For $24.99 per year, or about two dollars per month, iTunes Match keeps all of your music in iCloud so you can access any song at any time from any device instead of picking and downloading your favorite playlists every time you sync your device. Plus, Apple will provide you with high quality playback using 256 Kbps AAC DRM free versions of your music, even if your original copy was lower quality.
Some users may not be entirely familiar with how the service works, so we've put together this tutorial that explains the process of how to subscribe to and use iTunes Match on your computer and iOS devices.
How iTunes Match Works
In November 2011, Apple released iTunes Match in the United States, gradually expanding availability over time and now offering the subscription service in over 115 countries. The service is designed to let you store up to 25,000 songs in iCloud that can be accessed from any Apple device at any time. Music you have purchased through the iTunes Store does not count against your maximum capacity.
Every song that you've added to your music library in iTunes via CD or digital download, including music from the iTunes Store or another source, can be stored in iTunes Match.
Once you have subscribed to the service, iTunes determines which songs in your collection are available in the iTunes Store, and those songs are automatically added to iCloud. Songs that don’t exist in the iTunes Store already are uploaded to iCloud from your computer. Once songs are made available via iCloud, you can play back music on any device that your Apple ID is connected to. Up to 10 devices are supported.
On a PC or Mac, music is streamed over the air, although you can download songs to your computer by selecting the iCloud download button. On iOS, songs download to your device as they are played, and you can also manually download music by tapping the iCloud download button. You can only stream songs on Apple TV.
After we published our review of the ClamCase Pro keyboard for the iPad Air 2, some of our readers suggested that we take a look at other iPad keyboards available on the market. We decided to take MacRumors readers up on that suggestion, and over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at several keyboards designed for Apple's newest tablet, the iPad Air 2.
We're kicking things off with a review of the BrydgeAir keyboard, which is able to work with both the original iPad Air and the iPad Air 2. Much like the ClamCase Pro we previously looked at, the all-aluminum BrydgeAir is designed to turn the iPad into a miniature MacBook.
At $169, the BrydgeAir is one of the more expensive iPad keyboards on the market, but that price point comes with some perks not found in many cheaper options -- quality aluminum construction, a fluid 180 degree hinge, built-in dual stereo speakers, and backlit keys.
Images of what appear to be a mockup version of the upcoming larger-screened "iPad Pro" depict either a secondary Lightning port or a USB-C port on one side of the device, suggesting it could potentially have multiple methods of charging and/or the ability to support accessories like keyboards and mice. The pictures, which show the mystery port, a headphone jack/speakers, and the camera, originated on microblogging site Sina Weibo and were shared by Italian site HDBlog.
Case manufacturers and other accessory makers often create dummy models of upcoming Apple devices to get an early start on the development process, and the tablet pictured in the photos is likely one of these mockups. Most of these models are based on rumors and leaked schematics, and while they're frequently accurate, there have been errors in dummy models for past devices.
The port on the left side of the device in the images does line up with a previously leaked iPad Pro case that had an opening on the left side believed to be for a SIM card tray, but the presence of a side port was not seen in schematics shared by Japanese magazine Mac Fan last November. Those schematics may have been inaccurate or out of date, as rumors have suggested Apple is still working on ironing out the tablet's features ahead of its release.
Given the design similarities between a Lightning port and a USB-C port, it is not entirely clear what function the extra port serves, but a recent rumor from The Wall Street Journal pointed towards the the possible inclusion of USB 3.0 ports on the iPad Pro, potentially allowing the device to connect to a keyboard or mouse.
Aside from the Lightning port, the other images shared on Weibo show a rear camera with light sensor and microphone, and a headphone jack adjacent to a row of speakers. Rumors have suggested the iPad Pro will have speakers and microphones at the top and bottom edges of the device for a stereo audio experience.
Aside from its larger size and tweaked design elements to accommodate new features, the iPad Pro is said to look similar to the existing iPad Air and iPad mini. It's rumored to have a high-resolution display between 12.2 and 12.9 inches, an A8X processor, 2GB RAM, and Touch ID. It may also support an optional stylus accessory.
