By Nishant Arora

Cupertino (California) Sep 13 (IANS) Apple is slowly closing the gap for its iPhone launch date with India and this year, three new iPhones will reach India on September 27 -- just a week after the global availability on September 20.

There is no denying the fact that in a price-sensitive market like India, cost is the biggest differentiator even in the premium segment, which is why Apple sold more iPhone XR in the price bracket of Rs 50,000-Rs 60,000 than the super-premium XS and XS Max models.

Riding on heavy promotional offers on iPhone XR which was originally launched for Rs 76,900 last year, Apple regained top position in the premium smartphone segment in India in the second quarter (Q2) this year, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).

In the premium ($500 or Rs 35,000 and above) segment, Apple bettered Samsung for the leadership position with an overall share of 41.2 per cent in 2Q19.

According to Upasana Joshi, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India, with the price drop, iPhone XR alone contributed more than 55 per cent of total Apple shipments in the second quarter.

With the Rs 64,900 iPhone 11 (64GB variant) which is likely to be aided by heavy promotional activities in the pre-Diwali season - along with a cheaper Rs 49,900 iPhone XR after further price drop -- Apple is set to create further dent in the premium segment where Samsung, Google, Huawei and OnePlus are the other major players.

According to Navkendar Singh, Research Director, IDC India, although it is cheaper than the launch price of iPhone XR, the price of iPhone 11 at Rs 64,900 still remains high for a market like India.

"It will drive marketing messaging but volumes will come from XR as in last quarter," Singh told IANS.

The 6.1-inch iPhone 11 introduces a powerful dual-camera system, and is powered by the A13 Bionic chip to perform the most demanding tasks, while getting through an entire day on a single charge.

Featuring the toughest glass ever in a smartphone, the device is rated IP68 for water resistance (up to two metres for up to 30 minutes) and is protected against accidental spills from common liquids such as coffee and soda.

On the other hand, with all-screen glass and an aluminium design featuring 6.1-inch display which is touted as "the most advanced LCD in a smartphone," the iPhone XR houses A12 Bionic chip with next-generation "Neural Engine", which unlocks new experiences for immersive augmented reality (AR), games and photography.

The iPhone XR is also water resistant, with a rating of IP67. The glass back of iPhone XR allows faster wireless charging and improved off-axis performance even when your iPhone is off-centre on a wireless charging pad.

According to Thomas Husson, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester, smart pricing for the new and old iPhone ranges will enable Apple to maintain its premium brand and continue to grow its installed base of devices.

"While detractors may argue this is mostly incremental innovation, let's not forget that Apple delivers differentiated experiences through its integrated ecosystem and that it enables the brand to enter new territories by successfully pivoting to the service business," Husson told IANS.

Apple registered double-digit growth in India in the second quarter this year.

"To continue this momentum, Apple would require more play in terms of product placement in $700 and above segment, rather than $1,000 and above segment, accompanied by heavy promotional activities and attractive offers during the upcoming festive quarters," added Joshi.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)

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By Nishant Arora

Cupertino (California), Sep 12 (IANS) If you are wondering why Apple has not yet launched a 5G iPhone while others are going ballistic over launching 5G-ready or 5G-enabled handsets, there is a solid reason behind the reluctance to embrace the technology.

Huawei, Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo and LG have all showcased 5G phones. Sony is also working on one such device.

While the world is going gaga over 5G smartphones, Apple has kept silent over when it is planning to bring the technology to its iPhones.

Apple in July announced the acquisition of chip-maker Intel's smartphone modem business for $1 billion, and according to Intel CEO Bob Swan, the agreement "enables us to focus on developing technology for the 5G network while retaining critical intellectual property and modem technology that our team has created."

Intel has been working on a chipset for the iPhone maker, with the chip expected to be part of iPhones by 2020.

According to industry analysts, 5G technology today for smartphones is not complete.

"Apple doesn't use new technology until it meets their standards. Today's 5G uses too much battery and is too network specific, plus coverage will be pretty limited to specific areas or cities through next year," Frank Gillett, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Forrester, told IANS.

Apple has always been late to adopt any leading technology into its offerings if it is not developed in-house.

"However, with 5G adoption there were additional reasons. The complexity associated with integrating 5G from the RF Front End perspective is very high and Apple's failed attempt to do that with Intel modems with its spat with Qualcomm until April set back Apple at least by 12-14 months to integrate the 5G capability compared to rivals," elaborated Neil Shah, Research Director at Counterpoint Research,

Apple technically missed the boat to soft launch at least one 5G iPhone model in the October 2019- September 2020 financial year.

"For Apple's global stock Keeping unit (SKU) strategy makes it all the more difficult as initial 5G deployment would require multiple SKUs for different regions depending upon the spectrum characteristics like mmWave (millimeter wave) in the US and sub-6GHz in Europe or Korea," Shah told IANS.

5G is still in its infancy, with global roll-outs at various stages.

"The current breed of consumers who will be inclined to buy 5G handsets are early technology adopters. Apple's philosophy as a platform company has always been to innovate once a technology has shown some maturity," noted Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR).

Additionally, it is important to note that Apple suffered setbacks in its 5G implementation timeline, thanks in part, due to its failed attempt with Intel modems.

"Further, the prolonged battle with Qualcomm until April this year, set back Apple by at least by 12-14 months, in comparison to the competition," Ram told IANS.

In all probability, 5G will go mainstream by mid to late 2020, just in time for the next wave of Apple iPhones, with Apple potentially seeking to release an early 5G phone ahead of its traditional September special event.

In all probability, Apple is likely to launch top-of-the-line 5G iPhones next year.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)

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By Nishant Arora

Cupertino (California), Sep 12 (IANS) Rarely in the spotlight, Apple-branded retail stores have left indelible impression on a million hearts worldwide. For Indians, who have a constant yearning to be "delighted" right in their neighbourhood, Apple stores are iconic tourist spots, to be visited while holidaying abroad.

Apple is expanding its retail footprint at a time when almost everything is being traded online, for a simple reason that Apple CEO Tim Cook -- and late Steve Jobs -- never looked at physical sales points as mere brick and mortar stores but places where Apple customers can get personalized attention by a warm and professional staff.

The Apple retail philosophy has been not to sell products but rather solve customers' queries on their purchase journey - delighting them with captivating open spaces, indoor trees, uniquely-designed sitting areas and large screens for marketing as well as developers and community events.

The company is now exploring places of historical significance, revitalising those while keeping their soul intact -- like the historic Carnegie Library, a 1903 Beaux-Arts building at Mount Vernon Square in Washington, DC or Apple Champs-Elysees housed in a Haussmann-era apartment building in Paris.

From opening the doors of its first-ever store in the US on May 15 in 2001 to reopening its largest-ever Fifth Avenue store in New York in more than a week from now on September 20 -- the same day when people will make a beeline for new iPhones -- Apple has transformed physical spaces at over 500 locations globally into fruitful customer-staff exchanges.

Cook, in his keynote address during the flagship launch event at the Steve Jobs Theater on Tuesday, emphasized that Apple retail stories are the backbone for the company.

"I am so proud of our retail team and the unique experiences they deliver to our customers every day. They are amazing," he told the gathering, after formally introducing on stage Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's Senior Vice President of Retail + People who took over from Angela Ahrendts in April this year.

