Late last week Apple released a new app called Music Memos designed specifically to allow songwriters and musicians to quickly capture audio and develop song ideas. And on top of acting as a standalone tool for songwriters, it’s also a companion for Apple’s full-fledged audio suites, GarageBand and Logic Pro. Today we’ll take a look at how to access the new Music Memos feature from all your devices, and the options for taking an idea you’re developing in Music Memos into GarageBand or Logic.

First, you’ll need to enable iCloud for Music Memos to make sure they sync across devices.

You’ll be prompted the first time you open the Music Memos app, but you can enable it later if you miss it. The image below on the left is what you’ll see when you first launch the app:

If you missed the prompt on your first launch, you can enable it from the iOS Settings app at Settings>Music Memos>iCloud (pictured above, right). And also make sure you have the latest version of Logic Pro X or GaragaeBand (version 10.2.1).

Once you’ve recorded something in the Music Memos app, you’ll be able to access saved memos from within Logic in a new option tucked under the File menu: File>Import>Music Memos File…

In GarageBand, you’ll find the option under File>iCloud>Open iCloud Song.

Since we’ve already enabled iCloud in the Music Memos app, all of your memos will automatically be saved and available in Logic or GarageBand. However, by default iCloud only saves a CAF audio file, which gives you both the audio you recorded and the ability to import tempo information into Logic or GarageBand, but it won’t preserve any drum or bass tracks you’ve added in Music Memos.

Logic and GarageBand will prompt you to keep tempo information when importing your Music Memo, but getting your entire Memos session into Logic or GarageBand requires an extra step or two…

You have a few other options for transferring your idea over to Logic Pro (or GarageBand) on your Mac via iCloud. Under the sharing function in Music Memos, you have the ability to share each memo to iCloud as either a Mix Down, Audio File, or a GarageBand session:

An audio file is what iCloud saves by default, but a Mix Down will get you a stereo mix (one audio file) with any bass and drums you might have added using the Music Memos’ automatic build-a-song features.

Alternatively, saving to iCloud as a GarageBand session will let you import the entire music memo as separate tracks (your recorded audio and any drums and bass you’ve added), so you can continue to edit each independently inside of Logic or GarageBand. There isn’t specifically a Logic session option, but the GarageBand session will open just fine in Logic (as pictured above) with your drum and bass tracks preserved separately for editing.

You’ll notice any of the auto-drum and bass tracks imported from Music Memos open on tracks in Logic with channel strips already loaded up with Drum Kit Designer and a bass patch for the bass track (as pictured above). You can then edit the Drummer track and bass tracks however you please, either editing the MIDI or making changes to the channel strip/instrument settings (and while you’re at it, check out The Logic Pros: How to customize Logic’s Drummer, beat-by-beat).

And one last tip, this one courtesy of Apple’s release notes: “The downbeat of Music Memos Ideas automatically snaps to the bar nearest the playhead when imported.”

Filed under:
How-To, Apps, iOS, Mac Tagged: GarageBand, how to, icloud, import, Logic Pro X, music memos, session, Tempo, tracks, version 10.2.1

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Filed under: iOS Devices

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More and more mobile devices are being released every year with better and higher quality cameras, allowing nearly anyone to share the news faster than a major news corporation can even fathom. Founded in 2014 by Thiel fellow John Meyer, Fresco puts a focus on getting citizen journalism the credit it deserves. Today Fresco announced an Apple TV version of their Fresco News app, which curates the best content of the day, and delivers facts on international events in a fresh way.

CNN seemingly saw this coming back in 2006 with their launch of iReport as they began to look for a way to get involved in this coming wave of citizen journalism. At the time, Flip cameras were all the rage, and accessibility to high-quality video footage was becoming a reality. Apple also embraced this eventual coming by enabling an iMovie theme and direct upload for iReport in 2011.

iReport’s most curious fact is that they do not edit, fact-check or screen content before it is posted. Creating a platform for citizen journalism, without curating the incoming content, can eventually drown out the voices that matter.

