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Avatar for Jordan Kahn

Jordan Kahn

jordankahn

Dir. Partnerships

9to5Mac / 9to5Google / 9to5Toys / Electrek.co / DroneDJ / SpaceExplored

Jordan manages the internal Partner Program for sponsorships and partnerships across the 9to5 network’s media brands including 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, Electrek.co, SpaceExplored and DroneDJ.com.

Jordan also writes about all things Apple as a Senior Editor of 9to5Mac. He covers Google for 9to5Google.com, the best gadgets and deals on 9to5Toys.com, and EV and solar news on Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series and makes music sometimes.

Contact Jordan with partnership inquiries and long-winded complaints:  

Connect with Jordan Kahn

France calls Apple’s decision to remove AppGratis ‘extremely brutal and unilateral’, will ask EU for tighter regulation

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AppGratis-645x250Following a controversy in which Apple removed app discovery service AppGratis from its App Store for breaking Apple’s guidelines, Reuters reports today that regulators in France are planning to ask the European Commission and EU member states for better regulation of technology companies. The statement was made by French junior minister for digital economy Fleur Pellerin on a recent trip to AppGratis publisher iMediapp. Fleur described Apple’s decision to pull AppGratis as “extremely brutal and unilateral”:

“This behaviour is not worthy of a company of this size,” Pellerin said. She added that certain Internet companies were guilty of “repeated abusive behaviour” and said she would ask the European Commission and EU member states to better regulate digital platforms, search engines and social media.

The decision comes as Apple is drawing some heat for its broad App Store guidelines that have allowed it to remove some apps that promote App Store content but not others. Apple originally said that AppGratis was removed for breaking a guideline that warns against “Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store.” Apple also said AppGratis was in violation of guideline 5.6 that says “apps cannot use Push Notifications to send advertising, promotions, or direct marketing of any kind.

AllThingsD reported that sources have indicated Apple’s removal of AppGratis is part of a broader crackdown on app discovery applications, but a grey area still remains regarding how Apple decides which apps are approved and which are removed.

Apple told Retuers today that it had discussions with AppGratis prior to the removal and that the developers had “disregarded its technical specifications.”
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Pixar dedicates tree on campus to Steve Jobs

Last year we posted a photo that originated from a Pixar employee showing the animation company had renamed its main facility “The Steve Jobs Building” in honor of its co-founder and former CEO. Today, PixarTimes points us to the image above showing a tree on the Pixar campus just outside The Steve Jobs Building that has been recently dedicated to Steve:

Dedicated With Love And Gratitude To

Steve Jobs

Our Partner, Mentor, And Friend

Pixar has honored Jobs’ contributions in others ways too, such as the credits of the 2012 film ‘Brave’ which happened to include the same text as the plaque above.

Steve Jobs was CEO of the animation studio until being acquired by Disney in 2006, in turn making Jobs the largest individual shareholder with a seat on the board of Disney. Jobs was also credited as an executive producer of the 1996 blockbuster Toy Story.

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Showtime Anytime iOS app updated with support for Comcast XFINITY subscribers, iPhone 5 & iOS 6

The app that provides access to full-length TV shows for Showtime subscribers was initially only available to AT&T U-verse and Verizon FiOS customers. Showtime Networks later added support for DIRECTV and Optimum subscribers, but today updated its universal iPhone/iPad app to provide support for Comcast XFINITY.

Also included in version 1.4 of the app is support for iPhone 5, optimized video playback for iOS 6 and a few welcomed performance enhancements:

What’s New in Version 1.4

– Available to Showtime subscribers with AT&T U-verse, Comcast XFINITY, DIRECTV, Optimum and Verizon FiOS!
– Support for iPhone 5
– Optimized video playback for iOS 6
– Improved tap targets for controls in video player
– Improved performance and stability
– Minor bug fixes

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Judge says Apple and Google are using litigation as a business strategy, have ‘no interest’ in settlement

apple_motorolaIn an ongoing case in which Apple and Google’s Motorola have accused each other of infringing various mobile related patents since 2010, U.S. District Judge Robert Scola said in an order yesterday that the two companies have no interest in reaching a settlement. Bloomberg reports Scola said in his order that both companies are using the litigation as a “business strategy that appears to have no end”:

“The parties have no interest in efficiently and expeditiously resolving this dispute; they instead are using this and similar litigation worldwide as a business strategy that appears to have no end,” U.S. District Judge Robert Scola in Miami said in an order dated yesterday. “That is not a proper use of this court.”

