Apple takes NFC mainstream on iPhone 6; Apple Watch with Apple Pay
Apple wants to turn your iPhone 6 and Apple Watch into a virtual walletthat could eventually replace the old plastic card sitting in your realwallet.Apple announced Tuesday at its September 9, product launch in Cupertino, Calif., that it is finally joining the ranks of companies, such as Google, that have tried with lackluster success to get consumers to buy things with their phones, by introducing its own mobile payment offering. After years of speculation, the company is finally including the short-range wireless technology known as near field communications or NFC into its latest smartphone, the iPhone 6 and the bigger iPhone 6 Plus. It also announced a new digital wallet called Apple Pay, which can be accessed securely using its fingerprint Touch ID technology introduced in the iPhone 5S. Apple's new Apple Watch will also be equipped with NFC, which will enable older generations of the iPhone, specifically the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c to work with Apple Pay.Apple announced Tuesday it's partnering with Visa, Mastercard, and American Express along with several issuing banks to allow iPhone users to store their credit card accounts. Apple Pay will be available in 220,000 US merchant locations that already take mobile payments via the NFC's short range, secure wireless capabilities. Apple has also worked with other retailers, including Macy's, Walgreens, Duane Reade, Staples, Subway, McDonald's, Disney,and Whole Foods, among others to bring Apple Pay to physical store locations. At McDonald's it's even adding Apple Pay to the drive-through, Eddy Cue, senior vice president of Internet software and services, said during the presentation. Disney is expected to have all of its retail locations outfitted with Apple Pay by Christmas.Apple's Cue also said that Apple Pay will be integrated with several apps including, the car service Uber, a food app from Panera, Major League Baseball's app, which will allow you to order tickets from your phone, and Open Table, which will allow you to pay your bill from your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. Apple will also be making an API available in iOS 8 to allow other app developers to integrate Apple Pay into their applications.Users will be able to fund the Apple Pay mobile wallet using the credit cards and debit cards they already have on file in iTunes. To add additional cards, users can take a photo with the phone, go to bank to verify that it's your card, and it's added right to Passbook, Cue said.Apple announces iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus,...See full gallery1 - 2 / 30NextPrev...PrevNext...Mobile PaymentsMobile payments, or paying for things using a mobile phone or a mobile app, is a natural progression for Apple, as the company expands its business beyond the traditional smartphone and tablet market into new areas. Apple already stores credit card account information for 800 million customers to allow them to easily buy digital music, books, TV shows, movies and apps via its iTunes store. Expanding this payment process into a digital wallet, which virtually stores these credentials and can be accessed to buy physical goods, can be viewed as an extension of this capability. Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the presentation that Apple's vision is to replace a wallet, and more specifically to replace antiquated, plastic credit cards. Cook noted that there are more than 200 million credit card and debit card transactions processed per day in the U.S. with consumers spending more than $12 billion every day between credit cards and debit cards. "That's over $4 trillion a year," he said. "And that's just in the US."He went on to explain: "This whole (payment) process is based on this little piece of plastic," he said. "We're totally reliant on the exposed numbers and the outdated and vulnerable magnetic stripe interface, which is five decades old."Apple hinted at a mobile payment solution earlier this year. On an earnings call with analysts in January, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he was intrigued by the idea of a mobile payment service using Apple's Touch ID feature as part of the implementation to secure access to the credit card information."Apple isn't trying to get rid of credit cards entirely," said Jason Oxman, CEO of the Electronics Transaction Association "But what they are are trying to do is disrupt is the plastic credit card with that magnetic strip. Using NFC tied to your iTunes account, you can simply pay by tapping your device."This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayHow it will workThe way Apple Pay will work is that users will be able to simply tap their devices outfitted with a small NFC chip that stores its payment credentials on a payment terminal in the checkout aisle at a number of different merchants. This will allow the store to access the customer's credit card payment credentials so the credit card account can be charged. When iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch users make a payment, these credit card accounts will be charged, just as a credit card account is charged when someone makes a purchase in Apple's iTunes music store. Following an already emerging trend in the payments industry, Apple will be using what's known as tokenization technology to add another level of security to the transaction. The way tokens work is that they replace the static 16-digit card numbers that appear on the front of a credit card and indicate a customer's account number with a dynamically changing and complex code that is transmitted between devices to identify accounts. The benefit of using tokens is that even if they are intercepted by a fraudster, they are rendered useless in the next transaction, because they are constantly changing. It's not surprising that Apple would see potential not just in payments but in the mobile payments market specifically. According to Gartner, the global market for mobile payments is forecast to be about $720 billion worth of transactions by 2017. This is up from about $235 billion last year.Still, other big companies, such as Google and three of the four major wireless operators in the US, have launched mobile payment services using the hardware-based NFC solution that have seen mediocre success at best.Google was first to market three years ago with its Google Wallet service, which also uses NFC-enabled handsets to securely transmit credit card information between the device and a point of sale terminal in the check-out line of a retailer. The idea behind Google Wallet was to not only store credit cards but also store loyalty