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Apple to update Apple Watch in mid-March with new bands, OS + full redesign in fall
Jeff Williams announcing September Apple Watch updates – AFP
In addition to launching a new 4-inch iPhone likely called the “iPhone 5se,” Apple plans to announce new Apple Watch models in March. The new lineup will be similar to the September 2015 Apple Watch revision, bringing a series of new band color options to the Apple Watch lineup. We are also told that entirely new bands made out of new materials are in development in addition to partnerships with firms beyond Hermes. Last year, Apple had discussed partnering up with popular third-party accessory makers, such as Incase, in some official fashion, but it is unclear if those are ready for this March revision.
The March Apple Watch update is unlikely to include new hardware functionality, but Apple is said to be preparing to formally release the WatchOS 2.2 update, which went into the developer beta stage earlier this month, alongside the new variations. Developer betas have revealed that the new software allows for multiple Apple Watches to be synced to a single iPhone in addition to new functionality in the Maps app. It is likely that Apple has more enhancements for this March update in development. We are told that a full second-generation redesign of the Apple Watch is scheduled to ship in the fall and is currently tracking a September announcement, a possibility TechCrunch recently raised, not this spring.
With new Apple Watch bands and software features in the pipeline along with the new iPhone model and iOS 9.3, sources say that Apple is still tentatively planning a small media event in March. Apple’s current plans call for an event-based introduction during the week of March 14th, but this could be reliant upon another product becoming ready for introduction in the spring, such as the in-the-works iPad Air 3. A major iOS app developer tells us that it started seeing signs in November that new iPad models codenamed “iPad 6,3 and 6,4,” which would slot between the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Pro in Apple’s internal naming lineup, are in testing. It is possible that this event could turn into an online announcement if the third announcement is not ready for March.
Filed under: iOS Devices
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Why the feature-light iOS 9.2.1 security update matters
Three days ago Apple released an iOS 9.2.1 update with seemingly arbitrary ‘security updates and bug fixes’ listed in the release notes. As we’ve seen time and time again with these type of software updates, most often these small updates seem to go ignored by the general public. We stress how important it is to keep your device up to date, even with small security updates like this.
As is customary after Apple releases a security update version of iOS, the firms and people that discovered the vulnerabilities are coming out explaining how and why these security updates matter. Apple has already included a breakdown of what security issues were resolved in iOS 9.2.1, but it’s still nice to get a further detailed look into what made the vulnerabilities possible in the first place.
SkyCure, a company helping in threat defense in EMM and MDM solutions, released a blog post this week detailing their discovery while noting that Apple had finally resolved it. The security issue (CVE-2016-1730) was reported back in June of 2013, but SkyCure notes that it was a more complicated issue to fix than one would imagine. SkyCure’s discovery relates to the way iOS handles cookies when connecting to a malicious captive-enabled Wi-Fi network. You may have seen these types of networks if you’ve ever connected to a hotel, airport or Starbucks network.
On Thursday, security researchers at Zimperium zLabs had also released a report analyzing how their vulnerability (CVE-2016-1722) was discovered. This vulnerability appears to have taken less than two months to resolve. Zimperium’s discovery revolved around a heap buffer overflow in syslogd that would allow an attacker to have elevated privileges or even perform remote code execution (although this would require the device to be on an already trusted Wi-Fi network).
As the desire for better security, privacy, and encryption increases, I welcome the security researchers’ work and Apple’s “minor” update. Even if they don’t include any exciting new features, like new emoji.
Filed under: Developers, iOS Tagged: EMM, iOS, iOS 9.2.1, MDM, privacy, Security, SkyCure, Updates, Zimperium
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Apple readies ’iPhone 5se’, not ‘6c’, for March/April with curved edges & Live Photos
That purported 4-inch “iPhone 6c” floating around the web yesterday? It’s fake, according to sources who have used the upcoming iPhone with a 4-inch display. Instead of releasing a smaller version of the iPhone 6s in order to appease potential customers seeking an iPhone with a screen smaller than 4.7 or 5.5-inches, Apple is upgrading the existing iPhone 5s that was first released in fall 2013. Also contrary to rumors, the device is not a preview of the iPhone 7 as it will mostly retain the 5s’s design and still include a headphone jack…
The new device is internally codenamed “N69,” but the launch name will likely be the “iPhone 5se.” The “se” suffix has been described in two ways by Apple employees: as a “special edition” variation of the vintage 4-inch iPhone screen size and as an “enhanced” version of the iPhone 5s. Indeed, the upcoming “5se” features a design similar to 2013’s flagship but upgraded internals, software, and hardware features that blend the old design with modern technologies from the past two iPhone upgrades.
Sources have provided the following list of “iPhone 5se” upgrades over the 5s:
- The chamfered, shiny edges have been replaced with curved glass like on the iPhone 6 and 6s lines
- The same 8 megapixel rear camera and 1.2 megapixel front camera systems from the iPhone 6
- Support for larger panoramas and autofocus for video recording
- Barometer for tracking elevation in the Health app
- An NFC chip for Apple Pay
- The A8 and M8 chips from the iPhone 6
- Bluetooth 4.2, VoLTE, and 802.11ac WiFi chips from the iPhone 6s
- Live Photos from the iPhone 6s
- Same Silver, Space Gray, Silver, & Rose Gold color options as the 6s line
While Live Photos on the 6s leverages 3D Touch, the “5se’s” screen will be identical to that of the 2013 model and not pressure-sensitive. Apple is utilizing the “5se” as a way to keep up with modern technology and support future major iOS upgrades without competing with the design of the newer and larger iPhone 6s line. Apple hopes that this model could spur additional upgrades over time from those currently sticking to an iPhone 5 or earlier. The current 5s will likely be discontinued, per sources. The new device is currently in production overseas and is planned for a March introduction ahead of a late March or early April release.