“Without a hint of irony, the parties now ask the court to mop up a mess they made by holding a hearing to reduce the size and complexity of the case,” he wrote. “The court declines this invitation.”

The result is Apple and Google will now have a four month period to narrow their claims related to the case that now includes over 180 claims for 12 patents. Bloomberg notes that Scola said the case currently includes “disputes over the meaning of more than 100 terms,” and that the case would be put on hold until the disputes are resolved if the two companies are unable to come up with a solution before the four month timeframe expires.

Back in November there were reports that Apple and Google’s Motorola were considering a settlement and even submitted “proposals on using binding arbitration to reach a licensing agreement” for standard essential patents to courts in Wisconsin. At the time Apple said “such an agreement could lead to a global settlement of all of their patent disputes,” but the two companies couldn’t come to an agreement on the arbitration process.

Last year Apple and HTC announced they reached a global settlement in multiple patent-related cases that some analysts estimated could be worth as much as $180 million to $280 million annually. When it comes to Samsung, many reports quoted Samsung’s Shin Jong-kyun as claiming the company does not “intend to (negotiate) at all” following the HTC settlement.

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Real Racing 3 iOS app updated with vehicles from Chevy, 100+ new events, cloud save, much more

Chevy-Real-racing-3-updateWhile the highly anticipated Real Racing 3 from EA received a lot of press when it first launched back in February, much of it was negative attention due to developer Firemonkey’s decision opt for an in-app purchase, freemium model. Despite that, Real Racing 3 is considered one of the top racing games for iOS devices, and today it receives a massive update bringing new vehicles, events, and game modes to the title.

Version 1.1.0 of Real Racing 3 includes the return of vehicles from Chevrolet such as the Chevrolet Cobalt SS and the Camaro ZL1, 100+ new events bringing the total up to over 1,000, and the ability to save to the cloud and transfer saves between devices. The update also brings a new event type called “Hunter!”:

What’s New in Version 1.1.0

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. American fan favorite Chevrolet makes its return to Real Racing! This update features the Chevrolet Cobalt SS and the Camaro ZL1, an all-new Hunter mode, Cloud Save functionality, and 100+ new events! Plus, compare and compete using the new friends leaderboard.

• New manufacturer – Chevrolet! The Cobalt SS and the Camaro ZL1 join the lineup
• New event type – Hunter! Chase down the hunted car and overtake within one lap
• 100+ new events! Total number of events now exceeds 1,000!
• Cloud Save functionality! Transfer your save data between devices
• New social features! See who is online and compare how your friends are doing with the statistics leaderboard
• Check your TSM mailbox for the latest friend notifications
• Improved tutorial and main menu
• Numerous additional improvements, fixes, and performance optimizations

Apple job listing confirms Apple is investigating using flexible displays in future products

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Update: Apple appears to have removed the job listing, but we grabbed a screenshot above and below.

Apple-job-listing-flexible-displays-01We know that Apple has been investigating various methods of incorporating flexible displays in its mobile devices thanks to a handful of patents and patent applications published over the last year. Flexible display rumors have picked up steam even more since rumors of an iWatch from Apple, and just today we came across two new Apple patent applications detailing flexible devices that could change states as a user bends or twists the device. We all know Apple patent applications have never been a good indication of future product releases, but now Apple has came right out and stated in a job listing that it is indeed considering flexible displays.

Apple Inc. is looking for a Display Specialist to lead the investigation on emerging display technologies such as high optical efficiency LCD, AMOLED and flexible display to improve overall display optical performance.

