New Angry Birds Space episode leads to Utopia
Those Angry Birds in space are still making me angry, only now they've added a new episode to thwart me even further.The latest update to Angry Birds Space for iOS launches a new episode into orbit, this one dubbed Utopia. Unfortunately, I haven't progressed past the initial Pig Pang, so Utopia and all the episodes leading up to it remain locked to me. (Anyone know a good unlock code?)Rovio describes Utopia as a delicious food planet with 10 new levels complete with popcorn, cookies, and candy apples to tempt the hungry pigs. Players can "bounce birds off jelly trampolines" and "pop corn to create delicious mayhem."The latest update is free to Angry Birds Space users. It's also available only for iOS devices -- the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. But Rovio promises that Utopia will lift off soon for Android and other platforms. A look at Angry Birds Space: Utopia
Monday, March 23, 2015
New Apple hardware possible at WWDC
New Apple hardware possible at WWDC
Apple's keynote speech at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set for 10 a.m. PT June 2 at San Francisco's Moscone Center -- and it could kick off with a big reveal. The generally reliable Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac reports that new hardware will be part of this year's WWDC. And the opening keynote would be a likely scenario for an unveiling. Cycling through recent rumors to make an educated guess, a smartwatch seems about right. Reports of Apple's sapphire glass efforts and the mounting market pressure to deliver a really cool wearable lead me to believe they've cracked the code on a stellar smartwatch -- or at least want to compete with Android Wear.Of course, it could also be the long-rumored Apple HDTV -- something that ties in to rumors of Beats headphones acquisition -- an early release for the iPhone 6, or maybe even just a Retina display for MacBook Air.I have contacted Apple for comment and will update this post when I hear back.
Apple's keynote speech at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set for 10 a.m. PT June 2 at San Francisco's Moscone Center -- and it could kick off with a big reveal. The generally reliable Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac reports that new hardware will be part of this year's WWDC. And the opening keynote would be a likely scenario for an unveiling. Cycling through recent rumors to make an educated guess, a smartwatch seems about right. Reports of Apple's sapphire glass efforts and the mounting market pressure to deliver a really cool wearable lead me to believe they've cracked the code on a stellar smartwatch -- or at least want to compete with Android Wear.Of course, it could also be the long-rumored Apple HDTV -- something that ties in to rumors of Beats headphones acquisition -- an early release for the iPhone 6, or maybe even just a Retina display for MacBook Air.I have contacted Apple for comment and will update this post when I hear back.
Nearly half of smartphones sold in Europe hail from Samsung
Nearly half of smartphones sold in Europe hail from Samsung
Android is flying high in Europe, due mainly to the "relentless" popularity of Samsung's smartphone line, according to a new report.>During a three-month period that ended in May, nearly half of all smartphones sold in Europe were produced by Samsung, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech reported Monday. The research firm found that Samsung helped lift Android to a 70.4 percent share of the key European markets, Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, and Spain. During the same period last year, its market share was at 61.3 percent.Trailing far behind Android, Apple's iOS platform owns only 17.8 percent of the European market, according to Kantar. Windows Phone holds 6.8 percent.Still, Kantar reports that Samsung may need to watch out. The company's loyalty rate in Britain stands at 59 percent, meaning that's the percentage of current Samsung device owners who will stick with another handset from the company. Apple's loyalty rate in the country stands at 79 percent, according to Kantar.
Android is flying high in Europe, due mainly to the "relentless" popularity of Samsung's smartphone line, according to a new report.>During a three-month period that ended in May, nearly half of all smartphones sold in Europe were produced by Samsung, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech reported Monday. The research firm found that Samsung helped lift Android to a 70.4 percent share of the key European markets, Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, and Spain. During the same period last year, its market share was at 61.3 percent.Trailing far behind Android, Apple's iOS platform owns only 17.8 percent of the European market, according to Kantar. Windows Phone holds 6.8 percent.Still, Kantar reports that Samsung may need to watch out. The company's loyalty rate in Britain stands at 59 percent, meaning that's the percentage of current Samsung device owners who will stick with another handset from the company. Apple's loyalty rate in the country stands at 79 percent, according to Kantar.
