MacRumors

Days before Apple is expected to announce its rebranded and revamped version of Beats Music at WWDC, the Cupertino company is still negotiating terms with music labels, reports Bloomberg. Last month, it was also reported that the two sides had not reached a deal.

The labels are pushing to get a larger chunk of revenue than they receive under their current deals with Spotify Ltd., a competing streaming service, people familiar with the negotiations said. Both sides want to complete a deal before Apple’s June 8 annual event in San Francisco for more than 5,000 developers, according to the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are continuing.

Currently, labels receive 55% of Spotify's $9.99 monthly rate while publishers take 15%. Music labels are hoping to take closer to 60% from Apple, according to the report. Previously, rumors have suggested that Apple was seeking an agreement that allow it to offer a streaming music service to customers for $7.99 a month rather than the standard $9.99 rate. However, Apple was forced to back down after record labels resisted the change.

Additionally, Apple has allegedly been urging music labels to cease offering licenses for freemium tiers that Spotify and other music services offer as the Cupertino company does not plan to offer a free tier with its new streaming service. These efforts have earned Apple scrutiny from government organizations like the European Commission and U.S. Department of Justice, as the two groups are said to be looking into Apple's negotiations.

It's likely Apple still plans to unveil its new streaming service at WWDC, as the two sides want to complete a deal before June 8's keynote address. The new Music app is said to include the rebranded streaming service, a revamped version of iTunes Radio and traditional downloaded music. Apple also plans to offer exclusive content, like behind-the-scenes video from recording sessions. Artists will also get their own pages where they can host videos, songs and other content for free as part of a program called Apple Connect, with Apple compensating the artists and labels for songs they give away.

Over the years, one of Samsung's major advertising tactics has involved comparing its devices to Apple's iPhones, attempting to point out shortcomings and feature flaws. As of today, Samsung's published two new videos that pit its Galaxy S6 Edge against the iPhone 6, highlighting the device's camera, wireless charging, and curved display.

In the first video, Samsung shows off the dual curved edge of the S6 Edge, which can be used to display information like incoming calls and notifications. "Oooh, check out the edge of the Galaxy S6 Edge," says the voiceover. "It displays colors when your top five contacts call. The edge of the iPhone 6 displays nothing. But it has a vibrate function."

Check it out, the S6 takes wider selfies that fit everybody. The iPhone 6... just cut off nana. Nana? When you do the math, it's clear. 6 is greater than 6.

Each of the videos follows up with Samsung's new tagline," 6 > 6," and they both end with the line "Not all smartphones are created equal." Samsung has a long history of mocking Apple products and Apple fans in its advertisements and commercials, so these newest anti-iPhone ads come as no surprise.

Since the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Samsung has seen a significant profit drop in its mobile division as some customers opted to switch from Samsung devices to larger-screened Apple devices. Before the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, large screen size was one of the major differentiating factors between the iPhone and the Galaxy line of smartphones, but now Samsung must distinguish its products in other ways.

According to Samsung, demand for the Galaxy S6 Edge has been high, and it expects its profits to increase now that its newest devices have been on the market for a few months.

Each year ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple puts up logos, signs, and banners across Moscone West in San Francisco, where the event is held. Decorations began going up on Tuesday, and work will continue throughout the weekend to prepare for Monday's keynote event.

As of this afternoon, Apple has finished placing two Apple logos on the outside windows of Moscone West, and yesterday, the first interior banner went up. The initial banner uses the same graphic design elements that are present on the company's WWDC 2015 website, along with the tagline "The epicenter of change."

The next interior banners to go up may give us some hints on what we can expect from OS X 10.11 and iOS 9, the two new operating systems that will be unveiled at WWDC. With OS X 10.10, we saw banners depicting Yosemite on the Friday before the event, so tomorrow's banners could divulge the name for OS X 10.11.

Apple's trademarked the names of several California landmarks and locations, and some of those names include Redwood, Big Sur, Pacific, Diablo, Miramar, El Cap, Monterey, and Sierra, among others.

