With Adobe Max Creative Conference kicking off later today, it’s time for the wraps to come off the latest advancements in Creative Cloud including new apps for iPhone and iPad.

New from Adobe this year is the Photoshop Fix image retouching iOS app (seen above), Capture CC for iOS and Android which turns images into color themes and brushes, enhanced versions of Photoshop Mix for image composition and Lightroom for iPhone and iPad with new features, a new Portfolio tool for sharing and promoting graphic design work, video content coming to Adobe Stock, plus annual updates to CC desktop apps and CreativeSync.

Many of these apps and updates are available today with others coming later this year, and we’re expecting to hear even more news out of Max which kicks off at 9:30 am PT/12:30 pm ET later today including new details on what Adobe is calling Project Comet, a UX design solution on desktop with a mobile companion. Read on for all the details on the latest from Adobe so far.

Starting with Photoshop Fix for iPhone and iPad, we’ve already seen many details about this app in the form of Project Rigel previews since May when Adobe discontinued Photoshop Touch for iPhone, iPad, and Android. Where Photoshop Touch tried to be an all-encompassing solution for bringing features from desktop Photoshop to mobile devices, Adobe’s approach with Photoshop Fix is to address major goals of the desktop app with individual, focused mobile apps.

Photoshop Fix is essentially a quick retouching app focused on making images look better with three goals:

• Retouching and restoring photos to a certain look and structure
• Editing and adjusting photos using color, paint, adjust, and defocus tools
• Share images directly to Photoshop CC for further refining

Photoshop Fix is launching first on iPhone and iPad with a version coming to Android in the future.

Staying in the mobile space, the similarly named Photoshop Mix, which focuses on creating image compositions through layering is being updated with Lightroom for Mobile with three new tools:

• The ability to shoot and capture photos directly in each app
• A dehaze tool for making images sharper and more vibrant
• A targeted Color and B&W adjustment tool

While Photoshop Touch is being replaced by standalone apps like Photoshop Fix and Photoshop Mix, Adobe is replacing Brush CC, Color CC, Hue CC, and Shape CC with a single app called Adobe Capture CC. The new single app is available on iPhone, iPad, and Android starting today, focusing on three goals:

• Bringing Brush, Color, Hue, and Shape apps into a single app
• Using photos to create color themes, looks, vector graphics, and unique brushes that can be used in creative projects
• Catch and create assets for use on mobile and desktop through CreativeSync

Speaking of CreativeSync, Adobe’s cloud service for moving projects and assets around various devices is adding a new piece to the puzzle today. CreativeSync previously worked in two ways: desktop to desktop transferring and mobile to desktop transferring. Starting today, CreativeSync will also move assets from mobile device to mobile device. This supports these transfer routes for extending workflows:

• Lightroom mobile to and from Photoshop Fix
• Lightroom mobile to Premiere Clip
• Photoshop Mix to Photoshop Fix to Photoshop Mix
• Comp CC to Photoshop Mix
• Capture to Comp, Sketch, Draw & Clip

There’s also the new Portfolio feature which Adobe calls “a new way to create beautiful, simple, creative portfolio websites.” Built on Behance with its 5.6 million members, Portfolio will be available soon for free to Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers. Adobe Portfolio’s can use personalized URLs and password-protect projects plus sync with Behance Project pages.

And Adobe Stock, which gives access to a library of stock assets to Creative Cloud members, is adding video content plus new ways to buy material. Businesses will soon be able to buy pooled licenses, and enterprises are gaining access to Stock as well with “license management, reporting tools, and unlimited usage of stock content in large print runs.”

