news roundup
Latest
Apple details the security behind the Touch ID, and other news for Feb. 27, 2014
Apple has posted a document to its business site detailing the security features behind the Touch ID that was introduced on the iPhone 5s. This is the first time Apple has publicly revealed security features of the Touch ID, which could point to the fact that Apple may be considering opening up the fingerprint scanner to third-party developers at this year's WWDC. It's better to educate people beforehand on just how secure the technology is so that users will feel more comfortable when developers have access to it. The highlight of the Touch ID security features appears to be the "Secure Enclave," which is a coprocessor in the A7 much the same way the M7 is a coprocessor. As MacRumors notes: Secure Enclave is a coprocessor within the A7 chip that uses a secure boot process to ensure that its separate software is both verified and signed by Apple. All Secure Enclaves can function independently even if a kernel is compromised and each one contains a unique ID inaccessible to other parts of the system and unknown to Apple, preventing the company or any other third parties from accessing data contained within.... Fingerprint data collected from Touch ID is stored within the Secure Enclave, which is used to determine a match and then enable a purchase. While the A7 processor collects data from the Touch ID sensor, it is unable to read it because it is encrypted and authenticated with a session key built into Touch ID and the Secure Enclave. Given that the Touch ID seems much more secure than many thought, here's hoping Apple opens it up to third-party developers...just as Samsung has done with the new Galaxy S5. In other news: Apple has released a firmware update for the Mac Pro which allows the machine to enter Power Nap mode without running the fan. Apple has made sweeping changes to its iOS device management tools for Enterprise And Education. iOS 7.0.6, the version that fixed the SSL bug, has already been installed on 25% of iOS devices after just four days.
David Fincher in talks to direct upcoming Steve Jobs biopic and other news from Feb. 27, 2014
The Ashton Kutcher 2013 film on Steve Jobs didn't set the world on fire, and fans are eagerly awaiting a new film based on Walter Isaacson's best selling biography of the Apple founder and icon. The Hollywood Reporter and other media say that director David Fincher (The Social Network) is in talks with Sony to do the film, which would re-unite the director with writer Aaron Sorkin. The film has had a long gestation. Sony took on the project in 2011, and the script was started in 2012. Fincher is a director who takes his time on projects, so don't look for a quick appearance of this film. No actor has been selected for the role of Jobs, but Steve Wozniak is along as a consultant. Wozniak was very critical of the Kutcher film because of the way many people were portrayed. Other news from Thursday includes: The Apple store went down late Thursday evening Pacific time. Why it's down, we don't know, but we'll let you know the changes when it comes back up. Google Hangouts has been updated for iOS 7, including picture-in-picture video calling for the iPad. AppleInsider is reporting that users are complaining that OS X 10.9.2 has broken AirPlay Mirroring in Mavericks. A number of failures are being reported to Apple's support forums. ABC is live streaming the Oscars to its iOS app, however it's only available in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Fresno, Calif. if you subscribe to one of the cable providers there. Kendrick Lamar is the latest to be added to the iTunes Festival lineup. 9to5Mac noticed that Apple has released a new page on its developer site to help them get the most out of design for iOS 7 and OS X.
