MacRumors

Beats co-founder, music mogul, and Apple employee Jimmy Iovine was named as one of GQ's Men of the Year, and in an interview with the magazine, he unveiled some details on his efforts to establish a partnership with Apple, which famously led to the $3 billion acquisition that was Apple's biggest purchase ever.

According to Iovine, who had an ongoing relationship with Steve Jobs, he worked hard to persuade Apple to purchase Beats because it was the only company that he wanted to work for. He also believed he had a lot to bring to the company, telling Apple execs that he would "plug" Apple's "hole in music," referring to the company's lack of presence in the streaming music arena.

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Jimmy Iovine, Tim Cook, Dr. Dre and Eddy Cue

I convinced them that they had to buy this company. I said, "I don't want to work for anybody else. I want to do this at Apple. I know I can achieve this at Apple. I don't want to shop it. I wanna come here, to Steve's company. I know you guys; I know what you're capable of; I know you get popular culture. I know you have a hole in music right now; let me plug it." I think it was two years before they said yeah.

Though he only joined Apple in 2014, Jimmy Iovine and Steve Jobs were longtime friend and had a close relationship. Iovine even collaborated with Apple on several projects, helping Steve Jobs sign deals with music labels in the early days of iTunes and working with Apple and U2 on a special edition iPod. Iovine even pitched a subscription music service to Apple way back in 2003, far before services like Pandora and Spotify exploded in popularity.

Iovine does not have a specific title at Apple, but he reportedly has a senior role at the company alongside Dr. Dre, aka Andre Young, and works under iTunes chief Eddy Cue. Given his experience in the music industry, there has been some speculation that Iovine is working to help Apple secure deals with record labels, establish relationships with artists, and create a connection with a younger audience.

When announcing the Beats acquisition, Apple CEO Tim Cook called Iovine and Dre's talent and skills "really unique" and "very hard to find." In a later interview, Cook called the duo "off the charts creative geniuses," specifically citing Iovine's knowledge of the music industry as one of the major reasons he was hired.

At the current time, Apple is said to be working on a rebranding of Beats Music that may see it incorporating the service into iTunes and cutting the subscription price. The new music streaming service is expected to be unveiled in early 2015, possibly ahead of the Grammy Awards in February.

Long-time Apple supply partner Pegatron could be lined up to handle more than 50 percent of the production load for 2015's next-generation iPhone, according to a foreign brokerage report (via Focus Taiwan).

Apple stepped up efforts to diversify its supply chain to reduce risk when Tim Cook took over as CEO in 2011, bringing on more supply partners to keep up with the increasing demand for each iteration of the iPhone. According to the new report, Pegatron could be receiving the bulk of the so-called iPhone 6s 2015 supply orders from Apple after gradually ramping its role with the iPhone 5c and iPhone 6.

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"For the next product cycle, iPhone 6S, likely out in September 2015, we believe for the first time in the iPhone history, Pegatron will become the main source for assembly, with more than 50 percent of the 4.7-inch allocation," the European brokerage said in a note to clients on Monday.

The note also stated that most of Apple's partners actually tend to lose money in the first few years of their iPhone business, due to the complexity involved in manufacturing the iPhone.

Pegatron handled the majority of assembly for the iPhone 5c in 2013, and recently assisted Apple in boosting production on both the iPhone 6 and perhaps even the iPhone 6 Plus in response to strong demand following the two devices' launch.

According to the new report, Pegatron received 30 percent of Apple's iPhone 6 orders this year, with Foxconn handling the remaining 70 percent. The brokerage also states that Foxconn has received all of the iPhone 6 Plus orders this year, though previous reports claim Apple asked Pegatron to begin supplementing production on the 5.5-inch iPhone as Foxconn has struggled to meet demand.

Looking ahead to 2015, the report also claims that in addition to the next 4.7-inch iPhone model "there is also a small possibility that Pegatron will win the 5.5-inch model as well, but this remains to be seen."

