Genius, which calls itself the world’s biggest encyclopedia of music, now has a dedicated soundtrack. Apple Music subscribers can now listen to entire songs in Genius. In addition, Genius lyrics are coming to the Apple Music app.
Back in July, Apple said Apple Pay would finally arrive at CVS retail stores before the end of the year. It seems that process is now in full swing. According to AppleInsider, a “large number” of CVS stores now support Cupertino's mobile payment and digital wallet service.
CVS, the largest pharmacy in the United States, has long been a hold-out for Apple Pay. Back in 2014, in fact, it went as far as shutting down NFC access in stores so Apple's payment system couldn't be used by customers. It later joined CurrentC, a now-defunct merchant-supported payment platform which it hoped would compete against Apple Pay.
In recent weeks, 7-Eleven also joined the growing ranks of merchants who accept Apple Pay. In September, it's 9,400 U.S.-based stores began offering Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Holdouts remain, however, Two of the biggest retailers in the U.S. still don't accept Apple Pay: Target and Walmart.
Where do you use Apple Pay? Let us know in the comments below.
Third-party Apple Watch faces still haven't arrived. Despite this, there's now a way to create customized watch faces using the graphics rendering and animation tool, SpriteKit.
Apple has agreed to pay $600 million to buy parts of Dialog Semiconductor, an Anglo-German supplier of power management chips and technologies. The move hints at Apple’s further custom semiconductor efforts in areas like power management and charging. Under the terms of the agreement, Apple is getting Dialog's patents, a team of about 300 engineers representing sixteen percent of Dialog's workforce and the company's offices in Europe.
As with customizing your Quick Access Toolbar or Ribbon buttons when you use Microsoft Word on Mac, you can also adjust the tabs. By default, you should see tabs like Home, Insert, Layout, and View across the top. But, you can change these to fit your needs.
Here’s how to change the tabs you see in Microsoft Word on your Mac.
In the market for a thin, minimal case for your new iPhone XS or XS Max? iDB has you covered. We've put together a roundup of what we believe are the best ultra-thin cases available for Apple's new handsets with options that are inexpensive, feature very little branding, and are so thin you'll forget they're there.
There’s a new app that lets you “sue anyone by pressing a button.” The aptly named DoNotPay app uses IBM Watson-powered artificial intelligence to help people win up to $25,000 in small claims court.
Cupertino plans on introducing a new digital video service beginning next year. The cost to Apple device owners will be zero, according to CNBC.
In what’s being described as part of a new digital TV strategy, Apple has decided to marry original content and subscription services from so-called legacy media companies. In doing so, owners of the Apple iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV will find the new content available for free, according to “people familiar with the matter.”
As part of the unannounced service, Apple plans on introducing subscription “channels” that will allow users to sign up for online-only services like HBO Go and Starz.
By offering its original content for free, Apple hopes to appeal to broader audiences. It will do so by only airing "PG-rated" shows.
CNBC also explains:
Apple is also looking for "tent pole" franchises that could serve as linchpins to a paid Netflix-like subscription service down the road, two of the people said. Think "Game of Thrones," but without the sex and violence.
Apple currently has dozens of original TV shows under development, including ones starting big stars like Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. In total, the company plans on spending $1 billion to get its project off the ground.
CNBC expects Apple to announce its plans early next year.
For Apple to release these series for free to Apple device owners is an interesting move. Still, I'm not sold on its possible decision to only produce family-friendly fare. Interestingly, if you look at the list of series Apple is committed to producing, not all of them sound family-friendly in my opinion. This could suggest that CNBC is wrong on this point or perhaps Apple plans on putting some of its edgier content elsewhere.
Earlier today, WarnerMedia announced that it would introduce a new direct to consumer video service in late 2019. The unnamed product will compete with Netflix, Amazon Video, and Disney's upcoming service.
What do you think? Are you surprised to hear that Apple might offer its original content for free?
WarnerMedia, which includes HBO, Turner, and Warner Bros., plans to offer a new video streaming service. The unnamed direct to consumer product will compete with services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and others, and launch in the fourth quarter of 2019, says WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey.
Formerly Time Warner, Inc. WarnerMedia was acquired earlier this year by AT&T. The company, which is headquartered in New York City, includes film, television, cable networks, and publishing operations.
In an internal memo, which was first noted by CNN, Stankey says the new service will build on the success of HBO Now, noting:
Our service will start with HBO and the genre-defining programming that viewers crave. On top of that we will package content from Turner and Warner Bros. with their deep brand connections that touch both diverse interests and mass audiences.
In a subsequent public release, Stankey explained:
We are committed to launching a compelling and competitive product that will serve as a complement to our existing businesses and help us to expand our reach by offering a new choice for entertainment with the WarnerMedia collection of films, television series, libraries, documentaries and animation loved by consumers around the world.
WarnerMedia isn't the only company planning on offering a new direct to consumer video service in the coming year. Disney plans to begin offering something similar in 2019. There's also a chance Apple too will announce some sort of video streaming package. As you might recall, it's currently developing $1 billion worth of original content.
For years, consumers complained about the high cost of satellite and cable subscriptions. Eventually, this led to the rise of direct to consumer services like Netflix, and over the top (OTT) products like DirecTV Now and Youtube TV. With so much content (available through separate monthly bills), it makes you wonder where everything is headed and whether all the services currently available will survive.
Already, for example, there are growing calls for PlayStation to shut down its Vue OTT product, which has just 500,000 monthly subscribers compared to Sling TV's 2.2 million and DirecTV Now's 1.8 million. Meanwhile, an October survey from Sandvine says that video piracy is growing thanks to the rise of original "exclusive" content.
Snap today announced exclusive shows on its Snapchat app which were created by professional storytellers, with a single short episode released every day.
True wireless earbuds have grown in popularity since Apple released its first-generation AirPods in December 2016. Since then, there has been a steady stream of alternatives making their way into showrooms online and off. Here are the best true wireless earbuds you can buy.
Luna Display by Astro HQ is available to the public starting today following their rather successful Kickstarter campaign. This cool accessory, as we noted in our preview, is a lag-free solution to turn your iPad into a secondary display for your Mac desktop or notebook.