Samsung steals Apple’s wallet

Samsung is today officially unveiling its "Samsung Wallet" mobile app solution, and it is quickly gaining attention for similarities to Apple's iOS 6 ticket, card, and coupon solution known as Passbook. For those familiar with Apple's app, Samsung Wallet appears to work much the same way. The app will allow users to store event tickets, membership cards, coupons, and boarding passes in one central app. From there, users will be able to present the digital passes. Companies supporting the standard can also scan a barcode included for each digital ticket.

Twelve South Releases BookBook Case for 15" Retina MacBook Pro [Mac Blog]

South Carolina-based accessory maker Twelve South has released a new version of its BookBook case, this time for the 15" MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The case matches those available for the iPad and iPhone, as well as existing ones for the 11" and 13" MacBook Air models. The 13" MacBook Pro with Retina fits into the existing case designed for the 13" MacBook Air.

Designed exclusively for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with Retina display, BookBook is a totally unique case for the thinnest of MacBooks. Weighing as little as 13.5 ounces with an ultra-thin profile, this handmade, genuine leather case offers heavy duty protection. Two hardback covers, reinforced corners and a cushioned spine offer solid impact protection. The inside of the case is lined with a velvety soft, chocolate brown, padded interior for added protection.

BookBook cases for the 11" and 13" MacBook Air models and the 13" and 15" MacBook Pro with Retina Display are available for $80 from Twelve South's website.

Cricket/Leap Wireless Reports iPhone Sales Weaker Than Expected

Six months after it started carrying the iPhone, U.S. regional carrier Cricket reports that it will only purchase half of its first-year commitment of iPhones by June 2013, reports BGR.

Back in June 2012, Cricket started carrying the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S after committing to buy at least $900 million worth of iPhones from Apple over the life of its deal with Apple. It got the iPhone 5 a week after it launched on the major U.S. carriers.

The carrier revealed that it is on pace to purchase only half of its first-year commitment from Apple through June 2013. The information in the filing contradicts earlier statements made by the company's chief financial officers Jerry Elliot. The executive previously said that "sales of Apple devices were pretty good in the fourth quarter" and the carrier wasn't concerned about meeting its commitment with Apple.

Cricket is generally considered one of roughly half a dozen "super-regional" carriers in the United States, with more than 5 million customers. The carrier offers a nationwide network through roaming agreements and its prepaid model offers simple pricing with no activation fees or overage charges.

Apple 2013 Shareholder's Meeting: Directors Reelected, Company Working on 'New Categories'

Apple's annual shareholder's meeting took place at the company's Cupertino campus this morning. The meeting is held to allow shareholders to address corporate officers and to handle certain corporate business like reelecting the board of directors and voting on certain proposals.

According to CNBC's Jon Fortt, preliminary results show all directors reelected, Apple's accounting firm was approved, a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation passed, a proposal to require executives to hold 33% of their stock awards until retirement was defeated, as was a proposal to create a Human Rights board committee. The full text of the proposals are available in Apple's proxy statement. Tim Cook received 99.1% investor approval.

The run up to this year's meeting was more contentious than most. A judge blocked the vote on one of Apple's proposed changes following a lawsuit by a major Apple shareholder. He ruled that three separate proposals had been bundled together, when they should be voted on individually.

During the Q&A portion, Apple CEO Tim Cook said he knows shareholders are "disappointed" by its share price, and that focus should be on the long term, with revenue and profits following. Additionally, Cook said that Apple is working on "new categories" but wouldn't comment on anything specifically.

Cook confirmed that the plans for Apple's new "spaceship" campus are slightly delayed, with a move-in date around 2016, as was previously reported. He reiterated that Apple is "seriously considering" the issue of returning more cash to shareholders.

Last year's meeting did not result in any significant changes for the company. Apple's stock price jumped yesterday on a rumor that Apple would announce a stock split today, but that did not come to fruition.

U.S. Mac Sales Surge in January as iMac Orders Pick up Steam

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster today issued a new research report sharing data from research firm NPD covering Apple's U.S. Mac sales for the month of January. According to NPD's data, Mac sales were up a strong 31% year-over-year for the month.


