News

Canada’s largest sport retailer is now selling Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2017

In what may be the first sport chain retailer to sell Apple Watch, Canada's Sport Check stores are now selling Apple Watch. Sport Check files as the country's largest sport retailer.

As first noted by PatentlyApple, the Apple Watch listing over at the official Sport Check website now has the latest Apple Watch Series 2 and Apple Watch Nike+ models on sale, in addition to the previous-generation Apple Watch hardware.

The new Sport Chek ads for Apple Watch began hitting the market last week.

It would seem that selling Apple Watch through specialized sport retailers may be a new thing. At any rate, we'll keep you informed if the Cupertino company expands this latest initiative to sport retail chains elsewhere.

iFixit gives Surface Laptop repairability score 0/10: “It’s a glue-filled monstrosity”

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2017

Microsoft's Surface Book notebook/tablet hybrid from a couple of years ago scored a 1/10 rating on iFixit's repairability scale, but the company's new $999 Surface Laptop, introduced in May, scores even worse: 0/10. According to the repair experts over at iFixit, a teardown analysis of Microsoft Laptop has found an utterly unrepairable device.

“It’s a Russian nesting doll from hell with everything hidden under adhesive and plastic spot welds,” wrote iFixit. “It is physically impossible to nondestructively open this device.”

Not only are there no screws holding the case together, meaning prying apart the Alcantara fabric damages it permanently, but the internals are glued down as well, including the keyboard, the motherboard and even the battery, which is glued directly to the case.

Speaking of which, the battery was boosted from a two-cell 38.2 Wh battery to a four-cell 45 Wh one, a nearly 18 percent increase in battery capacity over the previous model. To squeeze in a bigger battery, Microsoft's engineers have ditched the removable blade SSD.

“Good luck if you need to recover your data from a bricked device,” warns iFixit.

According to iFixit:

Verdict: The Surface Laptop is not a laptop. It’s a glue-filled monstrosity. There is nothing about it that is upgradable or long-lasting, and it literally can’t be opened without destroying it. (Show us the procedure, Microsoft, we’d love to be wrong.)

The device's redesigned passive cooling and a four-armed “beast of a heat sink” allow Intel's Core i5 to run fanless. iFixit has also determined that Alcantara, the fabric used on the keyboard, is not “as stinky as rumors claim,” but cautions that the material looks liable to get nasty once your hands start sweating all over it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAI6yIZI3rg

Bottom line: no matter how hard you try, you’ll never be able to fix or change the components because Surface Laptop is totally unrepairable and non-upgradable.

Facebook bankrolling creation of its own video series, due later this year

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 16, 2017

Facebook has been hosting user-uploaded videos for a few years now, but the uploaded clips haven't generated enough advertising revenue to treat the social network as a primary distribution outlet for premium video entertainment.

To revert that trend, Facebook has started to bankroll the creation of its own video series that'll appear later this year via a new Video tab (also called Spotlight) that hasn’t been released yet.

A second tab is also in the works, devoted to the “more high-end programming”.

To help boost the initiative, the company has hired Ricky Van Veen, co-founder of comedy site College Humor, Netflix executive Sarah Madigan to acquire video programs and former MTV executive Mina Lefevre to oversee the development of new shows.

According to Bloomberg, the company “is closing deals” for its first batch of shows, including reality competition series “Last State Standing” and a second season of comedy “Loosely Exactly Nicole,” which first appeared on MTV.

Plus, the company is said to fund some exclusive “hero” shows with six-figure budgets: it's reportedly willing to spend a couple hundred thousand dollars per episode.

An excerpt from the report:

Facebook is funding two kinds of programs -- a handful of more expensive series from established TV producers that will take a few months to produce (hero shows, they are called) and a bunch of shorter, cheaper videos from publishers like Vox Media Inc. and BuzzFeed Inc. (called spotlight shows). All shows will be episodic and designed to spur conversation among Facebook users.

Facebook is giving publishers a minimum guarantee of $10,000 to $20,000 per spotlight show episode. After Facebook's exclusive rights end, the videos can be made available elsewhere. The company will share ad revenue with the publishers, who can start to sell their own advertisements “after a brief period”.

Rather than compete directly with paid services like Netflix, HBO and Showtime, Facebook is targeting cable networks and ad-driven online services with young viewers in an effort to grab a slice of the massive $70 billion TV advertising market pie.

As per The Wall Street Journal, Facebook is paying pro video game teams and others in the eSports industry to broadcast on its service. The hope for Facebook is that funding video will prompt production firms and studios to upload premium video that could be monetized.

But make no mistake, Facebook's end game is to “eclipse TV,” according to Matthew Segal, chief executive officer of ATTN, a digital media company that publishes video to Facebook.

