Campaign US has put together a wonderful oral history of Apple’s “Get a Mac” ad campaign. Listen, it’s delightful. It’s wonderful. Justin Long (Mac) and John Hodgman (PC) talk about their roles, and the creative team from TBWA\Chiat\Day talk about putting it together. Bryan Chaffin explains.
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Setapp Brings Netflix-style Downloads to Mac Apps
Paying a monthly subscription to watch as many TV shows and movies as you want is a pretty good business model for Netflix, and MacPaw thinks it’ll work for software, too. The company’s trying that out with its new Setapp service where subscribers pay a monthly fee to get access to a growing list of apps from several developers.
Apple Music tops 20 Million Users
Apple Music just topped 20 million subscribers, only three months after hitting the 17 million mark. That’s a 15% increase, but Apple wants to see even more growth.
Apple Rolls Out Single Sign-on for Apple TV
Fourth generation Apple TV owners can finally use the single sign-on feature Apple showed off months ago. The feature went live on Tuesday, although some content providers are still missing, and it’s available only in the United States.
An Update on TMO's Background Mode Podcast
Over the last three years, The Mac Observer’s John Martellaro has aired over 150 episodes of his Background Mode podcast. This show has allowed listeners to hear the inspiring success story of many notable people in the tech industry. Here’s an update on the status of the show and a recap of some notable guests who have joined him so far.
Supreme Court Throws Out Apple's $400M Win in Samsung Patent Fight
Samsung’s legal persistence is paying off because the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Tuesday the electronics maker doesn’t have to pay Apple US$400 million for infringing on iPhone-related patents. More specifically, the court ruled Samsung owes Apple damages based on infringing components instead of the entire device.
Tim Cook Says IDC got it Wrong, Apple Watch Sales are Strong
IDC says Apple Watch sales are tanking, but Apple CEO Tim Cook says that’s not so. In fact, he says Apple Watch sales are going strong and the company is on track for a record quarter.
Apple Watch Sales Decline 71% in Third Quarter Thanks to Late Series 2 Intro
The mid-September launch of Apple Watch Series 2 wasn’t in time to help the company’s third quarter sales figures. A new report from IDC claims that Apple Watch sales fell sharply year-over-year, while cheaper wearables from companies like Fitbit surged.
Apple Beta Testing Improved iCloud Photos Interface
Apple is now beta testing a number of improvements to iCloud.com Photos, including a new sidebar, easier navigation between photos, and initial support for the Touch Bar on the 2016 MacBook Pro.
UK Police Circumvent iOS Encryption By Snatching iPhone Out of Suspect's Hands
Forget backdoors and lawsuits. Police in the UK have come up with an interesting solution to Apple’s strong iOS encryption: they simply waited for the suspect to unlock his device and then snatched it right out of his hands.
Apple Tells NHTSA That All Autonomous Car Prototypes Are Created Equal
Apple reignited interest in its autonomous car project with a letter to Federal regulators arguing that “new entrants” into the autonomous vehicle industry should have just as many rights as the established automakers when it comes to testing prototypes on public roads.
UK Study Finds 99% of Fake iPhone Chargers Fail Safety Test
Sure, that counterfeit iPhone charger on Amazon is less than half the price of a real one, but according to a recent UK study, it may also kill you. When it comes to electricity, you probably shouldn’t be too frugal.
Uber's Latest Update Tracks Your Location More Than Santa Claus
A recent update to the Uber app allows the company and its drivers to track your location even when you aren’t using the app, opening up entirely new privacy and safety concerns for riders.
Apple Adds Online Form for Checking iPhone 6s Battery Replacement Eligibility
Apple added an online form for checking your iPhone 6s eligibility for a battery replacement program. The program itself was announced in November, but it was initially up to customers to figure out if their serial number was eligible. The form allows owners to simply enter that serial number and be told if it’s eligible.
Apple to Unleash a Fleet of Flying Drones to Improve Maps Data
Apple Maps has come a long way, but still trails Google in many areas. Apple is therefore preparing a fleet of flying drones to take to the skies in an effort to greatly increase the volume and accuracy of the company’s mapping data.
¡Buenas noticias! Apple Pay Now Available in Spain
Apple today rolled out Apple Pay in Spain, partnering with select credit card issuers and retailers to bring its secure mobile payment service to customers. Spain is the 13th country to support the service as Apple continues its steady Apple Pay expansion.
Apple Says It's Working to Fight iCloud Calendar Spam
The iCloud Calendar spam problem is getting worse, and users are helpless to stop it. Thankfully, Apple has confirmed that it’s working on a solution, but we don’t yet know how much of this questionable canned meat we’ll need to swallow before the company gets this right.
Netflix Finally Introduces Offline Viewing for iOS & Android
Want to binge on your favorite Netflix shows but can’t spare the mobile bandwidth? Netflix today finally introduced offline viewing for iOS and Android, letting users download select TV shows and movies for viewing anywhere, regardless of connectivity.
Apple Schedules Annual iTunes Connect Holiday Shutdown
Developers take note! iTunes Connect, the developer portal for all of Apple’s digital platforms, has scheduled its annual holiday shutdown. Get your app submissions and holiday sales data scheduled now!
Apple Celebrates 10 Years of (PRODUCT)RED With Exclusive Games & Apple Pay
To mark the 10th anniversary of (PRODUCT)RED, Apple is expanding its support for the HIV/AIDS initiative. In addition to new (RED) accessories, Apple has teamed up with popular app developers to offer (RED)-exclusive games and in-app content.
Students in 25 More Countries Can Now Save 50% on Apple Music
Is your college pen pal jealous of your Apple Music student discount? Well, there’s now a good chance that they, too, can get in on the money saving action. Apple this week expanded the availability of its Apple Music student pricing to 25 additional countries.
Grab the New iOS-Inspired 5K Color Burst Wallpapers for Mac
Do you love those colorful iOS 10 wallpapers? It looks like they’ll soon be available in the next update to macOS Sierra, but here’s how you can download them now in full 5K resolution.
Next iPhone to Sport Wireless Charging Like Apple Watch
2017 is the year the iPhone finally gets wireless charging. That’s the word, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who says Apple plans to bring inductive charging to the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models with next fall’s refresh.
AT&T's DirecTV Now Streaming Service Launching on Nov 30 with Free Apple TV Offer
AT&T is finally ready to launch its DirecTV Now streaming TV service to entice cord cutters into paying for television channels. The service launches on Wednesday, November 30th, and early subscribers can get a free Apple TV, too.