Munster attributes the strong performance to Apple finally being able to roll out orders of the new iMac, even as the company remains significantly constrained with multi-week waits for new orders through its online stores. Apple announced the new iMac in late October of last year, but did not begin taking orders until the end of the November with the larger 27-inch models not arriving until several weeks later.

We have analyzed domestic NPD retail data for the month of January which suggests Mac sales were up 31% y/y through the first month of the March quarter. We believe the reason for the significant improvement in the sales data is primarily due to Apple catching up with iMac supply, which the company noted to be constrained in the December quarter. CEO Tim Cook noted that iMac sales were down 700k units y/y in December (we note iMac sales are likely far less impacted by iPad, thus the vast majority of the y/ y unit decline is likely supply).

It remains to be seen if the strong sales will hold up for the remainder of the quarter, and thus Piper Jaffray is maintaining its estimate of a 5% year-over-year decline for the full quarter when global sales are considered.

NPD's data also reveals a bit of a surprise for the iPod, showing U.S. unit sales up 3% year-over-year and revenue up 2%. Piper Jaffray has been modeling for a 17% decline in total iPod sales for the quarter as the device continues to lose favor with consumers shifting music consumption to smartphones. But even a strong showing for the iPod is unlikely to have a significant impact on Apple's bottom line, as the line represented just 4% of Apple's sales in the holiday quarter, typically the strongest one for iPod sales.

Staples Begins Selling Apple Accessories in U.S. Online Store

In line with last week's confirmation from Staples executives, the office supply giant has now begun offering Apple accessories in its U.S. online store. While the chain has long sold Apple products internationally, this marks the first time it has been able to reach an agreement with Apple for U.S. distribution.


Products available through the online store are currently limited to accessories, but do appear to include nearly the full lineup of accessories such as Smart Covers, power adapters, cables, headphones, mice and keyboards. Several more expensive hardware accessories are also available, including the Apple TV, Time Capsules, and AirPort Extreme/Express base stations.

MacRumors heard last month that Staples retail stores in the United States would carry not only accessories but Apple's full lineup of Macs, iPads, and the iPhone 5. We've since heard that Apple's full lineup may be limited to select high-volume Staples retail stores, with rollout tentatively scheduled for late March to accommodate staff training and store setup. We've yet to hear whether Apple accessories have already begun appearing at retail stores alongside today's online store launch.

(Thanks, Magdalena!)

iOS 6.1.2 Adoption Hits 35% in Less Than a Week

iOS 6.1.2 is already used on more iOS devices in the U.S. and Canada than any other version of the operating system, with adoption rates hitting 35% in just six days, according to data from ad network Chitika.


Chitika logged the iOS version used across tens of millions of browser sessions, revealing the dramatic uptake rate.

As this latest update fixed a battery life issue ― a major phone feature ― it's understandable that the rate of adoption for iOS 6.1.2 would reach these levels so quickly. For comparison, 48 hours following its release, iOS 6.1.2 adoption nearly equaled what we observed for the much more highly anticipated iOS 6 within the same time period ― a significant achievement considering this update was centered on an OS bug fix.

iOS 6.1.2 represents the second emergency bug fix rushed out by Apple since the release of iOS 6.1, with iOS 6.1.2's Exchange calendar bug fix following an iOS 6.1.1 release specifically for the iPhone 4S to address an issue with 3G performance.

iOS Dominates Enterprise Mobility Market With 77% of Device Activations [iOS Blog]

iOS devices represented 77% of all mobile device activations in the enterprise market in the final quarter of 2012, with the top five slots all occupied by Apple devices, reports Good Technology's Device Activation Report.

The company monitors smartphone and tablet devices activated among its enterprise clients, which include half of the Fortune 100. Apple devices occupied eight of the top ten slots, including all of the top five. iOS activations grew 8.5% year-on-year.

This quarter's report showed a clear preference for iOS devices, which accounted for 77 percent of all activations and captured eight of the top ten spots on the most popular device list this quarter. While Android activations dropped 6.3 percent as compared to Q4 2011, they still accounted for 22.7 percent of all activations for the quarter, which were primarily driven by Android tablets. Windows Phone devices came in a distant third for the quarter, capturing just 0.5 percent of overall activations.

