After weeks of rumors and speculation, Apple confirmed that it has reached an agreement to acquire Beats Electronics this afternoon. The deal is worth $3 billion, split into a $2.6 billion payout and $400 million that will vest over time.
In the press release, Tim Cook said that 'music is such an important part of all of our lives and holds a special place within our hearts at Apple.' And he shared a similar sentiment in a memo he just emailed to the company's employees...
In less than a week, Apple will be taking the stage at its WWDC keynote event to talk about OS X, iOS 8 and its new health-tracking 'Healthbook' app. Unsurprisingly, Samsung tried to beat them to the punch today by announcing its own healthcare initiative.
They're calling it 'SAMI,' short for Samsung Architecture Multimodal Interactions, and it's a cloud-based platform capable of reading and storing data from various sensors. It's compatible with Samsung's S-Health products, and completely open to developers...
Last night at Recode's inaugural Code Conference, Microsoft announced a new real-time voice translation feature for its Skype VoIP service. The company says it's currently in beta form, but it plans to eventually roll it out to all devices.
The goal of the feature is to allow users to hold a conversation with someone speaking a foreign language, with Skype providing near-instant voice translations for both parties. And judging by the initial demonstration, it works fairly well...
On Monday, a number of iOS and Mac users came forward with complaints that their devices had been remotely locked by hackers. In most of the cases, a message appeared via Find My iPhone on the locked devices, demanding payment for the hack to be reversed.
As far as we can tell, the attacks have been concentrated on Mac and iOS products in Australia. And among the various theories of how the hackers were able to set a remote lock has been the fear that iCloud was breached. But Apple says it hasn't been compromised...
Apple just issued a press release, announcing that it will begin offering NTT DoCoMo versions of its iPad Air and Retina iPad mini in Japan next month. The carrier, which is the largest in the country, began offering the iPhone for the first time last fall.
The new iPads will be available for pre-order starting June 2, and will officially launch in retail stores a week later on June 10. Those interested in picking up one of the tablets can choose from a variety of purchase plans, some of which call for $0 down...
Apple has remained mum on rumors that it's looking to acquire Beats Electronics, but it appears it's finally ready to break the silence. The New York Post reports tonight that the Cupertino firm is expected to announce the acquisition within the next few days.
Perhaps even more interesting is that the Post says Apple has managed to trim some $200 million off the price tag during the past two weeks of negotiation. According to the outlet's sources, the company has reached a deal to buy Beats for an even $3 billion...
Adobe updated its Revel client for iOS today, bringing the app to version 2.3. The update brings about a few design tweaks, which make the app easier to use, and a handful of bug fixes, but the big news here is the bump in free storage.
Free accounts for Adobe's cloud-based Revel service now get 2GB of storage space, or enough for around 1000 photos. That's quite the change from the previous model, where non-paying Revel users were limited to just 50 uploads/month...
Apple has begun hanging colorful banners at the Moscone Center in San Francisco ahead of WWDC. The design of the banners is consistent with other WWDC14 materials we've seen thus far, with one showing the Conference's tag line: 'Write the Code. Change the World.'
The event is slated to kick off next Monday, and run through the week, with various developer-focused workshops and classes. And of course, Apple will be delivering its annual keynote, where executives from the company will discuss the future of the OS X and iOS platforms...
Folks experiencing problems with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound in the Netflix app on Apple TV will be happy to hear that the streaming video giant is aware of the audio issue, and is currently working on fix.
The bug, 9to5Mac reports, stems from the Apple TV 6.1 update seeded in March. Following the release, a number of users with 5.1-capable systems reported they could only get stereo output from the Netflix app...
As it does every year, ZAGG is hosting a huge sale on its mobile device accessories this weekend. On Monday, May 26 and Tuesday, May 27 the company will be taking up to 50% off of everything site-wide for Memorial Day.
For those not familiar with ZAGG products, they make a wide range of add-ons for both Apple and non-Apple products including iPad keyboards, iPhone cases and invisibleSHIELD screen protectors for over 6,500 devices...
Apple has posted two new stories to its ongoing 'Your Verse' iPad campaign this weekend: one featuring Finnish conductor and composer Esa-Pekka Salonen, and one involving famed traveler and writer Chérie King.
Like previous 'Your Verse' spots, the stories serve as answers to the question posed in Apple's 'What Will Your Verse Be' advert, promoting the idea that the iPad can be used for both content consumption and creation...
Mobile device case-maker Case-Mate has joined in on the flurry of Memorial Day sales this weekend. Through Monday, May 26, the company will be taking 40% off of all of its products site-wide in celebration of the US holiday.
For those unfamiliar with the brand, Case-Mate makes premium cases for a wide range of smartphones and tablets including Samsung's Galaxy S and Note 3 lines, HTC's One, and of course several iPhone and iPad models...