The job listing seeking a Sr. Optical Engineer was posted earlier this month and looks for a display expert to investigate “high optical efficiency LCD, AMOLED and flexible display.” Specifically, Apple is requesting someone to “Analyze the trade-offs between design, process, optical performance, and implementation feasibility,” hinting that the company is considering introducing new, advanced display technology in the future:
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Report claims Microsoft roadmap has iOS/Android support scheduled for fall 2014

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Since we first heard rumors that Microsoft was working on Office for iOS as far back as 2011 and got a look at alleged leaked images of an iPad app that Microsoft later denied were real, every couple of months we’ve seen reports that say the app is coming soon. First it was November 2012, then early 2013, and others claimed “sometime after” March 2013. The latest rumor: Microsoft has Office for iPhone and Android is scheduled for fall 2014.

ZDNet claims to have got its hands on Microsoft roadmap for next year and says on it is “iOS/Android support for Office”:
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More Apple patents detail completely flexible devices that change as they bend

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iPhone-Flexible display

Update: The patent was granted on 6th January 2015 (via Apple Toolbox)

These are certainly not the first flexible display related patent applications that we’ve seen from Apple. A few different Apple patent applications have received attention in recent months, including one for a slap wrist-style bracelet with a flexible display, and others for curved and flexible displays in various iOS device-like form factors. Today we’ve come across a couple of recently published Apple patent applications filed as early as September of last year that further show Apple’s work with flexible displays (via UnwiredView).

The first patent application, titled “Flexible Electronic Devices” is pretty straight forward: Apple is interested in methods of providing not only flexible displays but also flexible components like batteries, circuit boards, and the housing of the device itself. Apple describes a device that could respond accordingly depending on how a user was manipulating the flexible display. The patent applications provides examples such as the device shutting off and entering standby mode when folded, or a user answering a call or changing volume:
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Report claims Apple working with spaceship campus architect Foster + Partners on retail stores

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A render by Foster + Partners of Apple’s soon to be constructed Spaceship campus

Following a report earlier this month that Apple’s Spaceship campus project had increased to nearly $5B as lead architect Foster + Partners attempted to trim around a billion from the budget, a new report today claims Apple is now working with the architecture company on other projects. Marketingmagazine claims “sources close to the project” say Foster will soon be assisting Apple with the design of its retail stores:
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EA announces SimCity for Mac lands on June 11 with cross-platform support

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EA confirmed today on its website that the latest SimCity instalment will be headed to Mac this summer with an official release scheduled for June 11. The title will be available exclusively through EA’s Origin platform (in addition to “other online retailers”), but those who have already purchased the PC version of the game will be able to grab the Mac download for free on Origin:

SimCity“SimCity is coming to Mac on June 11 and one purchase will give you both the Mac and PC versions. You only need to buy SimCity once to play together across the same servers, regardless of which version you’re playing,” said Lucy Bradshaw, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA’s Maxis Label. “We didn’t want to make any compromises when it came to the Mac so we created a native version that is optimised for the hardware and OSX.”

Good news if you plan on picking up the Mac version this summer: right now you can get SimCity for the lowest price we’ve seen ever, $32 on 9to5Toys, and then download the Mac version free in June.

EA made a point of noting that the game is not your average port but rather runs natively on OS X with “its entire software renderer was rewritten for OpenGL, ensuring the best performance for the platform.” SimCity will allow players to play online across platforms on the same servers as PC users when it launches and Origin account holders will be able to use the same account on both copies. The game originally got off to a bit of a rough start, with players experiencing major server issues that eventually lead to EA offering refunds and free games to disgruntled users.
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‘Burner – Disposable Phone Numbers’ iPhone app goes free, gets referral program, improved call history, custom voicemail, more

Burner-iOS-appWe’ve told you about the Burner iOS app from Ad Hoc Labs in the past, an iOS app that received a lot of attention for its ability to provide temporary numbers for receiving SMS and calls on the iPhone. Today the developers are announcing a major update to the app that introduces a number of new features such a referral program and custom voicemail messages. While temporary Burner numbers aren’t free, Ad Hoc Labs is also dropping the $1.99 price tag and making Burner available as a free download starting today.

