MacRumors

redboxinstantRedbox Instant by Verizon went live today, allowing people to sign up for a private beta to use the streaming service.

Interested users can enter an email address to receive a code that will provide eventual access to Redbox Instant on the computer or on a mobile device, using the accompanying Redbox Instant iOS app, which was released today for the iPad and the iPhone.

Redbox's video streaming service is priced at $8 per month, which is on par with the pricing of both Netflix and Hulu Plus. It also comes bundled with four physical DVD rentals per month from Redbox kiosks, which can be upgraded to Blu-ray for an additional dollar.

Like Netflix, Redbox plans to offer a variety of movies from sources like Warner Bros. and the pay TV channel EPIX, though the service will not have any television shows at launch.

Traditionally, Redbox offers top Hollywood hits, with the top 200 movies from major studios stocked in its retail locations. Its content library will be smaller than what Netflix is able to offer, but it will focus on providing more recent releases.

Redbox is planning to send invites to the new streaming service over the coming weeks via email, and each invite will come with one free month of access.

NewImageOur sister site TouchArcade is continuing its new promotion called "Free Play" in which they work with developers to offer highly rated games for free. The latest offering is the arcade-style space combat game Arc Squadron.

Arc Squadron from developer Psyonix is an arcade-style space combat game built using the Unreal Engine, so it's definitely a visual showpiece title.

Beyond its great looks, though, lies a visceral behind-the-back rail shooter with a heavy influence from the classic Star Fox series. An intuitive touch control scheme translates your taps, drags and swipes into firepower, barrel rolls, and deft ship maneuvers. The controls are what really appeal to me about Arc Squadron, as it feels like you have real hands-on control over your spacecraft, almost like it's an extension of your finger, and it's much more satisfying pulling off cool moves using a scheme like this as opposed to some plain old virtual buttons.


Arc Squadron was originally released this past October and received a 5 star rating from TouchArcade. The game is normally $4.99 and has never been free before. [Direct Link]

Google Maps was released for iOS on December 12, and in the five days after it hit the App Store, ad management platform MoPub noticed a 29 percent increase in unique iOS 6 users.

The data from MoPub, which supports 12,000 apps and monitors 1 billion ad impressions daily, suggests that quite a few iDevice owners were waiting for a better mapping solution before upgrading to Apple's newest operating system.

ios6adoptiongrowth
TechCrunch spoke to MoPub CEO Jim Payne, who had this to say:

"We observed since the launch of Google Maps for iOS 6 a 30 percent increase in unique iOS 6 users, and we think it's related to Google Maps. It verifies that hypothesis that people were actually holding back to upgrade until Google Maps was available."

MoPub's data does, however, conflict with another report from mobile ad network Chitika, which saw just a 0.2 percentage point increase in iOS 6 users in the first 36 hours of Google Maps availability. MoPub seems to include a wider set of data than Chitika and which was taken over a longer period of time, and MoPub's inclusion of weekend data in particular seems to have contributed significantly to the observed increase in adoption, as people may have been waiting to do the lengthy update to iOS 6.

An increased iOS 6 adoption rate following the launch of Google Maps not only benefits Google, but also Apple, which naturally wants as many users as possible on its latest operating system version. With Google's mapping solution now taking some of the pressure off of Apple's own flawed product, one major reason holding some users back from updating to iOS 6 has been addressed.

tim cook time photoFollowing yesterday's announcement that Apple CEO Tim Cook had been named to the shortlist for TIME's annual Person of the Year feature, the magazine has published a lengthy profile of Cook today covering his runner-up status.

Much of the information in the profile has been discussed in other settings, but it offers a good overview of Cook and his time at Apple. The piece also offers a few fresh quotes from Cook about his perspective and his role in leading Apple. The report touches on Cook's combination of calm demeanor and intense focus, noting that he can just as easily lighten the mood with his manner as light fires under others to spur them to action.