Related Forum: iPhone

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) today announced the new Bluetooth 4.2 specification, which promises enhanced privacy measures, increased speed of data transfers, and an update that will allow Bluetooth Smart sensors to directly access the Internet.

The group emphasizes connected home scenarios as being able to take the most advantage of Bluetooth 4.2's new direct Internet access feature, promising low-power connectivity using the standard and with IPv6 support available by year's end.

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“Bluetooth 4.2 is all about continuing to make Bluetooth Smart the best solution to connect all the technology in your life – from personal sensors to your connected home. In addition to the improvements to the specification itself, a new profile known as IPSP enables IPv6 for Bluetooth, opening entirely new doors for device connectivity,” said Mark Powell, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “Bluetooth Smart is the only technology that can scale with the market, provide developers the flexibility to innovate, and be the foundation for the IoT.”

The new 4.2 spec also promises speedier data transfers between devices, up to 2.5 times faster than previous versions. Bluetooth SIG promises that "increased data transfer speeds and packet capacity reduces the opportunity for transmission errors to occur and reduces battery consumption, resulting in a more efficient connection."

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The new privacy features also take aim at lowering power consumption, while protecting consumers from being tracked through their Bluetooth devices. As more retail stores and public places accept Bluetooth beacons and similar applications, Bluetooth SIG hopes to be at the forefront for protecting every user's personal and private information.

The new privacy features put control back into the hands of the consumer by making it difficult for eavesdroppers to track a device through its Bluetooth connection without permission. For example, when shopping in a retail store with beacons, unless you’ve enabled permission for the beacon to engage with your device, you can’t be tracked.

The standard Bluetooth 4.2 specification is available now, with the new direct Internet access feature due within a month.

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with at least one U.S. senator to discuss technology policy during a trip to Washington, D.C. this week, reports The Hill. According to the report, Cook sat down with Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Republican High-Tech Task Force.

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Cook apparently met with Hatch to discuss the senator's innovation agenda for the upcoming 114th Congress, which is scheduled to convene in January 2015. The pro-research and innovation plan addresses several critical technology issues including patent trolls, company trade secrets, and more.

Sen. Hatch, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Republican High-Tech Task Force, laid out a plan to ensure that the United States continues to foster an environment that encourages research and innovation by addressing abusive patent litigation, protecting trade secrets, modernizing the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, strengthening cybersecurity, reforming immigration policy for high-skilled workers, reducing regulatory and tax burdens for innovators, and removing barriers to digital trade.

Details of the conversation were not made available, nor is it known whether Cook met with any other senators during his D.C. trip. On Monday, the Apple CEO, along with (RED) CEO Deborah Dugan, dropped by a Georgetown Apple Store in the city to mark World AIDS Day and Apple's contributions toward the (RED) campaign. Both Cook and Dugan tweeted photos from the visit.

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..

Apple this week is battling a decade-old class-action lawsuit by iPod owners angry that their media players were locked to Apple's iTunes ecosystem. Key pieces of evidence in the trial include email conversations among Apple executives and a videotaped deposition of Steve Jobs, both of which were made public for the first time this week as part of the court proceedings.

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According to CNN Money and Reuters, the question-and-answer session with Steve Jobs focused on Apple's response to RealNetworks and its Harmony music service. In 2004, RealNetworks created this competing music service that allowed users to download songs and play them on any media device, including the iPod.

RealNetworks' iPod support incensed Apple, which published a press release accusing RealNetworks of hacking the iPod. Apple adopted this strategy following a series of emails between Apple marketing head Phil Schiller and CEO Steve Jobs.

"How's this?" Jobs wrote. "We are stunned that Real is adopting the tactics and ethics of a hacker and breaking into the iPod."

"I like likening them to hackers," Apple marketing chief Philip Schiller responded.

When asked if this response to RealNetworks was "strong and vehement," Jobs replied, "They don't sound too angry to me when I read them," adding that, "A strong response from Apple would be a lawsuit."