Apple may be targeting a September 2015 production timeline for the tablet, so it may come alongside new iPad Air and iPad mini models this fall.
Update: We've received word that these images were originally shared by Dutch site vandaagapple.nl [Google Translate] in February.
Chinese parts supplier Future Supplier (via Nowhereelse.fr) has posted leaked images of what it believes could be the rear shell for the so-called "iPhone 6c." The rear housing looks similar to the plastic iPhone 5c, with two notable differences being a pill-shaped LED flash cutout and two rows of speaker grilles on the bottom of the smartphone. The size of the rear shell indicates that the device's screen size could fall within the 4-inch range.
The pill-shaped LED flash design and two rows of speaker grilles are also found on the iPhone 5s, indicating that the iPhone 6c could have the same internals as the two-generation-old smartphone with a plastic shell. The smartphone would likely be positioned at the low end of the iPhone lineup as Apple's free smartphone, alongside the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and next-generation iPhones released later this year.
Apple did not refresh the iPhone 5c when it launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last year, leading to speculation that the plastic smartphone might be discontinued from the smartphone lineup. Last week, however, it was reported that Apple is planning to release three new iPhones later this year, including the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and 4-inch iPhone 6c.
With just under a month until the April 24 launch date of the Apple Watch, internationally renowned Nanoblock artist Christopher Tan has re-created the Apple Watch in block form in anticipation of the wearable's release next month.
As Tan notes, the sculpture is a 2.6x scale model of the 42mm Apple Watch created from over 800 pieces of Nanoblock, which is a popular building block product in Japan, akin to LEGO. Tan says he's "been a long-time Apple fan" and is "eagerly anticipating the Apple Watch."
Tan has been creating Apple-related Nanoblock structures for a while now, last year debuting a 2,000-piece structure of the Fifth Avenue Apple Store, complete with the iconic glass cube entrance and descending spiral staircase. Tan's creations have earned him spreads in magazines and even award recognition in the Nanoblock company's own spotlight of the best creations and creators using the product.
Check out the rest of Tan's Nanoblock creations on his blog.
Apple has expanded its Reuse and Recycling Program in the United States, Canada and several European countries to cover eligible Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone smartphones. The new trade-in program is available online and in-store and provides customers with the option to mail in eligible non-Apple smartphones, including certain Samsung, HTC, LG, Nokia, Sony and BlackBerry models, for credit in the form of an Apple Store gift card or bank transfer.
The smartphone trade-in program has gone live in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany and Canada in partnership with third-party device buyback and trade-in company Brightstar. Apple is also accepting various PC models by certain manufacturers as part of its expanded Reuse and Recycling Program, handled by third-party vendor Dataserv.
Apple confirms new trade-in program is up and running today in US, UK, Canada, France, Germany and Italy.
— John Paczkowski (@JohnPaczkowski) March 30, 2015
Apple's Reuse and Recycling Program launched in August 2013 and was previously limited to trading in qualifying iPhones, iPads and Macs for immediate credit towards the purchase of a new Apple device. Apple also offers a traditional recycling program for disposing of devices such as iPhones, iPads, Macs and other smartphones and computers that are no longer eligible for trade in.
As Apple and other companies create products capable of providing more and more detailed health-related information, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided to give the companies creating these devices breathing room to manufacture the devices free, for the most part, from the scrutiny of the agency (via Bloomberg Business).
The FDA's associate director for digital health, Bakul Patel, noted that while the agency will be more lenient on devices aimed at simply improving the lifestyle of its customers, more health-invasive features, like a glucose monitor app on the Apple Watch, will continue to be reviewed by the FDA.
"We are taking a very light touch, an almost hands-off approach," Patel, the FDA's associate director for digital health, said in an interview. "If you have technology that's going to motivate a person to stay healthy, that's not something we want to be engaged in."
