A defense of charging more for Web TV (Q&A)

A defense of charging more for Web TV (Q&A)
All the signs coming out of Web TV over the past year or more tell us that the TV networks are done with their experiment with ad-supported online distribution and super low-cost content. The returns that these companies were collecting from Hulu just weren't attractive enough for them to brush off cable companies and other distribution partners.Fox announced yesterday that it will no longer offer TV shows the day after they appear on broadcast TV to the free version of Hulu. Users of that service must wait eight days to access that content. To acquire next-day viewing, you must subscribe to Hulu's paid-subscription service or those cable and satellite companies that contract with Fox. So far Dish Network is the only company to have signed on. The move didn't surprise Dan Rayburn, who has been involved with streaming media in some form or another for 15 years and now, as principal analyst at research firm Frost & Sullivan, covers the online video sector. He says he understands that people wish hit movies and TV shows and films were freely available online. But the self-described pragmatist says that just isn't going to happen.Rayburn spoke with CNET tonight about the quickly shifting landscape in video distribution: Question: Have we've seen the end of free Web TV ?Rayburn: Was it ever really here? Somehow the idea got out that consumers will have access to any type of content they want on any device. That's not going to be the reality. The reality is that we're always going to have some kind of pay wall and we're going to have authentication methods that keep us from being able to get a lot of different types of content unless you're a certain subscriber.Now, you can say that's the case with Netflix. You have to pay to get access to their content. With Hulu Plus, you got to pay to get access, with Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA. This stuff costs money. So, I'm not at all surprised by the Fox move and I expect we'll see a lot more of that down the road. Some will argue that that's not the right approach. You can debate that but the bottom line is they are obviously concerned about their core business and they want to do everything possible to protect that. As a consumer, does it stink? Yes, but these guys are running a business. They aren't willing to give away their content for free. That will never happen.--Dan RayburnHow does this compare to what's going on with Hollywood and films?Rayburn: It's the same way that the movie studios are worried about DVD sales so they force Netflix to agree to a 28-day window where they can't rent new DVDs. It's no different from what the studios have done. Iexpect we'll see more of that. What about piracy. Isn't what's happening with legal services going to send people to BitTorrent?Rayburn: That's always possible but here's the thing: The average person is not going and getting that [pirated] content. My wife just turned 30. So she's still in that demographic where she's young. She's not the 18- or 19-year-old, but she wouldn't have any idea how to get that content off of BitTorrent. No free lunch in Web videoHow will you react to costlier Web content?It's not like it's easy to get it. You got to download an application. You have to figure out how to search for it. You got to figure out what the quality is. Was it encoded in H.264? Is it something that has to playback in DivX. Do you have the right player for it? It's not as easy people make it out to be. In our industry the media makes it seem that people just pirate it...but [it takes a lot] of work to do it. I don't think this will increase piracy. What Fox is doing isn't a huge burden on users. You're talking about a wait of eight days. Is one week that big of a deal? Now, is 28 days a big deal? Absolutely, and the scary thing on the Netflix side is that the studios have said that once they go to renegotiate with Netflix, they're going to get longer windows because they're noticing that they're selling more DVDs [as a result of agreements Netflix entered into last year with some of the large studios to delay renting new releases for 28 days]. No surprise there. The problem is that the consumers aren't saying they want more DVDs. They are saying they want more digital content. So, this is the future.Like it or not as a consumer, content owners are the ones who are putting restrictions on who can see what, the quality that they can get it in, and the device they can play it on.So for instance HBO Go, that app is awesome on the iPad but if you try to output that to your TV it doesn't work because they built in protections so you can't output it to a larger screen. Do most people know that? Probably not. But why is HBO doing that? Because watching it [via the Web streaming service] defeats the purpose of having an HBO account. They don't want you watching the Web stream on a larger screen. It sounds like you don't see a lot wrong with what they're doing.Rayburn: There's all these restrictions in the market today. I don't hear people talking about them and I didn't see any big complaints by people until this [Fox] story broke yesterday. But we've always had stuff like this. I think the media will blow this up and say, "This is crazy, this is going to be a killer." But do consumers care? I don't know that. You don't know that. It's too early to tell. Do consumers care that they have to wait eight days to get some of this content? Probably not. This is content from Fox. This is "Glee" and that type of stuff. That's all available on major broadcast channels. So even if you don't have a cable subscription, you can access stuff from Fox over the air. Come on, do you think there's that many people clamoring to see "Glee" who can't see it on broadcast TV or record it? I don't' see that being a big deal. As a consumer, does it stink? Yes, but these guys are running a business. They aren't willing to give away their content for free. That will never happen. You can argue that their business is broken. I don't think it is. We don't have numbers that shows that people are fleeing cable subscriptions. I think the way they think about it is the wrong. Again, consumers are saying we want A, and studios are saying we'll give you B. That doesn't work, but their model isn't broken. Cable TV isn't dead. It's not dying and it's certainly not going away anytime soon. Just the other night I went and I was doing my review of all the [Web] services. Most of the content I was looking at would look terrible on my new 55-inch TV. It would look horrible. Yeah, I can get it on my computer. I think it's interesting that Netflix says that the majority of their streaming is still done through the PC. Why is that? Well the streaming on a lot of the movies from Netflix to a 55-inch TV screen doesn't look very good. Now, the moment I turn on cable and turn on an HD channel, I know the quality I'm going to get. I don't wonder what it's going to look like. I don't. So that's the thing about cable, it's easy. It works. The quality is always there. It has lots of channels, and I can DVR whatever I want. To me paying $100 a month for a triple play of phone, Internet and cable is the most cost-effective solution on the market. People say that I can cut cable and save $80 a month. OK, you sign up for Hulu, sign up for Netflix and Major League Baseball, which still has black-outs so you can't get your games live locally. Then let's say you buy two shows a week from iTunes. Now, you're already close to the cost of your cable subscription. All those arguments that I read about regarding the cutting of cable don't work unless you're somebody who doesn't watch a lot of TV.