"The customer truly is at the centre of everything that we do. Thanks to our passionate team, there really is no better place to see this in action than in our stores. We'd love to share two ways we're making the experience even better -- personalization and trade-ins," added Deirdre.

Customers can now personalize Apple Watch at stores. With Apple Watch Series 5, the company has announced "Apple Watch Studio" where people can choose and pair any case with any band to create exactly the Watch they want.

"The 'Apple Watch Studio' experience is available in our stores, and online. There are nearly 1,000 different ways to represent your own personal style," said Deirdre.

Apple last month opened registration for a series of new art-based "Today at Apple" augmented reality (AR) experiences -- called [AR]T -- offered at its stores around the world.

The sessions include an interactive walk featuring works by some of the world's premier contemporary artists, an in-store session that teaches the basics of creating AR using Swift Playgrounds and an AR art installation viewable in every store worldwide.

As Apple bumps up its plans to open more stores, India appeared on its global map last month, with the company saying it looks forward to welcome customers at its first branded retail store in the country soon.

Welcoming the government's decision to ease the 30 per cent local sourcing norm in single-brand retail (SBRT), Apple said: "We appreciate the support and hard work by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team to make this possible and we look forward to one day welcoming customers to India's first Apple retail store".

It will take some time for Apple to unveil its first branded store in the country as the location has not yet been decided.

"Apple is known for its retail stores, the experience they provide in terms of purchase, staff knowledge and other services. Considering the importance of offline as a channel in a diverse country like India, where consumers love to touch, feel and experience the products , the stores are a very important touch-point for any consumer company," Navkendar Singh, Research Director, IDC India, told IANS.

"The plan for opening owned stores will certainly help Apple in giving a controlled experience of its devices and services as it intends and designed them to be. In a third-party retail environment, many such things cannot be controlled by the brand. This will only add to the strong premium positioning Apple enjoys in the country," Singh added.

Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, said the government's move will help Apple scale up its retail operations quickly and bring more investments in the country.

Though we do not yet buy iPhones or other Apple products the way Europeans or people in South East Asian countries do, the desire to visit a true Apple-branded retail store for a personalized encounter is growing among the aspirational millennials and Gen Z in India, which will automatically push sales.

India has no dearth of historically and culturally-rich places for a store location and this must "delight" Apple.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)

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Cupertino (California), Sep 11 (IANS) Packing some interesting top-of-the-line features including long-lasting battery, Apple on Tuesday launched 3 iPhone 11 models, Watch Series 5 with an "Always-On Retina" display and a cheaper iPad, along with bolstering its Services offerings in subscription-based TV+ and Arcade gaming.

Available from September 27, iPhone 11 with dual rear camera setup will come in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models in purple, green, yellow, black, white and PRODUCT (RED) colours, starting at Rs 64,900.

iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, with triple rear camera setup, will be available in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB models (midnight green, space gray, silver and gold colours), starting at Rs 99,900 and Rs 109,900, respectively.

Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS) starts at Rs 40,900 and Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular) will cost Rs 49,900.

Apple also introduced a new seventh-generation iPad, bringing more screen area and support for the full-sized Smart Keyboard, starting at just Rs 29,900.

Apple TV+ will be available on the Apple TV app for Rs 99 per month with a seven-day free trial. Customers who purchase any new Apple product can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ for free.

The gaming service Apple Arcade on the App Store will be available with iOS 13 for Rs 99 per month and is being launched with a one-month free trial.

"We design products for people that enhance their lives. New iPhones are a true examples. Privacy is in-built from the ground up in all Apple products," CEO Tim Cook told the audience at the packed Steve Jobs Theater here.

"iPhone 11 Pro has the first triple-camera system in iPhone and is far and away the best camera we've ever made. The A13 Bionic chip sets a new bar for smartphone performance and power efficiency," added Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.

iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max can shoot the highest quality video in a smartphone and record 4K video with extended dynamic range and cinematic video stabilization.

Apple Watch Series 5 has an international emergency calling feature that allows customers to call emergency services directly from Apple Watch in over 150 countries, even without an iPhone nearby.

Apple Watch Series 5 is available in a wider range of materials, including aluminium, stainless steel, ceramic and an all-new titanium variant.

The upgraded iPad features a stunning 10.2-inch Retina display and a great all-day battery life.

"The new iPad packs even more value into our most popular and affordable iPad model featuring a bigger 10.2-inch Retina display, support for Apple Pencil and for the first time, the full-size Smart Keyboard," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's Vice President of Product Marketing.

Taking a lead over Disney that is likely to unveil Disney+ service on November 12, Apple TV+ will offer a powerful and inspiring line-up of original shows, movies and documentaries, including "The Morning Show," "Dickinson," "See," "For All Mankind" and "The Elephant Queen."

"Apple TV+ is an unprecedented global video service with an all-original slate. We look forward to giving audiences everywhere the opportunity to enjoy these compelling stories within a rich, personalised experience on all the screens they love," said Jamie Erlicht, Apple's Head of Worldwide Video.

Apple Arcade gaming service will have games from developers like Konami, Capcom and Annapurna Interactive, and more.

"We can't wait for it to be launched and start playing," Cook said.

Users get unlimited access to the entire catalog of over 100 new, exclusive games, all playable across iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Apple TV.

iOS 13 will be available on September 19 as a free software update for iPhone 6s and later. Additional software features will be available on September 30 with iOS 13.1, announced Apple.

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By Nishant Arora

Cupertino (California), Sep 11 (IANS) Learning its lessons from the success of iPhone XR in India, Apple has done the right thing by launching iPhone 11 at a reasonable price point at a time when the festive season is round the corner, industry analysts said on Wednesday.

The iPhone XR that was launched last year saw uplift after the price drop and heavy promotional activities. Riding on promotional offers especially on iPhone XR, Apple regained top position in the premium smartphone segment in India in the second quarter (Q2) this year.

The iPhone 11 -- launched here on Tuesday -- will be available in India from September 27 in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models in purple, green, yellow, black, white and PRODUCT(RED) colours, starting at Rs 64,900.

The 6.1-inch, all-screen Liquid Retina display device is powered by the A13 Bionic chip to perform the most demanding tasks, while getting through an entire day on a single charge, and is designed to withstand the elements with improved water resistance.

According to Thomas Husson, Vice President & Principal Analyst at Forrester, Apple's new range of iPhones is a powerful upgrade to the X edition, eventually leapfrogging competition on performance and on the photo/video experience.

"Coupled with a smart pricing for the new and old iPhone ranges, I believe this will enable Apple to maintain its premium brand and continue to grow its installed base of devices," Husson told IANS.

iPhone 11 introduces a dual-camera system with all-new Ultra Wide and Wide cameras that are deeply integrated into iOS 13, offering the highest quality video in a smartphone and major advancements in photography for the ultimate camera experience.

"iPhone 11 is likely to do well in India. I think Apple realised that iPhone XR was pricey as the price adjustments in Q2 led to a surge in sales for iPhone XR," said Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Counterpoint Research.

"Even in a price-sensitive market like India, the Rs 56,000 pricing made it the best-selling iPhone for Apple in Q2, so iPhone 11 has been launched as a good price point. Additionally, the new iPhones will have a timely entry in India one month ahead in festive season which should help drive sales," Pathak told IANS.

iPhone 11 has 12 MP front camera with a wider field of view to capture more in selfies and next-generation Smart HDR to enable more natural-looking photos.