Bling out your Mac Pro and other news from Feb. 26, 2014
Are you ready for a gold Mac Pro? According to ZDNet, Alchaemy is ready to go with its options to bling out your already expensive Mac tower. The options range from $749 for a chrome finish, $999 for black diamond plating and $1,499 for a 24-karat gold finish. Or, if you want to merely change the color of the Mac Pro, you can pick one of 15 standard colors for $349 or custom coloring for $699. Steve Sande took a look at Alchaemy a couple weeks ago. Other news from Wednesday afternoon includes: The roster of those playing at the iTunes Festival at SXSW is growing, with Soundgarden among the latest to announce they'll perform. The U.S. House has passed a bill that allows legal unlocking of cellphones. The bill heads to the Senate, where NBC News says its fate isn't clear. Square is starting to expand its footprint by acquiring BookFresh, which is focused on merchant appointments. BookFresh and Square will remain separate products. Apple has released a new document to its iPhone in Business site that gives more insight into Touch ID and the A7 processor's Secure Enclave. Korea's FTC has ruled against Apple, saying that Samsung can litigate using standards-essential patents. "The KFTC ruling appears to be far more SEP holder-friendly than anything the DOJ, FTC or European Commission ever indicated in this context," FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller said, "but unlike in August, when I wondered whether South Korea was on the verge of becoming a 'FRAND rogue state,' all I can say now is that basically the Korean competition regulators have taken the worst parts of certain Western rulings, positions and almost-accepted settlement proposals on SEP injunction issues ... and added at least one absurdity of their own to the mix." Four days after being released, more than 25% of iOS users have upgraded their OS to iOS 7.0.6. Apple has released a number of upgrades to its enterprise and education deployment tools. And kick back with these features: The Sea Monkey app that never was New Trent Airbender Pro: The Swiss Army Knife of iPad Air keyboard cases Celebrity Infinity's iLounge and Innovations Store bring Apple to the high seas Do you really want a thinner iPhone? When Carl Sagan sued Apple ... TWICE
Apple's iBeacons goes 'Made for iPhone', and other news for Feb. 26, 2014
Apple has rolled iBeacons into its Made for iPhone (MFi) program. iBeacons are miniature Bluetooth transmitters that talk to Bluetooth 4.0 devices and provide micro-location data. iBeacons have a wide array of use, but currently they are most often found in retail stores and baseball parks. By rolling iBeacons into the MFi program, Apple gains greater control over who can call what an iBeacon device. As Beekn.net explains: The move means that the iBeacon trademark, which has ended up being applied by the media to a whole slew of devices that act as beacons, will now be used with a bit more control from Cupertino. As we've noted elsewhere, beacons that carry the iBeacon name are conforming to two things: They broadcast Bluetooth LE 'signals' in a way that conforms to the Apple standard for what those signals should contain They have use of the iBeacon trademark But there's no particular restriction in place which makes an iBeacon incompatible with Android or other phones. So while a beacon might carry the iBeacon name, this simple means that it has access to the trademark and that it has been configured to work well with Apple devices. Interested developers can go to their MFi account and accept the new iBeacon NDA to begin using the trademark on their products. In other news: Apple has added an additional Apple TV channel in Sweden. The new channel is TV 4 Play and includes original programs, live broadcasting, and movies. Apple has officially filed a formal appeal of the ebooks antitrust ruling. The company has also asked the appellate court to suspend the work of the external antitrust compliance monitor assigned to Apple. The FCC has launched a new ad-free FCC Speed Test app that "accurately measures your mobile broadband performance and displays an in-depth view of its factors." The FCC says using it will "bring greater clarity and competition to the broadband service marketplace." Candy Crush's developer has withdrawn its controversial "candy" trademark application.
Apple asks Arizona governor to veto religious freedom bill, and other news for Feb. 25, 2014
Apple has confirmed to CNBC that is has asked Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) to veto the so called religious freedom bill SB 1062, which was passed along party lines in the Republican-controlled Arizona House and Senate. The bill would allow any person or company in Arizona to refuse service to anyone based on the refuser's religious beliefs. Opponents of the bill say it would promote discrimination by allowing people to refuse to serve or do business with certain groups -- such as same-sex couples. Needless to say the bill has proved highly controversial and Apple, a company with a strong pro-civil rights history, is just the latest among big companies to ask Governor Brewer to veto the bill. Apple of course now has specific interests in Arizona. As CNBC reports: Apple appears to be the latest firm to join other corporates urging Brewer to veto the bill, which supporters say will protect religious freedom and critics say could allow companies to use religious beliefs to discriminate against the gay and lesbian community. The request from Apple comes as it is preparing to open a new sapphire glass manufacturing plant in Mesa, Arizona and that is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs in engineering, manufacturing and construction. Apple confirmed to CNBC that it has asked the Arizona governor to veto the religious freedom bill. It re-issued a statement released when it announced the new plant. Besides Apple, other corporations such as Marriott and American Airlines have asked Brewer to veto the bill. Meanwhile, the NFL has stated it reserves the right to make changes to the location of the Super Bowl next year, which is currently to be held in Arizona, if the bill passes. Governor Brewer has until February 28th to sign the bill into law. [Image by Gage Skidmore] In other news: The retail section of Apple.com has been updated with an iOS 7-inspired design. The ReSound LiNX is the first Made for iPhone hearing aid that connects directly to the iPhone without any intermediary device needed. Apple is suing a Chinese government agency over over Siri-related patents. Researches have revealed a new bug that allows hackers to track a user's touch inputs on iOS devices.
