Apple

U2’s “free” album download cost Apple $100 million, other projects with U2 on the way

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 12, 2014

As people continue to freak out over Apple’s forced iTunes download of U2’s new album titled “Songs of Innocence,” the New York Times newspaper has learned from sources that the value of the arrangement between the iPhone maker and the aging Irish rock band is in the ballpark of $100 million.

“To release U2’s album free, Apple paid the band and Universal an unspecified fee as a blanket royalty and committed to a marketing campaign for the band worth up to $100 million, according to several people briefed on the deal,” writes NYT.

And according to the band’s manager Guy Oseary, the Cupertino firm has other U2-backed music related projects in the works.

Yahoo adds native iPad UI to News Digest, weekly Katie Couric show and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

After launching its excellent news summarization app, News Digest, in the App Store back in January 2014, the Internet pioneer Yahoo on Friday refreshed the application with a native user interface on iPads and three new iPad-specific features.

First up, there's a brand new weekly video show available by Katie Couric. You'll recall that Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer recently hired the former “The Today Show” host as a global news anchor for Yahoo News.

Couric's show is premiering every Sunday to walk you through a significant story from the week before and give you “key context to get you in the know”. More on an extra news category and new alert timings right after the break.

Poll: which iPhone 6 are you?

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 12, 2014

Apple last midnight started accepting pre-orders for both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico and Singapore.

The handset is scheduled to start shipping to customers next Friday, a week from today, September 19.

Already reports are coming in that the 5.5-inch model is in short supply (as expected), with all iPhone 6 models said to be selling out across Germany and United Kingdom. Elsewhere, the sought-after device remains in high demand.

Unfortunately, accessibility and transactional issues with the Online Apple Store are persisting and spoiling the fun for some people: chances are you, too, had to jump through hoops before reserving yours. With that in mind, we'd want to learn which iPhone model, colorway and storage SKU ended up in your shopping basket.

So, which iPhone 6 did you buy?

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are now available for pre-order

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Following their unveilings on Tuesday, Apple has made both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus available for online pre-order. I want to be up front and say that I have not seen the online store (website) come back up yet, but myself and a number of readers/colleagues have managed to place orders through other avenues.

It seems like people are having the most success with the Apple Store app. It takes some patience, and maybe even a few tries, but that's how I placed my order, and was able to opt for in-store pickup. Otherwise, you can try your carrier's website—I see some folks on Twitter have had luck ordering with AT&T and Verizon.

Apple’s online store down ahead of iPhone 6 pre-orders

Cody Lee ∙ September 11, 2014

Apple has just taken its online store down, ahead of the pre-order launch for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Beginning at 12:01 am Pacific Time, or 3:01 am Eastern Time tomorrow, customers will be able to place pre-orders for both of the handsets.

Apple unveiled the 6 and 6 Plus at a major media event on Tuesday, announcing that both models have bigger screens than any other iPhone before them. The iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch display, and the iPhone 6 Plus has a larger 5.5-inch display.

Apple to allow in-store pickups for iPhone 6 pre-orders

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

It looks like Apple will be giving folks who pre-order the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus the option to pick up their devices in-store, rather than having to wait for them to be shipped to their houses. The retail iPhone page on Apple's website invites users to pre-order the new handset, and choose to "have it shipped to you for free, or pick it up in store."

Bicolor goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ September 11, 2014

Folks who missed the opportunity to grab Bicolor when it was offered for free in the Apple Store app will be happy to hear that it's gone on sale again. Apple is offering the popular game for free from now through next Thursday as part of its App of the Week promotion.

For those unfamiliar with the title, Bicolor is a deceptively-complex puzzler that tasks players with solving 240 handmade puzzles. In each level you must figure out how to draw a path with one color, and then cover it up with another using the right amount of moves.

iCloud Drive and Settings web apps go live on iCloud Beta, we go hands-on

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 11, 2014

As we count down the remaining days until the September 17 public release of iOS 8, Apple is busy updating a beta version of the iCloud web interface with a pair of newly-added web applications: iCloud Drive and Settings.

iCloud Drive is especially interesting as a web-based fronted for Apple's file-hosting service which can be accessed through a desktop web browser on any Internet-connected computer.

Though not as fully-featured as, say, Dropbox's web interface, iCloud Drive provides basic features to manage that cloud-based storage of yours, browse the file structure, as well as add, remove and download files.

Both web applications are available after logging in to beta.icloud.com.

Apple dispatching Greg Joswiak to speak at inaugural Code/Mobile conference next month

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 22, 2017

Greg Joswiak, Apple's Vice President of iPod, iPhone and iOS Product Marketing, will be speaking at the inaugural Code/Mobile conference next month, Re/code confirmed today.

“Joz,” as he is called by friends and colleagues, will be sharing details on Apple's latest product announcements, the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay and Apple Watch.

He's also expected to talk about iOS 8 and more.

EA confirms SimCity BuildIt coming to iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 11, 2014

Electronic Arts, the world's top games publisher, announced yesterday that it's readying SimCity BuildIt, the latest installment in the popular city-building franchise, for Apple's iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Once again, the game will task you with building a city of your dreams, with the choices you make evolving your city in a variety of ways.

“Meet your citizens’ needs to keep them happy, or make questionable choices and feel your citizens’ wrath,” the company wrote. Pricing and availability information will be publicized in due time.

Poll: will you pre-order or buy your iPhone 6 in store?

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 11, 2014

Apple will start accepting pre-orders for the newly-introduced iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus tomorrow, September 12, a full week before the device is scheduled to land on store shelves the next Friday, September 19.

Busy folks may opt to have their phones delivered to their doorsteps while others may prefer the excitement of launch day festivities and mingling with like-minded fans at one of Apple's brick and mortar stores.

Are you going to pre-order your iPhone 6 from the comfort or your home or will you waltz inside your nearest carrier or Apple Store on September 19 at 8am?

Concept imagines round Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

The Apple Watch has been long in the making so it doesn't come as a surprise that resident critics would scratch their head over its square design as soon as Apple took the wraps off the $349 device on Tuesday.

But what it the Apple Watch was round like the $249 Moto 360, sans Motorola's bezel chin at the bottom? That's precisely the kind of question that a set of gorgeous conceptual renderings designed and shared on Facebook by Alcion strive to answer.