Apple has plans to increase App Store retail prices for several countries over the next 24 hours, citing changes in foreign exchange rates. Prices will go up for the Australian Dollar, Indian Rupee, Indonesian Rupiah, Turkish Lira and South African Rand.
Retail prices for Israeli New Shekels and some pricing tiers for the New Zealand Dollar will be decreased, however.
According to an email sent out to developers, the new pricing will go into effect within 24 hours. Apple has done price adjustments on App Store and iTunes rates several times in the past, in order to compensate for changes in foreign exchange rates.
Samsung today announced the UD590, a new 28-inch 4K monitor that will go on sale this April in the US market for $700 (Via Engadget). The UD590 model includes a 28-inch display with 3840 x 2160 resolution, 1 billion (10-bit) colors and 1 millisecond response time, making it suitable for gaming or watching high-action sports or movies.
The UD590 ships with a picture-in-picture feature that allows users to connect two computers to a single monitor and view both desktops side-by-side. This same option provides a single user with the ability to view different content in two separate windows without a drop in resolution.
Samsung's UD590 monitor has a minimalist design with a simple T-stand and color options of silver or black. It features two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort connector and no DVI ports. The UD590 can be pre-ordered now for $699 and will start shipping April 18th.
This is the year of affordable 4K monitors with other manufacturers also selling 28-inch displays with sub-$1000 price tags. Lenovo will start selling the ThinkVision Pro2840m in April for $800, while Asus plans to launch its own $800 28-inch offering in Q2 2014. Announced earlier this year, Dell already is selling the 28-inch 4K P2815Q for under $700 on its website.
For those interested in 1080P monitors, Samsung also announced the SD390 and SD590 models. Both monitors will be available in 23.6 and 27-inch sizes and will feature a combination of HDMI and VGA ports. Pricing will start at $250 for the D390 and $310 for the SD590 when the monitors go on sale later in April.
A set of images posted on Chinese microblogging site Weibo (via GforGames) may depict the iPhone 6 under development at Foxconn. Said to be sourced directly from Apple's manufacturing partner, the images show an iPhone with a slim chassis, rounded corners, and a protruding camera lens, similar to the camera in the iPod touch. The device appears to be taller and potentially wider than the existing iPhone 5s.
The design is potentially in line with some leaked facts about the iPhone 6, including the thin size of the device, but the quality of the images makes it difficult to determine the veracity of the iPhone in the picture.
The text is unreadable, and though it is hard to see the phone's flash to glean more information, it appears to have rounded design. Apple introduced a much-improved pill-shaped True Tone dual LED flash with the iPhone 5s and it is unlikely to deviate from that design in the next iPhone.
Schematics are also included in one of the pictures, but do not appear to indicate the size of the device. Apple's next iPhone is said to come in two display sizes, one near 4.7 inches and the other at approximately 5.5 inches.
The front of the device is not depicted, but rumors have indicated the iPhone 6 display could have an edge-to-edge design that does away with bezels. The upcoming phone, which may or may not be depicted in these photos, is also said to include an upgraded processor and an improved camera.
Apple is seeking more than $2 billion in damages from Samsung in a second patent infringement suit that begins Monday in the US District Court of Northern California with Judge Lucy Koh presiding over the case (Via The Financial Times).
This second lawsuit involves new patents and more recent devices than the previous case, which ended with an $890 million judgement in Apple's favor. This latest suit focuses on five utility patents involving software features such as auto-correct, slide-to-unlock and Siri's universal search. Apple lists Samsung's Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Nexus smartphones as infringing devices.
Google is expected to take a bigger role in the litigation with testimony from executives such as current vice-president of Android engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer and former Android Chief Andy Rubin. These executives will discuss how Android was developed outside the influence of Apple and iOS. Apple is expected to again call Phil Schiller to testify on the design, development, and marketing of iOS and associated hardware.