The rule of thumb released in a few guidelines by the agency highlight that the FDA's focus will be on devices and software that are attempting to replicate, or mimic, the functionality of a medical service or device. Basic heart-rate and step-counting aspects of these wrist-worn devices will receive little-to-no regulation from the FDA.
Marketing will also be a factor for the agency, according to Patel. If a company is attempting to promote a product as being able to assist doctors in making medical decisions, "it will require more oversight." This is a concern not aimed currently at Apple's own Apple Watch and HealthKit, due to both's minimally invasive health-related functionality, but could become a concern in the future as Tim Cook himself echoed hopes of both platforms helping to pinpoint diseases and cancers in the near future.
"We have to be confident in what we are getting," Patel said. "The trajectory is there and all signals are headed that way, but by the same token the research and science should get us that confidence. It boils down to will it work or not."
"The FDA has a role to play for providing patients and consumers a level of confidence that they can use it," he said.
With a focus "only on the higher end of technology", Patel notes that the agency asks itself what kind of harm a user may face if the product fails, and uses that answer as a springboard into regulation of the product as a whole. The new laid-back angle is in stark opposition of how the tech world views the FDA, with most startups listing regulation by the agency as one of the biggest risks to a business "even when scrutiny is unlikely." Patel, and the FDA, knows of the issue and plans to hire new staff in assisting to "improve relations with technology companies" in the future.
Although the FDA's new lax approach to basic fitness-tracking will give companies more room to operate on their own terms, as technology for the smart wearables category moves forward, we'll no doubt see more and more glucose- and blood pressure-tracking applications in the future. Apple itself has met with the FDA severaltimes in the past few years, with most recent discussions centering around the functions and regulations of the Apple Watch.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has called recent "religious freedom" legislation passed in Indiana and Arkansas "very dangerous" in a public op-ed letter published by The Washington Post. Cook argues that there are nearly 100 pro-discrimination bills in the United States that "go against the very principles" the country was founded on and "have the potential to undo decades of progress towards greater equality."
Cook's letter comes in response to Indiana governor Mike Pence passing the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act last week, following intense opposition from opponents that believe the bill supports discrimination, particularly against gays and lesbians. The bill, based on the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, takes effect July 1st.
"America’s business community recognized a long time ago that discrimination, in all its forms, is bad for business," said Cook. "At Apple, we are in business to empower and enrich our customers’ lives. We strive to do business in a way that is just and fair. That’s why, on behalf of Apple, I’m standing up to oppose this new wave of legislation — wherever it emerges. I’m writing in the hopes that many more will join this movement. From North Carolina to Nevada, these bills under consideration truly will hurt jobs, growth and the economic vibrancy of parts of the country where a 21st-century economy was once welcomed with open arms."
Cook believes that the recently passed legislation in Indiana and Arkansas, and similar bills being considered in other states, draw comparisons to the days of segregation in the United States, adding that Apple will never tolerate discrimination regardless of the laws passed. "This isn’t a political issue. It isn’t a religious issue," he said. "This is about how we treat each other as human beings."
"Our message, to people around the country and around the world, is this: Apple is open. Open to everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love. Regardless of what the law might allow in Indiana or Arkansas, we will never tolerate discrimination."
Cook tweeted last week that Apple is "open for everyone" and "deeply disappointed in Indiana's new law," calling on Arkansas to veto its similar HB1228 bill. Indiana has received a lot of backlash for signing the bill, with several organizations and companies throughout the United States vowing to stop supporting the state.
Around the world, we strive to treat every customer the same — regardless of where they come from, how they worship or who they love.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 27, 2015
Cook has remained committed to equality in the workplace as chief executive at Apple. In November 2013, he publicly supported the U.S. Employment Nondiscrimination Act, legislation proposed to prohibit many civilian, nonreligious employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity for the purposes of hiring or other employment practices.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
The Apple Watch will be available for in store previews and Try-On appointments starting on April 10th. The Apple Watch comes in a variety of sizes, colors, and band-types which can make the decision of how to pick a band and Apple Watch combination complicated.
