MacRumors

As a part of its consent decree with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over in-app purchases in the App Store, Apple today sent out an email to some iTunes users, offering them a chance to obtain a refund by filling out a form through a special link.

Specifically, the email appears to be targeted toward users who have made recent in-app purchases, with Apple stating that unauthorized purchases "made by a minor" are eligible for a refund, with all requests required to be submitted by April 15.

Dear iTunes account owner,

Apple is committed to providing parents and kids with a great experience on the App Store. We review all app content before allowing it on our store, provide a wide range of age-appropriate content, and include parental controls in iOS to make it easy for parents to restrict or disable access to content.

We've heard from some customers that it was too easy for their kids to make in-app purchases. As a result, we've improved controls for parents so they can better manage their children's purchases, or restrict them entirely. Additionally, we are offering refunds in certain cases.

Please follow the steps to submit a refund request:

Find your in-app purchase records. Check your email for iTunes receipts or use a computer to sign in to your iTunes account and view your Purchase History.

Use this link to submit your refund request to Apple.

Provide the requested information and enter "Refund for in-App Purchases made by a minor" in the Details section.

Apple will review your request and contact you via email about your refund status. All refund requests must be submitted no later than April 15, 2015.

According to its agreement signed with the FTC in January, Apple will be required to provide full refunds to parents whose children purchased unauthorized in-app items, totaling $32 million in refunds. Apple also added a pop-up warning message in iOS 7.1 detailing a 15-minute window which allows users to make in-app purchases for 15 minutes without reentering a password.

Apple may only launch one of two larger size iPhones this fall, according to UBS analyst Steve Milunovich. Barron's relays the research note, which is based on Milunovich's "checks" of the supply chain.

iPhone 6 rumors have repeatedly suggested that Apple is working on two new sizes for the iPhone. Predictions most commonly include 4.7" and 5.5" sizes, up from the current 4" screen of the iPhone 5S. Milunovich's report agrees that Apple is working on those same two models, but isn't sure both will launch:

... an “iPhone 6” is most likely to come in August or September, rather than June, in two different models, one with a 4.7-inch screen, one with a 5.5-inch screen. He thinks the former, the smaller of the two, “seems certain,” but that the 5.5-inch model “may or may not launch at the same time and could be of the same resolution (lower pip), which would help app developers.

The analyst pegs the launch date for the next iPhone to be in August or September, but the release of the 5.5" model is less certain.

One additional detail he provides is that the 5.5" model may carry the same resolution as the 4.7" model. Not much has been said of the display resolution of these rumored large form factor iPhones. We haven't previously seen many reports from UBS analyst Steve Milunovich, so don't have much of a sense for his track record. iPhone 6 leaks will continue to accelerate as Apple gets closer to production.

Apple's iTunes Radio streaming music service is expanding today with the addition of a new National Public Radio (NPR) channel, reports Re/code.

NPR’s channel, which should be live today, will offer a free stream, 24 hours a day, which mixes live news with segments from pre-recorded shows like “All Things Considered” and “The Diane Rehm Show.” NPR officials say that within weeks, some of the broadcaster’s local stations should begin offering their own channels, with a similar mix of live and taped news.

NPR has also been working on bringing on-demand programming based on users' tastes to its mobile apps, and it is possible that functionality could come to the station's iTunes Radio service as well.

The report notes that it is currently unclear what the business relationship between Apple and NPR is in terms of generating revenue for NPR, but NPR vice president of digital media Zach Brand says that Apple has been "very understanding of the business model" used by the nonprofit.

iTunes Radio launched in the United States last September alongside iOS 7, and expanded to Australia last month. Apple is reportedly looking to also expand iTunes Radio to the UK, Canada, and New Zealand early this year, with an eventual goal of bringing the service to at least 100 countries.

Update: Direct link to NPR channel

Apple, Google and five other large technology companies were caught signing "no solicitation" agreements that prevented the companies from trying to hire away each others' employees. Court documents newly obtained by Pando Daily suggest these anti-poaching agreements extend far beyond this Silicon Valley seven.

According to these documents, over a dozen companies and as many as one million employees may have been affected by these secret hiring agreements.

Confidential internal Google and Apple memos, buried within piles of court dockets and reviewed by PandoDaily, clearly show that what began as a secret cartel agreement between Apple’s Steve Jobs and Google’s Eric Schmidt to illegally fix the labor market for hi-tech workers, expanded within a few years to include companies ranging from Dell, IBM, eBay and Microsoft, to Comcast, Clear Channel, Dreamworks, and London-based public relations behemoth WPP. All told, the combined workforces of the companies involved totals well over a million employees.

Investigation into these wage-fixing deals focused on Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm and Pixar, but other businesses such as NVIDIA, British cable company Virgin Media and even recruiting agencies were caught up in this net. Some of these other companies did not sign reciprocal non-solicitation agreements, but, instead, were added by Google and others to "Do Not Cold Call" or similar "Sensitive" company lists.