Finally, Adobe’s Creative Cloud desktop updates focus largely this year on bringing touch-optimized interfaces to desktop users. Windows 10 users — especially on Surface Pro-type devices — will benefit the most from touch-optimization on the desktop. But for Mac users, Adobe’s CC desktop app updates also include 4K to 8K video editing, new 3D tools through Fuse CC and 3D image compositing in Photoshop, a new Remix tool in Audition, plus much more:

For Design, Adobe introduces new and updated Touch workspaces to InDesign CC and Illustrator CC, powering mobile creativity for layout artists and graphic designers. New Illustrator CC features include the Shaper tool, Live Shapes and enhanced Smart Guides. InDesign CC delivers new online publishing capabilities and Adobe Fuse CC (Preview) 3D character software is added to existing Creative Cloud membership plans. These 3D models can be synced across Creative Cloud Libraries for use in Photoshop CC. Fuse CC recently joined the Adobe product family through the company’s acquisition of 3D innovator, Mixamo.

For Web and UX Design, free-form responsive design comes to Muse CC, to easily create websites that dynamically scale to any size screen, browser or device, without having to code or use restrictive templates. For developers, Dreamweaver CC also adds responsive design capabilities powered by the popular Bootstrap framework. In Photoshop CC new Artboards capabilities precisely place elements and layers for easier visualization and the first version of Design Space, a streamlined design-centric experience, is made available to all customers. UX designers can also look forward to Project Comet, the only end-to-end UX design solution that includes a new CC desktop app with a companion mobile app. Currently under development Project Comet was demoed publicly today for the first time during the MAX opening keynote.

Photoshop Fix and Capture CC for iPhone and iPad are available now on the App Store. Updates to Photoshop Mix, Lightroom mobile, Photoshop Sketch, Premier Clip, Illustrator Draw, and Comp CC are also rolling out. Creative Cloud desktop apps are receiving their new features for CC members before the end of this year. Visit http://ift.tt/13xqZHF for pricing details on Creative Cloud memberships plus http://ift.tt/1VyNsPg for Adobe Stock pricing and a special promo before October 30th.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Adobe, Adobe MAX, Creative Conference, Max, Photoshop, Project Rigel

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Tim Cook has emailed Apple staff on the 4th anniversary of the passing of Steve Jobs, thanking them for “remembering both who he was and what he stood for,” reports the Telegraph. Cook said that Jobs was “a brilliant person” who left an incredible legacy.

What is his legacy? I see it all around us: An incredible team that embodies his spirit of innovation and creativity. The greatest products on earth, beloved by customers and empowering hundreds of millions of people around the world. Soaring achievements in technology and architecture. Experiences of surprise and delight. A company that only he could have built. A company with an intense determination to change the world for the better.

Cook also made two references which which seem to indirectly refer to less flattering portraits painted of Jobs in biographies and movies … 

Cook wrote that Jobs “loved the people with whom he worked so closely,” and invited staff to stop those who worked with him to “ask what he was really like.”

Apple’s CEO sent a similar email last year, thanking staff for “helping carry Steve’s legacy into the future.”

Cook also tweeted a message about honoring his memory by “continuing the work he loved so much.”

Apple still carries the memorial page it created in 2011. The full text of Cook’s email can be read below.

Team,

Today marks four years since Steve passed away. On that day, the world lost a visionary. We at Apple lost a leader, a mentor, and many of us lost a dear friend.

Steve was a brilliant person, and his priorities were very simple. He loved his family above all, he loved Apple, and he loved the people with whom he worked so closely and achieved so much.

Each year since his passing, I have reminded everyone in the Apple community that we share the privilege and responsibility of continuing the work Steve loved so much.

What is his legacy? I see it all around us: An incredible team that embodies his spirit of innovation and creativity. The greatest products on earth, beloved by customers and empowering hundreds of millions of people around the world. Soaring achievements in technology and architecture. Experiences of surprise and delight. A company that only he could have built. A company with an intense determination to change the world for the better.
And, of course, the joy he brought his loved ones.

He told me several times in his final years that he hoped to live long enough to see some of the milestones in his children’s lives. I was in his office over the summer with Laurene and their youngest daughter. Messages and drawings from his kids to their father are still there on Steve’s whiteboard.

If you never knew Steve, you probably work with someone who did or who was here when he led Apple. Please stop one of us today and ask what he was really like. Several of us have posted our personal remembrances on AppleWeb, and I encourage you to read them.