Netflix debuts on the iPhone
Netflix debuts on the iPhone
The popular video subscription service just updated its Apple app to support the iPhone and iPod Touch, which now join the iPad in offering streaming videos. Netflix members can download the free 1.1.0 version to watch their favorite TV shows and movies.The Netflix app lets you access your Instant Queue to view videos you've already saved. You can browse by genre or search for specific titles from the service's growing library of streaming content. You can also stop a video and then resume where you left off, whether you're watching on your iPhone, your computer, or your game console.To tap into this app, you must be a paying Netflix subscriber (plans start at $8.99 a month) or set up a free 30-day trial. On the mobile side, you need to be running iPhone OS 3.1.3 or later.The app's debut on the iPhone is not unexpected. After launching its mobile version for the iPad in April, Netflix confirmed that it was working on porting the app to the iPhone and iPod Touch.What's next for Netflix? The company may be prepping an Android version of its mobile app. Reports recently surfaced that Netflix is hiring an Android video playback expert to work on a new project.
The popular video subscription service just updated its Apple app to support the iPhone and iPod Touch, which now join the iPad in offering streaming videos. Netflix members can download the free 1.1.0 version to watch their favorite TV shows and movies.The Netflix app lets you access your Instant Queue to view videos you've already saved. You can browse by genre or search for specific titles from the service's growing library of streaming content. You can also stop a video and then resume where you left off, whether you're watching on your iPhone, your computer, or your game console.To tap into this app, you must be a paying Netflix subscriber (plans start at $8.99 a month) or set up a free 30-day trial. On the mobile side, you need to be running iPhone OS 3.1.3 or later.The app's debut on the iPhone is not unexpected. After launching its mobile version for the iPad in April, Netflix confirmed that it was working on porting the app to the iPhone and iPod Touch.What's next for Netflix? The company may be prepping an Android version of its mobile app. Reports recently surfaced that Netflix is hiring an Android video playback expert to work on a new project.
NBC won't let Apple TV 'devalue' its content
NBC won't let Apple TV 'devalue' its content
NBC Universal is afraid that the Apple TV service will "devalue" its content and has no plans to bring its shows to Apple's set-top box anytime soon, according to theReuters news agency."We do not think 99 cents is the right price point for our content," NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker said at the Goldman Sachs investor conference yesterday. "We thought it would devalue our content."ABC and Fox see it differently. Both of those networks will be offering their television programming to Apple TV customers for 99 cents per rental. But according to Reuters, News Corp. President Chase Carey, who also spoke at the Goldman Saches investor conference, said that the company's decision to offer Fox content is a "short-term test."Steve Jobs acknowledged that not all of the networks are too excited about offering 99-cent rentals for their programming at the September event announcing the new Apple TV box, which is scheduled to come out later this month. But he said that as time goes on, he believes that the "rest [of the networks] will see the light and get on board with us."It's certainly possible. But judging by NBC's tone, it doesn't seem all that likely anytime soon.
NBC Universal is afraid that the Apple TV service will "devalue" its content and has no plans to bring its shows to Apple's set-top box anytime soon, according to theReuters news agency."We do not think 99 cents is the right price point for our content," NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker said at the Goldman Sachs investor conference yesterday. "We thought it would devalue our content."ABC and Fox see it differently. Both of those networks will be offering their television programming to Apple TV customers for 99 cents per rental. But according to Reuters, News Corp. President Chase Carey, who also spoke at the Goldman Saches investor conference, said that the company's decision to offer Fox content is a "short-term test."Steve Jobs acknowledged that not all of the networks are too excited about offering 99-cent rentals for their programming at the September event announcing the new Apple TV box, which is scheduled to come out later this month. But he said that as time goes on, he believes that the "rest [of the networks] will see the light and get on board with us."It's certainly possible. But judging by NBC's tone, it doesn't seem all that likely anytime soon.
RouteNote- A cheap way to get your tunes on iTunes
RouteNote: A cheap way to get your tunes on iTunes
But Audiolife's download store is a little weak: instead of placing your songs in Apple's iTunes store--which accounts for more than 80 percent of online music sales--and other high-profile venues like Amazon's MP3 store, Audiolife creates a widget that you can place on your own Web page or social-networking site. That's fine if you've got a lot of fans already visiting your Web site. But what about more general music fans who often shop for music online, but wouldn't go out of their way to go to your Web site--think friends of friends, or music lovers who read about new bands online or in a paper. Do you really want them to come up blank when they run a search on iTunes?CD Baby and Tunecore already offer digital distribution through iTunes and other stores, but both of them charge you money whether you make a sale or not. In contrast, U.K.-based RouteNote charges you nothing until you make a sale, at which point they take a 10 percent cut of whatever the store pays out. Specifics: CDBaby charges you a one-time set-up fee of $35 (which covers setting up a store for physical CDs as well), then takes 9 percent of digital download revenues. TuneCore, which does digital distribution only (no CDs) charges you $20 a year for each album they stock, but takes no cut. So on a straight numbers basis, RouteNote's a better deal than CD Baby for digital-only distribution, and a better deal than TuneCore if you expect to sell low volumes of downloads. Of course, there are a lot of other factors to consider, like customer service and speed of submission to iTunes and the other stores, but RouteNote looks like it's worth checking out.