The effects of paying for tech media coverage and other news from Feb. 24, 2014
AppleInsider has taken an interesting look at Apple declining to pay for more positive media coverage, a practice it charges that Samsung engages in. The piece dives into how the slanted reporting works by picking apart the Reuters Edition coverage of the recent iOS 7.0.6 update, then goes on to make some pretty heavy accusations against other media outlets. The close relationship between Android licensees like Samsung and journalists covering the consumer electronics industry has grown increasingly sketchy. During this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, non other than the Associated Press inked a deal with Samsung that allowed the Korean conglomerate to tweet out sponsored messages as part of the official Associated Press news stream. CNET reportedly accepted funds from both Samsung and Microsoft to republish and promote positive reviews of their products, including a gushing CNET "editor's choice" that called Samsung's Galaxy S4 the "everything phone for (almost) everyone." This is a fascinating read and well-worth spending a few minutes of your time to check out. Other news from Monday afternoon includes: A statue featuring Steve Jobs that one day will reside at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino was revealed in Belgrade on Monday, Jobs' birthday. Speaking of deep dives that are worth a few minutes of your time, The Verge digs into why the security flaws that led to the release of iOS 7.0.6 went undetected for so long. Facebook is getting rid of its little-used email system, but the remnants will live on in iOS contact books. TechCrunch explains how this came to be. Missed your chance to get a Floppy Bird fix on iOS? The game has been ported to the Commodore 64. Now you just need to have one lying about ... Aereo is slowly continuing its expansion across the U.S and will be launching in Austin, Texas, on March 3, just in time for a certain festival. If you ever wanted a kitchen scale that could connect with your iPad, you might get the chance to own one. And kick back with these features: Find'Em Tracking card helps you keep an eye on your valuables ReSound LiNX launches "Made for iPhone" hearing aid 5 reasons why the iPhone 5c underwhelmed Rumor Roundup: Where don't Apple rumors come from? Remembering Steve Jobs on his birthday
OS X still vulnerable to SSL bug, and other news for Feb. 24, 2014
Last Friday, Apple issued an emergency software update to iOS 7 and iOS 6 which closed a security hole that exposed iOS devices to potential attacks that could compromise data in secure sessions. The Apple TV also received updated software. Noticeably absent, however, was any software update for OS X, which still possesses the SSL bug. However, Apple has confirmed to Reuters that a release is coming: Confirming researchers' findings late Friday that a major security flaw in iPhones and iPads also appears in notebook and desktop machines running Mac OS X, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told Reuters: "We are aware of this issue and already have a software fix that will be released very soon." As of yet no fix has arrived, but hopefully that "very soon" arrives, well...soon. In other news: Do you like Steve Jobs? How about trash? Do you like art? Then check out this portrait of Steve Jobs made out of recycled e-waste. A new Apple store is coming to Lansing, Michigan according to the Lansing State Journal. It will be 6,000 square feet situated at the Eastwood Towne Center. The AirForceTimes says the United States Air Force is ditching 5000 Blackberrys in favor of Apple's iPhones.