During the deposition, Jobs reportedly was snarky, asking "Do they still exist?" when referring to RealNetworks. Jobs also was evasive in his testimony, responding 74 times with "I don't remember," "I don't know" or "I don't recall."

When he did answer questions, Jobs painted Apple as a company being held hostage by the major music labels, which required digital rights management (DRM) on iTunes music as part of their contract terms. Apple claimed it had to repeatedly update iTunes to patch holes in its DRM or risk forfeiting these contracts.

The class action case started earlier this week and is being heard in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California. Apple marketing head Phil Schiller and senior vice president of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue are expected to testify as part of the ongoing court proceedings.

Related Forum: iPod touch and iPod

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) today officially ended a $1.3 billion education initiative that would have seen all students in the Los Angeles school district outfitted with an iPad, reports the Los Angeles Times. LAUSD superintendent Ramon C. Cortines clarified that the district was not going to use "the original iPad contract" anymore.

"We're not going to use the original iPad contract anymore," Cortines said Tuesday. "I think there have been too many innuendos, rumors, etc., and based on my reading of a great deal of material over Thanksgiving, I came to this conclusion.

"As CEO and steward of a billion-dollar operation, I have to make sure things are done properly so they are not questioned."

Cortines' official statement comes just a day after the FBI seized 20 boxes of documents from the L.A. school district as part of an investigation into the district's contract with Apple. The FBI is reportedly looking into the bidding that led to deal, which would have seen the district spending $500 million on iPads and curriculum and $800 million on staff, improved broadband, and other expenses.

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In question is the relationship between Apple executives and former L.A. superintendent John Deasy, who resigned in October. Deasy has said that he did not do anything wrong when securing the deal, but there has been speculation that the bidding process for the deal was modified to favor Apple and Pearson, the company providing content for the devices.

The contract between the Los Angeles Unified School District and Apple was first suspended back in August after Deasy's ties to Apple executives first became apparent, but the district was still planning to spend millions of dollars on iPads up until this week.

Apple's deal with the Los Angeles Unified School District was formed under Deasy in an effort to give all students in the district equal access to technology. A $30 million agreement was signed last year to facilitate an early rollout of the program to 47 schools, which was expected to lead to a larger deal between the two.

Initial testing unveiled quite a few problems with the program, including an issue that saw students discovering security workarounds to freely access content on the iPads, which led to a home use ban on the devices. Despite the cancellation of the current contract with Apple, the L.A. School District plans to continue moving forward with its technology program, shifting towards Chromebooks and other laptops.

firefoxMozilla's Firefox browser may soon make its way to iOS, according to a statement made by Firefox VP Jonathan Nightingale at an internal Mozilla event. Relayed by Firefox release manager Lukas Blakk and shared by TechCrunch, Nightingale reportedly told Mozilla employees "We need to be where our users are so we're going to get Firefox on iOS."

The statement about releasing Firefox for iOS marks a major shift in ideology for Mozilla, as the company has, in the past, repeatedly said that it would not offer a version of Firefox for iOS because of Apple's refusal to allow third-party browsers to use their own web engines. In 2013, then VP of product Jay Sullivan said that Moziila didn't "feel like it could build the browser it wants" on Apple's platform, and that it had "no plans" for an iOS version of Firefox.

One of the major points of contention for Mozilla was Apple's refusal to allow the Firefox browser to carry over its rendering and JavaScript engines to iOS, as Apple imposes strict restrictions on third-party browsers and limits them to the company's own JavaScript engines. Prior to iOS 8, this meant that third-party browsers were slower than Apple's Safari, but with iOS 8, Apple began allowing third-party browsers to take advantage of previously unavailable features like the JavaScript Nitro Engine.

An inability to provide custom web engines along with the lack of an option to set a third-party browser as the default browser makes it difficult for companies like Chrome, Opera, and Firefox to create satisfactory browsing experiences on Apple's platform. Though little is known about Firefox's plans for iOS at the current point in time, it is likely Mozilla will need to continue to work within Apple's limits.

