Before Amazon's acquisition of Goodreads earlier this year, Apple had been talking to the company about a partnership between Goodreads and Apple's iBookstore. However, once Amazon got into acquisition talks with Goodreads, those talks with Apple broke off, The Wall Street Journal is reporting. Over the past year, Apple and Goodreads had begun discussing integrating Goodreads’ service, which allows users to share and rate what they are reading, into Apple’s iBookstore, which sells digital books, according to people familiar with the matter. Goodreads had proposed its reviews and ratings appear within iTunes when users searched for a title, one of the people said. iTunes has already integrated Rotten Tomatoes movie ratings in such a way. Apple was entertaining the idea, but talks didn’t progress much, two of the people said.Goodreads is a popular book-recommendation site that would seem to fit well into Amazon's sales recommendation system. Amazon has indicated that it will keep the company as a separate entity, but will integrate its recommendations into its system going forward. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Halfbrick's Newest Title 'Fish Out Of Water' Hits the App Store • LinkedIn Overhauls iOS App with Simple Design and Enhanced News Stream • Skitch for Mac and iOS Updated with PDF Annotations and Stamps • ZeptoLab Releases 'Cut The Rope: Time Travel' • Apple Revises One to One Policy, Limits Data Migration to First 60 Days • Yahoo Launches Standalone iPhone Weather App, Brings Dedicated Mail App to iPad • iPhone Activations Rise 25% at Verizon, Account for 55% of New Smartphones • Apple Shuts Down Push Notifications From AppGratis    
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The Verge reports on a new jailbreak hack for the iPhone that puts Facebook's new 'Chat Heads' feature above all other content on the device, similar to how Facebook Home works on Android. On Android, Facebook's Chat Heads float above all other content so users can quickly jump in and out of conversations while they continue to use their phone for other tasks. On the iPhone, Chat Heads are normally only active when users are actually using the Facebook app. The trick, according to [developer Adam Bell], was isolating the Facebook app from the Chat Heads living inside it. Chat Heads inhabit a separate layer inside the Facebook app, so it was just a matter of finding that layer and making the rest of the app transparent. "The hardest part was getting this all to render on top of everything else," Bell says, which means Facebook is always running on your phone. Apparently, Bell's tweak doesn't take much of a toll on battery life. "It doesn't seem very resource intensive," he says. "Only when you move the Chat Head is it actually doing anything." The hack will be released on jailbreak app store Cydia and Github in the next few days. Facebook executives were asked at a recent conference if they had spoken with Apple about bringing the full Chat Heads experience to the iPhone, but they demurred. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • LinkedIn Overhauls iOS App with Simple Design and Enhanced News Stream • Skitch for Mac and iOS Updated with PDF Annotations and Stamps • ZeptoLab Releases 'Cut The Rope: Time Travel' • Apple Revises One to One Policy, Limits Data Migration to First 60 Days • Yahoo Launches Standalone iPhone Weather App, Brings Dedicated Mail App to iPad • iPhone Activations Rise 25% at Verizon, Account for 55% of New Smartphones • Apple Shuts Down Push Notifications From AppGratis • Apple Predicted to Tap Taiwanese Supply Chain for iPhone 5S Fingerprint Sensor    
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TIME magazine today released its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and two of the selections have ties to Apple: longtime design head Jonathan Ive and hedge funder David Einhorn who has pressed Apple to return more of its cash to shareholders. Each selection is accompanied by an essay by another prominent personality or close associate outlining why the person qualifies for inclusion in the list. The essay on Ive is written by U2 frontman Bono, who has long had ties to Apple. Jony Ive is himself classic Apple. Brushed steel, polished glass hardware, complicated software honed to simplicity. His genius is not just his ability to see what others cannot but also how he applies it. To watch him with his workmates in the holy of holies, Apple’s design lab, or on a night out is to observe a very rare esprit de corps. They love their boss, and he loves them. What the competitors don’t seem to understand is you cannot get people this smart to work this hard just for money. Jony is Obi-Wan.Samsung CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon is also featured, with his essay written by one-time Apple CEO John Sculley. A number of other tech luminaries are listed, including Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. TIME's 2013 list of the world's most influential people is the magazine's cover story for next week's issue and highlights representatives in five different categories: Titans, Leaders, Artists, Pioneers and Icons. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Yahoo Launches Standalone iPhone Weather App, Brings Dedicated Mail App to iPad • iPhone Activations Rise 25% at Verizon, Account for 55% of New Smartphones • Apple Shuts Down Push Notifications From AppGratis • Apple Predicted to Tap Taiwanese Supply Chain for iPhone 5S Fingerprint Sensor • Apple Promotes Mother's Day on Online Store and 'Cards' App • Apple Extends Repair Program for MacBook Bottom Case Defects • Pocket Updated with New Send to Friend Functionality • Apple Seeds Build 12E33a of OS X Beta 10.8.4 to Developers    
