Alongside the launch of iOS 7.1, Apple today updated its Apple TV software to version 6.1, adding a much-requested feature that allows users to hide unwanted channel icons from the main screen without needing to access the Parental Controls menu. The hiding feature joins an already existing rearranging feature, letting users further customize their Apple TV home screens as the number of channels has grown significantly in recent months.
Arranging or hiding icons can be initiated by selecting an item in the main menu and then pressing and holding on the Select button of the remote control until the icon jiggles, much as how icon rearranging functions within iOS. Icons can be moved using directional buttons, with Play/Pause available for more options.
The Apple TV software was last updated to version 6.0.1 in October, following the release of the 6.0 software in September, which brought several new features including iTunes Radio and AirPlay from iCloud. Earlier this week, the Apple TV gained a new iTunes Festival channel ahead of SXSW.
Users can download the Apple TV 6.1 software through the Apple TV’s over-the-air update mechanism found in Settings --> General –-> Software Update.
Apple has also updated the Remote app for iOS devices to version 4.2, adding a feature that allows users to browse purchased movies and TV shows within the app and then play them on the Apple TV. The update also includes the ability to control iTunes Radio on the Apple TV and offers bug fixes and stability improvements. [Direct Link]
Following a lengthy beta testing period, Apple today released iOS 7.1 to the public, marking the first major update to iOS 7 since its September release. The update includes much-needed improvements to the Touch ID fingerprint recognition system built-in to the iPhone 5s, an update for a home screen crashing issue, and it brings CarPlay support, which was first unveiled by Apple last week.
The update also includes multiple visual tweaks, such as revamped shift and caps locks keys on the keyboard, refined icons for the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps, and a redesign for several aspects of the Phone dialer and shutdown screen.
Accessibility has been improved with a new "Button Shapes" option that indicates where tappable areas are located, a "Darken Colors" option, and an enhancement to Contrast allowing users to reduce iOS 7’s white point.
A multitude of minor improvements to enhance the performance of the operating system have also been bundled into the update, such as new bounce animations in Control Center, more prominent buttons in the Music app, and a new event list view within the Calendar app. Full release notes are as follows:
CarPlay - iOS experience designed for the car - Simply connect your iPhone to a CarPlay enabled vehicle - Supports Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and 3rd-party audio apps - Control with Siri and the car's touchscreen, knobs, and buttons
Siri - Manually control when Siri listens by holding down the home button while you speak and releasing it when you're done as an alternative to letting Siri automatically notice when you stop talking - New, more natural sounding male and female voices for Mandarin Chinese, UK English, Australian English, and Japanese
iTunes Radio - Search field above Featured Stations to easily create stations based on your favorite artist or song - Buy albums with the tap of a button from Now Playing - Subscribe to iTunes Match on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to enjoy iTunes Radio ad-free
Calendar - Option to display events in month view - Country specific holidays automatically added for many countries
Accessibility - Bold font option now includes the keyboard, calculator, and many icon glyphs - Reduce Motion option now includes Weather, Messages, and multitasking UI animations - New options to display button shapes, darken app colors, and reduce white point
Other - New Camera setting to automatically enable HDR for iPhone 5s - iCloud Keychain support in additional countries - FaceTime call notifications are automatically cleared when you answer a call on another device - Fixes a bug that could occasionally cause a home screen crash - Improves Touch ID fingerprint recognition - Improved performance for iPhone 4 - Fixes display of Mail unread badge for numbers greater than 10,000 - Continued user interface refinements
The update officially disables the evasi0n iOS 7 jailbreak, patching key kernel exploits.
iOS 7.1 was first seeded to developers back in mid-November, following the launch of iOS 7.0.4. iOS 7.1 saw five developer betas, with the last beta coming on February 4.
iOS 7.1 can be downloaded via the software update tool in the settings menu on iOS devices. Users on devices upgrading from iOS 7.0.6 are seeing file sizes of approximately 268 MB, while those upgrading from a beta are seeing larger downloads of 1.3-1.4 GB. Users who are still on iOS 7.1 beta 5 should upgrade to the full version of iOS 7.1 as the betas do not include features like the SSL fix released in February and a finalized version of CarPlay.