Filed under: iOS Devices
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Apple Pay adds support for 50+ new banks and credit unions in the US
Apple has been steadily adding more banks to its list of those officially supported for Apple Pay, and today it adds yet another 50+ for users of the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch-based payment service. The new additions include a mix of banks and credit unions across the US, but don’t bring any newly supported institutions to users internationally. Head below for the full list of new banks and credit unions.
Apple Pay is officially live in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom in addition to the US, but the rollout of banks in other regions has lagged behind the US rollout considerably. While Apple supports hundreds of banks and credit unions in the US and adds another 50+ today, it only supports 15 in the UK and only non-bank issued American Express cards in Canada and the UK.
And in addition to almost every month rolling out support for the service to new banks in the US, Apple last month launched support for BJ’s Wholesale Club store cards. BJ’s is the second store card to be supported for the service following Kohl’s card launching back in October. Apple originally announced the feature back in June with partners Kohl’s and JCPenney, but it has yet to launch with additional retailers (or JCPenney).
A full list of the 50+ new banks getting Apple support this week is below:
- 1st MidAmerica Credit Union
- Achieve Financial Credit Union
- Advantage Federal Credit Union
- Alloy Federal Credit Union
- Altoona First Savings Bank
- Altura Credit Union
- Amalgmated Bank of Chicago
- Associated Credit Union of Texas
- Bank of Ann Arbor
- Beehive Federal Credit Union
- Brand Banking Company
- Business Bank of St. Louis
- Capitol Credit Union
- Charlotte State Bank & Trust
- Citizens Bank (AL)
- Citizens Savings Bank
- Community Credit Union
- Credit Union of Texas
- Earthmover Credit Union
- Employment Security Credit Union
- Family Trust Federal Credit Union
- First Community Bank of Beemer
- First Interstate Bank
- First Service Federal Credit Union
- First Service Federal Credit Union
- Fort Community Credit Union
- Georgia Bank and Trust
- HomeStar and Financial Services
- Houston Highway Credit Union
- IDB-IIC Federal Credit Union
- Jefferson Financial Credit Union
- Katahdin Federal Credit Union
- Lion’s Share Federal Credit Union
- Mainstreet Community Bank of Florida
- Marine Bank & Trust
- Marine Federal Credit Union
- Monona State Bank
- Navy Army Community Credit Union
- Northway Bank
- Oakworth Capital Bank
- Plaza Park State Bank
- Reliant Community Credit Union
- Security Bank and Trust Company
- Silver State Schools Credit Union
- Spencer County Bank
- Summit Community Bank
- Sundance State Bank
- The Commerce Bank of Washington
- Tioga State Bank
- Torrance Community Credit Union
- Total Community Credit Union
- Triangle Credit Union
- United Community Bank
- USNY Bank
Filed under: Apple Pay Tagged: ann arbor, Apple, Apple pay, banks, capitol credit union, citizens bank, credit unions, iPhone, support, update, usny bank
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How-To: Use Apple Watch faces as gorgeous Mac screen savers
Even though I’ve owned a Mac for going on 5+ years now, I never thought I would actually end up using screen savers. But the launch of Aerial a few months ago, which I’ve been using daily ever since, has definitely changed my mind. Awesome Apple TV screen savers on the Mac is a win. And today I came across the Apple Watch Screen Saver for OS X by Rasmus Nielsen and immediately knew it would be my next screen saver of choice.
Incorporating over 80 combinations of the already recognizable and well designed Apple Watch faces, all in Retina display quality, it makes a great additional screen saver to have installed. For those unfamiliar with the process of installing new screen savers on the Mac, or just want an overview before starting, I’ve put together a small guide below to walk you through the process:
While the Aerial screen saver has been great, I know not everyone will want to use it solely because it either streams or caches all the videos. This can be tricky for those who are on limited data plans at home or have low storage on their computer (if the latter is your situation, keep an eye on our sister-site 9to5Toys for great external drive deals). Whether you’re looking for a clean and simple screen saver, or just want to match your current Apple Watch face, these Apple Watch screen savers will be a perfect choice for you.
Download the screen saver from Rasmus’ site, and unzip the downloaded file (done by double-clicking on the file itself). Because this app isn’t signed, Gatekeeper will block its installation by default. We’re going to have to control-click (or secondary click) on the ‘WatchOSX.saver’ file, select ‘Open’, and then select ‘Open’ again on the unidentified developer alert dialog. If you don’t control-click on the file when launching, you might be alerted by OS X that the file was created by an unidentified developer, and would not be given the option to install it.
After that, System Preferences will launch automatically, asking for confirmation on installation, and who you would like to install the screen saver for. I have multiple users on my Mac, so I selected ‘Install for this user only’.
Once completed, System Preferences will automatically open the ‘Desktop & Screen Saver’ preferences, where the new screen saver will be installed under the title ‘Watch OSX’. Selecting the newly installed screen saver and then hitting ‘Screen Saver Options’ to the right will allow you to customize the watch faces to your liking. If you hover over the screen saver preview above ‘Screen Saver Options…’, you’ll see a small ‘Preview’ option that will allow you to quickly see what your screen saver will look like once activated.
With 85 total combinations, 5 watch face types and 17 colors, you’ll easily be able to find something to your liking if you appreciate the design of the Apple Watch faces. Plus it’s a tasteful way to use your Mac display as a clock when it’s not otherwise being used.
