Apple Store's new self-checkout: Nice, but not flawless
Apple's new EasyPay self-checkout feature lets you pay for your own items at the Apple store, but it doesn't yet have all the kinks worked out--at least in my experience.The EasyPay feature requires you to download the latest 2.0 version of the Apple Store app. To buy an item, you're supposed to scan its barcode with your iPhone's camera, at which point it's added to your shopping cart. You then pay for your goods using the credit card associated with your Apple ID and iTunes account.Beyond letting you pay for your own items, the app allows you to order a product online and then pick it up at your nearby store. But it was EasyPay that I was especially keen to try out.Over the weekend I headed off to an Apple store where I picked up two accessories for my iPhone--an AC adapter and a car charger. An Apple rep asked if I wanted her to ring up the items, but I told her I was interested in trying the self-checkout.I fired up the Apple Store app, expecting to find an EasyPay button or option somewhere easily accesible. But no such option appeared.I searched every screen and option of the app but could find no way to trigger EasyPay. At that point, the Apple rep came by to see if she could help. She also scoured the app for some trace of EasyPay but came up empty. Eventually another Apple rep joined us, and then another. So the four of us started working together to figure out how to launch this feature.Finally, one rep found another iPhone 4S with the updated Apple Store app and was able to open the EasyPay screen on her device. Comparing her phone with mine, she realized the problem. My phone did not have the Notification Service turned on for the Apple Store app, which is necessary for EasyPay to detect your current store location. To conserve power in light of the battery drain issue, I had disabled most of my Location Services.From there, the process proceeded relatively smoothly.With the app's GPS feature enabled, it found the location of the Apple Store, allowing me to pull up the EasyPay screen. I positioned the camera in front of the barcode of the first item where the app scanned and registered it. The app then asked me for my Apple ID and for my credit card's three-digit security code. Once the payment went through, an electronic receipt appeared and was saved in the app's EasyPay Receipts folder. I then paid for the second item using the same process and was able to walk out the door with both items in tow.Related storiesOfficial Apple Store app goes liveNew Apple Store app: Buy online, pick up in-store, check yourself outApple Store app now offers in-store pickup, self-checkoutOne limitation is that you can check out only one item at a time. So you have to go through the same steps for each item. That's not a deal breaker if you're buying just one or two items. But if you plan on Christmas shopping at your local Apple store for all your family and friends, then EasyPay may not be the quickest option.Also note that you'll need to bring your credit card with you or at least know your security code to make the purchase.Another limitation is that EasyPay works only with the iPhone 4 and 4S. Those of you with older iPhones or the iPad or iPod Touch are out of luck. I contacted Apple last week to find out why the option is only supported on the iPhone 4/4S, but the company never responded.I do have to tip my hat to the Apple reps who helped me. None of them immediately knew why EasyPay was not working on my phone. But they spent considerable time and research trying to track down the issue until the one person came upon the solution. Fortunately, the store wasn't too busy, so they didn't have a cadre of customers waiting for them. But still, their efforts were laudable.I think the experience is also a good reminder to those of us busy turning off notifications and other services on the iPhone in hopes of preserving battery power. You may just turn off a certain service not even realizing that you'll need it at some crucial point.Overall, EasyPay is a useful option. But whether it saves you time depends on the store itself. In a store with light customer traffic and several free reps, you'll find it quicker paying the traditional way. But in a packed store where all the reps are busy, you'll likely get out of the store faster going the self-checkout route.