Google and Apple allegedly signed one of the first wage-fixing agreements in early 2005, with other companies following suit. The discovery of these agreements in 2009 initiated a Department of Justice investigation that resulted in the dissolution of these restrictive hiring deals. A subsequent class-action civil suit was filed in 2011 and is expected to go to trial in May.

Apple is set to begin producing all iPhone batteries on automated production lines starting later this year, according to a report from DigiTimes. The move is being done to reduce manpower demand and to allow the company to shift its supply chain resources towards production efforts on other parts.

Apple has already automated its Mac Pro and iMac production lines. Other than materials and final assembly, manpower is not required for the rest of the manufacturing.

The move will likely help Apple with iPhone production going forward, as company supplier Pegatron will reportedly be starting production on the iPhone 6 in the second quarter of this year at its new Kunsahn, China plant. Moving the production of iPhone batteries to automated lines may also help Apple avoid manufacturing defects like ones found in a small number of iPhone 5s last year.

Apple's next-generation iPhone will likely be unveiled in the fall, and has been rumored to launch with two different models including one with a 4.7-inch display and one with a 5.7-inch display. The iPhone 6 could also feature a durable sapphire display, with other rumors pointing to a thinner chassis and bezel-free design.

Apple is in talks with Comcast about using the cable provider's network for a streaming TV service to be integrated in a future version of the Apple TV, reports The Wall Street Journal. According to the report, Apple's set top-box would be able to access Comcast's wide variety of channels for a monthly subscription, with the Apple TV receiving "special treatment" from Comcast when connected to its cable network to ensure that it would bypass congestion on the Internet for optimal streaming.

Apple's intention is to allow users to stream live and on-demand TV programming and digital-video recordings stored in the "cloud," effectively taking the place of a traditional cable set-top box.

...Under the plan Apple proposed to Comcast, Apple's video streams would be treated as a "managed service" traveling in Internet protocol format—similar to cable video-on-demand or phone service. Those services travel on a special portion of the cable pipe that is separate from the more congested portion reserved for public Internet access.

People familiar with the matter said that while Apple would like a separate "flow" for its video traffic, it isn't asking for its traffic to be prioritized over other Internet-based services.

The report also adds that Apple and Comcast are still in early discussions, and that Apple's ultimate goal would be to ensure that Apple TV users receive the same quality that Comcast's regular cable boxes receive. Apple has proposed to Comcast that users would sign onto the new device using an existing or new Apple ID, and asked for a cut of the monthly subscriptions paid for by customers.

Apple has traditionally positioned the Apple TV as a "hobby product" with occasional refreshes adding new features. In January 2014 however, Apple revamped its online storefront adding a new category for the Apple TV alongside the categories for the Mac, iPhone, and iPod product lines suggesting that the product may be moving out of the hobby status assigned to it.

CEO Tim Cook also revealed during the company's 2014 shareholders meeting that the Apple TV generated $1 billion last year, noting it was "a little more difficult to call [the Apple TV] a hobby these days" given its growth.

Apple is expected to launch a new Apple TV sometime in the near future, with some rumors pointing to a refined set-top box that may include gaming and cable box-like capabilities. The move would also come as Comcast announced that it would be merging with Time Warner Cable in February, which Apple was reported to be in talks with for quite some time to provide TV shows and other media.

Update: The Information has shared more details on Apple's future set-top box, stating that the device will feature a "dramatically overhauled interface" which will blend TV listings with apps and video from the web. The report also notes that the next-generation Apple TV will place a "big emphasis" on gaming, with Apple asking developers of iOS games to make their titles compatible with its new product so that users can play games on their TV screen using iOS devices as controllers.

Apple's iTunes and App Store downloads may see a price increase next year when new UK laws take effect.

The Guardian reports that the most recently introduced budget closes a loophole that allowed digital downloads to avoid UK taxes.

The budget document said: "As announced at budget 2013, the government will legislate to change the rules for the taxation of intra-EU business to consumer supplies of telecommunications, broadcasting and e-services. From 1 January 2015 these services will be taxed in the member state in which the consumer is located, ensuring these are taxed fairly and helping to protect revenue."

Digital download retailers such as Apple and Amazon presently avoid the UK's 20% VAT by selling from countries such as Luxembourg where the tax rate is only 3%-15%. Under the new law, downloads to UK customers will be taxed at the higher 20% rate. Apps may be least affected as they are presently taxed at the higher range of 15%.

The change appears to affect all digital downloads including music, apps, and e-books, and will take effect on January 1, 2015.

A new forum post on Weiphone.com [Google Translation] has revealed a number of details about Apple's upcoming plans for its MacBook notebooks as well as some details about its iWatch initiative. The author of the post has posted legitimate leaks and photos of un-released MacBook hardware in the past, lending credibility to this new information.

1. MacBook Air updates are coming soon; MacBook Pro updates won't occur until September.
2. He discusses a new 12 inch notebook without fan assembly. It comes with a new trackpad design that doesn't include the mechanical button, as we do on current MacBooks.
3. An Apple watch device does exist but still in prototype stage, so its announcement won't come anytime soon.

