Mar 29

Amazon Beats Apple, Google Launches Music Locker

Posted in: MP3 Digital Audio, Today's Chili
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A day after we reported rumors about Apple’s plans to incorporate cloud-based music storage into its rumored revamp of MobileMe–and the week after rumors swirled around a Google music streaming service–Amazon swoops in and launches its own music locker, in the form of Cloud Drive.

Users can stream music downloaded from Amazon via the service via the Cloud Player and can upload their existing terrestrial music collection to Cloud Drive. The program is currently compatible with computers and Android handsets. 
It’s US-only at present, and is free to every with an Amazon account up to 5GB. If you buy an Amazon MP3 album, you’ll get upgraded to 20GB (albums purchased through Amazon won’t work against your storage cap). For $20 a year, you can upgrade to a larger plan.
Says Amazon VP Bill Carr, “Our customers have told us they don’t want to download music to their work computers or phones because they find it hard to move music around to different devices. Now, whether at work, home, or on the go, customers can buy music from Amazon MP3, store it in the cloud and play it anywhere.”
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Mar 28

MobileMe Upgrade Getting Music Locker – Rumor

Posted in: Apple, itunes, Today's Chili
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With Lala’s founder gone from Apple (having moved on to buzzy new startup iPhone app, Color), one wonders what the future of that once-promising service will be within the confines of One Infinite Loop. We saw Apple roll out a social networking feature for iTunes in the form of Ping, which seems to have a tenuous connection to the shuttered service. The future of iTunes in the cloud, however, is no more clear than it’s ever been.

Things may be cleared up with the rumored MobileMe revamp. Reportedly set for April, the upgrade will feature, among other things, a music locker service, for storing songs in the cloud. Apple is said to be dealing with various labels, trying to get support of the service, which will apparently run $20 a year. According to anonymous sources, Sony is the hardest sell.
There aren’t a lot of details about the service–my guess is that, if anything, however, it will likely only support songs actually purchased through iTunes, which mean, for most of us, that the large majority of our music will remain earthbound for the foreseeable future…
 
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Mar 28

Apple Promises “Future of iOS and Mac OS” at WWDC in June

Posted in: Apple, ios, os x, Today's Chili
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Apple today sent out notices for the upcoming (still fairly far away) World Wide Developers Conference. The event is set for June 6th to 11th, in Apple’s old haunt, the Moscone Center. The five day event will focus on software. 

Says SVP Philip Schiller, “At this year’s conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS. If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss.”

The event coincides with the expected summer release of OS X Lion. So, what about the rest of us non-developers? The timing seems right for an iPhone 5 announcement. Apple, naturally, isn’t talking. Probably time to camp out at your favorite Redwood City waterhole for answers.
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Mar 23

“Anti-Gay” iPhone App Pulled

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, Today's Chili
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Apple has apparently responded to the public outcry surrounding Exodus International’s controversial “gay cure” app. The app, which stirred up protest from gay rights groups earlier this month, culminating in a petition signed by nearly 150,000 people, has disappeared from the iPhone App Store.

The app first popped up in mid-February, offering downloaders “freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus.” The church also cited medical research as the evidence for the validity of its mission. Dr Gary Remafedi, a researcher behind evidence cited by the church, has since decried the appropriation of his work as “erroneous,” joining the call to pull the app from the store.
Apple came under fire for allowing the app to pass through its oft-strenuous vetting process. Gay rights group Truth Wins Out sent a letter to the company, stating, in part, 
Apple has long been a friend of the LGBT community, opposing California’s Proposition 8, removing the anti-gay Manhattan Declaration iPhone app, and earning a 100% score from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. I am shocked that this same company has given the green light to an app from a notoriously anti-gay organization like Exodus International that uses scare tactics, misinformation, stereotypes and distortions of LGBT life to recruit clients.
Apple has yet to issue an official comment on the app. 
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Mar 22

T-Mobile Says “No” To The iPhone

Posted in: iPhone, Today's Chili

 

iPhone 3GST-Mobile has being bought up by AT&T (pending government approval, of course), but the phone service provider has no plans to offer the iPhone. T-Mobile claims that the brand will stay independent and will not be absorbed by AT&T.

However, you can still expect other high end smartphones to hit the network. T-Mobile also stated that the process will take at least a year for the buyout to be complete, so no near future changes are expected.