Before the trial even begins, Samsung already has been handed a minor setback as reported by Re/code. Judge Koh rejected a motion by Korean company that objected to an instructional video describing the patent process because it includes references to Apple products. Samsung argued the newer video, shown above, was "highly prejudicial to Samsung" and asked that the jurors be shown an older, more neutral version. Koh disagreed.
Last week, Japanese magazine MacFan published alleged schematics for a 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhone 6. French Apple website Nowhereelse.fr, along with graphic designer Martin Hajek, took these schematics one step further and created 3D "iPhone Air" renderings using these blueprints as a guide (Via TechCrunch).
These renderings show an ultrathin iPhone 6 that shaves at least 0.5 mm off the width of the current iPhone 5S, which measures 7.6 mm thick. The concept phone features curved edges and rounded buttons that are similar to early iPhone models. Other notable design elements include an edge-to-edge display, matte metal sides and a sapphire glass backing.
The validity of the source drawings are unknown, so these renderings may or may not be representative of the next generation phone Apple is creating. Other iPhone 6 renderings based on earlier rumors imagine the smartphone with an iPod nano-inspired design or a bezel-less, tapered form factor.
Apple is expected to unveil the next-generation iPhone sometime this Fall and may incorporate a larger display possibly made of sapphire, an improved processor and camera upgrades.
Google engineers, including former Android Chief Andy Rubin, may testify during the second patent lawsuit trial between Apple and Samsung, reportsThe Wall Street Journal.
Samsung will reportedly use the testimonials to prove that it licensed four out of the five software features it is accused of infringing upon, as it contends that Google had already been working on the technologies before Apple filed for patents.
To help defend Samsung, Google engineers are expected to take the stand to refute Apple's arguments that it forged new ground with the iPhone. Andy Rubin, the former head of Google's mobile business who oversaw the development of Android, is listed as a potential witness. Mr. Rubin worked for Apple from 1989 to 1992.
"Google will be a lot more front and center than in previous cases," said Michael Carrier, a patent expert and law professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey. "Google vs. Apple makes it more of a clash of the titans on the same turf."
Apple's list of asserted patents include those for hyperlinking, background syncing of data, Siri's universal search capabilities, auto-complete, and slide-to-unlock. Samsung states that all of these features found on its Galaxy devices are Android features, except for slide-to-unlock functionality. The second trial covers more recent devices such as the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Tab 10.1, the iPhone 4/4s/5, the iPad 2/3/4, the iPad mini, and fourth and fifth generation iPod touch.
Following the conclusion of the original patent lawsuit that covered older devices, and the subsequent damages retrial to redetermine a segment of the reward, Samsung was ordered to pay Apple $890 million.
A report last week also noted that Samsung plans to call Google's VP of engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer, and Todd Pendleton, Samsung's marketing chief for its U.S. telecoms division to the stand. Meanwhile, Apple expects to call marketing chief Phil Schiller and possibly former SVP of iOS Software Scott Forstall among many others.
The special effects crew behind the new Biblical epic Noah used a custom iPad app to control a huge overhead artificial rain and lighting rig that was capable of pouring 5,000 gallons per minute of water and turning night into day.
WIRED went behind the scenes to see how the FX team put it all together.
And on the eighth day, we got apps. Director Darren Aronofsky’s new film Noah is, of course, about the Biblical flood so massive it required one man to build an ark. Bringing such an apocalyptic deluge to the big screen was no easy task, and it required the special effects team behind the movie to, well, make it rain.
A federal judge has granted class action status to a group of plaintiffs suing Apple over its antitrust collusion with publishers to increase the price of e-books, reports Reuters. The judge, Denise Cote, is the same judge who oversaw the antitrust case against Apple by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Judge Cote has been accused by Apple of overstepping her judicial authority by giving a court-appointed monitor wide authority at Apple to interview and make changes at the company. Apple requested that the lawyer chosen to serve as the monitor be disqualified, saying he had over-stepped his bounds by asking for lawyer-less meetings with key Apple executives and board members. That request was denied at appeal.
U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said the plaintiffs had "more than met their burden" to allow them to sue as a group. She rejected Apple's contentions that the claims were too different from each other, or that some plaintiffs were not harmed because some e-book prices fell.
Some have estimated that Apple could owe as much as $500 million after being found guilty in the Federal antitrust case, with more judgements possible in this class-action suit if the plaintiffs are successful.
This class action suit applies only to consumer plaintiffs in the states where the governments have not already sued Apple. Previously, 33 states and territories sued Apple on behalf of their consumers, seeking more than $800 million in damages.
Just a day after being released into the App Store, Microsoft's new iPad Apps, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, appear to be quite popular with consumers, ranking as the top three free iPad apps in the App Store, with the redesigned Microsoft OneNote in the number four spot.
Microsoft Word for iPad is ranked as the number five top grossing app, while Excel is ranked twelfth, indicating Microsoft's downloads are raking in some cash in the form of Office 365 subscriptions, which are available within the apps as a $9.99/month or $99/year purchase. Users can also purchase Office 365 subscriptions outside of the app, however, which would not influence App Store charts.
While Microsoft's apps can be downloaded at no charge and allow documents to be viewed or presented, creating and editing documents requires an Office 365 subscription that also earns Apple a 30 percent cut of each in-app purchase, making the current success of the apps beneficial to both companies.
Microsoft Office apps for the iPad have been a long time coming, with Microsoft first indicating its intention to work on mobile Office apps in 2010. In early 2012, a prototype design of Office for iPad surfaced, but it wasn't until Satya Nadella took over as CEO that the apps actually saw a release.
In the past, Microsoft has used the lack of Office productivity apps on the iPad as a main advertising point for its Surface Tablet, attempting to lure customers to the product on the strength of its popular productivity software. That strategy was largely unsuccessful, however, as the original Surface failed to catch on with consumers.
All three of Microsoft's productivity apps can be downloaded from the App Store for free, with full functionality unlocked through an Office 365 subscription. While Office for iPad requires Office 365, Microsoft yesterday updatedMicrosoft Office Mobile for iPhone to allow both viewing and editing for free, no subscription required.
Apple today seeded build 13D28 of OS X 10.9.3 to developers, a little over one week after releasing the third OS X 10.9.3 beta, build 13D21 and three weeks after the first 10.9.3 beta. The beta 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. As was discovered with the first beta, 10.9.3 adds new support for 4K displays, offering "Retina" resolutions that improve readability along with support for 60Hz output from the Retina MacBook Pro.
As construction on Apple and GT Advanced's sapphire manufacturing plant in Mesa, Arizona, progresses, the two companies are already looking at expanding their available space.
According to AppleInsider, several companies in the area are currently bidding on a potential expansion, which would possibly allow GT Advanced to put out even greater quantities of sapphire for use in Apple's products. While it remains unclear just how Apple will use the sapphire, there have been several strong hints and equipment orders pointing towards sapphire displays for the upcoming iPhone 6.
Aerial view of Apple's existing facility (via AppleInsider)
Announced in November, the Mesa, Arizona facility currently under construction will house approximately 700 employees with enough sapphire-making equipment to supply screens for Apple's entire line of iPhones – capacity is at 100 to 200 million sapphire displays per year, according to an analyst estimate. If the proposed expansion is also used for sapphire manufacturing, GT Advanced's output capabilities could increase even further.
Public records from the U.S. International Trade Administration suggest that there are several vacant parcels of land adjacent to the area where Apple is already building.
Although the exact purpose of the second unit is unknown, the build would likely be similar to Cascade's building as project planners are said to be fielding bids from existing construction companies and material suppliers. Firms actively working on the project include Rosendin Electric, Wesco Distribution and Graybar Electric, among others.
While documents filed with the Foreign-Trade Zone Board in January suggested Apple was aiming to open the plant in February, construction is ongoing. The site does appear to be functioning in a partial capacity, however, powered by an array of temporary generators, possibly already producing sapphire for future products.