If you’re looking for some real world examples of what other’s have done with their own screen saver, check out #applewatchscreensaver on Instagram. Got any other favorite screen savers you use on your Mac? Let us know!
Filed under:
How-To, Apps, Mac Tagged: Apple watch, Apps, design, how to, Mac, OS X, Screen saver, Screensavers, watchOS
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: iOS/Mac productivity app deals, LifeProof iPhone 6 case $30, 1TB SSD $290, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
Apple’s Get Productive iOS App Sale 50% or more off: Things, Clear, Duet Displays, Deliveries, much more
App Store Free App of the Week: MarcoPolo Ocean puzzle game (Reg. $3)
1Password for Mac keeps your accounts and information safe, now $25 (Reg. $50)
Use your iPad as an additional screen for your Mac or PC w/ Duet Display, now just $8 (Reg. $16)
Astropad turns your iPad into a professional Mac drawing tablet, download it now for $10 (Reg. $20)
Deliveries package tracker for iOS hits its lowest price yet: $2 (Reg. $5)
LifeProof FRE iPhone 6 Waterproof Case in Blue: $30 Prime shipped (Orig. $80)
iPhone 6/s Plus Benuo Leather Folio credit card case, various colors: $15 Prime shipped (Reg. $30)
Speck CandyShell iPhone 6/6s Case: $12 or two for $14 Prime shipped (Reg. $35 each)
OtterBox Defender Series iPhone 6 Plus Case: $24 Prime shipped (Orig. $60)
Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drive: $290 shipped (Reg. $329+)
Several refurbished 12-inch MacBook w/ Retina display models are now available from Apple
Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro w/ Force Touch (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,250 shipped (Reg. $1,499)
Apple 12″ Retina MacBook 1.2Ghz/8GB/512GB: $1,290 shipped (Reg. $1,599)
Pay What You Want: The 2016 Mac Bundle ~12
Work Faster & Smarter on Your Mac with 12 Apps to Clear Your Hard Drive, Enhance Audio, Track Device Activity & More
Anker USB Power: 9-ft. MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cable $6 (Reg. $12), 13,400mAh Power Bank $27 (Reg. $40), more
iTunes Gift Cards 20% off w/ free shipping: $100 for $80, $50 for $40 — Save on apps, music, movies, more
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Games/Apps: Mortal Kombat X from $25, Batman Arkham Knight from $15, iOS freebies, more
- Get in shape at work w/ FitDesk’s Under Desk Elliptical: $100 shipped (Reg. $170)
- Enjoy all 14 stories from the original Jungle Book w/ audible narration for $1
- Philips Wake-Up Light $110, Lumo Lift Posture Coach and Activity Tracker $50
- Logitech Harmony Smart Control Universal Remote: $70 shipped (Reg. $105)
- Google Play offers downloads of Kelly Clarkson’s Piece by Piece album for free
- Add TiVo functionality to your setup with this refurb Roamio DVR deal: $30 + $5 shipping (Orig. $50)
MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
Mpow Grip Air Vent Magnetic Car iPhone Mount $5 Prime shipped (Reg. $7)
Throw one hell of a Super Bowl party w/ this Samsung 60″ Smart 3D 4K UHDTV: $998 shipped (Orig. $1,800)
LG 60-inch Smart 2160p 4K UHDTV w/ webOS 2.0: $899 shipped (Reg, $1,200)
- QNAP TS-231 2-Bay Personal Cloud NAS w/ AirPlay $136 shipped (Reg. $176)
- Contigo 16 oz Stainless Travel Mug: $20 Prime shipped (Reg. $25)
- Bluetooth Selfie Stick with Remote Shutter $7 Prime shipped (Reg. $16)
- Fashion: Old Navy 50% off sitewide – men’s hoodie $15 (Orig. $35), more
- Apple iPad Air Wi-Fi 16GB in Silver or Space Gray: $299 shipped (Reg. $399)
- Upgrade your old speakers with this Mpow Bluetooth dongle: $8 (Reg. $10+)
- AOC 22-Inch 1080p IPS Frameless LED Monitor $100 shipped (Orig. $140)
- I-Venstar Portable Bluetooth Speaker $7 Prime shipped (Reg. $27)
- Headphones: Klipsch STATUS Over-Ear $70 shipped (Reg. $90+), more
- USB-C cables w/ Prime shipping: 6.6-ft for $7, 9.9-ft for $8, wall chargers + more
- Liger Handlebar Mount for iPhone 6s/Android devices $6 Prime shipped (Orig. $25)
- Bluetooth Speakers: Sony SRSX2 w/ NFC $60 (Reg. $80+), Aukey Rugged $15 (Reg. $25)
- Kingston V300 240GB 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drive: $62 shipped (Reg. $80+)
- iOrange MFi Lightning Cables: 6-ft. $7 (Reg. $14), 10-ft. $9 (Reg. $15), more
- Pioneer AV Receiver w/ Bluetooth and Wi-Fi: $250 shipped (Reg. $400)
- Belkin MFi Lightning iPad Keyboard w/ Stand: $40 shipped (Reg. $70)
- Monopoly 80th Anniversary Game $11 w/ in-store pick-up (Orig. $22)
- PSA: Xbox Live Gold Members can enjoy a free trial for EA Access this week
- Mackie CR4 speakers (pair) + Audio-Technica headphones $170 ($249 value)
- The Martian Blu-ray/Digital HD for $15 Prime shipped (Reg. $23)
- A Dark Room for iOS goes free as IGN’s Game of the Month (Reg. $1)
- Download Ashley Monroe’s Grammy nominated album The Blade for free (Reg. $10)
- Get to racing on your Android with Need for Speed Most Wanted: $0.10 (Reg. $5)
Game pre-orders for Amazon Prime members – Final Fantasy XV, more: $48 ea (Reg. $60)
NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:
Exploding Kittens: the “most-funded game in Kickstarter history” comes to iOS w/ special launch offer
Brinks has a new solar-powered deadbolt that is iOS-connected w/ HomeKit on the way
- Leica’s new X-U action camera makes your GoPro look like a child’s toy
- The first Amazon Dash Replenishment devices are now available for order
- Grovemade’s new entryway collection brings handcrafted charm to your home
- Blipcast uses your Wi-Fi to beam HDTV audio to multiple iOS or Android devices
- This Nintendo-inspired Bluetooth speaker is just about perfect in every way
- Netflix Announces Premiere Dates for 10 Original Shows including House of Cards, more
- Review: EasyACC 3 USB-port/2 AC-port surge protector is perfect for bedside, desk or travel
Filed under: Tips and Tricks
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Apple Watch Hermès collection now available online after initial limited retail availability
After several months of limited availability in select retail stores across the globe, Apple Watch Hermès is now available to purchase online. Interestingly, that counters the initial point-of-sale strategy with the other three Apple Watch collections, which were at first only available to purchase online before hitting retail stores months later. Instead, the Apple Watch collection introduced in partnership with Hermès last fall enjoyed a more intimate point-of-sale experience with North American availability limited to Apple, Hermès, and Maxfield locations in LA, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Toronto with a similar situation across Europe and Asia.