Apple has a number of recommended combinations highlighted on their online store, but also sells bands separately, allowing customers to potentially mix and match between the various Apple Watches and bands. Some combinations could yield a mix of materials that readers feared may not look natural together, such as an aluminum Apple Watch Sport and a stainless steel accented band. The stainless steel Apple Watch is the most cosmetically versatile but carries a $200 premium over the aluminum Apple Watch Sport.
Apple, however, will not allow customers to try arbitrary mix and match options during their Apple Watch Try-On appointments, presumably in the interest of time and simplicity. According to retail training materials MacRumors received, Apple specifically states that they "will not size links or swap bands" at the Try-on table or Try-on cases. Try-on appointments for non-Edition Apple Watches are meant to last only 5-15 minutes. Apple will have 18 specific Apple Watch combinations on display at their Try-On tables and 10 specific combinations at their Try-On cases.
Apple Watch pre-sales and try-on appointments start on April 10th, and the official launch of the Apple Watch is April 24th.
As the Apple Watch launch approaches, details have been leaking out about how Apple will be handling sales of their new device. According to leaked Apple documentation, the company will not be selling the Apple Watch to walk-in customers at launch.
Apple will begin offering online pre-sales of the Apple Watch starting on April 10th, with the first deliveries occurring on April 24th, the official Apple Watch launch date. During those two weeks, customers will be able to have hands-on "try-on" appointments at Apple retail stores in order to help make up their mind.
However, according to training documents that MacRumors has received, Apple is not allowing any walk-in retail purchases for the Apple Watch at launch. Instead customers must make an online "Product Reservation" to hold a specific Apple Watch model at a retail store. This new "Product Reservation" system is used instead of Apple's "Personal Pickup" system for Apple Watches. Apple's retail training documents indicate that "If a customer walks in and wants to purchase a watch, offer the option to try on a watch. Then help them place an order online or through the Apple Store app."
Apple seems to expect low inventory for the Apple Watches, and notes that "try-on" appointments also do not reserve a specific Apple Watch for purchase. Apple expects to eventually allow walk-in purchases, but not until the initial wave of demand has passed.
Earlier this month, Apple began inviting a select number of developers to an Apple Watch development lab in Sunnyvale, California, located near the company's main Cupertino campus. Developers were invited to reserve a testing appointment to test their Apple Watch apps on actual Apple Watch devices to get ready for the device's April 24 launch.
One of the developers who had a chance to visit Apple's WatchKit lab and get hands-on time with the Apple Watch shared his testing experience with MacRumors and gave us some of his thoughts on the device after spending all day using it.
Apple maintained strict control over the Apple Watches that developers were allowed to use for testing. Security guards were on hand, and developers were not allowed into the room until receiving a badge, which had to be worn at all times. Entering into the lab was done through two doorways, each of which was locked and could only be opened via an electronic keycard.
Developers had to cover their cameras and leave their bags on shelves, and they were not allowed to pair the Apple Watch with their own iPhones. No one was allowed to go to the bathroom or run out for coffee until they let Apple's security see their wrists to prove they weren't leaving with a watch.
Apple has used similar tight security when bringing the Apple Watch on location to be featured in magazines as well, and it's clear they're making sure none of these devices leak out ahead of April 24.
In the lab, there were 5 rows of long tables, and approximately 10 developers could fit at each table. Apple had five engineers on hand to help developers put the finishing touches on their apps, and all of the engineers in the room were described as helpful and insightful. It's still not clear what criteria Apple used to decide which developers to invite to Sunnyvale, but a lot of major app developers were there, as were teams from various startups and bigger companies.
Developers were given 42mm Apple Watch Sport models to test their apps with, and 38mm models were only supplied upon request. The developer we spoke to thought the Sport models were "extremely light" and did not look tacky or cheesy. He also thought that the 42mm Apple Watch was the ideal size, neither too big nor too small. The extra 4mm of screen size made a big difference when it came to reading text on the device, and he thought that people who used the Apple Watch for long periods of time might better appreciate the larger screen.