Thank you for honoring Steve by continuing the work he started, and for remembering both who he was and what he stood for.

Tim

Filed under: AAPL Company

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Interbrand has named Apple as the world’s most valuable brand for the third year running, estimating that it increased its total value by 43% in the past year to hit $170B. The company bases its estimates on a mix of the financial performance of the company, its ability to influence purchase decisions and the degree of brand loyalty it enjoys.

Google again took second place, seeing its value climb by 12% to $120B. Tech companies made up half of the top 10, Microsoft at #4, IBM at #5 and Samsung retaining 7th place. A similar brand equity ranking by Millward Brand back in May also gave Apple and Google the top two slots.

Apple first knocked Coca-Cola out of Interbrand’s top slot in 2013. It has also topped Fortune’s list of the world’s most admired companies for eight consecutive years.

Via The Verge

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: AAPL, Google, IBM, Interbrand, Microsoft, World’s most valuable brand

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Siri voice control is finally coming to Philips Hue connected light bulbs thanks to promised HomeKit support and a new bridge product. Details have been surfacing over the last month with product listings going up a day early, and today Philips is ready to officially reveal how it’s bringing HomeKit support to Hue bulbs and lamps. As expected, Hue bulb owners will be able to upgrade to the new Philips Hue Bridge 2.0 to enable using Siri to control Hue lights. The new, square-shaped bridge works similar to the old, round bridge — connecting to up to 50 bulbs  only with HomeKit support included even for existing bulbs and plans to support future home platforms as well.

And while HomeKit plus Hue Bridge 2 allows Hue bulb owners to flip the lights off or on with a simple voice command like “Siri, turn off the bedroom lamp”, HomeKit also lets iOS users create scenarios for controlling multiple automation accessories in a single voice command. For instance, you could say “Siri, set my home to night mode” to turn off the lights and lock the front door all in a single command.

Hue Bridge 2 and HomeKit also let you use voice commands with Siri to easily set lights to specific brightness levels and modes. Tell Siri to dim your bedroom lamp to 10 percent to create a night light environment or tell Siri to set your house to relax mode to change the color temperatures and brightness to preset levels you assign to that command.

Using the Philips Hue app for iPhone and iPad, Hue bulb owners can even create light environments based on photos to recreate an environment through lighting, and with Hue Bridge 2 with HomeKit makes changing modes through Siri possible for the first time.

In a press release announcing the new hardware, Philips Lighting CEO Eric Rondolat said this about HomeKit integration:

Also as expected, Philips is updating its A19 bulbs at a brighter 800 lumens. And while existing Hue bulbs and lamps will now work with HomeKit through Hue Bridge 2.0, Philips only says that the original Hue Bridge will “continue to be supported with software updates” but stops short of promising future HomeKit support as we heard could happen in the future but might not be ready for October.

Philips Bridge 2.0 is available as a standalone $59 upgrade or in starter kits priced up to $199 with new Hue bulbs starting tomorrow, October 6th, in Europe and North America through meethue.com and other retailers including Amazon and Best Buy (although as we reported and many readers have confirmed some retailers seem to have jumped in early on sales).

Filed under: HomeKit, iOS, Tech Industry Tagged: Automation, Home automation, homekit, Hue, iOS, iPhone, Philips, Siri

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The WSJ reports that Steve Jobs’ widow Laurene Powell Jobs repeatedly tried to block production of the Sorkins/Boyle movie Steve Jobs.

Ms. Jobs repeatedly tried to kill the film, according to people familiar with the conversations. She lobbied, among others, Sony Pictures Entertainment, which developed the script but passed on the movie for financial reasons, and Universal Pictures, which is releasing the $33.5 million production on Friday … 

The paper reports that she felt that the script played down his accomplishments and portrayed Jobs as “cruel and inhumane.” The studio says that she was offered the opportunity to be involved in the development of the movie, but she declined. She also declined a private viewing prior to release on condition that she not comment publicly until it opened.