As was reported to occur earlier this week, Apple Watch Hermès can now be purchased online from Hermes.com for the first time; Apple.com is expected to also offer the collection as well. French boutique and early Apple partner Collette similarly has Apple Watch Hermès available to order online. And there’s a whole market on eBay for Apple Watch Hermès that has existed since resellers got stock, but now online availability is official. My guess is we’re seeing some first-gen merchandise being moved before the expected refresh later this year, although the Hermès straps likely won’t be losing their value anytime soon.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Apple Watch Hermès collection, the product is a partnership between Apple and Hermès that includes a stainless steel Apple Watch with custom engravings and Hermès-inspired custom watch faces. The collection officially became available in select stores in October.
The big selling factor is the line of Hermès-designed leather straps that come in a range of styles and colors not offered in other Apple Watch collections. Styles include a single tour, double tour, and cuff strap with pricing starting at $1100 and ranging to $1500.
Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Apple, Apple watch, Apple Watch Hermès, hermes
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Mac users can now try out new Microsoft Office features early with ‘Office Insider’ program
Microsoft opened up a beta test program for Windows users last November, letting Microsoft Office fanatics get early access to upcoming new features. Microsoft is now rolling out the program to the Mac, so OS X users can (optionally) join the beta program too. For the first round of the beta program, Microsoft will be adding inking and realtime typing / collaboration to PowerPoint. Expect these features in the ‘coming weeks’. More details available here.
To join the OS X Office beta, open the Microsoft Office AutoUpdater app (it comes preinstalled with Word, Excel and PowerPoint). There’s a button to join and you’ll start receiving early access to new features. Microsoft continues to be a good citizen on Apple’s platforms. Yesterday, Office for iOS added 3D Touch, and more Apple Pencil inking features for iPad Pro.
Filed under: AAPL Company, Apps, iOS, iOS Devices, Mac Tagged: Mac, Mini, Office, office insider, Outlook, Windows
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Why You Won’t Recognize SEO in Five Years
As marketers, we’ve gotten quite good at evolving our playbooks when it comes to SEO. But the changes we’ve seen to this point are nothing compared to what’s coming next.
We are in the early stages of a new era of search — an era tied closely to more sophisticated patterns such as mobile, social, and voice search, among other things. And for the first time this isn’t just a matter of adding a new chapter to our SEO strategy, it’s a matter of creating entire new playbooks.
To this point, SEO has predominantly revolved around browser-based search engines. More precisely, it’s been linked directly to Google. That’s where all the search activity has been. That’s where content consumption has historically started. Not anymore.
New universes of search are taking shape outside of the browser window. In many of them the rules for optimization have yet to be defined.
3 Emerging Search Patterns That Are Changing the Face of SEO
1) Mobile Search
Here’s a fascinating little tidbit that changes everything. We all know the lion’s share of web usage has moved from desktop to mobile devices. At last count, 60 percent of internet use took place on mobile. It’s a figure, somehow equally astounding and obvious, that leads experts like Benedict Evans to nudge: “We should stop talking about ‘mobile’ internet and ‘desktop’ internet. It’s like talking about ‘colour’ TV, as opposed to black and white TV.”
“Mobile is the internet.” He declares.
Now, that would be change enough, but the fascinating little tidbit I’m talking about? That’s still to come. According to Forrester, it turns out that 85% of the time we spend on phones is spent in apps — really it’s spent in just a handful of apps. So, if internet activity is growing on mobile, and mobile activity is predominantly spent in apps, what does that mean for search engines?
It doesn’t look as though desktop browser use is declining as of yet, but it has flat-lined; and content consumption within apps and devices has opened up in a big way. Unfortunately, content in apps isn’t easily traversed via traditional browser-based search engines nor optimized via traditional search engine optimization. App stores, by both Google and Apple, are still the primary mechanism for finding new apps and content.
Here Evans frames the situation well again, “Today, app stores look a lot like the Yahoo of 20 years ago, and they don’t work for the same reasons – you can browse 20,000 apps but not a million. Hierarchical directories don’t scale.”