Not only can you download the app now for free, Burner is also providing a “Sample Burner” to get you started:

Once a user downloads the free iOS or Android app, he or she can create a “Sample Burner” for free. Additional numbers can be purchased via credit packages starting at $1.99. There are also extension options available for purchase.

Among the major new features for the app is a referral program that will allow users to earn credits by recommending other users to the app, the ability to reactive disabled numbers, improved notifications, and much more:

What’s New in Version 1.6.5

Burner 1.6.5 includes additional features and polishes on 1.6. Enjoy!

1.6 is a significant update with major new features and enhancements including:

★ REFERRAL PROGRAM to award credits to you and your friends for sharing Burner

★ NO PREMATURE BURNING. If you run out of minutes/messages, your number will be disabled but can be reloaded to reactivate (until the expiration date)

★ BETTER NOTIFICATIONS that deep link to texts, missed calls, and voicemails, and include the name of your caller if you’ve edited the number to include a name

★ CALL HISTORY MANAGEMENT. Star, rename, or archive conversations.

★ CUSTOM VOICEMAIL GREETINGS

And much more!

AppGratis CEO explains App Store removal, says Apple is destroying value in its ecosystem

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After receiving some clarification from Apple last night over the removal of discovery app AppGratis, CEO Simon Dawalt is weighing in today with a statement posted on the AppGratis website explaining that the situation has been “absolutely crazy” to deal with:

And that is pretty much where we stand, still stunned that Apple took the decision to destroy so much value within their own ecosystem, but more than ever convinced that what we’re doing is good, and accomplishing a much needed mission in a broken App Discovery world.

While explaining that App Gratis has gone through a number of rejections for breaking App Store guidelines in situations that were later resolved with Apple, Dawalt shed some light on what happened on Apple’s side:
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Google’s interaction designer talks revamping Google Search on iOS (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fpggknHC2c

In a recent “Life at Google” video (above), Interaction Designer on Google’s search team Noah Levin walks us through his work building the latest version of the Google Search app on iOS:

After just three months at Google, Interaction Designer Noah Levin helped change the way our users interact with Google Search on the iPhone and iPad. Learn how he takes a complex system and makes it a simple user experience for our most well-known product: Search.

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Apple’s 27-inch iMacs hit the refurb store but you can often get a new one for less

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From 9to5toys.com  (Twitter, Feed, Facebook), today:

Apple today started offering a couple new models of its latest generation iMac through its refurbished online store. Previously Apple was offering refurbished units of the new 21.5-inch iMac only, but we hadn’t seen any 27-inch models hit yet, which we assumed was likely due to yield issues and significant delays experienced in the iMac’s first few months of launch. Today Apple has finally started offering both the entry level 27-inch iMac and the higher end iMac, in addition to a couple of BTO models. However, taking tax into account, you might be about to score a new one for around the same price…

You might not be able to entirely beat Apple’s refurbished price, but taking the tax into account, you can almost get a brand new 27-inch iMac for the same price. 9to5Toys breaks it down. 

For instance, the high end 3.2GHz model is currently available for $100 off on Amazon for $1,899. If you’re paying 8% tax on the refurb unit, that brings your total up to $1834.92. In many cases, buying new for around the same price or slightly more might be worth your while.

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HBO Go iOS app updated with AirPlay multitasking & new interactive features for Game of Thrones

HBO-GO-Game-of-ThronesHBO has pushed out an update to its HBO Go app in at least the US today. Version 2.1 brings AirPlay multitasking support, allowing videos from the HBO Go app to continue playing while users navigate to other apps. Also included in this release is enhancements to the interactive features experience for the network’s popular Game of Thrones series and the usual performance enhancements:

– Includes AirPlay multitasking capability — other apps can be used while video continues to stream via AirPlay.
– Enhancements to the interactive features experience for Game of Thrones
– General performance enhancements

HBO Go version 2.1 for iPhone and iPad is available from the App Store now.