Menstrual calendar apps...for men
Menstrual calendar apps...for men
The idea for the service started as a joke when Eisenberg and a group of friends, including several women, were drinking at a happy hour and talking about relationships. "From there the conversation transgressed, or digressed, whatever it is, into PMS," he said. The group reached a consensus that "Women don't appreciate it when you come home and maybe things are a little tense and the man says 'Hey, do you have PMS?'" Eisenberg said. One man said he avoids confrontations by tracking his wife's menstrual cycle on a daily planner. "So we said, 'Wouldn't that be funny to automate it and make it available to the masses,'" Eisenberg added. No doubt, there are some people who won't appreciate the humor of such a service, particularly given the history of societal denigration of women because of their monthly hormonal changes. But, as far as menstrual tracking services for men go, PMS Buddy handles things a bit more delicately than some.Take the competing app PMSTracker. "Tired of your wife/girlfriend/sister/mom/secretary biting your head off unexpectedly once a month?" the app summary on iTunes asks prospective buyers. Another one, called uPMS, markets itself as "an application for all guys out there suffering the monthly Psychotic Mood Shifts from their better halves."Another winner is IAmAMan, an app for "your private life planning." Like PMSTracker, it lets men track cycles of multiple females, but has the additional handy feature of offering passwords for each female so that if one of them "accidentally bumps into this application and makes you enter the password--she will be the only one to appear on the list." Good thinking!And then there is the PMS Meter iPhone app, which is purely for entertainment purposes and features "hilarious sound effects" and an "animated scanning sequence."Probably the most diplomatic of the lot is the MyMate app. "Being aware of what your women are going through and knowing where they are in their cycle is essential in being a more caring and understanding man; in short it will help you become a better mate!"MyMate also offers the ability for men to keep track of a woman's favorite color, song, perfume, likes and gift ideas, and it stores special event dates and her clothing size in "convenient European conversion."Eisenberg dismissed the critics of the PMS tracking service, saying that he has received 3,000 e-mails from men and women around the globe telling him how useful PMS Buddy is. "There are a lot of people out there that think we've been misogynistic, but we tell them it's a free country and if you don't like it don't use the Web site," he said. "We think it has an altruistic side to it. It helps people."Eisenberg, whose other venture is selling shirt collar stays packaged in a credit card size holder called a Collar Card, said his wife is very supportive of PMS Buddy. "I get a reminder, a heads up via e-mail, and I'll cut her some slack and not let things escalate when I get home if she is not in the best mood," he said.
The idea for the service started as a joke when Eisenberg and a group of friends, including several women, were drinking at a happy hour and talking about relationships. "From there the conversation transgressed, or digressed, whatever it is, into PMS," he said. The group reached a consensus that "Women don't appreciate it when you come home and maybe things are a little tense and the man says 'Hey, do you have PMS?'" Eisenberg said. One man said he avoids confrontations by tracking his wife's menstrual cycle on a daily planner. "So we said, 'Wouldn't that be funny to automate it and make it available to the masses,'" Eisenberg added. No doubt, there are some people who won't appreciate the humor of such a service, particularly given the history of societal denigration of women because of their monthly hormonal changes. But, as far as menstrual tracking services for men go, PMS Buddy handles things a bit more delicately than some.Take the competing app PMSTracker. "Tired of your wife/girlfriend/sister/mom/secretary biting your head off unexpectedly once a month?" the app summary on iTunes asks prospective buyers. Another one, called uPMS, markets itself as "an application for all guys out there suffering the monthly Psychotic Mood Shifts from their better halves."Another winner is IAmAMan, an app for "your private life planning." Like PMSTracker, it lets men track cycles of multiple females, but has the additional handy feature of offering passwords for each female so that if one of them "accidentally bumps into this application and makes you enter the password--she will be the only one to appear on the list." Good thinking!And then there is the PMS Meter iPhone app, which is purely for entertainment purposes and features "hilarious sound effects" and an "animated scanning sequence."Probably the most diplomatic of the lot is the MyMate app. "Being aware of what your women are going through and knowing where they are in their cycle is essential in being a more caring and understanding man; in short it will help you become a better mate!"MyMate also offers the ability for men to keep track of a woman's favorite color, song, perfume, likes and gift ideas, and it stores special event dates and her clothing size in "convenient European conversion."Eisenberg dismissed the critics of the PMS tracking service, saying that he has received 3,000 e-mails from men and women around the globe telling him how useful PMS Buddy is. "There are a lot of people out there that think we've been misogynistic, but we tell them it's a free country and if you don't like it don't use the Web site," he said. "We think it has an altruistic side to it. It helps people."Eisenberg, whose other venture is selling shirt collar stays packaged in a credit card size holder called a Collar Card, said his wife is very supportive of PMS Buddy. "I get a reminder, a heads up via e-mail, and I'll cut her some slack and not let things escalate when I get home if she is not in the best mood," he said.