“Not only do nearly 100 percent of people under 35 have an account, but they are spending over 1,000 minutes a month on Facebook,” said ATTN’s Segal.

Apple, too, is setting its sights on original video programming.

Earlier today, news broke that Sony Pictures Television presidents Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht are joining Apple to help accelerate its push into original programming. Earlier this month, Apple began airing “Planet of the Apps” to all Apple Music members via the Music app's new TV & Movies section found under the Browse tab.

New Charitybuzz auction offers lunch date at Apple Park with Eddy Cue

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 16, 2017

Not to be outdone by his boss Tim Cook’s fifth auction with Charitybuzz, Eddy Cue just put himself up for auction.

Bids in support of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri can be placed until June 28 at 12:00pm Pacific Time. The winning bidder will have a private lunch with Cue at Apple Park, the iPhone maker's massive new headquarters in Cupertino, California.

The expected cost of the meal is $50,000. At post time, sixteen bids were entered with the most recent bid at a cool $120,000.

“Here’s your chance to have lunch with Eddy Cue at the stunning new 175-acre Apple headquarters in Cupertino, CA, where you will learn more about Apple's industry-leading content stores and online services,” reads the website.

Although the lunch does not include a tour of Apple Park and photography is not permitted, the winning bidder will have “a rare opportunity to see Apple Park and engage in a one-on-one, in-depth conversation with one of the most innovative business minds of our generation.”

The lunch is valid for two people. Cost of the meal is included, but travel and accommodations are not. The experience cannot be resold or re-auctioned. Tim Cook's recent Apple Park lunch and meeting auction raised an incredible $680,000.

Apple Park is located in Cupertino, California, 43 miles outside San Francisco and 10 miles from San Jose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOkAaOTXmTI

As Senior Vice President of Apple's Internet Software and Services, Cue oversees Apple Music, iTunes Store and Apple’s other content stores, as well as Apple Pay, Siri, Maps, iAd, iCloud services and the company’s productivity and creativity apps.

Cue, 52, earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Economics from Duke university. He joined Apple in 1989, where he played a key role in developing the company’s award-winning iLife suite of applications.

Another supplier breaks silence: iPhone 8 could be unveiled in September and ship in October

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 16, 2017

Finisar, one of the the world's largest suppliers of optical communication products, told investors on an earnings call that it expects one company, without mentioning Apple by name, to account for millions of units of a specialized laser for depth-mapping.

Finisar is not on Apple's official list of suppliers.

Loup Ventures believes Apple is that unnamed customer. Based on Finisar's comment, Loup expects the next iPhone to be announced in September and ship in October, Axios reported.

Known as VCSEL, which is an acronym for “vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser”, Finisar's specialized sensor is basically a semiconductor-based laser diode that emits a highly efficient optical beam vertically from its top surface.

Lumentum, another supplier, said in May it would kick off volume shipments of the same type of laser in the second half of the year. Aside from Lumentum and Finisar, 3D sensors for the OLED-based iPhone 8 models should also be built by Himax Technologies, Barrons learned.

iPhone 8's highly anticipated 3D and AR features may be based on an advanced motion and depth-sensing technology from Israeli startup PrimeSense, which was acquired by the Cupertino firm in November 2013 for a reported $345 million.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted in February that iPhone 8 would ship with an enhanced camera outfitted with laser sensors to support capabilities like 3D selfies, accurate depth mapping, 3D modeling, advanced biometrics and augmented reality features.

iPhone 8 will supplement its FaceTime camera's standard RGB CMOS sensor with a pair of infrared transmitting/receiving modules and a custom 1.4-megapixel sensor capable of detecting changes in light signals, allowing it to sense depth, as per KGI.

At its Worldwide Developers Conference last week, Apple unveiled ARKit, a new framework for developers to help them bring augmented reality experiences to their iPhone and iPad apps.

Augmented reality applications typically display real-world images underneath a computer-generated layer of information, thus augmenting the real world.

iPhone 7 Plus dual-lens supplier Largan Precision publicly confirmed a few days ago that it would start shipping lenses for a 3D-sensing module to be “used in a smartphone ready to ship in the second half this year”.

Image: Alasdair Coull, head of Peter Jackson's Wingnut AR, shows a demo at WWDC 2017 of an upcoming augmented reality game built on Apple's new ARKit framework.

Microsoft’s new Modern Keyboard is the Touch ID-enabled keyboard we wish Apple had made

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 16, 2017

Windows giant Microsoft today unveiled a nicely designed wireless keyboard with a built-in fingerprint sensor located between the Alt and Ctrl keys, as reported by Engadget.

Dubbed Modern Keyboard and priced at $129.99, the accessory lets users unlock their Windows 10 devices with a finger press using Windows Hello.