Though Mozilla's Firefox browser for iOS will be subjected to Apple's restrictions, key Firefox features like accounts, customizable home panels, and data syncing will translate to iOS, helping Firefox users achieve a more seamless browsing experience on a range of devices.

Apple is continuing to sort out its nebulous policies on Notification Center widgets, and has today told Drafts developer Agile Tortoise that the app's widget is not allowed to be used to create drafts or open the Drafts app.

In a tweet, developer Greg Pierce says that he's been asked to re-submit Drafts without functionality for opening the app or creating a new note, which essentially removes all of the features of the Notification Center Widget.

Drafts 4, which was first introduced in October as an update to the existing Drafts app, is a popular note taking and text capture app that lets users post to a variety of social networks and perform various actions with notes like creating calendar events, emails, messages, and more.

Like many other apps that have Notification Center widgets, the Drafts app widget lets users open the app directly, create a new draft, or create a new draft from what's on the clipboard. It has very little functionality in the Notification Center aside from simply opening up the Drafts app, which in the past, has seemed like an acceptable use of the Notification Center.

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Pierce, however, says that he's been told that the Today view in the Notification Center is "for information presentation only," a point of view that would rule out nearly all Notification Center apps. As Pierce points out, there are several similar apps that offer the exact same widget function as Drafts, such as Evernote, which also allows users to launch the Evernote app and new notes and other content from within the Notification Center.

Drafts is one of a number of apps that have faced confusing rules and restrictions delivered by Apple's app review team. Back in October, Apple told the PCalc developers that calculator functions were not allowed in the Notification Center before changing its mind, and just a few weeks ago, Neato was told that it would have to remove the note taking functionality from its Notification Center widget.

Apple's App Extension Guidelines suggest that Notification Widgets should have a "simple, streamlined UI," and "a limited number of interactive items," but its vague language has led developers to spend time and effort creating a variety of useful functions that are ultimately disallowed as Apple aims to refine how it wants the Notification Center to be used.

It is not clear why Drafts has been singled out by Apple's app review team as it offers the same functionality as other widgets, but if the Drafts widget is removed, it's possible that many other similar widgets could be in danger of being in violation of the Notification Center widget rules.

Drafts can be downloaded from the App Store for $9.99. [Direct Link]

Apple today released a minor update to Final Cut Pro, bringing native support for Material eXchange Format (MXF) container files and several other enhancements and bug fixes.

What's New in Version 10.1.4
- Native MXF import, edit, and export with Pro Video Formats 2.0 software update
- Option to export AVC-Intra MXF files
- Support for import and editing with Panasonic AVC-LongG media
- Fixes issues with automatic library backups
- Fixes a problem where clips with certain frame rates from Canon and Sanyo cameras would not import properly
- Resolves issues that could interrupt long imports when App Nap is enabled
- Stabilization and Rolling Shutter reduction works correctly with 240fps video

Version 10.1.4 is a free update to Final Cut Pro, which is available in the Mac App Store for $299.99. [Direct Link]

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Apple has also released Xcode 6.1.1 today, delivering several bug fixes for Apple's OS X and iOS app tools for developers.

What's New in Version 6.1.1

- Fixes common causes of SourceKit crashes when working with Swift
- Additional bug fixes and stability improvements

Xcode is a free download from the Mac App Store. [Direct Link]

While there are an endless variety of external batteries on the market capable of charging iOS devices while on the go, two recent entrants at the higher end of the market are giving consumers more options as they consider holiday gifts.

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Elgato Smart Power (left) and Mophie Powerstation Plus 2X (right)

The first is Elgato's Smart Power, a 6,000 mAh external battery priced at $99.95. Housed in a compact plastic enclosure that is slightly smaller than and roughly as thick as an Apple TV, Smart Power's key feature is app integration on iOS that allows users to wirelessly monitor charge level of the battery and initiate pinging sounds by the Smart Power unit to help locate it in the house.

