While Apple Watch could be more than a month away from a public release, it has won a 2015 iF Gold Award from the International Forum (iF) Design in its annual industrial design competition. The jury called the Apple Watch design "an icon".
The idea of combining classic materials such as leather and metal with state-of-the-art technology to create a very individual fashion accessory has resulted in a delightful product offering a holistic user experience. The Apple Watch scores highly for each design detail and is an altogether extraordinary piece of design. For us, it is already an icon.
Apple Watch was one of only two telecommunication products out of 64 recipients to earn the "Gold" designation. Out of the 1,624 products recognized, only 75 of them received a Gold Award.
The iF has been hosting its renowned design awards since 1953, and its jury evaluates products on a set of criteria that includes workmanship, choice of materials, environmental friendliness, design quality, safety, brand value, ergonomics, workmanship, degree of innovation and functionality.
Apple has won a number of iF Design Awards, for major products like iPhone 6, iPad Air and iMac to accessories like EarPods and Apple Keyboard. In total, Apple has won 118 iF Design Awards, but only 44 have earned a "Gold" designation, with Apple Watch being the most recent.
Apple could be planning to introduce the much-rumored 12-inch Retina MacBook Air during its March 9 Apple Watch event, according to one site that claims to have sources within Apple. The Michael Report believes Apple will use the event to debut the ultrathin MacBook, which is rumored to have a Retina display and a redesigned chassis.
Many are expecting Apple talk more about the Apple Watch. However, sources familiar with the matter within Apple have exclusively told The Michael Report that Apple plans to unveil the long-awaited Retina MacBook Air at the same event. The Michael Report has independently verified this information to be highly credible.
While there have been no concrete rumors from major sites linking the Retina MacBook Air to Apple's March 9 event, previous rumors have indicated that Apple is planning for a spring release. Apple supplier Quanta is said to have begun mass production of the notebook in January, and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted a March launch for the MacBook.
Rendering of the 12-inch Retina MacBook Air created by Martin Hajek
When taking these rumors into account, along with the fact that the MacBook Air is due for an update, the introduction of the Retina MacBook Air at Apple's March 9 event does seem like a possibility. It's also possible Apple will introduce new models of the existing 11 and 13-inch MacBook Air at the event -- the last update was in April and there was a rumor suggesting an update in February was imminent. Core M Broadwell chips believed to be appropriate for the 12-inch Retina MacBook have been available since November, and chips appropriate for the standard MacBook Air began shipping in January.
Along with a Retina display, the 12-inch MacBook Air is rumored to come without a fan assembly for silent operation, made possible by the aforementioned Core M chips, and it may also include a revamped trackpad that does not incorporate a mechanical button. It is said to feature smaller bezels in a Retina MacBook Pro-style black, a keyboard that stretches right to the edges of the machine, and speakers that are located above the keyboard.
The Michael Report has a mixed track record when it comes to rumors. The site accurately predicted some design elements of the iPad Air 2, but its predictions may have been based on dummy models that were circulating around the Internet at the time. The site also shared details on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus ahead of their launch, inaccurately calling the iPhone 6 Plus the "iPhone 6L" and suggesting the iPhones would come with quad-core processors and sapphire displays.
More details about what Apple plans to unveil at its Monday, March 9 event may come out through the week. Thus far, many sites have agreed that the focal point of the event will be the Apple Watch, with Apple unveiling new details about the device like its price and its official launch date.
AppAdvice recently launched a new site dedicated to the Apple Watch called WatchAware, and today a new feature was introduced that showcases upcoming Apple Watch apps in an interesting, interactive way.
The site's Apple Watch Apps section offers a selection of apps that are displayed on an Apple Watch interface, with different views for "Apps," "Glances," and "Notifications." For example, for the upcoming Twitter app, which was shown during the Apple Watch announcement, WatchAware allows users to click to see both what the app itself will look like and what an incoming notification will look like.
Many of the apps on the page use imagery from the apps that Apple showcased when the Apple Watch was first announced, so there may be some significant interface changes, but overall, the site gives a good look at what one might expect to see from the different types of Apple Watch experiences developers can create.