The design and the feel of the watch were described as "absolutely amazing" and software was described as "fluid" and not like other smart watches available on the market. "Animations on the Apple Watch are really what separate it from its competitors," he said. Handoff works very well, letting users transfer tasks from the Apple Watch to the iPhone with ease, and Siri's functionality was described as "absolutely phenomenal."
He also shared a bit of information about battery life. Wearing the watch all day, he used it regularly to send messages and test his app, and he said the watch battery lasted all day with some to spare. He was really impressed and said, "When Apple says all day battery life, they mean it."
Overall, the developer that we spoke with thought his time at the Apple WatchKit lab was an "inspirational experience" and in his opinion, Apple is on the right track with the Apple Watch.
Apple has heavily guarded the Apple Watch thus far, but two weeks from today, the general public will be able to see the device in person and test it out after Apple begins its in-store try-on period. The company will let people schedule 15 minute appointments beginning on April 10, which is also the day that Apple Watch pre-orders will begin.
The Apple Watch will officially launch on April 24, but pre-orders are recommended because supplies may be constrained.
Deals continue to be good this week, with Best Buy offering deep discounts on a few iPad Air 2 models and iPad mini 2 models. B&H Photo is discounting some of the new MacBook Air models by $50, and there continue to be steep discounts on older MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models.
We've got quite a few Mac-oriented Apple accessories available at a discount this week, including a backup battery pack and SD card storage. We've even got deals on Apple Watch accessories -- Casetify is offering discounts on its custom Apple Watch band pre-orders.
iPad Air 2
Best Buy is still offering the lowest prices we've seen on a few select iPad Air 2 models. The 16GB Cellular iPad Air 2 in silver is available for $499.99, $130 off its regular price. The 64GB Cellular iPad Air 2 in silver is available for $599.99, $130 off. The 128GB Cellular iPad Air 2 in silver is priced at $699.99, also a $130 discount.
Best Buy is also discounting cellular versions of its iPad Air stock, dropping the price on the 16GB Verizon Space Gray model to $379.99 and the price of the 32GB Verizon Space Gray model to $429.99, two of the lowest prices we've seen on those tablets.
Both Best Buy and B&H Photo have deep discounts on their remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad Air models, as listed below.
Best Buy has a sale on its original iPad mini stock, discounting the 16GB tablet by $50, which drops the price to $199.99. It's available in Silver and Space Gray.
Best Buy and Amazon also have remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad mini 2 models, which are a good deal if you're looking for an iPad mini. Compared to the iPad mini 3, the iPad mini 2 only lacks Touch ID.
There are quite a few apps that are on sale at discounted prices or available for free for a limited time. We'll highlight a few here, but make sure to check out our sister site AppShopper for a complete list.
Tangent was named Apple's app of the week this week, and it will be available to download for free for the next six days.
Apple Accessories
Groupon is selling the Otterbox Defender case for the iPhone 6 for $37.99, down from its regular price of $49.95. Groupon has the Incase Hard-Shell Case for the 11 or 13-inch MacBook Air for $9.99, down from $49.95. The site is also selling the Griffin Survivor Case and Stand for the iPad mini for $29.99, down from $59.99. LivingSocial has Apple EarPods for $13.99, down from $29.99.
Groupon has the Beats by Dre Pill speaker for $159.99, down from $199.95. The Lifeproof nuud Case for iPad 2/3/4 is available from Groupon for $34.99, down from $129.99. Groupon is also selling the 3.3ft Apple Lightning to USB cable for $10.99, $9 off its regular price, or $18.99 for a pack of 2.
StackSocial has the Nifty MiniDrive for MacBook Air or MacBook Pro at a slight discount of $32.99, down from $39.99. StackSocial also has the ChugPlug Portable MacBook Power Pack for $84.99, down from $129.99. The Timbuk2 Slide Laptop Backpack for the 15-inch MacBook Pro is available for $24.99from Newegg with coupon code EMCAPNV56.