“She refused to discuss anything in Aaron’s script that bothered her despite my repeated entreaties,” producer Scott Rudin said in an emailed response to questions from the WSJ. He said Ms. Jobs “continued to say how much she disliked the book, and that any movie based on the book could not possibly be accurate.”

Bill Campbell, longtime friend and former Apple board member, said that the movie depicted Jobs in “a negative way” and wasn’t fair because “he’s not there to defend himself.” Tim Cook had previously described the movie as “opportunistic” and “not a great part of our world” – which led to scriptwriter Aaron Sorkin first hitting back and later apologizing.

The movie is clearly dividing views amongst those who knew Jobs well. While observing that the movie doesn’t accurately describe events, Steve Wozniak said that he “felt like he was actually watching Steve Jobs.” Macintosh system software designer Andy Hertzfeld commented that the movie “deviates from reality everywhere” but “exposes deeper truths” about the man. Sorkin reportedly described it as “a painting, not a photograph,” while director Danny Boyle said that “the truth is not necessarily in the facts, it’s in the feel.”

Steve Jobs goes on general release on October 9th.

Photo: Brian Ach/WireImage

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Aaron Sorkin, Danny Boyle, Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs biopic, Steve Jobs movie

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In this week’s episode of The Logic Pros, we are looking at one of LPX’s most over-looked features, the MIDI FX Arpeggiator. A somewhat new option for Logic users, these FX offer a number of interesting ways to create patterns, sounds and more on any Audio Instrument in your library:

MIDI FX are essentially a group of plug-ins, not unlike your typical Audio FX, that can alter our MIDI patterns, among many other things. Highlighted by the Arpeggiator, the list of options is generally split into creative options and those that serve a more utility type of role like for example, the Transposer. For today’s purposes we will be focusing on some of the more common (and fun) uses of the Arpeggiator.

MIDI FX are loaded onto a track from just below the graphic EQ readout on Audio Instrument tracks. Just click and hold on an empty MDI FX slot and you will be presented with the list of available options. They appear in green on your channel strips once loaded and can be altered and bypassed just like any Audio FX plug-in using the the mouseover-overlay controls.

For those that may not be aware, basically speaking Arpeggiators create arpeggios, or rhythmic patterns made up of a defined sequence of notes, or chord. While some instruments, like Logic’s new Alchemy sample-synth, have an arpeggiator built right in, Logic’s MIDI FX Arpeggiator adds the very popular production tool to any instrument you choose. Simply load it up and then play/record any series of notes, or chord(s), and you will be arpeggiating all over the place.

In the Note Order section found along the middle of the UI, we have the basic rate knob on the left which determines the speed at which the notes of our chord/pattern get played: 1/1 …1/2….1/8…1/16 notes etc.). Next we have the large white Note Order option buttons which determine the order in which the notes of our pattern are played back: ascending, descending, ascending/descending repeating the first and last notes and random (more on these below). To the right of those, we have the Variation and Oct Range/Inversions sliders. The Oct Range slider increases the range of the arpeggio up an octave (up to 4 octaves) based on your initial pattern (more on this below). The Variation slider is where things can get really interesting, as each of the  Note Order options having 4 variations available increases the possibilities here exponentially.

Down below we have the Pattern, Options, Keyboard and Controller panels. The pattern section is where we get a readout of our patterns and the ability to edit them. Grid mode is where we will be spending most of our time editing, but we will talk more about Live mode below. The Keyboard tab, allows us to lock our patterns to a particular scale or even set the range of the keyboard so that only certain octaves will trigger the Arpeggiator.

The Options panel has the Note Length knob which allows us to determine how long each of the notes in the pattern rings out, from very long to very snappy and percussive. Velocity determines the dynamic range of the loudness of each note in the pattern making it pretty useful for locking all notes to the same value. Swing alters the groove of the pattern as you would expect and Cycle Length will determine how much of the particular sequence set in the Pattern panel will be played. Personally I spend most of my time in this bottom section in the Options panel playing with the Note Length and Swing to get the groove just right.