Expressive selfie videos take on a whole new look on the TrueDepth camera, now recording 4K video at up to 60 fps and 120 fps in slow motion.

"Apple saw some success and volumes in Q2 in India due to price correction of iPhone XR. While there will certainly be consumers looking to upgrade from iPhone 6 and 7, with XR being continued, we should see further price reduction and volumes coming from XR than 11," said Navkendar Singh, Research Director, IDC India.

Given that the new iPhones have some incremental upgrades to processor and camera technology, consumers who bought iPhones in the past one-two years may not have the appetite to upgrade immediately.

"Yet, the Apple iPhone continues to be an aspirational model of choice for consumers. The entry-level Apple 11 underlines Apple acknowledging the consumer push-back towards high prices of recent iPhones. On the back of the iPhone XR success, Apple will focus on gaining market share with the Apple 11," noted Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR).

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)

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By Nishant Arora

Cupertino (California), Sep 11 (IANS) With over 1.4 billion active installed base of devices globally and millions in India - iPhones, iPads, Apple TV, Macs, iPod touch and more - Apple has finally flexed its muscles to take on content streaming giants like Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime and Disney with aggressive pricing, free offers and all-original stories.

The announcement of a much cheaper Apple TV+ subscription than expected (Rs 99 a month in India and $4.99 in the US and other countries) immediately saw shares of Netflix, Disney and Roku tumbling down as Apple, which has nearly $210 billion cash at its disposal, has sensed the mammoth streaming opportunity that lies ahead and is going to open its coffers for creating more originals, even in regional languages.

Indians today spend 30 per cent of their phone time and over 70 per cent of mobile data on entertainment and movies are their preferred choice on smart TV and larger screens.

An over-the-top (OTT) viewer in India is spending approximately 70 minutes a day on video streaming platforms, with a consumption frequency of 12.5 times a week, an Eros Now-KPMG report said last week.

When we look at the data consumption, In India, the Internet video traffic is projected to reach 13.5 Exabytes (EB) per month by 2022 -- up from 1.5 EB a month in 2017 -- with video contributing 77 per cent of all Internet traffic by 2022.

The opportunities are enormous and Apple TV+ with its large installed device base is smiling at its rivals who lack the vantage point of being in your home in the form of an iphone or iPad.

"Apple built on their integrated ecosystem advantage by announcing low-monthly pricing for Apple Arcade and Apple TV+, and a free year of Apple TV for a buyer of an Apple device," said Frank Gillett, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester.

"Though it can all be labeled incremental innovation, Apple maintained its disciplined approach to delivering industry-leading features and experiences built on well-engineered hardware, software and services," Gillett told IANS.

Netflix, which has reached 1.3 million subscribers in India, just unveiled its mobile subscription plan for India at Rs 199 per month. This is its fourth Indian plan, in addition to the existing basic, standard and premium plans which are priced between Rs 499 and Rs 799.

Amazon Prime Video a" part of Amazon's Prime subscription a" costs Rs 129 each month.

Soon to be available at Rs 99 a month, Apple TV+ will also be available (via Apple TV app) on select Samsung smart TVs and will come to Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Sony and VIZIO platforms soon.

If you buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch, you can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ for free. Once the free period is over, you will still pay Rs 99 a month. Through family sharing, up to six family members can share one Apple TV+ subscription.

On offer are nine originals from the world's most celebrated creative artists that will debut on the Apple TV app on November 1.

For example, "See" -- an epic drama starring Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard -- is set 600 years in the future after a virus has decimated humankind and rendered the remaining population blind.

"The Morning Show" drama starring and produced by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston explores the world of morning news and the ego, ambition and the misguided search for power behind the people who help America wake up in the morning.

"Dickinson" is a darkly comedic coming-of-age story, explores the constraints of society, gender and family through the lens of rebellious young poet, Emily Dickinson.

Other upcoming originals are "Servant," a new psychological thriller from M. Night Shyamalan and "Truth Be Told," a gripping new series starring Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and Emmy Award winner Aaron Paul, among others.

Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR), said that with the Apple TV+, Apple has made a significant statement of its intent, and its push towards offering new value propositions to its user base.

"By pricing its subscription low, and bundling free annual subscription with its devices, Apple has focused on a very smart and prudent strategy to build a sizable subscriber base and, drive revenues," Ram told IANS.

In India, the over-the-top (OTT) leader Netflix plans to invest Rs 600 crore per year in originals whereas Amazon Prime had committed Rs 223 crore in 2017 for the next 2-3 years in the country. For some original series, Amazon and Netflix are spending in the range of Rs 1-2 crore per episode.

Apple, on the other hand, has reportedly planned to spend $6 billion on creating original content.

Once a hobby for Apple, the content streaming has become a full-fledged business and is set to disrupt the OTT and subscription video streaming industry globally including in India.

"Make no mistake, the Apple TV+ not only takes on the competition head on, its bundled subscription will also potentially contribute as a pivot to increasing iPhone and iPad sales," Ram noted.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)

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By Nishant Arora

Cupertino (California) Sep 11 (IANS) Apple has announced India pricing of newly-launched iPhones -- available in the country from September 27 -- and the starting iPhone 11 model (64GB) with dual camera rear setup will cost you Rs 64,900.

iPhone 11 will be available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models in purple, green, yellow, black, white and PRODUCT(RED), starting at Rs 64,900.

iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max with triple camera set-up will be available in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB models in midnight green, space gray, silver and gold, starting at Rs 99,900 and Rs 109,900 respectively.

Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS) starts at Rs 40,900 and Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS + Cellular) starts at Rs 49,900.

Apple TV+ will be available on the Apple TV app for Rs 99 per month with a seven-day free trial.

Starting from Tuesday, customers who purchase any iPhone can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ for free.

The gaming service Apple Arcade on the App Store will be available with iOS 13 as a subscription for Rs 99 per month and is launching with a one-month free trial.

Users get unlimited access to the entire catalog of over 100 new, exclusive games, all playable across iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Apple TV.

iOS 13 will be available on September 19 as a free software update for iPhone 6s and later.

Additional software features will be available on September 30 with iOS 13.1, announced Apple.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)

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By Nishant Arora

Cupertino (California), Sep 11 (IANS) Packing some interesting top-of-the-line features including a long-lasting battery, Apple on Tuesday launched 3 iPhone 11 models, two of them with triple rear camera setup, housing stunning specifications to make you a near-perfect photographer.

Touted as the environment-friendly devices, iPhone 11 will start from $699, iPhone 11 Pro will start from $999 and iPhone 11 Pro Max will begin from $1,099.

iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will be available in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB models in midnight green, space gray, silver and gold starting at $999 and $1,099, respectively.

Customers in the US and select countries can also get iPhone 11 Pro for $24.95 a month or $599 with trade-in and iPhone 11 Pro Max for $29.12 a month or $699 with trade-in from apple.com, in the Apple Store app and Apple Stores.

The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max feature 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED displays, respectively.

Privacy, the company said, is in-built from the ground up in iPhones housing iOS 13.

"We design products for people that enhance their lives. New iPhones are a true examples," said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The devices are available beginning at 5 a.m. (PDT) on September 13 with availability from September 20.

The iPhone 11 family comes in four finishes, including a new midnight green colour. "iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are the most powerful and advanced smartphones we have ever made," said Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.