Apple's Ping seems half-baked at launch
Apple's Ping seems half-baked at launch
When you sign up for Ping, it asks you to create a profile and by default selects 10 favorite songs to display there. But Ping doesn't gather these songs based on your ratings or frequency of playback. Instead, it sticks to songs that you've downloaded from iTunes. Yes, I downloaded a Cheryl Crow song once (it was free, it was for my wife, whatever excuse you want to accept), but that doesn't mean she's one of the 10 artists I want to represent me in public. Fortunately, you can populate your own list of 10 songs--but only from songs that are available for sale (and preview) on iTunes. Meaning no Beatles. Once you're signed up, it gives you a list of suggested artists to follow. Right now, the list has 14 pop/rock artists, none of whom are very interesting to me. (Enough Lady Gaga already, please.) That's OK, though, as it also lets you search for artists to follow. Except after I conducted about a dozen searches of rock and pop acts with tens of millions of record sales (Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young) and more obscure indie favorites (Animal Collective, Mr. Bungle) only one showed up--Pink Floyd. Worse yet, I tried to follow somebody claiming to be Bruce Springsteen from New Jersey, but it turned out to be another user spoofing the Boss. (There should be a rock and roll jail for such crimes.) The lack of participation at this early stage is understandable, as Apple probably had to sign deals with artists prior to launch. But for artists not in the system, Apple should have linked to their iTunes bio, pictures, or something. Instead, you get an imposingly blank page with "Your search had no results." How many times will users be willing to see this page before giving up?Missed opportunities like this abound. When I click on "My Reviews," an error message pops up saying that "this person" (uh, that's me!) doesn't have any reviews. I'd like to write a review, but it gives me no information on how to go about it. Another example: I sent an e-mail invitation to my colleague inviting him to follow me, but when he accepted, I got no notification. He simply appeared in the "People Who Follow Me" tab. And unlike Facebook, where accepting a friend creates a two-way relationship, Ping is one-way only--I had to send him a second message before I could start following him.I'm sure that Ping will improve over time, especially as more of my friends jump aboard. That's often how Apple rolls--release, then iterate. In the meantime, if you want to follow me, search for Matt Rosoff. I'll follow you back.
When you sign up for Ping, it asks you to create a profile and by default selects 10 favorite songs to display there. But Ping doesn't gather these songs based on your ratings or frequency of playback. Instead, it sticks to songs that you've downloaded from iTunes. Yes, I downloaded a Cheryl Crow song once (it was free, it was for my wife, whatever excuse you want to accept), but that doesn't mean she's one of the 10 artists I want to represent me in public. Fortunately, you can populate your own list of 10 songs--but only from songs that are available for sale (and preview) on iTunes. Meaning no Beatles. Once you're signed up, it gives you a list of suggested artists to follow. Right now, the list has 14 pop/rock artists, none of whom are very interesting to me. (Enough Lady Gaga already, please.) That's OK, though, as it also lets you search for artists to follow. Except after I conducted about a dozen searches of rock and pop acts with tens of millions of record sales (Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young) and more obscure indie favorites (Animal Collective, Mr. Bungle) only one showed up--Pink Floyd. Worse yet, I tried to follow somebody claiming to be Bruce Springsteen from New Jersey, but it turned out to be another user spoofing the Boss. (There should be a rock and roll jail for such crimes.) The lack of participation at this early stage is understandable, as Apple probably had to sign deals with artists prior to launch. But for artists not in the system, Apple should have linked to their iTunes bio, pictures, or something. Instead, you get an imposingly blank page with "Your search had no results." How many times will users be willing to see this page before giving up?Missed opportunities like this abound. When I click on "My Reviews," an error message pops up saying that "this person" (uh, that's me!) doesn't have any reviews. I'd like to write a review, but it gives me no information on how to go about it. Another example: I sent an e-mail invitation to my colleague inviting him to follow me, but when he accepted, I got no notification. He simply appeared in the "People Who Follow Me" tab. And unlike Facebook, where accepting a friend creates a two-way relationship, Ping is one-way only--I had to send him a second message before I could start following him.I'm sure that Ping will improve over time, especially as more of my friends jump aboard. That's often how Apple rolls--release, then iterate. In the meantime, if you want to follow me, search for Matt Rosoff. I'll follow you back.