cards and coupons as well as leverage location information to send offers and promotions to customers. While the idea itself sounded great, a year after launch Google Wallet only worked with one credit card and bank combination. And it was only available on one wireless network: Sprint.Meanwhile, three of the four major US wireless carriers -- Verizon Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile -- formed a joint venture to offer a similar kind of NFC-powered mobile-payment service. After a year-long trial period, the service, named Isis, launched across the nation in November with help from high-profile partners such as Coke and Jamba Juice, which offered freebies for early adopters. In July, Isis had to go dark to change its name, which too closely resembled the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS. It's now known as Softcard. The mobile payment solutions offered both by Google and the wireless carriers has been stymied by a few issues. For one, the NFC technology used to enable Google Wallet and Softcardmust be available on the mobile device as well as at the point of sale terminal used at the merchant. And second, in order to even store these credentials on phones, the companies enabling the wallets needed to have arrangements with credit card companies and banks. For Google, the hurdles were difficult to get around since it does not manufacture its own devices. This meant it not only needed to convince merchants to upgrade their terminals, but it had to get device makers to include the NFC technology in the devices. This wasn't so hard given that companies like Samsung saw other uses for NFC. But even when handset makers included the NFC chip on their devices, it was up to the wireless carriers whether that functionality would be enabled. And AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile shut out the Google Wallet functionality.As a result, Google shifted gears and revamped the service, turning it into a cloud-based app that stores credit card and loyalty card credentials in a secure Internet based service rather than on the device itself. Google Wallet still uses the NFC tap-and-pay functionality to access the cloud-based credentials, but because the information is stored remotely it also means that Google Wallet users can also access it through other password-secured Google services, such as Gmail.Apple: In a class all its ownJust because other companies have failed to make a splash with mobile payments doesn't mean that Apple will meet the same fate. Apple's strength has historically been taking technologies that have been invented and used by other companies and refining them. The company then packages those technologies in such a way that the service is easy to use and appealing to millions of users. "Apple didn't invent the smartphone or the tablet," Oxman said. "They weren't the first to offer mobile apps. But they raised consumer awareness of these products and services and they packaged it better than anyone else."Apple's golden touch could do the same for mobile payments and the beleaguered NFC technology that Apple will use to deploy the service. For one, Apple is using its existing base of iTunes accounts to allow people to fund their "wallets" using any credit card. This is a huge advantage since that was a major stumbling block for Google as well as the wireless operators. "Consumers that have used NFC mobile payments have liked it," said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance. "But they haven't liked not being able to use any payment card they want in their mobile wallet. Apple's wallet overcomes this challenge by letting consumers' use the card of their choice through their iTunes account. It's a smart move and a big win for NFC."Apple is also launching this new service at just the right time. In addition to getting consumers to buy devices that are NFC-enabled and making sure that they can access the service and link it to any credit card, another important piece of the puzzle is ensuring that merchants have the right equipment at check-out to accept the payment. Apple may have chosen to launch its solution now since the payments industry is in the middle of a major transition to upgrade merchants' point-of-sale machines, so that they can accept the more secure token-based EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) chip technology. Credit cards that use the EMV chip technology have an embedded microchip in them that the scanner reads instead of a magnetic strip. It's this chip that generates the unique tokens that are used to routetransactions instead of static account numbers that are offered in the older magnetic strip cards that most US consumers currently use. The move to EMV requires that merchants replace their point of sale terminals. In an effort to speed the process, the payments industry has put a deadline of October 2015 for this upgrade. "From an acceptance perspective, the timing is really good for merchants," Vanderhoof said. "Many are already looking to install new POS terminals to accept EMV chip cards, so they can also look at enabling NFC acceptance at the same time. Both features are available on most POS terminals shipped today."New life for NFCThe fact that Apple is using NFC to enable mobile payments, instead of another technology, could give mobile payments a big boost, analysts say. The company has a massive user base of iPhone users as well as the 800 million credit card account numbers stored in iTunes. It has also quietly built the foundation to its mobile-payment service in Passbook, an app introduced two years ago in its iOS software and released as a feature with the iPhone 4S. Passbook has so far served as a repository for airline tickets, membership cards, and credit card statements. While it started out with just a handful of compatible apps, Passbook works with apps from Delta, Starbucks, Fandango, The Home Depot, and more. But it could potentially be more powerful.And the iPhone's fingerprint sensor, which Apple obtained through its acquisition of Authentec in 2012, could serve as a quick and secure way of verifying purchases, not just through online purchases, but large transactions made at big-box retailers such as Best Buy. Today, you can use the fingerprint sensor to quickly buy content from Apple's iTunes, App, and iBooks stores."No one can change consumer behavior like Apple," Vanderhoof said. "This move will make the market for mobile payments explode. And it is a great endorsement of NFC technology as the best way to secure mobile payments."UPDATED 12:22 pm PT: This story was updated with additional information about the Apple Watch and background information NFC and mobile payments.