It is not entirely clear where a potential 12" MacBook might fit into Apple's product line. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first predicted in October that Apple would be releasing a 12" slim MacBook with a Retina Display this later year:

We expect the unprecedented 12" model will boast both the portability of the 11" model, and productivity of the 13" model. The high resolution display will also offer the outstanding visual experience of the Retina MacBook Pro. The offering will likely be lighter and slimmer than the existing MacBook Air to further highlight ease of portability in the cloud computing era.

The buttonless trackpad design that the author describes may be related to a recent patent application by Apple, which describes a buttonless trackpad that uses an array of sensors and an actuator to mimic the function and tactile feedback of the current trackpad.

The author of the post also comments on Apple's much-rumored smart watch, noting that it remains in the prototype stages and is unlikely to see a release soon. That is in line with other rumors, which have targeted a late 2014 release date for the product.

Apple is considering launching an on-demand streaming service similar to Spotify in light of declining music sales, reports Billboard. The service would be part of a multi-prong strategy that may also include an iTunes app for Android.

Apple has opened exploratory talks with senior label executives about the possibility of launching an on-demand streaming service that would rival Spotify and Beats Music, according to three people familiar with the talks. Apple is also thinking about adding an iTunes App for Android phones, the Google rival that has been growing faster than the iPhone, these sources said.

In January, it was reported that music sales had declined for the first time since the iTunes Store opened 2003, with individual song downloads falling 5.7 percent from 1.34 billion units sold to 1.26 billion, and digital album sales dropping to 117.6 million units from 117.7 million units.

In recent months, Apple has attempted to lure more customers with exclusive album releases, such as Beyoncé's fifth album, released first on iTunes, and has been pushing record companies for additional deals of that nature.

Album sales have remained down, however, as streaming services have risen in popularity, prompting Apple to explore other options as well. A March report from the RIAA indicated Spotify, Pandora, and YouTube had generated $1.4 billion in subscription, advertising, and licensing revenues in the U.S. in 2013, a 39 percent increase from 2012.

Apple introduced its iTunes Radio streaming music service last year, but it is station-based like Pandora, limiting how many songs users can choose for themselves. An iTunes service similar to Spotify or Beats Music would allow listeners to pick and choose all of their content, which could potentially be accessed on other non-Apple platforms like Android.

"They are feeling out some people at labels on thoughts about transitioning its customers from iTunes proper to a streaming service," says one major label source. "So when you buy a song for $1.29, and you put it in your library, iTunes might send an e-mail pointing out that for a total of, say, $8 a month you can access that song plus all the music in the iTunes store. It's all in the 'what if stage."

Apple's talks with record labels about a possible expansion of iTunes Radio into a full-fledged music streaming service are still in the early stages, and the company has declined to comment.

Apple, Yahoo, and Google all have terms of service that allow them to read users' emails if necessary, according to research done by The Guardian. Apple's iCloud Terms and Conditions includes a clause that gives Apple permission to disclose Account information and Content, including iCloud email, when necessary by law, to address security, fraud, or technical issues, or to protect the rights and property of Apple.

You acknowledge and agree that Apple may, without liability to you, access, use, preserve and/or disclose your Account information and Content to law enforcement authorities, government officials, and/or a third party, as Apple believes is reasonably necessary or appropriate, if legally required to do so or if we have a good faith belief that such access, use, disclosure, or preservation is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with legal process or request; (b) enforce this Agreement, including investigation of any potential violation thereof; (c) detect, prevent or otherwise address security, fraud or technical issues; or (d) protect the rights, property or safety of Apple, its users, a third party, or the public as required or permitted by law.

Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft's terms of service all contain similar wording granting the technology companies unfettered access to content. The Guardian initially began investigating the rights of major companies to access user email after Microsoft looked through the personal Hotmail account of a blogger in order to discover the source of a Windows 8 leak.

Microsoft employee Alex Kibkalo was found sending a tech blogger parts of Windows 8 code back in 2012, allowing the blogger to access screenshots of the operating system, which were then posted online. Microsoft fired Kibkalo, but its methods of discovery were questioned, prompting the company to make a statement on its investigation policies, pledging not to read customer emails except in circumstances where a court order would be justified and vowing to announce such searches in its bi-annual transparency report.

While it is Microsoft that's under fire for reading the email of its users, as mentioned above, Apple, Google, and Yahoo have the same rights to access content under questionable conditions. Apple does not mention whether or not it accesses iCloud email for non-security reasons in its own transparency reports and it is unclear whether the company has accessed private content in the search for leaks.

Apple is a notoriously secretive company, however, going to great lengths to protect its upcoming products. According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, product secrecy is one of the specific tenets that has been responsible for Apple's success, and in 2012, Tim Cook said the company would "double down on secrecy on products."

Nevertheless, Apple has had a hard time keeping leaks under wraps. The iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c were both unveiled long before their release, and more recently, some significant iOS 8 leaks have come to light.

Apple and Google both opted not to comment to The Guardian on the clauses in their Terms of Services, but all customers opt-in to possible searches when signing up for an email account with either company.