This is the experience that sets Fresco apart.

Users can submit photos or videos, which are then immediately screened and curated by Fresco’s content team. After that, the content is then placed into the hands of some of the largest news organizations in the world.

These users are then able to receive compensation and credit for submissions chosen to be used on-air. This is the next great level of citizen journalism. No longer are people only sharing content, but they are getting the accreditation and compensation they deserve.

The videos are available on-demand, allowing a user to pick and choose what and when they want to watch the content that matters to them.

The initial Fresco News view drops the user right into a grid view of videos to watch based on recent and current events. This is a great way to see a curation of what’s happening now. I was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of stories I have yet to hear about in other media (for example, the rallies for same-sex civil unions in Italy).

Fresco News also includes a Highlights view where a user could quickly scroll through and grab the latest tidbits of user submitted content. With a mix of photos and videos, I could easily grasp and learn bits of news quickly without having to search through too much other content.

My favorite feature of Fresco News for the Apple TV has to be the Stories view. From here a user can see a collection of submitted content all based around a similar story. I went through the ‘Snowstorm Jonas: New York’ story and got to see different views and angles from the snow and damage left behind this past weekend. The app does a great job of delivering perspective without much effort.

Fresco News is available for free from the iOS App Store, and can be found on the Apple TV’s App Store now.

Filed under: Apple TV, Apps Tagged: Apple, Apple TV, CNN, Fresco, iOS, iReport, News, TV

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It’s not the first time that a ‘Twitter for iPhone’ tag has given away the fact that someone is not using the device you might expect them to. Latest casualty of the telltale tag is Joe Belfiore, the Microsoft VP who fronts the Windows Phone project.

When The Verge ran a piece on it, Business Insider noticed that Belfiore used the comments section to share the reasons he is using an iPhone whilst on a 9-month sabbatical.

It’s very important for me to understand products like the iPhone and Android phones, which […] represent the competition for Windows Phone […] On a 9-month leave-of-absence, I have a HUGE AND UNUSUAL opportunity to get to know these products deeply. To understand the benefits and drawbacks of a full ecosystem like Windows, Android, iOS — you have to LIVE IN IT. You have to feel its strengths and weaknesses, be let down, be delighted. And you can’t do that just “playing around” with a device for a couple of days. You have to learn the UI, upload your photos, use cross-device apps and tools… all of it.

Given all this, he says, “it would be crazy not to” use an iPhone while he’s away.

His arguments of course make sense, and we have no doubt that many Apple execs also spend time playing with competitor devices for the very same reasons. But given the PR considerations, we imagine they take rather more care not to be seen doing so …

Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: iPhone, Joe Belfiore, Microsoft, Twitter for iPhone, Windows Phone

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While those of us who would happily trade thinner iPhones for better battery-life may be in the minority, even fans of ultra-thin phones expressed disappointment at the camera bump in the iPhone 6 and 6s. The problem Apple faced is that the laws of physics determine just how thin you can make a sensor and lens arrangement for any given aperture while retaining quality. But a patent application originally filed in 2013, continued last July and granted today could provide a solution.

Instead of the usual flat sensor, the patent describes a ‘spherically curved photosensor’ that would allow the distance between the lens elements and the sensor to be reduced, allowing for a thinner camera module …

The patent describes the conflict you normally get between thin camera modules and image quality.

The advent of small, mobile multipurpose devices such as smartphones and tablet or pad devices has resulted in a need for high-resolution, small form factor cameras for integration in the devices. However, due to limitations of conventional camera technology, conventional small cameras used in such devices tend to capture images at lower resolutions and/or with lower image quality than can be achieved with larger, higher quality cameras.

By making the sensor curved to match the spread of light from the lens array, it can be brought much closer to the rear lens element than would normally be possible. The patent references a similar technique employed in astronomical telescopes.

An image captured in this way would normally suffer from a form of distortion known as chromatic aberration, but Apple proposes an additional lens element to correct this.