We also expect to see iOS 9 banners going up in the near future, but those banners divulge less information because there's no associated name and Apple will keep signs that highlight upcoming features covered until after the keynote event. Decorations will also be added to sign posts, the Metreon across the street, and other locations as we approach the kickoff of the conference.

Along with details on iOS 9 and OS X 10.11, this year's keynote event will also see the debut of Apple's new streaming music service and a revamped version of iTunes Radio. The Apple Watch will be a major focus with the debut of native apps, and we may also see the introduction of a rewards program for Apple Pay.

Early rumors suggested Apple would debut its a new Apple TV set-top box and a new subscription television service at WWDC, but the two products are not ready to launch and will no longer be included in the event. For additional details on what to expect at WWDC, make sure to check out our WWDC roundup and our more in-depth roundups on iOS 9 and OS X 10.11.

Fortune has released its annual Fortune 500 list of the top U.S. corporations based on gross revenue, which together accounted for $12.5 trillion in revenues, $945 billion in profits and $17 trillion in market value. Apple maintained the 5th spot in the rankings for the second consecutive year after steadily rising from 6th place in 2013, 17th place in 2012, 35th place in 2011 and 56th place in 2010.

"After a bumpy start to 2014, Apple's stock finished the year up 40%, adding nearly $200 billion to the company's market value. A product pipeline that's gotten Apple fanboys lining up all over again has certainly helped reenergize revenue growth: In addition to unveiling new categories like Apple Pay and Apple Watch, the company launched the iPhone 6, selling a record-breaking 10 million units in the first three days. As CEO Tim Cook recently told investors: "It's tough to find something in the numbers not to like." The normally low-profile Cook is breaking new ground in other ways too—in October, 2014 he came out as the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company."

Fortune identified fast-growing iPhone and Mac sales and brand power as two of the company's key strengths, while citing declining iPad sales and high expectations from investors and consumers as weaknesses. The publication believes Apple's much-rumored streaming TV service presents an opportunity for the company, while Android and Chinese smartphone manufacturers remain threats.

Apple recorded operating revenue of $182.79 billion during the 2014 fiscal year, a 7% year-over-year increase. Walmart, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Berkshire Hathaway topped the list with between $194.6 and $485.6 billion revenue, although it's worth noting that Apple finished ahead of all four of those companies with $39.5 billion in profit and recently posted two record-breaking quarters.

Apple today announced that the Apple Watch will be available for purchase in Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Taiwan on Friday, June 26. The wrist-worn device will be sold through the Apple Store, Apple Online Store and select authorized resellers.

Apple also announced that it will begin selling select Apple Watch models through the Apple Store in two weeks, presumably including the United States and other first wave launch countries. Apple Watch orders have been taken exclusively online since the device launched in April.

“The response to Apple Watch has surpassed our expectations in every way, and we are thrilled to bring it to more customers around the world,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations. “We’re also making great progress with the backlog of Apple Watch orders, and we thank our customers for their patience. All orders placed through May, with the sole exception of Apple Watch 42 mm Space Black Stainless Steel with Space Black Link Bracelet, will ship to customers within two weeks. At that time, we’ll also begin selling some models in our Apple Retail Stores.”

A limited selection of Apple Watch models will be available at 10 Corso Como in Milan, BOONTHESHOP Cheongdam in Seoul and Malmaison by The Hour Glass in Singapore on June 26, just over two months after the device launched in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong and United Kingdom. A total of 16 countries will now sell the Apple Watch.

Despite early rumors suggesting Apple would introduce a redesigned Apple TV set-top box at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, it appears the device will not be ready to debut at that time. In a report covering what to expect at WWDC, The New York Times' Brian X. Chen writes that Apple has postponed its plans because the product is "not ready for prime time."

Yet one much ballyhooed device will be absent from the conference: a new Apple TV, Apple's set-top box for televisions. The company planned as recently as mid-May to use the event to spotlight new Apple TV hardware, along with an improved remote control and a tool kit for developers to make apps for the entertainment device. But those plans were postponed partly because the product was not ready for prime time, according to two people briefed on the product.

Apple has not introduced a revamped version of its Apple TV since 2012, leading to years of rumors and speculation about the company's plans for the device. Since 2013, nearly every Apple event has been targeted as the venue where we'll see a new version of the Apple TV, but no product has materialized as of yet.