Download this Adobe Flash update now (again!), and other news for Feb. 21, 2014
For the second time this month, Adobe has released an emergency update to its Flash Player software on OS X and Windows. What's wrong with it this time? Here's what the researchers who discovered the latest vulnerability had to say: This threat actor clearly seeks out and compromises websites of organizations related to international security policy, defense topics, and other non-profit sociocultural issues. The actor either maintains persistence on these sites for extended periods of time or is able to re-compromise them periodically. This actor also has early access to a number of zero-day exploits, including Flash and Java, and deploys a variety of malware families on compromised systems. Based on these and other observations, we conclude that this actor has the tradecraft abilities and resources to remain a credible threat in at least the mid-term. Mac users can confirm what version they're running with this tool. The current, secure version (as of the time of this writing) is 12.0.0.70. Older versions put your system at risk. Users can manually download the latest version of Flash here. In other news: A teenaged Jony Ive almost gave up on a career in industrial design, but was talked out of it by renowned designer Tom Karen. Apple has registered several more new generic top-level domains including apple.technology, ipad.technology, iphone.technology, and mac.technology. Google is launching 'Project Tango,' a 3D-Mapping smartphone containing "customized hardware and software designed to track the full 3D motion of the device, while simultaneously creating a map of the environment." And it looks awesome.
GameBoy, Square, Tesla and other news for Feb. 20, 2014
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has told Bloomberg Television that the company has had "conversations" with Apple, but that he can't confirm if those conversations were about an acquisition, as has been rumored. In the interview Musk said that an acquisition of Tesla by anyone was "very unlikely." In other news: GBA4iOS has released version 2.0 of its self-titled Game Boy emulator for iOS. The biggest new feature is iPad support. However, you will need to change your iOS device's date to use it... Square has teamed up with Product (RED) to release a special (RED) card reader. For every "SQUA(RED)" Reader ordered, 97.25% of the US$10 donation amount will go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, which could provide more than 24 days of life-saving medicine for someone living with HIV, the company says. A new aerial photograph posted on Instagram shows Apple is well along in demolishing the heck out of whatever stands on the site of its future campus.
US gets its own iTunes Festival and other news from Feb. 19, 2014
Apple's iTunes Festival has been a UK mainstay for the past few years, but now the US is getting its own. Apple has announced its first US iTunes Festival to be held during SXSW in Austin, Texas. The festival, running from March 11-15, will feature Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Pitbull, Keith Urban, Willie Nelson, ZEDD and more. If you can't make it to SXSW, the festival will be live streamed for free, and available on demand afterwards. There will be a US iTunes Festival app, as well as a channel on the Apple TV. "The iTunes Festival in London has become an incredible way for Apple to share its love of music with our customers," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, in a news release. "We're excited about the incredible lineup of artists performing and SXSW is the perfect place to debut the first iTunes Festival in the US." Other news from Wednesday afternoon includes: What's the latest app on your home screen to be snatched up by Facebook? WhatsApp, which has been snapped up for a jaw-dropping $16 billion plus $3 billion in potential stock. Like with Instagram, Facebook says that WhatsApp will remain its own product and be semi-independent from normal Facebook operations. Apple has been named the world's most valuable brand once again by Brandirectory. Coming in on its heels are rivals Samsung, Google and Microsoft. An ongoing class action lawsuit provides a clearer look into the claims that Apple was part of an anti-poaching pact with Google, Intel and other companies. Samsung has released a new round of ads, and once again, it's poking fun at the iPad. And kick back with these features: Alchaemy: Transforming Apple devices into one-of-a-kind originals Pad & Quill's Messenger Bag and Sleeve feed your leather fetish
Apple ads mountaineering story to "Your Verse" campaign, and other news for Feb. 19, 2014
Apple has added another story to the "Your Verse" ad campaign. "Elevating Expedition" focuses on mountaineers Adrian Ballinger and Emily Harrington who use an iPad to help them climb and navigate some of the world's biggest mountains. Elevating Expedition emphasizes how the iPad is there for every stage of the journey, from reaching out on social media at their base camp, to examining topography via apps, to mapping their climb via the iPad's GPS. From the campaign: Ballinger and Harrington use iPad and the Gaia GPS app to plan, navigate, and chronicle their ascent. GPS communicates directly with satellites, allowing them to use it anywhere. And the light, thin design of the iPad makes it easy to take along. Readers can check out other Your Verse campaigns here. In other news: Apple has patented headphones that could help track biometric information of the wearer, including heart rate, temperature, and perspiration. Security researches have recommended users stop using Belkin's WeMo home automation products. A vulnerability in the devices uses passwords and cryptographic signing to make sure firmware updates are valid. Hackers can take advantage of this to install new firmware and commandeer the devices. The iPhone 5s on China Mobile has been great for Apple, as the company has increased its marketshare in the country by a full percentage point in only one quarter. The iPhone now accounts for 7% of all smartphone sales, up from 6% three months earlier. A single percentage point might not seem like a lot, but in a country of over a billion people, each percentage point gain means more than a million new customers.
