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:
Apple is today expanding its Device Enrollment Program, its service for business and education customers deploying and managing large fleets of iOS and Mac devices, to new countries. It’s also opening up the program to third-party resellers.
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A U.S. District judge has decided that Apple will have to face a US federal lawsuit over complaints that it prevented users from receiving text messages after switching from iPhone to Android, according to a report from Reuters.
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Following our latest drone video that we shared over the weekend, the City of Cupertino has posted an updated, official aerial shot from Apple showing progress at Apple’s under construction Campus 2.
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Good Technology is out with its latest report examining share of mobile platforms in the enterprise and in it noted that iOS was able to grow its market share following the introduction of the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The increase from 67% last quarter to 69% during Q3 isn’t a huge one, but it’s notable given it comes at the expense of Android OS just over a month into sales of the new Apple devices.
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Following the launch of Apple Pay in the US last month, Apple and Barclaycard have introduced a new co-branded credit card with EMV chip-and-pin support and revised rewards and financing options.
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The team at Frostbite, the gaming engine behind many popular console titles and more recent mobile games, today published a blog post showing off a tech demo of the graphically demanding Battlefield 4 console game running on an iPad. The company previously showed off what the Frostbite engine was capable of with the Battlefield 4 Commander app and the Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare tech demo it showed off at WWDC, but the Battlefield 4 tech demo was made possible thanks to some big graphics improvements courtesy of Apple’s new Metal graphics API.
The team says “Metal has created possibilities previously out of reach and for the first time we can include both high visual fidelity and a large number of objects.”
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Microsoft announced today that it’s rolling out standalone Office apps for iPhone after releasing the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps exclusively for iPad earlier this year. Microsoft previously had an “Office Mobile” app for iPhone that integrated features of all three Office apps, but today’s release of standalone Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps for iPhone are officially replacing Office Mobile as Microsoft’s Office solution for iPhone.
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[youtube=http://youtu.be/3E24XCQC7hc]
Runtastic, makers of the popular fitness tracking app of the same name, today announced the introduction of a new app focused on improving sleep habits. Rather than using a wearable or bedside sensor, the company’s new Sleep Better app uses an iPhone placed next to your pillow to track sleep patterns with no additional hardware required. Using the iPhone’s sensors, the app offers sleep tracking features including data on Duration, Cycles and Efficiency as well as Smart Alarm & Wake-Up Window features, Moon Phase tracking, and more. The app is also fully compatible with Apple’s HealthKit and Health app in iOS 8:
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The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today released a report examining three dozen messaging services and ranking them based on what it deemed are seven “security best practices.” While Apple scored the best among what the EFF called “mass-market options”, it didn’t do as well when compared to all 36 messaging services included in the report. Specifically, EFF noted Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime services failed to offer “complete protection against sophisticated, targeted forms of surveillance.”
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Google announced today that it’s releasing a new Chrome extension called Application Launcher for Drive that allows users to open files directly from its Google Drive service in compatible apps on a Mac or PC. The extension adds an “Open With” option that will let users launch files in apps like, for example, Mac OS X’s Preview app or third-party editing apps like those from Adobe and Microsoft.
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Following the introduction of Voice-over-LTE technology with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which increases call quality by routing calls through an LTE network opposed to last generation 3G networks, US carriers have experienced a big increase in VoLTE calls. That’s according to a new report from Newfield Wireless that highlights a decrease for calls over 3G by about one-fifth compared to previous generation iPhones and other LTE-capable devices:
The majority of voice calls made on other 4G-enabled devices are currently routed through legacy 2G and 3G networks, due to the fact that not all networks and devices are optimised to deliver next-generation voice services. iPhone 6 devices are VoLTE-compatible and as a result, U.S. networks have experienced a surge in VoLTE calls since the September launch.
The report also shared some other data points from its research noting a few stats for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus uptake compared to previous generations:
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A 2012 Apple patent application showing a 3D GUI
According to a report from Chinese newspaper Economic Daily News citing supply chain sources (via UDN), Apple is working on a 3D iPhone display of sorts that doesn’t require the use of special glasses. The translated report also claims Apple is actively developing 3D “software ecosystems.”
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Nuance announced an update for its Swype keyboard for iOS 8 today that introduces support for a long list of new languages in addition to new layouts and features for both iPhone and iPad.
New languages include: Czech, Danish, Dutch, UK English, Finnish, Greek, Hinglish, Hungarian, Irish, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, and Turkish. The app now supports over 20 languages including the previously supported languages– English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.
The keyboard also now includes QWERTY, QWERTZ and AZERTY layouts for both iPhone and iPad as well as access to all Swype themes on iPad. In addition, the update brings an auto-space feature, a “sound on Keypress” option, and auto suggestions for Emoji:
The updated Swype keyboard for iOS 8 is available from the App Store for $1.
Reports claiming Apple could face a possible iPhone 6 Plus recall regarding a problem with NAND flash causing crashes for a small number of users are not true, according to a source close to the situation.