The 404 1,024- Where winter comes a little late this year (podcast)
The 404 1,024: Where winter comes a little late this year (podcast)
We're believers: WINTER IS COMING. Technically I guess it arrived a year ago, but Jeff and I are finally catching up to the "Game of Thrones" hype and spend the first few minutes of today's episode discussing the George R. R. Martin books and the anachronisms of the show.The reviews are in for Microsoft Kinect Star Wars and nobody is impressed with the glitchy gameplay and a story that seems to appeal more to kids than fans of the original movies. With years of anticipation in the making, Jeff echoes the fans in the galaxy that feel the game comes up short in terms of motion-sensing gameplay and justice to the story. Also, when did Han Solo get so loose?Finally, we'll also discuss rumors about Batman: Arkham City players may finally get their wish to play as Robin in an upcoming story-based DLC. According to IGN UK and PS3 Trophies, 10 new in-game challenges will be called "Harley's Revenge," one of which asks players to use "5 different Quickfire gadgets" in a fight as the heroic young ward.We'll wait until the second half of the show to bring up a topic that's close to both our childhood memories: local arcades disappearing from cities. An article in Ars Technica examines the disappearing video arcade culture in the lens of a new indie documentary called "100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience," which tries to determine why arcades in Japan have seen more success than here in the states.Creator Brad Crawford attributes some of the East's success with arcades to the country's train-based transportation culture and the limited space that kids have in their homes to host big gaming parties, essentially pushing them out into public arcades to hang out and have fun.Bathroom break video: Death metal voice warmups.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.PlayEpisode 1,024Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff Bakalar
We're believers: WINTER IS COMING. Technically I guess it arrived a year ago, but Jeff and I are finally catching up to the "Game of Thrones" hype and spend the first few minutes of today's episode discussing the George R. R. Martin books and the anachronisms of the show.The reviews are in for Microsoft Kinect Star Wars and nobody is impressed with the glitchy gameplay and a story that seems to appeal more to kids than fans of the original movies. With years of anticipation in the making, Jeff echoes the fans in the galaxy that feel the game comes up short in terms of motion-sensing gameplay and justice to the story. Also, when did Han Solo get so loose?Finally, we'll also discuss rumors about Batman: Arkham City players may finally get their wish to play as Robin in an upcoming story-based DLC. According to IGN UK and PS3 Trophies, 10 new in-game challenges will be called "Harley's Revenge," one of which asks players to use "5 different Quickfire gadgets" in a fight as the heroic young ward.We'll wait until the second half of the show to bring up a topic that's close to both our childhood memories: local arcades disappearing from cities. An article in Ars Technica examines the disappearing video arcade culture in the lens of a new indie documentary called "100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience," which tries to determine why arcades in Japan have seen more success than here in the states.Creator Brad Crawford attributes some of the East's success with arcades to the country's train-based transportation culture and the limited space that kids have in their homes to host big gaming parties, essentially pushing them out into public arcades to hang out and have fun.Bathroom break video: Death metal voice warmups.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.PlayEpisode 1,024Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video  Follow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff Bakalar
iTunes gets ready for Russia debut, report says
iTunes gets ready for Russia debut, report says
Apple's iTunes platform could make its debut in Russia tomorrow.An Apple PR person in Russia has sent out an event invite to a small number of people in the country for a music event the company plans to host tomorrow night, TechCrunch, which obtained a copy of the invite, is reporting. The invite did not say that iTunes will be launching, but did acknowledge that the iTunes team will be holding the event.Russia is one of the more difficult digital-music markets to crack. The country has several legitimate download services, including one from search firm Yandex, but is also home to rampant piracy. The Intellectual Property Alliance, an organization dedicated to ending piracy, has placed Russia on its "priority watch list" as a major pirate.Related storiesDialed in 110: Lessons for Android (podcast)The 404 Podcast 498: Where Jeff battles the TriadBuzz Out Loud Podcast 1145: China to Google: Suck itNutsie brings iTunes to Android via the cloudThe Real Deal 193: Road Test - CES edition (podcast)Given that, iTunes availability has lagged. However, reports suggested that Apple would launch its music service in Russia in October. It was quickly pushed back to November, but was again delayed.Despite the obvious challenges with piracy, Russia is a huge country with huge opportunities for Apple's iTunes platform. If the company can find a way to get Russians to buy music, Apple might find itself a rather profitable market.CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the TechCrunch report. We will update this story when we have more information.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
Apple's iTunes platform could make its debut in Russia tomorrow.An Apple PR person in Russia has sent out an event invite to a small number of people in the country for a music event the company plans to host tomorrow night, TechCrunch, which obtained a copy of the invite, is reporting. The invite did not say that iTunes will be launching, but did acknowledge that the iTunes team will be holding the event.Russia is one of the more difficult digital-music markets to crack. The country has several legitimate download services, including one from search firm Yandex, but is also home to rampant piracy. The Intellectual Property Alliance, an organization dedicated to ending piracy, has placed Russia on its "priority watch list" as a major pirate.Related storiesDialed in 110: Lessons for Android (podcast)The 404 Podcast 498: Where Jeff battles the TriadBuzz Out Loud Podcast 1145: China to Google: Suck itNutsie brings iTunes to Android via the cloudThe Real Deal 193: Road Test - CES edition (podcast)Given that, iTunes availability has lagged. However, reports suggested that Apple would launch its music service in Russia in October. It was quickly pushed back to November, but was again delayed.Despite the obvious challenges with piracy, Russia is a huge country with huge opportunities for Apple's iTunes platform. If the company can find a way to get Russians to buy music, Apple might find itself a rather profitable market.CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the TechCrunch report. We will update this story when we have more information.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