Apple completely dominated the tablet market with 93.2% of activations, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab taking a distant second place.


The financial services industry led enterprise device activations during the quarter, followed by business and professional services. Together, these two industries made up more than half of the activations reported in Q4.

Apple regularly emphasizes enterprise adoption of iOS in its earnings conference calls, repeatedly noting that nearly all of the Fortune 500 companies are piloting or deploying the iPhone and iPad for their users. Apple also maintains dedicated sections of its website promoting the iPhone and iPad for use in business.

Apple Stock Jumps on Rumors of Stock Split at Tomorrow's Shareholder Meeting

Hedge fund manager Doug Kass tweeted (via 9to5Mac) a short time ago that he is hearing rumors of an announcement regarding a stock split coming at Apple's shareholder meeting scheduled for tomorrow at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California. The stock has reversed course since Kass's Tweet, moving from down $5 to up $5.

Many observers, such as Fortune's Philip Elmer-Dewitt, are calling into question Kass's statements, noting the sequence of events that saw him announce a large position in Apple, float the rumor of a stock split, and then announce that he was selling off shares after the stock spiked. Kass has, however, defended his Tweet, saying that the rumors were "all over the Street".


While a stock split would not add any intrinsic value to Apple's market value, some have viewed a potential split as a positive for Apple under the perception that a company is more likely to split when it is confident that the stock price will rise in the future. Observers have also argued that high stock prices for companies like Apple and Google have kept them from being added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average given the outsized impact they would have on the price-weighted index.

Apple's last stock split came in February 2005, a 2-for-1 move that brought the price of a single share down to just under $45. Apple has refrained from splitting its stock since that time, with investors seeing the share price rise to over $700 before pulling back to the current level around $450.

Apple Making Moves to Sell More iPhones in India

The Wall Street Journal reports on recent moves Apple has made to increase sales in India, one of the fastest growing markets in the world. Recently the company has launched the iTunes Store and the Apple TV there, and it was rumored that Apple Retail Stores were coming to the subcontinent as well.

Apple is sidestepping wireless carriers to seize greater control over marketing in India and offering no-interest loans to lure lower-income consumers. The company has also boosted staff in India by 30% to 170 employees in the past six months. And it is ramping up the introduction of other products, with the Apple TV video-streaming gadget expected to reach stores in coming weeks, people familiar with the matter say.

The result is that Apple shipped more than 252,000 iPhones to India in the quarter through December, more than triple the number in the previous three months, according to research firm Canalys.

India has frequently been mentioned when talking about Apple's possible development of a lower-cost iPhone, because most smartphone users in India use postpaid plans and pay for their phones up front, instead of the subsidization model that is used in the West.

The Journal quotes a number of experts saying that Apple will have to come out with a more inexpensive phone to compete with other manufacturers -- Samsung sells Android phones that start at $100, while the cheapest iPhones sell for $500 and a new iPhone 5 is close to $850.

Facebook releases SDK 3.2 for iOS with better analytics, API improvements and more

Facebook announced on its Developers blog today that it is releasing version 3.2 of its SDK for iOS. The updated SDK makes it even easier for iOS app developers implementing Facebook features, with improvements to APIs and better tools for tracking usage and optimizing ads. Version 3.2 includes improved analytics and new metrics such as the ability to track "iOS 6 native share sheet and built-in native UI controls usage." Facebook also noted that it is including a beta for select partners showing off upcoming support for "logging in-app purchase events."

• Better mobile analytics – We've added support for measuring additional usage metrics and optimizing ads to help improve an app's quality and monetization potential
• Enhanced error handling – SDK support and documentation now enabled for all classes of error responses
• API improvements – A new FBAccessTokenData type makes it easier to open a session from token data explicitly, and to better handle app and deep linking

Facebook also said the updated SDK included enhanced error handling, improved web dialog support, and a several API improvements and bug fixes. Improvements to Facebook's SDK are important, as the company's noted over 45 percent of the top 400 grossing iOS apps are now integrated with the social network.

Version 3.2 of the Facebook SDK for iOS is available here.