How to set up Find My iPhone on your iOS device

How to set up Find My iPhone on your iOS device
Find My iPhone is a powerful utility that every iOS device owner needs to take advantage of. Whether you have gone through the experience of losing your beloved Apple device in the past, or you just want to err on the side of caution, setting up Find My iPhone will save you headaches and hassle down the road. Don't let the name, Find My iPhone, fool you. Apple has made creating a Find My iPhone account available for iPhone 4, 4th generation iPod touch and the iPad running iOS 4.2 or later, best of all, it's free! Let's get started.1. Download and install the Find My iPhone app [iTunes Link]. It's a universal binary, meaning it will run on both the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad alike. 2. Go to Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> Add AccountScreenshot by Jason Cipriani3. Select MobileMe from the list. (Your list may look different from what is shown above, that is OK.) Screenshot by Jason Cipriani4. Enter your Apple ID e-mail address and password. Tap on Next when done Screenshot by Jason Cipriani5. Turn on Find My iPhone. If you are using a true MobileMe account, it will be at the bottom of the list. If you set it up using your Apple ID, it should be the only option listed. When prompted to allow Find My iPhone to access your location, select Allow. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiTo find a device you can either run the app on another iOS device, or through a Web browser at Me.com. Login using the same information you entered during Step 4, you will then see a list of all devices you have set up Find My iPhone on. Screenshot by Jason CiprianiWhen viewing a device you have several ways to interact with the device:Screenshot by Jason CiprianiLock the device, setting a new passcode. Display a personal message, as well as have the device play a sound for 2 minutes. Wipe all information and settings from the device. Keep in mind, if this option is selected, you will no longer be able to track the device. Of course your device will have to be turned on, and have some sort of data connection. If your device doesn't have a connection when you send a command, you will receive an e-mail alert once the device is back on and the command has been received. You can set up Find My (insert device name here) on as many devices as you wish; just repeat the steps above on each iOS device. The next time your iPhone falls behind the couch cushion, or some stranger makes off with your iPad after leaving it on your table in a coffee shop, you have the ability to not only find the device, but also prevent anyone from accessing your information.