Michael Jackson dominating iTunes, YouTube
Michael Jackson dominating iTunes, YouTube
Michael Jackson, who along with four of his brothers recorded his first hit songs as a child, continues to be a chart topper a day after his death. On Friday, Jackson's music was attracting huge audiences at Apple's iTunes and Amazon.com. On iTunes, the Web's largest music service, 8 out of the top-10-selling albums for download were from Jackson, with a compilation album, "The Essential Michael Jackson" in the No. 1 spot. Jackson held the same number of top-10 positions among iTunes music videos. Jackson's "Thriller" music video, one of the hallmarks of his career as well as the genre, was the top seller. Of the top-selling songs at iTunes, Jackson held 5 of the top 10 positions.At Amazon, 10 of the top 25 albums for download belonged to Jackson. When it came to CDs, Jackson held 17 of the top 20 spots, including all of the top 10.These are just a few of he ways that the size of the singer's celebrity is illuminated.Download sales skyrocket, scores of fans watch his YouTube music videos, news sites are nearly overwhelmed.Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:25 p.m. PT on Thursday after collapsing at a rental home in Los Angeles.According to numerous published reports, an autopsy was due to be performed Friday. When news started to spread that the performer had collapsed, it drove a massive wave of people to the Web for details about his condition. The ensuing traffic crush nearly crippled several large media sites, according to Keynote Systems, which tracks site performance. At Google's YouTube, fans flocked to view his music videos, such as "Thriller" and "Beat It," and the ensuing traffic appeared to bog down the streaming quality. It took me a half hour to watch the 13-minute "Thriller" video.Fans also began uploading their own videos to YouTube in honor of Jackson. The site is already hosting thousands of fan-produced YouTube clips reacting to the news of his death, according to Google, including vlogs and tribute dances.At about 5:30 p.m. PT on Thursday, the "Thriller" video had been viewed just more than 37 million times and had about 105,000 comments. It's unclear how many times it had been watched or how many comments the video had before Jackson's death. But by late Friday morning, "Thriller" had accumulated 38,619,665 views, or more than 1.6 million since yesterday and 144,676 comments. "I took a screenshot of the MJ YouTube Channel shortly after news broke about his death," YouTube spokesman Spencer Crooks said in an e-mail. "The channel views are up about 3 million. The channel subscribers are up nearly 50,000 and climbing. Most of the popular videos are up at least a million views. These are not exact numbers, as I took the screenshot after the news broke, and they are all still rising fast."
Michael Jackson, who along with four of his brothers recorded his first hit songs as a child, continues to be a chart topper a day after his death. On Friday, Jackson's music was attracting huge audiences at Apple's iTunes and Amazon.com. On iTunes, the Web's largest music service, 8 out of the top-10-selling albums for download were from Jackson, with a compilation album, "The Essential Michael Jackson" in the No. 1 spot. Jackson held the same number of top-10 positions among iTunes music videos. Jackson's "Thriller" music video, one of the hallmarks of his career as well as the genre, was the top seller. Of the top-selling songs at iTunes, Jackson held 5 of the top 10 positions.At Amazon, 10 of the top 25 albums for download belonged to Jackson. When it came to CDs, Jackson held 17 of the top 20 spots, including all of the top 10.These are just a few of he ways that the size of the singer's celebrity is illuminated.Download sales skyrocket, scores of fans watch his YouTube music videos, news sites are nearly overwhelmed.Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:25 p.m. PT on Thursday after collapsing at a rental home in Los Angeles.According to numerous published reports, an autopsy was due to be performed Friday. When news started to spread that the performer had collapsed, it drove a massive wave of people to the Web for details about his condition. The ensuing traffic crush nearly crippled several large media sites, according to Keynote Systems, which tracks site performance. At Google's YouTube, fans flocked to view his music videos, such as "Thriller" and "Beat It," and the ensuing traffic appeared to bog down the streaming quality. It took me a half hour to watch the 13-minute "Thriller" video.Fans also began uploading their own videos to YouTube in honor of Jackson. The site is already hosting thousands of fan-produced YouTube clips reacting to the news of his death, according to Google, including vlogs and tribute dances.At about 5:30 p.m. PT on Thursday, the "Thriller" video had been viewed just more than 37 million times and had about 105,000 comments. It's unclear how many times it had been watched or how many comments the video had before Jackson's death. But by late Friday morning, "Thriller" had accumulated 38,619,665 views, or more than 1.6 million since yesterday and 144,676 comments. "I took a screenshot of the MJ YouTube Channel shortly after news broke about his death," YouTube spokesman Spencer Crooks said in an e-mail. "The channel views are up about 3 million. The channel subscribers are up nearly 50,000 and climbing. Most of the popular videos are up at least a million views. These are not exact numbers, as I took the screenshot after the news broke, and they are all still rising fast."
Apple's second-quarter earnings by the numbers
Apple's second-quarter earnings by the numbers
Apple posted another blowout quarter, doubling profit to $11.62 billion, with revenue surging nearly 60 percent to $39.19 billion. Boosting its results: sales of more than 35 million iPhones. iPad sales came in at 11.8 million. That's a 151 percent jump from the year-ago quarter, but it fell short of the 12 million to 13 million that Wall Street was looking for. Apple enters the new quarter with cash in excess of $110 billion.Here is a breakdown of some key numbers for the quarter:• 47.4 percent gross margin, compared to 41.4 percent in the year-ago quarter.•64 percent of the quarter's revenue in international sales.• 35.1 million iPhones sold, representing 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Said CFO Peter Oppenheimer: Earnings were powered "by fantastic iPhone sales."• 11.8 million iPads, a 151 percent boost from a year ago. "[We] can't make enough" iPads, said Oppenheimer. "[We're] selling as fast as we can make them."Related storiesApple talks big numbers, 'iPhone momentum'Strong iPhone sales overshadow new iPad in Apple earningsApple iPhone offers little growth to AT&T•4 million Macs sold during the quarter, a 7 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter.• Retail store sales of $4.4 billion up 38 percent from a year ago. Apple now has 363 stores, nearly a third of them outside of the United States.• 826,000 Macs sold in Apple retail stores, and more than half were to first time Mac users. It opened two stores, one in Amsterdam and one in Houston. Stores saw 85 million visitors in the quarter, accounting for an average of 18,000 per week.• $7.9 billion in sales in China during the quarter.• iPod sales fell 15 percent to 7.7 million units; iPods now make up 70 percent of the MP3 player market.• Apple revenues in Spain grew "materially less than we grew in Europe or worldwide," said Cook, adding that "Spain is just in a terrible economic situation."• iTunes Store: $1.9 billion in revenue -- that's up 30 percent year over year, Oppenheimer says. There are now 28 million songs in the iTunes Store, which had 85 million visitors during the quarter, up from 71 million a year ago.• 600,000 apps in the App Store, with more than 200,000 just for the iPad.• Sold more than 50 million iOS devices in the quarter.• 125 million users around the world on iCloud.•$14 billion in cash flow from operations during the quarter.• $110.2 billion in cash at the end of the March.• Apple shares trade more than 4.8 percent higher after hours, cracking the $600 mark.