We won’t spend much tine on the Controller section as it generally for more utility and advanced type uses, but we can basically control the the main Option panel controls with hardware controllers from here. Sometimes I like to control the Note Length using hardware controllers on my MIDI keyboard to slow turn choppy rhythms into legato melodies. Just select Note Length in one of the empty Destination slots, choose -Learn- from the corresponding MIDI Controller slot above, then wiggle the hardware knob of your choice and your done.

It is always best to experiment with these features and use your ear, but here are a few of our favorite tips for using the Arpeggiator in Logic Pro X:

Even more pattern options. When you click the Oct Range heading, it switches over to the hidden Inversions slider. This actually offers even more pattern options for each Variation. In fact, not only do we get 4 Variations per Note Order type, but now we have 4 Inversions for each of those Variations. Okay that sounds a little bit ridiculous in a sentence, but either way, that is a whole lot of options. Sometimes, when trying to get an arpeggiated part to fit in with a pre-existing groove, these additional options can come in very handy when it comes to creating tightly locked in patterns and interesting syncopation.

Live step recording. First give that last big white button to the right in the Note Order section a high-five. This will essentially allow you to step record, or play in each of the notes of your pattern one at a time, and is one of our favorite ways to use the plug. Once engaged, you can use that tiny pull down arrow in the bottom left hand corner of the Arpeggiator UI, and turn on “Silent Capture” mode. This will allow you to play in notes on your keyboard to create patterns. Sometimes this kind of step recording can result in some pretty creative patterns, outside of your typical chords.

While Logic can be a little finicky when it comes to creating Live patterns this way and then implementing them into your project, the next tip will solve all of that for you:

Own your patterns. Sometimes you get a pattern just the way you like it, but wish you had the MIDI for it. No worries. Just click and drag that funny looking pyramid icon next to the giant play button on the Arpeggiator UI right onto a MIDI or Audio Instrument track and the current pattern will appear before your eyes. Quite possibly one of the most useful tips here for my workflow, it allows you to implement the pattern into other parts on different tracks, and get a much more fine tuned look at it via Logic’s Piano Roll.

While we are certainly just scratching the surface of what can be done with Arpeggiator, this should give some newer users a good head-start and maybe even teach some old dogs a few new tricks. If you have any questions or interesting uses for Arpeggiator or MIDI FX in general, be sure to tell us about them below. We will be adding some video elements to upcoming episodes as well, so if you have any thoughts or suggestions there, let us know.

The Logic Pros is a regular series exploring all of the most interesting gadgets and software for making music on your Mac/iOS devices. If there is any gear you would like us to take a closer hands-on look at, let us know in the comments section below or shoot us an email.

More The Logic Pros:

• Routing 101 – creating multi-track FX Sends and Submix groups
• The Logic Pros: Kontrol S-series keyboards give you Komplete control of NI’s world-class instrument library
• The Logic Pros: A look at Logic’s new heavy weight sample manipulation synth Alchemy
• Moog Sub 37 is one of the best hardware synths for the money
• iPad/Mac synths still can’t quite capture the experience of this $1,000 Moog
• How-to connect MIDI controllers wirelessly over Bluetooth to iOS or Mac w/ puc+
• Time compression and pitch correction with Logic’s built-in Flex tools
• Automate tedious MIDI edits into a single-click with Logic’s Transform feature
• How to use MIDI hardware synthesizers in Logic w/ External Instrument plug-in
• How to create custom sampler instruments using any audio file with EXS24
• How to create Retro Synth patches with custom wavetables and multi-voice stacking
• How to customize Logic’s Drummer, beat-by-beat
• 6 powerful new features you may have missed in Logic 10.1
• How to control anything in Logic using your hardware MIDI controller
• How to create multi-layered synth patches & drum sounds with Track Stacks
• Turning iPad into a virtual pedalboard using Logic Remote
• TE’s new pocket-sized synths & how to sync them up with your Mac

Filed under:
How-To, Tips and Tricks Tagged: Alchemy, arp, Arpeggiator, arpeggio, how to, keyboard, Logic Pro X, MIDI FX, Note Order, Options, Pattern, Piano Roll, the logic pros, Transposer, UI

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As we reported last week, Philips is readying new HomeKit enabled smart home accessories, including new lights with better color reproduction and a HomeKit-compatible bridge box, for early October launch. However, it seems that some of the new products have appeared on sites like Amazon and Best Buy a bit prematurely, as Philips is yet to officially acknowledge the new devices.