As outlined in the WatchKit API provided to developers in November, developers can build Glances, actionable notifications, and Apple Watch apps that are powered by the iPhone. Actionable notifications are notifications that allow users to taken an action or respond directly on their wrists with the Apple Watch, while Glances are somewhat simpler, giving users quick information at a glance like news, weather, and more.
Apple Watch apps are even more in-depth than notifications and Glances, letting users perform tasks like reading tweets and sending messages. Apps, which are built-into and installed via the iPhone, run entirely on the iPhone, with an interface that's beamed to the Apple Watch. By running apps on the iPhone, Apple is able to conserve battery and provide a seamless experience transitioning from watch to phone. Apple has promised apps that run entirely on the Apple Watch will come later in the year.
WatchAware currently features popular apps like Twitter, Facebook, Maps, American Airlines, Pinterest, and CityMapper, which were previously featured by Apple, but there are also several other apps that have been showcased by developers like Deliveries, Run 5k, and Todoist. The site plans to add additional Apple Watch apps as they become available.
Swedish car manufacturer Koenigsegg is known for its high-priced luxury sports cars, often called hypercars. At the Geneva Motor Show today, Koenigsegg showed off its latest car -- an ~1,800 horsepower hybrid vehicle with built-in support for Apple's CarPlay service.
Called the Regera, which translates to "to reign" in Swedish, the car can go from 0 to 250 miles per hour within 20 seconds, and it tops out at a speed of 255 miles per hour. It's equipped with a 5.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine along with three electric motors. One motor replaces the standard transmission with the Koenigsegg Direct Drive system, and there's a motor dedicated to each rear wheel.
Inside, the Regera is equipped with an infotainment system that includes a 9-inch infrared zForce Neonode touchscreen, which is said to offer superior touch performance and multi-touch gestures. The infotainment system is compatible with Apple's CarPlay, letting Regera buyers connect their iPhones to their cars to access all of CarPlay's features.
The Koenigsegg Regera is priced at $1,890,000, and only 80 of the cars will be produced. The version being shown off at the Geneva Motor Show is the first in the series, and is said to be 95 percent complete.
A long list of automobile manufacturers have signed up to partner with Apple and introduce CarPlay in upcoming vehicles, but thus far, Ferrari is the only brand that has produced a car that's available with CarPlay -- the $300,000 Ferrari FF. Audi, Volkswagen, and Hyundai have all promised that CarPlay-compatible cars will be available in 2015, and there are a number of aftermarket CarPlay solutions from Alpine and Pioneer that are currently available for purchase.
Researchers have recently uncovered a major security flaw in software created by companies like Google and Apple, leaving many devices vulnerable to hacking attempts, reports The Washington Post. Called "FREAK" (Factoring Attack on RSA-EXPORT Keys), the vulnerability stems from a U.S. government policy that once prevented companies from exporting strong encryption, requiring them to instead create weak "export-grade" products to ship to customers outside of the United States.
These restrictions were lifted more than a decade ago, but the weaker encryption has continued to be used by software companies as a result of the old policy and it has even been built into software in the U.S. The existence of lingering "export-grade" encryption was unnoticed until this year, when researchers found they could force browsers to use lower-grade 512-bit encryption and then crack it.
Hackers could potentially employ the same tactic, cracking weak encryption and then stealing passwords and other information. Researchers also believe the vulnerability could be used to launch attacks on and infiltrate major websites. In testing, the export-grade encryption key was breached in seven hours using computers and more than a quarter of encrypted sites were found to be vulnerable.
"We thought of course people stopped using it," said Karthikeyan Bhargavan, a researcher at the French computer science lab INRIA whose team initially found the problem during testing of encryption systems.
Nadia Heninger, a University of Pennsylvania cryptographer, said, "This is basically a zombie from the '90s... I don't think anybody really realized anybody was still supporting these export suites."
As pointed out by The Washington Post, the FREAK vulnerability is an example of the problems that can arise when the government gets involved in device security. Government officials have recently expressed concern over the privacy features that Apple and Google have been building into their smartphones in response to outrage over secretive government surveillance programs like PRISM.
