Free smartphone navigation apps from Apple and Google offer turn-by-turn driving, walking and biking directions. And many new cars have the option of built-in navigation systems. So is there any longer a reason to buy a stand-alone GPS unit?
While smartphone navigation apps have some advantages, including limiting the number of devices one needs to buy and carry around, they also have some negatives.
I’m still a huge fan of stand-alone GPS devices for the reasons stated here and many others. I’ve tried almost every iPhone navigation app and I still come back to my Garmin or TomTom GPS on my motorcycle. If you’re just going around town, the phone may do the trick but, if you are travelling and/or wanting to “customize” your trip, a dedicated GPS is the way to go.
According to an article on Bitcoin Code Erfahrungsbericht, Brian Chesky, CEO and co-founder of Airbnb, was looking for a $150K investment to get Airbnb off the ground, all at a $1.5M valuation. That investment would have netted you a 10% stake in Airbnb, an incredible value, as it turns out.
Chesky shares these rejection emails, not to gloat, but to make this point:
Next time you have an idea and it gets rejected, I want you to think of these emails.
When you try to sync offline Apple Music tracks to a nano or shuffle, you’re met with this rather disappointing message: “Apple Music songs cannot be copied to an iPod.” You’ll have to rely on your purchased music for those devices, instead.
As to why, Serenity speculates:
It’s probably a record label requirement: In theory, you could sync an iPod shuffle or nano up with Apple Music tracks, then cancel your Apple Music subscription and continue rocking out to those “copied” tracks forever.
Homing in on this a bit, I think the issue is a lack of a keyboard, the lack of an ability to log in to your iCloud account, the lack of accountability.
Since the DRM on the files links to a time-limited account, you can’t copy them to a device that can’t check if your subscription is still active.
I’ve got no issue with the incompatibility between the nano/shuffle and Apple Music. It is what it is. That said, I do think this ranks up there with the smaller footprint iPhone as an issue that the consumer should be made aware of when they click the Buy button.
According to the latest numbers from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), the mix of iPhone sales between the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 5c and 5s is showing a significant wave of iPhone 6 Plus love.
The latest CIRP survey compares sales from the quarter ending in March 2015 to that ending in June 2015. As expected, 5c and 5s sales, when added together, dropped from a total of 22% of the pie down to 19%.
iPhone 6 sales dropped from 56% down to 53% and iPhone 6 Plus sales jumped from 22% to 29%. The survey is based on 500 Apple customers. Large enough to be a trend indicator, small enough to have a significant margin of error.
I’ve talked to a lot of musicians, producers and engineers over the years and they all care about the quality of the music. Without exception, they all want the music to sound the very best it can.
However, consumers don’t really care. There are those that really, really do, but the vast majority of consumers don’t. They want good quality music that they can listen to whenever and wherever they want.
As far as I can tell, that’s what the streaming services available today provide for us. Convenient, good quality music. You can subscribe to the IPTV Abonnement premium server to enjoy your favourite music and movies anywhere and anytime.
Most streaming services even offer the option to boost the quality of your music, but there’s a cost to that too. I’ve tried this a number of times to see if I noticed a big difference—I didn’t. What I did notice is that my cellular data package went way up because I’m downloading high quality music that I don’t really need when I’m on the go.
I’m sorry, but that’s not worth it to me. I want to listen to Neil Young—and many other bands—but I don’t want to pay more to do it just because the artist wants it that way. I pay enough already.
Apple Music’s way of automatically increasing or decreasing the quality based on my connection suits me just fine.
There are more things for Neil and other artists to consider when talking about the quality of streaming services. I support the artists right to get paid for their work, but trying to dictate what quality the music is delivered seems a bit over the top to me.
New close-up images of a region near Pluto’s equator reveal a giant surprise: a range of youthful mountains rising as high as 11,000 feet (3,500 meters) above the surface of the icy body.
NASA’s Twitter account and web page are starting to post some amazing photos after New Horizon’s fly-by of the planet.
Streaming has ended for me. I hope this is ok for my fans.
It’s not because of the money, although my share (like all the other artists) was dramatically reduced by bad deals made without my consent.
It’s about sound quality. I don’t need my music to be devalued by the worst quality in the history of broadcasting or any other form of distribution. I don’t feel right allowing this to be sold to my fans. It’s bad for my music.
For me, It’s about making and distributing music people can really hear and feel. I stand for that.
