Apple Quietly Sells Its 500 Millionth iPhone Posted: 25 Mar 2014 09:16 AM PDT As documented in its quarterly earnings reports over the years, Apple reported total sales of 472 million iPhones between the device's 2007 launch and the end of 2013. With analyst estimates of over 38 million units for the current quarter ending in just a few days, the company has undoubtedly already sold its 500 millionth iPhone, a milestone that passed without mention from the Cupertino company, notes Forbes .
Apple is known for celebrating notable milestones, changing its homepage for the 30th anniversary of the Mac and setting up countdowns on its website for App Store milestones. The company reached the 50 billion app download milestone in May 2013 and awarded a $10,000 iTunes Store gift card to the person who downloaded the 50 billionth app.
These next few quarters may see a slump in iPhone sales as Apple gears up for a possible fall launch of the iPhone 6. Apple's upcoming iPhone 6 is widely rumored to include a larger display, which could encourage a significant number of users to upgrade in 2014 and cause another spike in sales later this year. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Ashton Kutcher's 'Jobs' Biopic Now Available to Stream on Netflix Posted: 25 Mar 2014 08:17 AM PDT Steve Jobs biopic, "Jobs", is now available on Netflix's streaming service for U.S. customers. Directed by Joshua Michael Stern and starring Ashton Kutcher as the Apple co-founder, the film is free for customers who subscribe to Netflix's $7.99 monthly unlimited streaming plan.
"Jobs" also can be purchased via iTunes for $19.99 in high definition or $14.99 in standard definition. A 24-hour rental option is available for $4.99 (HD) or $3.99 (SD). Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Apple Begins Testing Related Search Suggestions Feature on App Store Posted: 24 Mar 2014 11:14 PM PDT As first spotted by TIME Planner developer Olga Osadcha on Twitter (via MacStories ), Apple has begun testing a related search suggestions feature for some users in the App Store.
The suggestions box also appears to extend to some searches for specific terms, as searching for "twitter" will result in suggestions for "news apps" and the like. Suggested searches can also lead to more sub-suggested keywords, which can be made up of general phrases and specific company and product names. The results appear in a similar fashion to queries in Chomp, which was an app search startup acquired by Apple in 2012. It is therefore likely that Apple could be using some of the suggestion technology utilized in Chomp, as Apple's reported reason for acquiring the search engine was to improve the App Store search and app discovery. Apple added the single-tile styled result to the App Store in 2012, which was also based off of Chomp's layout. Currently, Apple's new App Store search suggestions are not appearing for all users, however that is likely to change as the feature undergoes more testing. It is also possible that the new search suggestions will not require a full update for iOS, as Apple is expected to roll out the new feature on top of the App Store's existing interface. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Apple Hires Former Senate Staffer as New Lobbyist in Washington Posted: 24 Mar 2014 05:37 PM PDT Cottle was previously the Democratic Staff Director for the Senate Finance Committee, where she also had experience as the committee's Chief International Trade Counsel, important experience for Apple's needs on Capitol Hill. In her job on the Finance Committee, Cottle advised members and staff on trade and international economic issues, and was previously Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Investment. Apple has been increasingly active in Washington DC in recent years, with Apple executives meeting with President Obama over NSA surveillance and appearing in front of a Senate committee to discuss Apple's tax strategies. The company has repeatedly asked Congress for a discount on taxes for repatriating cash earned overseas to the United States. The company began looking for a new VP of Worldwide Government Affairs when Catherine Ann Novelli, who held the position since 2007, left for a job at the U.S. State Department. According to Politico, Apple spent $3.3 million on lobbying in 2013, roughly double the previous year. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Apple Sends Email to iTunes Users Offering Refunds for Unauthorized In-App Purchases Posted: 24 Mar 2014 03:11 PM PDT Specifically, the email appears to be targeted toward users who have made recent in-app purchases, with Apple stating that unauthorized purchases "made by a minor" are eligible for a refund, with all requests required to be submitted by April 15.
According to its agreement signed with the FTC in January, Apple will be required to provide full refunds to parents whose children purchased unauthorized in-app items, totaling $32 million in refunds. Apple also added a pop-up warning message in iOS 7.1 detailing a 15-minute window which allows users to make in-app purchases for 15 minutes without reentering a password. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Only One of Two Larger iPhone 6 Models Likely, According to Analyst Posted: 24 Mar 2014 12:00 PM PDT iPhone 6 rumors have repeatedly suggested that Apple is working on two new sizes for the iPhone. Predictions most commonly include 4.7" and 5.5" sizes, up from the current 4" screen of the iPhone 5S. Milunovich's report agrees that Apple is working on those same two models, but isn't sure both will launch:
The analyst pegs the launch date for the next iPhone to be in August or September, but the release of the 5.5" model is less certain. One additional detail he provides is that the 5.5" model may carry the same resolution as the 4.7" model. Not much has been said of the display resolution of these rumored large form factor iPhones. We haven't previously seen many reports from UBS analyst Steve Milunovich, so don't have much of a sense for his track record. iPhone 6 leaks will continue to accelerate as Apple gets closer to production. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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iTunes Radio Adds NPR, with More News Channels on the Way Posted: 24 Mar 2014 09:10 AM PDT
NPR has also been working on bringing on-demand programming based on users' tastes to its mobile apps, and it is possible that functionality could come to the station's iTunes Radio service as well. The report notes that it is currently unclear what the business relationship between Apple and NPR is in terms of generating revenue for NPR, but NPR vice president of digital media Zach Brand says that Apple has been "very understanding of the business model" used by the nonprofit. iTunes Radio launched in the United States last September alongside iOS 7, and expanded to Australia last month. Apple is reportedly looking to also expand iTunes Radio to the UK, Canada, and New Zealand early this year, with an eventual goal of bringing the service to at least 100 countries. Update: Direct link to NPR channel Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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Tuesday, 25 March 2014
MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors
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