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Apple seeks a way to make the iPhone a success in Russia
Russian Prime minister Dmitry Medvedev takes a picture of the Eiffel Tower with his smartphone during a meeting, on November 27, 2012, at French employers association MEDEF's headquarters in Paris. (Photo credi:ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/Getty Images) As Apple enthusiasts worldwide gear up for an imminent release of the new iPhone, Apple wants to make sure that Russian citizens don't miss out. Apple has sent some of its top executives "to meet with key distributors to revisit how it sells devices" in Russia. TechCrunch reports that Russia has experienced a short supply of iPhones, challenges working with carriers and had a grey market in the past. Hopefully these talks will result in better availability and easier access to iPhones for Russian consumers. TechCrunch reports that Svyaznoy, a key distributor in Russia, sells half the iPhones sold in Russia in its 3,300 stores. Other distributors of mobile phones may never get iPhones to sell or face high subsidy costs. A July article on AppleInsider reported that three Russian carriers dropped the iPhone due to marketing costs and subsidies. As Ingrid Lunden of TechCrunch notes, if Apple launches a lower-cost iPhone, it "has a shot of killing two birds with one stone in emerging markets ... Apple can use it as an opportunity to finally give consumers there the supply that it has been demanding ... finally bring more users into the fold."
Yelp update gives restaurant-goers full power to review from iPhones
In the past, users of the popular Yelp iPhone app could do just about anything on their devices that they could on the service's full website except one important thing -- leave full reviews. According to Ingrid Lunden at our sister site TechCrunch, here's how Eric Singley (VP of consumer and mobile products) responded in 2009 to a request from users to be able to leave reviews without having to resort to the desktop website: "We occasionally hear from other passionate Yelpers on why we haven't enabled review publishing from our mobile applications. There are several reasons why we do this...Well imagine what it would be like if reviews were done in SMS shorthand: 'OK so, IANAE, but AFAIC this place has THE best Cfood. It was gr8! ADBB' Um, yeah." Well, Yelp has apparently been seeing pressure from other apps that do allow users to leave detailed feedback -- apps like Foursquare, Groupon, Square and Facebook. The new update finally provides the capability, with a company spokesperson now saying that: "Having to wait until you get home to say what you think is a thing of the past – if you've had a wonderful experience, you want to shout about it there and then." Funny how competition can drive someone to change their mind, albeit slowly. Yelp has also made some significant moves recently, re-launching its "Nearby" feature that gives users suggestions about restaurants and other businesses nearby and purchasing OpenTable competitor SeatMe. Whether that's enough to nudge the business into the black is anyone's guess.
Path opens up its API to a baker's dozen of partners
The Path (free, with many in-app purchases for stickers and whatnot) social network has opened the doors to 13 new API partners that will now sport a "Share on Path" button in their apps. Path's integration initially started with Nike, giving users a way to share their runs and fitness levels through Path. VP of Business Development for Path Matt Van Horn told our sister site, TechCrunch, that the company curated the list of partners to fit its goal of being a more personal and almost private social network. The company found that users felt more comfortable sharing the Nike fitness information with their smaller friend group on Path than they did sharing the same data on Facebook or Twitter. The range of new partners is quite broad, including social video network Viddy, collage app Pic Stitch and personal fitness app Strava. The Bible app was added after Path found that a number of users were copying and sharing verses with their Path friends; now it takes just a simple tap on the app's share sheet. Other photography apps that now feature Path API integration include Over, PicMix, Papelook, Otaku, Mill Colour, Manga Camera and PicFrame. WordPress bloggers will also find that it's now easy to share their most recent posts on Path, thanks to API integration in the popular blogging app.