"iPhone 11 Pro has the first triple-camera system in iPhone and is far and away the best camera we've ever made. The A13 Bionic chip sets a new bar for smartphone performance and power efficiency," he told the packed house at Steve Jobs theatre here.

iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max can shoot the highest quality video in a smartphone and record 4K video with extended dynamic range and cinematic video stabilization.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)

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San Jose (California), Sep 10 (IANS) The global revenues from streaming video services will reach $159 billion in 2024 -- more than double the figure of $68 billion in 2018. In 2019, the global revenue total is projected to reach about $85 billion, says latest data from Digital TV Research.

Apple is not far from the reality and is set to give a mega push to its Apple TV+ subscription TV service that will take popular platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu head on.

According to a report in The Financial Times, Apple has committed $6 billion to its original TV shows and movies budget for its upcoming Apple TV+ service.

This is a huge jump in Apple's budget for original shows as the company earlier set aside $1 billion for bringing renowned creators and actors to its platform.

The on-demand subscription service will come with brand new programming from the world's celebrated artists including Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and others.

Earlier in March, it was announced that Apple's on-demand subscription service will start in over 100 countries this fall.

Apple TV+ is expected to go live about the same time when Disney unveils Disney+ service on November 12.

Disney will charge $6.99 a month for Disney+, or $12.99 a month for a bundled package that also includes Disney-owned ESPN+ and Hulu's ad-supported streaming TV offering, say reports, adding that Apple TV+ may debut at $10 per month by November.

Apple in March announced its first-ever game subscription service called Apple Arcade that will feature over 100 new and exclusive games, including original releases from renowned creators like Hironobu Sakaguchi, Ken Wong and Will Wright.

Apple Arcade is also slated to launch in fall 2019 in more than 150 countries from a new tab on the App Store across iOS, macOS and tvOS.

"We are working with some of the most innovative game developers in the world to create over 100 new and exclusive games to play across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV," said Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.

"Apple Arcade games will be great for families, respect user privacy and will not have ads or require any additional purchases," he added.

The App Store currently has nearly 300,000 free and paid games.

With the simplicity of a single subscription, Apple Arcade will bring games to the App Store's more than one billion gaming customers.

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By Nishant Arora

San Jose (California), Sep 10 (IANS) Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything, said late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once.

In his keynote address at the Moscone Center in San Francisco in 2007 as he unveiled the first iPhone, Jobs told the audience: "This is a day that I have been looking forward to for two and a half years and today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone".

A lot has changed in nearly 12 years since Apple introduced the iPhone which has seen an installed base of nearly a billion devices across the globe.

Even Jobs could not have predicted just how popular iPhone would become in years to come.

According to CEO Tim Cook, Apple's active installed base of iPhones continued to grow across the globe in its June quarter, including in India where the company has achieved double-digit growth after a long time owing to promotional offers and discounts.

According to a latest consumer survey by New York-based 451 Research, among business buyers who plan to purchase smartphones in the September quarter, 83 per cent plan to purchase iPhones.

In the June quarter, Apple has a new revenue record of $53.8 billion and iPhone generated $26 billion, riding on strong customer response to the company's in-store trade-in and financing programmes.

"Our active installed base of iPhone reached a new all-time high and was up year-over-year in each of our top 20 markets, underscoring the quality of our products and the satisfaction and loyalty of iPhone customers around the world," Cook told the analysts over call.

As smartphone competition turns hyper-local, Cook has to reinvent the iPhone and this time, he has growing services business on his side which, if bundled well with the new models of iPhones, can do magic.

With services, Apple generated all-time record revenue of $11.5 billion - 13 per cent growth (year-over-year).

"Our strong services performance was broad-based; we set new all-time records for AppleCare, music, cloud services and our app store search ad business and achieved a new third quarter revenue record for the App Store," said Cook.

Apple has surpassed 420 million paid subscriptions to services across its platform.

According to Cook, the success is driven by several factors.

"Apple Pay is now completing nearly 1 billion transactions per month more than twice the volume of a year ago. Apple Pay launched in 17 countries in the June quarter completing our coverage in the European Union and bringing us to a total of 47 markets currently," he told the analysts.

For iPhone users, iOS 13 will take on a dramatic new look with Dark Mode, while delivering major updates to the apps, including photos, camera and maps.

iOS 13 offers great new ways to help you manage your privacy and security, including Sign On with Apple, which uses Face ID or Touch ID to quickly sign into apps and Web sites without sharing your personal information.

To introduce yet another great iPhone, Cook needs to ensure improvements across the entire system that will make iPhone faster and more delightful to use than ever before.

With smartphones becoming everything else but a talking device, the next generation of iPhones has to drive users into a new era of productivity and entertainment -- not a difficult job for Apple veteran Cook as he prepares for the launch at the company's Cupertino-based headquarters on Tuesday.

(Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in)

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From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Apr 22 (PTI) The FBI paid more than USD one million to a company to break into the locked iPhone used by a Pakistani-American shooter involved in the San Bernardino terror attack, Director James Comey has hinted.

Speaking at a security conference in London, Comey did not give the exact amount that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) paid to unlock the iPhone, but threw hints by his statement.

Comey, according to media reports here, said yesterday the cost of the tool was "more than I will make in the remainder of this job, which is seven years and four months, for sure."

The Washington Post said the FBI Director makes USD 185,100 a year.

"As a result, Comey's remarks strongly implied that the bureau paid at least USD 1.3 million to get onto the phone, which had belonged to Syed Rizwan Farook, who with his wife, killed 14 people during the December 2 terror attack in San Bernardino, in California," the daily reported.

Farook, a Pakistani-American and his wife Tashfeen Malik, a Pakistani national, died in a firefight with police after the terror attack.

"But it was, in my view, worth it," Comey said in defence of his decision.

The Washington Post said FBI cracked the phone with the help of professional hackers who were paid a onetime flat fee.

However they were not able to find any links to foreign terrorists on the phone, it said.

"I am hoping that we can somehow get to a place where we have a sensible solution, or set of solutions, that does not involve hacking and does not involve spending tons of money in a way that is unscalable," Comey said.

The FBI chief underscored the need for a continued national conversation over the issues surrounding universal encryption and how that factors into the privacy versus security debate.

"This will be a feature of our work - there will be other litigation, I am sure - but it will be a feature of our work, increasingly, over the months and years to come," Comey added.

The FBI had taken Apple to court to force it to break into the encryption-protected iPhone 5C.

Apple, backed by technology giants such as Google and Facebook, was opposed to assisting the agency in unlocking the iphone, citing it would have wide-reaching implications on digital security and privacy.

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Los Angeles, Mar 29 (AFP) The FBI has unlocked the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers, officials said, ending a heated legal standoff with Apple that had pitted US authorities against Silicon Valley.

Apple, backed by a broad coalition of technology giants like Google and Facebook, was fiercely opposed to assisting the US government in unlocking the iPhone on grounds it would have wide-reaching implications on digital security and privacy.

A key court hearing scheduled earlier this month to hear arguments from both sides in the sensitive case was abruptly cancelled after the FBI said it no longer needed Apple's help and had found an outside party to unlock the phone.

"Our decision to conclude the litigation was based solely on the fact that, with the recent assistance of a third party, we are now able to unlock that iPhone without compromising any information on the phone," US attorney Eileen Decker said in a statement yesterday.

"We sought an order compelling Apple to help unlock the phone to fulfil a solemn commitment to the victims of the San Bernardino shooting -- that we will not rest until we have fully pursued every investigative lead related to the vicious attack."