As always with Apple patents, there is no way to tell whether or not it will ever be used, but given that the camera lens protruding from the iPhone casing must have caused Jony Ive to have sleepless nights, this – or an alternative solution to the problem – seems more likely than not to make it into a future iPhone.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple Inc, Camera, Chromatic aberration, iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iphone camera, Patent

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Periscope streams are about to get a whole lot more interesting with the latest app update for iPhone. Periscope version 1.3.3 adds GoPro integration that actually lets you live broadcast from the view of your action camera.

Periscope says the update works specifically with the GoPro HERO 4 series. The iPhone connects to the action camera’s Wi-Fi to grab the feed, then Periscope handles the live broadcasting to the rest of the world.

What’s New in Version 1.3.3

Broadcast LIVE from your GoPro! If your iPhone is connected to your GoPro Hero 4’s WiFi, simply open Periscope and start broadcasting. During your broadcast, double tap to switch back to your iPhone. It’s that simple to change cameras, giving you the flexibility to make your broadcasts even better.

For more information, please go to help.periscope.tv

This version also fixes an issue where some profile images would not load.

GoPro’s allow you to film in environments where iPhones otherwise couldn’t safely travel like underwater and during rough and tumble, fast-paced activities.

So long as your iPhone is nearby, tucked away securely, this new Periscope and GoPro integration should be a major win for going live from your action camera.

Periscope also recently gained deeper integration with the official Twitter app. Grab the latest update to Periscope for free from the App Store.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Action camera, GoPro, iPhone, Periscope, video

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A sketchy supply-chain report from Digitimes claims that the second-generation Apple Watch will enter mass production in the second quarter of this year. The report also repeats earlier claims that Apple Watch shipments have fallen below Apple’s own forecasts, stating that the company has decided against adding Foxconn as a second manufacturer for this reason.

Apple originally considered shifting some second-generation Apple Watch orders to Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), but decided to keep all the orders with Quanta as volumes will not be high, the sources noted.

Supply-chain rumors always need to be treated with a great deal of caution, and both Quanta and Foxconn unsurprisingly declined to comment. However, the 2nd-gen timing does tie-in with what our own sources tell us (coincidentally!). We expect Apple to update the Apple Watch in March with new band options rather than new hardware, with a full hardware refresh announced in September.

Apple has so far declined to provide sales figures for the Watch. Deep discounts have fueled speculation about lower-than-expected sales, but there has been no consensus on likely numbers. Asymco’s Horace Dediu recently predicted that Apple will hit 21M sales in the first 12 months, amounting to around $8B in revenue.

There is a small possibility that strong holiday quarter sales may prompt Apple to share numbers for the first time later today, but we’re not holding our breath.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: 2nd-gen Apple Watch, Apple Inc, Apple watch, Apple Watch 2, Apple Watch sales, Quanta

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With all eyes on Apple’s earnings report due later today, there is concern that the company will report its first ever year-on-year drop in iPhone sales, with the difficult Chinese economy a significant factor. The WSJ has put together a couple of pieces outlining reasons why Apple’s future in China may be rosier than some anticipate.

The pessimistic view is that most people in China can’t afford iPhones, and that the premium end of the market which can is close to saturation. Couple that to a slowing economy, the argument goes, and you’re not seeing much expansion in the wealthier population in the country.

Tim Cook has for some time been seeking to reassure investors that Apple remains well-placed to succeed in China, and I’ve argued in the past that there is reason to believe him. The WSJ builds on these arguments …

The WSJ notes that the urban upper middle class – Apple’s core market in China – remains forecast to rise from 36M households in 2012 to 193M by 2020. An iPhone is a key status symbol for this demographic, and even when people cannot afford major purchases like a new car, they still buy premium smartphones.

Apple has also been broadening its retail reach in the country, the rapid expansion of Apple Stores mostly taking place outside the so-called Tier 1 cities where the company is already well-established.