Notifications are also an important part of the app integration, with users able to receive push notifications when the battery has been recharged or is running low. Users can also set a specific time for automatic daily power level checks and receive reminder notifications if the charge level is below a user-defined threshold. Finally, users can grant the app access to their Calendar apps, allowing Smart Power to automatically remind users to take the device with them on busy days.

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Elgato Smart Power app

Offering adaptive charging at up to 2.4 amps and 12 watts, Smart Power can quickly deliver charge to high-capacity devices such as iPads. The device includes an integrated USB connector on a short cable for recharging, but requires a separate cable connecting to a USB port to connect to the device, so users will need to make sure they have one with them when traveling with Smart Power. For those who prefer to quickly check battery level without opening the iOS app, Smart Power also includes battery level lights on the unit itself.

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Elgato Smart Power charging an iPhone 6 Plus

Smart Power worked well in our testing, recharging itself and charging devices at a reasonable rate while the notifications and app integration proved very handy for monitoring battery status. The size and shape of the Smart Power made it easy to slip into a bag for traveling, but carrying it in a pocket is a bit more touch-and-go. While the battery is roughly the same width as an iPhone 6 Plus in a thin case (and substantially shorter obviously), the thickness of the device makes it somewhat uncomfortable unless relatively loose-fitting pants are worn. And with a separate Lightning cable also needed, the Smart Power is undoubtedly best suited for carrying in a bag.

A second recent addition to the high-end external battery market is Mophie's Powerstation Plus, which was introduced a few weeks ago in a range of capacities. While Powerstation Plus lacks the handy app integration of the Elgato Smart Power, the multiple capacities and high-quality aluminum covers with hideaway cable management may be appealing to some users, although some may be hesitant to put the aluminum edges in close proximity to their devices.

The smallest Powerstation Plus, known as 2X, is roughly the size of a deck of playing cards and offers 3,000 mAh of charge for $79.95. A thicker 5,000 mAh 3X model is also available for $99.95, and coming soon are even higher capacity models including a 7,000 mAh 4X model for $119.95 and a 12,000 mAh 8X model for $149.95. While substantially larger in size than their smaller siblings, the 4X and 8X models include an additional USB port for charging multiple devices simultaneously.

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Mophie Powerstation Plus 2X opened to show integrated cables

One significant advantage for the Powerstation Plus over Elgato's Smart Power is an integrated device cable, a short Lightning cable that makes it easy to charge devices on the go without worrying about having a separate cable or getting a longer one tangled. Micro-USB versions will also be available for non-Apple devices, but those do not begin shipping until December 17 and only then with the 2X and 3X variants.

As with the Elgato Smart Power, Mophie's Powerstation Plus offers 2.4-amp adaptive charging and button-activated lighted charge level indicators. And with pass-through priority charging, users can connect the Powerstation Plus and an iOS device in series to a USB port or charging adapter, with the Powerstation Plus allowing the iOS device to fully charge first before charging its own power pack.

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Mophie Powerstation Plus 2X charging an iPhone 6 Plus

In our hands-on time with the 2X Powerstation Plus, we found it quite convenient to charge an iPhone while holding both devices in one hand for those times when an extra charge is needed while using the phone on the go. The compact design with hideaway cables is very nice for sticking in a pocket or bag, although at only half the capacity of Elgato's Smart Power, it is unsurprising the Powerstation Plus 2X is less bulky. We do have concerns about the metal covers potentially scratching other items, so it seems best to carry it alone in a pocket or a separate bag compartment unless kept with other non-scratchable items.

The Elgato Smart Power and Mophie Powerstation Plus do not come cheap, but with some good features and well-known brands behind them, they will undoubtedly be popular options with consumers.

Wells Fargo, one of Apple's early Apple Pay partners, has been heavily promoting the service, perhaps more than any other participating bank. In addition to sending out numerous Apple Pay emails to customers, launching promotions, and advertising Apple Pay on its website, Wells Fargo has also launched a new television commercial highlighting Apple Pay's speed and ease of use.