US Defense Department confirms plans to roll out 100K iOS and Android devices by next year

We heard reports in October that the U.S. Department of Defense was preparing to approve a large number of iOS and Android devices for use on government networks. Those reports were followed earlier this month with news that CACI International Inc. was modifying thousands of iPads for use in U.S. government agencies. The Pentagon confirmed in a statement today that it plans to open its networks to 100,000 new devices from Apple and Google by February of next year:

The Pentagon said it wants employees to have the flexibility to use commercial products on classified and unclassified networks. It plans to create a military mobile applications store and hire a contractor to build a system that may eventually handle as many as 8 million devices.

The move comes as iPad and other iOS devices continue to be adopted by government agencies over BlackBerry. Documents from October revealed the U.S. Department of Defense planned to deploy up to 8 millions devices partially made up of iOS devices, while a number of other U.S. agencies also switched from BlackBerry to iPhones over the last year. As for the App Store and system for managing the up to 8 million devices, the DOD will select one or more companies by summer to develop the necessary software:

The Defense Information Systems Agency plans to select a company or group of firms by early summer to develop the architecture to manage mobile devices and distribute software applications, according to John Hickey, mobility program manager at the agency.

BlackBerry currently has the lion's share of the 600,000 devices used by the Pentagon. The Pentagon said the networks now have about 470,000 BlackBerrys, 41,000 Apple products, and 8,700 Android devices.

FixYa Study Finds Apple Smartphones to be the Most Reliable

FixYa, a site that provides consumer generated troubleshooting tips, today released a "Smartphone Reliability Report" that compares user complaints on smartphones from Apple (iPhone), Samsung (Galaxy), Nokia (Lumia), and Motorola (Droid).

Based on the reported problems, which come from a database of 30 million users, FixYa assigned a dependability score to each manufacturer. According to FixYa's rankings, Apple products were the most reliable, with the fewest reported problems.

Apple received a dependability score of 3.47, a good deal higher than the 1.21 that Samsung received. Nokia and Motorola received scores of 0.68 and 0.13, respectively. To get these scores, the site used 722,558 troubleshooting questions from smartphone owners, normalized the data for relative marketshare, and analyzed the data to determine reliability.

Fixya users lauded the reliability of the iPhone, stating that it is almost always working as intended in regards to core features and never hits a constant roadblock with one feature.

Of the complaints that were made about Apple's iPhones, battery life was the number one problem, making up 35 percent of user issues. A lack of new features was the second biggest complaint, while no customizability and WiFi problems were also brought up.


In the past, battery life has been a significant issue for iPhone owners. Most notably, iOS 5 had bugs that affected battery performance, which Apple later fixed. The iPhone 5 has also had battery issues, particularly when using the phone in areas with a weak signal.

As for Apple's competitors, FixYa users had complaints about Samsung's microphone and speaker issues, Motorola's touchscreen, and Nokia's load response times.

Watch Nearly Every Steve Jobs Video on New Blog Site and YouTube Channel [Mac Blog]

The Apple fan behind the Every Apple TV ad YouTube channel has created a new channel and blog with the self-explanatory title Every Steve Jobs video, offering a total of around 150 clips of varying lengths.


The site's creator told MacRumors that he wanted to get them online in time for Steve Jobs' birthday on February 24.

I'm a long time Apple enthusiast and throughout the years have gathered every single Steve Jobs video I could find … To commemorate Steve Jobs birthday (Feb. 24th) I decided to put all these videos online and make them easily available for all. I believe it's the most complete archive available.

Highlights include Steve's first TV appearance, where he told the crew he was about to throw up from nervousness; the launch of the Macintosh, including the famous 1984 video and Jobs making fun of IBM; and the launch of the Think Different campaign. It also includes some amusing compilations including Steve Jobs' Funniest Moments and Every 'One More Thing' Moment, all 31 of them.

Apple Hiring 'Maps Ground Truth Data Specialist' in Australia

Apple has posted a new job listing for a 'Maps Ground Truth Data Specialist' in Australia. The job listing, which was posted two days ago, comes several months after Apple came under fire for incorrect mapping data in central Australia.

The position will check "changes to map data, provide feedback on unique local map requirements, collect ground truth information, and evaluate competing products."

'Ground Truth' refers to information collected on location versus data collected remotely, such as satellite imagery. Wikipedia notes that the "collection of ground-truth data enables calibration of remote-sensing data, and aids in the interpretation and analysis of what is being sensed."