Apple has also launched a new update for the Apple TV and Xcode 5.1, with bug fixes, improvements, and new Auto Layout constraint inspector, and Quick Look support in the debugger for custom object types. [Direct Link]
The following Apple apps have also received minor updates alongside iOS 7:
Musician and songwriter Neil Young, who also has experience directing, has been working on a competitor to Apple's iPod for several years now, which is now close to seeing a release date.
The PonoPlayer is a $399 digital music player that is designed to offer high quality sound, beating out Apple's iPod. The sound is described as "master-quality digital music at the highest audio fidelity possible," which allows listeners to feel the true emotion and detail of the music, "the way the artist recorded it."
Young initially unveiled plans for the higher-quality digital music in 2012, after he revealed in an interview with AllThingsD that he had discussed high definition music formats with former Apple CEO Steve Jobs ahead of his death. Young has been in favor of higher definition music formats for several years, but such formats require larger files, which may have held Apple back from jumping on board.
When asked if Young had approached Apple about the idea, Young said that he had, in fact, met with Jobs and was "working on it," but that "not much" ended up happening to the pursuit.
Of note, Young made mention that Jobs was a vinyl fan, despite having helmed the company that would spearhead the way people listened to and purchased digital music.
Apple offers iTunes music in an AAC format at a quality of 256 kbps and while the company does support a lossless audio format, the files take up more space than AAC files and are not sold on the iTunes Store.
Young's PonoPlayer works in conjunction with the yet-to-be-released PonoMusic service, which pledges to "significantly improve the way you get to hear and feel your favorite music." The PonoPlayer itself will ship with 128GB of memory, storing from 100 to 500 high resolution albums.
As for Apple's line of iPods, several of the devices, including the nano, the shuffle, and the classic, have gone more than three years without an update. Apple did introduce a minor color change for some of the devices, but it appears the company may be planning to phase out several models. The exception may be the iPod Touch, which was updated with a new design in 2012.
During a recent conference call, Tim Cook called the iPod a declining category for the company, which has been overtaken by more popular offerings such as the iPhone and the iPad. "All of us have known for some time that the iPod is a declining business," he said.
The $399 PonoPlayer will be introduced to the public via a Kickstarter project that is set to go live later this week.
After expanding to France last week, Apple's iPhone trade-in program is now available in Apple retail stores throughout Canada as noticed by 9to5Mac. Though not publicly announced, the launch was confirmed on Canadian Apple Store retail pages and in the Apple Store app.
The in-store recycling program allows customers to trade-in an older iPhone model and immediately receive a gift card up to $275 towards the purchase of a new iPhone. The program encourages customers to responsibly recycle their old iPhones instead of throwing them away. SellCell estimates customers are storing and not recycling approximately $13.4 billion in unused iPhones.
This in-store iPhone recycling program debuted in the U.S. last summer and was expanded to include the UK a few months later. Apple also offers a mail-in recycling program that requires customers to send in their iPhone before receiving a credit. Customers may receive more money for their iPhone via the mail-in program, but they lose the convenience of a no-hassle credit that's immediately available to spend on a new phone.
Samsung may play a larger role in the production of Apple's next generation A8 processor than previously rumored, claims ZDNet Korea (via GforGames). According to the report, the Korean company has already signed a contract to produce the A8 processor at its Austin, Texas plant and is in the final stages of testing before mass production begins.
This latest information from an anonymous Samsung official contradicts an earlier report that said Samsung was struggling with poor yields of the A8 processor and could not meet Apple's demands. As a result, the bulk of A8 chip production was said to be shifting to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). These "manufacturing issues" were "exaggerated claims" says the Samsung source, stating that the company is ready to start mass production of the A8 in Q2 2014.