The dedicated Fingerprint ID key was designed to blend seamlessly so it would appear to be any other key, said Microsoft. The keyboard supports both wired connections via USB and wireless connections via the low-energy Bluetooth 4.0/4.1 standard.

Although Modern Keyboard can be paired with any device via Bluetooth, fingerprint scanning does not work on iOS and macOS due to the lack of a dedicated Secure Enclave chip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDpGtDzAw4I

Featuring slim, low-profile design and a robust aluminum-clade frame, Modern Keyboard is “heavy and virtually indestructible”, according to Microsoft.

Like Apple's Magic Keyboard, Modern Keyboard sports a built-in rechargeable battery with up to two months on full charge and provides seamless Bluetooth paring experience, with automatic pairing when first connected to a computer via a cable.

Microsoft also unveiled a brand new mouse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eI0klTsqnA

Called Modern Mouse and priced at $49.99, it has an aluminum body and a metal scroll wheel.

The device looks visually similar to Modern Keyboard to match Microsoft's Surface styling. Unfortunately, it uses AAA batteries with up to 12 months of run time on a single charge, not a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

Furthermore, Modern Mouse is not compatible with macOS.

Both Modern Keyboard and Modern Mouse are listed as “coming soon” on Microsoft Store.

Apple currently sells an extended keyboard with a numeric pad that can be used in either wired or wireless mode. However, the company has yet to make a standalone keyboard with a built-in Touch ID sensor.

Amazon to acquire Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 16, 2017

Online retail giant Amazon just made a major retail move by announcing it's acquiring organic grocer Whole Foods Market for $42 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $13.7 billion.

Whole Foods Market in April reported its sixth consecutive quarter of declining sales. The supermarket chain focuses on organic foods without artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats.

The deal, subject to customary closing conditions, should be completed during the second half of this year. The acquisition includes Whole Foods Market’s net debt as well.

Whole Foods Market stores and brand will live on and John Mackey will remain the company's CEO. Whole Foods Market’s headquarters will stay in Austin, Texas.

Jeff Bezons, Amazon's founder and chief executive, said:

Millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it fun to eat healthy. Whole Foods Market has been satisfying, delighting and nourishing customers for nearly four decades—they’re doing an amazing job and we want that to continue.

As Statista noted, the move gives Amazon almost as many stores as Apple: Whole Foods currently has 456 stores worldwide versus 496 Apple Stores across 21 countries.

The online retailer entered the grocery market in 2007 with the launch of AmazonFresh. In other words, Whole Food products will be available for online ordering through AmazonFresh.

Whole Foods Market is the United States' first certified organic grocer. The company is ranked #28 on Fortune’s list of World’s Most Admired Companies for 2017.

WikiLeaks: CIA has been hacking wireless routers for years

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 16, 2017

A new batch of confidential “Vault 7” documents, leaked by the non-profit whistleblower organization WikiLeaks, has revealed that the United States Central Intelligence Agency has been hacking routers from major brands for years, turning them into surveillance devices.

The reported "Cherry Blossom" tool can modify a router's firmware without a victim's knowledge, giving the attacker a wide range of capabilities like eavesdropping on network traffic, gathering passwords, scanning for email addresses and phone numbers and more.

The attacker even has the power to redirect an unsuspecting user to a particular website, including government-created webpages used for phishing purposes.

Once infected, the backdoor remains functional even after a router is updated to a newer firmware version, so long as it has not changed its underlying hardware or operating system.

The hack cannot be deployed remotely. Instead, the CIA can install it on a target router using its Claymore tool or by side-loading a compromised firmware using supply chain tactics (intercepting the target device between the factory and the end user).

ZDNet reports that the documents reveal that the “Cherry Blossom” hack supports more than two-dozen router models from major manufacturers.

Among the compromised router brands are the devices from Asus, Belkin, Buffalo, Dell, Dlink, Linksys, Motorola, Netgear, Senao and US Robotics. However, Apple's AirPort devices don't seem to be among them, but the fact they're not listed doesn't mean that the CIA hasn't hacked Time Capsule and AirPort devices.

Apple hires two longtime Sony Pictures Television executives to lead original video programming

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 16, 2017

Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg are joining Apple from Sony Pictures Television, the Cupertino giant announced Friday.

In their new Apple role, Erlicht and Van Amburg will be tasked with overseeing all aspects of Apple's video programming, including its video programming worldwide.

Variety says Sony hasn't named their replacement and it's unclear if the studio has an internal successor ready to take the helm of the production unit that is crucial to its bottom line.

Jamie Erlicht was quoted in Apple's press release as saying the following:

It will be an honor to be part of the Apple team. We want to bring to video what Apple has been so successful with in their other services and consumer products—unparalleled quality.