Apple-Google deal took a wrong turn over directions, report says
Apple-Google deal took a wrong turn over directions, report says
What led Apple to boot Google Maps from iOS 6? A new report claims that negotiations between the two companies broke down over disagreements on features and control of the app, which came preloaded on every single iOS device. All Things Digital reports that one dispute involved spoken turn-by-turn directions, a feature that debuted on Android but hadn't made its way to Apple's own Google-powered maps product. At the same time, Google wanted in-app branding and extra Google services like its Latitude location sharing tool, which didn't exactly charm Apple, the report claims. As a result, Apple "fast-tracked" the creation of its own maps application, and put it out as part of iOS 6. The report mirrors numerous details in a story from the Wall Street Journal back in June, which said that negotiations between the two companies fizzled over the very same things:Apple executives also wanted to include Google's turn-by-turn-navigation service in the iPhone -- a feature popular with Android users because it lets people treat their phones as in-car GPS devices. Google wouldn't allow it, according to people on both sides. One of these people said Google viewed Apple's terms as unfair.Google executives, meantime, also bristled at Apple's refusal to add features that would help Google. For instance, Google wanted to emphasize its brand name more prominently within the maps app. It also wanted Apple to enable its service designed to find friends nearby, dubbed Latitude, which Apple refrained from doing, said people on both sides. Google is now rumored to be feverishly working on its own standalone application for release through Apple's App Store. And perhaps now all eyes will be on whether or not it includes voice navigation.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
What led Apple to boot Google Maps from iOS 6? A new report claims that negotiations between the two companies broke down over disagreements on features and control of the app, which came preloaded on every single iOS device. All Things Digital reports that one dispute involved spoken turn-by-turn directions, a feature that debuted on Android but hadn't made its way to Apple's own Google-powered maps product. At the same time, Google wanted in-app branding and extra Google services like its Latitude location sharing tool, which didn't exactly charm Apple, the report claims. As a result, Apple "fast-tracked" the creation of its own maps application, and put it out as part of iOS 6. The report mirrors numerous details in a story from the Wall Street Journal back in June, which said that negotiations between the two companies fizzled over the very same things:Apple executives also wanted to include Google's turn-by-turn-navigation service in the iPhone -- a feature popular with Android users because it lets people treat their phones as in-car GPS devices. Google wouldn't allow it, according to people on both sides. One of these people said Google viewed Apple's terms as unfair.Google executives, meantime, also bristled at Apple's refusal to add features that would help Google. For instance, Google wanted to emphasize its brand name more prominently within the maps app. It also wanted Apple to enable its service designed to find friends nearby, dubbed Latitude, which Apple refrained from doing, said people on both sides. Google is now rumored to be feverishly working on its own standalone application for release through Apple's App Store. And perhaps now all eyes will be on whether or not it includes voice navigation.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
Apple-friendly lawyers snag iPad3.com domain
Apple-friendly lawyers snag iPad3.com domain
A law firm that has worked with Apple now is in possession of the iPad3.com domain.Fusible yesterday reported that the Whois record for the domain name has changed, and now, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton (KTS), a multinational law firm, owns it. KTS has represented Apple in the past, most notably helping the company in its legal fight against Psystar, the Florida company that was selling computers running Mac OS X.Although the Whois record doesn't show Apple as the domain's owner, it's quite possible that the company will soon take it over. DomainWire reported last month that Apple filed a case with the World Intellectual Property Organization to take control of the domain from its then-owner Global Access from Isle of Man. It appears that whatever Apple and its attorneys did, it worked.It's not clear what Apple wants with the iPad3.com domain. Apple buys a host of domain names related to products it sells, and does nothing substantial with them. The purchases are designed solely to ensure that no other company can take advantage of its intellectual property. Back in May, for example, Apple took control of the iPhone5.com domain, after a maneuver in which brand protection agency Corporation Service Company first took over the domain from an iPhone-focused forum site. That site now has no content.CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the domain. We will update this story when we have more information.
A law firm that has worked with Apple now is in possession of the iPad3.com domain.Fusible yesterday reported that the Whois record for the domain name has changed, and now, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton (KTS), a multinational law firm, owns it. KTS has represented Apple in the past, most notably helping the company in its legal fight against Psystar, the Florida company that was selling computers running Mac OS X.Although the Whois record doesn't show Apple as the domain's owner, it's quite possible that the company will soon take it over. DomainWire reported last month that Apple filed a case with the World Intellectual Property Organization to take control of the domain from its then-owner Global Access from Isle of Man. It appears that whatever Apple and its attorneys did, it worked.It's not clear what Apple wants with the iPad3.com domain. Apple buys a host of domain names related to products it sells, and does nothing substantial with them. The purchases are designed solely to ensure that no other company can take advantage of its intellectual property. Back in May, for example, Apple took control of the iPhone5.com domain, after a maneuver in which brand protection agency Corporation Service Company first took over the domain from an iPhone-focused forum site. That site now has no content.CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the domain. We will update this story when we have more information.