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Apple’s annual MFi summit, an event for accessory manufacturers in its Made-for-iPhone/iPad/iPod licensing program, will focus on getting accessory makers ready for new technologies including HomeKit hardware, iBeacon, Apple’s new Lightning headphones spec, and game controllers, according to Apple’s official event schedule.
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Verizon and AT&T announced today that they are working together to allow Voice over LTE calls between their customers. The carriers, which both previously announced the roll out of VoLTE technology earlier this year, said they expect VoLTE interoperability between their customers to arrive next year:
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A new report from Sanjay Sakhrani of KBW and detailed by Bezinga claims to share details of Apple’s contract with card issuers for Apple Pay. In addition to sharing details on Apple’s cut of transactions, the report highlights requirements from Apple’s terms and conditions that card issuers must follow to participate in the new payments service.
Among the terms, card issuers reportedly “must allow at least 95 percent of the cards in their portfolio to participate in Apple Pay,” which the report points out might not include ATM or gift cards. Apple previously posted a support document detailing supported card types through initial launch banks. It hasn’t yet, however, updated to reflect a number of additional banks that started supporting the service earlier today.
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With the first Android 5.0 Lollipop devices becoming available— Nexus 9 today and the Nexus 6 later this month— Google is also showing off its new Google Calendar app arriving for other devices in the coming weeks. The new app comes on devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop, but Google also confirmed today that the app is in the works for iPhone users.
Google highlighted a few of the app’s new features including events from Gmail, suggestions that learn from your habits over time with a new feature called “Assists”, and a brand new schedule view:
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Update: USAA, US Bank and Navy Federal have just confirmed Apple Pay support starting today. In addition, MasterCard confirmed a roll out for Barclaycard, USAA and Navy Federal Credit Union, while readers report cards from PNC, and M&T Bank also working in Apple Pay.
Ahead of a previously announced Nov. 7 launch for Apple Pay support, a number of users today report being able to load USAA issued cards into the new payment service. We’ve received tips from readers regarding support for USAA Debit MasterCards and a long list of other customers online report support for other card types through the bank.
Apple has yet to update its support document detailing supported banks and card types. Currently the list includes American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, J.P Morgan, Merrill Lynch, U.S. Trust and Wells Fargo.
A long list of other supported banks and cards are scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks and months, however. Apple previously said it had signed up approximately 500 banks for Apple Pay in the US.
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Southwest Airlines has just announced that it’s launching a new in-flight entertainment service that will offer users the ability to listen to Apple’s Beats Music streaming service free via onboard Wi-Fi.
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A new report from AisleLabs shared with 9to5Mac ahead of its release examines the various Bluetooth beacon hardware options that support the ‘iBeacon’ technology Apple introduced last year. The extensive testing resulted in winners for four categories including style, performance, value for money, and built-in spoof protection.
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Ahead of the much anticipated release of Call of Duty: Advance Warfare on consoles tomorrow, Activision has now released the official iOS companion app for the game on the App Store. In case you’re unfamiliar with the upcoming title, the latest in the first person shooter Call of Duty franchise makes a move to futuristic weaponry:
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare envisions a powerful future, where both technology and tactics have evolved to create a ripped-from-the-headlines-of-tomorrow story. Kevin Spacey stars as Jonathan Irons – one of the most powerful men in the world – shaping this chilling vision of the future of war. Based on plausible technology and extensive research, the all-new story, conceived by the storytellers at Sledgehammer Games, introduces a world where private military corporations (PMCs) wield more might than national governments, and soldiers fight not for country but for profit; militaries for the highest bidder. These PMCs are outfitted with the latest in combat technology – the exoskeleton – empowering soldiers to overcome enemies with incredible and varied abilities, giving them a whole new way to traverse the battlefield. This is war like never before… Advanced Warfare also introduces the exoskeleton – the biggest core movement change in franchise history. With the power of the exo, players can boost jump, dodge, slam and more through a visceral and compelling new story; built from the ground up multiplayer experience; and a brand new cooperative mode for the complete entertainment package that only Call of Duty can deliver.
The app allows users to manage clans with the ability to make game player and clan emblems, participate in clan chats, get access to in-game items, view profiles and more. The free app of course pairs with the Sledgehammer-developed console title of the same name, which is officially landing tomorrow on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
While the official release of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is set for tomorrow, a “Day Zero Edition” of the game is available worldwide starting today with exclusive content.
The Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Companion app is available for free on the App Store now for both iPhone and iPad.
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In June a report detailed a feature in development by Google that would reportedly allow Android devices to alert “people, places, and things” to the presence of nearby users. At the time, reports referred to the feature as “Nearby” and described it as a location-based feature for Android devices in close proximity to one another. Today, AndroidPolice is back with more info pointing to evidence that the feature will be cross-platform and allow Android and iOS devices to share content and communicate when nearby.
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Verizon is increasing data for customers on $80 and $100 More Everything plans, the company announced today following a similar announcement from AT&T. The carrier is now offering 10GB for $80 and 15GB for $100 up from the 6GB and 10GB those tiers previously offered. Verizon notes that the deal isn’t restricted to new customers, but it is a limited time offer available through its website.
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