But Audiolife's download store is a little weak: instead of placing your songs in Apple's iTunes store--which accounts for more than 80 percent of online music sales--and other high-profile venues like Amazon's MP3 store, Audiolife creates a widget that you can place on your own Web page or social-networking site. That's fine if you've got a lot of fans already visiting your Web site. But what about more general music fans who often shop for music online, but wouldn't go out of their way to go to your Web site--think friends of friends, or music lovers who read about new bands online or in a paper. Do you really want them to come up blank when they run a search on iTunes?CD Baby and Tunecore already offer digital distribution through iTunes and other stores, but both of them charge you money whether you make a sale or not. In contrast, U.K.-based RouteNote charges you nothing until you make a sale, at which point they take a 10 percent cut of whatever the store pays out. Specifics: CDBaby charges you a one-time set-up fee of $35 (which covers setting up a store for physical CDs as well), then takes 9 percent of digital download revenues. TuneCore, which does digital distribution only (no CDs) charges you $20 a year for each album they stock, but takes no cut. So on a straight numbers basis, RouteNote's a better deal than CD Baby for digital-only distribution, and a better deal than TuneCore if you expect to sell low volumes of downloads. Of course, there are a lot of other factors to consider, like customer service and speed of submission to iTunes and the other stores, but RouteNote looks like it's worth checking out.
Patent bares rumor- Apple TV gearing up for games-
Patent bares rumor: Apple TV gearing up for games?
It seems the success Apple has achieved with gaming on the iPhone might spill over from pockets to living rooms. The makers of the iPhone have filed a set patents for a Wii-style wireless controller that looks to be made for the Apple TV and could be used for a number of applications.The patent filing, including the image above, clearly shows an icon for Safari, as well as images that appear to be an iPhoto-like app.The filing, which describes a "remote wand for controlling the operations of a media system," specifically uses the Apple TV as a reference. Could this mean games on the device?CNETThe Apple TV is a fairly powerful product for what little it currently does. Don't get me wrong, I love the device. I have one and use it almost every day. It's the easiest way to get my movie fix on in my living room, and the Flickr and YouTube functionality is amazing, as well as fun at parties.Right now, though, that's about all it's good for. Apple has put together a pretty good method for distributing games (and other apps) via the iTunes App Store. And because the basic operating system on the Apple TV is very similar to the iPhone's, it wouldn't be too big of a jump to develop for it.I'm excited about the prospect. Imagine playing a game like Light Bike on a 720p TV with surround sound. And if Apple TV app development is anything like the iPhone's, you could see an avalanche of good, inexpensive games.It wouldn't aim to compete with the Xbox 360 or the PS3, but the guys at Nintendo might want to keep an eye on what Apple ends up doing with this patent filing, if anything.(Via PC World)
It seems the success Apple has achieved with gaming on the iPhone might spill over from pockets to living rooms. The makers of the iPhone have filed a set patents for a Wii-style wireless controller that looks to be made for the Apple TV and could be used for a number of applications.The patent filing, including the image above, clearly shows an icon for Safari, as well as images that appear to be an iPhoto-like app.The filing, which describes a "remote wand for controlling the operations of a media system," specifically uses the Apple TV as a reference. Could this mean games on the device?CNETThe Apple TV is a fairly powerful product for what little it currently does. Don't get me wrong, I love the device. I have one and use it almost every day. It's the easiest way to get my movie fix on in my living room, and the Flickr and YouTube functionality is amazing, as well as fun at parties.Right now, though, that's about all it's good for. Apple has put together a pretty good method for distributing games (and other apps) via the iTunes App Store. And because the basic operating system on the Apple TV is very similar to the iPhone's, it wouldn't be too big of a jump to develop for it.I'm excited about the prospect. Imagine playing a game like Light Bike on a 720p TV with surround sound. And if Apple TV app development is anything like the iPhone's, you could see an avalanche of good, inexpensive games.It wouldn't aim to compete with the Xbox 360 or the PS3, but the guys at Nintendo might want to keep an eye on what Apple ends up doing with this patent filing, if anything.(Via PC World)
iTunes 9 Issue- Smart Playlists not syncing to iPhone, iPod
iTunes 9 Issue: Smart Playlists not syncing to iPhone, iPod
Sync your iPhone or iPod with iTunes and check the playlist on the device.If the issue is that your Smart Playlist does not contain the same content that it does in iTunes, follow these steps to resolve the issue:Right-click (Control + Click) the Smart Playlist with the issue and select Edit Smart Playlist from the contextual menu.Click the (+) button to create a new rule for your playlist.Choose "Media Kind", "is", "Music" (or the type of media that the list contains--podcast, music video, etc.)Screenshot by Joe AimonettiClick OK and sync your iPhone or iPod with iTunes.If the previous set of steps fail to resolve your issue, follow these steps:Right-click (Control + Click) the Smart Playlist with the issue and select Edit Smart Playlist from the contextual menu.Deselect the option for "Live Updating", click OK, and sync your iPhone or iPod with iTunes.If the issue persists, follow these workaround steps:Click the Smart Playlist that has the issue and from the iTunes menu bar select Edit > Select All. From the iTunes menu bar select File > New Playlist from Selection. Enter a name for your playlist.Sync the new playlist with your iPhone or iPod.Experiencing issues, have questions, want to let us know about an issue we should report on? Email Us!