Like Jobs, Cook suffers fools neither gladly nor in any other way (except when he has to, i.e., when talking to journalists). Behind the scenes, that measured calm can — if the legends are true — become a merciless coldness that roots out confusion and incompetence. “I’ve always felt that a part of leadership is conveying a sense of urgency in dealing with key issues,” he says. “Apple operates at an extreme pace, and my experience has been that key issues rarely get smaller on their own.”

Cook also addresses some of the uncertainty that has surrounded Apple in recent months, from a stock price weighed down by assorted factors to the Apple Maps situation to fears that Apple is losing ground to competitors in the mobile industry:

None of this appears to ruffle Cook particularly. “I’ve worked at Apple for 15 years,” he says, “so Apple’s not foreign to me. I don’t mean to sound like it’s all a predictable ride. It’s unpredictable. But it’s always been unpredictable.” He hasn’t altered his personal style any. He remains, like all great Apple products, a paradoxical combination of open and closed, polished and user-friendly but also sealed up tight against anybody who’s curious about what’s inside. You know there are reams of code churning away down there, just below the surface, but you’ll never know exactly what’s going on.

TIME notes that Cook has yet to truly be tested in terms of bringing innovative products to the market, with much of Apple's massive slate of 2012 product releases having already been in the works before Cook took full control of Apple and the company yet to enter a new market under his watch. But Cook acknowledges that he intends to continue the Apple tradition of entering markets with the full intention of disrupting the status quo.

[T]he test for Cook will be to seek out a new category that’s vulnerable to disruption and disrupt the hell out of it.

I ask Cook if he would do that — if that would continue to be Apple’s modus operandi going forward. He smiles, seductively as always, and says, “Yes. Yes. Most definitely.” When that happens, that’s when Cook will show his hand, and we’ll get a look below the surface.

Television has of course been rumored to be the next industry where Apple hopes to make a major impact, but progress has reportedly been slow as it seeks to reach content deals that will allow the company to offer the bundle of hardware and services it needs to make its desired impact. Apple has long dabbled in television through the iTunes Store and the Apple TV, with Apple executives repeatedly referring to the current set-top box as a "hobby" that the company would "keep pulling the string" on. In recent months, television appears to have been a bigger focus for Apple with Cook referring to it several times as an area of "intense interest" for Apple.

(Photo by Marco Grob for TIME)

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

As noted by SetteB.IT, Apple has notified its European publishing partners for the iBookstore that it has suspended the "most favored nation" clause of its book-selling contract for a period of five years. The clause had prevented publishers from selling their books to other distributors at prices lower than those offered to Apple.

The arrangement had been the subject of an antitrust investigation by the European Commission and a settlement in that case was officially approved last week.

Apple hereby notifies you that, until December 18, 2017, with respect to any book sold in the European Economic Ares (EEA), Apple will no longer apply nor enforce any retail price parity (also know as retail price MFN) provisions in your eBook Distribution Agreement (e.g. Section 5(b) of the Agreement). The change is being made pursuant to a settlement between Apple and the European Commission to resolve case number 49847. The European Commission investigation of Apple's eBook business is now closed. The European Commission has signaled that it will not challenge any other term of our ebook distribution agreement.

ibookstore europe ebook settlement
Apple notes that the EEA where the new directive applies includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Apple worked with publishers to facilitate a landmark shift in the business model for selling books, shifting to an "agency model" in which publishers set retail prices and distributors such as Apple receive a negotiated share of that retail price, similar to how the App Store operates. Under the previous wholesale model in which distributors were allowed to set their own retail prices, Amazon was able to hold a dominant share of the market as it sold books at or below cost in order to entice customers into visiting the site to purchase other products and services.

A key part of the agency model was Apple's "most favored nation" clause guaranteeing that Apple received the best possible pricing from publishers. The move effectively meant that all major distributors offered very similar pricing on books, but with the elimination of that clause publishers are now free to negotiate with distributors, a move that will likely to allow market leaders like Amazon to gain better pricing than smaller rivals.