According to the most recent rumors, Apple is currently working on a new version of the Apple TV that will include ambitious additions like a full App Store that supports apps and games, Siri support, and an SDK for developers. It is also said to include an A8 chip, an increase in internal storage, and a touch-based remote.

There is no word on when the Apple TV might debut, but it's possible that it could be introduced later this year alongside Apple's rumored subscription television service. Apple was said to be targeting a WWDC launch for its TV service, but those plans were also delayed as the necessary deals are not yet in place.

With its subscription television service and set-top box off the table for the Worldwide Developers Conference, the event will focus on iOS 9, OS X 10.11, and the company's new Beats-based streaming music service. The Apple Watch will also be a major focus, with Apple planning to debut native Apple Watch apps as shared by Jeff Williams last week.

Update: Re/code is also reporting that the Apple TV will not be introduced at WWDC.

Pebble's latest smart watch, the Pebble Time, has already begun shipping out to early Kickstarter backers, but customers receiving the device may not be able to use it with an iPhone because the accompanying Pebble Time Watch app has not yet been approved by Apple.

According to a Kickstarter update posted this afternoon, the Pebble Time app has been in limbo since May 22, spending more than two weeks going through Apple's app review process without approval.

The unreleased Pebble Time Watch app was first submitted to the App Store in early May, and approved on May 18. Pebble went on to push a bug fix for the app on May 22, requesting an expedited review from Apple, which was not granted. Pebble has also been unable to add Pebble Time support to its existing iPhone app because that app has been stuck in the reviewing process since April.

The Pebble Time iPhone app, as we've all noticed, is not yet live on the iTunes AppStore. It remains "in review." This unexpected circumstance pains us as much it does backers with watches ready to set up. We're doing all we can to mitigate the delay and make Pebble Time Watch for iPhone available for download.

We appreciate you hanging in there with us while we navigate this obstacle.

It is not clear why Apple has delayed approval of the two Pebble iPhone apps, and Pebble has not shared details on conversations it may have had with the company regarding the review process. It's possible Pebble has violated an App Store rule leading to the delay, but there's also the possibility that Apple has opted not to approve the app as it competes with the Apple Watch.

In April, navigation app SeaNav US was rejected for mentioning Pebble support in its App Store description, a violation of an App Store guideline that prevents apps from highlighting competing platforms. Other apps that mention Pebble support have been approved, however, and there are many Pebble-focused apps in the App Store.

In order to motivate Apple to approve its app, Pebble is asking its customers to contact Apple on its behalf, reaching out to Apple through the company's feedback system and through Twitter and Facebook. "Together, we can kindly express our desire to see the App Store #FreeOurPebbleTime with a speedy approval of Pebble Time Watch for iPhone, reads the blog post.

Update 12:08 PM 6/5: Pebble has updated its Kickstarter page to notify customers that Apple has now approved the Pebble Time Watch app. It should be rolling out to customers soon.

A new report from Variety today (via iClarified) suggests that Showtime's parent company CBS is putting the final touches on a standalone streaming service for the premium cable network, with rumors pointing to an official announcement either later today or sometime on Thursday.

Just like HBO NOW, the service would allow customers interested in Showtime to circumvent a traditional cable subscription and gain access to all of the network's shows and films for a single monthly fee. Variety says that CBS will reveal a partnership with Apple and the Apple TV that will be the exclusive home of the Showtime online-only service, similar to HBO NOW's initial exclusivity window on Apple TV and iOS devices. CBS still plans for other online partners to be announced in the future, according to "industry sources."

No name or price model was detailed yet for the Showtime service, but as pointed out by Variety, the move would fall in line with the company's announcement last fall of a $6 per month streaming service that presented access to the network's library of old and new shows. With Showtime cable subscriptions aligning closely with that of HBO, the new service would undoubtedly fall in the ballpark of HBO Now's $14.99 per month charge.

Update: As expected, Showtime has confirmed the streaming service will officially launch on July 12 for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV. The monthly service will run users $10.99 and simply be called "Showtime." The early July launch will also coincide with the new seasons of Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex.