• AAPL Company

Google-commissioned survey: US P2P users buy 30 percent more music

Columbia University’s American Assembly research center is out with a new survey (PDF) commissioned by Google on file sharing and copyright enforcement.

The survey gathered public opinions to gain insight into how consumers get content and what their opinions are toward copyright enforcement, and the results chiefly indicated that Americans do not support the use of bandwidth throttling and disconnection as fair punishments for unauthorized file sharing. Interestingly, though, 41 percent of U.S. P2P users support at least some type of penalty for unauthorized downloading.

The findings most notably mentioned, however, that U.S. peer-to-peer file-sharing users tend to purchase 30 percent more music than non-filing-sharing users. Google would be interested in such results because it now offers the Google Music service through Google Play and often touts the open Internet cause.

Like Google, Apple would also find the results interesting. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has dominated the music-buying scene with iTunes for over a decade—even though Beats founder Jimmy Iovine wants it to go the music subscription route and Amazon is worming in with its newly Safari-optimized MP3 store.

Get the survey’s full breakdown at 9to5Google.

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• AAPL Company

Google CEO Larry Page on Steve Jobs Thermonuclear War: ‘How well is that working for them?’

Google cofounder and CEO Larry Page hasn’t been talking much lately, probably because of his mysterious voice issues, but he sat with Wired recently to discuss everything from his company’s ambitions to the competition, a.k.a. Apple.

Wired notably went straight to the jugular and brought up Steve Jobs’ comment from 2011 about willing to “go to thermonuclear war” on Android, but how did Page respond?

“How well is that working?” he simply said.

The conversation also moved to Google X, which is dedicated to off-the-wall projects like self-driving cars, but Page said its purpose is so breakthrough things could develop more independently. He then compared Google’s endeavors to Apple:

“You know, we always have these debates: We have all this money, we have all these people, why aren’t we doing more stuff? You may say that Apple only does a very, very small number of things, and that’s working pretty well for them. But I find that unsatisfying. I feel like there are all these opportunities in the world to use technology to make people’s lives better. At Google we’re attacking maybe 0.1 percent of that space. And all the tech companies combined are only at like 1 percent. That means there’s 99 percent virgin territory. Investors always worry, “Oh, you guys are going to spend too much money on these crazy things.” But those are now the things they’re most excited about—YouTube, Chrome, Android. If you’re not doing some things that are crazy, then you’re doing the wrong things.”

Check out 9to5Google for more excerpts.

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• AAPL Company

Sprint adding 4G LTE to 28 more ‘cities’

Sprint just announced the expansion of its 4G LTE data network to 28 new “cities.”

Sprint carries the iPhone, and it just started to offer the fourth-generation iPad and iPad mini, but still sports a relatively thin LTE spread. The carrier has subsequently tried to thicken 4G LTE data coverage within the last year and even rolled out 4G LTE data to 100 additional U.S. cities in fall 2012.

According to Sprint’s press release:

Continuing its push to deliver an enhanced top-tier network experience for customers, Sprint (NYSE:S) announced today that its 4G LTE network build is progressing in 28 additional cities within its nationwide 3G footprint. The deployment is part of Sprint’s Network Vision strategy, a plan to consolidate multiple network technologies into one new, seamless network with the goal of increasing efficiency and enhancing network coverage, call quality and data speeds for customers across the United States.

The full list of new areas:

• Albany, GA
• Anderson, SC
• Bay City, MI
• Branson, MO
• Bremerton/Silverdale, WA
• Columbus, GA
• Columbus, MS
• Decatur, AL
• Florence/Muscle Shoals, AL
• Gadsden, AL
• Gaffney, SC
• Gettysburg, PA
• Glasgow, KY
• Homosassa Springs, FL
• Hot Springs, AR
• Lake City, FL
• Lake Havasu City/Kingman, AZ
• Midland, MI
• Nacogdoches, TX
• Opelousas/Eunice, LA
• Oxford, MS
• Paris, TX
• Pittsfield, MA
• Saginaw, MI
• Spartanburg, SC
• The Villages, FL
• Waycross, GA
• Winona, MN

Sprint was the first national wireless carrier to introduce 4G WiMAX service in 2008 and expects to light up the above areas in the “coming months.” The carrier further revealed continued enhancements with coverage, performance, and reliability, and it claimed 4G LTE coverage will soon match “the existing nationwide 3G footprint.”

Sprint previously said it planned to complete the nationwide build out of its 4G network by the end of 2013.

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.

Get the full press release below.

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• AAPL Company

Analyst claims Apple 2013 roadmap: iPhone 5S with fingerprint scanner, Retina iPad mini, Spring Apple TV refresh

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has a decent record in forecasting Apple’s roadmap, and now he is out with a new report that illustrates his predictions for Apple product launches in 2013.

Kuo said Apple would launch an iPhone 5S and a redesigned iPhone 5 that serves as the new budget smartphone in June or July 2013. The iPhone 5S will look like the iPhone 5, but it will allegedly feature a slew of upgrades like an A7 chip, fingerprint sensor, and an improved camera with an f2.0 aperture and smart LED flash.

Apple agreed to acquire Authentec last year, but the purchase has yet to officially close, so implementation of the company’s technology for fingerprint sensors in the June/July iPhone would seem aggressively fast. In addition, Kuo said the much-rumored, cheaper iPhone would just be an iPhone 5 with an 8.2 mm plastic body— versus the current 7.6 mm—available in six colors.

As for the iPad and iPad mini, Kuo said Apple would update both in Q3 2013. The iPad mini will go Retina, while the full-size iPad will look more Mini-esque due to a slimmer and lighter body with thinner bezels. Check out this great mockup of a thinner iPad that takes design cues from Mini.

Apple will also update its Mac line, Kuo said. Apple will discontinue the non-Retina MacBook Pro line in 2013 and upgrade it to Retina with thinner designs and cheaper price points. The MacBook Air, however, will stay non-Retina because of production challenges in wanting to maintain its thinness, but it will possibly move to Intel’s Haswell platform in Q2 2013. Last, but not least, the iMac and Mac mini will also go to Haswell in Q4 2013 with no further updates.

Kuo further predicted Apple would discontinue the fourth-generation iPod touch and introduce an 8GB fifth-generation model without a rear-facing camera for $199. He then said Apple TV will receive a small update by late Q1 2013, but he did not specify what the update would package. Kuo also clarified that an Apple HDTV is unlikely to debut in 2013, though, due to content issues and other industry hang-ups.

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• Apps & Updates
• Apps

NRA: Practice Range, Inaugural 2013, N.O.V.A. 3, Pocket Informant Pro, ITV Player, price drops, and more

9to5Mac has once again scoured the App Store for all the latest app launches, price drops, noteworthy news, and updates, and we have compiled everything in a roundup below. Check it out, but keep coming back as we continually refresh the list throughout the day.

Just Released

1. NRA: Practice Range | Free
The National Rifle Association released this 3D shooting game yesterday that allows users to target practice with access to safety, training, and education tips. A few of the game’s main features include:

• Read up on critical safety and training tips!
• Get the latest news and legislation updates!
• Know your rights from state to state!
• Always stay informed!
• 9 firearms
• 3 immersive shooting ranges
• 3 distinct difficult levels
• Analog & Gyroscope game controls
• Game Center integration

2. Inaugural 2013 | Free
The Presidential Inaugural Committee has launched the first-ever inauguration app for President Barack Obama’s second term swearing-in slated for later this month. AT&T developed the app for iPhone and Android, and both versions of the app will host a live stream of the inauguration on Jan. 21. It also offers other inauguration-related goodies, such as finding nearby events and social features, to keep users busy until the big day. (For those interested: Inaugural 2013 for Android on Google Play)

Updates

1. N.O.V.A. 3 – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance | $6.99
Version 1.0.3 of this sci-fi FPS franchise launched this morning to make the app optimized for iPhone 5, iPad mini, and iPad with Retina display. The update also includes minor bug fixes.