Which means, better app search is coming. Better app search is inevitable. In the meantime, Spotlight search on the iPhone is worth taking seriously. Often thought of as a quick search tool for the contents of your iPhone, Spotlight can actually search within apps and even bypass Google to bring you some web results. Spotlight doesn’t play by the same rules as Google, Bing or DuckDuckGo. It is its own search mechanism and, as such, will need its own optimization rules.
So, we’re in early days here. “Yahoo in the late 90s” kind of early days. Search engine optimization for apps and the content within them has not yet caught up to user behavior, and when it does it could look very different from the browser-based playbook we use today.
2) Social Search
Something has been happening on our favorite social channels. Over the last year Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat have each released a collection of new features, which on their own would be mildly remarkable, but collectively signify a massive shift in the priorities of social channels.
Did you know Facebook can now search for content as easily as people? Turns out, it handles 1.5 billion daily searches, gaining on Google’s 3.5 billion. More and more these searches are targeting content not just people. This is interesting for a couple of reasons, the greatest of which might be how big of a role connections and influencers play in search results. After all, this is a social channel. As such, optimizing for Facebook and other social channels may be an entirely different game than optimizing for Google.
Think this is a small change? Blake Ross, cofounder of Mozilla, advises otherwise: “Judge a company’s priorities by its pixels. This is an announcement that sits at the very top of a feature that sits at the very top of Facebook. It follows a year of intense, smart, and creative experimentation in this area. This isn’t a lark. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve been noticing more and more public content/search/trend features popping up all over Facebook this year.”
The second search-related change on social has to do with how these channels are beginning to treat content. We call them social “channels” because these sites have historically been a pass-through for businesses and publications — a way to promote content and get viewers back to your websites.
However, in the last year, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat have all released features designed to keep viewers on their sites and in their apps, with no pass-through. Facebook introduced instant articles, which contain the full article within the Facebook app rather than requiring a clickthrough. Sources say that Twitter, which already has the walled garden of “Moments,” is exploring a project to enable longer form content on the channel.
Will Oremus, senior technology editor at Slate explains, “What’s really changing here, then, is not the length of the tweet. It’s where that link at the bottom takes you when you click on it—or, rather, where it doesn’t take you. Instead of funneling traffic to blogs, news sites, and other sites around the Web, the “read more” button will keep you playing in Twitter’s own garden.”
Social media has long been considered a powerful channel through which visitors find content on your website. These subtle changes however are pointing to a future that looks quite different. And if content becomes more decentralized away from the website, optimization of that content will likely change, too.
3) Voice Search & Personal Assistants
In the last few years, we’ve been introduced to Siri, Google Now, Cortana, and Alexa — voice-activated personal assistants created by Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, respectively. The emergence of voice-activated personal assistants has run alongside the rapid development of connected devices beyond the desktop computer or smart phone. Everything from watches to scales, home speakers to lights are now connected to the internet and its never-ending sea of information. As our access to the internet has diversified, so has our search behavior. How so? Let’s take a look.
- Natural language: Each morning I get up, stagger to the coffee pot and utter the phrase: “Alexa, what’s new?” Amazon’s Alexa — which is based in a speaker on my countertop — dutifully answers: “Here’s Meghan’s Flash Briefing.” She then plays news and weather relevant to me and my location. I don’t structure the search query. I don’t use keywords. Alexa is smart enough to associate natural language with a request.
- Expanded search windows: Because of the prevalence of connected devices we’re no longer only searching when seated at our desks or in a convenient place for typing on our phones. Search can happen anywhere at any time. Something that influences both the volume of the searches we’re conducting and their composition.
- Context and history: Unlike browser search engines which still rely heavily on the expressed search terms, personal assistant searches pull upon the searcher’s history and context. If I’ve ordered dog food before, Alexa pulls in the exact brand from past orders and asks me if I’d like to re-order. If I’m leaving the office at 6 p.m., Google now will tell me exactly how long it will take me to get home. These searches remove a step, or several, from the research and get me to the point of action more quickly.
Image Credit: Amazon Echo
When the internet is suddenly all around you, it becomes more and more common to discard your keyboard and directly ask the universe for what you want. This changes the structure of these queries. What you want may be less specific and structured than traditional search queries. Imagine optimizing for queries like, “What should I do tonight?” as opposed to structured searches like “Best Sydney Area Restaurants.”
Preparing for a New Era
Changes in behavior always precede changes in strategy. The point in drawing attention to these new search patterns is not to raise alarms; it’s to raise eyebrows. While the future is uncertain, one thing is clear: the world of search is not ending, it’s expanding. And expanding worlds call out for exploration.
Have you notice any other emerging search trends? What are your thoughts on where search is headed? Share your thoughts and ideas below.
Apple made more revenue from iPhone in a single quarter than Google has ever made from Android
The lawsuit between Oracle and Google is inadvertently revealing some confidential information about the companies. It has already been disclosed that Google paid Apple a $1 billion fee in 2014 to keep Google as the default search provider for iOS Safari, as well as a revenue sharing agreement where Google gives a substantial portion of the iPhone search ad revenue to Apple.
Another lawyer from Oracle has also stated that Google has generated $22 billion in profit and $31 billion in revenue from Android in its lifetime, via Bloomberg. Although any number in the billions is impressive, it pales in comparison to Apple’s mobile platform profiteering. As highlighted by Quartz, Apple made more revenue from the iPhone in one single quarter, raking in $32 billion dollars worth of iPhone sales from July – September.
Obviously, there are some qualifications which explain the huge discrepancies somewhat. Most notably, Google doesn’t really make or sell its own hardware. Almost all Android revenue is derived from the Google Play Store developer revenue share (like Apple, Google has a 70/30 split) or ads shown from Google’s phones. Apple’s highly successful hardware business is better stacked to give higher margins, and with higher margins comes higher profits.