Analyst- iCloud linked to Apple's TV ambitions

Analyst: iCloud linked to Apple's TV ambitions
The longstanding rumor that Apple intends to jump into the business of selling televisions could be coming closer to reality thanks to iCloud, a new analyst report suggests.Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster, who has long been trumpeting the possibility--or as he calls it, the firm's "thesis"--of an Apple-made TV set, says Apple's recently-announced iCloud infrastructure makes it all the more plausible."Apple's iCloud service for media storage makes it simpler to own multiple Apple devices and share content among them," Munster wrote in a note to investors this morning. "At first the only media iCloud will store is music and pictures, but we believe Apple may add movies and TV shows purchased or rented in iTunes to the iCloud service, which could be viewed on a TV." To add to that, Munster says the appearance of three different Apple patent applications related to TV technologies are evidence that the company is at least considering a deeper move into the space.As far as making a business out of it, Munster suggests that Apple intends to open up the platform to third-parties to develop on, as it's done with iOS. Several third-party apps like NBA, MLB, and Netflix are already available on Apple's existing Apple TV set top box, but Munster believes Apple will open that up to anyone."In other words, Apple's strong iOS developer community would likely jump at the chance to build apps for an Apple Television, and Apple's iOS users would likely jump at the chance to buy one," Munster wrote.Munster believes Apple will bring an $1,800 TV set to market near the end of next year, with it replacing the Apple TV set-top box, which Apple currently sells for $99. As for how much that would bring in, Munster estimated that it could add $2.5 billion in revenue in 2012, nearly doubling to $4 billion in 2013, and reaching $6 billion by 2014. A report by Dailytech earlier this week cited an anonymous, former executive at Apple suggesting that the company was hard at work on a TV set. That set is said to embed the existing Apple TV set-top box technologies alongside a modified version of iTunes. The report also suggested that such a device would actually be made by another manufacturer, and not Apple. Apple rival/frenemy Google entered the TV space late last year with combination of set-top boxes and TV sets that include its Google TV software. Unlike Apple's Apple TV offering, which is primarily focused on delivering rented and purchased content from iTunes, Google's strategy is to blend in with TV content you watch through your cable operator and let users do Web searches while watching programming. Google has also approached game developers, urging them to design TV-friendly entertainment with compatible Web technologies.

Riptide GP2 game indicates Android TV really is coming

Riptide GP2 game indicates Android TV really is coming
An update to the Riptide GP2 game indicates that yes, indeed, Android TV is likely to arrive at Google I/O on Wednesday.The Google Play store posted a version 1.2 update to Riptide GP2 that included "support for Android TV!" Android user Aaron Burrell posted a screenshot of the changes on Google+ before they were removed from the Google Play store.Sources told CNET that Google is expected to debut Android TV at its developer-focused Google I/O show Wednesday. The device, a Net-connected set-top box that brings streaming video, audio, and games to the living room, will compete against devices from Apple, Amazon, and Roku. No doubt Google hopes it'll fare better than its earlier foray into the market, Google TV.With some exceptions like Microsoft's Xbox game console, it's been tough for computing-industry players to branch out into home entertainment. With each passing year, though, the Internet and TV come closer. People don't just get shows on cable TV; they also stream them from sites like Hulu and Netflix and buy rights to them from services like the iTunes Store and Google Play.Bringing Google's mobile operating system to set-top boxes means that the large number of Android programmers will have a new domain to reckon with besides smartphones and tablets. That could mean new users and new revenue, but it also likely means new programming effort since big-screen TVs look very different than small handheld devices and lack the touch screen for controls.It's not clear exactly how Android TV devices will be controlled, but it seems likely people could link up their smartphones and tablets. They could be usedas game controllers, offer a touch-screen interface to browse shows,or provide a keyboard when it's time to type.