While Samsung and TSMC may be splitting A8 production however, the latter already appears to have a lead on the Korean manufacturer. A recent report from Taiwan's Commercial Times claims TSMC has started production of the next generation chip.
Samsung has been the exclusive manufacturer of Apple's A-series chips, but Apple has been looking to depend less on its rival by shifting some of its orders to TSMC. Apple reportedly struck a deal with TSMC in 2013 to start A-series chip production early in 2014.
Speaking at this year's South by Southwest conference, Google executive Sundar Pichai announced today that the company will be releasing an Android software development kit (SDK) for wearable devices in two weeks, reportsThe Wall Street Journal.
The news comes ahead of Google's I/O developer's conference in June, where the company is likely to unveil its own smart watch developed in collaboration with electronics manufacturer LG.
Google executive Sundar Pichai told the South by Southwest conference Sunday that the company plans to release in two weeks a software development kit based on Android for makers of wearable devices, such as smartwatches.
Pichai stated that Google is releasing its Android SDK for wearables ahead of actual devices in order to gather "plenty of feedback," as the company's smartwatch will likely be the first device to run its new software. The Wall Street Journal also reported in February that the new mobile operating system will integrate the company's Google Now voice assistant and search feature.
Apple is widely rumored to be working on its own "iWatch" smart watch that could be revealed in the fall, which is said to carry a "full" version of iOS that emphasizes biometrics and integration with other iOS devices. According to the most recent reports, the device will include advanced sensors to track a variety of health metrics such as a user's blood pressure, hydration, heart rate and more. Other rumors have suggested that Apple is developing "Healthbook", an iOS 8 app that would help the iWatch monitor and track health statistics like weight, heart rate, calories and step counts in conjunction with the iPhone.
In preparation for this week's iTunes Festival at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2014, Apple has expanded its Apple TV lineup to include a revamped iTunes Festival channel that allows users to live stream the concert's shows as well as view lineups and artist information.
The channel showcases artists who will be performing at the festival such as Kendrick Lamar, Coldplay, and Keith Urban, complete with artist bios and concert showtimes. Direct iTunes links to artist albums are featured as well, along with full details on opening acts.
Apple also updated its iTunes Festival app for iOS last week, which introduced a new design and a revamped icon. Apple announced last month that it would be expanding its iTunes Festival to the U.S. for the first time, as five shows will be held from March 11-15 at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas as a part of the film and music-focused SXSW event.
The new plan will give users 2GB of data, along with unlimited messaging and calling, for $65 per month, down $15 from the previous plan. Adding additional smartphones to the plan will cost $25 per line per month. AT&T slashed the prices of its Mobile Share family plans at the beginning of last month.
AT&T's new plans can also be combined with an existing promotion that offers a $100 bill credit to new and existing customers who add a new line of service. That promo runs through 3/31/2014. AT&T also introduced new messaging and calling rates to international countries late last month.
The move comes in the midst of a marketing war between U.S. cellular carriers, with AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint all introducing new deals and promotions to keep their current customers and snatch new ones.
T-Mobile today announced that it was altering its existing Simple Choice plans, adding more data, a new pricing tier and no-added-cost international texting from the United States.
Simple Choice plans still start with one line at $50 per month for unlimited data, talk and text on the T-Mobile network. You only have to decide how much high speed 4G LTE data you want. And now on the core plan, you’ll get a full 1GB of 4G LTE data and tethering – double the previous amounts. Additional lines continue to be $30 for the second line and $10 for up to three additional lines for unlimited data talk and text, and now 1GB of 4G LTE data.
Previously, T-Mobile's Simple Choice plans included 500MB of 4G LTE data in the base $50 per month plan, while users could get 2.5GB of 4G LTE data for an extra $10 per month and unlimited 4G LTE data and 2.5GB of tethering for an extra $20 per month.