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Following rumors of a new music app for iOS from Twitter last month, the company today announced the public release of the new service. The app, which is available as a free App Store download and rolling out on the web, integrates a number of existing services to give users each access to their Rdio and Spotify subscriptions, as well as previews of iTunes Store content.The songs on Twitter #music currently come from three sources: iTunes, Spotify or Rdio. By default, you will hear previews from iTunes when exploring music in the app. Subscribers to Rdio and Spotify can log in to their accounts to enjoy full tracks that are available in those respective catalogs. We will continue to explore and add other music service providers. Twitter #music is unsurprisingly based around existing Twitter services, taking advantage of Twitter trends to detect popular and emerging artists and songs and leveraging users' own follow lists and those of artists to recommend new music. ABC News has more on how the app works:The Popular page shows you new music that's trending across Twitter while the Emerging tab shows "hidden talent found in tweets." While those two parts feed you information about what the collective Twitterverse is jamming to, the last two focus on who you follow and your personal music taste. The Suggested tab shows artists you might like based on the artists you follow on the service and who they follow. And finally the #NowPlaying tab shows songs your friends are listening to or tweeting about. For instance, if your friend tweets that they are listening to a song by Justin Bieber, that song will show up on that page.Twitter #music is available now in the App Store with support for users in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. [Direct Link] Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Apple Predicted to Tap Taiwanese Supply Chain for iPhone 5S Fingerprint Sensor • Apple Promotes Mother's Day on Online Store and 'Cards' App • Apple Extends Repair Program for MacBook Bottom Case Defects • Pocket Updated with New Send to Friend Functionality • Apple Seeds Build 12E33a of OS X Beta 10.8.4 to Developers • Name Your Own Price Mac Bundle Offers 10 Apps With 10% Going to Charity • New MacHeist nanoBundle Features 8 Mac Apps for $9.99 • Rolomotion Aims to Bring Wii-Style Gaming to Apple TV and iPhone    
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Earlier this week, case manufacturer Tactus was one of several sources to share photos of cases reportedly designed for the fifth-generation iPad, once again showing that the device is expected to be smaller than the existing iPad and take design cues from the iPad mini. Today, the company shares a photo of what is said to be the rear shell of Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone. In line with previous rumors, the part appears to be manufactured from plastic. The part is also consistent with iLounge's January description of the device, carrying a design somewhat similar to the iPod classic with a flat back and curved edges, as well as a shift to elongated volume buttons along the left side. The report also shares a number of other claimed details about the device, including word of an A5 chip, a 5-megapixel rear camera, and five color options of black, white, blue, red, and yellow. The device is also claimed to carry a 3.5-inch Retina display rather than the 4-inch display seen in the iPhone 5, although that detail conflicts with reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's claims of a 4-inch display for the lower-cost iPhone. Finally, Tactus claims that the lower-cost iPhone will launch on October 15 and be priced at $300, although we place little faith in those details given that any source for part leaks likely coming through Apple's supply chain or accessory manufacturers would not be aware of Apple's specific launch plans. The report also claims that the rear shell is 0.4-0.6 mm thick, which is obviously not an accurate measurement and is likely a misreporting of previous claims that it would be 0.4-0.6 mm thicker than the iPhone 5. We also can not verify whether this is indeed a legitimate rear shell for Apple's lower-cost iPhone. It could simply be manufactured based on circulating rumors, but even if fake it could be an accurate representation if it is based on design specs leaking through case makers. Case makers have a number of times created accurate physical mockups of Apple's upcoming devices, although they have on occasion been incorrect. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Apple Predicted to Tap Taiwanese Supply Chain for iPhone 5S Fingerprint Sensor • Apple Promotes Mother's Day on Online Store and 'Cards' App • Apple Extends Repair Program for MacBook Bottom Case Defects • Pocket Updated with New Send to Friend Functionality • Apple Seeds Build 12E33a of OS X Beta 10.8.4 to Developers • Name Your Own Price Mac Bundle Offers 10 Apps With 10% Going to Charity • New MacHeist nanoBundle Features 8 Mac Apps for $9.99 • Rolomotion Aims to Bring Wii-Style Gaming to Apple TV and iPhone    
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Digitimes reports that Apple has essentially halted all component orders for its Mac product lines, apparently working through significant inventories of components delivered during an aggressive ramp-up late last year that may have proven overly aggressive.The suppliers originally expected to finish digesting their Mac inventories in April, but are now stranded waiting for further instructions from Apple. The sources revealed that Apple's Mac orders to the supply chain dropped to almost nothing after the Lunar New Year holidays. Apple had high hopes for its Mac product lines and placed aggressive orders at the end of 2012; however, the company is now badly affected by the decision.The report claims that Apple generally provides shipment forecasts to its supply chain partners at the beginning of each quarter, but the company has not done so for the second quarter. The lack of information has reportedly left suppliers wondering when they will be able to resume production. Just last week, Digitimes claimed that Apple is likely to refresh its notebook lineup at the end of the second quarter, so it seems that suppliers may need to start ramping up production for new models in the relatively near future. Apple frequently has to juggle its supply chain as it approaches product updates, seeking to accurately estimate consumer demand in order to deplete its existing inventories just as the new models are released. But if today's report is true, it seems that Apple may have overestimated customer demand for the early part of 2013 and is now finding itself with substantial inventories heading into its next round of product updates. Apple CEO Tim Cook has also warned about reading too much into rumors from Apple's supply chain, noting that its "very complex" nature makes it difficult to accurately interpret what is actually going on from limited data points, even if that data is accurate. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Apple Predicted to Tap Taiwanese Supply Chain for iPhone 5S Fingerprint Sensor • Apple Promotes Mother's Day on Online Store and 'Cards' App • Apple Extends Repair Program for MacBook Bottom Case Defects • Pocket Updated with New Send to Friend Functionality • Apple Seeds Build 12E33a of OS X Beta 10.8.4 to Developers • Name Your Own Price Mac Bundle Offers 10 Apps With 10% Going to Charity • New MacHeist nanoBundle Features 8 Mac Apps for $9.99 • Rolomotion Aims to Bring Wii-Style Gaming to Apple TV and iPhone    
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KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has on a number of occasions offered accurate information on Apple's product plans, recently published a new research note outlining his expectations for Apple's fifth-generation iPad. Kuo expects mass production and shipments of the new iPad to ramp up in the August-September timeframe, with the device registering roughly 15% thinner and 25% lighter than the current full-size iPad.We think the tablet will, at 7.5-8.0mm, be 15% thinner than iPad 4. The new device will likely be about 500 grams, or some 25% lighter than iPad 4, run on an A7X processor, and sport cameras with similar specs to the iPad 4’s (front HD, rear 5MP). The casing shape and color (silver and black) and narrow bezel design will be similar to the iPad mini’s.The prediction of a 7.5-8.0 mm thickness is in line with previous claims that the next iPad will see a roughly 2 mm reduction from the current 9.5 mm thickness. Mockup of current iPad, iPad 5, and iPad mini Kuo predicts that Apple will adopt the same GF2 touch technology used in the iPad mini, enabling Apple to design a thinner display for the new full-size iPad. In addition, more efficient display and chip technologies are expected to bring down the device's overall power consumption, allowing for a smaller and thinner battery.We therefore think that iPad 5’s battery capacity will be 25-30% smaller, at 8,500-9,000mAh, than iPad 4’s, and the battery’s thickness will be 15-20% smaller, at 7.5-8.0mm, and the number of cells will be reduced to two from three.As for the chip powering the iPad 5, Kuo believes that Apple will be sticking with Samsung for a new A7X chip that will take advantage of Samsung's 28-nanometer process node. There have been reports that Apple will be shifting its A-series chip production to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), but it appears that Kuo believes that transition has a bit further time horizon, in line with rumors that a partnership between Apple and TSMC for 20-nanometer A7 chips will not begin production until early 2014. Just last week, Kuo issued a report claiming that Apple's iPhone 5S, lower-cost iPhone, and second-generation iPad mini will launch later than currently expected by market watchers, with a variety of technological challenges still needing to be addressed by Apple. While Kuo did not offer specific predictions of when Apple will launch those devices, he did lay out a series of three scenarios addressing the possibility of August/September, September/October, and October/November timeframes. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Apple Promotes Mother's Day on Online Store and 'Cards' App • Apple Extends Repair Program for MacBook Bottom Case Defects • Pocket Updated with New Send to Friend Functionality • Apple Seeds Build 12E33a of OS X Beta 10.8.4 to Developers • Name Your Own Price Mac Bundle Offers 10 Apps With 10% Going to Charity • New MacHeist nanoBundle Features 8 Mac Apps for $9.99 • Rolomotion Aims to Bring Wii-Style Gaming to Apple TV and iPhone • Apple Retail Roundup: New Stores Coming in Germany, Netherlands, UK    
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TechCrunch is reporting that Amazon has acquired Evi, a natural language search platform that is similar to Apple's Siri, for $26 million. The Evi app was originally posted on the App Store but Apple had threatened to remove because of similarities to Siri, but later said it would "work with" the company to reduce similarities. Evi remains available on the App Store. TechCrunch understands from sources that the company has been sold to Amazon for $26 million. However, calls to Amazon PR, backers Octopus Ventures and the founders of Evi have ben met with a stoney silence. A spokesperson for Octopus told us: “On this occasion Octopus will decline to comment on this specific portfolio company”. True Knowledge, the company behind Evi, licensed the same Nuance voice recognition technology that Apple uses in Siri and offers an array of information that seems to compare favorably to Siri's abilities. Evi first launched in early 2012. Amazon has a number of possible uses for Evi, including building the service into its Kindle Fire tablet, or a possible Amazon phone. Evi is a free download for the iPhone. [Direct Link] Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • New MacHeist nanoBundle Features 8 Mac Apps for $9.99 • Rolomotion Aims to Bring Wii-Style Gaming to Apple TV and iPhone • Apple Retail Roundup: New Stores Coming in Germany, Netherlands, UK • Facebook Hires Former Apple Maps Manager Richard Williamson • Aperture and iPhoto Updated with Performance Enhancements and Bug Fixes • La Playa Hotel Lifts 30-Year Ban on Apple Corporate Retreats • Time Warner Cable Brings Live TV Streaming On the Go to iOS • Mailbox Removes Reservation System After Server Boost    
