[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flrYQKaemUE&feature=youtu.be] Apple has released several TV spots for its first ever wearable device, but a new video created using clips…
Apple is now preparing for the rollout of the in-store pickup option on new Apple Watch orders, which will allow users to select a retail location to pick up their wearable devices after order. This is the first time Apple has made any indication of watch stock appearing at its stores since Angela Ahrendts revealed that the company was unsure of when that might happen.
Apple is facing a lawsuit from OpenTV, a company that creates interactive television technology, over five patents the latter claims the Cupertino company violated in the iTunes software. The protected technology in question relates to how Apple streams movies from its servers to end users.
The suit claims this technology was legally licensed to other companies, including Microsoft and Google, but not Apple. OpenTV was named as a party in a separate lawsuit against Apple earlier this year. That suit dealt with video playback technology in iOS and OS X and other products, including iTunes and iAds.
Apple is working on a plan that could give the company and its research partners access to consumer DNA, a new report suggests. The data would be collected by research partners and stored in an online cloud to be used in medical studies, such as one run by the University of California that examines the DNA of expectant mothers to help pinpoint the causes of premature birth.
Volkswagen announced its new Apple Watch application today that will allow users to control their VW Car-Net-enabled vehicles remotely from their wrists (via TechCrunch). Functions like door locks and fuel/charge level indicators will be available directly in the app. Drivers can even get directions from their current location to their parked car.
There will also be new setting that allows parents to set speed limits for their teen drivers. When that limit is crossed, Volkswagen says, the parent will get a notification on their watch alerting them to the fact. Parents can opt to set up geographic boundaries as well, and be alerted when their teens drive outside the designated area.
Volkswagen did not provide a specific availability date. You can read VW’s full press release below. Last week a similar app was shown off for controlling Tesla’s Model S.
Herndon, VA (May 5th, 2015) — Volkswagen of America, Inc., is excited to announce that VW’s Car-Net® platform will enable Apple Watch functionality for many new Volkswagen vehicles. The Apple Watch app will be available globally on all VW Car-Net® enabled vehicles allowing for enhanced connectivity on the go.
“These high-tech features, available through the Car-Net® app for Apple Watch, are paving the way to Volkswagen’s future of connected vehicles,” said Abdallah Shanti, Executive Vice President and Group Chief Information Officer for Region Americas. “As a part of Volkswagen’s Digital Vehicle Management Platform, this was a truly collaborative effort between our Technical Development and Group IT teams.”
The Car-Net® app for Apple Watch will allow VW customers to control a host of features and functions that are available through the Car-Net mobile app and Customer Web Portal directly from their wrist. Owners can keep an eye on their vehicle from afar, remotely locking* and unlocking doors and viewing the status of doors, windows and sun roof (open or closed). Finding a parked vehicle is a snap, with a map of the current vehicle location, walking or driving directions to the vehicle and the ability to honk the horn and flash the lights remotely. Customers can also receive speed and boundary alert notifications to monitor certain drivers in their households.
Drivers of Volkswagen vehicles with gasoline and TDI® Clean Diesel engines may remotely check their fuel level, while those driving the all-electric e-Golf will be able to check their current charge and estimated driving range, turn charging on or off and access climate control features.
VW Car-Net® is available on select trims of 2014 and later Beetle, CC, Eos, Jetta, Passat and Tiguan models and on all trims of 2015 and later Golf, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen and e-Golf models. For additional details, go to www.vw.com/features/vw-car-net/.
Car-Net for Apple Watch will be available in the App Store for Apple Watch, found in the Apple Watch app on iPhone®.
Volkswagen is committed to driving the development of more connected and intelligent vehicles. The VW Car-Net® integration with Apple Watch adds to the recent announcement made at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, introducing the second-generation “modular infotainment platform” (MIB II) which will feature advanced app and smartphone integration. Along with the new infotainment system, MirrorLink™ will integrate the apps and operating layout of numerous smartphones (including Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony) into cars. When MirrorLink™ is introduced, two other interfaces will also be launched under the App-Connect label: Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ (Google®).
About Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. (VWoA), an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. VWoA’s operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Volkswagen Group is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. VWoA sells the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, CC, Eos, e-Golf, Golf, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen, Jetta, Passat, Tiguan, and Touareg vehicles through approximately 652 independent U.S. dealers.
* On Model Year 2016 vehicles and later
Apple has pushed two new channels to the Apple TV today, bringing sports and drama content from two new sources. The first new channel is CBS Sports, which allows users to watch free clips from a host of different sports, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, college sports, and more.
The second new channel is USA Now, which features content from the USA network. Unlike CBS Sports, this one will require a cable provider login to access most content. Once logged in, users will be able to watch full episodes or clips from their favorite USA shows.
File sharing service Droplr announced today that it is launching new versions of both of its apps alongside a freemium account option. Users will now be able to sign up and use Droplr to share large files for free, but will only be able to store their files for one week. After that, the links will expire. Users subscribed the Droplr Pro service will be able to keep their files forever, and will get access to other settings to customize the file sharing process.
Along with the new account types comes a family of redesigned applications to support them. The iOS app, seen above, has been reworked with support for the latest iOS features, such as sharing extensions. When you upload a file through the iOS app, it will immediately be pushed to the Mac app, or vice versa.
Tweetbot for iPhone was updated today with support for Twitter’s recently-introduced ‘quote tweet’ format. The update adds a new option called “standard quote” under the retweet style options. Selecting that setting will change the “quote tweet” button in the timeline so that instead of copying the body of the tweet into the compose screen, it inserts only the URL of the original post.
Linked tweets will appear as embedded media within the timeline, allowing you to quickly see text and images without tapping through to the next screen. You’ll still need to tap through the preview to the original post to watch animated GIFs or videos, however. Embedded tweets also appear as a larger preview on the tweet detail page.
For those who liked the old “quote tweet” setting in Tweetbot, you’ll find that it’s still available under a new name. Just set your “quote format” to “copy tweet.” Previously included options like “RT with comment” and “via @user” are also still available.
Tweebot for iPhone is one of the first third-party apps to integrate this feature after it was made available to developers earlier last month. You can download the 3.6 update for free if you already own the app, or for $4.99 if you haven’t purchased an earlier version of Tweetbot 3.
It’s happening
A new video posted to YouTube today has demonstrated what is almost certainly the first Apple Watch app capable of remotely controlling most of the functions of Tesla’s Model S. In the video (which you can watch below), developer Allen Wong shows off a Glance that views an overview of the car’s status before launching into the main app to review its capabilities.
Through the app, Wong is able to issue a series of commands to the vehicle, ranging from rudimentary options like honking the horn or flashing the lights, to bigger settings such as full panoramic roof control (something not even Tesla’s official app offers yet) or controlling the car’s charging state and port.
Microsoft announced today during its Build conference that it will release a tool for developers to port their iOS apps directly to Windows 10 as “universal apps” that run on both phones and desktop computers. Developers will be able to feed their existing Objective-C code into a new software package and have it converted to work on the upcoming PC operating system.
At least, that’s how Microsoft is pitching it, though the whole process is a bit more complex. Essentially Windows 10 will ship with APIs that mirror the expected behavior of many iOS APIs, and this new conversion tool will help developers swap out iOS code for matching Windows code.
While self-driving cars may be the future of personal transportation, we’re still stuck driving the old-fashioned way for now, and a new iPhone game will show you why the future can’t come fast enough.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably wondered exactly what iOS 6’s skeuomorphic app design might have looked like on the…
Apple CEO Tim Cook announced today during the company’s earnings call that Best Buy will gain support for Apple Pay in its iOS app today and will begin accepting it in retail stores later this year. Best Buy’s decision is big news because the electronics chain was previously part of the coalition of companies working on the ill-received “Current-C” mobile payment system.