Now, users will get 1GB of 4G LTE data in the base plan, 3GB of 4G LTE data for an extra $10, 5GB of 4G LTE data and 5GB of tethering for an extra $20 and unlimited 4G LTE data and 5GB of tethering for an extra $30. In addition, T-Mobile has added unlimited international texting from the United States at no extra cost.
The data changes will take effect automatically on March 23 and the international texting will begin on April 1. While the unlimited 4G LTE data for an extra $20 per month will be removed, users who have the plan before March 23 will be grandfathered into, and allowed to keep, the plan.
The SlatePro TechDesk is a new Kickstarter project featuring a desk that has been designed with built-in docks and cutouts to accommodate several different Apple devices. It comes with multiple display docks that are able to hold an iPad, iPhone, or other mobile device, and air vents in the middle of the desk offer continual cooling for MacBooks.
Designed to fit any size computer or laptop, from a MacBook to an iMac, the desk also comes equipped with a heavy duty mousepad, a filing rack, a pen dock, and a recessed cup holder. There are also built-in cutouts for cords to keep everything organized.
The SlatePro's surface is cut from pure, premium bamboo and protected by a sheet of clear acrylic. It's super strong, very light weight, and it will support your computer with ease. The desk's steel legs are completely hand-crafted. They create the perfect height and are made by some of the best metal workers in the USA.
Nathan Mummert, the SlatePro's creator, was also behind the Slate Mobile AirDesk, a successful Kickstarter project that featured a portable lap desk.
Some early pricing tiers of the SlatePro have already sold out, but interested backers are still able to pre-order a desk for $448 on Kickstarter. The first desks are expected to ship in May of 2014, while orders made now will ship in June or July.
Moyano pictures a perfectly round device, with grooves in the side that'll allow for multiple looks with different bands. Similar to the Shine from Misfit Wearables, the concept design features no buttons to catch on your sleeve and no holes to allow in water or dust. Submersible and resistant to dust, the watch lacks speakers and will rely on vibration notifications to alert you to an incoming message.
Wait a moment, no speakers? Think about it. A watch is almost always on your hand, pretty far from your ears. Imagine yourself walking on a noisy city: If you want to hear a notification sound from your smartwatch, it should be a loud sound, and to produce it, it would need a lot of energy and big components. Both things not easy to include on a such small device.
Besides that the iWatch will be constantly in contact with your skin and body, an important fact to consider. That's why I decided you shouldn't hear, but feel the notifications. That is right: Vibration notifications. Perfectly submersible and dust resistant vibration notifications.
Battery life will be a challenge in such a small device, so Moyano visualizes the iWatch with micro-solar panels and wireless recharging. To conserve this precious power, the concept iWatch will sacrifice the cellular connection and associated services that require an internet connection. Moyano's concept envisions Maps working on the iWatch, but it is not clear how the maps would be usable on such a small-screened device.
Another circulating iWatch concept created by Hungarian freelance designer Gábor Balogh and published by The Verge is inspired by traditional wristwatch design. The concept uses an actual product image of the Havana timepiece from Swedish watchmaker Triwa. Balogh replaces the face of the watch with rumored iWatch features such as messages and heart rate tracking.
Though the iWatch may not have many of the features mentioned above, it is rumored to include biometric functions like a heart rate monitor that'll tie into Apple's iOS 8 ecosystem via a new Healthbook app. It may also ship with a version of Siri tailored for the wrist-worn device.
Apple retained its crown as the number one handset manufacturer among consumers in the U.S., while Google's Android operating system remained the number one platform, according to comScore's latest MobiLens and Mobile Metrix reports. These figures measure smartphone ownership and cover the three months ending January 2014.
Apple beat out rival Samsung with 41.6 percent market share as compared to Samsung's 26.7 percent. When comparing changes over the measured periods, Apple, Samsung and LG made small gains, while Motorola and HTC fell. Apple's market share continues to grow, but its rate of adoption is slowing.