Via Hot Hardware

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Mar 21

Disable Ping for Improved iPhone and iPad Battery Life

Posted in: Apple, Today's Chili

Ping - Logo

Some users have reported that by disabling Apple’s Ping music-based social network on their iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, they’ve managed to noticeably improve the battery life they get out of their device. 
The dip in battery life came with iOS 4.3, and some users have pointed to the fact that Ping runs quietly in the background at all times, ready for you to share the song you’re listening to or some flavor text about the music you like with your friends using Apple’s social network. 
Admittedly, Ping hasn’t really taken off in any notable way, and it’s pretty much a social networking graveyard considering Apple doesn’t really allow Ping to connect with many other, more well-populated social networks. Only recently did Apple allow you to post songs that you enjoyed to Twitter.  In the end, unless you use Ping regularly for anything, you’re better off disabling it and enjoying the boost in battery life. 
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Mar 20

T-Mobile answers its customers’ most Frequently Asked Question: no iPhone

Posted in: Apple, AppleIphone, att, carrier, iPhone, network, t-mobile, t-mobile usa, T-mobileUsa, Today's Chili

Never mind the practicalities of T-Mobile and AT&T using different 3G bands, Apple not having approved any deal for extended distribution of its phone, or the fact AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile isn’t set to complete for another year. The immediate reaction to AT&T agreeing to buy T-Mobile USA was to ask, “so that means the iPhone’s coming to T-Mo, right?” Well, wrong. T-Mobile has delivered an FAQ on its site informing customers about the forthcoming transition, including the unequivocal notice regarding the iPhone:

“T-Mobile USA remains an independent company. The acquisition is expected to be completed in approximately 12 months. We do not offer the iPhone. We offer cutting edge devices like the Samsung Galaxy S 4G and coming soon our new Sidekick 4G.”

So that settles that (for a year, anyway). In other news, service and billing won’t be changing, and there’s a promise that T-Mobile devices will continue to operate as they do now even after the acquisition is complete. Ominously, however, the company fails to answer its own question about pricing changes, stating only that it’ll honor “all contracted plans that are entered into before the change of ownership.”

T-Mobile answers its customers’ most Frequently Asked Question: no iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 18

Apple Under Fire Over “Anti-Gay” App

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, Today's Chili
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Apple has come under fire for its App Store yet again. This time it’s from the gay community, which has expressed outrage at the release of a self-titled app from Exodus International, a church that describes itself as “the world’s largest ministry to individuals and families impacted by homosexuality.”

Non-profit gay rights group Truth Wins Out called Apple out over the decision to allow the app in its store, citing examples of the company’s traditionally friendly relationship with the gay community,
Apple has long been a friend of the LGBT community, opposing California’s Proposition 8, removing the anti-gay Manhattan Declaration iPhone app, and earning a 100% score from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.”I am shocked that this same company has given the green light to an app from a notoriously anti-gay organization like Exodus International that uses scare tactics, misinformation, stereotypes and distortions of LGBT life to recruit clients, endorses the use of so-called ‘reparative therapy’ to ‘change’ the sexual orientation of their clients.
The organization has started a petition that has since gained well over 17,000 signatures condemning the app. The church, on the other hand, has described the app as a “useful resource for men, women, parents, students, and ministry leaders.”
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Mar 18

iPhone 5 NFC Rumors Persist

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, Today's Chili

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Rumors that the forthcoming version of the iPhone will sport Near Field Communication (NFC) technology are back, after being shot down by a number of sites, earlier in the week.

Of course, we’re still a ways from a formal announcement for the handset (that will most likely come in the early summer months), so fittingly, the current batch of rumors are third-hand. Forbes is citing an “entrepreneur who is working on a top-secret NFC product” who is in turn citing “a friend who works at Apple.”

It wouldn’t be a shock, of course, were Apple to offer such a technology on the new iPhone–and Steve Jobs would, no doubt, present such a feature as though his company invented it. Google, as present, is pushing the mobile payment technology, having backed in the latest version of Android.

The technology gives users a simple way to make payments via their handsets without actually touching the phone to a retail terminal. 

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Mar 17

Steve Jobs Reaches Out to Employee Victims of Japan Earthquake

Posted in: Apple, Japan, Today's Chili
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Earlier in the week word got out about Apple’s massive show of support for its Tokyo employees affected by the 9.0 earthquake off the coast of northern Japan. The company worked swiftly to provide food, shelter, support, and transport to corporate and retail employees and their immediate families. 

Apple head Steve Jobs followed up with a note to employees, reinforcing the company’s support in the wake of this continued crisis. 
“To Our Team in Japan,” opens the letter signed ‘Steve and the entire executive team. “We have all been following the unfolding disaster in Japan. Our hearts go out to you and your families, as well as all of your countrymen who have been touched by this tragedy.If you need time or resources to visit or care for your families, please see HR and we will help you. If you are aware of any supplies that are needed, please also tell HR and we will do what we can to arrange delivery. Again, our hearts go out to you during this unimaginable crisis. Please stay safe.”
Mac Rumors points out that the company has also given users the ability to donate to Red Cross via iTunes. 
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