It was unclear who helped the FBI access the phone and what was stored on the device. But news reports have said the FBI may have sought assistance from an Israeli forensics company.

In a statement, Apple said the FBI case should never have been brought before the courts and that the company would continue to increase the security of its products.

"Apple believes deeply that people in the United States and around the world deserve data protection, security and privacy," it said. "Sacrificing one for the other only puts people and countries at greater risk."

In a court filing asking that the case be dismissed, federal prosecutors said the US government had "successfully accessed the data stored on (Syed) Farook's iPhone and therefore no longer requires assistance from Apple Inc."

Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California on December 2 before dying in a firefight with police. Two other phones linked to the pair were found destroyed after the attack.

Tech companies, security experts and civil rights advocates had vowed to fight the government all the way to the Supreme Court, saying the case was not about a single phone and could set a precedent to compel companies to build backdoors into their products.

Evan Greer, campaign director of Fight for the Future, a non-profit that supports Apple, said Monday's announcement was clear proof the government had an alternative motive in the case.

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San Francisco, Mar 16 (AFP) Apple has fired anew at the US government's legal fight to force it to break into an attacker's iPhone, saying the tactic would "appall" the country's founders.

Apple dug into its legal position in a written filing ahead of a hearing set for March 22 before a federal judge in Southern California.

Apple stuck to its argument that the FBI was overstepping legal bounds by using an All Writs Act to compel the company to help break an iPhone used by one of the shooters in the December terror attack in San Bernardino, California.

"The government attempts to rewrite history by portraying the Act as an all-powerful magic wand rather than the limited procedural tool it is," Apple attorneys yesterday said in a filing that responded to one submitted to the court a week earlier by the Justice Department.

"Thus, according to the government, short of kidnapping or breaking an express law, the courts can order private parties to do virtually anything the Justice Department and FBI can dream up. The founders would be appalled."

Apple urged the court to reject the FBI request on the ground it is forbidden by the Constitution.

Forcing Apple to help unlock an iPhone is a "modest" demand that may turn up vital evidence in a terrorist attack, the US government argued in a brief filed last week, upping the ante in its legal standoff with the technology giant.

Apple, which is backed by a broad coalition of powerful rival technology firms and activists, argues that the FBI is seeking a "back door" into all iPhones as part of the probe.

The government brief, in sharp contrast, argued it is a single case of technical assistance in an important national security investigation.

"The court's order is modest," Justice Department lawyers wrote.

"It applies to a single iPhone and it allows Apple to decide the least burdensome means of complying."

An FBI victory in the case could serve as a legal precedent backing requests for access to iPhones by law enforcement agencies throughout the US.

Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell last week slammed the Justice Department brief as reading "like an indictment" and apparently crafted to smear the iPhone maker with innuendo such as implying a "sinister" relationship with China.

He bashed the "cheap shot" brief as "an unsubstantiated effort to vilify Apple" that was on a flimsy legal footing.

Apple attorneys said that the California-based company has "categorically and absolutely not" been asked by any government other than the United States to build a backdoor into a product.

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San Francisco, Feb 25 (AFP) Apple chief Tim Cook went public in his battle with the FBI, saying that unlocking an iPhone in the name of fighting terrorism would be "bad for America."

"I think safety of the public is incredibly important -- safety of our kids, safety of our families is very important," Cook said yesterday during a television interview with ABC News.

"The protection of people's data is incredibly important, and so the trade-off here is we know that doing this could expose people to incredible vulnerabilities."

Apple is battling the US government over unlocking devices in at least 10 cases in addition to its high-profile dispute involving the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino attackers, court documents show.

Apple has been locked in a legal and public relations fight with the government in the San Bernardino case, where the FBI is seeking technical assistance in hacking the iPhone of Syed Farook, a US citizen, who gunned down 14 people with his Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik in the California city in December.

When asked in the interview how he felt about Apple taking the stand with the chance information on Farook's iPhone might prevent another terrorist attack, Cook responded: "Some things are hard and some things are right. And some things are both.

This is one of those things."

Cook maintained that the definite dangers of creating a way to crack into iPhone encryption trumped concerns about "something that might be there," adding he felt Apple was making the right choice.

"This (master key) is not something we would create," Cook said.

"This would be bad for America. It would also set a precedent that I believe many people in America would be offended by.

Apple chief calls FBI iPhone case 'bad for America'

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New York, Feb 19 (IANS) A day after Google's Indian-American chief executive Sundar Pichai supported arch rival Apple to fight a court order to help the FBI break into the iPhone 5c used by California shooter Syed Rizwan Farook, social media giant Facebook and micro-blogging website Twitter also came out in the company's support.

"We will continue to fight aggressively against requirements for companies to weaken the security of their systems," Facebook posted on Friday.

"We condemn terrorism and have total solidarity with victims of terror. Those who seek to praise, promote, or plan terrorist acts have no place on our services. We also appreciate the difficult and essential work of law enforcement to keep people safe," the Facebook statement added.

Meanwhile, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted: "We stand with @tim_cook and Apple (and thank him for his leadership)!".

Farook and his Pakistani-origin wife, Tashfeen Malik, gunned down 14 people at a social services agency in December last year in San Bernardino, California, before being killed in a shootout with police.

Pichai on Wedenesday directed followers to read Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook's open letter, arguing that helping the FBI try to get into the phone used by Farook would sabotage the security of "tens of millions of American citizens."

WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum and technology giant Microsoft also voiced their support for Apple CEO Tim Cook on Facebook on Thursday.

"Technology companies should not be required to build in backdoors to the technologies that keep their users' information secure," a statement from Microsoft said.

Some of the US lawmakers and Republican front-runner Donald Trump consider Apple's staunch refusal as a serious roadblock in the fight against domestic terrorism.

According to tech website The Verge, "The case, which Apple may fight all the way up to the Supreme Court, is the most significant battle yet in the ongoing encryption debate."

With support from New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said that "Apple and Google are acting like teenagers saying 'nobody can tell me what to do and the situation has become, ladies and gentlemen, the wild west of technology. And Apple and Google are their own sheriffs," the report added.

Apple's CEO Tim Cook said the court order sought and obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is investigating the December 2015 attack, would pose a serious threat to data security.

"The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers," Cook said in a message on the company's website.

FBI Director James Comey said last week that investigators still have not been able to get at the information on Farook's iPhone 5c.

The post Facebook, Twitter back Apple over cracking shooter’s iPhone appeared first on Social News XYZ.

Beijing, Feb 18 (IANS)

Users of the iPhone 6, iPads and Apple Watches will be able to use these devices, equipped with near field communication (NFC) technology, to buy items in stores in China, Apple's second-largest market, Xinhua news agency reported.

Nearly 20 Chinese banks have let their customers tie their bank accounts to Apple Pay, and UnionPay has provided compatible point-of-sale (POS) terminals for users to complete the transactions.

McDonald's said on Thursday that it will accept the contact-less payment in 1,700 restaurants in China. Apple also lists Lane Crawford, 7-Eleven, Burger King, KFC among merchants already accepting Apple Pay in China.

Chinese restaurant review and group buying services Meituan and Dazhongdianping and online retailer Dangdang.com have also made Apple Pay-compatible versions of their apps available to iPhone users.

China UnionPay has previously worked with the country's three telecom operators to promote NFC-based mobile payment services in competition with the payment solutions offered by Alibaba and Tencent.