FBI Director James Comey has made remarks suggesting Apple and Google should scale back encryption, as government access to electronic devices is necessary in some cases. He has said that it may matter a "great, great deal" that the government be able to infiltrate the device of a kidnapper, criminal, or terrorist.
The researchers who discovered the flaw have notified government sites and major technology companies to fix the issue before it became widely publicized. FBI.gov and Whitehouse.gov have been fixed, and according to Apple spokeswoman Trudy Miller, Apple is preparing a security patch that will be "in place next week for both its computers and its mobile devices."
Apple has decided to hire the majority of its day-to-day security staff in Silicon valley as full-time employees, a company spokeswoman confirmed to the San Jose Mercury News. Many of the security guards that Apple has hired in the past as contractors will become part of the company's expanded in-house security team and receive the same benefits as other employees, including full health insurance, retirement contributions and a leave of absence for new parents.
Apple security guard in dispute with photographer at iPad event (via The Australian)
Apple will continue using contractors as security guards for special events, such as the upcoming "Spring Forward" media event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on March 9th. Apple is believed to have begun constructing an extension on the Yerba Buena Center over the weekend, possibly as an Apple Watch demo area, and security guards wearing "Apple Security" shirts were spotted monitoring the premises.
"We will be hiring a large number of full-time people to handle our day-to-day security needs," the spokeswoman told the San Jose Mercury News. "We hope that virtually all of these positions will be filled by employees from our current security vendor and we're working closely with them on this process."
Apple has faced increasing pressure to provide individuals who cook, clean and monitor security for the company with the same benefits as other employees. Local union United Service Workers West staged a protest on Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California in December over complaints that its security contractor Security Industry Specialists treated workers poorly and that many positions were part-time.
Other service workers in Silicon Valley are also fighting for better wages and benefits. The Wall Street Journal reported that a group of 158 bus drivers working for Compass Transportation, which provides shuttle service for Apple, eBay, Genentech, Yahoo and Zynga, voted on Friday to be represented by local union Teamsters Local 853 in negotiations with Compass over fair working conditions.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Following its unveiling at CES earlier this year, AT&T today announced that its new Modio Case for iPad Mini, which enables Wi-Fi only iPads to connect to 4G, will be available for purchase March 20 for $49.99 with a two-year agreement.
The March 20 release is set only for the iPad Mini, iPad Mini 2, and iPad Mini 3 compatible cases, with a launch for the iPad Air models planned for later in the year. As detailed at its CES reveal event, the Modio smartcase will allow iPad owners with Wi-Fi models to connect to AT&T's 4G LTE network using data available on a user's Mobile Share Value plan. The case connects to the network when prompted, and automatically disconnects when the folio is closed.
Available for $49.99 on a two year contract, AT&T also plans to sell the new case on the AT&T Tablet Installment plan of $10 per month for 20 months. Those wishing to simply buy the Modio outright with no annual commitment can expect to pay $199.99. All Modio users will be required to pay a $10 monthly access charge for using the case on a Mobile Share Value plan.
“The AT&T Modio LTE case is both convenient and a great value for our customers. The case’s durability also makes it a natural choice for iPad mini with Wi-Fi users. Connect your iPad mini with Wi-Fi to AT&T’s 4G LTE network – the nation’s strongest LTE signal – and protect it at the same time.” – Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Device Marketing and Developer Services, AT&T Mobility.
The case also includes a 4,600mAh battery that'll give users "up to 16 hours of continuous use" and a micro SD slot that supports up to 32GB of storage. The case needs to sync up with the AT&T Modio Data app, which monitors data usage and various data plans, to function. After the first set-up, the case will remember a user's iPad and preferences upon subsequent usage.
The Modio LTE Case will be available in AT&T retail stores, AT&T's official website, and at "select retailers" across the country on March 20.
The latest numbers from research firm Gartner reveal that Apple surpassed Samsung in worldwide smartphone sales during the fourth quarter of 2014 to become the world's largest smartphone maker. Samsung lost the top spot to Apple for the first time since 2011.