The DC Superhero Clip Case for the iPhone 5/5s is available for $7.99 from Groupon, down from $29.99. There's also a Nintendo version for $8.99. The Bobine flexible iPhone cable/dock is available from StackSocial for $24.99, down from $35. Just Mobile's AluPen Twist stylus is available from DailySteals for $19, down from $40. Speck is offering 25% off select iPhone 5/5s/5c cases for a limited time.
Casetify is offering a 15 percent discount plus free shipping on its custom Apple Watch bands with the code WATCH15. The deal will last until 3/30.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
Over the past couple of weeks, rumors have leaked pointing towards an Apple-branded streaming television service that could include 25 channels for $30 to $40 per month with partners like CBS, ABC, and Fox. NBC and parent company Comcast are not part of the negotiations, and according to a new report from Re/code, that's because Apple has not approached Comcast about a partnership.
Earlier rumors about the streaming television service suggested NBC's absence from the upcoming package was due to a falling out between Apple and Comcast, but on Thursday, Comcast said that wasn't true in a letter that it sent to the Federal Communications Commission. Comcast's letter was a response to a filing from Stop Mega Comcast, a group that's opposed to a Comcast-Time Warner merging, and in it, Comcast said Apple had not even approached NBC for a content deal.
Stop Mega Comcast's note, filed on Wednesday, said, "Comcast may be withholding affiliated NBCUniversal ("NBCU") content in an effort to thwart the entry of potential new video competitors." The note cited a recent Wall Street Journal report that said Apple wasn't talking to NBCUniversal because of a "falling-out between Apple and NBCUniversal parent company Comcast."
That's a bit right but mostly wrong, Comcast attorney Francis Buono wrote to the FCC: "Not only has NBCUniversal not 'withheld' programming from Apple's new venture, Apple has not even approached NBCUniversal with such a request." I've asked Apple for comment.
It is not clear why Apple has not approached NBC about a possible content deal for its most recent streaming television efforts, but Apple and Comcast have attempted to negotiate a deal in the past, which didn't pan out. The Wall Street Journal has suggested that earlier talks failed to establish a deal due to Comcast's focus on its own X1 web streaming platform.
As noted by Re/code, Apple could initiate talks with NBC in the future or potentially take advantage of a clause in the contract that was established when Comcast and NBC merged several years back, which would force NBC to license its content to Apple if Apple were able to establish deals with the company's competitors.
Apple may be planning to debut its streaming television service at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Many of the details about the service remain unknown, including the channel lineup Apple is aiming for, but the company is said to be in talks with ABC, CBS, Fox, Disney, ESPN, Discovery, and Viacom, which would give Apple access to channels like Animal Planet, TLC, MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon.
The streaming television service may be accompanied by a revamped set-top box, rumored to include an A8 processor, expanded storage, an App Store, and Siri support.
Popular WiFi-connected SD card manufacturer Eyefi recently released a brand new product, the Eyefi Mobi Pro. For those unfamiliar with Eyefi, the company makes WiFi-connected SD cards to give people a way to quickly transfer photos from their cameras to their Macs, iPhones, and iPads, even when a WiFi network is unavailable.
The company's newest card, the Eyefi Mobi Pro offers 32GB of storage, support for RAW file transfers, and a wireless transfer feature that lets users selectively choose which photos to upload. When used on a home WiFi network, the Mobi Pro lets users transfer images at high speeds, but when away from home, it creates its own WiFi hotspot, so it's always possible to get pictures from the SD card to an iPad, iPhone, or Mac.
MacRumors went hands-on with the new Eyefi Mobi Pro SD card to check out all of the new features and to figure out whether or not it's worth the $99 price tag.
What's in the Box
The Eyefi box contains one 32GB Class 10 SDHC WiFi card, a USB card adapter that's used to configure the Mobi card, and an activation card that lets the Mobi Pro pair with desktop and iOS apps. The card also allows users to sign up for a free year of access to Eyefi's cloud service, which allows unlimited photo uploads and storage.
Setup
The Eyefi box directs users straight to a setup website, which makes finding the setup steps easy. The website has instructions for setting the Mobi Pro up to connect to a mobile device or a computer.