Apple acquires low-energy chipmaker Passif
Jessica Lessin, a former Wall Street Journal reporter and editor who is starting up a new technology news publication, announced today that Apple purchased Silicon Valley-based wireless chip developer Passif Semiconductor. The news was validated by an Apple spokeswoman, who noted that "Apple buys small technology companies from time to time." What's Passif's specialty? Radios that work with Bluetooth LE, the low-energy version of the popular short-range wireless protocol that is used in health-monitoring and fitness devices that need long battery life. Although Lessin's sources didn't say how much Apple spent for Passif, those sources did say that Apple had tried to buy the company a few years ago for "mid-tens-of-millions of dollars." As Lessin notes, that figure would presumably be higher now. The deal could also help Apple as it tries to wean itself from relying on rival Samsung Electronics for components for future products. [via TechCrunch]
BlackBerry pushes BBM beta invites
Back in May, TUAW reported that BlackBerry Messenger would be arriving for iOS by the end of the summer. In June, T-Mobile UK accidentally tweeted that BBM would arrive on June 27, but that turned out to be a false alarm. Finally, it appears that with the launch window for the app rapidly shrinking, BlackBerry is finally beginning to send out beta invitations for BBM. Well, at least they're sending them out for a few Android users who are running 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and later. There's still no word on whether any iOS beta users have been contacted about the beta -- if you happen to be one of those beta candidates, please let TUAW know via the "Tip Us" button in the upper-right corner of this page. As blogger Chris Velazco at our sister site TechCrunch notes, It's still a little confusing to me that BlackBerry is taking this approach in the first place. I mean, for a long while there, BlackBerrys were the smartphones to own and at least part of its appeal hinged on its curiously hardy (well, mostly hardy) messaging system. Of course, making the leap to alternative platforms presents its own set of issues, not least of which is the fact that iOS and Android are already saturated with free or freemium messaging apps. Whether bringing BBM to iOS and Android can revive the fortunes of the company from Waterloo, Ontario is something that only time will tell.
AOL for iPad now in the App Store
AOL, the parent company of TUAW, Engadget, TechCrunch and Huffington Post, today announced the availability of AOL for iPad (free). While for many longtime internet users the AOL acronym may bring back nightmares of receiving daily CD-ROMs in the mail, the company is quickly turning into a very nimble content provider around the world. The app was designed from the ground up for the iPad, featuring a tiled UI with stories that can be tapped to dive in deeper. While the app opens with a window onto general featured news, users can select their area of interest to focus only on stories in that area: entertainment, food, health, money, sports, style, tech, travel and world. %Gallery-192537% For those who use AOL for free email, there's a small envelope button on the top toolbar that provides access to your inbox. Another button provides a list of AOL On Network top videos -- a tap on a video icon expands the thumbnail to a fullscreen player for a quick view of the short blurbs. Want to save content for later reading or viewing? Every story sports a pair of buttons that provide instant access to sharing (via Facebook, Twitter and email), as well as giving readers a way to mark that content as a favorite. A tap on the "heart" button starts a cute animation in which a red heart flies up to the favorites list. It's an amusing way to reinforce the message that the article has been saved for future use. If you're looking for an all-in-one source for more than just tech news, the new AOL for iPad app is definitely worth a look. And hey, it's free (ad-supported).
Google Glass may gain iOS direction, text message support soon
Like it or hate it, Google Glass has recently been discussed on a lot of tech blogs. Tim Stevens at our sister site Engadget has been trying out his Glass around the house and on hot motorcycles, and a lot of other tech bloggers shelled out $1,500 to get the developer version of the device. One big negative for Apple fans has been that currently, only Android users get support for navigation and SMS text messaging. Now, Frederic Lardinois at our other sister site TechCrunch has news that iOS support may be coming soon. Lardinois was at the Google New York office yesterday picking up his own Glass and was told that turn-by-turn directions and SMS will soon be possible "independent of the device the user has paired it to." Right now, Glass will happily pair with your iPhone to get online (Glass doesn't contain its own cellular radio), but the higher functions need a Glass companion app running on an Android phone. Glass not only requires a mobile phone for connectivity while on the go, but location information as well. As Lardinois notes, "Glass is just another device that uses your phone's personal hotspot feature. This means Glass shouldn't have to depend on any application that runs on your phone, so the original restriction of making navigation and SMS dependent on the companion app was always a bit odd." The general public will most likely have to wait at least a year for widespread availability of Glass, so it's comforting to know that our Borg implant high-tech eyewear should work happily with iOS by that point.
Standout iOS apps from TechCrunch Disrupt
TechCrunch Disrupt is all about startups, and one of the hottest areas of innovation is mobile apps. Not surprisingly, there were quite a few companies showcasing new and exciting titles on the conference floor. Thanks to the footwork of our own Mike Rose and Doc Rock at Disrupt, we were able to hand-pick several standout iOS apps that were on display. Keep an eye on these companies below -- they may be small now, but they could be the next Instapaper. Mapp2link Mapp2link combines location awareness with messaging to help you connect with nearby LinkedIn contacts. It's similar to Sonar, but focused exclusively on professional connections and simplicity. The app uses push notifications so you'll always know when a contact is in your vicinity. Mapp2link is available for free in the iOS App Store. Yopine Yopine is a group-mind polling app that lets you ask for opinions and get input from friends before you make an important (or trivial) decision. For example, rather than getting into a long email thread about where to eat or which ski resort to visit, Yopine lets you gather all the "votes" in one place and let everyone know what the final plan is. You can check out the free Yopine app in the iOS App Store. Quoter Quoter is the Instagram for your platitudes. The app places your favorite quotes into striking templates and allows you to share them with your friends and family. Quoter is available for free in the iOS App Store. Tweekaboo Tweekaboo is a private social network that lets you create a digital family scrapbook and share those precious moments with your close family members. The company plans to roll out a book printing option in the next few weeks. Tweekaboo is available for free from the iOS App Store. SaveTheMom Save The Mom takes all your family's communications and compiles them into one app so everyone (in the family) can see your lists, appointments, photos and more. Save The Mom is available for free from the iOS App Store. Purchext Purchext is an expense reporting tool for a child's allowance. It helps parents track their children's spending by requiring them to submit a receipt and get approval for a purchase. Money for the purchase is pulled from funds placed on a securely borrowed credit card. You can learn more about the service on Purchext's website and from this TechCrunch Disrupt article. Park Tag Park Tag wants to make parking easier by connecting a person who is vacating a parking spot with someone who is in the same vicinity looking for a space to park their car. It's an ambitious use of social networking. The Park Tag app is available for free from the iOS App Store. We'll have more coverage of some of our favorite featured products from TC Disrupt (including Crowdfynd and Skit!) in the next couple of days.
Jawbone acquires BodyMedia
BodyMedia, the makers of a few fitness trackers that work directly with the iPhone and other smartphones, has announced that it has been acquired by Jawbone, creators of the popular Up motion tracker and other Bluetooth headsets and accessories. Techcrunch's "reliable sources" say the deal was close to US$100 million, which is a substantial price for a company like this. BodyMedia's work has been very impressive so far -- not only has the company been doing very well selling its body and fitness trackers (and an accompanying premium subscription service), but it shared lots of future plans with me a few months ago at CES, including some disposable tracking units and new ways to keep an eye on your health. BodyMedia's also got a number of patents on new devices, which are becoming more and more valuable as the trend of fitness trackers grows. Jawbone is no slouch, either -- their well-built Bluetooth headsets have been very popular for quite a while. BodyMedia says the two companies will join forces to "deliver great things across health and wellness." We'll look forward to seeing exactly what those things are.