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Apple's stock price hit new lows today, setting 52-week records and hitting the lowest points seen since late 2011. The price has traded beneath the $400 level several times this afternoon, with AAPL having not traded that low since December 23, 2011. Today's slide follows a lower-than-expected revenue forecast for Cirrus Logic, a major supplier for chips used in the iPhone and iPad. Traders believe the lower forecast indicates weak Apple sales over the next several quarters. Apple's stock price traded over the $400 mark for the first time in July 2011. Apple will announce its second quarter earnings on April 23rd. The earnings release typically occurs just after 4:30 PM Eastern Time following the close of regular stock trading, and the conference call is scheduled to follow at 5:00 PM Eastern / 2:00 PM Pacific. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Apple Retail Roundup: New Stores Coming in Germany, Netherlands, UK • Facebook Hires Former Apple Maps Manager Richard Williamson • Aperture and iPhoto Updated with Performance Enhancements and Bug Fixes • La Playa Hotel Lifts 30-Year Ban on Apple Corporate Retreats • Time Warner Cable Brings Live TV Streaming On the Go to iOS • Mailbox Removes Reservation System After Server Boost • Funny or Die's Steve Jobs Movie 'iSteve' Delayed Until April 17 • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping    
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App Annie today released its latest data on mobile app downloads, finding that continued momentum for Android has allowed the Google Play marketplace to nearly match Apple's App Store in download volume. But while Google Play is making great strides in generating revenue for developers from these downloads, the App Store remains far out in front, indicating that iOS device users in general remain much more willing to pay for content than Android users.While the iOS App Store and Google Play both had solid gains in app downloads last quarter, Google Play had a higher percentage growth rate as well as a greater gain in absolute downloads. As of Q1 2013, Google Play’s app downloads were close to 90% of iOS App Store downloads. From Q4 2012 to Q1 2013, iOS App Store quarterly revenue grew by roughly one-quarter. Meanwhile, Google Play app revenue grew by roughly 90%. While Google Play had the higher growth rate, the iOS App Store gained more in absolute revenue and earned about 2.6x that of Google Play in Q1. The stark revenue split between Apple and Android was also highlighted in an AllThingsD's interview with MLB.com boss Bob Bowman at the Dive Into Mobile conference yesterday. Bowman noted that while Android is starting to gain some momentum, Apple users continue to represent an outsized share of revenue for Major League Baseball's subscription services.- His user base, which used to split 80/20 in favor of iOS over Android, has now moved to 70/30. “The Samsung phone is quite a good Android phone,” Bowman said. - But the uptick in Android users, he said, doesn’t track with revenue. That still splits 80/20 in favor of iOS users. “Maybe even 85/15.”MLB.com had a significant head start on iOS compared to Android, and Bowman also notes that the lack of low-end iOS devices creates a self-selecting group of users more willing to pay for content. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Facebook Hires Former Apple Maps Manager Richard Williamson • Aperture and iPhoto Updated with Performance Enhancements and Bug Fixes • La Playa Hotel Lifts 30-Year Ban on Apple Corporate Retreats • Time Warner Cable Brings Live TV Streaming On the Go to iOS • Mailbox Removes Reservation System After Server Boost • Funny or Die's Steve Jobs Movie 'iSteve' Delayed Until April 17 • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More    
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After being delayed yesterday, Funny Or Die's Steve Jobs movie "iSteve" has now been released online. The movie stars Justin Long as Steve Jobs and Lost's Jorge Garcia as Steve Wozniak. The film is the longest video produced by the humor site and runs nearly 80 minutes long. The script for the film was written in three days and filmed in five. The filmmakers have joked that the film may not be the best Steve Jobs movie, but that it would be the first. A Jobs film called "Jobs", starring Ashton Kutcher, is set to debut this year while Sony Pictures is making an Aaron Sorkin-written film based on the biography by Walter Isaacson. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Facebook Hires Former Apple Maps Manager Richard Williamson • Aperture and iPhoto Updated with Performance Enhancements and Bug Fixes • La Playa Hotel Lifts 30-Year Ban on Apple Corporate Retreats • Time Warner Cable Brings Live TV Streaming On the Go to iOS • Mailbox Removes Reservation System After Server Boost • Funny or Die's Steve Jobs Movie 'iSteve' Delayed Until April 17 • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More    
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At AllThingsD's mobile conference today, executives from both Google and Facebook said they would like to have deeper and more extensive integration with Apple's iOS -- and both would like to be featured more prominently in the operating system, though neither company seemed to think such a development was very likely. Google chairman Eric Schmidt, according to CNET, spoke today about Google and Apple's interactions related to apps: Schmidt … declined to say why Apple decided to go with its own mapping system rather than working with Google as it had in the past. But he said his company is still pushing Apple to use Google Maps as the primary navigation tool on iOS. "We would still really like them to use our maps," Schmidt said. "It would be easy for them to take the app in the store and put it as their basic one."While of course Google wants to be featured more on iOS, it seems the company has accepted Apple's decision to develop its own mapping app. Talking about Facebook's rollout of Chat Heads and other features in its iOS app today, Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer and mobile head Cory Ondrejka were repeatedly asked by Kara Swisher if Facebook had ever actually asked Apple if it could have Chat Heads appear universally throughout iOS, like it does on Facebook Home. Kara Swisher: But did you even ask them? Did you even ask Apple if you could put the … Chat Heads on the screen persistently? Or did you not even go there with them? Cory Ondrejka: I think it's more a discussion about how to make a great product experience. Kara: Did you ask them to do that? Do you imagine the possibility? Cory: We know what their lead times are. So, we only ask for things that have some possibility-- Kara: Do you imagine the possibility that they'll have those heads wandering over their screen? Cory: I think that's a great question for them. Kara: I'm asking you. Are you even going to hope for that? Cory: Am I going to hope for that? Mike Schroepfer: Apple is a great partner, we both have a lot of products hilt together. We can't talk about what we've talked about. Apple does have deeper ties with Facebook than most companies, offering significant integration of the service into iOS, but building Chat Heads into the iPhone would be an unprecedented expansion of that relationship. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Aperture and iPhoto Updated with Performance Enhancements and Bug Fixes • La Playa Hotel Lifts 30-Year Ban on Apple Corporate Retreats • Time Warner Cable Brings Live TV Streaming On the Go to iOS • Mailbox Removes Reservation System After Server Boost • Funny or Die's Steve Jobs Movie 'iSteve' Delayed Until April 17 • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support    
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Apple today released a series of updates for both Safari and Java, addressing continued issues with Java security. The Safari updates arrive as version 6.0.4 for OS X Mountain Lion and Lion and version 5.1.9 for OS X Snow Leopard. The updates, which can be obtained through the Software Update mechanism in OS X, add new site-specific options for enabling the Java plug-in.Safari 6.0.4 and 5.1.9 allow you to enable the Java web plug-in on a website-by-website basis, with four settings to choose from.Full details on how to use the site-specific options are available in an associated support document. Alongside today's Safari update, Apple has also released updated versions of Java 6. They arrive as Java for OS X 2013-003 for OS X Mountain Lion and Lion users and Java for Mac OS X 10.6 Update 15 for OS X Snow Leopard users. The updates bring the Apple-provided Java 6 up to the latest Update 45 version of the software from Oracle, which released the update for other platforms earlier today. Java 7 updates are now handled by Oracle directly, and users should update through Oracle's site. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • La Playa Hotel Lifts 30-Year Ban on Apple Corporate Retreats • Time Warner Cable Brings Live TV Streaming On the Go to iOS • Mailbox Removes Reservation System After Server Boost • Funny or Die's Steve Jobs Movie 'iSteve' Delayed Until April 17 • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks    
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NPD has released its most recent report examining digital music downloads in the United States. The research firm reports that Apple continues to hold a 63% share of the market down from 66% in 2010, with Amazon at 22%, up from 13% 3 years ago. Some 44 million Americans bought at least one song last year, with NPD saying that number has remained stable over the past three years. “Since the launch of Apple’s iTunes store, digital music downloads have become the dominant revenue source for the recorded music industry and iTunes continues to be the dominant retailer,” said Russ Crupnick, senior vice president of industry analysis at NPD. “There’s a belief that consumers don’t need to buy music because of streaming options, when in fact streamers are much more likely than the average consumer to buy music downloads.”However, only 38 percent of consumers said it was important to own music, while 41 percent of users of streaming music services like Pandora or Spotify said they had purchased music they discovered on such a service. The relatively low number of consumers who find it important to own music may be part of the impetus to Apple's development of an 'iRadio' streaming music service. Apple is rumored to be pushing hard for a Summer 2013 launch. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Time Warner Cable Brings Live TV Streaming On the Go to iOS • Mailbox Removes Reservation System After Server Boost • Funny or Die's Steve Jobs Movie 'iSteve' Delayed Until April 17 • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts    
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Facebook is bringing the new Chat Heads feature from Facebook Home to its iOS app, reports All Things D. The update to the iOS Facebook app should go live later today. It was previously reported that Facebook was in negotiations with Apple to bring 'Home' to iOS, but Facebook can bring some of the new features straight to its app, without extensive support from Apple. The Verge got a hands-on preview of the new app: Within the Facebook app, you can pop-out Chat Heads for your conversations, but they won't work anywhere else because of the way that iOS keeps apps sandboxed. Just as with Android, Chat Heads pop out on incoming Facebook Messages (but not for SMS), or you can open a new one directly yourself. You can drag them around to reposition them, and when they're open you have immediate access to your conversation on top of whatever you're doing on Facebook. On the iPad's larger screen, Facebook has decided to array them vertically on the left instead of horizontally across the top. Facebook has implemented 'Stickers', which are large emoji-like images that can be sent to friends. There is also a new 'store' where users can download packs of stickers. The company has also redesigned its iPad app, streamlining and optimizing it for the iPad's larger screen size. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Funny or Die's Steve Jobs Movie 'iSteve' Delayed Until April 17 • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts • Apple Asking Developers to Localize Apps, Opens Chinese Support Forum • iMessage Again Down for Some Users [Updated]    