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Washington, Feb 18 (IANS) Google's Indian-American chief executive Sundar Pichai sided with rival Apple in its battle over a court order to help the FBI access information on the encrypted iPhone used by a Pakistani-American shooter in San Bernardino.

Pichai Wednesday directed followers to Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook's open letter Tuesday night arguing that helping the FBI try to get into the phone used by Syed Rizwan Farook would sabotage the security of "tens of millions of American citizens."

Farook and his Pakistani origin wife, Tashfeen Malik, gunned down 14 people at a social services agency Dec 2 in San Bernardino, California, before being killed in a shootout with police.

FBI Director James Comey said last week that investigators still haven't been able to get at the information on Farook's iPhone 5c.

A Riverside, California court Tuesday directed Apple to help FBI crack the phone by developing software to hack into one of its own devices.

In a series of tweets Wednesday evening, Pichai argued that even that would essentially put tech companies in the position of hacking their own customers:

1/5 Important post by @tim_cook. Forcing companies to enable hacking could compromise users' privacy.

2/5 We know that law enforcement and intelligence agencies face significant

challenges in protecting the public against crime and terrorism 3/5 We build secure products to keep your information safe and we give law enforcement access to data based on valid legal orders 4/5 But that's wholly different than requiring companies to enable hacking of customer devices & data. Could be a troubling precedent 5/5 Looking forward to a thoughtful and open discussion on this important issue

The government, Cook contends, is asking Apple to create a "backdoor" to its own security systems.

"Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them," Cook wrote in a letter published on the company's website.

"But now the US government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create."

Reacting to Cook's stand, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said he was floored that Apple had not volunteered to aid the FBI. "Who do they think they are?" he asked on Fox News.

Speaking to reporters in South Carolina, Senator Marco Rubio said he hoped the tech giant would voluntarily comply with the government's request, but acknowledged the court order is far from a simple issue.

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New York, Feb 14 (IANS) US tech giant Apple has announced a worldwide replacement programme for the USB-C cable that it shipped between April and June, 2015.

The cable was released with the 12-inch Retina Macbook last year, and according to Apple, it is possible for the cable to fail without warning due to flaw in the design.

"As a result, your MacBook may not charge or only charge intermittently when it's connected to a power adapter with an affected cable," iClarified quoted Apple's statement as saying on Saturday.

The buyers of these cables may get a new cable if they gave Apple their mailing address when registering for MacBook.

Others can contact authorised Apple service provider, or contact Apple customer support.

If any user has bought a new one, he/she is eligible for a refund.

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New York, Feb 13 (IANS) US technology giant Apple has reportedly announced to launch iPhone 5se and a new iPad Air on March 15, a media report said.

The new 4-inch iPhone would be available online and in retail stores on March 18. Apple is unlikely to offer pre-orders for the new devices, tech website 9to5mac reported on Friday.

Manufacturing of the new iPhone began ramping up in January.

The iPhone 5se is an improved version of iPhone 5s that have specifications of iPhone 6 such as iPhone 6's 8-megapixel primary camera, 1.2-megapixel front camera, NFC chip for using Apple Pay, company’s latest A9 processor, and improved connectivity like faster Wi-Fi.

The phone will also support Live Photos and may have a slight design change and a curved glass around its edges.

The phone is likely to support always-on Siri activation and will come in the same colours as the 6s: gold, rose gold, silver, and space grey.

“The iPad Air 3 is said to include a Smart Connector and support for Apple-branded accessories, which could mean that updated Smart Keyboards and Apple Pencil support for the 9.7-inch device are in the pipeline,” the report said.

The new iPad is also expected to an upgraded camera system, a rear flash for brighter photos and include a variant of the A9 processor.

Apple is also planning to unveil a series of new Apple Watch Sport Band colours, a Space Black Milanese Loop, and NATO-style nylon bands.

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New York, Feb 13 (IANS) US-based technology giant Microsoft has launched a new image recognition app that looks at photos of dogs to identify its breed or at least tell the percentage of the closest match in case it cannot make an exact match.

Fetch -- an iPhone app -- is the latest in a series of fun projects that are meant to highlight machine learning's potential.

The app uses a machine learning technique called deep neural networks, the technology website Tech Crunch reported.

"…there is very advanced work underway at Microsoft in this area, which are able to take apart subtle differences, even when breeds look similar or through the many different colors within breeds," Mitch Goldberg, development director at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, a Britain-based team which built the app, was quoted as saying.

"Every time we add more, that's the beauty of the deep neural network in understanding new, unique breeds. This is a really complex problem," Goldberg added.

To use the app, you simply show it a picture of a dog and it returns with the name of the breed. If there is no dog in the photo, the app says: "No dogs found!"

Last year, Microsoft launched a website that would guess people's ages from their photos. However, the results were a hit or miss because the results depended on the many factors of the picture such as framing and lightning in the picture.

Similarly, the company released MyMoustache app to recognise and rate facial hair.

The post Microsoft’s Fetch — An iPhone app Can Identify Your Dog’s Breed appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New York, Feb 2 (IANS) US tech giant Apple has launched a new app "Airmail", a lightning fast mail client for Mac and the iPhone to help user manage emails without any hassle by making them in-charge of customization, including the way to read and respond to messages.

Airmail for iOS, a new email app launched on Monday has everything a user would expect from an app. Gestures like swiping "a little" and swiping "a lot" and the display order of conversations are some of its key features, Wired online reported.

"Designed for the latest generation iPhone and iOS9, it supports 3D Touch, fast document previewing, high-quality PDF creation, and native integration with other apps and services for a frictionless workflow," read the description of the app on the official website.

Available for $4.99, Airmail acts like it knows email is messy and complicated. Your inbox is filterable due to which you can use the options like "see unread messages only, or things with attachments, or only emails from today, all with one tap."

The customizable app also has formatting options while composing a new mail and an additional feature set like a snooze, interactive push notification, and full inbox sync. Users can also change colours and icons of the app.

Airmail for iOS is great because it has no agenda - it is a junkyard for your email, for you to deal with any way you want. Everyone is going to use it differently, and that is beautiful, the report said.

If you have a query, the Airmail team has also provided a live chat option on the official website of the app.

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San Francisco, Jan 27 (AFP) Apple has reported the slowest sales ever of its market-leading iPhone, after years of rocketing growth, but the tech giant still posted record quarterly profit.

Net income for the quarter ending December 26 was two per cent higher than the same period a year earlier at USD 18.4 billion, while revenue of USD 75.9 billion set another record for the company, also edging up two per cent.

The results were largely in line with expectations that sales of iPhones -- the driver of two-thirds of Apple revenue -- had peaked and that the company would need to find new sources of growth.

Apple shares have slid 20 per cent since last year on these concerns. But in after-market trade yesterday the stock was down a modest 0.7 per cent at USD 99.30.

"Our team delivered Apple's biggest quarter ever, thanks to the world's most innovative products and all-time record sales of iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple TV," chief executive Tim Cook said in an earnings release.

"The growth of our services business accelerated during the quarter to produce record results, and our installed base recently crossed a major milestone of one billion active devices."

Apple reported that, overall, a billion iPhones, iPads, Macintosh computers, iPod touch devices, Apple TV units, and Apple Watch wearable computers had "engaged" with its services in the past three months.