Apple-AppGratis flap triggers threat from French minister
Apple-AppGratis flap triggers threat from French minister
Fleur Pellerin, France's digital industry minister, is taking Apple to the public woodshed for pulling the AppGratis service from the App Store, saying the tech giant's "brutal" treatment had put the French startup in danger. She now plans to ask European regulators to more closely regulate digital platforms including search engines and social media."I recall that the French are the world's second largest developers of software applications behind the United States for mobile devices," Pellerin was quoted as saying in LeMonde Informatique. "What is the sense of investing if, overnight, the economic model is jeopardized by a unilateral decision...There is an issue of fairness in commercial relations..."Related storiesFree iOS app service AppGratis pulled from App StoreYanked iOS app AppGratis: We're 'far from finished' Pellerin said the issue justified taking a closer look at how companies with large, dominant technology platforms can "impose" their conditions on others. Apple last week removed the app, which claims more than 10 million users.AppGratis had been available on Apple's platform since last December.However, Apple says AppGratis violated its ban against promoting apps sold by other vendors. Reuters is reporting that Apple held a discussion with AppGratis before dumping it from its platform. The decision to remove AppGratis centers on the following provisions in the App Store guidelines: 2.25: Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected;5.6 Apps cannot use Push Notifications to send advertising, promotions, or direct marketing of any kind. We've contacted Apple for comment and will update this post when there is more information.
Fleur Pellerin, France's digital industry minister, is taking Apple to the public woodshed for pulling the AppGratis service from the App Store, saying the tech giant's "brutal" treatment had put the French startup in danger. She now plans to ask European regulators to more closely regulate digital platforms including search engines and social media."I recall that the French are the world's second largest developers of software applications behind the United States for mobile devices," Pellerin was quoted as saying in LeMonde Informatique. "What is the sense of investing if, overnight, the economic model is jeopardized by a unilateral decision...There is an issue of fairness in commercial relations..."Related storiesFree iOS app service AppGratis pulled from App StoreYanked iOS app AppGratis: We're 'far from finished' Pellerin said the issue justified taking a closer look at how companies with large, dominant technology platforms can "impose" their conditions on others. Apple last week removed the app, which claims more than 10 million users.AppGratis had been available on Apple's platform since last December.However, Apple says AppGratis violated its ban against promoting apps sold by other vendors. Reuters is reporting that Apple held a discussion with AppGratis before dumping it from its platform. The decision to remove AppGratis centers on the following provisions in the App Store guidelines: 2.25: Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected;5.6 Apps cannot use Push Notifications to send advertising, promotions, or direct marketing of any kind. We've contacted Apple for comment and will update this post when there is more information.
Apple’s sales for last quarter expected to be flat
Apple’s sales for last quarter expected to be flat
Apple is unlikely to show any sales growth when it reports second-quarter results on Wednesday. At least, that's the take from a collection of 37 different analysts.Polling analysts for their predictions on Apple's second fiscal quarter, which ended in March, Fortune found an average revenue estimate of $43.5 billion. That forecast is actually a bit lower than the $43.6 billion in sales that Apple reported during last year's second quarter.Related storiesSquare has held talks on possible sale with Google, Apple, says reportApple, Google battle over mobile game exclusivity -- reportWill a larger iPhone steal sales from the iPad Mini?Didn't win Apple's WWDC ticket lottery? You might still be in luckApple's own guidance for its second quarter calls for revenues of between $42 billion and $44 billion. Announced by Apple in January, that news actually sent the stock tumbling as analysts had initially been expecting revenues of $46 billion.As noted by Fortune, the analysts polled have since lowered their expectations to keep them more in line with Apple's guidance.Among specific analysts who released investor notes on Monday, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster is looking for revenues close to $44 billion, while Wells Fargo's Maynard Um expects $44.3 billion. But Um sees a bit of risk to his prediction based on potentially lower sales of the iPhone and iPad.Carriers have been getting stricter about enforcing a full 24-month upgrade cycle for smartphone contract customers. The tighter restriction likely hampered iPhone sales during Apple's first fiscal quarter, according to Um. And though the analyst believes the second quarter may benefit from the stricter upgrade cycle, he said Wells Fargo was still cautious about its sales forecast of 39 million iPhones and 21 million iPads.Apple shares rose .7 percent, or about $4.00, to $528.94in early trading on Monday.