How to add missing album art to iTunes

How to add missing album art to iTunes
How many times have you ripped a CD in iTunes only to find no album art or the wrong art staring you in the face?iTunes is adept at finding artwork for albums that you buy through the service. But it can falter at tracking down art for music not in its database. There are a few different ways to add the right artwork, but here's one option for manually adding any image you wish as cover art for an album.First, right-click on the album in iTunes and select Get Album Artwork from the popup menu.If that doesn't work, fire up your browser and open your favorite search engine. We'll use Google for this example, but Bing, Yahoo, or any other search engine should work as well.Position iTunes and your Web browser so they're both viewable on the screen. In iTunes, right-click on the album and select Get info from the popup menu. In the Info tab, you'll see a white square for Artwork. Position the iTunes Multiple Item Information window so it doesn't overlap your Web browser.Return to your browser. In the search field for Google, type the name of the album and artist. Click on the images category. Look for an image you want to use. Click on the image so that it opens in its own page. Drag the image from your browser and drop it onto the Artwork square in the iTunes information window.You should see the new image appear as a thumbnail in the artwork square. Click OK to apply that image to all of the tracks in the album.If dragging and dropping the image doesn't work, you can copy and paste instead. Right-click on the image in your Web browser and select Copy from the popup menu. Right-click in the Artwork square in the iTunes information window and select Paste from the popup menu. Again, click OK to apply the artwork.Certain third-party utilities can also help organize and find artwork for your iTunes content. But if you simply need to find the right images for a few albums, searching for and grabbing them from the Web is one quick and handy option.

Silicon Valley throws a bash for Macintosh's 30th birthday

Silicon Valley throws a bash for Macintosh's 30th birthday
On January 24, 1984, Steve Jobs, ever the showman, pulled something called a Macintosh out of a canvas bag, grabbed a 3.5-inch disk out of his jacket pocket, and with the theme from "Chariots of Fire" playing in the background, personal computing was changed. Thirty years later, Silicon Valley is commemorating the event. On January 25, All Planet Studios, the Computer History Museum, and Macworld/iWorld are throwing a bash at the Flint Center in Cupertino, Calif., where Jobs first made the announcement.The night will include a panel with some of the original Mac developing team, and Ridley Scott, who directed the company's iconic "1984" commercial, will discuss the famous ad. Daniel Kottke, one of the earliest employees at Apple, will be one of the evening's main hosts. Other guests will include author and Wired writer Steven Levy and others from the early Apple team. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to Coder Dojo, a not-for-profit organization that teaches Web development and programming to young people.[Via TUAW]

Showtime nears as Apple spruces up venue for iPhone 5

Showtime nears as Apple spruces up venue for iPhone 5
SAN FRANCISCO -- Ahead of its much-anticipated news event next week, Apple is already preparing the inside and outside of the venue.That event, which is widely expected to bring the next version of the company's iPhone, is being held in the theater at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Related storiesiPhone 5 rumor roundupApple invite hints at iPhone 5Apple's Sept. 12 iPhone 5 event: What to expectJust as it's done with past events there, Apple has begun covering the front of the building with colorful window dressings. Where March's iPad event brought splatters of paint, this time around Apple has gone with a decidedly more controlled style with what look like ribbons of color. CNET took a field trip down the street to snap a few shots of the venue getting all dressed up, which you can see in the slideshow below. There will be more to come as the adornment continues.The event itself is next Wednesday and kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. CNET will be there to cover it live. Expect more details on that early next week.Apple sets the stage for next week's iPhone...See full gallery1 - 4 / 15NextPrevUpdate at 2:17 p.m. PT: The outside is still getting wrapped up after a lunch break.