In the ad, first shared by iSpot.tv, a man visits several different retail stores and uses Apple Pay to make his purchases at each location. With just a thumb on the Touch ID button, he breezes through each transaction, letting him return home in record time. Upon entering his house, he finds out he's interrupted his own surprise party.

"You were supposed to be out shopping," says his wife after he interrupts the surprise party. "It went super quick," he responds, before a voice over goes on to tout Apple Pay. "With Apple Pay, using your Wells Fargo card just got easier. Done."


Ahead of Apple Pay's launch, Wells Fargo began emailing its customers to let them know about the upcoming service, and the bank began allowing Apple Pay transactions on the service's October 20 release date. Just after Apple Pay debuted, Wells Fargo even introduced a promotion offering a statement credit of up to $20 for its customers who gave Apple Pay a try, which has recently been extended until January 1.

Alongside Wells Fargo, Chase has also been heavily promoting Apple Pay. The bank recently launched a promotion giving its users a free David Guetta album for adding a Chase Visa card to Passbook for use with Apple Pay, and last week, it debuted an Apple Pay ad starring Fun front man Jack Antonoff.


Wells Fargo and other banks have been highly supportive of Apple Pay due to the inherent security of the system, which offers many improvements over traditional credit and debit card payments. In addition to utilizing tokenization to keep credit card numbers secure, payments are authenticated via Touch ID, reducing the potential for fraudulent transactions that banks traditionally assume responsibility for.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

In a new interview, Apple's Eddy Cue spoke with Fortune about the e-books pricing scandal that has plagued the company over the past several years. After a July 2013 judgment found the company guilty of conspiring to fix prices of electronic books, and a settlement in a class-action lawsuit was reached over the summer, the Apple negotiator at the center of the lawsuit has shared his thoughts on the case with Fortune ahead of Apple's appeals court appearance later this month.

The specifics of the case lie in the opening of the iBooks Store and the 17 percent industry-wide increase in e-book prices following its unveiling in April of 2010. Cue, Apple's "master negotiator", played a key role in convincing five of the then-six major publishing houses to start selling e-books through Apple's new store alongside the launch of the iPad. Part of the deal involved a shift in the pricing model for the entire e-books industry, eliminating Amazon's previous pricing advantage in which it would sometimes sell books at a loss in order to attract customers to Kindle hardware and other Amazon products.

These events led the Justice Department and thirty-three state attorneys general to sue Apple and those five publishing houses for horizontal price fixing in violation of the Sherman Act. While the publishing houses settled the lawsuits, Apple declined to do so and proceeded to trial in the federal case where the company was found guilty.

“Is it a fact that certain book prices went up?” asks Cue. “Yes. If you want to convict us on that, then we’re guilty. I knew some prices were going to go up, but hell, the whole world knew it, because that’s what the publishers were saying: ‘We want to get retailers to raise prices, and if we’re not able to, we’re not going to make the books available digitally.’ At the same time, other prices went down too, because now there was competition in the market.”

A settlement in the separate state and class-action consumer lawsuit worked out this past June sees Apple paying around $450 million if the company loses its appeal in the federal case and nothing if it wins. The case has dragged on far longer than most expect, and Cue argues that the company is fighting more for reputation than for monetary reasons.

Eddy Cue, Jimmy Iovine, Apple, Beats Music, Code Conference

“We feel we have to fight for the truth,” says Cue. “Luckily, Tim feels exactly like I do,” he continues, referring to Apple CEO Tim Cook, “which is: You have to fight for your principles no matter what. Because it’s just not right.”

Cue met with all six CEOs of the major publishing houses before the original iPad launched, and discovered most wanted the cost of e-books at price points both he and Steve Jobs considered too high. Cue proposed price tiers tied to the suggested retail prices of the hardback versions of the books.