SharePractice wants your doctor to have the best advice on the iPhone
Among the startups competing for attention (and funding) at Monday's opening round of the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield, one unusual social app for iPhone stood out. SharePractice, from physician Andrew Brandeis and his team, aims to connect physicians to each other and give them access to the best professional advice regarding conditions, treatments and symptoms. Although he's a full-time practitioner at San Francisco's Care Practice community clinic, this isn't Dr. Brandeis's first go-round with mobile technology; he worked with iHealth on the rollout of the company's iOS-powered blood pressure cuff in 2011. In his career, he's formed the opinion that the difference between a good doctor and a great one isn't access to medical information; it's access to experience, the implicit knowledge of thousands of patients and hours of work that helps inform better treatment decisions. Given that most doctors don't have quick, "send a text" or "catch up in the hallway" access to the top experts in every therapeutic area, the question is how to get the power of that experience out to a larger community of physicians? The SharePractice app is one approach to solving that problem. It allows Yelp-style commenting and voting, but instead of restaurants and retail establishments, the topic of conversation is drug dosage, standards of care and best practices when dealing with a specific symptom or disease. There's certainly no shortage of medical research and information out there, but SharePractice's premise is that much of that textbook-style data is out of date or poorly aligned with the actual standard of care in the field. With SharePractice, doctors who participate will be able to pose questions, vote up answers, comment and converse around the suggested approaches and more. The SharePractice app is in invite-only beta right now, and interested parties can sign up at the company's website. You can see Brandeis's presentation at TechCrunch Disrupt below.
Kids' iPad magazine Timbuktu rethinks in-app purchasing model
Timbuktu is an iPad magazine meant for children, and as our friends over at TechCrunch have noted, its developers recently rethought how it implements in-app purchases. The previous incarnation of Timbuktu (and most famously, Smurf Village, among others), made in-app purchases too tempting and easy for children. The result was high rates of in-app purchases, which was good for the company, but bad for parents who didn't approve of the large associated costs. Before, Timbuktu had little virtual bubbles that you "popped" to make an in-app purchase. The interface was clearly designed to pique childrens' interest, perhaps too much so. Now, Timbuktu has implemented a subscription plan, so that parents can buy lots of content all at once, and then kids can be free to discover it themselves without accidentally spending any money they're not supposed to. That definitely sounds more reasonable. It's worth noting that there are other ways to block in-app purchases. For example, Apple's Restrictions settings lets you to disable all in-app purchases entirely. Also, you can customize the amount of time iOS will require your Apple ID between successful App Store purchases. By default, it's set to 15 minutes. Keeping your children from spending too much on in-app purchases is an avoidable problem, and it's good to hear companies like the makers of Timbuktu are taking steps as well.
Apple kills AppGratis' push notifications
What? You thought you were going to be able to make it through another day without an update on what's going on with AppGratis? Sorry to disappoint you -- Apple has now added insult to injury by killing push notifications for AppGratis. The company let subscribers know this morning in an emailed newsletter that Apple had killed notifications. TUAW sister site TechCrunch received a copy of an email sent to Italian AppGratis subscribers, which told them why they hadn't received a push notification from the app and notes that AppGratis plans to launch a daily special offers newsletter to inform subscribers of the app offers it is famous for. Simon Dawlat, the outspoken CEO of AppGratis, was back on the blog soapbox this morning noting that the company is planning on going back to its roots in circumventing the app ban by sending out the newsletter to its estimated 12 million users and also putting together an HTML5 web app. As TechCrunch's Natasha Lomas points out, "Going forward, AppGratis will have to rely on emailing its subscribers (and no one likes to be spammed via email too often) to inform them of offers." Asking those subscribers to migrate to the web app once it is working, with no way to send push notifications to them to generate the clicks that launch an app to top rankings in the App Store, might be nigh impossible.