Apple CEO Tim Cook today sent out a series of Tweets condemning Indiana Governor Mike Pence's decision to sign a controversial "religious freedom" bill into law, saying Apple is "deeply disappointed" in the move and "open for everyone."
Apple is open for everyone. We are deeply disappointed in Indiana's new law and calling on Arkansas Gov. to veto the similar #HB1228.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 27, 2015
The religious freedom legislation that was approved by Pence on Thursday could let businesses turn away gay and lesbian customers by citing "religious freedom." The approval of the bill has earned Indiana national attention, and much of it has been negative, with organizations and companies throughout the United States vowing to stop supporting the state.
Senate Bill 101 prohibits state or local governments from substantially burdening a person's ability to exercise their religion -- unless the government can show that it has a compelling interest and that the action is the least-restrictive means of achieving it. It takes effect July 1.
Along with Apple's condemnation, the NCAA has questioned the impact the legislation will have on future sporting events, Salesforce has vowed to halt expansion plans in the state, several conventions typically held in Indiana have said they will find other venues, and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee spoke out against the decision and barred all non-essential publicly funded City employee travel to the state.
In his tweets, Cook also called for Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to veto H.B.1228, a similar bill that was recently passed by the Arkansas state senate, and he reiterated Apple's own commitment to equality and its efforts to treat every customer the same, regardless of "how they worship or who they love."
Around the world, we strive to treat every customer the same — regardless of where they come from, how they worship or who they love.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 27, 2015
Cook came out as gay last October, but even before then, he's had a long history of supporting equality and speaking out against discrimination. In 2013, he lectured on equality at his alma mater Auburn University, and during that same year, both he and Apple publicly supported the Employment Nondiscrimination Act.
Under his direction, Apple released a statement in support of Supreme Court gay marriage rulings, and Cook also led Apple to march in support of the LGBT community during the 44th annual Pride parade in San Francisco.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Coppertino, the company behind the popular VOX Music Player for Mac, has some major announcements to share exclusively with MacRumors readers today, including its upcoming expansion to iOS, an update to the VOX Mac app, and the launch of an all new music storage service, LOOP.
LOOP is a new cloud-based music locker service that will be built in to both the VOX Music Player for Mac and the upcoming VOX iOS app. Unlike most music lockers available, LOOP will support any type of music file, including FLAC, and it offers unlimited storage. Songs stored in LOOP can be streamed in full quality to any device with the VOX Mac and iOS apps, and music can also be cached for playing offline.
Many of the popular music lockers like iTunes Match or Google Play Music limit the number of songs that can be uploaded and only support a few file types. iTunes, for example, only supports MP3 and AAC, while Google Play Music supports MP3, AAC OGG, and WMA. You can upload FLAC music files to Google Play Music, but they'll be transcoded to MP3. LOOP can play them natively, but access to high quality music files comes at a cost -- the service is priced at $49.99 per year or $4.99 per month, which is a bit more expensive than Google Play Music (free) and iTunes Match ($24.99/year).
Along with LOOP, Coppertino's iOS app is big news, because it's the first time the VOX Music Player has expanded beyond the Mac. Like the Mac app, the iOS app will play any type of music file and it's deeply integrated with the LOOP music service, giving users access to all of their uploaded songs and albums. Like the VOX Music Player for Mac, the iOS app will be available for free -- only the LOOP music storage service costs money.
Coppertino's new music service, its upcoming iOS app, and the updated Mac app are still in testing and aren't quite ready for launch, but the company wants to get MacRumors readers involved in the beta testing process with early access to the apps and to LOOP music storage.
The first 700MacRumors readers who are interested in checking out the LOOP music storage locker and the new VOX apps for Mac and iOS can sign up on Coppertino's website. Those of you who are interested just need to enter an email on the Coppertino site and the company will send a link to download the apps and instructions on signing up for LOOP. Testers will need to install both the iPhone app and the Mac app to take part in the beta program.