Apple allegedly is trying to tap Swiss watchmakers for their technical and metallurgy expertise as the company works to brings its rumored iWatch to the market, reports the Financial Times. Though Apple is reaching out to several companies, most are not willing to work with the Cupertino company.
Swatch chief executive officer Nick Hayek confirmed the watchmaker has talked to several companies about their wearable products, but he is not interested in forging a partnership with any group.
We have been in discussions – not ever initiated by us – with practically all players in smart wearables up until today,” Swatch chief executive Nick Hayek told the Financial Times. “However, we see no reason why we should enter into any partnership agreement.”
Hayek says his reluctance to work with Apple and similar companies comes from his desire to protect Swatch's advancements in ergonomic design, longevity and battery life, but he also has been critical of the iWatch, proclaiming publicly the smartwatch won't be "the next revolution" for Apple.
Jean-Claude Biver, president of Watches and Jewelry at LVMH, claims Apple unsuccessfully tried to poach employees from his Hublot brand as well as from other manufacturers who make precision parts for these luxury watches.
"Apple has contacted some of my employees – I saw the emails personally," Mr Biver told a Swiss publication, claiming that all those who had been contacted refused the iPhone maker’s advances.
Apple allegedly may launch the iWatch later this year as it prepares to expand its lineup of mobile devices to the wrist. The iWatch may have a fitness focus with biosensors that enable users to track vital health statistics like heart rate, blood pressure and more. It is believed the band could share this data with Apple's Healthbook app, a health and fitness title expected to debut alongside iOS 8.
Apple is ready to open its first retail store next week in Turkey, with a grand opening gala that may feature Apple CEO Tim Cook and Turkish President Abdullah Gül. Located in Istanbul's Zorlu Center Shopping Center, the retail store will open at 10:00 AM on Saturday, April 5, 2014, reports Elma Dergisi.
The Turkish store occupies approximately 20,000 square feet in the heart of Istanbul's popular, multi-use shopping center. The Zorlu Center store is thought to feature a cubic glass ceiling, glass sides and in-store services such as a dedicated "Family Room" floor and dual Genius Bars, reports 9to5Mac. The structure is currently hidden behind barricades until its official debut.
This Zorlu Center store is the first of several retail stores planned for Turkey as Apple makes inroads into this new market. Apple also met with Turkish government officials to equip Turkish school children with 10.6 million tablets in a new education initiative to bring cutting-edge technology into schools.
Though negotiations appeared to be favorable for Apple, this bid eventually was awarded to Turkish company Telpa, which is providing tablets from General Mobile, a Turkish-owned company operating out of the United States.
Long-running Japanese magazine MacFan has published alleged drawings of what appear to be 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhone 6c models in its latest issue, reportsMac Otakara [Google Translate]. The images appear to show a flat, bezel-free device with rectangle-shaped volume controls like those found on the current iPhone 5c, as well as a camera with a single LED-flash on the rear.
While the validity of the drawings are unknown, iPhone 6 rumors have suggested that Apple will continue with the dual iPhone strategy, producing the iPhone 6 in two different sizes. The most recent report from Japanese newspaper Nikkei said that the iPhone 6 could launch "as early as September" in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sizes. Other reports have suggested that Apple will cease the production of a plastic iPhone in favor of using metal casings for both phones.
Ultimately, it is unlikely that a lower-end 5.7-inch iPhone 6c would be released alongside a higher-end 5.5-inch iPhone 6. However, having two iPhone lines and two sizes would allow for Apple to continue with its current pricing strategy, offering a full-priced flagship device, a mid-tier lower-cost device, and an older device at an even lower cost. Mac Otakara also published a report [Google Translate] last month on the possibility of an expanded iPhone 5c line-up with 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch models.
Apple is expected to unveil the next-generation iPhone sometime in Fall, which is likely to incorporate a durable sapphire display along with expected processor and camera upgrades.