As part of the shift to a new "agency model" of pricing similar to that used in the App Store, Cue also proposed a "most favored nation" clause, allowing Apple to match the price at which any retailer was selling a new e-book. When the iPad launched a few weeks later, most iBooks were priced between $12.99 and $14.99, higher than Amazon's typical $9.99 price point for best sellers but in the range of where publishers wanted to be selling their books. The agency model quickly became the industry standard, with Amazon also being required to adopt the pricing at the insistence of the publishers.

The sequence of events led Judge Denise Cote to rule in July 2013 that Apple was guilty of e-book price-fixing. When asked how he looks back on the "nightmare", Cue plainly stated, "If I had it to do all over again, I’d do it again. I’d just take better notes."

Apple will appear before the federal appeals court on December 15.

Amid persistent rumors of substantial upgrades, the current Apple TV is beginning to show its age, losing ground in the streaming media device marketplace to rival Google Chromecast and Roku in the first three quarters of 2014, according to market researcher Parks Associates as reported by CNET. Apple's decline comes at a time when interest in streaming media devices is on the upswing, with 10 percent of households buying at least one media player this year.

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Despite a decent drop in market share over the past year amid increased competition, Roku remains the leader among set-top boxes and streaming media sticks, accounting for 29 percent of the market in the 9-month period, down from 46 percent in 2013. Google's Chromecast stick had a strong showing in 2014, climbing to the number two slot with 20 percent market share and knocking the Apple TV down to number three. With 17 percent share, the Apple TV remains in front of Amazon's Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, which together accounted for 10 percent market share, although the Fire TV stick is just now rolling out to consumers.

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The Apple TV was first introduced in 2007 and has been updated periodically during its seven-year lifespan. It currently remains in its third generation with the last major hardware update released in March 2012, followed by a minor revision in January 2013. Multiple rumors this year hinted at a refreshed Apple TV hardware with App Store integration, Bluetooth controller support, and more, but those rumors have yet to pan out. Though its Apple TV hardware has been essentially unchanged for over two and a half years, Apple continues to make improvements to the software and add new channels to the Apple TV lineup.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

As a longtime key retail partner for Apple, RadioShack is once again offering the iPhone this holiday season, but finding the phone on the retailer's shelves may be difficult, reports Mitch Nolen for Seeking Alpha. According to Nolen, RadioShack stores nationwide are reporting massive shortages in iPhone units with most models not available in stores during the important holiday shopping season.

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RadioShack currently advertises the iPhone on its website with no ability to purchase the phone online. Users instead are directed to find a RadioShack store to purchase a unit, but many stores do not stock the iPhone, offering only a "Ship To Store" option that takes several days to fulfill. This method of inventory is markedly different from competitors like Best Buy, which sell the iPhone online, in-store and via an in-store pickup option.

RadioShack franchise owner Gary Mahan claims his sales have plummeted 30 percent year-over-year due to declining stock, with a major lost opportunity this Black Friday.

Mahan believes that if he had received the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, his one store on the Oregon coast could have made an extra $1,000 in profit over the Black Friday weekend, which would have been a happy holiday gift for him, he says. He couldn't speculate how that $1,000 in lost profit opportunity might extrapolate to other stores in RadioShack's chain of 5,387 corporate-owned and franchised locations.

The reasons for low inventories aren't clear, as Apple and other partners have managed to maintain some store supplies even amid high demand, but RadioShack's shortages may be due to the retailer's tenuous financial position. The company is close to being delisted from the New York Stock exchange and may be forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to protect it from its creditors.

RadioShack's cash on hand at the end of last quarter had fallen to just $30 million, down from $440 million a year earlier and leaving the company unable to afford shutdown costs involved in a planned closure of 1,000 stores.

To minimize risk as its cash dwindles, the retailer may be reducing standing inventory and changing to an on-demand model that supplies devices when customers order them in store. Apple also may be withholding inventory, opting to ship its popular iPhone models to retailers with higher-volume sales.

Related Forum: iPhone

Based on information from a press release obtained by Gizmodo, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is planning to star in a reality television show where he will co-host with former Mythbusters star Kari Byron. The show will focus on gadgetry and the future of technology.

