Apple Event Live: Tim Cook takes stage, cuts Apple TV price

SAN FRANCISCO—CEO Tim Cook has taken the stage at Apple’s event Monday morning in San Francisco.

Cook is expected to unveil the company’s newest device, the smartwatch, and make the case for why it’s a must-have gadget. Apple teased the smartwatch in September but has given few details. Scheduled to hit the market in April, industry watchers are eager to see if Apple’s version will be the tipping point for the sluggish smartwatch market. There was similar skepticism when Apple released the iPad in 2010, yet the company has successfully sold millions and its popularity has shaken up the PC market.

The stakes are high for a company that just dislodged AT&T as one of the 30 stocks comprising the venerable Dow Jones industrial average. The watch is the first brand-new device Apple has launched without Steve Jobs.

Below is a live blog of the event. All times PDT.

10:12 a.m.

Cook announces a price cut for Apple TV to $69, from $99. He says 25 million units have been sold so far.

The availability of HBO as a stand-alone service comes as more people turn to the Internet to watch television. HBO previously was available on Apple devices, but only with a cable or satellite subscription.

10:10 a.m.

Cook shows a trailer from the upcoming season of “Game of Thrones.”

10:05 a.m.

Cook walks on stage to talk about Apple’s retail stores and offer an update on Apple TV. He’s joined by HBO CEO Richard Plepler to announce that Apple will be the exclusive partner of HBO’s upcoming stand-alone subscription service, HBO Now.

There will be a new HBO Now channel on Apple TV. It will be possible to get it on iPhones and iPads, too. The service will cost $14.99 and will be available in early April — in time for the season premiere of “Game of Thrones.”

10 a.m.

The event begins with a video of an Apple store in West Lake, China. Customers holding Apple products cheer as employees count down to the opening of the store in January.

9:55 a.m.

Journalists, industry analysts and Apple guests fill the auditorium of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco for the start of the event.–Anick Jesdanun

source: technology.inquirer.net

New Apple mobile software arrives Wednesday

SAN FRANCISCO–New-generation Apple software for powering its coveted mobile devices is set for release on Wednesday, two days ahead of the arrival of its latest iPhones.

The iOS 8 mobile operating system will be available free for download to many iPhone and iPad models and will be pre-installed on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which hit the market on Friday.

Apple unveiled iOS 8 at its annual developers’ conference in San Francisco in June.

The new operating software is tailored to deliver a seamless experience for users flitting between Apple mobile gadgets and popular Macintosh computers.

Alongside operating system updates, the California company unveiled HealthKit software to manage personal healthcare and HomeKit for home appliances. They are integrated into the latest system update.

HealthKit will provide a secure haven for data collected by devices such as fitness bands that track activity and sleep.

Apple also synched iOS 8 to HomeKit software that could let iPhones or iPads be used as a centralized control for Internet-linked gadgets such as door locks, lights, thermostats and security systems.

Apple came up with a common network protocol, so not only can an iPhone be used to open smart locks, but virtual assistant Siri can dim lights and lower thermostat settings when told, “Get ready for bed.”

Apple has also beefed up graphics and speed capabilities for games, which are consistently among the hottest applications on its mobile devices.

Capabilities woven into operating software include one called “Continuity,” which lets tasks started on one Apple gadget be automatically handed off to another one nearby.

Messages or calls can also be handed off between devices.

Apple last week announced that it is adding a smartwatch to its growing array of devices that will work together.

The Apple Watch will not be released until early next year.

source: technology.inquirer.net

Apple expected to rev up iPad line as tablet market heats

SAN FRANCISCO – Apple is expected to rev up its iPad line Tuesday as the tablet market heats up with competition from devices powered by software from Google and Microsoft.

Analysts agree that iPads will star at an invitation-only event being held in San Francisco on the cusp of the prime year-end holiday shopping season.

“Job One for Apple is to get something out there on the large-size iPad that gets people excited, then obviously from a specification focus, the Mini needs to catch up with what everybody else has done,” NPD analyst Stephen Baker told AFP.

“There are a lot of other things happening in that large-size tablet space and there is a huge amount of choices in smaller devices.”

Tablets face mounting competition from touch-screen notebook computers powered by Microsoft Windows software and priced between $350 and $500, according to the analyst.

“Apple will… be number one in large-size tablets probably for a long time, but the definition of competition will change,” Baker said.

Apple is also under pressure to adapt to the popularity of premium tablets with high-quality screens in the seven- to eight-inch (18- to 20-centimeter) range where the Mini competes.

Online retail titan Amazon.com on Friday began shipping new seven-inch Kindle Fire HDX tablets with boosted display quality and computing power at the starting price of $229.

“We can’t wait to get this tablet into our customers’ hands,” said Amazon Kindle vice president Peter Larsen.