Apple posted another blowout quarter, doubling profit to $11.62 billion, with revenue surging nearly 60 percent to $39.19 billion. Boosting its results: sales of more than 35 million iPhones. iPad sales came in at 11.8 million. That's a 151 percent jump from the year-ago quarter, but it fell short of the 12 million to 13 million that Wall Street was looking for. Apple enters the new quarter with cash in excess of $110 billion.Here is a breakdown of some key numbers for the quarter:• 47.4 percent gross margin, compared to 41.4 percent in the year-ago quarter.•64 percent of the quarter's revenue in international sales.• 35.1 million iPhones sold, representing 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Said CFO Peter Oppenheimer: Earnings were powered "by fantastic iPhone sales."• 11.8 million iPads, a 151 percent boost from a year ago. "[We] can't make enough" iPads, said Oppenheimer. "[We're] selling as fast as we can make them."Related storiesApple talks big numbers, 'iPhone momentum'Strong iPhone sales overshadow new iPad in Apple earningsApple iPhone offers little growth to AT&T•4 million Macs sold during the quarter, a 7 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter.• Retail store sales of $4.4 billion up 38 percent from a year ago. Apple now has 363 stores, nearly a third of them outside of the United States.• 826,000 Macs sold in Apple retail stores, and more than half were to first time Mac users. It opened two stores, one in Amsterdam and one in Houston. Stores saw 85 million visitors in the quarter, accounting for an average of 18,000 per week.• $7.9 billion in sales in China during the quarter.• iPod sales fell 15 percent to 7.7 million units; iPods now make up 70 percent of the MP3 player market.• Apple revenues in Spain grew "materially less than we grew in Europe or worldwide," said Cook, adding that "Spain is just in a terrible economic situation."• iTunes Store: $1.9 billion in revenue -- that's up 30 percent year over year, Oppenheimer says. There are now 28 million songs in the iTunes Store, which had 85 million visitors during the quarter, up from 71 million a year ago.• 600,000 apps in the App Store, with more than 200,000 just for the iPad.• Sold more than 50 million iOS devices in the quarter.• 125 million users around the world on iCloud.•$14 billion in cash flow from operations during the quarter.• $110.2 billion in cash at the end of the March.• Apple shares trade more than 4.8 percent higher after hours, cracking the $600 mark.
The 404 1,031- Where it's cheaper if you get our e-book (podcast)
The 404 1,031: Where it's cheaper if you get our e-book (podcast)
CNET laptop editor Scott Stein returns to The 404 guest seat, and the room is apparently full of onions today as we discuss this short film about a 9-year-old's homebrew cardboard arcade. If you look closely at Jeff's face during this segment, you may even catch a rare glimpse of his upturned frown.We'll also introduce you to a highly funded Kickstarter campaign for an iPhone and Android-compatible smart watch that goes the opposite direction of traditional e-watches and uses a digital ink display (similar to the original Amazon Kindle) that lets users check messages, play music, and more without the threat of sun glare or unreadable reflections.We'll also explore an article on CNET today about the outcome of an e-book price war between the five major book publishers and Amazon.com, who they claim are undercutting the industry at 45 percent off the cover price, effectively doubling its price break.CNET's Nathan Bransford argues that most of the costs associated with printing a physical book come from expenses that digital authors also face; things like author advances, cover design, marketing, and publicity costs. Read the rest of the article for more of Nathan's insights in the world of e-book publishing.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayEpisode 1,031Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff Bakalar
CNET laptop editor Scott Stein returns to The 404 guest seat, and the room is apparently full of onions today as we discuss this short film about a 9-year-old's homebrew cardboard arcade. If you look closely at Jeff's face during this segment, you may even catch a rare glimpse of his upturned frown.We'll also introduce you to a highly funded Kickstarter campaign for an iPhone and Android-compatible smart watch that goes the opposite direction of traditional e-watches and uses a digital ink display (similar to the original Amazon Kindle) that lets users check messages, play music, and more without the threat of sun glare or unreadable reflections.We'll also explore an article on CNET today about the outcome of an e-book price war between the five major book publishers and Amazon.com, who they claim are undercutting the industry at 45 percent off the cover price, effectively doubling its price break.CNET's Nathan Bransford argues that most of the costs associated with printing a physical book come from expenses that digital authors also face; things like author advances, cover design, marketing, and publicity costs. Read the rest of the article for more of Nathan's insights in the world of e-book publishing.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayEpisode 1,031Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff Bakalar
iTunes Rewind shows off best-selling content of 2009
iTunes Rewind shows off best-selling content of 2009
The apps category is particularly interesting.The top 5 best-selling games of 2009 are dominated by Electronic Arts.Four out of the five top games are made by EA, including The Sims 3 in the No. 1 spot, followed by Need for Speed Undercover, Madden 10, and Tiger Woods in the Nos. 3, 4, and 5 spots.Gameloft's The Oregon Trail breaks up the EA love fest by sneaking in at No. 2.As far as other apps go, Navigon's Mobile Navigator grabs the top spot in best-sellers, followed by MLB.com At Bat, Textfree Unlimited, TomTom, Golfshot: Golf GPS, and SlingPlayer Mobile.Unfortunately iTunes doesn't give a combined list, so we don't know what app is really at the top of the pile.Although the iTunes list is probably not representative of the most popular movies of 2009, due to its limited catalog available for viewing, we'll take a look at it nonetheless.It should be no surprise that punching in at No. 1 for most sales and rentals is "Twilight."Rounding out the top three, we have the stoner comedy/action movie "Pineapple Express" and Bond flick "Quantum of Solace."iTunes also lists "Up," "Star Trek," "The Hangover," and "Adventureland" as some of the best movies of 2009.Finally, we have the TV shows category.Yes, iTunes did make some TV episode sales in 2009, despite the existence of alternatives like DVRs, Hulu, and Netflix.The top-selling seasons were "Mad Men" (season 3), "Lost" (season 5), and "24" (season 7)."Family Guy" claims the best-selling episode with "Stew-Roids," followed by "Gossip Girl" with "In the Realm of the Basses," and "Lost" with"Because You Left."2009 was a good year for content on iTunes.What were some of your favorites in music, movies, TV, and iPhone apps from last year (on iTunes or otherwise)?Let us know in the comments.