Apple may be the top handset maker, but iOS is outnumbered by the volume of Android phones on the market. Apple's iOS platform was number two with 41.6 percent of the smartphone market, while Google's Android OS was number one with 51.7 percent market share in the recently ended period.
iOS was only the platform to gain ground in the three-month period, inching up from 40.6 percent in the period ending October 2013 to 41.6 percent in the most recent period. Android and BlackBerry lost ground, with each platform dropping 0.5 percentage points.
comScore measures both ownership and usage across a customer's primary smartphone and tablet. It uses an intelligent online survey as well as both panel and census-based measurement methods to compile its data.
Just released earlier tonight, Apple's OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 beta appears to have built-in support that enables all compatible 4K displays to be set at a "Retina" resolution, with an option for 60Hz output. The compatibility was first discovered by Twitter user @KhaosT, and was tested with both the Late 2013 Retina MacBook Pro and redesigned Mac Pro in conjunction with Dell's UltraSharp 24 Ultra HD Monitor.
To this point, OS X compatibility with 4K displays has been known to be somewhat erratic, as AnandTech revealed in December that Sharp's 32'' 4K display supported only one scaled resolution at 2560 x 1440. Furthermore, it was discovered that Apple had chosen to render text, menu and UI elements in the same manner as the Retina MacBook Pro, resulting in small and difficult to read on-screen elements on a 4K display. Various other 4K monitors were also found to be not properly supported.
Native support for 4K displays could also indicate that Apple is gearing up to release a higher-resolution Thunderbolt Display, as Apple last refreshed the monitor over two years ago. A number of other companies also introduced more affordable 4K displays at CES 2014 in January, with options from the likes of Lenovo, Asus, Seiki, and LG expected to hit the market throughout this year.
Jawbone today updated its UP app to version 3.1, adding several new features to improve its Jawbone UP fitness band. Multiple enhancements have been made to sleep tracking, with the app including more information on sound sleep and light sleep periods, plus sunrise and sunset visuals.
There's a new sleep recovery menu that can be accessed if a band was not put into sleep mode, a feature originally introduced with version 3.0 of the app. The app also encourages better sleep through new personalized goals, challenging users to go to bed at the same time each night.
Following the update, reminders can also be set using customizable alerts, allowing users to set alarms for various purposes such as working out and taking medications.
- Reminders: Set customizable alerts with band vibrations to remind you to workout, go to bed, take medication and more. - Forgot to put your band in sleep mode? Now access sleep recovery from the home screen. - Added sunrise and sunset visuals into sleep graphs - Introducing new Today I Will insights - Bug fixes and sync performance improvements
Jawbone has also introduced an entirely new app, called UP Coffee, which is designed to allow Jawbone UP users to understand how caffeine affects sleep. The app lets users enter how many cups of coffee or other caffeinated foods/beverages they have consumed during the day and then calculates how long it will take to become "Sleep Ready."
Up Coffee interfaces with the existing UP app, so users will see beverage consumption statistics entered into UP Coffee displayed within their UP apps.
Unlock a series of data-based reports on how your body reacts to caffeine. Check in with UP Coffee when you drink, and even when you don’t, for just 7 days to reveal your Caffeine Persona. Keep tracking for 3 more days to reveal the relationships between how much and when you drink with your bedtime, sleep duration and nighttime awakenings. Knowledge is power, so get buzzed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Apple CEO Tim Cook for lunch yesterday at Apple HQ in Cupertino, California.
Netanyahu is traveling through the United States for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and also met the founders of popular messaging app WhatsApp as well as the president of Stanford University.
While it's not clear what Cook and Netanyahu could have talked about, video from the event has now emerged on the prime minister's YouTube channel (via9to5Mac).
Cook has met with the leaders of nations before, as he met Turkish President Abdullah Gül in February prior to the opening of a new Istanbul Apple Store and has met President Obama on multiple occasions.
In recent years, Apple has seen its relationship with Israel grow as the company has acquired Israeli-based companies PrimeSense and Anobit in addition to hiring for a new research and development center in Haifa, Israel.