Job Summary

Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, great ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish.

Key Qualifications

• Excellent attention to detail
• QA experience
• Familiarity with evaluating map quality
• Detailed knowledge of the unique features of your local area, including preferred driving routes, landmarks, and road names
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Strong written and spoken English skills

Description

The Maps team is looking for people with knowledge of mapping, great testing skills, and local expertise to help us build better and better maps. In this position, you will be responsible for the quality of map data for your region. You will test changes to map data, provide feedback on unique local map requirements, collect ground truth information, and evaluate competing products.

Apple did eventually fix the issue in central Australia, but the company has been slow to fix many mapping issues even through the app's official "Report a Problem" button.

Thanks Marc!

iOS 6.1.3 Beta 2 Released for Developers

Apple has released the second developer beta of iOS 6.1.3, a minor point release to the mobile software suite that is said to include several bug fixes.

According to 9to5mac, the update features improvements to Apple Maps in Japan, and also addresses the lock screen bypass issue that was not resolved in the recently available iOS 6.1.2 update. The first beta of 6.1.3 only included the notes about Japan Maps enhancements, and thus the lock screen issue is a new addition to the developer build.

As usual with beta iOS software, the developer builds are only available to paying members of Apple's official iOS Developer program at the Dev Center. Anyone can register for a free account, but beta releases are restricted to those paying yearly membership dues.

New Retina MacBook Pro Processor Bumps Offer Minor 3-5% Performance Improvements

Following last week's introduction of new processors for the Retina MacBook Pro lineup, Primate Labs has analyzed benchmarks coming in from the new machines through the company's popular Geekbench 2 software.

Unsurprisingly, the benchmarks reveal a roughly 3-5% increase in Geekbench scores for each of the processor bumps. For the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro lineup, Apple bumped each of the three available processors by 100 MHz, accounting for the minor benchmark improvements.

One thing to note is that the new mid-range Retina MacBook Pro has the same speed processor as the old high-end Retina MacBook Pro. However, the new mid-range model is slightly slower than the old high-end model. While this seems surprising at first, the difference is easily explained by comparing the two processors: the old high-end processor has more cache than the new mid-range processor.

For the 13-inch lineup, the 100 MHz speed bumps were limited to machines based on the high-end stock configuration starting at 256 GB of storage, with those machines also seeing a 3-5% improvement in Geekbench scores.

Aside from the processor improvements for the Retina MacBook Pro lineup, Apple also reduced pricing on the 13-inch models by $200-$300, increased RAM on the high-end 15-inch stock configuration, and reduced pricing on storage options.

Google Introduces the Chromebook Pixel to Compete With the MacBook Air

Google today announced the Chromebook Pixel, a new Chrome OS-based notebook that Google is aiming directly at Apple's MacBook Air.

On the hardware front, Google has built in a high-resolution touchscreen display, as well as 32 or 64GB SSD storage, a backlit keyboard, and a dual core 1.8GHz Intel i5 processor. The unit includes a 12.85" screen with a 2560 x 1700, 239 ppi display -- the same range as Apple's 13" MacBook Pro with Retina, which has a 227 ppi screen -- as well as two USB 2.0 ports, a Mini Display Port connector, and a SD-card reader.

The machine runs Google's Chrome OS, the web-only operating system that the company introduced almost two years ago. As added perks, the Pixel comes with 1TB of Google Drive cloud storage for three years, and 12 free sessions of GoGo inflight Wi-Fi.

So what's next? Today we're excited to announce our newest laptop—the Chromebook Pixel—which brings together the best in hardware, software and design to inspire the next generation of Chromebooks. With the Pixel, we set out to rethink all elements of a computer in order to design the best laptop possible, especially for power users who have fully embraced the cloud. The philosophy of Chrome has always been to minimize the "chrome" of the browser. In much the same way, the goal of the Pixel is to make the pixels disappear, giving people the best web experience.

The Pixel comes in two flavors, a $1,300 model that includes 32GB of SSD storage and Wi-Fi connectivity, while the $1,450 option adds built-in LTE and a 64GB SSD. The Wi-Fi only model ships today while the LTE model is expected in 6-7 weeks.