The apps category is particularly interesting.The top 5 best-selling games of 2009 are dominated by Electronic Arts.Four out of the five top games are made by EA, including The Sims 3 in the No. 1 spot, followed by Need for Speed Undercover, Madden 10, and Tiger Woods in the Nos. 3, 4, and 5 spots.Gameloft's The Oregon Trail breaks up the EA love fest by sneaking in at No. 2.As far as other apps go, Navigon's Mobile Navigator grabs the top spot in best-sellers, followed by MLB.com At Bat, Textfree Unlimited, TomTom, Golfshot: Golf GPS, and SlingPlayer Mobile.Unfortunately iTunes doesn't give a combined list, so we don't know what app is really at the top of the pile.Although the iTunes list is probably not representative of the most popular movies of 2009, due to its limited catalog available for viewing, we'll take a look at it nonetheless.It should be no surprise that punching in at No. 1 for most sales and rentals is "Twilight."Rounding out the top three, we have the stoner comedy/action movie "Pineapple Express" and Bond flick "Quantum of Solace."iTunes also lists "Up," "Star Trek," "The Hangover," and "Adventureland" as some of the best movies of 2009.Finally, we have the TV shows category.Yes, iTunes did make some TV episode sales in 2009, despite the existence of alternatives like DVRs, Hulu, and Netflix.The top-selling seasons were "Mad Men" (season 3), "Lost" (season 5), and "24" (season 7)."Family Guy" claims the best-selling episode with "Stew-Roids," followed by "Gossip Girl" with "In the Realm of the Basses," and "Lost" with"Because You Left."2009 was a good year for content on iTunes.What were some of your favorites in music, movies, TV, and iPhone apps from last year (on iTunes or otherwise)?Let us know in the comments.
Apple's App Store- 25 billion downloads
Apple's App Store: 25 billion downloads
Apple's App Store has served up 25 billion downloads, the company announced today.The iPhone and iPad maker's main Web site was festooned with a banner trumpeting the milestone, but the 25 billionth downloader--and consequent contest winner--has not yet been announced. That lucky individual will receive a gift card for the iTunes Store, worth $10,000. (That's a lot of Beatles ring tones.)Related storiesApple counting down to 25 billion app downloadsLast January Apple ran a similar promotion for the 10 billionth app downloaded, also awarding a $10,000 gift card. That was a follow-up to the company's 2009 award to the person who downloaded the 1 billionth app. That first time was a bit more generous, with 13-year-old Connor Mulcahey nabbing a $10,000 iTunes gift card along with an iPod Touch, MacBook Pro, and one of Apple's Time Capsule devices.The acceleration in App Store downloads has been swift since the business launched in July of 2008. The store hit 1 billion downloads in its first nine months, reaching 5 billion downloads in June 2010. By January 2011, the company tallied 10 billion downloads, a number that topped 18 billion in October of the same year.Apple has said that it pretty much breaks even running the App Store. But the point of the enterprise is not to profit from the sale of apps, but to make Apple's devices more useful and more attractive to gadget buyers.Apple said it would unveil the winner of the 25 billion contest within 10 days, on this page.CNET's Josh Lowensohn contributed to this report.
Apple's App Store has served up 25 billion downloads, the company announced today.The iPhone and iPad maker's main Web site was festooned with a banner trumpeting the milestone, but the 25 billionth downloader--and consequent contest winner--has not yet been announced. That lucky individual will receive a gift card for the iTunes Store, worth $10,000. (That's a lot of Beatles ring tones.)Related storiesApple counting down to 25 billion app downloadsLast January Apple ran a similar promotion for the 10 billionth app downloaded, also awarding a $10,000 gift card. That was a follow-up to the company's 2009 award to the person who downloaded the 1 billionth app. That first time was a bit more generous, with 13-year-old Connor Mulcahey nabbing a $10,000 iTunes gift card along with an iPod Touch, MacBook Pro, and one of Apple's Time Capsule devices.The acceleration in App Store downloads has been swift since the business launched in July of 2008. The store hit 1 billion downloads in its first nine months, reaching 5 billion downloads in June 2010. By January 2011, the company tallied 10 billion downloads, a number that topped 18 billion in October of the same year.Apple has said that it pretty much breaks even running the App Store. But the point of the enterprise is not to profit from the sale of apps, but to make Apple's devices more useful and more attractive to gadget buyers.Apple said it would unveil the winner of the 25 billion contest within 10 days, on this page.CNET's Josh Lowensohn contributed to this report.