Apple honors Robin Williams with tribute Web page

Apple honors Robin Williams with tribute Web page
Apple has posted a Web page dedicated to the memory of Robin Williams.Williams died on Monday at the age of 63 after a long, hard battle with depression. A stand-up comic by trade and instinct, he first gained national fame on TV starring on the sitcom "Mork and Mindy" and then went on to act in several motion picture comedies, including "Good Morning Vietnam" and "Mrs. Doubtfire." He also proved his chops as a serious actor by appearing in such films as "Awakenings," "Dead Poets Society," and "Good Will Hunting." In a page simply called "Remembering Robin Williams," Apple offered the following short but moving tribute:Robin Williams1951 - 2014We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robin Williams. He inspired us through his passion, his generosity, and the gift of laughter. He will be greatly missed.But the Web page isn't Apple's only tribute to Williams. The comedian and actor is being remembered through a dedicated iTunes page that showcases several of his most popular and celebrated films, all available for purchase and some for rental. The iTunes page also honors Williams with the following passage reflecting on his career and other contributions:No one made us laugh like Robin Williams. His mile-a-minute comic energy -- a dizzying stream of jokes, impressions, and hyper-physicality -- left us exhausted from the fun of it, but always wanting more. Williams could make the most dramatic moments somehow hilarious, and the silliest moments deeply meaningful. His characters embodied his talent, from T.S. Garp in "The World According to Garp" to a father masquerading as a dubious English nanny to stay near his children in "Mrs. Doubtfire" to a psychotherapist cutting through a troubled young janitor's defenses in "Good Will Hunting." An Oscar, an Emmy, and a Grammy winner, Williams was also a generous philanthropist who performed with the USO for troops stationed overseas, and worked passionately with a variety of organizations such as Comic Relief and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.Apple CEO Tim Cook offered his own tribute to Williams on Monday with the following tweet: "Heartbroken by the news of Robin Williams' passing. He was an incomparable talent and a great human being. Rest in peace." (Via AppleInsider)

Apple gives developers an early taste of iOS 5.1

Apple gives developers an early taste of iOS 5.1
Apple has given developers a new version of iOS 5 to test out ahead of a release to the public. The new version, marked 5.1 represents the first significant update to iOS 5 since its release in mid-October. A supplementary software update that went out earlier this month fixed a number of bugs and security holes, as well as promised to fix poor battery life experienced by some users. BGR today posted the full release notes of the software, which developers must sign a nondisclosure agreement to use. The notes do not suggest any major new features in the build, despite anticipation otherwise. A report from German Mac site Macerkopf.de earlier this month suggested that 5.1 would bring extra features to Siri in the form of hardware controls, letting users adjust things like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios through the iPhone 4S voice assistant. One thing the update appears to have debunked is the release of an iOS 5.0.2, which Macerkopf.de said would be delivered last week, an estimate that was later adjusted to the end of this week. That update was said to bring continued efforts toward improving battery life for those saying iOS 5 is giving them usage time that was less than expected. As with other pre-release versions of iOS, expect this one to get another beta or two ahead of a public release, though Apple has a history of releasing these minor updates in quick succession.Last year's iOS 4.1 update came in September and introduced HD video uploading over Wi-Fi, TV show rentals on iTunes, GameCenter, and the capability to shoot high dynamic range photos on the iPhone's built-in camera application. That update also addressed a proximity sensor issue, and overall system speed issues for iPhone 3G users. Update at 4:31 p.m. PT: 9to5Mac has started going through some of the code strings in the new beta software, and has pulled out a reference to an "iPad 2,4" which the blog offers to be a version of the iPad 2 that works on Sprint's 3G network. Apple currently sells 3G versions of the iPad only on AT&T and Verizon's 3G networks in the U.S., though recently added Sprint as a carrier partner with the iPhone 4S.

Apple customer experience second to none, study finds

Apple customer experience second to none, study finds
Apple has won a second award for customer satisfaction in as many days.Beyond Philosophy, which assists companies in improving customer experience, announced today that Apple delivers the "most admired customer experience" in the marketplace, besting Amazon.com, Zappos, Starbucks, and Disney, respectively, in the top 5."Apple has married all the elements of its experience and connected with its customers in a deeply emotional, irrational way," Steven Walden, senior head of research and consulting at Beyond Philosophy, said in a statement. "Amazon put a stake in the ground when it announced it would become the world's most customer-centric company, and Zappos claims to be a customer service organization that happens to sell shoes."Amazon acquired Zappos in 2009 for about $850 million in cash and stock.Related stories:• Apple tops in customer satisfaction for 8th year• Apple, Samsung top J.D. Power satisfaction survey• Secrets of Apple's customer successBeyond Philosophy's findings come just hours after the American Customer Satisfaction Index awarded Apple a related distinction late yesterday. That organization, which conducted interviews with over 70,000 consumers, found that Apple's Macs have, for the eighth year in a row, satisfied more customers than any other company's computers, earning Apple a score of 87 out of 100 on the organization's scale.Apple's win in Beyond Philosophy's study was not determined by customers. Instead, Beyond Philosophy conducted 53 in-depth interviews with customer experience executives and experts. In addition, Beyond Philosophy's findings are bolstered by research it conducted on 8,000 customer experience executives and over 2,100 "customer-experience-active" companies in 239 countries and regions around the world.Earlier this month, Apple took the top spot in a J.D. Power study on customer satisfaction among smartphone makers. The iPhone maker has also been cited as delivering one of the top online-retail experiences to consumers.

