Jordan Kahn

• Apps
• iOS
• App Store
• update
• app

Uber adds destination entry for riders & turn-by-turn navigation for drivers to mobile apps

Jordan Kahn Aug 13 2014 - 7:40 am PT

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Uber announced today that it’s added new features that will make the experience even more seamless for both users and its drivers.

We envision a day when there is no coordination necessary to take an Uber ride. Simply push the button, and the rest is essentially on cruise control: the car quickly shows up at exactly the right place and whisks you away to your destination via the best possible route. The latest rider and driver app releases take us one step closer to that world with two new features:

A new destination entry feature lets users quickly enter destination details into the Uber app that are then automatically available to the driver when they arrive. “You can literally skip the step where you tell the driver where you’re going.”

Uber has also added turn-by-turn navigation to its driver app: With one tap, the driver can enable turn-by-turn navigation to the destination you’ve provided. There’s no need to juggle multiple apps or waste time typing in an address.

Uber says the features are live now, although doesn’t list the features in the latest update that hit the app yesterday.

• AAPL Company

Slimmer, reversible next-gen USB Type-C now ready for PCs & mobile devices

Jordan Kahn Aug 12 2014 - 7:01 am PT

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Following an announcement back in December and some renders that popped up a few months back, today the USB 3.0 Promoter Group announced the next-generation USB “Type-C” connector is now ready for production. That means that PC and smartphone manufacturers can now adopt the standard, which the Promoter Group describes as “the final piece in developing a single-cable solution” for the industry.
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• AAPL Company

Apple posts its new ‘Your Verse’ iPad Air TV ads [Videos]

Jordan Kahn Aug 11 2014 - 2:31 pm PT

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[youtube=http://youtu.be/My1DSNDbBfM]

Following launching new webpages profiling China’s Yaoband and Detroit’s Slow Roll city bike movement as part of its ‘Your Verse’ Campaign, Apple has now uploaded TV ad versions of the two ads online.

The ads above and below are made up of some of the clips that were posted to Apple’s website earlier today but we now get a look at exactly what Apple will be airing on TV for the latest in its campaign highlighting professionals using iPad Air.

The two new ads profile musicians in Chinese group Yaoband using iPad for recording and performing live and another follows co-founder of the Slow Roll city bike ride Jason Hall.

Apple is also putting the new ads front and center on the homepage of its website as of earlier this morning.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/ybIxBZlopUY]

• Apps
• Spotify
• Beats
• Google
• search

Google begins displaying “Listen Now” ads for streaming music services (including Beats) in search results

Jordan Kahn Aug 8 2014 - 1:27 pm PT

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Google appears to be experimenting with new “Listen Now” ads in search results for streaming music services including its own Google Play Music and competitors like Apple’s Beats Music. The Wall Street Journal first noticed the ads and confirmed the new format with Google:

The ads appear in searches on personal computers as well as mobile devices and are performing well for some advertisers, according to one person familiar with the results. Music services previously could have bought similar ads, but the grouping, display and labeling are new. “We’re happy to help users quickly find legitimate sources for their favorite movies, music and more via Google search,” a Google spokesman said.

Google also confirmed to The Wall Street Journal that the music services pay per click just like traditional ads it displays in search. Along with its own Google Play service and Apple’s Beats Music, the Listen Now section is also currently showing ads from Rhapsody and Spotify. 

Google has experimented with other types of links for content in search results including “Watch Now” links for movies and tv that direct users to its Google Play service. It also recently laucnhed app indexing on Android, which displays a button for users to quickly launch apps from search results. 

• Apps
• Mac
• Spotify
• app
• Music

Spotify starts sending invites for users to try service in Canada

Jordan Kahn Aug 8 2014 - 11:34 am PT

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After revealing plans to finally bring Spotify to Canada last month, users in the country have now started receiving invites to try the streaming music service. A reader sent in the image above and others have received their invite over the last 24 hours,.

Congratulations — you’re in!

You’ve been chosen to try Spotify in Canada before everyone else!

Millions of songs are now waiting for you. The artists you love, the latest hits and new discoveries— all for free on mobile, tablet and desktop. Happy listening!

The company initially announced last month that the service would launch in the coming months, but now seems to be launching a test of the service with select users that signed-up here. Spotify is currently available in a long list of countries around the world, but it doesn’t yet list Canada on its website.

The company appears to be offering the service in trial mode for free but doesn’t mention pricing for a premium service for Canadians. Users that receive a code can access the service here.

(Thanks Josh!)

• AAPL Company
• Apple News
• iCloud
• Mail
• outage

Apple says iCloud Mail experiencing outage for some users

Jordan Kahn Aug 8 2014 - 10:05 am PT

1 Comment

Following several reports from readers earlier today that Apple’s iCloud Mail service was experiencing an outage, Apple has now updated its system status page to reflect the downtime.

Apple says that “some users are affected” and that “users may be unable to receive iCloud mail”. Apple’s system status page says the outage started a little before 12PM ET this morning and continues for some. iCloud Mail service also went down last month with a relatively small number of users experiencing an outage for as long as 18 hours.