'AirPlay Recorder' lets you rip iTunes Radio songs on OS X, and other news for Feb. 18, 2014
Back in 2002, a man by the name of Jon Lech Johansen put out a program called DeCSS, which allowed users to rip encrypted DVDs for the first time. It caused a stir in the technology and film industries for obvious reasons. Now Johansen is at it again, working with Monique Farantzos at a company the two co-founded called doubleTwist. They've released software called AirPlay Recorder which lets you rip tracks directly from iTunes Radio. AirPlay Recorder has actually been available on Android since January, but now is available on the Mac for the first time. The app is free for time-limited recordings or $9.99 for unlimited recordings. The app doesn't download the audio files associated with iTunes Radio songs, but actually records music in real time in high-quality. In other words, a three minute song takes three minutes to record. Earlier this year co-founder Monique Farantzos spoke with out sister site Engadget about AirPlay Recorder's legality: "Recording has been around for decades, from audio cassettes (remember mix tapes?) to TuneIn radio's recording feature. Given that Apple built their iPod empire on letting millions of people rip CDs based on fair use, we don't see how they could object to this app." As AirPlay Record for Mac exists outside of the Mac App Store, it seems there is nothing Apple nor the music providers can do to stop the distribution of the app without a court order. In other news: Tim Cook has tweeted a picture from the opening of the first Apple Store in Brazil. Apple has seeded the seventh build of OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 to developers.
Apple's first store in Brazil opens and other news from Feb. 17, 2014
Brazil joyfully welcomed its first Apple retail store over the weekend, with more than 1,700 queueing up to be among the first to visit the Rio de Janeiro locale. In addition to this store being the first for Apple in Brazil, AppleInsider says it also is the first for Apple in Latin America overall. Other news from Monday afternoon includes: An update to iTunes Connect includes an updated user interface that offers more detail about an app's sales. And kick back with these features: The story of iOS's text selection tool and the importance of those "handles" Four weather apps, four radar experiences The best (and worst) iWatch concepts Meet Siri's great grandfather Rumor Roundup: 'The near future' The original Mac icon was inspired by Matisse, not Pablo Picasso
iBeacons installed at 2 MLB stadiums and other news from Feb. 14, 2014
Batter up, iBeacons! You're up to bat at two Major League Baseball stadiums. Re/code reports that MLB has completed installation of 65 iBeacons at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium and San Diego's Petco Park. By the time Opening Day rolls around in March, more than 20 ballparks will have the technology in place. MLB said it will outline how it plans to use the iBeacons next month. Other news from Friday afternoon includes: You can have your iPhone case and eat it too. Sadly, these chocolate cases for your iPhone will never be for sale. Want to get EA's official Tetris app for free? From now until April 7, you can download it from within Apple's Apple Store app. Just launch the app, scroll down to you see the words "A throwback for you. On us," and follow the instructions. And kick back with these features: Apple's Secure Coding Guide is an invaluable tool for new and veteran developers alike iPad Air destroys the competition in battery life tests
Whither the iPad 2, and other stories from Feb. 13, 2014
We rarely lead with rumors -- but it may be fare thee well, iPad 2. As the citation goes, "According to people familiar with Apple's plans," AppleInsider believes that the venerable iPad model is about to meet its maker after nearly three years -- that's more than middle-aged in tablet technology time. The number of iPad 2 units shipping has dropped, and possibly more people are turning to the Retina iPad mini, which retails for the same price as the iPad 2 (the non-Retina mini is $100 cheaper). Other items from Thursday afternoon include: Greenpeace applauded the latest Supplier Responsibility Report from Apple saying, "Samsung and other consumer electronics companies should follow Apple's example and map its suppliers, so the industry can exert its collective influence to build devices that are better for people and the planet." Apple has added to its new hire roster, this time adding Ceracor CTO Marcelo Malini Lamego. According to Electronista, Lamego specializes in