Update 6:28 AM: Here is a slightly higher resolution version of the drawings, showing the smaller model to measure what appears to be 137x66 mm and 7.0 mm thick. The larger model appears to be 157x77 mm and just 6.7 mm thick, with that thinner body requiring that that the rear camera protrude somewhat as on the current iPod touch.
Speaking at the inaugural Code/Media event held by technology website Re/code (via CNET), Roku CEO and founder Anthony Wood called the Apple TV "a money loser" for Apple, likening the product to an accessory for the iPad and questioning why Apple would want to sell more units of the device. Wood's remarks come as Apple is said to be preparing a new version of the Apple TV that will integrate with Comcast's network to enable a streaming TV service for users.
"Apple TV is essentially an accessory for the iPad. They lose money, which is unusual for Apple," he said Thursday, speaking at the Recode conference here. "If you're losing money, why would you want to sell more?"
Wood also commented on Amazon's upcoming set-top box debuting next month, as well as overall competition in the set-top media box market:
“Every year about this time, the Amazon box comes up that they’re about to launch. And the new Apple TV is about to launch … We’ve been competing with Apple TV for six years now, and every year, we’ve grown,” Wood told Kafka. ”We’re in the TV platform business. Our goal is to be the operating system for TV.”
The CEO also went on to tell the crowd that sales of the Roku doubled after Apple dropped the price of the Apple TV from $249 to $99 two years ago. Wood's comments are notable given that the Apple TV reportedly generated $1 billion last year, which was revealed by Apple CEO Tim Cook during the company's 2014 shareholder's meeting.
Roku refreshed its set-top box line with three new models joining its flagship Roku 3 last September, and also introduced a $50 HDMI streaming-stick to compete directly with Google's Chromecast and the Apple TV. Despite the Apple TV's growing popularity, however, a report last August from Parks Associates indicated that the Roku has proven to be more popular than Apple's set top box, as 14% of U.S. broadband households were said to be using streaming media boxes.
Apple is expected to launch a new Apple TV sometime in the near future, with some rumors pointed to a refined set-top box that may include gaming and cable box-like capabilities in addition to the aforementioned streaming TV integration.
A report from The Information also added details to the forthcoming device, claiming that it will feature a dramatically overhauled interface, which will blend TV listings with apps and video from the web, with Apple asking iOS game developers to make their titles compatible with its new product so that users can play games on their TV using iOS devices as controllers.
Back in October 2012, Philips launched its "hue" line of iOS-compatible LED light bulbs, giving users the ability to set and control light colors and intensities right from an iPhone app. With various "recipes", users can select from preset and customized lighting scenes to fit a variety of situations, from reading to relaxing to concentrating and more.
Philips has expanded the Hue family several times since the initial launch, including a "Friends of hue" accessory line of light strips and table lamps, as well as new BR30 light bulbs for recessed lighting fixtures.
The Hue family is set to expand again, with Philips today announcing three new upcoming products. The first is known as "hue lux", a light bulb similar to the existing hue bulb but which can only emit white light. While hue lux lacks the color options available with the original hue, users can remotely control the brightness of hue lux, set schedules, and more.
hue lux
Hue lux launches this summer with a starter kit consisting of two hue lux bulbs and a required bridge device to set up the hue network for $100. Additional hue lux bulbs will be available for $40 each, compared to the $60 price tag for the original hue with colors.
hue tap
The second product Philips is announcing today is "hue tap" a round mountable switch to make it easy to control hue lights without needing to access the hue iPhone app. The hue tap includes four buttons to store lighting recipes that are accessible with a simple tap. The hue tap requires no wiring or batteries and is powered simply by the kinetic energy from users tapping on the switch. The hue tap will be available in the second half of this year and will be priced at $60.
hue luminaires: "Tempest" table (left) and "Entity" pendant (right)
For the more adventurous, the final hue products being announced today are new 3D-printed luminaires. Available in both table and hanging pendant versions, the lights serve as art pieces that integrate with the hue system with palettes of over 16 million colors. Pre-orders for the luminaires begin on March 31, with the pendants priced at 2999 euros and table lamps priced at 2499 euros.