Apple is unlikely to show any sales growth when it reports second-quarter results on Wednesday. At least, that's the take from a collection of 37 different analysts.Polling analysts for their predictions on Apple's second fiscal quarter, which ended in March, Fortune found an average revenue estimate of $43.5 billion. That forecast is actually a bit lower than the $43.6 billion in sales that Apple reported during last year's second quarter.Related storiesSquare has held talks on possible sale with Google, Apple, says reportApple, Google battle over mobile game exclusivity -- reportWill a larger iPhone steal sales from the iPad Mini?Didn't win Apple's WWDC ticket lottery? You might still be in luckApple's own guidance for its second quarter calls for revenues of between $42 billion and $44 billion. Announced by Apple in January, that news actually sent the stock tumbling as analysts had initially been expecting revenues of $46 billion.As noted by Fortune, the analysts polled have since lowered their expectations to keep them more in line with Apple's guidance.Among specific analysts who released investor notes on Monday, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster is looking for revenues close to $44 billion, while Wells Fargo's Maynard Um expects $44.3 billion. But Um sees a bit of risk to his prediction based on potentially lower sales of the iPhone and iPad.Carriers have been getting stricter about enforcing a full 24-month upgrade cycle for smartphone contract customers. The tighter restriction likely hampered iPhone sales during Apple's first fiscal quarter, according to Um. And though the analyst believes the second quarter may benefit from the stricter upgrade cycle, he said Wells Fargo was still cautious about its sales forecast of 39 million iPhones and 21 million iPads.Apple shares rose .7 percent, or about $4.00, to $528.94in early trading on Monday.
Apple.com down after iPhone announcement
Apple.com down after iPhone announcement
Apple fans who had trouble accessing live blogs of the Let's Talk iPhone event on news sites today were further frustrated when they couldn't access Apple's own site.Let's talk iPhoneHopes were high for something special from Apple. Did the iPhone 4S do it for you?With all the anticipation that surrounded this event (though many people found the news to be a bit of a letdown) and Apple.com being one of the 10 most popular sites on the planet, you'd think that the company would have been prepared for increased traffic to the site today.Nevertheless, the site was been down sporadically shortly after the iPhone event ended. While visitors to the Apple Store site at the time of the high-profile event saw a customary "We'll be back soon" message for a while this morning, visitors to Apple.com were seeing a warning that said, "Access Denied. You don't have permission to access 'http://www.apple.com/' on this server." The problem seemed to be fixed after about an hour or so. It's unclear what happened. Apple representatives did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.Related stories:• Apple's iPhone event (live blog)• Apple unveils iPhone 4S• iPhone 4S First Take• Apple's iPod lineup (2011)• Full coverage: Apple's iPhone eventOn Twitter, the topic "Access Denied" was trending, reaching one of the top 10 trends on for San Francisco and Los Angeles, along with numerous other Apple announcement-related topics.Akamai, a content delivery provider for Apple, provided this comment to CNET: "We are aware of reported problems with certain Web sites but can't comment on specific customers. The Akamai platform isn't experiencing any issues."Meanwhile, concerns that domains for Apple (along with Google, Microsoft and others) had been hacked were dismissed by some reports as the result of a trick known as "whois spam," which is not new.Apple's outage was a trending topic on Twitter today.CNET/CBSinteractive
Apple fans who had trouble accessing live blogs of the Let's Talk iPhone event on news sites today were further frustrated when they couldn't access Apple's own site.Let's talk iPhoneHopes were high for something special from Apple. Did the iPhone 4S do it for you?With all the anticipation that surrounded this event (though many people found the news to be a bit of a letdown) and Apple.com being one of the 10 most popular sites on the planet, you'd think that the company would have been prepared for increased traffic to the site today.Nevertheless, the site was been down sporadically shortly after the iPhone event ended. While visitors to the Apple Store site at the time of the high-profile event saw a customary "We'll be back soon" message for a while this morning, visitors to Apple.com were seeing a warning that said, "Access Denied. You don't have permission to access 'http://www.apple.com/' on this server." The problem seemed to be fixed after about an hour or so. It's unclear what happened. Apple representatives did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.Related stories:• Apple's iPhone event (live blog)• Apple unveils iPhone 4S• iPhone 4S First Take• Apple's iPod lineup (2011)• Full coverage: Apple's iPhone eventOn Twitter, the topic "Access Denied" was trending, reaching one of the top 10 trends on for San Francisco and Los Angeles, along with numerous other Apple announcement-related topics.Akamai, a content delivery provider for Apple, provided this comment to CNET: "We are aware of reported problems with certain Web sites but can't comment on specific customers. The Akamai platform isn't experiencing any issues."Meanwhile, concerns that domains for Apple (along with Google, Microsoft and others) had been hacked were dismissed by some reports as the result of a trick known as "whois spam," which is not new.Apple's outage was a trending topic on Twitter today.CNET/CBSinteractive