non-invasive medical monitoring technology. BlackBerry has added Channels and Voice support to its BBM messaging apps for iOS and Android. Boinx Software is teaming up with the web series Animation Chefs to offer two classes at two of New York City's Apple retail stores. These classes are geared toward families, teaching them how to use iStopMotion for iPad to make stop-motion videos. The free, hour-long classes will be held on Feb. 20 starting at 11 AM at the Apple Store Upper West Side and at 3 PM at the Apple Store Grand Central. TwelveSouth has released the second version of its Compass mobile iPad stand, which is a significant revamp that makes the stand lighter than the first version that came out in 2010. The stand will also allow for charging the iPad while in use and the company has tweaked the angles for better FaceTime use. We'll be reviewing the new Compass on TUAW within the next few days. And kick back with these features: Hueman was rejected from the App Store, but these apps weren't Apple wish list: Show battery percentage on the iPod touch Rumor Roundup: Contradictions are contraindicated How to photograph a leaked Apple product Apple employee badges from 1984
Apple releases its 2014 Supplier Responsibility Report, and other news for Feb. 13, 2014
Apple released its 2014 Supplier Responsibility Report, which details how the company's suppliers are meeting Apple's guidelines for eradicating child labor, requiring reasonable working hours, offering adequate pay and meeting environmental standards. The report highlights progress made in securing tantalum, an important metal used in the manufacture of electronic equipment. Apple confirmed that its tantalum sources have been certified as being conflict-free. In other news: Rovio has announced a new version of Angry Birds with female characters. Angry Birds Stella will debut later this year. Pandora updated its iOS app with a new sleep timer feature for the iPad and support for push notifications. Apple applied for a patent entitled "Disposable email address generation and mapping to a regular email account," which describes a method for curbing spam email. It uses a smart inbox system and disposable email accounts. Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside is leaving the company and joining Dropbox as Chief Operating Officer
Could Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger put the kibosh on new Apple TV? News from Feb. 12, 2014
Early Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that Apple was in talks with Time Warner Cable about a partnership that could produce an updated Apple TV in time for the holiday season. However, late in the day, it was announced that Comcast would be buying Time Warner Cable on Thursday in an all-stock deal. Where would this leave the rumored new Apple TV? Well, that's anyone's guess. (If you ask the WSJ, it's still in play.) Other news from Wednesday afternoon includes: Apple has seeded the sixth beta of OS X 10.9.2 Mavericks to developers. The update focuses on Mail, Messages and graphic drivers, among other issues. A survey released Wednesday indicates that people are abandoning $13.5 billion in old iPhone hardware when they upgrade. Many of those items are being kept as spare devices, though 36 percent indicate that they simply don't know what to do with them. Flappy Bird? What Flappy Bird? Rovio's already teasing a new chapter in the life of the Angry Birds franchise. And kick back with these features: A look at Apple's R&D expenditures from 1995-2013 Protect your child's email experience with Tocomail for iOS This is how in-app purchases should be handled How to craft the perfect parallax wallpaper for your iPhone and iPad
Apple's opening could be geared for new products, and other news from Feb. 11, 2014
Adding fuel to the new products speculation, AppleInsider noticed that Apple has posted an opening for an "Instrumentation Design/NPI Engineer." This position, AI states, is geared toward the creation of new products. Tim Cook, during the most recent earnings call, had spoke about new items coming down the pipeline, but maybe there'll be new experiences as well. Other news from Tuesday afternoon includes: Apple's Vice President of Operations covering the iPad, Mac and accessories has retired. Rita Lane had joined Apple in 2008. Whole Foods will be rolling out Square Stands that utilize iPads at some of its stores. They'll be utilized at the company's ready-to-eat locations, such as the in-store deli and coffee bar. Apple has issued a Boot Camp update, which brings support for installing 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.