AppGratis document shows disconnect between statement and promotion
Today's edition of "How the AppGratis Turns" finds Business Insider reporting on a "leaked document" showing that the company supplies developers with estimates on where their app will land in the App Store rankings based on how much they're willing to spend. This contradicts what AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat stated yesterday to TUAW sister site TechCrunch. In Dawlat's statement, he said that "We've never been in the business of gaming the top charts or anything." Business Insider contacted Dawlat about a chart they received showing that an approximately US$100,000 buy with AppGratis would place an app in the top five in the US App Store; something that BI considers to be at odds with what Dawlat said. Dawlat took a look at the chart published by BI and replied that "Today, mobile-media buying is this simple equation where the biggest industry players will acquire a certain number of installs through guys like AppGratis, Facebook Mobile Ads, Apple's iAd and all the other guys in order to reach their ranking objective." In other words, what Dawlat thinks is business as usual in the mobile app-marketing world is what Business Insider and Apple appear to see as disrupting the system. AllThingsD featured a guest post by former OMGPOP CEO Dan Porter last week in which he said that App Store rankings are so important to Apple that the company strives to keep them fair and democratic. Apps like AppGratis are seen as artificially inflating rankings based on how much a developer is willing to pay, totally at odds with Apple's goals and probably what lead to the current AppGratis ban. Well-known iOS developer David Barnard of App Cubby (@drbarnard) tweeted earlier today that "I don't get why BI and people linking to it make that chart out to be a bad thing or inconsistent with statements" made by Dawlat. Barnard noted that "many developers buy ads on launch day to help get that traction" in the App Store, essentially gaming the App Store rankings as well. Ads in the Facebook iOS app highlight a variety of apps that are for sale in the App Store. Will Facebook eventually face the wrath of Apple's iOS developer guidelines? Guideline 2.25 states that, "Apps that display apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected." How Apple interprets and applies that guideline to apps other than AppGratis that are also used to promote apps needs to be clarified quickly. For further details on this continuing story, a look at the previous posts about AppGratis is a good way to get some background.
Apple could face 'legal undertakings' in UK over in-app purchases
Remember the UK police officer who reported his son to authorities for fraud after the 13-year-old ran up a US$5,600 bill for in-app purchases on the iOS App Store? That kind of unexpected consumer cost has thrown the UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT) into a tizzy, and they've announced that they'll be starting a six-month investigation into whether children are being "unfairly pressured or encouraged to pay for additional content in 'free' web- and app-based games." Our sister site TechCrunch confirmed that the OFT is contacting Apple and Google; not surprising, as the companies run the two largest app stores, but it's not clear whether either company could be held responsible for the actions of individual developers who abuse IAPs. While Google Play includes guidelines for developers and reserves the right to remove apps that abuse them, it does not review / approve individual apps for compliance in advance; Apple's App Store, of course, does approve or reject apps prior to release. When the investigation is completed, the OFT could seek "legal undertakings from court" if it is displeased with the results. An OFT spokesperson told TechCrunch that companies ignoring court directions could face "an unlimited fine." The OFT Senior Director for Goods and Consumer, the implausibly-named Cavendish Elithorn, noted in a statement that "The OFT is not seeking to ban in-game purchases, but the games industry must ensure it is complying with the relevant regulations so that children are protected. We are speaking to the industry and will take enforcement action if necessary." Neither Google nor Apple have replied to TechCrunch with regard to the investigation.
Rumors hint Facebook is working on Android phone competitor (Updated)
Facebook is sending out press invitations to an April 4th event that'll involve Android. The company behind the world's largest social network is inviting journalists to "Come See Our New Home On Android." Details on the invitation are sparse, but sources for TechCrunch and others hint this event is about a Facebook-flavored phone. According to the rumor, Facebook is preparing a version of Android that is tied deeply into the Facebook framework, much like Amazon and its version of Android that is present on the Kindle Fire. Facebook's version of Android may show up on a handset made by HTC. It won't be a Facebook-branded phone per se, but a heavily influenced version of Android that runs on OEM phones. Apple users are not likely going to be interested in an Android phone with a strong Facebook influence, but it does call into question Apple's relationship with the social network. Will it sour now that Facebook is cozying up with the competition? Update: While rumors last night focused on a Facebook-flavored phone from HTC, The Wall Street Journal chimed in this morning with a report that claims Facebook is working on software that "displays content from users' Facebook accounts on a smartphone's home screen -- the first screen visible when they turn on the device." HTC may be the first manufacturer to include this software on their phones.