While the Pixel's hardware is appealing, because it runs the Chrome OS there are not nearly as many apps available for it as comparable Windows or OS X machines. Gadget recommendation site The Wirecutter had this to say:

Maybe someday Chrome OS will really be enough of an operating system to replace Mac OS X or Windows on a productivity machine. But at $1,300, the Chromebook Pixel is just too much machine for the software. If you have the money to spend on the Pixel and you need the kind of hardware it's packing, you have so many other better options.

Google Releases Updated Maps for iOS SDK, Opens API Keys to All Developers [iOS Blog]

When Google released Google Maps for iOS in December, it also announced an SDK that iOS developers could use to implement Google Maps in their apps rather than Apple's mapping solution.

Tonight, Google announced an updated Maps SDK that adds ground overlay support and makes API keys available to all developers via the Google API Console. Previously, developers had to register and wait to be granted access to keys.

Now that keys are freely available, it's likely that more developers will use Google Maps in their apps. Some developers may decide to allow users to choose between Google and Apple's maps, much like the recently released Sunrise calendar app.


Google has also included a sample app in the SDK that developers can use to learn how to use Google Maps in their apps and released a video (above) demonstrating some of the SDK's features.

Apple says hackers attacked and infected ‘small number’ of Macs

EXCLUSIVE: Apple said it was attacked by hackers who infected "small number" of its Mac computers. #BREAKING—
Reuters Top News (@Reuters) February 19, 2013

Apple has confirmed that hackers attacked and infected a "small numbers" of Mac users, according to reports from Reuters. The company told the publication that the same unidentified group thought to be behind an attack on Facebook targeted it and breached and a small number of employees' Macs. Apple said it is working with authorities to investigate the attacks but "there was no evidence that any data left Apple."

Apple Inc computers were attacked by the same hackers who targeted Facebook Inc, but no data appeared to have been stolen, the company said on Tuesday in an unprecedented admission of a widespread cyber-security breach.

According to the report, the attack exploited a flaw in the Java browser plug-in on Macs and also hit Facebook in addition to "hundreds of companies, including defense contractors, had been infected with the same malicious software, or malware." Apple told Reuters it plans to release a tool later today that would protect Mac users against the software used in the attacks on its employees' computers.

Apple also provided a statement on the matter to AllThingsD:

"Apple has identified malware which infected a limited number of Mac systems through a vulnerability in the Java plug-in for browsers," the company said in a statement to AllThingsD. "The malware was employed in an attack against Apple and other companies, and was spread through a website for software developers. We identified a small number of systems within Apple that were infected and isolated them from our network. There is no evidence that any data left Apple. We are working closely with law enforcement to find the source of the malware."

Apple provided more color on the involvement with Java to The Loop:

"Since OS X Lion, Macs have shipped without Java installed, and as an added security measure OS X automatically disables Java if it has been unused for 35 days. To protect Mac users that have installed Java, today we are releasing an updated Java malware removal tool that will check Mac systems and remove this malware if found," the company said.

We'll keep you posted when we learn more about the software tool Apple plans to release today for users.

Apple to Target Emerging Markets with Low-Cost Phone to Launch in September at $199? [iOS Blog]

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster late yesterday issued a new research note using average low-end smartphone pricing in emerging markets to argue that Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone will launch in September with a price tag of around $199 unlocked.


Munster examined smartphone pricing on 15 different models across six international markets (Germany, UK, France, China, Brazil and India) to find that lower-end smartphones average slightly over $200 unsubsidized. In China and India, the average prices are $138 and $140 respectively, while Apple's cheapest existing phone, the iPhone 4, averages over $500.

We believe the last finding demonstrates that the biggest pricing gap for iPhone exists between the cheapest iPhone and the average low-end smartphone. This low- end segment is important given we estimate it is a $135B market in 2013 that Apple is currently not participating in (60% of smartphones, or 540m units at a $250 ASP).

Munster predicts Apple will announce its low-cost handset in September, and estimates that a $199 price tag would generate sales of 37 million phones in the rest of 2013, 96 million in 2014 and 170 million in 2015. While an iPhone at that price would carry much lower profit margins for Apple, Munster believes that the opportunity is so significant given the size of the potential market that Apple will be willing to focus on gross profit through volume rather than margins.