Apple today seeded the first test build of OS X 10.9.3 to registered Mac developers, just over a week after releasing OS X 10.9.2. The new beta, which has a build number of 13D12, is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store as well as through the Mac Dev Center.
Apple is currently asking developers to focus on Graphics Drivers and Audio, and there is no word yet on specific fixes and changes included in the update.
The last Mavericks update, OS X 10.9.2, added FaceTime Audio, the ability to block iMessage users on the Mac, and a fix for a critical SSL vulnerability. 10.9.2 saw a beta testing period of approximately two months, and it is likely 10.9.3 will also see several beta iterations before a public release.
Apple today updated its iTunes Festival app to version 5.0, ahead of next week's SXSW iTunes Festival, which kicks off on Tuesday, March 11. As noted by MacStories, the iTunes Festival app shows up in the iTunes Store with a revamped icon and is listed as having a "refreshed design" and support for SXSW, but the app isn't available for download in the U.S. just yet.
Clicking on the download link results in an error message that asks users to try again later, but it will presumably be downloadable shortly. Users in other countries have been able to download the app with iOS 7.0.6, suggesting SXSW streaming does not require iOS 7.1 as was reported earlier this week.
Apple's SXSW iTunes Festival is the first it has hosted in the United States, with previous iTunes Festivals occurring annually in London. The festival will offer five free nights of music, beginning on March 11 at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas. Featured artists include Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Kendrick Lamar, Soundgarden, Pitbull, Keith Urban, and more.
All of Apple's iTunes Festival concerts are presented for free, with tickets available via a lottery system. Live and on-demand streams of the shows will be available through the revamped iTunes Festival app and the Apple TV.
Apple's CarPlay feature, introduced earlier this week, may be able to be installed in older vehicles, according to new information from Mercedes-Benz. The car company has told 9to5Mac that it is working on "an after-market solution for previous cars," that would allow CarPlay to function in older models.
We've confirmed that at least Mercedes-Benz is looking into aftermarket installations of CarPlay that will allow older models of vehicles to access the feature. While the company confirmed that it is trying to get an "an after-market solution for previous cars" it couldn't confirm when the option might become available. While there is no info yet on how the aftermarket installation would work, we'd imagine it will be a dealer installed accessory for select older models like Honda and others already offer for Apple's Siri Eyes Free feature.
While it is unclear how an aftermarket solution might be implemented, information uncovered earlier this week indicates that CarPlay works in conjunction with BlackBerry's QNX car operating system. The QNX Car Platform is what powers many of the existing in-car infotainment systems installed in a wide variety of automobiles.
CarPlay can be likened to Apple's AirPlay, utilizing in-car infotainment systems to mirror the iPhone's display and functionality, which indicates that it is a technology that can possibly be installed in older vehicles as well as new ones. It will be up to both individual manufacturers and Apple to decide whether aftermarket options will be available for older cars, however. Mercedes-Benz is thus far the only manufacturer that has indicated an aftermarket solution might be possible.
The majority of CarPlay's functionality is supplied by the iPhone, including Siri voice control, Maps and GPS and access to features like messages, phone calls, and third-party apps. While CarPlay does currently require a hardware interface and a wired connection in the form of a Lightning connector, Volvo has indicated that Wi-Fi connectivity is coming in the future.
At the current point in time, CarPlay has only been demoed in cars from Volvo, Ferrari, and Mercedes-Benz, but Apple has struck deals with several other manufacturers including Honda, Ford, GM, Jaguar, and Hyundai, all of which are expected to launch vehicles with CarPlay support in 2014.
Update 1:32 PM: Mercedes-Benz has clarified that its "goal is to offer an after market solution by the end of the year."
Speaking at this year's South by Southwest conference, Google executive Sundar Pichai announced today that the company will be releasing an Android software development kit (SDK) for wearable devices in two weeks, 
AT&T will launch a 
Jawbone today updated its UP app to version 3.1, adding several new features to improve its 