Discuss: What Is the Best Found-Footage Movie
On Friday, we get another found-footage movie: Into the Storm. This time, it;s a tornado-based disaster picture, a la Twister, but most of it is shot through the perspective of its characters; own professional and amateur video cameras. Found footage is clearly not a trend anymore. Eventually we;re likely to see every genre and every storyline done in this style. And that;s not necessarily a bad thing since a lot of found-footage movies, including recent releases, are quite entertaining and well done. Some don;t completely adhere to the found-footage concept, though. Into the Storm, for example, features much footage that isn;t shot by people within the movie. It;s also not really found, since many of the characters survive and hold on to their video files to the end. Other movies stick to the idea completely, as in the case of the movie that began the popularity of the style: The Blair Witch Project. While not the first movie qualified as this genre, Blair Witch remains one of those that do it best and correctly. It helped that it was such a minimal production, the actors all actually shooting their own improvised performances and action while wandering the woods far from where the true filmmakers were. It also fits that these characters are all killed in the end (sorry, 15 years is long enough not to be a spoiler). For awhile, found footage stuck primarily with the horror genre, and through that genre it has given us more and more surprise hits, such as the originalParanormal Activity. Slightly related, monster movies have also worked well for the style, as seen with Cloverfield and The Troll Hunter. In a way, this summer;s Godzilla seems at least influenced by the concept and what those movies do, in the way it keeps much of the monster action relegated to news reports on television. One of the best found-footage titles, though, is the movie that really opened up the style to other genres: Chronicle, a superhero movie following a few teens who document their accidental acquisition and then use of superpowers. Not limited to their lenses, however, the movie shows a lot of clever possibilities for opening scenes up by acknowledging how cameras are everywhere now. The sci-fi film Europa Report is another that has exceptionally broadened the potential for the style. Technically many documentaries are found-footage movies, such as archive compilations like the work of Ken Burns (The Civil War) and also definitely Werner Herzog;s Grizzly Man. So it makes sense that a lot of mockumentaries can overlap as found-footage movies, too. There;s Incident at Loch Ness, starring Herzog and about a fake Herzog documentary project, for instance. Another little-seen example that I;d recommend as proof that found footage keeps finding interesting new places to go is a romantic comedy called Hank and Asha, which won Slamdance last year. It;s more of a cinematic equivalent of an epistolary novel (those told through written letters), as it;s comprised solely of webcam videos the title characters send to each other as they begin an online-based long-distance relationship. It;s notthebest, but it;s one of the greats from the last couple years. What is the best found-footage movie? Here are some responses received so far via Twitter: @thefilmcynic Cloverfield. — Ethan Anderton (@Ethan_Anderton) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic My personal favorite is CLOVERFIELD. — Geoff LaTulippe (@DrGMLaTulippe) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic CLOVERFIELD — Larry Wright (@refocusedmedia) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic Cloverfield, followed closely by Trollhunter. — Jordan Raup (@jpraup) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic Chronicle — Justin S. Robinson (@TheJSRobinson) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic Chronicle — Kale smith (@Moviekale) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic Can David Holzman;s Diary count? — Matt Miller (@millerunc) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic [Rec] — Kevin Lehane (@KevinLehane) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic [REC] — Ieda Marcondes (@iedamarcondes) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic Can REC and REC2 count as one, epic movie because...that. — Jeremy Kirk (@JeremyKKirk) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic No contest... REC, REC2, THE DEN, CREEP and V/H/S/2. — Rob Hunter (@FakeRobHunter) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic I;ll go with V/H/S 2, but 97% of that is the SAFE HAVEN short. — Matthew Monagle (@LabSplice) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic The original is still the best - BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. — Gabriel Ruzin (@Gabriel_Ruzin) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic Probably The Blair Witch Project, because of the mystery surrounding it. The lack of social media was a bliss back then. — Ashwin (@ShinobivsGast) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic Poughkeepsie Tapes. — Christopher Brian (@Clunche) August 6, 2014 @thefilmcynic Lake Mungo. Does that count? The devastating scenes are found footage. — David S. (@David_Shreve2) August 6, 2014 Join in the next discussion: and
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