More apps and updates below.

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• AAPL Company

Apple adds Watchever subscription video service to Apple TV in Germany

Apple has included Watchever, a Netflix-like subscription video service, to the Apple TV in Germany.

According to iFun (translated), a recent update to Apple TV added the Watchever app to the home screen. Vivendi launched the service Jan. 9 (PDF), and it boasts a catalog of U.S. and German content for only €8.99 a month.

Watchever specifically offers movies and shows by ABC, BBC, HBO, and more. Some of the notable movies include “The Twilight Saga” and “Slumdog Millionaire”, while the more famous series range from “The Sopranos” and “Breaking Bad” to “Scrubs” and “Big Bang Theory”.

The below tweet is an example of the Watchever app icon as it appears on Apple TV:

[tweet https://twitter.com/semihipster/status/289529945779220481]

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• AAPL Company

Despite supposed confirmation from Apple, Reuters pulls Phil Schiller cheap iPhone story (Updated)

Reuters has withdrawn its report about Apple Senior Vice President of Marketing Phil Schiller dismissing talk of a cheaper iPhone, which was based on an alleged interview he gave to the Shanghai Evening News, because the original story has apparently since “updated with substantial changes to its content.”

The Next Web said yesterday that it “verified” the legitimacy of the interview with Apple and deemed it official, but Reuters’ retraction seems to suggest otherwise.

The rumors of a less-expensive iPhone began earlier this week when many publications claimed Apple is developing an affordable smartphone to grab market share and hook consumers in developing nations.

Schiller’s alleged comments contradict Apple’s product release pattern, as The Verge also noted. The company typically does not announce new products in an interview before actually unveiling or launching the product itself.

Update: So, Reuters published another report on the affordable iPhone debacle story. Apple apparently gave an official interview, but the Shanghai Evening News either fabricated quotes or quoted Schiller out of context.

After the Chinese newspaper published its story on Thursday, Reuters said Apple contacted the publication about amending the article. The newer version has removed most references to cheaper smartphones and changed the headline to “Apple wants to provide the best products, will not blindly pursue market share.”

Also, instead of dismissing a cheaper smartphone and claiming that is not a direction in which the company would move, Schiller apparently said, “Apple has always focused on providing the best products for its consumers, we’ve never blindly chased market share.”

Schiller also said in the updated version that Apple would not discuss plans for any future products.

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• AAPL Company

Beats founder Jimmy Iovine discusses Apple’s (Steve Jobs) view of streaming music

AllThingsD sat with Beats CEO Jimmy Iovine at CES 2013 yesterday to talk streaming music, and—of course—the topic of Apple and Steve Jobs came up.

The interview painted Iovine as a mastermind, because he can sell expensive headphones to the average, money-pinching consumer, and so he would naturally be the ideal man to tackle the music subscription business. Iovine, in fact, has tried to find the solution for nearly a decade. In the early 2000s, he even approached Jobs and tried to get Apple to go the subscription route:

Once I went to see [Intel executive] Les Vadasz. I was running Interscope at time. He was a very nice man and he listened to me. I said, “You know, we could really help you guys.” He said, “You know, Jimmy, it’s a really wonderful story. But not every industry was made to last forever.”

So I was like “wow,” and I called [former Universal head] Doug Morris, and I said, “We’re fucked. These guys don’t want to take over our land — they want to come over and take our water and go back. They like where they are.” So from that point on, I was like, “You know what, this is going to cave. We need subscription. We really do.” I’ve just been single-minded about it since then.

In 2002, 2003, Doug asked me to go up to Apple and see Steve. So I met him and we hit it off right away. We were really close. We did some great marketing stuff together: 50 Cent, Bono, Jagger, stuff for the iPod — we did a lot of stuff together.

But I was always trying to push Steve into subscription. And he wasn’t keen on it right away. [Beats co-founder] Luke Wood and I spent about three years trying to talk him into it. He was there, not there … he didn’t want to pay the record companies enough. He felt that they would come down, eventually.