NewImageThe U.S. Federal Trade Commission today updated the privacy rules related to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act which was originally passed in 1998. The new rules reflect new types of platforms that children are using, like social media and mobile apps.

However, though apps themselves need to be sure to follow guidelines, app 'platforms' like Apple's App Store and Google Play, are explicitly exempted in the law. App stores are not required to verify that the apps they sell comply with the law; instead, it's up to individual developers to verify compliance.

Apple and Google Inc. protested the idea that they might be responsible for the collection of kids' data by apps they offer through their app stores. Apple made that point in five meetings with FTC officials in the fall. The FTC responded by explicitly exempting the Apple App Store and Google Play, the app store for mobile devices running Google's Android software, from having to make sure that the apps they provided complied with Coppa.

The FTC also exempted plug-ins like Facebook's "Like" button and Twitter's "Tweet" button that are used on thousands of websites around the world. Those companies only need to comply with Coppa if the company "knows or has reason to know" that the plug-in is being used on a website or app aimed at children.

NewImage
Earlier this month, the FTC revealed that it was investigating kids apps over privacy concerns, with SpongeBob Diner Dash named as one app that was singled out for investigation.

ipad mini handCNET reports on a research note from RBC Capital Markets analyst Doug Freedman claiming that Apple appears to be accelerating its plans for the second-generation iPad mini, although it remains unclear when Apple is looking to launch the device.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Doug Freedman -- who is in China visiting chip companies this week -- offered this ambiguous Apple note: "iPad Mini Gen-2: Apple's gen-2 iPad mini is getting pulled-in, and is likely to have several new suppliers, with TXN gaining content."

"Pulled in" would seem to imply that Apple is moving up introduction of the next iPad Mini. That would be helpful if we knew when the gen 2 Mini was actually slated to ship in the first place. As the current iPad Mini is still in short supply, we may be getting a little ahead of ourselves.

Apple introduced the iPad mini just under two months ago, and the company is still quoting one-week shipping estimates for new orders through its online store as supplies are expected to remain tight into 2013.

One of the most significant criticisms of the iPad mini has been the lack of a Retina display as found on the full-size iPad and on smaller devices like the iPhone and iPod touch. There has been a fair amount of discussion about just when Apple will add a Retina display to the iPad mini, depending on when technology allows the company to include the feature without too much in the way of price, size, or weight concessions. One rumor has claimed that Apple will indeed be including a Retina display in the next-generation iPad mini rather than waiting for a third-generation model at a later date.

Related Roundup: iPad mini
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

With Apple's change to the Lightning dock connector for the iPhone 5 and its other mobile devices, customers have been struggling to find dock solutions compatible with the new standard. Users started with several workarounds and do-it-yourself mods, but gradually unofficial docks and some more official workarounds have appeared to meet customer demand.

One new entrant with some unique features is the OCDock, a Kickstarter project focused on a clean design compatible specifically with the iMac and the Apple Thunderbolt Display. The OCDock's features include:

- A Lightning connector officially licensed under Apple's MFi program, paired with a custom paper-thin cable that allows it to be run underneath the foot of the iMac or display, essentially hiding it from view entirely.

ocdock cable
- Strong, residue-free adhesive to mount the OCDock to the foot of the iMac or display, allowing for easy one-handed undocking. One of the Elevation Dock's main selling points under the previous 30-pin standard was a custom low-friction connector that allowed for easy one-handed undocking, but that advantage has been lost with the move to the standard tight-fitting Lightning connector. OCDock solves the problem by using the weight of the iMac or display and a strong adhesive to allow for easy device removal.

- Multiple silicone spacer options for rear support of both naked and cased iPhones, as well as a spring-loaded plate in the bottom of the dock to help provide stability for devices in a broad array of cases.


We chatted a bit with Rait Ojasaar, co-founder of OCDesk, the company behind OCDock, who noted that unlike many crowd-funded Kickstarter projects that have considerable work left to do once the funding goal has been reached, the OCDock is essentially ready for mass production. The OCDesk team has bankrolled the product development and prototyping phases entirely on its own, and simply needs Kickstarter backing to be able to place a large enough order with its manufacturing partners to keep the dock affordable. As a result, OCDesk is currently estimating that the products will launch next month, just weeks after the close of funding later this week, and the team is confident with that stated timeframe.

