MacRumors

Ahead of the upcoming October 11 InsiderAR augmented reality conference in Munich, German automaker Volkswagen has unveiled an iOS-centric augmented reality service support app for its vehicles, reports The Next Web. Codenamed MARTA, which is short for Mobile Augmented Reality Technical Assistance, the application is designed to be used on Volkswagen’s XL1 concept car and walks technicians through each step of a repair or service, pointing out individual parts and displaying step-by-step instructions to service specific sections.

Using the previous approach, the service technician could only call up digital repair guidelines. For the XL1, these guidelines were supplemented by the MARTA augmented reality function which "labels" the individual parts and elements with text and shows work instructions clearly.

When MARTA is called up, the system lists all of the jobs to be performed along with the necessary equipment. Each work task to be performed begins with what is known as an initialisation. The vehicle's silhouette is shown in the display of the mobile end device, and it shows the employee the orientation to be taken in relation to the vehicle. If the silhouette and the camera image of the real vehicle agree, the initialisation is finished successfully. Then the individual context-dependent work steps are shown on the tablet. This gives the employee a new system for identifying work items quicker and more accurately.

Earlier this year, Volkswagen debuted the “iBeetle” with full iPhone integration and special badging, with the automotive maker claiming it was the first car in the world to have a "genuine integrative interface made for the iPhone that was coordinated with Apple." Apple also revealed its iOS in the Car feature alongside the unveiling of iOS 7 earlier this year, allowing for compatible car systems to interact with iOS, with support for the feature coming in 2014.

Yahoo has announced on its official blog (via The Next Web) that it will begin rolling out second sign-in verification for its services along with "App Passwords", which act as one-time temporary passwords that a user can enter to authorize Yahoo accounts with native Yahoo apps for iOS devices.

An App Password is a temporary password that you can enter into our native iOS and Android apps for added protection. It’s a way that you can authorize a device to access your Yahoo apps.

Simply go into your account settings, turn on second sign-in verification, and then generate the one-time app password. Once you do, you can enter the password your mobile app, and it’s as simple as that. Your device will be logged-in, so you won’t have to go through this step again.

Adding other devices will require users to generate new App Passwords, and the users can revoke account access for each individual app and device through Yahoo’s built-in control panel on its website.

Yahoo has updated and launched a number of iOS services in the past year, including releasing its own standalone iPhone weather app along with a dedicated mail app for the iPad, and redesigning its Tumblr app after acquiring the blogging service. Apple and Yahoo were also said to be in talks over a "deeper iPhone partnership" earlier this year.

Long-time Apple supplier Foxconn Electronics will reportedly assist Apple in shipping products directly to China in the near future, reports Digitimes. Specifically, the supplier's factories in Zhengzhou, China will serve as primary suppliers to China's domestic market, enabling an easier transition from production to shipping and ultimately sales.

In the past, Apple's products had to be first shipped to Hong Kong or Shenzhen, China to complete the export procedures and then imported back before they could hit the store shelves in China.

The direct shipments will reduce import taxes, and may reduce the prices for Apple products in China, the sources said.

The factories are also expected to provide logistics and after-sale maintenance services in China, and Foxconn is reportedly trying to extend that direct shipment business model to other countries where it has facilities, such as Indonesia and Brazil.

A pilot for United States-based Delta Airlines has stated that the company’s employees "fought hard for the iPad" as the airline sought to save paper and reduce weight in moving to electronic flight bags, but the effort was vain as Microsoft yesterday announced that the carrier will be equipping 11,000 pilots with Microsoft Surface 2 electronic flight bags, reports AppleInsider. The airline was one of the early testers of iPads for use as electronic flight bags in 2011.

"We fought hard for iPad," a pilot working for the airline told AppleInsider. He described the Delta deal as being about money, travel contracts, and Delta's Information Technology staff historically being "in bed" with Microsoft.

Microsoft stated in its announcement that it would save the airline $13 million per year in "fuel and associated costs", with the company's upcoming Surface 2 running on the Windows 8 RT 8.1 platform offering "real-time access to essential tools and the most up-to-date flight-related resources including key charts, reference documents and checklists".

The announcement comes after a number of other airlines and military divisions have begun testing iPads to replace heavy flight bags, including United, American, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps.

While airlines have been looking to embrace the use of mobile devices in the cockpit, the industry has been divided over personal electronics usage by passengers during takeoff and landing. A Federal Aviation Administration advisory committee, however, recommended the relaxation of electronic device restrictions on commercial aircraft just last week.

Apple TV users in Germany are discovering today that they now have access to two new channels on their set-top boxes in the form of music video channel Vevo and hockey channel NHL GameCenter, reports Macerkopf [Google Translate].

Both channels have been available to users in various other countries for some time, with NHL GameCenter having debuted in the United States nearly two years ago and Vevo appearing just over a month ago.