• Philips Hue Bridge – $59.99
• Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Starter A19 Kit — $199.99
• Philips Hue White Starter A19 Kit

This is not a complete list of what Philips has in the wings, more should surface soon …

Combined with the new bridge box, the Hue lights finally bring full support for Apple’s HomeKit technology allowing you to control Hue lights using integrated apps on the iPhone and with voice commands through Siri, such as ‘turn off all the lights’ or ‘start the party scene’. The Hue Bridge only supports HomeKit light protocols however, so devices like the Hue Tap will not be included in the HomeKit ecosystem.

One user on Reddit has already got his hands on the new gear and has posted some photos of the new products. It also confirms that one of the new Hue lights can indeed max out at 800 lumens, as we claimed in our report from last week.

We had heard an official launch was planned for October 6th. This may have been brought forward given the advance listings on Amazon and other sites. Hue lights were already popular; the addition of HomeKit integration will only continue their trajectory into the smart home.

Filed under: HomeKit, iOS, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: Apple iPhone, Home Kit, homekit, Hue, integration, iOS, lights, Philips hue

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Tim Cook speaking at BoxWorks on Tuesday

Speaking before an audience in Washington D.C. tonight, Tim Cook was honored with the Human Rights Campaign’s National Visibility Award at a dinner where he discussed the fight against discrimination and inequality. The Apple CEO famously wrote earlier this year about being gay, making Cook the first chief executive of a Fortune 500 company to openly come out. In the essay in which he first publicly acknowledged his sexuality, Cook shared that he felt it was more important to help other people facing discrimination for being gay than it was to protect his private life. Delivering a speech at the HRC dinner, Cook declared that “sometimes you just have to be loud.”

via @SarahZBeeson

“People need to hear that being gay does not give you limitations in life,” the Apple CEO told the crowd attending the dinner.

During his tenure leading Apple, Cook has adopted a much louder voice on social issues, comparing controversial religious freedom laws that critics say discriminate against same-sex couples to the days racial segregation.

Apple has quite visibly participated in San Francisco’s annual LGBT Pride parade in recent years, too, even promoting LGBT content in the App Store at times and embracing LGBT-protection legislation as a company.

Also in attendance at the HRC dinner was Vice President Joe Biden, who shared a few words of his own about Tim Cook’s effort to be a voice for equality. Biden praised Cook for giving women and men of the LGBT community encouragement through his openness.

Prior to attending the Human Rights Campaign dinner, both Tim Cook and the Newseum in Washington D.C. tweeted about his visit to the freedom of speech museum.

Glad to welcome Apple CEO, Tim Cook to the Newseum today! http://t.co/N4giykrll1

—
  (@Newseum) October 03, 2015

Thanks to the @Newseum for an inspiring visit today, and for celebrating a great cornerstone of our democracy.

—
Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 03, 2015

Some perspective from those in attendance:

Apple CEO Tim Cook starts speech at HRC dinner. "I love to see the iPhones. Thank you!" http://t.co/YUzDiXJeeg

—
Chris Johnson (@chrisjohnson82) October 04, 2015

"Kids are still being told they won't amount to anything. And being bullied to the point of suicide." – @tim_cook #NationalDinner @hrc

—
Milwaukee Pride (@mkepride) October 04, 2015

Apple CEO Tim Cook at @HRC National Dinner: "Discrimination against anyone holds everyone back. Everyone!" http://t.co/xPNCrNFSwR

—
Kip Hollar (@KipHollarUPS) October 04, 2015

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, accepting his award at the HRC Annual Dinner! So inspiring! #hrcnationaldinner http://t.co/Qm9sOIMZ1h

—
Joe Esparza (@jesparzadc) October 04, 2015

HRC president Chad Griffin had this to say about Cook:

“Tim Cook is a visionary whose leadership of Apple has been nothing short of remarkable,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “His willingness to bravely and directly speak his truth has not only given hope to countless people around the world, it has saved lives. Through his example and Apple’s commitment to equality, LGBT young people in particular can look to Tim Cook’s incredible career and know that there is nothing holding them back. They can dream as big as their minds allow them to, even if they want to be the CEO of one of the world’s largest companies. HRC is honored to welcome Tim to our National Dinner.”