Apple hiring software engineers to work on fingerprint tech at Authentec’s Melbourne Design Center?

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Fingerprint-scannerA new job listing on Apple.com could add fire to the rumors that Apple is considering including fingerprint technology in upcoming devices.

The job posting seeking a software engineer to write “low-level code to configure and control hardware” is the only listing on Apple’s site located at the “Melbourne Design Center” in Melbourne, Florida. Not only is the position looking for someone familiar with testing various sensors with LabTool and FA software, but Melbourne is also the home base of Authentec, the company Apple acquired fingerprint technology from last year for around $365 million. 
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Virgin offers T-Mobile pre-paid customers $100 to switch with new ad campaign

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Despite some carriers already showing interest in T-Mobile’s new no-contract strategy, it was only a matter of time until the competition started going after the carrier’s new Uncarrier unlimited plans with new promotions and marketing. Today, Virgin launched its “Retrain Your Brain” campaign offering T-Mobile customers $100 to switch their number to one of its no-contract, $35 unlimited plans:

It’s pretty simple:  just choose your Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk smartphone.  Transfer your existing T-Mobile number before May 31, activate your new phone and become a Virgin Mobile customer by May 31 and receive $100 credit.

You can check out Virgin’s comparison of its plan vs T-Mobile’s below and get more information on the promotion here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjZ0rXSXeBA

 

Avid announces Pro Tools 11 & new creative tools alongside first iOS-compatible interfaces

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With NAB kicking into full gear today, Avid has announced the latest version of its industry standard digital audio workstation with the launch of Pro Tools 11 alongside its first iOS compatible portable audio interfaces and much more.

Perhaps the biggest Apple related announcement for Avid today is the launch of its first two audio interfaces with direct support for iOS devices. There are many audio interfaces for iPad and iPhone (we’ve reviewed some), but this is the first time Avid is including a USB port and direct support for iPad with its high-quality I/O and Pro Tools software…
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Apple in court: Samsung infringes key text-selection patent, anti-poaching class action blocked, slide to unlock invalidated in Germany

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Text-selectionApple’s decision to disable VPN on demand functionality on iOS due to the virnetX lawsuit isn’t the only patent related Apple news today. Head below for a roundup of Apple’s court woes and wins from earlier today:

Samsung infringes key text-selection patent: Reuters reports that the International Trade Commission has handed down a preliminary decision ruling Samsung infringed on an Apple patent related to a text-selection feature. However, the courts also ruled Samsung didn’t infringe another patent related to detecting when other devices are plugged into a microphone jack. If the text-selection decision is upheld, the result could be a U.S. import ban on Galaxy, Transform, and Nexus devices:
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Latest iOS 7 concept shows slick widget integration, enhanced lockscreen & much more

We’ve seen lots of iOS 7 concepts popping up lately thanks to all the rumors that Jony Ive’s new role on the software side of things could mean major changes for the next major iOS update. Many of the concepts borrow from features already available to jailbreak users, and there seems to be a big focus on widgets and lock screen enhancements. We’re not too sure that iOS 7 will get the full Ive treatment like some are expecting, but this latest iOS concept from designer F. Bianco certainly gives us a taste of the possibilities. Rather than just focusing on one area of iOS, Bianco presents a number of concepts for widgets, app switching, media controls, and much more. Go past the break for screenshots:

VirnetX patent loss forcing Apple to change its iOS VPN On Demand in forthcoming update

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Apple lost a patent lawsuit in November related to virtual private networking (VPN) and its FaceTime video feature in a judgment that awarded patent holder VirnetX $368.2 million. The last we heard, Apple and VirnetX were ordered to work out a settlement that would see Apple paying a royalty for future use of the network-related patents. Now, with the mediation deadline coming up on April 12, Apple has informed customers through a knowledge base article that it will change “the behavior of VPN On Demand for iOS devices using iOS 6.1 and later” due to the lawsuit. The changes will kick in later this month and seem to be a move to avoid a royalty settlement:

Devices using iOS 6.1 and later with VPN On Demand configured to “Always” will behave as if they were configured with the “Establish if needed” option. The device will establish a VPN On Demand connection only if it is unable to resolve the DNS name of the host it is trying to reach. This change will be distributed in an update later this month.