German users also have their own exclusive channel on the Apple TV with movie and TV show streaming service Watchever, which was added in January.

Research firm Kantar Worldpanel released two new reports on Monday, revealing various findings about the growth in sales on the strength of iOS devices for U.S. carrier T-Mobile, as well as Apple’s growing market share in Japan when compared to other mobile platforms such as Android. Both reports were published for the three-month period ending in August 2013.

The first report states that T-Mobile accounted for 13.2% of smartphone sales in the U.S. market during the three-month period, marking the carrier's highest share over the past year with a growth of 1.1% compared to the year-ago quarter. The iPhone 5 also remained the top-selling smartphone at T-Mobile, accounting for 17.1% of sales.

Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Global Strategic Insight Director, Dominic Sunnebo states, “When iOS first debuted on T-Mobile in mid-April, the majority of sales came from consumers upgrading from a featurephone to their first smartphone. However, looking at those who purchased an iPhone in the August period, 56% of those consumers came from another smartphone, including 38.5% from an Android device.”

The second report shows the growth of Apple’s iOS as a whole in various international markets, with Apple maintaing a strong year-over-year growth in making up 39.3% of total smartphones sales in the United States, up over five percentage points over the previous year and a number that is expected to spike following the launch of Apple’s refreshed iPhone line. The report also shares evidence of Apple’s emergence in the Japanese market:

Apple and Android have recorded almost identical shares of sales in Japan – 48.6% and 47.4% respectively. However, news that the new iPhone range will be available on Japan’s largest carrier, NTT DoCoMo, for the first time, makes it likely that Apple will pull ahead of Android in this key market.

Kantar Worldpanel previously reported the success of the iPhone for T-Mobile in June, along with growth of Apple’s market share with various carrier expansion. Both reports did not include the launch figures of Apple’s new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, which combined for a total of nine million units sold in the first weekend.

Apple has hired Jay Sartori, the current assistant general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, to manage the sports and entertainment section of the App Store, reports SportsNet (via MG Siegler).

Sartori is taking over as the tech titan’s manager of the App Store’s sports and entertainment category, a departure from the arbitration, contract and collective bargaining agreement interpretation work he handled for the Blue Jays.

He’s been in the position since September, 2010, when he was lured over from the Washington Nationals after a season as director of baseball operations there. Before that he worked for Major League Baseball’s labour department, helping negotiate the 2006 CBA.

While it is unclear exactly what job duties Sartori will be expected to take on, Apple has always preferred for its App Store and iTunes Store selections to have a human touch, suggesting that part of his role will perhaps involve overseeing and improving the content selections featured in the Sports section of the App Store.

Apple's App Store staff are responsible for hand selecting apps that are featured in a multitude of App Store categories, including Staff Favorites and Editor’s Choice. Currently, the Sports section of the App Store features "Essentials" and "Fantasy Football Apps", also highlighting a number of individual apps such as Yahoo! Sports, ESPN College Football, and MLB.com At Bat.

Sartori is expected to leave his current position with the Toronto Blue Jays in October.

Late last week, Apple's online store for refurbished products began offering 128 GB fourth-generation iPad models for the first time. Wi-Fi models in black and white are currently being quoted shipping times of 5-7 business days with pricing set at $679, a discount of $120 from brand-new units.

The only cellular model currently available through the refurbished store is the white AT&T model, which carries an identical 5-7 business day shipping estimate and is priced at $789, a $140 discount compared to brand-new pricing.

Apple launched the 128 GB fourth-generation iPad in early February, several months after the release of lower-capacity models that saw updated internals and a move to Apple's new Lightning connector.

The fifth-generation iPad is expected to debut as soon as next month with a redesigned body taking design cues from the iPad mini, giving the full-size iPad a significantly narrower and thinner profile.

Yahoo has updated its ad-free premium Yahoo! Sportacular Pro app with new iPad support, a redesign for iOS 7, and a number of new features, including custom alerts for specific events during a sporting match such as game start and scoring situations, new content and stats for all major American sports as well as various international soccer leagues, and full integration with Yahoo Fantasy Football player stats in game details.

What's New in Version 4.2

Big update:
- Redesigned with more content, stats and iPad support.
- Sign in to Yahoo to save your favorite teams across web and mobile devices.
- View your Yahoo Fantasy Football player stats on game details.
- New breaking news alerts for the most important stories in sports.
- iOS7 fixes for favorites, alerts and picks. You may need to reset your favorites if you have already upgraded to iOS7.

Yahoo also updated its ad-supported Yahoo! Sports app last month with full Mixed Martial Arts coverage along with a refined interface, and also updated its Fantasy Football iOS app with mobile drafting capabilities in July. Yahoo! Sportacular Pro is a $4.99 universal app for the iPhone and iPad and can be downloaded through the App Store. [Direct Link]