Apple narrowly edged Samsung as the two rivals had quarterly sales of 74.8 million and 73 million smartphones respectively. Apple's 20.4% market share was also marginally higher than Samsung's 19.9% share during the three-month period ending December.
"With Apple dominating the premium phone market and the Chinese vendors increasingly offering quality hardware at lower prices, it is through a solid ecosystem of apps, content and services unique to Samsung devices that Samsung can secure more loyalty and longer-term differentiation at the high end of the market," said Roberta Cozza, research director at Gartner.
Strategy Analytics reported in January that Apple and Samsung were tied as the top smartphone makers during the fourth quarter, although its findings were based on overall shipments and not actual sales. Samsung smartphone sales figures always have a margin for error, however, as the South Korean tech giant does not officially disclose smartphone sales and leaves research firms to estimate.
Samsung remained the top worldwide smartphone vendor in 2014 overall, with an estimated 307.6 million smartphone sales to capture 24.7% market share. Apple was runner-up with 191.4 million iPhones sold during the year, representing 15.4% market share. Lenovo, which acquired the smartphone making division of Motorola, finished third with 81.4 million smartphone sales in 2014 for 6.5% market share.
Samsung recently announced its latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, each compatible with a new mobile payments service called Samsung Pay. The smartphones will be released April 10 in several countries. In the United States, the handsets will be available on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile and also on sale through Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Target, Walmart and Sam's Club.
Google is reportedly preparing to release an Android Wear app on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, according to French technology website 01net [Google Translate] (via iPhon.fr).
The report claims Android Wear with extended iOS support could be announced at Google's I/O developer conference in late May, although Google may push the agenda depending on sales of the Apple Watch.
Google may be interested in capitalizing on iPhone and iPad users that are not planning to purchase an Apple Watch when the wrist-worn device is released in April, the report adds. Last month, an unofficial video of an iPhone paired with Android Wear for notifications amassed over 300,000 views on YouTube.
Android Wear smartwatches such as the LG G Watch, Moto 360 and Samsung Gear Live are currently limited to pairing with smartphones running Android 4.3 or later, such as the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 and LG G3. Pairing an Android smartphone and smartwatch requires the official Android Wear app on the Google Play Store.
While 01net is one of the largest technology publications in France, its exclusive report has not yet been corroborated by other sources and its veracity cannot be confirmed. But given that Google is generally more open about cross-platform compatibility, and has an existing portfolio of apps on the App Store, there is a possibility that Android Wear for iOS could one day be a reality.
Exactly a week after revealing the new generation of Pebble smartwatches, called the Pebble Time, Pebble today announced an additional tier to its Kickstarter fundraiser called the Pebble Time Steel.
Touted as having every feature of the Pebble Time - including the new color display and Timeline features - but featuring more classy, decorative casings, so it's "dressed up and ready to go." The Steel comes in two band options, stainless steel or premium leather, and the watchface itself is coated in a CNC-finished 316L stainless steel casing. Differing slightly from its original counterpart, the Time Steel's battery will last for up to 10 days versus the Time's 7 days.
The Time Steel starts at a $250 tier on Pebble's Kickstarter page, but will retail for $300 when it officially launches later this year. The company also promises that those who have backed the Pebble Time can upgrade to the Time Steel by clicking on the "Manage" button next to their existing rewards tier.
The Time Steel comes in color options similar to the Time: silver with a stone leather band, gunmetal black with a black leather band, and gold with a red leather band. The company promises that all Time Steels will include both a leather and matching metal band in each order. The gold and red leather band Pebble Time Steel shares a striking resemblance to Apple's own 18-Karat Yellow Gold Apple Watch Edition with Red Modern Buckle option.
The company also introduced a "Smartstrap" system that will allow any developer to create various third-party applications using sensors and electronics built into swappable bands. As pointed out by TechCrunch, there are numerous options developers could capitalize on by working with the new smartstrap system.
You could add a heart rate monitor, for instance, or a GPS chip for improved run tracking and fitness powers; a spare battery to bump up the life of the Pebble to multiple weeks; or environmental sensors to tell you about air quality and temperature.
In the 7 days since the Pebble Time Kickstarter campaign began, it's raked in just over $12 million as of writing, with some 54,000 backers and still about 24 days to go. Those interested in the newly introduced Pebble Time Steel rewards tier can head over to the Kickstarter page now to check out more information on the smart wearable.
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in a San Jose, California courtroom on Monday raised no objections about a $415 million settlement that would end an ongoing anti-poaching class-action lawsuit involving Apple, Google and other large tech companies. Koh rejected a previous $324.5 million settlement last August after one of the plaintiffs in the case objected because the deal was too low, according to Reuters.
Tech workers filed the antitrust class-action lawsuit in 2011 against Apple, Google, Adobe and Intel, alleging that the four companies reached anti-poaching agreements that resulted in less job mobility and lower salaries. Apple and Google were accused of signing one of the earliest wage-fixing deals in 2005, although the anti-poaching agreements extended far beyond those companies. According to court documents, up to one million tech employees may have been affected by the agreements.
Update 11:05 AM PT: Koh has given preliminary approval to the $415 million settlement, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Apple has launched a worldwide "Shot on iPhone 6" advertising campaign involving 77 photographers, 70 cities and 24 countries, with iPhone 6 photography to be featured in magazines, newspapers, billboards, transit posters and more. The large-scale marketing initiative has started rolling out in several countries across the world this week, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Thailand, Malaysia, Tokyo and United Arab Emirates.
"Shot on iPhone 6" photo on billboard in Los Angeles (via Twitter)
A number of "Shot on iPhone 6" advertisements have begun surfacing on Twitter and Instagram over the past few days, with spots appearing on the back cover of The New Yorker magazine, horizontal posters in London's Euston Square subway station and in the Malaysian city of Bangsar, billboards in Los Angeles and Toronto, the side of a tall skyscraper in Dubai and more.
"Shot on iPhone 6" photo on back cover of The New Yorker (via Twitter)
The photography campaign began with Apple promoting a world gallery of photos taken with the iPhone 6 on its homepage over the weekend, including photo apps such as Instagram, Snapseed, VSCO Cam, Filterstorm Neue, Camera+ and Adobe Photoshop Express used for editing and filtering. The majority of photos shown provide scenic views of the outdoors, ranging from mountains and deserts to lakes and waterfalls.
iCloudPhotos is Apple's service that allows users to store their photo and video libraries in the cloud, making them accessible on all Apple devices and on the web through the iCloud.com website. iCloud Photos simplifies the photo taking and storing process by allowing users to get to their images no matter which of their devices are in use.
Turning on iCloud Photo Library
iOS: Open the Settings app, tap on your profile picture, tap on iCloud, and then tap on "Photos." Make sure that "Sync this Phone" is turned on. You can also access the option in the Photos section of the Settings app.
macOS: Open System Settings and click on your Apple ID profile. Click on iCloud, choose "Photos" and toggle on "Sync This Mac."
Apple TV: On an Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K, head to the "Users and Accounts" section of Settings and select your name. Scroll down to "Photos" under iCloud, tap into the option, and then toggle on "iCloud Photos."
iCloud.com: Photos stored in iCloud Photos are also accessible through Apple's web-based iCloud.com service. Through the web interface, users can upload or download photos, browse via Moments and Albums view, print or email photos, and mark individual photos as favorites.
Note that to access your photos on a device, you need to be signed in to your Apple ID and iCloud Photos needs to be enabled on the device.
iCloud Photos Settings
The Photos apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad are built to work with iCloud Photos, although users can opt to use local photo libraries on their devices if they prefer. Users choosing to turn on iCloud Photos have the choice of storing the original photos on their Mac or iOS device, which is ideal for offline access, or a more flexible optimized arrangement that stores originals locally if you have enough storage space but uses lower-resolution versions if local storage is tight and only downloads the full-resolution versions from iCloud as needed.
Optimization settings can be selected on iOS devices by opening up the iCloud interface as outlined above on an iPhone or iPad. Toggling on "Optimize Phone Storage" will replace full-resolution photos and videos with smaller, device-sized versions, while full versions are stored in iCloud and can be downloaded anytime.