In the fiscal quarter Apple sold 74.8 million iPhones -- a record, but only fractionally higher than the 74.5 million in the same period last year and the slowest growth since the lifestyle-altering handsets were introduced in 2007.

Revenue in "Greater China" was up 14 per cent for Apple but weaker in the US and Japan.

A big question for Apple is whether it can continue to drive sales growth in a sluggish global economy, amid increasing competition from rival smartphone makers.

Apple said that it expected revenue in the current quarter to be between USD 50 billion and USD 53 billion. That would probably mean a decline from the USD 58 billion in the same period of 2015.

Apple has been diversifying with new offerings in music and is counting on growth from its Apple Watch and accessories.

The company reported sales of "other products" -- including the smartwatch and Beats music products -- was USD 4.35 billion in the past quarter, but did not break down those figures. Services accounted for USD 6 billion.

Sales of iPads saw a 56 per cent drop in revenues and 25 per cent dip in unit sales as the market for tablet computers cooled.

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New York, Jan 23 (IANS) If you are an Apple user, get ready to experience your Facebook Timeline in 3D soon. According to reports, the social networking site is rolling out a special feature "3D Touch" to its Timeline.

So instead of tapping and swiping, "3D Touch" will allow users to hard-press on items to preview content and then optionally act on it, Tech Crunch reported.

The feature will work with web links, profiles, Facebook Pages, Facebook Groups, Facebook Events, photos, profile pictures and cover photos.

To begin with, Apple users will be able to press on links and profiles and preview content without having to navigate away from their current spot.

"We are excited to start rolling out support for 3D Touch in our iOS app so people can quickly and easily peek into a preview of anything they are interested in on Facebook, and pop into that content to see more," a Facebook spokesperson was quoted as saying in the report.

Initially, "3D Touch" on the Timeline will be available to a "small group" of people and will later expand to more users.

This previewing feature was earlier called "peek and pop" and introduced on Apple's new smartphones last year.

So "peek" at emails from your inbox with a light press then press a little harder to "pop" into them soon!

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Rome, Jan 22 (IANS/AKI) Apple will open in Naples a centre to teach a "new generation" of computer coders how to develop new software for its app store, the tech giant announced.

The app training centre will be the first in Europe, where the European Union's executive predicts a lack of coding skills could lead to a shortage of up to 900,000 ICT professionals by 2020.

Italian premier Matteo Renzi welcomed the news, saying it would create jobs for some 600 people in the impoverished southern city.

Vincenzo De Luca, the governor of the under-developed Campania region surrounding Naples, also hailed Apple's planned training centre.

"It's a great opportunity for the city, a significant investment in a type of advanced industry that can bring 600 jobs to Naples," De Luca said.

"Europe is home to some of the most creative developers in the world and we are thrilled to be helping the next generation of entrepreneurs in Italy get the skills they need for success," Cook said in a statement on Thursday.

The Naples centre will "give students practical skills and training on developing iOS apps," the statement said.

Apple will work with partners around Italy and expects to expand the programme to other countries around the world, it added.

Apple said its app store has created more than 1.4 million jobs in Europe. "In Italy, over 75,000 jobs are attributable to the App Store and the developer community is vibrant," it stated.

Apple in December agreed to pay Italy 318 million euros in backtaxes for the period 2008-2013.

The case was one of several Italy has brought against global technology companies that have headquarters in low-tax nations like Ireland.

Italian tax authorities have also examined Facebook's Milan offices and are working with Google to determine what might be due.

--IANS/AKI
py/vt

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New York, Jan 10 (IANS) Facebook is building an as-yet-unreleased Facebook Messenger app for Mac desktop that would help Apple users to instantly access it straight from the dock, a media report said.

Instead of getting buried in one of many web browser tabs that users have to switch to so they can text friends, the dedicated Messenger desktop app would be instantly accessible from the dock present on the desktop, Tech Crunch reported on Saturday.

The news portal said it has obtained photographic evidence and an eyewitness report that Facebook employees are working on Facebook Messenger For Mac.

According to the eyewitness account and the photo, the app used by the employee included the Messenger logo as the icon in the app dock, and was named Messenger in the menu bar.

In the photo, it can be seen that the employee was working on the app that includes a navigation tab bar in the bottom left. It matches the tab bar options in official Messenger for iOS mobile app, including "Recent, Groups, People, and Settings" menu.

The report said the unofficial versions lack this tab bar.

Sources also confirmed that the employee was logged into Facebook's internal portals further confirming they were on an official Messenger For Mac app that's not available to the public.

Meanwhile, Facebook said, "We do not comment on rumour or speculation."

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Rome, Dec 30 (AFP) Apple has agreed to pay Italian authorities 318 million euros to settle a tax dispute after the US tech giant was accused of dodging payments, the tax office has said.

The company's Italian subsidiary has been under investigation for allegedly failing to declare more than one billion euros (USD 1.3 billion) to the tax authorities, according to Italian daily La Repubblica.

The tax office spokesman confirmed the newspaper's report was accurate but would not divulge further details of the confidential case.

Apple Italia did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

According to La Repubblica, the payment followed months of negotiations and corresponded to the full amount demanded by the Italian authorities in relation to the 2008-13 tax years.

It comes against a backdrop of mounting controversy over the tax arrangements of multinational groups who use cross- border corporate structures to reduce their tax bills.

Apple Italia is part of the company's European operation which is headquartered in Ireland, a country with one of the lowest levels of corporation tax in the European Union.

Earlier this month, Apple chief Tim Cook described accusations that the world's richest company was sidestepping US taxes by stashing cash overseas as "political crap" and insisted: "We pay ever tax dollar we owe.

The post Apple to Pay Italy 318 Mn Euros After Tax Fraud Probe appeared first on Social News XYZ.

New York, Dec 22 (IANS) Apple's "Live Photos" feature in iPhone 6s is gaining popularity as big third parties are finding ways to integrate them.

After Tumblr, Facebook is now rolling out the ability to upload and view Live Photos from within their iOS app, Tech Crunch reported.

Uploading a Live Photo is similar to uploading a regular still photo, save for one extra step.

While uploading a photo from your camera roll that happens to be Live Photo-enabled, a "LIVE" box appears in the bottom right.

Tap that, and it will upload as a Live Photo. If you do not tap it, only the still goes up. You would have to tap that box manually with each Live Photo.

Once in the feed, Live Photos will show as static images by default. In the bottom right of each, however, will be a set of concentric circles.

Press and hold any photo with these circles, and the Live Photo starts playing. Lift your thumb, and it fades back to its static form.

Only iPhone 6s and 6s Plus can capture Live Photos right now, but in Facebook's case, any device running iOS 9 (in other words, anything as old as the iPhone 4S) will be able to view them.

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San Francisco, Oct 28 (IANS) Technology giant Apple has announced a profit of $11.12 billion for the last fiscal quarter and posted earnings of $53.4 billion for the entire year.

Figures for the last quarter show gains of $1.96 per share, 31 percent higher than the same period last year, and above the $1.88 mark pegged by market consensus, Efe reported.

Profits over the entire year shot up by 35 percent, the tech giant said on Tuesday.

The company, headquartered at Cupertino in California, also announced revenues amounting to $51.5 billion in the last quarter, as compared to $42.12 billion of the previous year, and exceeding analyst forecast of $51.1 billion.

Sales during the whole year totalled $233.7 billion.