So, whilst this figure is more symbolic than anything, it is significant in showing Apple’s success with the iPhone in general. Remember: Apple and Samsung are the only manufacturers to make money from smartphones. Everyone else consistently loses money. The risks associated with the hardware business go often overlooked, but Apple is reaping the rewards from its success.
Even looking at software sales numbers, Apple is close to Google’s numbers. Apple last announced the App Store had raked in $40 billion for developers. That means Apple generated at least $12 billion in revenue from App Store. Adding in partner deals like the $1bn Google Search arrangement, iOS’s software-only numbers are approximately half of those reported for Android, which relies on only software app sales and ads for its business model. It’s impressive however you slice it.
Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: Android, Apple, Google, money, profit, Revenue
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How to Build the Best Google AdWords Campaign
No matter how many free tools crop up for ecommerce companies, a paid ad is sometimes the best bet for driving new traffic to your website. The problem is that other ecommerce and even brick-and-mortar competitors are using the same search terms and keywords you will. Not only do you need to know how to build a campaign through Google’s AdWords product, you also need to know how to stand out from the crowd.
We’ll start with the basics and then throw in some pro tips for good measure. By the time we’re done, you’ll be an expert! Here’s how it’s done.
Get an AdWords Account
Before you can do anything, you’ll need to visit the AdWords site and sign up for an AdWords account. This involves some financial information so that Google can get paid for each click, so be ready with all your banking credentials.
Once you have an account and you’re ready to go, click the Create Your First Campaign button.
Choose Campaign Type
Most would suggest starting with the “Search Network only” option, but you can change this as you learn and grow. Next, you’ll want to give your campaign a name so you can track your results. It’s a good idea to start with a naming system that you’ll keep using so you don’t get confused somewhere down the line.
Designate Geographic Area
Being an online shop does mean you’re less concerned about geographic constraints. It’s still not a bad idea to consider where, exactly, the majority of your audience lives. If you don’t know, then you may want to back up a step and consider your buyer personas first. Why spend money advertising to people in the Midwest if the bulk of your customers live in the Northeast?
You can also reach other countries, if your ecommerce company serves international buyers. Just be sure you’re prepared for any of the buyers who come your way as a result of your ads. You might pay a lot of money for visitors who can’t make a purchase if you’re not careful.
Set Your Budget
This is a pretty important step. You want to include enough money to make a difference, but you really don’t want to break the bank. You can manually set the bids for clicks, which gives you more control. This also means your ads will stop showing once your budget is spent. That means you won’t end up with a shocker of a bill later.
Once you have the hang of everything, you can go back and change your settings to automatic or maybe even apply for a Google credit line. These are best left to experienced users, because it doesn’t take much to completely empty a bank account just for paid clicks.
Write Your Ad
This is the most important aspect of your AdWords education. The copy you use is what will convince potential buyers to click. You want to attract plenty of people, yes, but you also want those people to buy. If they don’t buy, you pay anyway. So start with a great headline that uses search terms that will reach your niche. You only get 25 characters, so make every last one of them count. You might even need to use abbreviations, or you can search for shorter synonyms.
Then you get 35 characters for the second and third lines. Use this space to point on benefits. How will the product solve your buyers’ pain? Then on the third line you can capitalize on a feature. Be ready to change these if you notice your ad isn’t gaining a lot of traction.
Add Your Display URL
It’s important to notice the difference between the URLs you’ll use in your ad. The display URL is the one you want people to remember. It’s the home page to your website, the address people will type in if they visit without finding you through an ad first. This is what you want to display.
Add Your Destination URL
Now, it’s never a good idea to have a PPC ad that leads straight to the home page. You want a landing page that focuses on the products featured in the AdWords ad. If you send people straight to the home page, they’ll have to do another search for the products they want, and they’re not likely to stick around for that. This is why it’s so important to understand the difference between the display URL and the destination URL.
Add Your Keywords
Remember that you’ll be competing against many other companies for the same audience. Take some time to think of the keywords that will reach people who are ready to buy. For instance, instead of using “luxury shoes” in your PPC ad, you can use keywords such as “red leather heels.” Maybe you’ll miss out on people who are looking for shoes of all types, but you’ll snag those who have a particular shoe in mind. They’ll be more likely to make a purchase if your ad leads to a landing page with red leather heels, and that will more than pay for their click.
You can also use negative keywords and save a lot of money on your clicks. These tell AdWords what you don’t want your ad to show up for. In other words, you can use keywords such as red leather heels not stilettos.
Bid On Your Clicks
Finally, you’ll need to tell Google how much you want to spend on your clicks. Remember that you’re bidding on visibility here. Those willing to pay more for clicks will show up more often in the searches. You really do have to spend money to make money, especially in the pay-per-click game. As long as you’re manually controlling your budget, you can go all out for clicks until your cash runs out and just replenish your budget when you’re ready to go again.
Double Check Your Double Check
It’s always a good idea to check over everything one more time before you set your ad in motion. Is everything spelled correctly? You’ll miss out on keyword searches if you typo one of them. Did you make sure to manually control the budget? You could end up broke tomorrow if you didn’t. When you’re sure you did everything correctly, then take a deep breath and launch.
Beyond setting everything up correctly, you’ll also want to A/B test your results often. Change headlines, introduce new features, focus on different benefits—and then take note of the number of conversions. There is always a way to make your ad perform better.
What Is CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Software?