We were especially interested in hearing more about OCDock's participation in the MFi program, given how slow the rollout of official third-party Lightning accessories has been, but unfortunately much of the information is covered by a non-disclosure agreement. Ojasaar did note that there are several approved MFi vendors to work with who can provide Lightning connectors, but that it still involved a considerable amount of work to build relationships, negotiate a deal beneficial to both sides, and deal with the bureaucracy of Apple's stringent licensing requirements.

ocdock versions
The OCDock has already met its Kickstarter goal, nearly doubling the original $49,000 target, meaning that the project is ready to go once funding closes and the team knows how many orders it has. There are currently two versions of the OCDock available: the full-size OCDock intended for a wide variety of iPhone cases, and the OCDock Mini intended for naked iPhones and those in ultra slim cases. Each model is also available in both 30-pin and Lightning connector varieties, as well as silver and jet black color options.

The full-size OCDock is priced at $59 under the Kickstarter campaign, with the OCDock Mini priced at $55. Both docks will retail for $79 once they launch for broader availability. The Kickstarter campaign closes at 12:00 AM this Saturday, December 22.

kodak wordmarkIn line with a report from earlier this month, Eastman Kodak today announced that it has reached a deal to sell its portfolio of digital imaging patents to a consortium of 12 companies organized by patent holding firms Intellectual Ventures and RPX Corporation for $525 million.

Under the agreements, Kodak will receive approximately $525 million, a portion of which will be paid by 12 intellectual property licensees organized by Intellectual Ventures and RPX Corporation, with each licensee receiving rights with respect to the digital imaging patent portfolio and certain other Kodak patents. Another portion will be paid by Intellectual Ventures, which is acquiring the digital imaging patent portfolio subject to these new licenses, as well as previously existing licenses.

TechCrunch cites a court filing naming the 12 members of the consortium, which includes both Apple and Google as had been previously reported.

Apple, Inc.
Research In Motion Limited
Google Inc.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Adobe Systems Incorporated
HTC Corporation
Facebook, Inc.
Fujifilm Corporation
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Amazon Fulfillment Services, Inc.
Shutterfly, Inc.
Microsoft Corporation

The consortium approach among rivals allows the companies to prevent a bidding war and helps ensure that each of them holds licenses to the patents at defined cost, eliminating the risk of later licensing negotiations or protracted court battles.

apple tv 2012 interfaceTaiwan's Central News Agency reports (via Patently Apple) that Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision, is currently working with Apple to test several designs for an Apple television set in the range of 46-55 inches.

Hon Hai, the world's largest contract electronics maker, has declined to respond to the reports, saying that it never comments on specific business deals with any single client.

However, the Hon Hai source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the initial phase of tests on the TVs has kicked off.

Nevertheless, the source said it is unlikely that shipments of the appliances will begin as soon as the end of next year.

The source claims that Apple may be looking to show off its new television products at CES next month in Las Vegas, but that seems difficult to believe given Apple's penchant for avoiding trade shows and for holding its own media events to introduce its products as close as possible to launch. With the report apparently claiming that Apple's television sets are unlikely to launch in 2013 and other recent claims that Apple's television projects are being slowed by difficult content negotiations, there would be little chance of Apple showing off anything at CES.

The report notes that using displays in the claimed range of 46-55 inches gives Apple flexibility in deciding on one or more vendors to supply LCD panels for the television sets. Foxconn has worked closely with Sharp and has made an investment in a Sharp LCD factory, but the report's source indicates that it is unlikely that Sharp panels will be used in the Apple television set.

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

ifixit a6xAccording to The Oregonian, Business Oregon, the state's economic development agency, and officials in New York may both be competing to attract a massive chip manufacturing company, which uses the code name "Azalea."