Apple has made some improvements to the iCloud Mail service recently including flipping the switch on encryption for email sent between providers.

We’ll update here when/if Apple provides an update on the outage.

[tweet https://twitter.com/toddheberlein/status/497771810843160578]

• AAPL Company

Apple plans another expansion for Reno data center

Jordan Kahn Aug 8 2014 - 8:56 am PT

5 Comments

Apple is planning another expansion for its data center facilities in Reno with the Reno Gazette-Journal reporting the company recently submitted plans for additional data center buildings. The expansion brings the total number of buildings on Apple’s site up to nine:

Apple submitted permit applications for two additional data cluster buildings as it ramps up yet another phase of development for the site. The new facilities will bring the number of data cluster buildings at the Apple campus to eight, including the initial 20,000 square-foot rapid deployment module that went live earlier this year as part of “Phase 1” development. Apple also completed an administrative building a few months ago as part of the data center’s second phase of development, which is expected to wrap up by the end of summer as the location transitions to its third phase.

While Apple’s main site continues to grow, the report also notes that plans for a downtown Reno location— required for Apple to receive around $80m in tax breaks— haven’t progressed.

Apple has plenty of space to keep expanding at its main Technology Park campus, however. “By accounting for 345 acres of the technology park’s 2,200 acres, Apple has ample room to keep growing its data center.”

• Apps & Updates
• Apps
• Mac
• iPhone
• OS X
• Mac App Store

The Sims 2: Super Collection hits Mac as Peter Molyneux’s ‘Godus’ lands for iOS

Jordan Kahn Aug 8 2014 - 6:31 am PT

7 Comments

Two new games are arriving today with Mac users getting access to a new The Sims 2: Super Collection and iOS gamers getting their hands on the latest creation from Fable creator Peter Molyneux.

The Sims 2: Super Collection includes the return of the classic title for Mac exclusively on the Mac App Store and with it you get all of the downloadable content including 6 expansion packs and 3 additional content packs. The collection is available on the Mac App Store now as a single download for $29.99. Developers Aspyr noted, “We’ve completely overhauled The Sims™ 2 to work with modern hardware and OS configurations, optimizing performance with a new renderer, and we are supporting native resolution.”

Up next for games today is the latest from Peter Molyneux, creator of Fable and other popular titles for consoles and PC, with the release of ‘Godus’ for iPhone and iPad. The god simulator of sorts has received some teasers up until now through its Kickstarter campaign, but today the game is finally available on the App Store as a free download.

The Sims 2: Super Collection – $29.99 Mac App Store

Godus for iPhone and iPad – FREE App Store

• Apps & Updates
• Apps
• photos
• Yahoo
• Mail
• filters

Yahoo Mail iOS app adds improved search w/ filters for files & photos

Jordan Kahn Aug 6 2014 - 7:34 am PT

2 Comments

Yahoo updated its Mail app today for iPhone and iPad with a new and improved search experience that makes it easier to find emails and specific content within emails when searching for contacts.

With the updated app, users can now apply filters after searching for a contact that will filter results by emails, photos, or files. The update will make it easy to, for example, find a specific attachment within an email or conversation.

The update also includes unspecified performance improvements and bug fixes.

The updated Yahoo Mail app for iPhone and iPad, version 3.2.0, is available now for free.

What’s New in Version 3.2.0

– We’re excited to introduce you to our new and improved search experience. Now, when you search for a person’s name, you can easily filter the results by emails, photos, or files. We hope you love it as much as we do! Please drop us a note at aerogram-feedback@yahoo-inc.com with your thoughts or suggestions.
– Performance improvements
– Bug fixes

• AAPL Company
• Apple News
• Tim Cook
• Returns
• repurchase

Apple’s recent buybacks brought highest 4-month returns of any company since 1998

Jordan Kahn Aug 5 2014 - 8:44 am PT

2 Comments

Data from Bloomberg today shows just how profitable Apple’s recent buybacks have been with the company experiencing the highest returns of any company in over a decade. The buybacks, which were also the biggest ever since Bloomberg and S&P started tracking these numbers, came as Apple stock increased 77 percent over the last 15 months and 25 percent since its $18 billion buyback last year:

Those are the highest four-month returns among the 20 biggest quarterly repurchases by any company since 1998, according to data compiled by Bloomberg and Standard & Poor’s. S&P 500 constituents have spent $211 billion on their own stock this year amid concern the five-year bull market is prone to selloffs such as last week’s 2.7 percent retreat.

The report notes that other companies have been less successful with Microsoft experiencing a 16 percent increase in 2014 following its $3 billion buyback, while others including EBay and Boeing experienced shares falling. The average for the 100 largest buybacks being tracked by Bloomberg is a 5.5 percent increase this year.

Bloomberg adds that “the ratio of Apple’s per-share profit growth to its overall earnings has increased due to buybacks.” That includes an increase of 19.6 percent year-over-year as of last quarter compared to an increase in net income of 12.3 percent.