While rumors of a lower-cost iPhone have been picking up steam in recent months, a price point as low as $199 would seem to be overly aggressive for the company given its refusal to sacrifice quality to achieve a low price. Tim Cook noted at last week's Goldman Sachs conference that "the only thing [Apple] will never do is make a crappy product", and it remains difficult to see how Apple could provide the iPhone experience at such pricing.

Sony Announces PlayStation 4, Second-Screen Experience PlayStation App for iOS

Tonight, Sony announced PlayStation 4, their next generation video game console, at an event in New York City, which was also live streamed on their website. The company announced that the new console would allow gamers to try out new games before purchasing them, share gameplay videos with friends and watch friends play their games in a spectator mode.

Sony also revealed a redesigned Dual Shock controller with a touch pad on the front and showed off tech demos of the console's capabilities and new games like "Killzone: Shadow Fall." While Sony announced some of the hardware specs for the new PS4, they didn't show the device and provided no details about pricing.

Just after announcement, Sony sent out a press release (via Engadget) announcing a PlayStation App for iOS, which will serve as a second-screen experience app, much like Microsoft's Xbox SmartGlass.

Image via Engadget

A new application from SCE called "PlayStation®App" will enable iPhone, iPad, and Android based smartphones and tablets to become second screens. Once installed on these devices, users can, for example, see maps on their second screens when playing an adventure game, purchase PS4 games while away from home and download it directly to the console at home, or remotely watch other gamers playing on their devices.

Previously, Sony had released an iOS app called PlayStation Official App that was only available in Europe and Australia and it allowed users to check on their gaming achievements, in the form of "trophies," and check their friends' online statuses.

It's not known when this new app will be available, whether it will cost anything or whether it will have any additional features, but more information is certain to be released as the PlayStation 4's release date gets closer. Sony announced that the PlayStation 4 would be released in the Holiday 2013 timeframe, but did not reveal pricing for the console.

Apple releases iTunes 11.0.2 with new Composer view, improved Playlist responsiveness, bug fixes

Apple has released iTunes 11.0.2 this afternoon with a number of enhancements and fixes. Notably, the new update adds a Composer view for Music, improved responsiveness when handling large playlists, and a bug fix for purchases that do not show up in iTunes. Various other performance enhancements are also included. You can grab it from the Updates tab in the Mac App Store now.

Apple Employees' Macs Compromised by Chinese Hackers

A number of Macs owned by Apple employees were compromised by the same China-based hackers that targeted Facebook employees recently, reports All Things D. The malware entered the systems through the Java plug-in, which Apple has blocked recently due to unpatched security vulnerabilities. Reuters was the first to report the disclosure.

"Apple has identified malware which infected a limited number of Mac systems through a vulnerability in the Java plug-in for browsers," the company said in a statement to AllThingsD. "The malware was employed in an attack against Apple and other companies, and was spread through a website for software developers. We identified a small number of systems within Apple that were infected and isolated them from our network. There is no evidence that any data left Apple. We are working closely with law enforcement to find the source of the malware."

Apple will also be releasing a standalone malware removal tool to clean infected machines.

The New York Times published an article yesterday laying out how a number of recent hacking attacks against U.S. corporations could be linked to the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

Macs have traditionally been viewed as significantly more secure than Windows machines, though in the past year there have been a number of compromised machines from the Flashback malware and issues with Java.

Apple Employees Hacked By Visiting iPhoneDevSDK

As reported by The New York Times, the software development website responsible for seeding malicious software to Mac computers at Apple, Facebook, and presumably Twitter has been revealed by a person who was involved with the investigation at Facebook.

The compromised site, iPhoneDevSDK, is an online forum designed for software developers. The site is still infected, and visiting it is not recommended.


At this time, it is unknown if the site had any involvement in the attacks, though it is likely that it was the work of third party hackers given the site's prominent standing as a dedicated community for iPhone developers.

Apple this morning announced that a small number of its employees' computers had been compromised through the Java plug-in vulnerability, an issue that has now been fixed with the Java update and malware removal tool released by Apple this afternoon.