During the beta testing period, MacRumors readers will get free access to the LOOP music locker to test it out and can opt for a longer free trial period after the service launches. MacRumors readers will also get an option to purchase access to the LOOP service at a discount, dropping the price to $34.99 for the year instead of $49.99.
Coppertino's existing VOX Music Player for Mac, which will get an update with the LOOP service in the near future, can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Wunderlist has provided a closer look at its Apple Watch companion app, which appeared on the App Store on Thursday ahead of the device's launch next month. The app is designed with a unique Home View that provides access to your most important items first, with four buttons that display a bird's eye view of your to-do lists, agenda and reminders on your wrist.
Wunderlist for Apple Watch delivers a hand-free experience in situations where you might normally use your iPhone, such as while shopping at a supermarket and checking items off your grocery list, or when using smart voice input to add to-dos for an upcoming meeting. The combination of Glances and real-time notifications ensure that you will stay up to date with important things during your day, be it during your morning commute, at the office or at home.
"As you move through the day, you won’t even have to open Wunderlist on your Watch to get stuff done. Just take a look at our Glance during breakfast to review your most important to-dos for the day. Thanks to Wunderlist’s real-time notifications, a subtle tap on your wrist will let you know what your colleagues are working on during your morning commute, and remind you to pick up the milk on your way home from work."
Wunderlist for Apple Watch features custom animations for interacting with the app, and its developers have carefully considered which font sizes, layouts and interactions would work best with limited screen real estate. The result is a design that was inspired by Wunderlist's brand-new colorful sidebar icons, with the majority of the user interface consisting of white text on a black background.
Ultimately, the developers behind Wunderlist for Apple Watch wanted to create software that gets out of your way, all the while providing multipurpose functionality for managing your day-to-day life. Apple Watch, and by extension the wrist, provides a more natural setting for to-do apps such as Wunderlist and Todoist, so it will be interesting to see how developers build upon these apps in the future.
As a few popular iPhone apps begin rolling out updates for their built-in Apple Watch apps ahead of the April 24 launch, a pair of transit-focused services have posted on Medium to share detailed looks into exactly what kind of experience users can expect from Citymapper and Transit App on the Apple Watch next month.
Sifting through the data gathered from its iPhone app, Citymapper learned that its users frequently turned their phone on and off throughout one trip, unlocking to reorient themselves and quickly locking the device again to save battery. That's where its upcoming Apple Watch app comes in, Citymapper promising an experience tailor-made for the wrist-worn device.
This is the nature of transit information when you move across the city. You need snippets of information. Different things at different times, depending on where you are along the way.
Transit info works well on a device that focuses attention on one thing at a time. And where the transaction cost (ie hassle) of getting additional information is low (raise your wrist and swipe). Using a wearable app may also be safer. City dwellers are generally walking too fast, crossing streets, using stairs, jostling through crowds.
Citymapper has a few cool things planned for its Watch app, with Glances showcasing "how messed up your city is", pointing out stalled bus and train schedules around a user's location. The app will even notify a user, with the much-touted wrist-tap feature, when to get off of a current bus or train route to continue along their way.
Citymapper on the Apple Watch will be available in every city Citymapper has already established itself, including places like New York City and Rome, and support English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, with more cities and languages "coming soon."
Transit's Apple Watch app appears to be providing less of a notification-heavy experience and more of a straight-forward curated list of departure times and easy-to-follow directions, with a static "Take Me Home" button always on hand for when users get lost. The company aims to shave off as many precious seconds as possible with its wrist-worn experience.
It’s not every day that developers get the chance to build something for a completely new platform. And we think that the Apple Watch might just be the ideal platform for us. Sure, it’s not so difficult to pull your phone out of your pocket. But it’s while we’re in transit that those seconds matter most.
With Transit App for Apple Watch, all of that friction is gone. No matter where you are, you will have instant access to departure times for nearby routes — on hand at all times. Sprinting for the bus? Need to know which route is leaving soonest? Don’t want to interrupt your game of Candy Crush? We’ve got your back.