Apple's Anobit buy a done deal, report says
Apple's Anobit buy a done deal, report says
Apple has acquired Israel-based flash memory startup Anobit, a report claims.The deal, according to Israel's Calcalist business news site (Google Translate), is in the $400 million to $500 million range. Earlier today, Anobit apparently informed its employees that Apple had made an offer that it had accepted and that they were on their way to being employed by the iPhone maker.Today's report follows a claim made by Calcalist last week, saying that Apple and Anobit were nearing a deal.Anobit's flash memory technology is found in Apple's iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Air. The startup also sells enterprise storage solutions. Apple's decision to acquire the company might have to do with its desire to increase margins, since it'll now get its memory at cost, rather than be forced to pay a premium to a third party. What's more, one of Apple's chief competitors--Samsung--is also an Anobit customer.But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it's worth noting that neither Apple nor Anobit has confirmed the acquisition. In fact, the companies haven't even said if they were discussing a deal. But in the past, Apple has completed acquisitions that it never announces.However, this time, another stakeholder might have spoken out of turn. The Israeli prime minister's Twitter account, run by new media director Eitan Eliram, congratulated Apple this morning on its first acquisition in the country."Welcome to Israel, Apple Inc., on your 1st acquisition here," the prime minister's office tweeted. "I'm certain that you'll benefit from the fruit of the Israeli knowledge."Although it seems to corroborate Calcalist's claims, there's no telling whether the tweet was due to inside knowledge or was just a response to the news outlet's story.Apple did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment on the reported acquisition.
Apple has acquired Israel-based flash memory startup Anobit, a report claims.The deal, according to Israel's Calcalist business news site (Google Translate), is in the $400 million to $500 million range. Earlier today, Anobit apparently informed its employees that Apple had made an offer that it had accepted and that they were on their way to being employed by the iPhone maker.Today's report follows a claim made by Calcalist last week, saying that Apple and Anobit were nearing a deal.Anobit's flash memory technology is found in Apple's iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Air. The startup also sells enterprise storage solutions. Apple's decision to acquire the company might have to do with its desire to increase margins, since it'll now get its memory at cost, rather than be forced to pay a premium to a third party. What's more, one of Apple's chief competitors--Samsung--is also an Anobit customer.But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it's worth noting that neither Apple nor Anobit has confirmed the acquisition. In fact, the companies haven't even said if they were discussing a deal. But in the past, Apple has completed acquisitions that it never announces.However, this time, another stakeholder might have spoken out of turn. The Israeli prime minister's Twitter account, run by new media director Eitan Eliram, congratulated Apple this morning on its first acquisition in the country."Welcome to Israel, Apple Inc., on your 1st acquisition here," the prime minister's office tweeted. "I'm certain that you'll benefit from the fruit of the Israeli knowledge."Although it seems to corroborate Calcalist's claims, there's no telling whether the tweet was due to inside knowledge or was just a response to the news outlet's story.Apple did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment on the reported acquisition.
Apple's AirPlay tech to work without Wi-Fi, report says
Apple's AirPlay tech to work without Wi-Fi, report says
Apple's AirPlay streaming feature could soon work even if your devices are not on the same Wi-Fi network, according to a new report.In a brief post, The Telegraph says that Apple is at work on a new version of the streaming technology, dubbed "AirPlay Direct," that eschews the need to be on the same local area network."The new version will require just speakers or a hi-fi and an iDevice; the iPhone, iPod or iPad would form its own network to allow a direct connection and music playback," The Telegraph says. The feature is expected to be unveiled alongside Apple's next iPhone and the much-rumored smaller iOS power/data plug, the site added.Apple introduced AirPlay in late-2010 as the successor to its AirTunes wireless audio streaming technology. The renaming was also meant to explain to consumers that, with the incorporation of video streaming, the technology was no longer just for audio. With AirPlay, users of iOS devices like the iPhone, the iPad, and the iPod Touch can wirelessly send videos to Apple TV for watching on the big screen.Apple extended AirPlay to its Macs last month with the release of Mountain Lion. Like on iOS devices, it lets Mac users stream whatever was on their computer to an AirPlay compatible device, including mirrored video to the Apple TV.Apple is now heavily rumored to be holding its iPhone event on September 12. The company used last year's iPhone 4S launch event to make small updates to its iPod lineup as well.
Apple's AirPlay streaming feature could soon work even if your devices are not on the same Wi-Fi network, according to a new report.In a brief post, The Telegraph says that Apple is at work on a new version of the streaming technology, dubbed "AirPlay Direct," that eschews the need to be on the same local area network."The new version will require just speakers or a hi-fi and an iDevice; the iPhone, iPod or iPad would form its own network to allow a direct connection and music playback," The Telegraph says. The feature is expected to be unveiled alongside Apple's next iPhone and the much-rumored smaller iOS power/data plug, the site added.Apple introduced AirPlay in late-2010 as the successor to its AirTunes wireless audio streaming technology. The renaming was also meant to explain to consumers that, with the incorporation of video streaming, the technology was no longer just for audio. With AirPlay, users of iOS devices like the iPhone, the iPad, and the iPod Touch can wirelessly send videos to Apple TV for watching on the big screen.Apple extended AirPlay to its Macs last month with the release of Mountain Lion. Like on iOS devices, it lets Mac users stream whatever was on their computer to an AirPlay compatible device, including mirrored video to the Apple TV.Apple is now heavily rumored to be holding its iPhone event on September 12. The company used last year's iPhone 4S launch event to make small updates to its iPod lineup as well.