On a Mac, opening up the Photos app, going to Settings, and selecting iCloud will allow you to select the "Optimize Mac Storage" option or download full-size originals on the device.
On the iPhone or iPad, tapping into the iCloud Photos settings will show you how much storage your images and videos are taking up, how many images are in iCloud, and the syncing status so you can see if everything has been uploaded from your device to the cloud.
Using iCloud Photos
Once you understand that iCloud Photos stores and syncs photos across devices, usage is very straightforward and it behaves very much like a local photo library stored on the user's machine. Users can freely manage, edit, and save their photos as they have always done, with the added bonus of that work automatically appearing wherever they have iCloud Photos enabled. The original photos always remain stored in iCloud, making it easy to revert any edits made on a device.
As with a local photo library, users can include photos from any source and are not limited to images and videos from Apple devices. A range of content types from any source can be added to the user's library on one device using the import functionality, and the images and videos will sync to all other devices.
One important consideration when deciding whether or not to use iCloud Photos is that it is an all-or-none proposition on a given device unless the user chooses to use multiple photo libraries on macOS. With a single photo library, there is no option to sync only some photos while the remainder is stored only locally. For example, users can not opt to have only their iOS device photos synced to their Mac via iCloud Photos but not have their full library of photos in the Photos app for Mac synced to iCloud and the user's other devices unless they want to manage multiple libraries.
Photos are stored in iCloud Photos at their full resolutions and in their original formats. Common formats like HEIF, JPEG, RAW, PNG, GIF, TIFF, HEVC, and MP4 are all supported, as are special formats captured on iOS devices like slo-mo, time-lapse, and Live Photos.
Pricing
iCloud Photos taps into a user's iCloud account storage, which is also used for iCloud Drive document storage, device backups, and more. iCloud users receive 5 GB of storage for free, but users who wish to back up their devices to iCloud frequently find they need more than that, and iCloud Photo Library will only increase the need for additional storage.
Apple offers several paid storage tiers for iCloud, priced on a monthly basis and ranging from 50 GB to 12 TB. The lowest paid plan at 50 GB costs $0.99/month in the U.S., with Apple also offering a 200 GB plan for $2.99/month, a 2 TB plan for $9.99/month, a 6 TB plan for $29.99 per month, and a 12TB plan for $59.99 per month.
If you fill up your iCloud storage allotment, new photos and videos will no longer be uploaded to iCloud, and libraries will no longer be synced across devices. In order to restore iCloud Photos functionality, users will need to either upgrade to a larger storage plan or reduce storage usage by manually deleting certain photos or other files from iCloud.
Turning Off iCloud Photos
So what if you've turned on iCloud Photos and later decide you don't want to use it anymore, either for a specific device or across all devices? On a specific device, iCloud Photos can be disabled the same way it was turned on, through the iCloud portion of the Settings app on iOS device or System Settings or Photos preferences on a Mac. If you are currently storing optimized versions of your photos, your system will give you the opportunity to download the full-resolution photos from iCloud, at which point you will have a complete local photo library on your device.
If you prefer to turn off iCloud Photos entirely, you can head to the Manage Storage section of iCloud settings either in the Settings app on an iOS device or System Preferences on a Mac. In that section, you can choose to Disable and Delete iCloud Photo Library, after which point you will have 30 days to download your library to at least one device before it is removed entirely.
iCloud Shared Photo Library
As of iOS 16, there is an iCloud Shared Photo Library option that allows multiple users to share a single library. Each participant can view photos, contribute photos, and edit photos. iCloud Shared Photo Library can be set up in the Photos app or the iCloud Photos section of the Settings app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
iCloud Photos represents one of Apple's key efforts to streamline the experience of using multiple devices, many of which have been bundled under the "Continuity" umbrella. Many of these Continuity features tap into iCloud as a method for linking various devices, and iCloud Photos takes that one step further to ensure the users' photos are available regardless of which device they are currently on.
There's a new Steve Jobs book set to be published later this month, penned by Brent Schlender, a reporter who interviewed Jobs several times throughout his life and became close to him, and Rick Tetzeli, Executive Editor at Fast Company. Called Becoming Steve Jobs, the book aims to go beyond existing myths and stereotypes about Jobs, giving a look at a man who was only human, who "wrestled with his failings and learned to maximize his strength over time."