CRM. If you work in sales or marketing, you’ve probably heard this three-letter acronym tossed around before. Maybe you’ve even been told you need one. No matter what, you’re curious about one thing: What does it actually mean? And how do you know if you need it?
What Is CRM?
CRM, or customer relationship management, refers to software that lets companies track every interaction with current and future customers. CRM doesn’t refer to a specific set of features or a brand. It’s a catchall term for any system that allows this kind of tracking, so the software itself is usually just referred to by the acronym ‘CRM.’
Click here to get HubSpot’s free CRM software.
A CRM’s capabilities vary from system to system. Almost all CRMs can store prospect and customer contact information. Some can log calls and emails sent to prospects, pull in prospects’ social media profiles, and include space for users to enter additional information.
More sophisticated CRMs can enrich prospect information, allow reps to schedule meetings within the app, visually display a sales team’s pipeline, and provide sales forecasts.
Regardless of the features in place, the goal of implementing a CRM is to create a system that your company (most often the sales and marketing teams) can use to more efficiently and effectively interact with prospects or customers.
Marketing will often use a CRM to ensure that they’re rotating the right leads to sales — a key aspect of developing a strong relationship with the sales team. On the sales side, having the entire prospect history in one place saves a ton of time and improves productivity. For instance, reps won’t have to hunt through a bunch of different programs to figure out who they should be calling next.
Today, most CRMs are in the cloud, making it easy for your company to install and maintain your system. Instead of installing and hosting the software on your company’s servers, you typically pay a monthly subscription fee to get access to your CRM in your web browser.
The next question people ask after they learn about CRMs: Do I need one, too?
Do You Need a CRM System?
The short answer is yes. Every company is in the business of growth, and CRM software enables companies to do just that.
Here’s the long answer: If you ever plan to scale your business, you need tools that grow with you. You could manually track everything a CRM records, but as your sales team and customer base grow, manual data entry will become a huge drain on your employees’ valuable time. Different salespeople’s records aren’t guaranteed to be complete, much less include the same information or follow the same format.
It’ll be extremely difficult to gauge company-wide performance or analyze past activities to inform your current playbook. Your ability to grow depends on enabling your whole team to contact prospects at the right time with relevant information, and you simply can’t do this efficiently without a CRM.
How Do You Decide Which CRM Software to Get?
There are many CRM options out there that could work for your business. It all depends on which features your business needs most. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you figure out which CRM you should get:
- Does your sales team have a clear process for whom to call and when? If not, you might want a CRM that gives them insight into which prospects are most engaged.
- Does your company work on large B2B deals that require you to interact with many people inside one organization? You might want a CRM that can easily pull and organize someone’s data based on the company they work for.
- How do you primarily interact with leads: by phone, email, social media, or a combination? You should find out how different CRMs could make prospect interaction easy for reps.
The best way to figure out what you need right now is to talk with people both high up in your sales organization and those on the ground floor. That way, you’ll find out what features your team will need as a whole and in the day-to-day. (Pro Tip: Use this list as a jumping-off point for discussions about CRM features you’d like to have.)
What’s the one feature pretty much every company will need? A sound integration between your CRM and marketing software. For you to properly communicate and track your company’s prospects, leads, and customers at every stage of the buying journey, your technology needs to play nice together. (HubSpot customers: The HubSpot Marketing and Sales Platforms are closely integrated, so it’s easy for you to capture, score, and hand off leads to Sales. Click here if you’d like to try the free HubSpot CRM.)
The moral of the story here is this: If you’re running a business and intend to keep growing, you should get a CRM. Your success depends on being able to delight your customers. Knowing as much about them as possible, delivering rapid responses to their inquiries, solving problems quickly, and delivering a personalized experience in which a customer feels special will help you delight your customers — and ultimately, help you grow.
For a handy visual representation of the power of CRM software, check out the infographic below. And if you’re ready to pull the trigger on a CRM, check out HubSpot’s free CRM software today.
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<p><strong>Please include attribution to blog.hubspot.com with this graphic.</strong><br /><br /><a href=’http://ift.tt/H5s54a’><img src=’http://ift.tt/1Pa9LWX’ alt=’What Is CRM’ width=’669px’ border=’0′ /></a></p>
To learn more about CRM, check out our dedicated “What is CRM?” page.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August 2013 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Apple CEO Tim Cook meeting with the Pope today
According to several sources, the Catholic Church Pope, Pope Francis, is meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook today for a private discussion. The exact agenda for the meeting is unknown, but ‘Signor Timothy Donald Cook’ is booked in for 11.30 as shown in the photo. The meetup is likely related to visits the Pope has been receiving from other tech giants. Francis met Eric Schmidt, Alphabet (Google’s) chairman last week. It could just be a cordial exchange of greetings.
Sky News reporter Tom Cheshire says the Pope shares Cook’s strong stance on the environment and ecology. Both Pope and Cook are frequently named in the “world’s most important leaders” lists, so they do share some common ground in regard to influence.
The last time the Pope and Cook appeared together in the news, people were concerned the Pope’s US tour would delay the delivery of their new iPhones.
Pope Francis is generally seen as a more modern religious leader than his predecessors, actively using Twitter to convey his messages. He has described the Internet as a ‘gift from god’. The iPhone is the most successful internet communications product on the planet, so there is some overlap. Although it is a strange pairing, Apple touches every party of the world today through the iPhone and this includes religion.
We’ve asked Apple about Tim Cook’s visit and will update if we hear anything. In all likelihood however, the topics will remain confidential.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple, Pope
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Google Tag Manager: What Marketers Need to Know
Do you use tracking codes on your website? Have you heard of Google Tag Manager? To discover what Google Tag Manager is and how to use it, I interview Christopher Penn. More About This Show The Social Media Marketing podcast is an on-demand talk radio show from Social Media Examiner. It’s designed to help busy […]
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How to Work With Difficult People [Infographic]
When people think about becoming managers, many assume it’s going to be all sunshine and roses.