The move into smaller cities, said Joseph Foudy, an economics professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, presents “more virgin territory for Apple and an even greater opportunity for growth.”

Apple has also demonstrated itself willing to adapt to the specific needs of the Chinese market.

Until 2013, it made the iPhone in two colors. Then it added a gold-color iPhone 5S version, because “many Chinese consumers like the color gold,” Mr. Cook told Bloomberg Businessweek last year.

Apple has of course also rolled out gold iPads, MacBooks and Watches.

The piece argues that the company has learned how to navigate the often tricky political environment in China through its earlier issues with things like iPhone warranties – going so far as to offer Chinese customers better terms than those offered in its home market.

Apple agreed to replace faulty iPhones under warranty with new handsets and restart the warranty periods. Apple has no such policy in the U.S.

Using local data centers to avoid storing Chinese customer data in the U.S. was another example cited. In both cases, the claims being made against Apple were baseless, but the company recognized the political importance of responding.

The strong resale value of iPhones is also a significant factor in a country where most Chinese iPhone owners pay the full cost of the phone upfront. Most sell their old iPhones to pay for new ones, and can even do so right outside an Apple store.

Prospective customers were directed to a man sitting on the steps next to the store. His job was to inspect the condition of an old phone offered for trade […] After the inspection, he offered a price for the old phone. If the customer agreed to the price, the customer paid the difference between the cost of the new iPhone and the resale price of the old phone.

Apple’s earnings call will provide a good steer on whether such optimism is justified, not just in the iPhone sales the company will announce today, but on its revenue guidance for the current quarter.

Photo: Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Filed under: iOS Devices

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When Apple Pay launched in the UK, there was one major holdout: Barclays. The company initially said only that it was in negotiation with Apple, later said that it would be going ahead but couldn’t say when, before stating that it would be sometime in “early 2016.” The bank has now provided more specific timing in an email reply to a customer.

We will launch Apple Pay, as committed, within the next 60-75 days.

Given that the email was dated 12th January (though only tweeted yesterday), that means Barclays will begin supporting Apple Pay sometime in March.

In the U.S., Apple added support for 50+ new banks and credit unions a few days ago, though usage appears to be lagging behind the matching growth in retail acceptance.

Photo: Joe Giddens/PA

Filed under: iOS Devices

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According to a report out of Bloomberg, notorious patent troll VirnetX is seeking $532 million from Apple, claiming that Apple has taken its intellectual property without permission. VirnetX holds a variety of patents relating to technology used in creating Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs. The company claims that Apple’s own VPN technology, as well as its FaceTime and iMessage services, all infringe on its patents.

“Apple hasn’t played fair. They have taken Virnetx’s intellectual property without permission,” VirnetX lawyer Brad Caldwell stated to the jury in Texas today. VirnetX previously won a $368.2 million verdict against Apple, but an appeals court threw out that ruling and ordered a new trial. The company now seeks $532 million due to new generations of Apple products continuing to infringe on its patents.

“Apple believes in fairness and protecting intellectual property,” said Apple’s lawyer, Greg Arovas. “VirnetX keeps moving the boundary, asking for more and more and more.” VirnetX has struggled to commercialize its own products and generally relies on licensing agreements for its income, hence why it is so strongly going against Apple.

The trial is expected to continue through at least next week and will continue to see arguments from both sides. Apple was not able to make arguments concerning some of VirnetX’s claims as it already addressed them in the initial hearing. The company dropped other arguments, as well.

This isn’t the first time Apple has been the target of a patent troll. Last year, it was ordered to pay $532.9 million for infringing on gaming patents of SmartFlash LLC., who then came back again looking for more money, saying some products were released too late to be included in the initial trial. In 2014, Apple spoke out against patent trolls publicly, saying that it is the subject of more patent-related lawsuits than any other company.

VirnetX has been successful in the past when it comes to winning patent infringement cases, receiving more than $200 million over recent years.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, legal, VirnetX

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