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Over the past two years, a number of app developers have been contacted by patent holding firm Lodsys, demanding licenses for and in some cases filing suit over patents related to in-app purchasing and other functionalities. Earlier this month, Lodsys gained renewed attention when it began a new round of lawsuits targeting a number of developers large and small, including Disney and Gameloft. At the time of Lodsys' initial effort to extract licenses from App Store developers, Apple's General Counsel Bruce Sewell sent a letter to Lodsys backing App Store developers and claiming that Apple was "undisputedly licensed" to Lodsys' patents through an arrangement that also protected app developers. Apple later requested and was given limited permission to intervene in at least some legal proceedings on behalf of targeted developers. Lodsys had responded to Apple's claims of protection for developers with both public blog posts and a private legal response to Apple in May 2011, and Lodsys had encouraged Apple to publish that legal response, but Apple apparently declined to do so. In response to requests from developers seeking more information from Lodsys on the basis for its claims, Lodsys today released a redacted version of its initial legal response to Apple, dated May 31, 2011. Redactions include the removal of specific discussion of Apple's license terms with Lodsys. The letter outlines a number of arguments as to why developers are not covered by Apple's license with Lodsys, pointing to Apple's own developer program agreements that strictly limit its relationships with developers to agency appointments rather than any broader business agreements. First, you assert that, "[u]nder its license, Apple is entitled to offer these licensed products and services to its customers and business partners, who, in turn, have the right to use them." May 23 Letter at 1 (emphasis added). But, based on our review of [sic] publically available information, we understand that Apple expressly disclaims that App Makers are "business partners."The response from Lodsys then proceeds to walk through six other arguments against Apple's claim that app developers are protected through Apple's license, including discussions of sublicensing, Apple's express disclaimer of any ownership interest in third-party apps, Apple's insistence that developers are solely responsible for liabilities related to their apps, and pass-through licensing issues. Nearly two years later, the initial dispute remains unresolved, and Lodsys continues to contact developers in order to obtain licenses to its technologies with over 200 entities large and small now licensed for Lodsys' patents. Many smaller developers have found it simpler to agree to licenses representing small percentages of their revenue rather than face the prospect of lawsuits from Lodsys, but others remain in the crosshairs as Lodsys continues to stake its claims. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Funny or Die's Steve Jobs Movie 'iSteve' Delayed Until April 17 • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts • Apple Asking Developers to Localize Apps, Opens Chinese Support Forum • iMessage Again Down for Some Users [Updated]    
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With both front and rear casing parts and several case designs for the fifth-generation iPad having surfaced over the past several months, we are starting to get a very good idea of how Apple is drawing on design cues from the iPad mini to design a thinner and narrower full-size iPad. Building on this concept of an iPad mini-inspired design, several more cases have appeared today offering a additional glimpses at what we might be able to expect from the next iPad. iPad 5 case (left) and iPad 4 case (right) The first set of images comes from case maker Tactus, which shows cases for both the current iPad and the fifth-generation model, with a clear plastic mockup of the fifth-generation model showing how its features would mimic those of the iPad mini. Meanwhile, Engadget shares photos of another iPad 5 case leaking out of Hong Kong, with a number of comparison shots showing how the device size and various physical features line up between the fourth-generation and fifth-generation cases. iPad 5 case (blue) and iPad 4 case (gray) With parts and cases already circulating, it can be difficult to tell whether new case leaks such as these are based on genuinely leaked specs or merely on previous information, but the case designs remain consistent with previous leaks and rumors and may offer a decent picture of Apple's plans. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Funny or Die's Steve Jobs Movie 'iSteve' Delayed Until April 17 • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts • Apple Asking Developers to Localize Apps, Opens Chinese Support Forum • iMessage Again Down for Some Users [Updated]    
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As noted by AppleInsider, over the past month Apple has posted listings for eight jobs related primarily to hardware engineering in Orlando, Florida. The listings come as Apple is also hiring at its "Melbourne Design Center" that is apparently part of its acquisition of fingerprint sensor firm AuthenTec, but these new positions located roughly an hour away from Melbourne appear to be part of a separate initiative. A number of the advertised positions relate to graphics chips and drivers, and it is possible that Apple may be working with AMD, which has an R&D and design facility in Orlando, in some capacity. In one job listing for a summer internship, Apple refers to the location as its "Orlando Design Center". It appears that Apple has had at least a minor presence in Orlando for some time, but the recent job listings suggest that the company is undertaking a significant expansion of its team there. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Funny or Die's Steve Jobs Movie 'iSteve' Delayed Until April 17 • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts • Apple Asking Developers to Localize Apps, Opens Chinese Support Forum • iMessage Again Down for Some Users [Updated]    