Microsoft is paying a 30-percent cut to Apple on Office 365 subscription purchases made within the Office for iPad apps released today, in line with Apple's in-app purchase requirements required of other brands reports Re/code. This was previously a sticking point between the two companies, and was rumored to be a large part of why Microsoft wouldn't release Office on the iPad.
However, Microsoft's new CEO, Satya Nadella, is apparently more willing to work within Apple's requirements than ousted CEO Steve Ballmer. Year-long Office 365 subscriptions are available for in-app purchase for $100, with the subscription good for downloading Office on up to five tablets and five computers, Mac or PC computers, and Android, Windows or iOS tablets.
Indeed, Microsoft does offer Office 365 subscriptions within the just-released Word for iPad and the other Office apps and, yes, it is paying the 30 percent cut, Apple confirmed to Re/code. Microsoft declined to comment on the matter.
Apple has taken a hard line with all manner of publishers that want to sell things, even subscriptions that go well beyond the iPad content — if anything is sold in the app, they have to use Apple’s method and hand over 30 percent.
Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted to welcome Office for iPad to the App Store, with Nadella tweeting back that Microsoft was "excited to bring the magic of Office to iPad customers". During Nadella's press conference today, he said the company was looking to "empower people to be more productive" and to "do more across all devices".
Microsoft Office for iPad is a free download from the App Store, with Office 365 Home Premium available for $10/month or $100/year good for five tablets and five computers, with an Office 365 Personal subscription good for one computer and one tablet coming later this year for $7/month or $70/year.
Avegant's Glyph headset originated as a Kickstarter project that ended in February, earning more than 1.5 million dollars. The company is showing off the Glyph at Macworld, giving users a first look at the head-worn mobile theater.
The Glyph, which is currently in the alpha stages of development, is essentially a set of headphones with a built-in screen that flips down for a fully immersive media experience. Rather than using a traditional display, Glyph incorporates a Virtual Retinal Display that uses an array of micromirrors that reflect an image directly onto the retina of the eye, which produces a very clear image.
Avegant's demo headset at Macworld was showing a 3D underwater scene complete with a jellyfish floating around, all of which looked ultra crisp after the headset was properly adjusted to eye width. The image seemed much clearer than traditional 3D images, though the display itself felt a bit small. According to the company, the device is designed to emulate an 80-inch screen approximately eight feet away with a 45 degree field of view.
Glyph is individually adjusted for each user and it is even able to incorporate glasses prescriptions for optimal viewing. The company also says that the micromirror technology prevents eye strain and nausea commonly associated with other conventional headset displays.
The product is being designed to work with all kinds of media input, plugging into any HDMI source including iPhones and MacBooks to display video games (complete with head tracking), streaming movies, and more. The final version will be powered via battery, and the company's goal is to have enough battery life for a full-length movie to be watched -- approximately two to three hours.
The Glyph uses a simple HDMI input to display anything in your content library, from the movies that you already own to streamed Netflix over your iPhone to the desktop environment in your Mac or PC. The Glyph is also great for gaming, whether in playing Call of Duty Ghosts on your Playstation or Real Racing on your mobile phone. And with an integrated 9 Degree of Freedom head-tracker, a whole world of interactive gaming, Point of View (PoV) imaging and interactive storytelling is within our reach.
While the alpha model that is being used for demonstrations is quite bulky and weighs in at 1.5 pounds, the company says the finished product will be quite a bit slimmer. During a demo, Glyph's creators also emphasized its ability to be worn as a traditional set of headphones, flipping down the screen when appropriate, as a way to distinguish it from other headset-style displays such as the Oculus Rift.
Glyph can be preordered for $499 from the Avegant website. The product is expected to ship during the first quarter of 2015.
Google engineers, including former Android Chief Andy Rubin, may testify during the 
A federal judge has 