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: HRC, Human Rights Campaign, Tim Cook

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‘The Martian’, Ridley Scott’s new sci-fi film starring Matt Damon, gets an official iOS and Apple Watch game tie-in just as the movie hits theaters in the US this weekend. The game was developed by Little Labs on license from Fox Digital Entertainment and with a little help from the author of the original book that the new film is based on.

The game mostly consists of text-based strategy gameplay, prompting players to make decisions to help Astronaut Mark Watney (played by Matt Damon in the movie) through solving problems after finding himself stranded on Mars.

The game puts Mark’s life directly in the hands of the player as they use resources on Earth to aid him in navigating the most harrowing of circumstances. Like the film and novel, the game incorporates real science to tell Mark’s story of survival on Mars and highlights iconic moments from both mediums to give players an authentic experience.

And the entire gameplay experience is available as an Apple Watch app, pictured below:

The game is available for $2.99 on the App Store as a universal download for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. That includes the whole game; there isn’t any in-app purchases or downloads. The official trailer from Little Labs is below:

Filed under: Apple Watch, iOS Tagged: Apple watch, Book, game, iOS, iPad, iPhone, mark watney, matt damon, ridley scott, The Martian

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The Apple TV is launching later in October but many of the details about the device remain under wraps. At the announcement, Apple announced that the Apple TV Siri universal search feature will include data from iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Showtime and HBO. Many had hoped that Apple would be more open with this feature, allowing Siri to incorporate data from third-party services without requiring a special Apple partnership. In a move that will please many, Tim Cook has announced that Apple will offer an API for universal search, after all, via an interview with Buzzfeed.

In a recent interview with BuzzFeed News, Apple CEO Tim Cook said universal search in Apple TV is not something that the company plans to reserve for key content partners. “At launch we’ll have iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, and HBO — so we’ll have five major inputs into universal search initially,” Cook said. “But we’re also opening an API, so that others can join in.”

Cook says that including more sources is the best experience for customers, suggesting that many services will want to be listed in the search results. The open API will also benefit non-US customers, as Apple is less likely to make partnerships with region-specific content providers.

It is unclear when the search API will be made available for use. From Cook’s wording, Apple intends to launch exclusively with iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Showtime and HBO results.

Cook has also confirmed that the Apple TV will not favor one service in particular, including its own iTunes offering. If a user can get the movie or TV show for free, such as through a Netflix subscription, that option will be prioritized. In cases where different series of shows are spread amongst services, the Apple TV will also handle this situation in the most user-friendly way.

In other words, if I’m a Netflix subscriber and I want to binge-watch a five-season series, will an Apple TV search tell me that the first three seasons are available to me for free on Netflix, the fourth is available for purchase on iTunes, and the fifth is available only on HBO? Or will it leave me to work that out myself?
Cook said the former scenario is the one Apple’s implemented. “It will be clear which service is free,” he said. In other words, Apple will show each season or episode in all the services in which it’s available to you and iTunes if they have it.

The Apple TV is set to launch sometime in October. Apple has been sending out more developer kits over the last few hours due to ‘amazing demand’ to make apps for the platform. The new Apple TV will retail at $149 for the 32 GB model and $199 for the 64 GB model. The third-generation Apple TV is still available to buy for $69 but won’t get any of the fancy new software features.

9to5Mac’s Dom Esposito got his hands on an Apple TV for a full walkthrough, so make sure to check out our hands on with the new device.

Filed under: Apple TV Tagged: Apple TV, universal search

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