They’ll have more responsibility! They’ll get to help people grow! They’ll get to shape the future of their company! They might even get a raise!
But when they actually become managers, reality can be shocking. They might find themselves suddenly confronted with managing difficult people and situations — and lost for how to address them.
While a manager’s recourse greatly depends on the problems and people they’re dealing with, there are a few tips they can follow to better address them. In the infographic below, the folks at Wrike have put together helpful advice for managing difficult team members. Even if you’re not encountering any of these issues today or you’re not currently managing someone, the tips are good to keep in mind.
Google paid Apple $1 billion in 2014 to keep it the default search engine on iOS devices
Earlier this evening, the Oracle vs. Google lawsuit revealed Android’s revenues and profits for the first time. The same case has now revealed that Google paid Apple $1 billion in 2014 as part of its ongoing deal to be the main search provider—as in the one that resides in the search bar by default—on iOS devices.
Specifically, Apple’s deal with Google gives it a percentage of the revenue that the search engine generates through Apple devices. An Oracle lawyer said that the revenue share was 34 percent (although it’s not clear based on the transcript whether that means Apple got 34%, or if Google kept 34%). A Google lawyer quickly tried to get the percentage struck of the public record stating, “We are talking hypotheticals here. That’s not a publicly known number.”
In 2014, rumors emerged that Yahoo was pushing to replace Google as the search engine on iOS devices. Obviously, that did not materialize and whether it was because Google paid more or was the better search engine quality-wise is unknown. Google makes 4x more on iOS users than it does on its own Android users, and as such keeping the search deal is highly important to its core business.
Interestingly, this information highlights a hypocrisy on Apple’s part, revealing how much the company indirectly and directly profits from the Google ad business that it criticizes.
The revenue-sharing agreement reveals the lengths Google must go to keep people using its search tool on mobile devices. It also shows how Apple benefits financially from Google’s advertising-based business model that Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has criticized as an intrusion of privacy.
The magistrate judge presiding over the case initially refused Google’s request to block the sensitive information in the transcript. Google has asked a federal judge to seal and redact the transcript, saying the disclosure would negatively affect their ability to negotiate similar agreements. Interestingly, Apple has also filed to redact the information.
The legal case between the two companies is born out of Oracle accusing Google of using its Java software in the creation of Android without compensation. The Supreme Court denied Google’s request to hear the case and is now back to a district court where damages are being determined. Oracle could end up receiving up to $1 billion in damages when new versions of Android are factored.
(Image via VentureBeat)
Filed under: iOS Tagged: Apple, Google, iOS, search
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Apple hires top virtual & augmented reality researcher Doug Bowman
According to a new report out of the Financial Times, Apple has hired one of the top virtual reality researchers in the United States to expedite its efforts in the platform. The report claims that Apple has recently hired Doug Bowman, who most recently was a computer science professor at Virginia Tech before taking a sabbatical. At Virginia Tech, he was the director of the university’s human-computer interaction center for around five years.
Bowman touts that he has focused his research on “three-dimensional user interface design and the benefits of immersion in virtual environments.” He has experience in both fully immersive virtual reality, such as the tech used HTC’s Vive and Google Cardboard, as well as augmented reality like the tech used in Google Glass.
Apple has made a handful of acquisitions in the virtual reality market over recent years. The company has also filed for several patents relating to virtual reality environments, and posted several job listings relating to the technology. Most recently, Apple acquired Emotient, a company focused on facial expression and emotion section technology. Last November, Apple purchased Faceshift, the company responsible for the motion capture technology used in Star Wars. Early last year, the company acquired Metaio, a startup that specialized in applications relating to augmented reality.
Many argue that Apple is lagging behind in terms of virtual and augmented reality software. Five years ago, Apple lost one of its top augmented reality employees to Google. It still remains to be seen what the company has in store for the virtual reality technology, but with the amount of hires and acquisitions it has been making in the area, it’s clear something is being worked on. Earlier rumors have claimed that Apple was planning to integrate augmented reality into the Apple TV, although no developments have been made on that.
Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, Augmented reality, Doug bowman, Virtual reality
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Apple shares new Apple TV ad highlighting popular tvOS apps
Apple this evening has shared a new advertisement for the its Apple TV set-top box. This ad continues the trend of the company highlighting the tvOS App Store that is available on the device, showcasing a handful of the most popular applications available so far. The ad is entitled “Apple TV – The Future of TV is Apps,” which is a slogan Apple has used since the launch of the device back in October.
In the ad, which can be viewed below, Apple showcases a variety of different apps for tvOS. The ad highlights apps such as Netflix, ESPN, Asphalt 8, Disney Infinity, GrubHub, Showtime, Crossy Road, HBO Now, and Fox Now. Apple seems to have made a point to show off several different categories of apps, including entertainment, food, and games.
Apple has ramped up marketing for the fourth-gen Apple TV since its release in October. It has launched a nationwide billboard campaign showing off the device, as well as a variety of TV ads. One ad from last month showcased tvOS apps as well as the content available from iTunes. Apple also released a series of shorter clips in November, each focusing on a specific app.
The ad closes with the multicolored bars that Apple has used in most of its recent Apple TV ads, with the slogan “The future of television” appearing overtop. You can view the latest Apple TV ad below:
Filed under: Apple TV Tagged: ad, Apple TV, Apps, Games, video
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