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On Monday, Waze CEO Noam Bardin took the stage at AllThingsD's Dive Into Mobile conference and talked (via Mashable) about how his company didn't think Apple Maps would be "that good" but that it underestimated consumer reaction to Apple's service. The social turn-by-turn navigation company had assumed that Apple Maps would be good enough for consumers, Bardin said, but this assumption led to the company being surprised by the negative reaction many users had to Apple Maps when they rolled out as part of iOS 6. That reaction led to an open letter from Apple CEO Tim Cook in which he acknowledged the issues with Apple's Maps app and promised to improve the product while also recommending a number of alternatives, including Waze, while Apple worked to bring its maps to an acceptable standard. According to Engadget, Bardin said that consumers are rapidly acquiring certain expectations when it comes to services such as maps, expectations that are not necessarily easily met.Consumers now have a quality bar, and that bar is going up rapidly. Two years ago, Apple's Maps app on iOS 6 would've been a fine product.Bardin went on to say (via VentureBeat) that with the quality bar continually being raised, companies will have to pour more and more money into mapping to match the quality consumers desire. Unsurprisingly, Bardin notes that Google is the one setting that standard.“Google is out there creating a standard of quality,” Bardin said. “We feel like we’re the only real competition. Rumors say it is $1 billion to $2 billion spent by Google a year.”Waze CEO Noam Bardin at Dive Into Mobile (Source: Engadget) Bardin does feel that Apple Maps is getting better with time, but that Apple is being handicapped by its vendors. TomTom provides much of the data for Apple Maps, and Bardin noted that TomTom cannot put as many resources into its mapping service as Google can. In early January, it was rumored that Apple was in talks to acquire Waze, but it was later reported that there was no deal in sight. Engadget notes that the CEO dodged questions of potential acquisitions while VentureBeat says that Bardin wouldn't confirm whether Waze supplies Apple with data on improving Apple Maps. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Funny or Die's Steve Jobs Movie 'iSteve' Delayed Until April 17 • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts • Apple Asking Developers to Localize Apps, Opens Chinese Support Forum • iMessage Again Down for Some Users [Updated]    
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Facebook is in talks with Apple about creating a version of its "Home" software for the iPhone, reports Bloomberg. Originally released for Android devices earlier this month, Facebook Home puts Facebook at the front and center of the phone, displaying photos on the lock screen and transforming the chat experience with overlays called Chat Heads. According to Adam Mosseri, the director of product at Menlo Park, talks are ongoing and no plans have been finalized. "We've shown them what we've built and we're just in an ongoing conversation," he said. At a question and answer session after the unveiling of the new software Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed interest in bringing Home to iOS, but mentioned that an iOS version would be harder to create as Facebook would have to work with Apple. Mosseri says that the Home software would be altered to suit Apple's preferences. "It may or may not be Home," he said. "We could also just bring some of the design values to the iOS app. That might be how it ends up. Or we could build just the lock screen. Maybe then it's not called Home, it's called something else."Facebook and Apple have had a troubled relationship in the past, being unable to come to a suitable agreement over Facebook integration in the now-defunct iTunes social networking feature Ping, but have worked together on Facebook integration in iOS 6 and Mountain Lion. In addition to speaking with Apple, Facebook is also courting Microsoft. Both Apple and Microsoft representatives declined to comment on the on the situation. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts • Apple Asking Developers to Localize Apps, Opens Chinese Support Forum • iMessage Again Down for Some Users [Updated] • ZeptoLab Previews 'Cut The Rope: Time Travel'    
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Apple has notified its retail stores, authorized resellers, and AppleCare employees about WiFi issues being experienced by a small portion of its third generation Apple TVs, reports 9to5Mac. The units are having issues locating and joining WiFi networks and maintaining a connection.Apple has determined that a very small number of Apple TV (3rd generation) products might experience one of these Wi-Fi related connectivity issues: Cannot locate network Unable to join network Dropped or intermittent connection.Apple technicians are authorized to replace affected products for two years from the original date of purchase at no charge to the customer after verifying that the devices are running software version 5.2.1 and that there are no third party interference issues. The Apple TVs experiencing connectivity problems feature the following serial numbers: The third generation Apple TV, which features support for 1080p video, was first released in March of last year. It was later tweaked in late January to include a smaller A5 chip. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Mailbox Update Adds Better Snooze Controls and Improved Swiping • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts • Apple Asking Developers to Localize Apps, Opens Chinese Support Forum • iMessage Again Down for Some Users [Updated] • ZeptoLab Previews 'Cut The Rope: Time Travel'    
