Apple again attacks Australian banks for attempting to block Apple Pay adoption in the country
Apple has hit walls introducing Apple Pay into Australia with the banks arguing Apple’s business practice was anticompetitive. The banks demanded access to the NFC hardware in the iPhone to be able to offer competing contactless mobile payments services. Apple refused and the banks went to court.
Although draft rulings indicate that the court will rule in favour of Apple, the final decision will be announced in March. Today, Apple continues to lay on the criticism accusing the Australian banks for attempting to ‘delay or even block’ the Apple Pay rollout.
Filed under: Apple
Apple, Google, Facebook and more file amicus brief opposing Trump’s immigration ban
A total of 97 companies, including Apple and many other major Silicon Valley technology firms, filed an amicus brief late on Sunday to oppose the immigration order introduced by US President Donald Trump (via Bloomberg). An amicus brief is a legal filing that allows parties not directly involved in a lawsuit to offer their opinions to the court.
The brief says an open-ended ban does not aid America’s national security and instead undermines its interests. It notes that 200 of the companies in the Fortune 500 list were founded by immigrants or their children.
Filed under: Apple
With Apple Watch prices falling and Jawbone’s exit, is there still a market for dedicated fitness trackers? [Poll]
Earlier today, we reported that Jawbone was exiting the consumer hardware market in favor of selling health products and services directly to businesses. Furthermore, 9to5Toys shared an Apple Watch deal today that pushed the price of a Series 1 model down to $199.99.
With Apple Watch prices continuing to fall and Jawbone exiting the consumer hardware market, is there still a market for dedicated sport bands like the Fitbit?
Filed under: Apple
Logic Pros: Breathe some life into your tracks w/ Exhale vocal engine
In this week’s episode of Logic Pros, we are stepping into the world of Exhale. A perfect follow-up to our review of Output’s Substance bass engine, the company’s Exhale Kontakt instrument for Logic Pros X (and other DAWs) boasts a wide array of vocal samples, loops and phrases fed through a complex synthesis engine resulting in one of the coolest vocal plugins for Logic I’ve used in a long time.
Outside of typical, organic lead vocals, many of the sounds made with voices in contemporary music (think vocal samples and effects used in electronic and hip-hop music) are often done with your basic sampler like an EXS 24 or in specialty instruments like Alchemy. But Exhale adds in some cool tricks for pros while offering up an almost dubstep-voice-in-a-box synth for beginners.
Filed under: Apple
Jawbone reportedly exiting consumer wearable market, shifting focus to clinical hardware & services
According to a report from TechCrunch, Jawbone is exiting the consumer hardware market and will shift its strategy to selling services and products directly to businesses in the health market. The report comes following earlier claims that Jawbone had run out of money.
Filed under: Apple
Tim Cook makes surprise visits to France Apple Stores, mingles with employees & shoppers
This week’s top stories: Hands-on w/ Apple Watch Theater Mode, Apple Q1 earnings, LG 5K display woes, Tim Cook on Trump immigration ban, more
Become Tech Savvy: How to implement and benefit from password management software
First time checking out this series? You’ll get the most value by starting at the beginning and checking out the series overview. In our previous article we took a look at how to approach and manage passwords. Today we’ll jump into applying those ideas with 1Password.
Note for regular readers, the already tech savvy, and IT professionals: this series is designed as a resource you can share with those you are helping or for those looking to become tech savvy on their own.
Priority #2 Part 2: Getting started with password management software
Background, Expectations, & Best Practices |
In last week’s post, Michael went into a high-level overview on the importance of password management and preparing to implement a strategy. A lot of the frustration with password management stems from how overwhelming it can feel to get started. With so many usernames, passwords, sites, and accounts out there, the prospect of organizing it all can seem like climbing a mountain.
So while there is a decent amount of work to get things going, it will pay big dividends in time savings and reduced frustration. We’ll help you see this is really doable by breaking down the process step by step.
Filed under: Apple
Should Apple continue including adapters/cables with new iPhones? [Poll]
Last December Ben wrote a thorough opinion piece on the topic of what port we may see in future iPhones and also asked for readers’ feedback. The majority of pollsters shared they believe Apple won’t incorporate USB-C in the iPhone this year, with 30% thinking 2018 could be the year, 19% saying ‘Never,’ and 18% ‘Later.’ However, there was still almost 30% of respondents who voted that the change will happen this year.
Whether Apple decides to stick with Lightning for this year’s devices or not, it will be interesting to see if they include more adapters in the box or expect customers to pay extra to retain compatibility with their computers and accessories. What do you think?
Filed under: Apple
Hands-on with Elago’s $15 Macintosh-inspired W3 Apple Watch Stand [Video]
Since the Apple Watch was first unveiled, accessory makers flooded the market with third-party add-ons. From watch bands to docks, the options are nearly endless, yet Elago has managed to standout from the competition with its W3 Stand that looks like a vintage Macintosh 128K.
By leveraging Nightstand Mode on your Apple Watch, Elago is bringing back memories of the iconic Mac. And at $15, it’s affordable too…
Filed under: Apple