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Said to be titled The Woz, the show will feature Wozniak interacting with and testing futuristic gadgets hands-on. The press release goes on to say that the show "introduces the audience to facilities where science fiction is quickly becoming reality."

Though a Tweet by Wozniak suggests the show was at least pitched to Discovery Channel, little else is known about The Woz at this time.

sprint_logo-250x124Sprint is planning to unveil a new competitive pricing promotion today that offers to cut customers' phone bills in half if they switch from Verizon or AT&T. As reported by Re/code, sales associates are being trained on the promotion now with a consumer launch planned for Friday.

The deal requires existing Verizon and AT&T customers to bring in their current bills, and Sprint will set them up with similar plans at half the cost of the service portion of their current bills (i.e., data, text and calling). Customers will have to buy unsubsidized devices or rent them through Sprint's new leasing plans.


In addition to the pricing plan discount, Sprint is also offering up to $350 to cover early termination fees or previous phone installment plan costs. Customers taking advantage of this offer must turn in their existing phones to receive the bonus.

The upcoming promotion does not include competitor T-Mobile, which already offers discounted prices and holds a smaller market share than AT&T and Verizon. It is estimated that Verizon and AT&T control up to 70 percent of the mobile phone market in the United States.

Update: Sprint's press release on the promotion outlines the full terms of the deal and the process customers must follow to take advantage of it.

Following the release of its original Thunderbolt Docking Station earlier this year, popular TV and video accessory maker Elgato has now introduced an upgraded Thunderbolt 2 Dock.

Elgato's new dock is similar to the original, sticking with an aluminum shell and black plastic core, now with added focus on taking advantage of Macs and accessories with Thunderbolt 2 ports. The Thunderbolt 2 Dock also shuffles around the arrangement of the ports compared to the original, but maintains the same feature set.


Just like its predecessor, Elgato's new Thunderbolt 2 Dock has three USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, audio in and out ports, and a port for the power source.

As noted by iLounge, the change in port arrangement has seen the two audio ports on the device's front swapped and now sitting to the right of the front-facing USB 3.0 port, instead of the left. The rear Ethernet port has also been moved from between the HDMI and power ports on the original to the far left of the new version's rear section, shifting everything else slightly to the right.

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Elgato claims the dock can support any HDMI input display, even those reaching up to 4K resolution. The Thunderbolt 2 Dock also has a few features not offered by many other hubs: the USB ports provide enough power so that you can boost the charge of your iPhone or iPad even if your computer is shut down and not connected to the dock, use Apple SuperDrive, or even connect additional USB bus-powered devices onto an Apple Keyboard.

The same menu bar utility that enables high-powered USB support and allows for easy ejection of the Thunderbolt 2 Dock is still free and available for download.

Elgato's Thunderbolt 2 Dock comes in at the same retail price of its predecessor, $229.95 with an included Thunderbolt cable, and can be purchased from Elgato's official website. Elgato's launch comes as OWC continues to take pre-orders for its Thunderbolt 2 Dock, which will begin shipping later this month with pre-order pricing of $249 without a Thunderbolt cable. Pricing on OWC's dock will rise to $299.99 once it launches.

Clear and Ember developer Realmac Software today launched Typed, a new Markdown writing app for the Mac that emphasizes a minimal, responsive UI with multiple export features and customizable typefaces.

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When a user is writing inside of Typed, the app's interface automatically scales text to fit the current window size and contains a live character and word count functionality. Content written inside of the app can also be automatically exported to a number of formats including HTML, RTF, and PDF with auto save and auto preview options.

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The app also contains a full screen feature called "Zen Mode" which includes six soundtracks designed to help a writer's focus, and contains six font choices with one signature typeface that differentiates headers from body text. Typed also contains intelligent cursor placement when formatting text, keyboard shortcuts akin to other writing applications, and support for OS X Yosemite and OS X Mavericks.

Typed is available for $19.99 from the Realmac Software store.