Apple is not buying Waze
You know how TechCrunch reported a few days ago that Apple is buying Waze to beef up its Maps app? Yeah, that's not happening. And it never was. As several other sites did, we reported on TechCrunch's news, too. But to be fair, our Steve Sande warned readers: "Neither Apple nor Waze has said anything solid about a deal at this point, so like many 'news' items that we're hearing these days before CES and Macworld/iWorld, it's simply a rumor." If you missed the story, on January 2nd TechCrunch -- citing its own sources -- said that an Apple/Waze deal was in advanced negotiations. TC's Mike Butcher wrote: "Another source confirms that negotiations are advanced, but Waze wants $750M and Apple is willing to do $400M plus $100m in incentives. Waze had less than $1M in revenues last year (primarily from ads). Negotiations may take awhile." Yesterday, however, TC's MG Siegler wrote a follow up post saying the deal wasn't happening (again, citing TC's sources close to the situation). He went on to say that that doesn't mean talks were never taking place, however, and hinted that the news could have been due to someone trying to manipulate a deal: "What about deal manipulation? Couldn't this just be one interested party trying to drive down (or up) the price? Always possible, but that's why you get multiple sources." Then late last night, CNET came out and said that the news of any such deal was "completely fabricated." Citing "a source familiar with Apple's thinking" CNET reported that any claims Waze would be acquired by Apple were simply made up and their source went on to say that Apple had "no plans to acquire Waze, and discussions are currently not being held between the companies." So there you go folks. As far as anyone now knows, the news was complete BS. Move along.
New TechCrunch app combines the best of TechCrunch and CrunchBase
TechCrunch took its popular iPad app, shrunk it down and ported it to the iPhone. The essential research app for tech entrepreneurs shares the same features as the iPad version, but has a UI that's optimized for the iPhone's smaller screen. You can read breaking news stories, follow what top journalists are saying about hot tech topics and browse CrunchBase for information on startups, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. There's also a new video feature that'll let you watch TechCrunch TV. The iPhone version of TechCrunch is bundled with the iPad version in a universal app that's available now for free from the iOS App Store.
AOL strikes deal with YouTube to start streaming content from various brands
AOL's continuing push to boost its video presence on as many internet places as possible has just secured many of the company's brands a spotlight inside one of the world's biggest sites. According to AllThingsD, AOL and YouTube have inked a deal that will bring "branded channels" with content from sites such as Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Moviefone and even clips from the recently launched HuffPost Live over to the video streaming platform. And while AOL did previously offer some tidbits on YouTube, this move is expected to better solidify and highlight the vid work from properties like the ones mentioned above -- which, of course, could only be accomplished by reaching a new "everyone wins" type of revenue sharing agreement. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the AOL family]
Shimi by Tovbot is a dancing robot iPod dock
As the world can't get enough robots to groove to music, Shimi Tovbot was demonstrated this week at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. Call me a purist, but I like my dancing robots to resemble soda cans, wear sunglasses and be completely clueless to my verbal commands. Of course, I'm kidding. Shimi is quite advanced, and won me over after watching the demo video. Shimi isn't just a dumb sound-activated automaton. Based on a lot of awesome research in conjunction with Georgia Tech and MIT, it's the first commercially available robot from startup Tovbot to distill the findings of this group. Well, it's still a Kickstarter project at this point, but I'm hopeful the tech community will see how great this is -- and the potential. Shimi "holds" your iPhone in its "hand" like a dock. It can move about, and wiggle its limited appendages and head. It also responds to voice commands, can detect the beat of a song by you clapping your hands (and finds songs that match) and somehow learns what you like. How the learning aspects of Shimi play out was never really explained in the video, alas. Still, if you've ever been a fan of WowWee's line of consumer robots (as I am), Tovbot is a good bet, and Shimi is available on Kickstarter.
Apple may acquire Italian digital audio editing software firm Redmatica
Speaking at the recent D10 conference, Tim Cook said Apple is still in the business of buying companies, but he doesn't want to announce these accusations acquisitions unless necessary. According to a recent Tech Crunch report, Italian startup Redmatica may be the target of one of these quiet buyouts. The source of this acquisition information is Italian blog Fanpage, which found a paper trail in the Italian Communications Regulatory Authority (Agcom). Redmatica specializes in music-editing software for the Mac. Its website lists several apps including the flagship Keymap Pro 2.3, a sampled instrument editor. Though the details are not known, it's possible that Apple is purchasing this company to improve its music offerings like Logic Pro and GarageBand. [Via TechCrunch]