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Apple's next generation iPhone may feature a 12-megapixel camera with an improved night shooting feature and HDR reports Vietnamese site Tinhte.vn [Google Translation] (via iPhoneinCanada). According to the site, the rumor comes from a source at Wonderful Saigon Electrics in Binh Duong, which specializes in providing camera modules for the iPhone. An improved camera has been a long rumored feature of the iPhone 5S, but there are few specifics available. Camera improvements have been a staple of Apple's "S" phone releases. The iPhone 4S featured an 8-megapixel rear camera, a significant upgrade from the iPhone 4's 5-megapixels. The improved camera of the iPhone 4S allowed for noticeably better pictures. Apple has been dedicated to enhancing the camera quality of the iPhone with each iteration as it has become a popular photography device, adding features like panoramas and a volume shutter control. The iPhone has long been the most popular camera on photo sharing site Flickr. The iPhone 5 features the same 8-megapixel rear camera with an f2.4 aperture that was introduced with the iPhone 4S, but it has a sapphire crystal for improved clarity. A further improvement to 12-megapixels with a lower aperture to improve low light photography does not sound out of the realm of possibility. Tinhte.vn has shared several early prototypes in the past, notably offering up an early look at Apple's redesigned EarPods and an early version of the fourth generation iPod touch, the first to come equipped with a camera. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts • Apple Asking Developers to Localize Apps, Opens Chinese Support Forum • iMessage Again Down for Some Users [Updated] • ZeptoLab Previews 'Cut The Rope: Time Travel' • Halfbrick's 'Fruit Ninja' Named App of the Week, Available for Free    
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Apple today added the fifth generation iPod touch to the refurbished section of its online store, approximately six months after the device was first released. A refurbished version of 16GB fourth generation iPod touch, which was released alongside the current iPod touch, is also being offered. The fourth generation iPod touch was originally released in 2010 with storage options of 8/32/64GB but was later updated to feature 16and 32GB of storage. The 32GB fifth generation iPod touch is available in a range of colors for $249, a 16 percent discount off of the regular $299 price. The 64GB version is priced at $349, a $50 discount from the standard $399 price. The 16GB fourth generation iPod touch is available in both black and white and is priced at $169, a $30 discount from the $199 price. Apple's refurbished units come equipped with the same one-year warranty that standard products offer and have been thoroughly tested for reliability. The iPod touches can be purchased directly from the website. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts • Apple Asking Developers to Localize Apps, Opens Chinese Support Forum • iMessage Again Down for Some Users [Updated] • ZeptoLab Previews 'Cut The Rope: Time Travel' • Halfbrick's 'Fruit Ninja' Named App of the Week, Available for Free    
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Adobe today announced the launch of a free public beta of Photoshop Lightroom 5 for both Mac and Windows, offering a peek at the next major version of the company's digital photo management and post-production software. The beta program runs through June 30, with the official release of Lightroom 5 planned for later this year. Lightroom 5 Upright tool (Click for full size)Lightroom 5 beta offers photographers and enthusiasts many new features including: - Advanced Healing Brush allows customers to heal imperfections and remove distracting elements - Upright tool analyzes an image to automatically level horizons and straighten objects like buildings to correct a keystone effect - Radial Gradient tool creates off-center or multiple vignette effects - Smart Previews allow customers to edit images without needing the original raw file - Video slideshow enables customers to combine still images, video clips and music in a creative HD slideshow - Upgrades to the Book module enhancing the ability to create, customize and order elegant photo books using a variety of tailored templatesLightroom 5 Radial Gradient tool (Click for full size) Adobe has yet to announce pricing or an exact release date for Lightroom 5, which will compete with Apple's Aperture software. Aperture 3 was released over three years ago, but Apple has continued to enhance the software with minor upgrades since that time and slashed the price to $79.99 with the launch of the Mac App Store in January 2011. Adobe responded a year later by cutting Lightroom's price in half to $149 with the launch of Lightroom 4. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • YouTube for iOS Updated With Live Streaming and More • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts • Apple Asking Developers to Localize Apps, Opens Chinese Support Forum • iMessage Again Down for Some Users [Updated] • ZeptoLab Previews 'Cut The Rope: Time Travel' • Halfbrick's 'Fruit Ninja' Named App of the Week, Available for Free    
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Last Friday, T-Mobile USA Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert told AllThingsD that the carrier's iPhone launch that day had been "gangbusters" for the carrier with "lines out the door" at its retail stores. While the lines dissipated fairy quickly, T-Mobile undoubtedly believes that the strength of the iPhone and new "Uncarrier" plans unbundling device cost from service charges will help its standing in the competitive U.S. carrier market over the long-term. Sievert has now followed up with CNET, and while he declined to share any specific sales numbers, he noted that the iPhone launch had given T-Mobile "one of its biggest weekends in the history of the company".Sievert told CNET that iPhone sales did better than he expected, although he declined to provide specific figures. "We had really ambitious internal goals, and we beat them," he said.With the addition of T-Mobile, all four of the major U.S. carriers now offer the iPhone. Counting smaller carriers, the iPhone is now available on 22 carriers in the United States. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat Starts Online Petition Asking for User Support • iPhone-Controlled Prosthetic Hands Allow Double Amputee to Perform Complex Tasks • Chinese Repair Shop Employees Scam Apple With Counterfeit iPhone Parts • Apple Asking Developers to Localize Apps, Opens Chinese Support Forum • iMessage Again Down for Some Users [Updated] • ZeptoLab Previews 'Cut The Rope: Time Travel' • Halfbrick's 'Fruit Ninja' Named App of the Week, Available for Free • Turntable Launches People-Powered Radio App 'Piki'    
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