Apple's A7 may really strut its stuff on iPad gaming
Apple's A7 may really strut its stuff on iPad gaming
Apple's new 64-bit A7 chip will debut on the iPhone 5S, but it may find its best gaming platform on upcoming iPads. The A7 is the world's first 64-bit chip for smartphones.What that means for consumers is better performance on data-intensive apps like games because, among other things, it means the chip can address more memory more effectively than a 32-bit processor.First introduced to supercomputers in the 1970s, 64-bit computing landed at Apple in the Power Mac G5 in 2003 via the first 64-bit PowerPC G5 processor.Fast forward to 2013.It seems increasingly likely that the fifth-generation iPad or a second-generation iPad Mini -- or both -- will get the A7 later this year.Recent speculation from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said a higher-performance version of the A7, the A7X, will land in both tablets.If accurate, that would match up with Apple's schedule for rolling out A6 chips last year: the iPhone 5 was introduced with an A6 processor in September 2012, then the iPad 4 with the faster A6X in October.Because of the iPad's and iPad Mini's larger screens -- 9.7-inch and 7.9-inch, respectively -- game playing is taken up a notch, especially if future iPads pack a higher-performance version of the A7. Here's what Apple says. A7 supports OpenGL ES version 3.0 to deliver the kind of detailed graphics and complex visual effects once possible only on Mac computers, PCs, and gaming consoles. The difference is amazing. Take the imaginary worlds in games, for instance. Textures and shadows look more true to life. Sunlight reflects off the water. The whole experience feels much more realistic.Those effects could be more apparent on the larger-screen iPads.Particularly, if the Mini gets a Retina screen, boosting pixel density to more than 300 pixels per inch.
Apple's new 64-bit A7 chip will debut on the iPhone 5S, but it may find its best gaming platform on upcoming iPads. The A7 is the world's first 64-bit chip for smartphones.What that means for consumers is better performance on data-intensive apps like games because, among other things, it means the chip can address more memory more effectively than a 32-bit processor.First introduced to supercomputers in the 1970s, 64-bit computing landed at Apple in the Power Mac G5 in 2003 via the first 64-bit PowerPC G5 processor.Fast forward to 2013.It seems increasingly likely that the fifth-generation iPad or a second-generation iPad Mini -- or both -- will get the A7 later this year.Recent speculation from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said a higher-performance version of the A7, the A7X, will land in both tablets.If accurate, that would match up with Apple's schedule for rolling out A6 chips last year: the iPhone 5 was introduced with an A6 processor in September 2012, then the iPad 4 with the faster A6X in October.Because of the iPad's and iPad Mini's larger screens -- 9.7-inch and 7.9-inch, respectively -- game playing is taken up a notch, especially if future iPads pack a higher-performance version of the A7. Here's what Apple says. A7 supports OpenGL ES version 3.0 to deliver the kind of detailed graphics and complex visual effects once possible only on Mac computers, PCs, and gaming consoles. The difference is amazing. Take the imaginary worlds in games, for instance. Textures and shadows look more true to life. Sunlight reflects off the water. The whole experience feels much more realistic.Those effects could be more apparent on the larger-screen iPads.Particularly, if the Mini gets a Retina screen, boosting pixel density to more than 300 pixels per inch.
Apple's A7 chip makes a run at Intel
Apple's A7 chip makes a run at Intel
Is Apple simply engaging in PR puffery when it talks about its "desktop" A7 chip?Not so fast.Apple's claims for the first 64-bit "desktop class architecture" in a smartphone does sound like hype at first.A 64-bit design doesn't make any difference to most people, so it's marketing tripe -- so goes the argument.Indeed, the repetitive PR-speak used in the A7 discussion in Apple's formal announcement of the iPhone 5S is a little off-putting.The A7's desktop-class design is the single most prominent feature that Apple mentions in the first three paragraphs of the release.But there's teeth behind Apple's PR prattle. Both CNET's and Anandtech's reviews indicate the chip is indeed really fast. "Based on every benchmark we could find, the iPhone 5S and its new A7 processor seem at least twice as fast as the 5 and its A6," CNET Reviews said. Anandtech said it challenges Intel's fastest tablet silicon.The A7 SoC is seriously impressive...something capable of competing with the best Intel has to offer in this market. In many cases the A7's dual cores were competitive with Intel's recently announced Bay Trail SoC [system-on-a-chip]...The A7's GPU [graphics processing unit] performance is also insanely good -- more than enough for anything you could possibly throw at the iPhone 5s today.That last sentence alludes to Apple's future. It's not inconceivable that a future A8 or A9 will truly enter into laptop/desktop PC territory.After all, these days, laptop PC processors from Intel-- i.e., Haswell -- aren't about performance as much as power efficiency.That's something the A series has already pretty much mastered. And PC makers crave the kind of chip that Apple is offering today -- or could offer next year.They want a low-power but fast processor to power ultra-skinny, ultra-light laptops and hybrids that mimic the feature set of the tablet.Today, Intel is providing Haswell for that market segment and to a lesser extent its new Bay Trail Atom chip.But you can't help but wonder what Apple might ultimately do with, let's say, an A9.Did someone say MacBook?
