PeterKafka
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Apple TV refresh expected next week with tweaked AirPlay function
Yesterday the spotlight was shining on Apple's iPhone lineup, but next week, expect to see a refresh of the company's "hobby" -- the Apple TV. Peter Kafka at AllThingsD reports that Apple TV will gain new capabilities with an update scheduled for September 18. That's the same day that iOS 7 is released to the public. In particular, Kafka says that AirPlay will receive a significant change, allowing content purchased from the iTunes store to play on any TV capable of working with AirPlay. Kafka explains, "they will be able to tell an Apple TV box they don't own to stream the media they do own, directly from the cloud. That's a change from the current system, which requires users to download stuff to their iPhones and iPads and fling it to the TV from there." Kafka thought it was odd that Apple didn't even mention Apple TV or the update, but notes that they focused strictly on the new products. iTunes Radio -- a significant new way of accessing music from Apple devices -- received just passing mention by Craig Federighi during the presentation.
Popular Science sees boost from Apple's Newsstand
Apple's Newsstand app, which premiered on iOS devices with the release of iOS 5, was designed to improve the sales of newspapers and magazines by giving publishers their own virtual shelf space in a highly visible app. Several other publications have already touted their success stories with Newsstand, and now Popular Science is joining the chorus. The magazine, which is undoubtedly popular with the tech crowd, published cumulative subscription numbers recently. As reported by AllThingsD's Peter Kafka and visible in the chart at the top of this post, PopSci not only saw a leap in subscriptions the second week of October -- coincidentally the time when Newsstand was launched -- but since that time has been capturing new subscribers at a faster rate. The numbers are courtesy of Mag+, the tablet publishing arm of PopSci publisher Bonnier. Kafka notes that he personally uses the New York Times app less often than he did before it moved to Newsstand, and would like to be able to pull items off of the Newsstand shelf so that they're closer to other items that he uses quite often. How about you, TUAW readers? Do you find that you read magazines and newspapers more or less often now that many have moved to Newsstand, or do you avoid Newsstand at all cost? Leave us your opinions in the comments.
Reuters: Apple set to launch cloud-based music service ahead of Google (update)
It's the rumor that wouldn't die, and Reuters is now reporting that Apple is finally set to launch a cloud-based music service -- presumably putting its massive North Carolina data center to some real work at long last. Details are still fairly light beyond that, but Reuters says that Apple's service will actually launch ahead of Google's similar cloud-based option, which it reports is now "stalled," citing "several people familiar with both companies plans." According to Reuters, the service will let folks store their music (and only music, apparently) on Apple's servers and then access it on any device with an internet connection -- and a copy of iTunes, we presume. Update: Peter Kafka, over at All Things Digital, backs up Reuters' claim with some additional detail. Unlike Amazon's approach with Cloud Player, Apple is actively seeking to license the music for its streaming service before launching. According to Kafka's sources, Apple has already secured deals with two of the big four labels and plans to launch "pretty soon." The deal would allow Apple to store a single master copy of a track on its servers and then share that track with multiple users. As Kafka describes the service, "The idea is that Apple will let users store songs they've purchased from its iTunes store, as well as others songs stored on their hard drives, and listen to them on multiple devices."
Chances of Netflix on Nintendo 'excellent,' says Netflix CEO
In case you missed it last night in the All Things D event -- and frankly, given the length and general jejune of it, we wouldn't blame you -- Reed Hastings of Netflix took the stage and sat down with Peter Kafka. Here's the takeaway: when Kafka asked him the chance of "getting on Nintendo," Hastings replied, "our chances are excellent." It's not much, but after at least a year of hints and teasers, it's by far the best confirmation we've got. Of course, he didn't say which system, but let's be honest... the only logical choice is DS, right?
Apple pitching "all you can watch for $30 a month" TV to networks
Apple is already the huge name in the music business with the iTunes Store, and they've made continual inroads into the application, video, and movie markets as well. But what if Apple also became the content provider of choice for TV? That idea isn't that far-fetched, according to a blog post by Peter Kafka at the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital. Kafka reports that Apple has been pitching the concept of $30 monthly TV subscriptions through iTunes to TV networks. You'll note that I said iTunes. That's the interesting point here -- Apple isn't pushing sending content to a particular device, like the Apple TV that Kafka refers to as "underwhelming" (sounds familiar, doesn't it?) or the fabled Apple tablet / slate / whatever. Instead, the service would be available immediately to the more 100 million iTunes account holders that Apple had as of a year ago. Have a Mac? You're a potential customer. Have a PC? Ditto. There's only one fly in the ointment -- will broadcast and cable programmers buy into this? Kafka thinks the first content provider to jump would be Disney, which of course counts Steve Jobs as its largest shareholder. Cable companies might not like the loss of their usually overpriced monthly packages to an upstart, or having their bandwidth chewed up by hordes of people streaming HD video. And there's always the question of whether current cable TV subscribers would make the jump to streaming content. Kafka ends his post with a quote from an unnamed TV executive, who says of Apple's subscription plan "I think they might get it right this time." What's your take, TUAW readers? Do you think the world is ready to purchase all of its video content from Apple? Leave your comments below.