Apple customer accidentally given store hard drive

Apple customer accidentally given store hard drive
An Apple store customer was given internal company media and documents by accident after getting his computer serviced at one of the company's Genius Bars, a new report says.Cult of Mac has posted photos from an unnamed individual who says he was given the hard drive alongside a computer that was being repaired, with that spare drive containing a backup of the store's internal file server as opposed to a backup of the machine that had gone in for repair. The repair was made at an Apple store in Stamford, Conn.The person told Cult of Mac the drive contains "confidential docs, internal manuals, Apple's sales [techniques], an Apple store work checklist, products layout, time schedules, pictures and videos of Apple corporate activities that only Apple employees can see, videos of store meetings, business structure and much much much more." The outlet says the man offered to sell it a copy of the drive's contents, but that the offer was declined."Cult of Mac does not pay for stories, and especially not things like confidential information or iPhone prototypes. As such, we strongly advised him to return the hard drive to Apple, and even offered to help facilitate the safe return of the disk if he was nervous about the exchange. We have not heard from him since," the outlet said.The drive itself is labeled "/Volumes/apple store/Backups.backupdb/teamserver/2009-11-23-095346/HD1/Server Users" and "/Volumes/apple store/Backups.backupdb/teamserver/2011-05-18-141707/HD1/Users/admin." Photos posted by Cult of Mac depict numerous backups made to the Time Machine device, dated from April to May of this year. CNET has contacted Apple with a request for comment.

Apple creating better-sounding speakerphone for iOS devices

Apple creating better-sounding speakerphone for iOS devices
iPhone and iPad users unhappy with their speakerphones may be treated to better sound in future models.Apple has invented a new speakerphone system for iOS devices, according to a patent published yesterday by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. The patent application is filled with pages of the usual technical jargon.But in a nutshell, Apple is redesigning and repositioning the traditional speaker and surrounding components to enhance the quality of the audio possible in a relatively small space. Though the patent doesn't tout any specific benefits to consumers, "the new speaker positioning could provide iOS devices with generally superior sound, even when docked," according to Patently Apple.Speakers on mobile phones tend to offer weak sound due to their small size. Even laptops and tablets don't have enough space for high-quality speakers, a factor acknowledged by Apple in its patent application.There is a range of consumer electronics devices that are not dedicated or specialized audio playback devices, yet can benefit from improved audio performance. For instance, smart phones are ubiquitous. These devices, however, do not have sufficient space to house high fidelity speakers. This is also true for portable personal computers such as laptop, notebook, and tablet computers, and, to a lesser extent, desktop personal computers with built-in speakers.Related storiesSpeaker options for iPad 2Why iPhone speakers are ditching AirPlay for BluetoothDon't like the iPad's Music app? Here are two alternativesThe redesigned speaker could be used in "relatively small back volume enclosures" and "may have improved performance," the patent said.Apple is creating the new speaker system for its own mobile phone and tablet. But the technology clearly would benefit a wide range of small devices, certainly one reason why the company saw fit to patent the invention.