The book explores the story of how Steve Jobs made the transformation from an arrogant young man exiled from Apple to the visionary leader that skyrocketed Apple to fame. Schlender and Tetzeli interviewed many of Steve Jobs' friends, family, and inner circle, to get access to never-before-told stories. Tim Cook, Jony Ive, Eddy Cue, Ed Catmull, John Lasseter, and Robert Iger all contributed to the book. It also draws on the experiences Schlender had with Jobs in interviews across many years.
Schlender and Tetzeli make clear that Jobs's astounding success at Apple was far more complicated than simply picking the right products: he became more patient, he learned to trust his inner circle, and discovered the importance of growing the company incrementally rather than only shooting for dazzling game-changing products. .
Daring Fireball's John Gruber received an advanced copy of Becoming Steve Jobs and called it "the book about Steve Jobs that the world deserves." According to Gruber, it's an accurate retelling of the life of Jobs, with a "significant amount of new reporting. Some stories, he writes, "are going to be sensational."
The book is smart, accurate, informative, insightful, and at times, utterly heartbreaking. Schlender and Tetzeli paint a vivid picture of Jobs the man, and also clearly understand the industry in which he worked. They also got an astonishing amount of cooperation from the people who knew Jobs best: colleagues past and present from Apple and Pixar -- particularly Tim Cook -- and his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs.
A hardcover copy of Becoming Steve Jobs can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com for $21.78. There's also an iBooks version available for $14.99. [Direct Link]
Apple today made a pre-release version of OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 available to those who are signed up for the company's OS X public beta program, giving them early access to the new update and the new Photos for OS X app.
The public beta carries a build number of 14D87p, a slightly later build number than the 14D87h from the second developer beta of the software, released last week.
All registered public beta test members should be able to download OS X Yosemite through the Mac App Store.
OS X 10.10.3 includes access to the new Photos app, which is designed to serve as a replacement for Aperture and iPhoto. Early reviews have suggested the new software improves upon iPhoto, but leaves out many power features Aperture users have become accustomed to.
Along with the Photos app, OS X 10.10.3 also includes a redesigned single-page emoji picker that's organized into categories, and it introduces new diversified emoji and emoji skin tone modifiers. There are also new flag emoji for many countries, and some updates to existing emoji to better reflect Apple products -- the watch emoji is now an Apple Watch, the cell phone resembles an iPhone 6, and the computer is an iMac.
Smaller additions in OS X 10.10.3 include support for Google 2-step verification when setting up accounts in System Preferences.
At Mobile World Congress today Senior Vice President of Google Sundar Pichai revealed a handful of new projects the company is working on, including a new mobile payments solution called Android Pay (via The Verge).
Though only spoken of briefly, Pichai mentioned that the new service would take a decidedly more developer-focused route, calling Android Pay a "developer tool" that would give those developers considerable flexibility in how to implement the payments service.
He noted that the service was less a new consumer-level product and more of an "API layer" that will give other developers and companies the chance to build interesting mobile payment solutions on Android platforms.
"We are doing it in a way in which anybody else can build a payments service on top of Android," said Pichai. "So, in places like China and Africa we hope that people will use Android Pay to build innovative services."
Although Pichai did not explain the details of Android Pay to any great degree, he claimed it would "start with NFC" and eventually accommodate biometric sensors as well.
Google's news follows on the heels of Samsung's own entry into the contactless payment market with Samsung Pay just yesterday. Samsung's offering is set to be baked in to the upcoming Summer release of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones, which will include a fingerprint scanner to help secure mobile payments made on the device, falling far more in line as a direct competitor to Apple Pay than Google's new service.
Samsung is attempting to come out of the gate strong, with the company having already made deals with MasterCard and Visa to support the service and attempting to line up various other companies and banks before the new Galaxy phone launches this summer. The announcement appears to be a direct continuation of Samsung's acquisition of mobile payments-focused company LoopPay earlier in February, setting itself up to battle Apple Pay in the coming months.