Zack Van Amburg added:

Apple has a relentless focus on delighting customers with their products. We will bring that same intention to Apple’s programming and we could not be more excited about what lies ahead.

Reporting to Eddy Cue, Apple's Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, the two executives have extensive expertise producing television for global audiences and creating programming for video services like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix.

Cue was quoted as saying:

Jamie and Zack are two of the most talented TV executives in the world and have been instrumental in making this the golden age of television. We have exciting plans in store for customers and can’t wait for them to bring their expertise to Apple—there is much more to come.

Both executives were longtime presidents of Sony Pictures Television since 2005, helping produce hit shows like “Breaking Bad”, “Better Call Saul”, “The Crown”, “Rescue Me” and more.

Their shows won 36 Emmys and dozens of Golden Globes, AFI and WGA awards.

Google prepping new app for backing up your Mac to Drive

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 15, 2017

Are you a fan of Drive, the search giant's cloud-storage service? If so, a new app from Google will soon let you back up any folder(s) on your computer to Drive and keep them in sync.

This is welcome news because Drive's current desktop client does not allow for selective sync of any folders that don't live inside of the Google Drive folder on your Mac or Windows PC.

The forthcoming Backup and Sync app is better integrated with your computer than the existing client and will replace it on Wednesday, June 28.

According to the search firm, Backup and Sync is intended to “help everyday users back up files and photos from their computers, so they’re safe and accessible from anywhere”.

As mentioned, you'll be able to continually back up any items found in custom folders on your computer, like the Desktop, Photos, Documents and so forth.

Backup and Sync will replace Google's existing desktop uploader for Photos, too.

Basically, you could use the new app to back up and sync your entire Mac account's home folder to Drive and use Google's powerful search engine via Drive's web interface to quickly identify that needle in the haystack you were looking for.

However, you'll probably need to upgrade your cloud storage to keep your Mac safely backed up to Drive. Each Google account gets 15GB of free Drive storage versus Apple's 5GB free tier.

If you need more storage, you can upgrade to one of the paid Drive tiers:

100GB for $1.99 per month 1TB for $9.99 per month 10TB for $99.99 per month

And here are Apple's recently refreshed iCloud storage upgrades:

50GB for $0.99 per month 200GB for $2.99 per month 2TB for $9.99 per month

Google Drive for Mac and Windows is available via google.com/drive/download.

Google Drive for iPhone and iPad is a free download from App Store.

Do you use Google Drive? If so, are you looking forward to backing up your Mac to the Google cloud? If not, what's your preferred online service for storing files, documents and other data?

Tell us in comments!

IBM’s new Garage initiative aims to accelerate development of iOS enterprise apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 15, 2017

Building upon the Apple-IBM enterprise mobility partnership established three years ago, Big Blue (that's a nickname for IBM) today announced a new initiative to help accelerate the development of MobileFirst enterprise apps for iPhone and iPad.

Upcoming app development studios, called Garages, will soon go online in Shanghai, China and Bucharest, Romania, in addition to IBM's existing MobileFirst for iOS studio in Bangalore, India.

IBM's other app studios and Garages can be found in US cities Atlanta, Cupertino, Toronto and Chicago. Plus, the company has committed to establishing new app studios in Shanghai, China and Bucharest, Romania. Lastly, mobile enterprise apps designed by IBM can now be embedded with the cognitive capabilities of its Watson cognitive system.

Bridget van Kralingen, Senior Vice President, IBM Industry Platforms, said:

Four years ago, we made enterprise mobility a reality, and we’ve seen how transformative mobile can be. Today, companies are now reigning in mobile faster than ever, creating a critical need for powerful innovations that will reinvent how they do business. We’re combining the power of mobile with cognitive and analytics to continue to push the market forward.

IBM has officially named some of the clients adopting iOS enterprise apps for their own employees, such as Lufthansa Group, City Furniture, Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines.

Since its introduction three years ago, the partnership between Apple and IBM has resulted in several billion dollars in signings with more than 3,800 client engagements supported by market-ready and custom iOS apps designed for professions across all industries, including store associates, flight attendants and field technicians.

watchOS 4 celebrates your birthday with animated balloons

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 15, 2017

A new, previously unseen feature in watchOS 4 will shower your watch face with animated balloons on the day of your birthday. Stumbled upon by MacRumors forum member “mrToasty”, the celebratory animation is visually similar to the similar fullscreen animation that's available in the Messages app on iOS 10 or later.

The user posted an accompany video to show off the celebratory effect in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdLlN1oEfqI

You will receive a “Happy Birthday!” notification on your Apple Watch on the day of your birthday, as determined by your birth date in your Apple ID. Tapping the notification will shower your current watch face with celebratory balloons, as evidenced by the video embedded above.

How do you like this neat feature of watchOS 4?

Tell us in comments!