Flappy Bird creator pulled game because it was an 'addictive product,' and more news for Feb. 11, 2014
The creator of Flappy Bird, Dong Nguyen, has told Forbes that the reason he pulled the wildly popular game was because it was an addictive product: "Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed," says Dong Nguyen, in an exclusive interview, his first since he pulled the plug on the app. "But it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem, it's best to take down Flappy Bird. It's gone forever." The game, which has captivated gamers and the tech media, was the No. 1 free download on the App Store for much of the last month. It's estimated that Flappy Bird was earning Nguyen US$50,000 a day. Many players pointed out similarities between Flappy Bird and Nintendo's Mario franchise, but Nguyen confirmed that his decision was not motivated by legal threats from Nintendo. In other news: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has released an iOS app. Burns is best known for his PBS documentaries like Baseball and The Civil War. Apple customers are likely familiar with iMovie's eponymous "Ken Burns Effect," which mimics the filmmaker's slow panning and zooming of still images. Ken's new app features selected scenes illustrating recurring themes in American history and is a free download. Speaking of American history... Steve Jobs is featured in a new "American Cool" exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Other American icons in the exhibit include Robert Mitchum, Faye Dunaway, Johnny Depp, Elvis Presley, Patti Smith and Jay-Z. The exhibition runs until September 7th. As time goes on, the availability of new Apple products usually improve. Not so for the new Mac Pro. Ship times in UK, other European online stores, Australia and China have now increased by a month to "April" delivery estimates.
Apple releases a Beatles channel for the Apple TV, and other news from Feb. 10, 2014
It's no surprise that Apple is getting in on the landmark anniversary of Beatlesmania in the US. It's launched a Beatles channel for the Apple TV with the Beatles' initial appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show available for free streaming. It also promotes Apple's release of the Beatles' US albums, which differ greatly from the UK versions in the early years. Other news from Monday afternoon included: The fallout from the abrupt end of the Flappy Bird app continues with more clones infringing on other people's logos and insane eBay auctions. Blockchain CEO calls Apple a "gatekeeper on innovation" after Bitcoin wallet was pulled from the App Store. Meanwhile, SecureMac announced that a Mac Trojan called OSX/CoinThief is out to steal people's Bitcoins. EA has released a mobile version of Dungeon Keeper, but fans are not very happy. The BBC reports that the game's heavy use of in-app purchases to get anywhere is causing people to get nowhere. Among those surprised? The game's original creator. Peter Molyneux, who designed the original 1997 Dungeon Keeper game, said he too was shocked when he saw the time it would take to dig out some sections of the map. "I felt myself turning round saying, 'What? This is ridiculous. I just want to make a dungeon. I don't want to schedule it on my alarm clock for six days to come back for a block to be chipped,'" he told the BBC. There are at least two more Apple Stores coming to China, one most likely opening this year. Carl Icahn is so pleased with Apple's recent stock buyback that he's dropping his effort for the company to be even more aggressive with the move. Icahn wrote, in part: Additionally, we are pleased that Tim and the board have exhibited the "opportunistic" and "aggressive" approach to share repurchases that we hoped to instill with our proposal. It is our expectation that Tim and the board continue to exhibit this behavior as fiduciaries to the shareholders since they clearly seem to agree that our company continues to be extremely undervalued, and we all share a common optimism with respect to the company's bright long term future. Path took its time meandering down the iOS 7 path, but an upgrade to the app with the iOS 7 redesign is finally available.