Is Apple simply engaging in PR puffery when it talks about its "desktop" A7 chip?Not so fast.Apple's claims for the first 64-bit "desktop class architecture" in a smartphone does sound like hype at first.A 64-bit design doesn't make any difference to most people, so it's marketing tripe -- so goes the argument.Indeed, the repetitive PR-speak used in the A7 discussion in Apple's formal announcement of the iPhone 5S is a little off-putting.The A7's desktop-class design is the single most prominent feature that Apple mentions in the first three paragraphs of the release.But there's teeth behind Apple's PR prattle. Both CNET's and Anandtech's reviews indicate the chip is indeed really fast. "Based on every benchmark we could find, the iPhone 5S and its new A7 processor seem at least twice as fast as the 5 and its A6," CNET Reviews said. Anandtech said it challenges Intel's fastest tablet silicon.The A7 SoC is seriously impressive...something capable of competing with the best Intel has to offer in this market. In many cases the A7's dual cores were competitive with Intel's recently announced Bay Trail SoC [system-on-a-chip]...The A7's GPU [graphics processing unit] performance is also insanely good -- more than enough for anything you could possibly throw at the iPhone 5s today.That last sentence alludes to Apple's future. It's not inconceivable that a future A8 or A9 will truly enter into laptop/desktop PC territory.After all, these days, laptop PC processors from Intel-- i.e., Haswell -- aren't about performance as much as power efficiency.That's something the A series has already pretty much mastered. And PC makers crave the kind of chip that Apple is offering today -- or could offer next year.They want a low-power but fast processor to power ultra-skinny, ultra-light laptops and hybrids that mimic the feature set of the tablet.Today, Intel is providing Haswell for that market segment and to a lesser extent its new Bay Trail Atom chip.But you can't help but wonder what Apple might ultimately do with, let's say, an A9.Did someone say MacBook?
Listen to Parts of the Rare Original Score for Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick’s score for 2001: A Space Odyssey possesses some of the greatest classical works ever written, and with it his legendary direction are matched with some of the greatest visuals ever produced. The merging of the sounds by Strauss and Khachaturian with visual effects, which during the film’s release of 1968 were groundbreaking, have been imitated and spoofed ever since. You know all this already. But did you know that 2001 has an original score? At the inaugural MondoCon, taking place this past weekend in Austin at the same time as Fantastic Fest (read our coverage here), we stopped by a historic panel, “2001: A Lost Score,” which explored the score created by composer Alex North for the film. Presented by film composer and host of Austin’s Film Score Focus, Brian Satterwhite, the panel showed for the first time ever scenes from 2001 with North’s score. Here’s a little history: Alex North is known most for his scores for A Streetcar Named Desire, Cleopatra and Kubrick’s Spartacus, which Satterwhite says North had a pleasant experience on. Kubrick brought North back to make music for 2001, but the problem was Kubrick was falling in love with his temp score. A third of the way through creating the music Kubrick told North to stop all his work. Fast-forward to the release of 2001,and North attends a preview screening only to be horrified to sit through the movie and not hear his work. That’s right -- Kubrick didn’t even tell North he wasn’t using his music. After extensive research (looking at North’s notes, original recordings) Mondo has released North’s music from 2001 in an album titled, Music for 2001: A Space Odyssey – The Original Score by Alex North. (It’s currently being sold at MondoCon; keep an eye out at http://www.mondotees.com/ for way to purchase). For Satterwhite’s presentation, scenes were taken from a Blu-ray of 2001, the final music was stripped and under the guidance of Satterwhite, North’s music was inserted. Because Kubrick pulled the plug on things, what exists is music for the first 45 minutes of the film. The scenes shown were: 1. The opening Dawn of Man scenes up to the confrontation with the rival ape men. 2. The iconic early man throwing a bone into the sky, which then cuts to the Pan American spacecraft headed to the space station. 3. The Pan Am ship headed towards the space station. The drastic change right from the start is, originally, North’s music was to accompany the entire Dawn of Man sequence, but in the final version Kubrick has no music (outside the iconic use of “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”). Seeing the actions of the apelike men now set to a full orchestra highlighted by banging drums and strings is a shock to the senses. North’s music holds your hand through each sequence (perhaps this was something Kubrick didn’t want), building the tension when the rival apes appear, and then pumps you up when loud drums accompany the visuals of early man discovering how to hunt for food and kill. Like the final version, there’s silence when Moonwatcher throws the bone into the air, and when we;re taken to space, North’s music comes back in. This piece below by North is more light than the Dawn of Man music, with lots of woodwind instruments and strings. It’s a good choice for the zero gravity scenes, and is effective during the shot of the pen floating inside the Pan Am ship and the corkscrew rotation into the space station. A different feel than Kubrick’s use of Strauss’ waltz, but it gives off the same effect. Overall, the sound is very similar to the music North produced for Spartacus. And that might have been what the studio wanted. According to North’s daughter-in-law Abby, who came onstage to accompany Satterwhite at the end of the presentation, she says the studio encouraged Kubrick to bring on North, and that before North three to four other composers worked on 2001, including Quincy Jones. “This hurt Alex to his death,” Abby says. North passed away in 1991. Abby says he really believed in this music and it never got its due. So when can I watch the film with North;s original score? Well, according to Satterwhite and Abby North, you may never get that chance. “This is a historic moment,” says Satterwhite before revealing the first clip. And as he would tell the audience at the end, only recently did the Kubrick estate allow a presentation like this to happen and it;s highly unlikely that Warner Bros. would ever put out a version with the new music. It’s also uncertain if a presentation like this would happen in the future, but hey -- if you play the tracks we’ve included here alongside the scenes and mute the sound, you’ll get a sense of what we watched. Do you think North’s music works better than the final version?
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