Pichai noted during MWC that Android Pay is a bit more malleable of a service, not locking itself onto one specific phone or brand similar to Apple Pay or the upcoming Samsung Pay. He continued that the company doesn't mean to directly compete with Samsung's newly announced mobile payments service, and mentioned that Google wanted to "work closely [together] to see how we can align [with them]."
Following several weeks of rumors about Apple's car-related projects, a recent move by the company to expand trademark coverage of the "Apple" name and iconic Apple logo in Switzerland to include vehicles is gaining attention, as noticed by ApfelBlog.ch [Google Translate] (via Cult of Mac).
While the expansion, which also occurred in Mexico on the same date last month, is unsurprisingly sparking discussion about Apple's efforts in the automotive industry, it is not exactly a new development. Various other Apple trademark applications over the years have included protection under International Class 12, which covers vehicles and their accessories. A European Union filing from October 2003 describes a similar vehicle-related corporate trademark, and others such as a United Kingdom filing from last year have been filed since that time.
Each trademark filing goes through the same basic motions in mentioning various types of vehicles and vehicle-related devices to be covered.
Vehicles; Apparatus for locomotion by land, air or water; electronic hardware components for motor vehicles, rail cars and locomotives, ships and aircraft; Anti-theft devices; Theft alarms for vehicles; Bicycles; Golf carts; Wheelchairs; Air pumps; Motorcycles; Aftermarket parts (after-market parts) and accessories for the aforesaid goods.
One issue with interpreting trademark applications is the common strategy of trying to cover as broad a base as possible in order to maximize protection, and thus it is difficult to tell whether Apple's new vehicle-related applications are related to the rumored projects or something simpler such as CarPlay. Apple also currently holds "iPhone," "Mac," and "iPod" trademark protection under Class 12 in several countries.
The Swiss and Mexican filings come on the heels of a recent deluge in Apple car-related news that began when a mysterious van leased to the company was seen on Bay Area streets. Further news on the company hiring employees from Tesla, Ford and GM, and reports stating the so-called "Project Titan" is aiming to launch in 2020 have led some to believe the vans are related to Apple's vehicle project, but they appear more likely to be an attempt to beef up Apple's Maps offerings with imagery similar to Google's Street View.
Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly said at the company's flagship Apple Store in Berlin that the Apple Watch launch in April will not be limited to the United States, according to retail employees in attendance that spoke with 9to5Mac.
Cook specifically confirmed that the Apple Watch will launch in Germany during the month of April, indicating that a wider international launch in other countries could be on the horizon. MacRumors previously reported that Apple is targeting an early April release date for the Apple Watch based on a source that has proved reliable.
The report corroborates that the Apple Watch may be released in the United States in early April, followed by Germany and other countries later in the month. The first wave of countries that Apple has often launched previous iPhones and iPads in typically includes the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. Cook did not confirm that the Apple Watch would launch in April in all of those countries.
Apple Watch starts at $349 and will be available in three models: Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition. Apple is expected to provide more details about the wrist-worn device at its highly-anticipated "Spring Forward" media event on March 9th at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. MacRumors will be providing live coverage of the event, which should provide more specific pricing and release date information about Apple's first wearable device.
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Google is reportedly preparing to release an Android Wear app on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, according to French technology website 
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There's a new Steve Jobs book set to be published later this month, penned by Brent Schlender, a reporter who interviewed Jobs several times throughout his life and became close to him, and Rick Tetzeli, Executive Editor at Fast Company. Called Becoming Steve Jobs, the book aims to go beyond existing myths and stereotypes about Jobs, giving a look at a man who was only human, who "wrestled with his failings and learned to maximize his strength over time."
At Mobile World Congress today Senior Vice President of Google Sundar Pichai revealed a handful of new projects the company is working on, including a new mobile payments solution called Android Pay (via 
Following several weeks of rumors about Apple's car-related projects, a recent move by the company to expand trademark coverage of the 
Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly said at the company's flagship Apple Store in Berlin that the Apple Watch launch in April will not be limited to the United States, according to retail employees in attendance that spoke with 