Apple counting up to 50 billion App Store downloads

Apple counting up to 50 billion App Store downloads
Apple once again is counting up to its next digital sales benchmark.This time it's to 50 billion downloads on the App Store, its digital software store that launched in 2008, and currently has about 793 million downloads to go. Similar to previous contests, the person who downloads the 50 billionth app gets $10,000 in App Store credit. The company is also doling out $500 gift cards to the 50 people who buy an app immediately afterwards.Apple's last big contest for the App Store was for the 25 billion benchmark last March. Chunli Fu, a customer from Qingdao, China was winner, and nabbed a $10,000 gift card and a trip to one of Apple's stores to pick it up. More recently, Apple paid out a 10,000 Euro iTunes gift card for the 25th billion song sold on iTunes back in February.Along with the giveaway, Apple's listed its top 25 all-time paid and free applications on both the iPhone and iPad. Rovio's Angry Birds and Facebook top that list on the iPhone, while Apple's Pages and Microsoft's Skype hold that spot on the iPad. For last year's contest, it took people 15 days to download approximately 700 million apps, and both the number of iOS devices and the library Apps have increased since then. As of January, Apple said it has sold more than 500 million iOS devices, up from 365 million at the end of last March. It's also currently up to 850,000 iOS apps as opposed to the figure of around 600,000 apps from last April.

Apple counting down to 25 billion app downloads

Apple counting down to 25 billion app downloads
Apple's begun a countdown--or count up in this case--to its 25th billion app download.Earlier today the company launched a timer that sits on its front page, counting to the metric. The person who downloads the 25th billion app gets a $10,000 iTunes Store gift card. Last January Apple ran a similar promotion for the 10 billionth app sold, awarding an identical $10,000 gift card. That was a follow-up to the company's 2009 award to the person who downloaded the one billionth app. That first time was a bit more generous, with 13-year-old Connor Mulcahey nabbing a $10,000 iTunes gift card along with an iPod Touch, MacBook Pro and one of Apple's Time Capsule devices.As with previous editions of the contest, Apple's set it up so that people can enter without actually making any purchases or downloads from the App Store by filling out a form on this page. In years past, Apple offered similar promotions for purchased songs.Related storiesMac App Store downloads reach 100 millionApple: 18 billions apps have been downloadedApple App Store hits 15 billion downloadsThe acceleration in App Store downloads has been swift. The store hit 1 billion downloads in its first nine months, reaching 5 billion downloads in June 2010. By January 2011, the company tallied 10 billion downloads, a number that topped 18 billion in October.During the Apple's first quarter earnings call last month, the company said it's paid out more than $4 billion to developers, who get a 70 percent share of each purchase, with Apple taking the other 30.Apple's other App Store, the one for the Mac, crossed the 100 million download threshold in December after just shy of a year in business. When releasing that number the company mentioned the other App Store was currently bringing in around 1 billion downloads a month.

Apple eyes way to entertain your iPhone callers on hold

Callers waiting on hold for you via your iPhone may be a bit less bored if a new Apple patent ever sees reality.Published Tuesday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a patent dubbed "On-hold visual menu from a user's communications device" envisions a way to share your music, photos, videos, location, and other content with fellow iPhone users patiently waiting to talk to you.The technology would first allow you to set which, if any, content items you wish to share with your callers. It would determine if and when a caller is placed on hold. Your caller would then see a list of items enabled for sharing and choose one from among them.You could even customize which items are available for certain callers. For example, you might want to share only songs with strangers but share everything with family and friends.There is at least one caveat. Sharing bandwidth-heavy content such as videos would surely eat up the cellular data allowance for both you and your callers. So, you'd have to be careful just what you share.(Via AppleInsider)

Apple eyes two bigger displays for iPhone, another report says

Another day, another rumor that Apple plans on launching two iPhones this summer featuring bigger screens.This time around, The Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the company's plans, that Apple will launch one iPhone with a screen size bigger than 4.5 inches and another boasting a display in excess of 5 inches.That report follows another from Wednesday by QQ Tech, claiming the iPhone 6 will feature a 4.7-inch screen. Another iPhone Apple plans to launch this June will come with a 5.7-inch display, according to QQ Tech.In addition to a larger screen, Apple plans to ditch the plastic casing in the iPhone 5C and go with metal in both versions of the device.For its part, Apple hasn't confirmed that it's even working on a new iPhone, let alone two devices featuring larger displays. Apple is, however, behind on the screen-size front. The company's handset currently boats a 4-inch screen, making it one of the smaller devices on the market. Many Android handsets come with 5-inch-or-larger displays.This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play