Google’s latest Nexus 7 tablet powered by its Android software has been a hot seller at a similarly tempting price.

Emailed invitations to the Apple event revealed little other than the time and place, and bore the message: “We still have a lot to cover.”

A graphic in the shape of an iPad showed Apple’s iconic logo under a shower of colorful leaves.

Unconfirmed reports are that Apple will show off a new version of its full-size iPad that will be thinner than its predecessor and boast improved camera capabilities.

Scrutiny of Apple’s supply chain has industry trackers thinking the new iPad will get “narrower, thinner, and lighter” and possibly be built with processors at least as powerful as those used in the freshly-launched iPhone 5S, according to Gartner analyst Van Baker.

An upgraded version of the iPad mini with an improved screen is also expected.

Gartner’s Baker will be watching whether new iPad models have 64-bit processors as engines in a significant boost that would enable tablets to handle more heavy weight programs and games.

“It has the potential to make tablets much more compelling devices in terms of content creation; making devices more sophisticated with more horsepower-hungry applications,” the analyst said.

“It will increase the likelihood that tablets will displace PCs (personal computers).”

Analysts agreed that top-end, full-size iPads may get a fingerprint recognition security feature that has been a hit in the iPhone 5S.

Such upgrades would promise to entice buyers to pay a bit more for full-size tablets from Apple instead of choosing lower-priced Mini models, boding well for the company’s bottom line.

The iPad remains the largest-selling tablet, according to surveys, but its market share is being eroded by rivals using the Google Android operating system.

“Mobile connectivity continues to grow and its impact is much broader than business stories about which computer makers are selling the most units,” said Kristen Purcell, associate director for research at the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

“We see mobile connectivity affecting everything from the way people get news and learn to the way they take care of their health and the way they share their lives through social media.”

Apple was also expected to discuss its computer operating system and its MacBook laptop line at the event.

The company is coming off a wildly successful launch of two new iPhone models last month. It estimates selling a record nine million iPhones in the three days after launching two new versions of the smartphone.

source: technology.inquirer.net

How to Keep Your Child Safe on an iPad

Child proofing is a rite of passage for parents with young children: locks on cabinet doors, gates on stairs and clips on book shelves. And this safety-first mentality needs to extend to kids toys, experts warn, especially the iPad.

“It’s very common for kids to use iPads these days more so than using computers,” says Jinny Gudmundsen, author of iPad Apps For Kids For Dummies. “Parents unfamiliar with the technology open it up, turn it on and don’t realize they can customize it to become more user friendly to kids.

Children as young as one are learning to swipe their way to fun and games on tablets, but parents need to create safeguards to make sure they aren’t exposed to inappropriate content.

Here are ways to ensure your child and iPad are safe from each other.

Safety Tip No.1: Disable In-App Purchases

Apps are the heart and soul of tablets and they can be easily downloaded in a matter of seconds—which is convenient, until kids starting buying apps without parent consent.  Not only can this expose young users to unsuitable content, it can also rack up a  big bill.

And just because an app is free, that doesn’t mean they can’t rack up a big tab. Gudmundsen says many of the free apps make money by giving players the option to spend real money on things in the game. Those little purchases can end up to a hefty bill. The problem has become so widespread that it sparked a class action lawsuit. Late last month Apple settled a class-action lawsuit related to app purchases made by children without the consent of the account holder. Apple agreed to provide a $5 iTunes store credit to as many as 23 million people who were affected, according to Reuters.  Those that claimed $30 or more were offered a cash refund from instead.

“These in-app purchases are frequently confusing to kids who have difficulty distinguishing between buying things with in-game currency and buying them with real money,” says Gudmundsen. To prevent in-app purchases, parents need to not only enable a password but close the 15-minute window where another purchase can be made without typing in your password.

Parents can even choose to block In-app purchases altogether.  “If you opt to let your kids explore these games, make sure the In-App Purchases option is ‘Off,’ or at least make sure that you set the password requirement to ‘Immediately’,” she recoommends.

Safety Tip No.2: Set Media Parameters

The Internet offers a wealth of information—both good and bad.  but it. To prevent a child from accessing anything they shouldn’t when using the iPad, parents need to set restrictions.

“The iPad allows you to set the age appropriateness of the media your kids use,” Gudmundsen says. “The setting you want is called ‘Allowed Content’, and you’ll find it under ‘Restrictions’.

Parents can restrict music and podcasts, movies, TV shows, books and apps. Parents can choose age categories for apps including 4+, 9+, 12+ and 17+. If the parent chooses 4+ it’s essentially a G rating while 17 + can be considered a R rating.   

Safety Tip No.3: Turn Off Location Services  

Many apps ask for or rely on a user’s location, but experts say not to allow this if kids use the device.