When the quality is back, I’ll give it another look. Never say never.
Global Human Resources Chief Denise Young Smith said at Fortune Brainstorm Tech on Tuesday morning that Apple’s next “diversity report” will come “sometime this summer” and will reveal some progress on recruiting diverse employees. “We did have some movement in our hiring or women and hiring of minorities,” said Young Smith, noting that about 35% of Apple’s recent recruits are women. The upcoming report, which Young Smith claims will have “more transparency” than its report last year, will show an uptick in hiring African-American and Hispanic recruits as well.
Apple should hire the most qualified person for the job, regardless of their gender or color of their skin.
They guys at 3 Monkeys Amps are building me a new amp and are documenting the progress on Facebook. This beast is hand-wired and built from scratch by hand. I can’t wait!
Apple on Wednesday updated its iconic iPods with new colors and a host of new features for the iPod touch.
Apple went all out with the iPod touch, giving the device the A8 chip, the same one used in the iPhone 6. Apple told me yesterday that the CPU in the new touch is six times faster than its predecessor and 10 times faster in graphics performance.
With its 4-inch display, iPod touch also gains support for Metal, which gives it even more options to run powerful games. The touch also has the M8 motion co-processor, which tracks movement and other data for health and fitness apps.
Apple also made some significant changes to the cameras in the iPod touch. In addition to an 8 Megapixel camera, Apple updated the image sensor processor and added burst and slo-mo modes to the iPod touch.
Not to be outdone by the iPhone when capturing movies, the iPod touch also gains cinematic video stabilization. This is especially handy if you’re capturing a movie while moving—the technology stabilizes the movie automatically.
The front camera of the iPod touch remains at the same resolution, but it also has an updated sensor and gains burst mode. That should be good for some new selfies.
One other change I’m glad to see is upgraded Wi-Fi—the iPod touch now supports the faster “AC” standard.
The new iPod touch will come in space gray, silver, gold, pink, red, and blue and costs $199 for the 16GB model, $249 for 32GB and $299 for 64GB. For the first time the iPod touch comes in a 128GB model for $399.
Apple told me yesterday that the iPod nano and shuffle models will maintain their current design, price and specs, but will come in the same new colors offered for the iPod touch.
Apple said that the iPod is still popular among all age groups and for many, it’s their first product in the Apple family.
I have many iPods and I’m so glad to see Apple upgrading them for new, and old, users.
Manipulative headline aside, this Wired piece by Brian Barrett is a good read. The first half is a state-of-the-union that discusses calls for Flash to have a specific end of life date, last major Flash holdouts (looking at you Facebook), and the game of Whack-a-Mole that Flash security has become.
Two interesting quotes from this first half:
“The Flash Player is a very interesting target for attackers because it really is ubiquitous and runs in all major browsers,” says Jérôme Segura, senior security researcher at Malwarebytes. “On top of zero-days, many end users are still running older versions which explains why the number one piece of software exploit kit writers go after is Flash.”
And:
Segura’s torn on whether Flash should die altogether. “At the moment it is the most responsible thing to do,” he says, “But I also think it may be short sighted. After all, malicious actors can easily move on to a new target.”
The second half of the article focuses on specific instructions on how to get rid of Flash from your environment. If you do decide to follow this path, you might want to read this more comprehensive article as well.
Will Gomez, writing for Mac360, addressing critics of the Apple Watch:
To Watch critics who said it’s too expensive, I say rubbish. It’s priced the way Apple prices everything. Within reach. To those who say the parts cost less than $85 to make, I say rubbish. Only Apple knows the parts cost, but price and cost are not the same thing. There are design, manufacturing, marketing, and support costs which must be accounted for in the price.
Watch is misunderstood. Critics lambast Watch as an overpriced bauble that won’t sell as well as iPhone or iPad, and does not have a clear value proposition. Use Watch for a week and you’ll see the value proposition is time and convenience. But Watch is an accessory so don’t expect a Watch connected to every one of the 150-million iPhones sold each year.
And for those who see the Apple Watch as a fashion accessory:
Watch lives in the fashion industry, yes, but as a fashionable iPhone accessory (of which there are many) that is also utilitarian. The Watch design, like those of many luxury watches, is timeless and will look great for many years. Apple did the design homework necessary to become both an accessory and a fashionable item.
