is widely believed that a new iPad mini 4 will be announced, but rumors about the iPad Air 3 and so-called "iPad Pro" and their respective release dates have been inconsistent thus far.
A new report from Taiwanese blog DigiTimes offers some further details, corroborating a previous rumor that Apple is not planning an iPad Air 3 right now and focusing its efforts on the iPad mini 4.
The report claims that Apple's upstream supply chain is readying components for the fourth-generation tablet, noting that it will only have minor upgrades over the current iPad mini. Recent reports suggest the upcoming 7.9-inch tablet will likely be a slimmed down version of the iPad Air 2 and support split-view multitasking.
DigiTimes has a mixed track record at reporting on Apple's upcoming product plans, so its latest report should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt. Moreover, the more reliable Japanese blog Mac Otakara reported in July that an A9-based iPad Air 3 is still possible for 2015, so Apple's roadmap remains unclear and could change between now and the forthcoming iPhone and iPad event.
Apple has faced six consecutive quarters of declining iPad sales year-over-year as the broader tablet market continues to decline.
AT&T today announced that the carrier plans to introduce a couple of new Mobile Share Value Plans beginning tomorrow, further expanding data bucket options for its customers while simultaneously cutting the prices of a few existing data storage options. Customers will have new options like 2GB ($30) and 5GB ($50), but those who opt-in for a plan with 15GB or higher will get unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada.
“There’s never been a better time to be an AT&T customer," said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility. “Tomorrow, we roll out new plans for everyone, including a plan that gives 50% more data than on our most popular plan. And we’re not done yet.”
The announcement today sees the price of the 15GB plan cut from $130 to $100, alongside the 20GB plan getting reduced down from $150 to $140. The company notes that larger-size plans like 25GB, 30GB, 40GB and 50GB are also available, and business customers can get plans that go up to as much as 200GB.
All of the plans being announced tomorrow cover the same benefits and options under AT&T Next, which allows users to pay for their phone in monthly installment plans of 12, 18, or 24 months. AT&T mentions briefly that "select locations" still provide two year contracts for $40 per line, but the company is in obvious motions to begin supporting subsidized contracts less and less as they pivot to a focus on Next's installment plans.
Lloyds Bank has sent an email to customers to notify them that it will begin supporting Apple Pay "very soon" for contactless payments with debit and credit cards and in-app purchases. Most transactions will initially be limited to £20 at retailers in the United Kingdom, but some retailers may allow larger purchases.
Lloyds Bank has been listed under the "Coming Soon" section on the Apple Pay page in the United Kingdom for quite some time, but the bank has not provided a more specific launch date beyond telling customers it is aiming for "autumn" through its Twitter support account.
Apple Pay launched in the U.K. on July 13 and is accepted at more than 250,000 locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Participating banks that have activated the service include First Direct, HSBC, MBNA, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Ulster Bank.
Apple Watch is now available at select Best Buy stores in Canada and through the electronics retailer's online store in the country, less than two weeks after Best Buy began selling the Apple Watch in the United States. Best Buy Canada offers 16 Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch models alongside select Apple Watch accessories in stores and online.
Australian department store Harvey Norman also announced that it is selling the Apple Watch at its Auburn, New South Wales location starting August 15. The retailer will have aluminum Apple Watch Sport and stainless steel Apple Watch models available for purchase and try-on appointments.
Harvey Norman Auburn is located at 250 Parramatta Road and is open from 9 AM to 5:30 PM local time, with extended hours of 9 AM to 9 PM local time on Thursdays. The retail chain did not specify if the Apple Watch will be available at other Harvey Norman locations in Australia or other countries in the future.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Nearly ten months after Apple Pay launched in the United States, an increasing number of retailers including 
Apple is expected to announce new iPhones and iPads over the next month or so in preparation for the holiday shopping season, but it remains unclear which iPad models in particular will be unveiled.