To disable this feature on the iPad, go to ‘Settings’ and then turn off ‘Location Services’’.  This prevents strangers from being able to locate a child user and retailers from sending targeted advertisements to kids.

This restriction doesn’t prevent using any app that requires a location, if an apps needs it, say for instance one for star gazing , Gudmundsen says the app will alert the user to enable the location feature. Just remember to disable it when you are done.

Safety Tip No.4: Buy a Protective Cover

iPads are expensive and kids can be destructive, so experts advise parents find a sturdy cover to protect the gadget. These covers cost anywhere from around $30 to $80, and can be found at electronics retailers and/or through Apple. “Children drop things,” says Gudmundsen. “A protective cover puts a lot of padding around the iPad.”

source: foxbusiness.com

Why your computer is becoming more like your phone

(CNN) -- Apple released Mountain Lion to developers last week, a new operating system that will make your desktop computer work more like your phone than ever before.

The trend is clear: The desktop operating system will merge with the mobile OS in the coming years. The question is: Why?

Let's start with the trend itself. First off, Apple is integrating cloud services much more deeply in Mountain Lion than any previous operating system. That means your music, photos, calendars, contacts, emails and more can now stay in sync across your phone, tablet and Mac.

Apple has also unified your messages across your devices: The Message app (formerly iMessages) will replace iChat on the Mac.



That's not all: Mountain Lion also gets a notification center that works just like the notifications you receive on your phone. Games Center is coming to the Mac as well, allowing you to play games against your friends who own iPhones and iPads.

Apps like Reminders, Notes and Contacts are also all getting desktop versions -- and of course these sync with your mobile devices so your data is always up to date.

Most notable of all: Apple is now pushing software updates through the Mac App Store, hinting that the App Store may become the only way to get software on your Mac in the future.

So what are the advantages of your desktop computer merging with your phone's functionality? And are there any downsides?

Simplicity

The main reason Apple wants to make Macs work like the iPhone and iPad is simple. Or rather, simplicity.

Despite decades of innovation and the invention of the graphical user interface, computers remain too confusing and complex for the majority of people.

While more powerful software with complex functionality will continue to exist for highly technical users, most consumers want a device that's easy to use and intuitive.

The rise of the iPad and iPhone prove that there's huge demand for such simplicity, and that desktops too will need to become more streamlined.

The downside of simplicity? Simple systems are often less "open" and provide less freedom to try new things: Tasks are either easy to complete (because the developers thought of that use case) or not possible at all.

Security

Mobile operating systems could potentially be more secure than their desktop counterparts. In particular, if Apple makes the App Store the only way to download apps to your Mac, it would become more difficult for users to install malware (since Apple manually approves every app in the store).

What's more, mobile features like tracking the location of your devices or wiping them remotely will make consumer desktops more secure.

There are downsides to app stores, however.

Not only would devices become less open -- the makers of operating systems become gatekeepers -- but you could argue that Apple and its rivals simply want to force the use of app stores so that they make more money for themselves.

Syncing

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of making desktops work more like phones is unity between all your devices.

With a similar (or single) operating system on all your gadgets, syncing apps, contacts and calendars between them all becomes effortless.

There's a downside for users, however: Competing operating systems tend not to work well together, and using one operating system across all devices means uses are "locked in" more than ever before.

So there you have it: Your desktop computer is becoming more and more like your phone -- and in fact the line between the two will one day disappear.

If you think it's just Apple's devices that are headed toward a simpler operating system, however, you'd be mistaken -- Apple is merely in the news because Mountain Lion became available to developers last week.

In fact, Microsoft's Windows 8 takes its cues from Windows Phone, meaning that the two major desktop operating systems will mimic your mobile devices very soon.


article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/21/tech/mobile/cashmore-computer-like-phone/index.html

Apple offering free shipping until December 22

Holiday shoppers looking to grab some items from Apple can enjoy free shipping on all online orders until December 22.

To ring in the holidays, Apple is offering the free shipping on any product ordered through its online Apple store or through its Apple Store iOS app. Apple normally provides free shipping only on online orders of more than $50. So the new promotion gives shoppers incentive to buy less pricey stocking stuffers or to pick up multiple items throughout the holiday season.

Last-minute shoppers who need their items delivered quickly can also opt for two-day shipping for $10 or one-day delivery for $16.

Apple is even serving up a holiday gift guide on its Web site to steer potential buyers to a variety of items and accessories. In addition, the company is offering gift wrapping and engraving on certain products such as iPads and iPods.

Apple also served up some bargains last week on Black Friday by offering Macs, iPads, iPods, and other items at discount prices. That strategy apparently paid off since the company reportedly took in four times the number of sales that it typically brings in on a Friday.

source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57332991-37/apple-offering-free-shipping-until-december-22/?tag=mncol