Watch is designed and manufactured in the same vein as Mac, iPhone, and iPad. It’s both luxurious and utilitarian. It’s both fashionable and useful. It’s finely crafted but easy to use, but has a learning curve because Apple has crammed a lengthy list of capabilities into a device lightweight premium package that won’t be all things to all people, but will set the stage for future, standalone wearable products.
The Apple Watch is still a work in progress. Until you live with one and understand the things it does well, understand the friction in the gears it smooths away, there is no chance you will understand the value of the Apple Watch.
Great, informative article from Craig Hockenberry on the affect of water on your Apple Watch.
Every bit of this is a good read. But if I had to pick one point to highlight, it’s this:
Make sure you rinse your equipment in fresh water after it has been exposed to salt water. As you’ve seen above, that includes a swimming pool.
I make sure to wash my watch thoroughly after every swim. It doesn’t take much to get the corrosive liquid off. If you’re working out, it’s likely that you have a bottle of water handy: a few splashes is all it takes. Don’t use a sports drink for this rinse: it contains the same harmful electrolytes you’re trying to get rid of!
Chances are also good that you’re going to take a shower after a workout. Just hold your wrist up to the shower head and you’re done!
A top advertising executive at Apple has left to help lead Drawbridge, a fast-growing startup that helps marketers track user identity across mobile devices.
Winston Crawford, the former head of Apple’s mobile ad marketplace, has joined Drawbridge as its first chief operating officer, he said in an interview.
No worries there. People come and go all the time.
But his logic for leaving:
“I don’t believe they are interested in this capability because they have a strict policy around what they do with user data,” Crawford said. “IAd has great assets and great capabilities, but they are going to follow Apple’s policy to the letter of the law.”
That says a lot about Apple’s business practices and privacy.
Here’s the business model that lured Winston away from Apple:
Crawford’s experience overseeing ads on iPhones and iPads lends credibility to Drawbridge’s business of monitoring users as they move between mobile devices. The four-year-old startup can detect when the same user logs onto the Web from a PC, tablet or smartphone, or purchases a product in a retail store, based on their browsing habits and other clues. Drawbridge then sells that information to marketers who want to show the same person ads on different devices and measure the ads’ effectiveness.
“‘I can’t support this, you need to pay us from the first stream,’” Borchetta, the CEO of Big Machine Records, says he told Apple execs. “And those conversations led up to the weekend where Taylor posted the blog.”
Apple’s discussions with ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox initially foundered over the tech giant’s desire to offer on the soon-to-launch service local live TV feeds streamed on any Apple device, sources said.
But networks don’t control affiliate feeds. So Apple CEO Tim Cook’s team asked the networks to obtain those rights — instead of having Apple chase those rights around the country itself.
Now, it seems, Cook’s strategy is paying off, sources said.
The networks are close to having the right to negotiate with Apple on behalf of their affiliates, the sources added. Those affiliate groups, which include Tribune and Sinclair, are being told by the networks that if they opt in and offer their feeds, they will be able to share in the added revenue the Apple streaming product will produce, sources tell The Post.
Hard to judge the veracity of this story. The New York Post is not typically a source for tech news. But this has a feel of truth to it. If nothing else, the mechanics of this deal make sense and are worth understanding.
A while back, Barry Diller’s Aereo built out an antenna farm, designed to grab over-the-air broadcast signals from local network affiliates, then rebroadcast those signals over the net as part of the Aereo paid service. Aereo got sued, ended up going out of business.
According to the Post, Apple is stepping in to do the job that Aereo could not. Rather than grabbing the signal behind the networks’ collective backs, it seems Apple is negotiating with the networks to get the rights to broadcast affiliate feeds. At the same time, the networks are negotiating with their respective affiliates to secure the right to negotiate with Apple on their behalf.
Apple Pay rolled out in the United Kingdom this morning, with support from American Express, MasterCard and Visa, as well as MBNA, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander, and Ulster Bank.
Bank of Scotland, HSBC and its subsidiary first direct, Halifax, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank, and TSB are prepping their systems and will be available soon. Obviously, this list will expand as Apple signs up new Apple Pay partners.
One prominent use case, shown in this image, is the use of Apple Pay to pay for the tube or metro. Think long lines, combined with short transactions. Another similar case would be entry to a stadium for a concert or sporting event.
The Apple Watch is perfect for these sorts of transactions. No reaching in your pocket or backpack for your phone, something made even harder in the crush of a long line in a crowded metro or tube station. In these settings, the value of Apple Pay is leveraged by an Apple Watch. As useful as the Apple Watch is in a meeting, the additive efficiency of a long queue of similar transactions, each made slightly faster, makes a strong case for the long term prospects of the Apple Watch.