Facebook continues to add new capabilities to its Messenger app today with the launch of a new video calling feature. A new video icon at the top of conversation threads will initiate a call, allowing participants to communicate across platforms over Wi-Fi or LTE connections.
The addition puts Facebook in competition with Apple’s FaceTime, Microsoft’s Skype, and other similar services. Interestingly, web-based video chat has been available on the desktop for some time, and was previously powered by Skype.
BlackBerry has finally releasd an iPad-compatible version of its extremely popular iOS messaging client, along with many new features and bug…
Instagram announced today that three new photo filters will be making their way to the photo sharing app later today through an update on the iOS App Store. The new filters are called Lark, Reyes, and Juno, and are focused on enhancing outdoor photography.
These new filters are just the first of many, as the app’s development team has promised to add new filters more regularly in future updates.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8sxwK2pJI4] Since the Apple Watch’s debut, there have been a lot of questions regarding the device: how long will the…
Apple has updated the watch bands page on its website to provide an easier selection process for potential buyers. The page now lists each individual band under its own section with a brief description and price. Shoppers will then be able to select an appropriately-sized band for their watch.
Previously the site looked like any other collection on the store with a grid view that featured little more than a photo. The new design gives users a closer look at the clasp of the band without the watch hardware present.
Customers wait in line outside Maxfield in Los Angeles (via CNET)
Despite the fact that Apple’s own retail stores won’t be carrying the Apple Watch on launch day, a handful of boutiques across the world will get a few models to sell starting tomorrow. Customers have already started lining up outside these locations in the hopes of getting their hands on one of the few launch-day watches available to the public.
The image above comes from outside Maxfield in Los Angeles, where it will still be several hours before doors open and the Apple Watch goes on sale. Other images are already hitting social media from electronics stores in Japan:
Apple released iMovie 10.0.8 today for Mac users, bringing a fix for a potential crash when the app is in the process of opening.
The update also sports improved compatibility with YouTube when using the built-in export option to upload videos to the site. That change seems to be strictly under-the-hood, as the YouTube sharing interface remains the same.
Users who already own iMovie 10 can get the latest version for free in the Updates tab of the Mac App Store. Those who don’t yet own it can buy the app for $14.99.
It’s no secret that Apple’s launch plan for the Apple Watch hasn’t gone as well as the original iPhone and iPad launches.
Extremely limited supplies have led to long wait times for pre-orders. The lineup of choices is so complex that the company needed to give people weeks to try them on in stores before they were supposed to be available. And the confusing online-only purchase process advertised in Apple’s retail stores didn’t initially disclose that stores won’t have any units in stock on launch day. No part of the process has thrilled potential customers.
Yesterday, Apple’s SVP of Retail Angela Ahrendts sent an internal video memo to employees about the Apple Watch rollout in an attempt to help answer questions and assuage concerns about the many issues plaguing the launch, not the least of which is the lack of a “blockbuster launch” at retail outlets that customers and employees alike have come to expect from Apple. Some people took the video as an admission of guilt by Ahrendts. But although she may share responsibility for some of Apple’s missteps, she isn’t solely or even largely responsible for the issues.
Here’s where I believe things fell apart during this launch…
The video accompanying the memo Ahrendts sent to staff last week has been published by Mac4Ever. Apple retail boss Angela Ahrendts clarified some of the details of the Apple Watch and MacBook rollouts that are starting this week. The executive confirmed that for the time being, watch orders will only be available online due to extremely limited supply.
Image via <a href="https://twitter.com/Mbrawler/status/590579777188278272/photo/1" target="_blank">Karan Pandya</a>
Apple today released an update to its mobile presentation software that enables support for an Apple Watch-based remote application. The Keynote Remote app, which will allow users to control their slides from their wrists, was first mentioned during Apple’s October 2014 event.
The Cupertino company also pushed out updates to several of its other mobile apps, fixing bugs and improving stability. The updated apps include Pages, Numbers, Remote, and Beats Music. The Mac iWork apps were also updated with bug fixes.
A new set of photos sent to us by a tipster claim to show the packaging for the Sport model…