The company sold 48.04 million iPhones in its fourth quarter, which ended September 26, while last year's figure stood at more than 39.27 million.

In China, one of Apple's fastest growing markets, sales nearly doubled to $12.5 billion, representing almost one-third of the total revenue.

The gross profit percentage stood at 39.9 percent in the indicated quarter.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said on Tuesday that he hoped sales of the iPhone, will continue to climb in the current quarter too.

Apple had registered record smart phone sales to the tune of $74.46 million in the fourth quarter of 2014.

The company, which has been under fire for poor work conditions in the manufacturing plants of some of its Chinese suppliers, said it has decided to focus its efforts on being a responsible global company.

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Washington, Oct 17 (IANS) Tech giant Apple has been told to pay $234 million to the intellectual property arm of Wisconsin University, Madison, for using without permission patented technology developed by its team, including two Indian-American engineers.

The award amount a federal jury in Madison asked  Apple to pay Friday was about $165 million less than what Wisconsin University Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) had sought, according to Wisconsin State Journal. The case centres on technology that became a component of processors that run widely popular Apple devices such as the iPhone and iPad.

Gurindar Sohi and Terani Vijaykumar, both electrical and electronics engineering graduates of Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, were part of the four-member WARF team which developed the technology.

US District Judge William Conley, who presided over the trial, complimented the lawyers on their professionalism and spoke to Wisconsin University-Madison computer sciences' Professor Sohi, who led the WARF technology team, seated in the courtroom.

"For Dr. Sohi, I hope you felt that your invention was vindicated," Conley was quoted as saying.

"This is a case where the hard work of our university researchers and the integrity of patenting and licensing discoveries has prevailed," said Carl Gulbrandsen, managing director of WARF.

"The jury recognized the seminal computer processing work that took place on our campus. This decision is great news for the inventors, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and for WARF."

Apple attorneys declined to comment, referring questions to the California company's public relations office, the Journal said.

Spokesperson Rachel Tulley said only that Apple plans to appeal.

The jury also ruled that a subset of processing chips produced in Texas by Samsung under contract for Apple, then exported to Korea, still infringed on WARF's patent.

The jury also ruled that although those chips were produced by Samsung, Apple controlled their production.

WARF sued Apple in January 2014, claiming that Apple infringed on one of WARF's patents in creating a processor for its popular mobile devices, starting with the iPhone 5S in 2012.

On Tuesday, the jury agreed that Apple's use of the technology was an infringement of WARF's patent.

The technology, first incorporated into Apple's A7 processor and used now in the A8 and A8X processors, makes the processors work faster and more efficiently, and extend battery life by as much as two hours.

According to WARF complaints, the patent titled "Table-Based Data Speculation Circuit for Parallel Processing Computer" was issued to Andreas Moshovos, Scott Breach, Terani Vijaykumar, and Gurindar Sohi in 1998 as a result of their "labour and ingenuity".

"The invention disclosed and claimed in the patent has been recognized by those in the art as a major milestone in the field of computer microprocessing," the complaints stated.

"This work has been recognized as a major milestone in the field of computer microprocessor architecture/design," lawyers for WARF wrote in the compalint.

"Indeed, Dr. (Gurindar) Sohi, the leader of the lab that developed the '752 patent, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering based on his work in the field of computer architecture," they added.

WARF had also asserted that Apple wilfully infringed on its patent, a claim that withstood a summary judgment motion in August.

But on Thursday night, after hearing testimony from Apple's witnesses during the trial's damages phase, Conley reconsidered and dismissed the wilfulness claim.

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Washington, Oct 15 (IANS)

Gurindar Sohi and Terani Vijaykumar, both electrical and electronics engineering graduates of Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, were part of a four member team that developed the technology.

A Wisconsin jury on Tuesday found that in creating processors for several popular devices, including the iPhone and iPad, the tech giant used technology owned by the University of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF).

The jury must now decide how much Apple owes the foundation in damages for its infringing A7 processor, used in the iPhone 5S, the iPad Air, and iPad Mini, according to Court News Service.

Trial proceedings began on October 5, over a year and a half after WARF first filed its complaint against Apple with the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin in early 2014.

Last month, the foundation filed a nearly identical complaint to the one the jury decided, claiming infringement of the same patent on the new A9 and A9X processors in the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, and iPad Pro. Apple has yet to file an answer to the latest complaint.

According to both complaints, the patent titled "Table-Based Data Speculation Circuit for Parallel Processing Computer" was issued to Andreas Moshovos, Scott Breach, Terani Vijaykumar, and Gurindar Sohi in 1998 as a result of their "labour and ingenuity".

"The invention disclosed and claimed in the patent has been recognized by those in the art as a major milestone in the field of computer microprocessing," the complaints stated.

The patent, which concerns technology that improves processor efficiency, was used in the company's A7, A8 and A8X processors, which power the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus in addition to several iPad models, the foundation said in its compalaint.

"This work has been recognized as a major milestone in the field of computer microprocessor architecture/design," lawyers for WARF wrote as cited by Christian Science Monitor.

"Indeed, Dr. (Gurindar) Sohi, the leader of the lab that developed the '752 patent, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering based on his work in the field of computer architecture," they added.

In its case, WARF asserts Apple incorporated patented computer microarchitecture into the A7, A8 and A8X system-on-chip designs, components used in numerous iOS devices.

As the University of Wisconsin's non-profit patent management body, WARF patents and licenses inventions developed at the institution, with proceeds gained put toward future research projects.

WARF leveraged the same patent against Intel's Core 2 Duo CPU in 2008, a case settled out of court in 2009 for an undisclosed sum, according to a 2014 report from The Register cited by the Monitor.

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New York, Oct 11 (IANS) The Americans' obsession with stories about celebrity CEOs like Steve Jobs has got more to do with their cultural fascination for romantic individualist story than the man himself, suggests a new study on the subject.

The author, Thomas Streeter, professor of sociology at the University of Vermont, said that Jobs' story fits perfectly with the romantic individualist story that American culture can't seem to get enough, despite being yet another romanticised story about a well-known business celebrity.

"Jobs is an interesting character, but if we were choosing whose story to tell based on the importance of their inventions or business innovations, we would be telling stories about other people like computer scientist Dennis Ritchie," Streeter said.

Ritchie was central to the development of the software and concepts that made the internet possible.

"Or it could be Douglas Engelbart, the inventor of the mouse and the windowing interface. Either of them could be said to have invented more important things than Steve Jobs," he added.

"But where are all the major Hollywood movies, documentaries, and best-selling biographies about Ritchie or Engelbart and the dozens of other key inventors whose contributions were as or more essential than Jobs?" Streeter wondered.

There has to be another reason that the Steve Jobs story has been told over and over again since the 1980s instead of about men like Ritchie or Engelbart, according to Streeter.

"I think the reason is in our culture: we love the story of Jobs because we love the story of the guy who bucked convention, pursued his passions, and got rich doing so," Streeter explained.

"Jobs' story nicely fits the romantic individualist story that American culture is in love with. We love the story, and the case of Steve Jobs gives us a chance to tell that story over and over," he said.

The study appeared in the International Journal of Communication.

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The Apple logo: coming to a vehicle near you? Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP

Apple executives have discussed their plans for an “autonomous vehicle” with officials at California’s department of motor vehicles (DMV), according to Guardian.

Read more @theguardian.com

Apple self-driving car is coming!!!!

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