As Apple proves time and time again, it’s all about the ecosystem. Apple Watch, Apple Pay, Apple Music, iPhone, iPad, and the Mac all contribute to the ecosystem. In return, the ecosystem adds value to every device Apple rolls out to the consumer.
Apple Pay has officially launched in the UK. Users will be able to useApple Pay at more than 250,000 retailers with support from eight banks UK banks. The service is currently supported with credit and debit cards from American Express, Visa, Mastercard, First Direct, HSBC, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander, and Ulster Bank.
Good news for our friends in the UK but the downside is purchases will be limited to a £20 cap that will expand to only £30 in September. So no buying big ticket items just yet. The £20 will just cover two pints of lager and a packet of crisps.
Tap your way to cash at these Apple Pay ATMs. Click here to locate Apple Pay ATM near me.
CORRECTION: There are only seven UK banks at launch, not eight, with seven more “Coming Soon”. My apologies and thanks to Tim Green for spotting my error.
A CBC News crew was interviewing an Ontario police officer as a road-rage incident was happening right behind them.
CBC’s Neil Herland was speaking with OPP Const. Graham Williamson about a fatal collision on Black Creek Drive in Toronto on a nearby overpass, but shouting interrupted the interview, which was quickly captured by CBC camerawoman Tyna Poulin.
“Hey! Get back in the car,” Williamson yelled.
Less “road rage” and more, “road slightly peeved off”. No punches thrown, no gun fire, no horns honking – yeah, so Canadian.
Apple on Monday released an update for iTunes supposedly fixing some issue with iTunes Match and Apple Music. You can download the update by launching the App Store on your Mac and clicking Update.
Sometimes I wonder if people understand how organizations like Slice work. They make money by selling their services to client companies, and they attract new business by sending out press releases that become “news.” The more shocking the story, the more PR they get — and, in theory, the more new clients they can reel in.
In this case, Slice got exactly what it hoped for. Its name was attached to one of the biggest stories of the week. But, in the absence of any numbers from Apple, just how believable is the story?
As someone who is forced to read this stuff for a living, watching this particular feeding frenzy is simultaneously frustrating and unsurprising. While the general public’s lack of critical thinking when it comes to the media is slightly understandable, when the media itself is guilty of the inability to look at press releases and see them for what they actually are – simple promotion – it’s particularly aggravating. We can’t expect the consumer to think critically when the media refuses to do so.
After 25 years, Berkeley Breathed is returning to his Pulitzer Prize-winning comic strip, “Bloom County.” Breathed announced the new incarnation of the politically-minded strip via a post on Facebook that featured him working on a new comic with the words “Bloom County 2015” at the top.
“Bloom County” originally ran from December 1980 until 1989, just two years after he won the Pulitzer. The characters, such as Bill the Cat, Opus the Penguin, Hodge-Podge the Rabbit, Milo Bloom, and Cutter John, lived on in the Sunday-only strip “Outland” from 1989 to 1995, as well as “Opus” from 2003 to 2008.
Along with “The Far Side” and “Calvin and Hobbes”, “Bloom County” was always one of my favorite comic strips. For those of you who know me, you’ll know how excited I am to have Opus back. Thanks to my friend Sly for the link and Donald Trump for the inspiration.
While some smartphone makers chase market share, Apple is pulling away when it comes to profits: For every dollar of operating profit in the smartphone market, Apple is nabbing $0.92, leaving the others fighting for scraps.
That estimate comes from Canaccord Genuity as noted by the Wall Street Journal over the weekend.
Considering that Apple’s iPhone sales globally account for roughly 20 percent of all smartphones sold, the situation for its competitors will only get worse.
Android users and vendors can and do brag about market share. I’m sure Apple is very happy with profit share and wouldn’t have it any other way.
If everything goes according to plan, a NASA spacecraft, called New Horizons, will fly by Pluto at 7:49 am ET. New Horizons is the first spacecraft in history to ever visit Pluto, and it’s been a long time coming after 9 years in space.
NASA will stream live countdown coverage of the event starting at 7:30 am, followed by a briefing on the mission from 8:00 to 9:00 am ET.
It’s more than a little mind boggling to think that something we flung into space nine years ago is now about to send us pictures of the tiny little planet.