Business Oregon -- the state's economic development agency -- confirms that it's recruiting a company that goes by the codename "Azalea." The department declined to discuss details of the effort, citing a nondisclosure agreement with the unnamed company.

However, officials in New York have been actively pursuing what's known there as "Project Azalea." Documents obtained by The Business Review, an Albany, N.Y., weekly, describe that project as a 3.2-million-square-foot semiconductor factory that would employ at least 1,000 people.

The cost of building and equipping a new semiconductor factory -- a fab, in the chip industry's parlance -- runs in the billions of dollars. That's attracted great interest to the chatter around Azalea, which at this point is largely speculative.

Within the chip industry, the theory is that the fab would be a contract facility to build microprocessors for Apple's mobile devices, the iPhone and iPad.

The EETimes believes that this mysterious "Azalea" chip factory is none other than the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which appears to be waffling between creating a new factory in New York or Oregon.

There have been several rumors over the last two years linking Apple to TSMC, pegging the semiconductor company as Apple's likely partner as Apple moves away from Samsung because of the ongoing dispute between the two companies.

Samsung currently builds all of the custom A-series processors that Apple uses in its iOS devices in an Austin, Texas plant, including the newest 32-nanometer process A6 chip used in the iPhone 5 and the A6X chip used in the fourth generation iPad. Rumors have, however, suggested that Apple is interested in making a deal with TSMC instead, both to cut ties with Samsung and to take advantage of TSMC's 20-nanometer process for use in late 2013.

Earlier this year, TSMC turned down both Apple and Qualcomm, who placed bids for exclusive access to TSMC's chip production, but the company did indicate that it might possibly devote a factory to a single customer. This suggests that if TSMC is indeed behind "Project Azalea," then the upcoming U.S.-based chip factory could potentially be used to create chips for Apple's iDevices.

Home  My Music  Google PlayGoogle has updated its Google Play music service with an iTunes Match-like song matching service. This means users won't have to spend hours or days uploading gigabytes of music, as they had to previously.

Notably, Google's matching service does not have a subscription fee like Apple and Amazon's do, with users matching up to 20,000 songs. While European Google Play users have been using this service for a while, this launch is new for those in the U.S.

Traveling this season and want to make sure your music goes with you? Add up to 20,000 songs from your music collection to Google Play and stream it to your Android devices and your computer, anywhere you go.

Our new music matching feature gets your songs into your online music library on Google Play much faster. We’ll scan your collection and quickly rebuild it in the cloud - all for free. And we’ll stream your music back to you at up to 320 kbps.

Amazon upgraded its Cloud Player with a scan and match feature earlier this year, charging $24.99/year for the service. Apple charges the same amount for iTunes Match.

After releasing iOS version 6.0.2 to fix issues with Wi-Fi on the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini, Apple today seeded build 12D43 of OS X 10.8.3 Mountain Lion to developers.
mountainlionbetaupdateThough the update comes with no known issues or new features, Apple has asked developers to focus on AirPlay, AirPort, Game Center, Graphics Drivers, and Safari in their testing.

This is the third beta release since the first 10.8.3 beta was seeded back in November. Registered developers can download it via the Apple Developer Page.

Update: 9to5Mac reports that Apple has now released build 12D44 to developers, some two days after 12D43 was released. This release still reports no known issues, though it's possible the quick update is a fix for some unmentioned bug.

timcookTIME today unveiled its shortlist of people who are being considered for TIME's annual Person of the Year Award. Apple CEO Tim Cook is on the list, as well as Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer.

The Person of the Year award is given to "a person, couple, group, idea, place, or machine" that has "for better or for worse done the most to influence the events of the year." TIME's editorial team decides the winner.

The two tech CEOs join notable figures like Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani activist who suffered a head wound after being shot by the Taliban, United States President Barack Obama, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and the three scientists behind the discovery of the Higgs Boson.