The change will result in Apple’s previous “Always” on option for VPN on Demand behaving like the “Establish if needed” option. The changes mean that Apple will disable the iOS feature that allows corporate users to automatically make a VPN connection upon hitting a corporate address or site. A worried 9to5reader and corporate iOS user explained, “this effectively means that the iOS user will, like on a PC, have to start the VPN client before the run an app, or before they open mobile Safari to access an intranet site.”

While providing instructions on how to manually establish a VPN connection, Apple confirms that it will “address this functionality with alternatives in a future software update.” Apple continued its knowledge base article by informing users of other behavior changes they might experience:
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Apple online store updated with iOS friendly navigation bar, other tweaks

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Some of you noticed the Apple online store was down briefly this morning, but now the website is live again with some welcomed tweaks to the shopping experience. Now, when visiting the store.apple.com, users are presented with a new scrolling navigation bar for each product category (as pictured above). The most notable aspect of the change is that the new menu is touch-friendly on iOS devices, allowing users on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to swipe to scroll through the list. It could be a sign Apple is aiming to make its online store friendlier to users on touch screens.

The store also gets other minor tweaks, such as larger grid-style search results for certain products that also implement touch-friendly elements for iOS users. It’s not much of a surprise to us that Apple is looking to make improvements to the online store, as it has recently posted a large quantity of job listings for visual designers and other positions related to revamping the online store experience.

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Adobe reverses decision to collect App Store royalty on Director 12 iOS apps

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Users of Adobe’s just launched Director 12, which introduced the ability to publish iOS games, weren’t too happy in January about the company’s decision to collect a 10 percent royalty on earnings above an initial 20K for paid iOS apps. Following the feedback from users, Adobe has now reversed its decision and will no longer require any royalty fees or registration for iOS titles published with the platform.

Adobe provided us with the following comment:

Since launching Director 12 in February, Adobe conducted detailed conversations with members of the community to understand concerns with the licensing model. After analyzing all viewpoints, we decided to allow users to publish to iOS without registration or royalty fees on earned income.

Adobe is yet to update its end-user license agreement for Director 12 that states users are required to report revenue and (sic) “PAY ADOBE 10% OF THE REVENUE PAID BY APPLE INC. AND / OR ITS AFFILIATE(S) TO CUSTOMER IN RELATION TO SUCH PAID IOS APP IN A QUARTER.” Adobe’s Director 12 site still claims “*Additional Fees Apply,” linking to the end-user agreement, but Adobe will likely update the site soon to reflect its decision.

comScore: Apple increases lead as top smartphone vendor in US, iOS steals market share from Android

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Research firm comScore is out with its usual monthly report that ranks the top smartphone OEMs and platforms for the three-month period ending in February. Apple continues to grow its lead this month as top OEM in the U.S., jumping 3.9-percent from November to 38.9-percent of the market and increasing its lead on the second biggest OEM by subscribers, Samsung:

Samsung ranked second with 21.3 percent market share (up 1 percentage point), followed by HTC with 9.3 percent share, Motorola with 8.4 percent and LG with 6.8 percent.

Feb-Comscore-Apple-PlatformsIt’s important to point out that the shipped vs. sold argument doesn’t apply to comScore’s results, as its data comes from surveys tracking smartphone subscribers and usage and not sales or units shipped. Google grabs the spot as top smartphone platform at the end of February, but Apple continues to close the gap capturing 38.9-percent of the market (up from 35 percent) compared to Google’s 51.7-percent (down from 53.7-percent):
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