Mac users can determine whether or not they have been affected by the security flaw by installing the Java update, which will notify a user if malware is found. Apple says that the Java update and malware removal tool will "remove the most common variants of malware."

As noted by The Next Web, iPhoneDevSDK is currently in maintenance mode.

Jony Ive on How Product Naming Influences Design Philosophy [Mac Blog]

Just a couple days after a clip of Jony Ive's appearance on BBC's Blue Peter was revealed, journalist Tom Davenport (via CNET) says he's found an insightful portion of the clip that was cut out. In the new segment, Ive talks about how product naming philosophy can affect the design process.

If we're thinking of lunchbox, we'd be really careful about not having the word 'box' already give you  bunch of ideas that could be quite narrow. You think of a box being a square, and like a cube. And so we're quite careful with the words we use, because those can determine the path that you go down.

As mentioned previously, Ive was a fan of Blue Peter while he was growing up and talks about a design he saw on the show that's stuck with him over the years. This is just another look at Ive's design process, which he's started talking about more and more over the years as Apple's profile has risen and as Ive and his team have received more accolades, which includes his knighting last May.


Last October, Ive was promoted to head of the Human Interface team and is playing the Steve Jobs role at the company. Former Apple employee Loren Brichter, who went on to create iOS game Letterpress, had said he was excited about Ive's new role because of how he could possibly apply his design philosophy to iOS.

iOS 6.1.2 Released with Fix for Battery Life Bug [IPSW Direct Download Links]

iOS 6.1.2 has been released by Apple. The minor update to iOS includes a resolution for a battery drain bug that impacted users of Exchange servers which also caused excessive data usage, and presumably also fixes the passcode bypass bug that exists in prior iOS 6 versions, though that has yet to be confirmed. The brief release notes mention only this for the 6.1.2 update:

Fixes an Exchange calendar bug that could result in increased network activity and reduced battery life.

Users of Microsoft Exchange who experienced the excessive data use and battery life problems should be the first to update, but anyone troubled by the potential of someone bypassing the lock screen should also update soon. If neither of these apply to you, it's still good maintenance policy to stay current with OS updates.

iOS 6.1.2 is available for iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad 2, iPad Mini, and iPod touch 4th and 5th generations.

Download iOS 6.1.2

As usual, the simplest and fastest way to get an iOS update is using Over-The-Air updates. As an OTA delta update, iOS 6.1.2 weighs in around 12.8MB, and with a reasonable broadband connection your device will be updated in just a few minutes. Using Over the Air updates is simple:

• Open Settings, tap General, then go to "Software Update"
• Choose "Download and Install", be sure to have at least 50% of battery life remaining on the iOS device before attempting OTA

Installing this update through OTA brings up a new Terms & Conditions agreement that surely nobody will read, tap "Agree" and be on your way. Using OTA is the simplest way to update iOS, but you can also update devices by connecting them to iTunes and letting it automatically update, or for more advanced users, using the firmware files outlined below.

iOS 6.1.2 IPSW Direct Download Links

For those who would rather have access to firmware files, the IPSW links below are hosted by Apple. Right-click and choose "Save As", ensuring the file extension is .ipsw in order for it to work properly. Though updating with IPSW isn't too complicated, it is not considered a necessary procedure to know how to do, and most users should stick with the easier OTA or iTunes update methods.

• iPhone 5 GSM
• iPhone 5 CDMA
• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4 GSM
• iPhone 4 CDMA
• iPhone 3GS
• iPad Mini GSM
• ipad Mini CDMA
• iPad Mini Wi-Fi
• iPad 4 GSM
• iPad 4 CDMA
• iPad 4 Wi-Fi
• iPad 3 GSM
• iPad 3 CDMA
• iPad 3 Wi-Fi
• iPad 2 GSM
• iPad 2 CDMA
• iPad 2,1 Wi-Fi
• iPad 2,4
• iPad 2,5
• iPad 2,6
• iPad 2,7
• iPod touch 4th gen
• iPod touch 5th gen

IPSW files are quite large and may take a while to download.

Users concerned about maintaining the possibility of jailbreaking their devices should avoid the update for now until a specific update for the Evasion tool is released to handle the newer iOS version.