Sync your iPhone or iPod with iTunes and check the playlist on the device.If the issue is that your Smart Playlist does not contain the same content that it does in iTunes, follow these steps to resolve the issue:Right-click (Control + Click) the Smart Playlist with the issue and select Edit Smart Playlist from the contextual menu.Click the (+) button to create a new rule for your playlist.Choose "Media Kind", "is", "Music" (or the type of media that the list contains--podcast, music video, etc.)Screenshot by Joe AimonettiClick OK and sync your iPhone or iPod with iTunes.If the previous set of steps fail to resolve your issue, follow these steps:Right-click (Control + Click) the Smart Playlist with the issue and select Edit Smart Playlist from the contextual menu.Deselect the option for "Live Updating", click OK, and sync your iPhone or iPod with iTunes.If the issue persists, follow these workaround steps:Click the Smart Playlist that has the issue and from the iTunes menu bar select Edit > Select All. From the iTunes menu bar select File > New Playlist from Selection. Enter a name for your playlist.Sync the new playlist with your iPhone or iPod.Experiencing issues, have questions, want to let us know about an issue we should report on? Email Us!
iBooks, iTunes U updated for new iPad's Retina Display
iBooks, iTunes U updated for new iPad's Retina Display
iBooks and iTunes U both received a refresh yesterday aimed mostly at those opting for a new iPad.iBooks version 2.1 will now display sharper, crisper text when viewed on the third-generation iPad's Retina Display. We'll have to wait and see just how sharp when the new iPad hits the stores next week. But Apple Senior Vice President Philip Schiller showed off the improvement in text quality at yesterday's iPad event.The new iBooks throws in a few tweaks for people sticking with their current iPads. You can now use your finger as a highlighter when you swipe over text. Selecting text displays a Highlight option in addition to the usual Copy, Define, Note, and Search commands. Tapping on Highlight then lets you choose from a variety of colors to emphasize the text.You can jump to a specific page number by entering that number in the search field. And certain titles will show the same page numbers that appear in the printed editions in case you want to compare the two.iTunes U 1.1 will also now display content at the higher resolution on the new iPad. But aside from some unspecified performance improvements, that's the only change you'll find in the latest version.The new iPad is currently available for preorder and will start selling on March 16.
iBooks and iTunes U both received a refresh yesterday aimed mostly at those opting for a new iPad.iBooks version 2.1 will now display sharper, crisper text when viewed on the third-generation iPad's Retina Display. We'll have to wait and see just how sharp when the new iPad hits the stores next week. But Apple Senior Vice President Philip Schiller showed off the improvement in text quality at yesterday's iPad event.The new iBooks throws in a few tweaks for people sticking with their current iPads. You can now use your finger as a highlighter when you swipe over text. Selecting text displays a Highlight option in addition to the usual Copy, Define, Note, and Search commands. Tapping on Highlight then lets you choose from a variety of colors to emphasize the text.You can jump to a specific page number by entering that number in the search field. And certain titles will show the same page numbers that appear in the printed editions in case you want to compare the two.iTunes U 1.1 will also now display content at the higher resolution on the new iPad. But aside from some unspecified performance improvements, that's the only change you'll find in the latest version.The new iPad is currently available for preorder and will start selling on March 16.
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