In 2011, Steve Jobs was posthumously nominated for TIME's Person of the Year by NBC Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams, but he did not win. He also did not make it to the final shortlist. This year, Cook has worked to bring some production of Apple products back to the United States, and to improve working conditions for factory employees. He also stepped up to accept responsibility for Apple's Maps failure and restructured Apple's management.

The Protestor, a group choice inspired by Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian fruit vendor who famously set himself on fire in a public square, received the award in 2011, while Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg won in 2010.

TIME's 2012 winner for Person of the Year will be announced tomorrow morning.

For last minute gift seekers still in need of an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or a Mac, Apple is offering free next-day shipping for U.S. customers on nearly everything sold on the Apple Online Store, ensuring delivery in time for the holidays on select items.

nextdayshipping

It’s too late to get an iPad mini shipped in time for Christmas, but according to Apple's chart, the fourth generation iPad, the iPad 2, iPods, all iPhones, all non-customized Macs except for the iMac, and the Apple TV will arrive on time if purchased by midnight on 12/21 using Apple's free next day shipping.

Macs with customized options are no longer available for delivery by 12/25, but most accessories in the Apple Store will deliver before the big day. There's also the option to pick up in stock items at a local Apple Retail Store.

Previously, the last date to order with standard shipping was 12/18, though iPad minis and customized Macs had to be ordered as early as 12/5 for delivery by December 25.

skitchWhen Skitch was purchased by Evernote, the 2.0 update that came after the acquisition was not well received. Key features like minimizing the app to the menu bar, choosing a file format for screenshots, and the corner resizing of images were removed in the name of simplicity.

An update in September brought back some of the missing features, and today, Skitch for Mac was updated again, adding back even more features removed with the original 2.0 update.

With the new version (2.0.3) of the image editing and sharing app, Skitch users will see the return of features like custom styles and colors, the option to auto copy URLs for uploaded images, a redesigned sharing interface, and more tool sizes. In addition to restoring classic features, Evernote has also updated Skitch with more sharing options, improved performance, and timed screenshot captures.

The Skitch update can be downloaded directly from the Evernote website, and should be live in the Mac App Store as soon as Apple approves the new version. Skitch is a free download. [Direct Link]

hatchpetClear, which was designed by Impending and Realmac Software, took the app world by storm when it was released, thanks to an innovative gesture-based interface and simple list making tools.

The team that made Clear is working on another app, one that looks just as promising. This time, though, productivity isn't the goal. Instead, the two companies have dreamed up a new virtual pet simulation game called Hatch.

Tamagotchis, those digital handheld pets that were popular in the '90's, have slowly made their way into the App Store. For example, virtual iPhone pet Hatchi has been available in the App Store since early 2012, but based on both video and screenshots, Hatch is an entirely new experience that aims to turn the iPhone itself into a companion creature.

A teaser video reveals that each user will get a pet "Fugu." The pet appears to interact with users in a variety of ways on the iPhone, including those outside the app itself, like through music playing.


As the video says, "You love your iPhone and starting early next year, it's going to love you back."

Hatch will launch in 2013, but visiting the Hatchpet website at this time presents a special opportunity to choose a Fugu in a special color when signing up for the site via email.

Brazilian electronics maker IGB Electronica SA has announced a new line of Android phones under the IPHONE brand, a trademark that was originally applied for in Brazil in 2000.

NewImageFrom Reuters:

The first model will be called "Neo One," IGB said in a securities filing. The company was formed this year after the restructuring of Gradiente Eletronica SA, which had applied for exclusive rights in Brazil to register its products under the name IPHONE in 2000.

Apple will either file a lawsuit, or perhaps more likely, begin negotiations for a settlement deal.

Apple was involved in a similar trademark issue in China, with Proview owning the "iPad" trademark. Apple ended up paying that company $60 million to gain control of the 'iPad' trademark.

Brazil is an important country for Apple. The company has begun hiring for new Apple Stores in the country, which would be its first locations in South America and Apple and Foxconn have begun iPad and iPhone production there.

Finally, Apple CEO Tim Cook has said in the past that Brazil is the company's next big target after China.