I don’t know what [Apple media head] Eddy Cue would say — I’m seeing him soon — but I think in the end Steve was feeling it, but the economics …he wanted to pay the labels [for subscriptions], but [the fees were] not going to be acceptable to them.

Maybe Cue will be more willing. Or not. What do you think?

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You’ll soon be able to add a 1 TB SSD to your MacBook Pro for $600

Micron’s Crucial will launch its M500 solid-state drive this quarter, but TechReport.com already got a close look at the chips.

The M500’s 960GB version will cost less than $600, where as most 1TB SSDs hit the $1,000-and-up price range, making it an attractively priced SSD. The 2.5-inch form factor will also début in 120, 240, and 480GB capacities:

Retail consumers will see the M500 as a Crucial drive, but the same product will be sold to PC makers under Micron’s name. The 2.5″ version is scheduled to hit the market first, followed by the mSATA and M.2 variants. If the per-gigabyte cost ends up being as low as Crucial says, this could be a very appealing SSD for desktops and notebooks alike.

Check out the chart below for performance details:

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• Tech Industry

Steve Jobs tried to save Mark Hurd’s job and HP

Bloomberg Businessweek shared a story today about Steve Jobs having contacted Mark Hurd, the displaced CEO of HP, in 2010 to offer support and help the executive mend relationships with HP.

Hurd’s expulsion, although allegedly for different reasons, is often likened to Jobs’ departure from Apple in 1985. As MacRumors noted, Jobs gave advice to many people in Silicon Valley. He apparently felt Hurd’s presence strengthened HP and supposedly did not want the company to flounder after ousting him:

“Hurd met Jobs at his home in Palo Alto, according to people who know both men but did not wish to be identified, compromising a personal confidence. The pair spent more than two hours together, Jobs taking Hurd on his customary walk around the tree-lined neighborhood. At numerous points during their conversation, Jobs pleaded with Hurd to do whatever it took to set things right with the board so that Hurd could return. Jobs even offered to write a letter to HP’s directors and to call them up one by one.

“Over the previous five years, Hurd had built HP into the largest technology company in the world; sales in 2010 were $126 billion. Shares were on a tear, and profits kept rising. Yet Jobs told Hurd and other friends that he thought the board would unwind HP’s progress and send the company spiraling into chaos.

“By offering Hurd counsel, Jobs wasn’t merely lending a friend psychological support. Rather, he was going to bat for the legacy of Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. A healthy HP, Jobs urged, was essential to a healthy Silicon Valley. “It’s the founding company of the Valley,” says Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit (INTU) and an Apple board member. “You don’t want to see it go away.”

“Jobs ultimately could not pull off a reconciliation between Hurd and HP.

Jobs and Hurd seemed close, and they were both tight friends of Oracle’s Larry Ellison as well, but history shows Jobs’ attempts at helping the fallen executive eventually failed and he would pass away just a year later.

Get the full report on HP at Bloomberg.

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• AAPL Company

Twitter updates TweetDeck for Mac with over 90 new fixes and features

Twitter just pushed out version 2.3.1 of TweetDeck for Mac with over 90 fixes, tweaks, features, and updates from the previous version.

TweetDeck allows desktop users to follow their Twitter streams in real-time, but it boasts more flexibility than the mobile counterpart due to a customizable layout that sports the usual tweeting, sharing, and linking features.

The full change log for the latest version includes a performance upgrade for displaying “multiple high-velocity columns,” as well as a new function for embedding a Tweet right from the Tweet itself. As Twitter noted in the app’s description, the embed feature would come in handy for bloggers and websites.

The update also introduced a new search box with “Typeahead” and People Search and added the ability to reduce the app window to two columns.

Check it out:

• Mac App Store – TweetDeck | Free

Today’s upgrade brings TweetDeck for Mac up to speed with the Chrome version that launched last month, and it is the largest update since the Mac app went to version 2.0 in October.

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