Author: J.R. Bookwalter

Since the dawn of the App Store, Apple has protected developers (and their own business interests) by outlawing refunds, but that policy could soon find itself in the crosshairs.

The Korea Herald reported Sunday that both Apple and Google are being accused of “unfair provisions” over the lack of refund options for their respective App Store and Google Play storefronts.

According to South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), the two mobile app titans will be required to offer a “customer refund system based on web developers’ refund policies,” an order which Google appears to already be in the process of carrying out in that country.

“While Google will limit its response to the KFTC to the domestic market, Apple said it would consider applying the revised contract terms globally,” said Hwang Won-chul, the head of the KFTC’s Adhesion Contract Division.

The antitrust pressure came after “continued requests” from the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice, a civic group in South Korea who first asked the FTC to investigate what they call “unfair sales practices of domestic and foreign mobile app stores” back in March.

Citing potentially “unfair sales practice,” the KFTC is also investigating a complaint against Apple, claiming “users are not able to get their original phones back from repair shops after they have their phones repaired” — apparently a reference to Apple’s policy of replacing a device with a refurbished model, rather than sending it in for repair.

Although it is Apple’s stated policy not to refund App Store purchases, Cupertino apparently will do so in many cases for users who contact support via the “Report a Problem” link from an iTunes email receipt.

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(Image couresy of TUAW)

On the heels of Apple’s new improved iTunes U offerings announced yesterday, the Mac and iPad maker today kicked off its annual Back to School promotion, which allows students to save on their next Apple product.

Apple today kicked off the 2014 Back to School promotion, an extension of the company’s existing educational pricing that allows students and educators to score Apple Store Gift Cards with select purchases.

“Get extra credit when you buy a Mac, iPad or iPhone for college,” the landing page for the promotion reads.

This year’s incentives include a $100 Apple Store Gift Card when buying a new Mac for college, while the purchase of an iPad or iPhone delivers a $50 Apple Store Gift Card — and those incentives are on top of educational pricing, which can save students up to $200 on a Mac or $30 on an iPad.

According to Apple’s website, to qualify for education pricing or a gift card incentive, buyers “must be college students, a student accepted to a college, a parent buying for a college student, or a faculty or staff member from any grade level.”

Apple.com also offers special financing for a limited time that enables college students to pay no interest and make no payments for 90 days, which includes the option to apply with a co-applicant such as a parent or guardian.

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The rumor mill just can’t seem to make up its mind when it comes to the fabled iPhone 6. After confidently showing mockups over the last few months, a new report Monday from GforGames now claims those leaked images may be nothing more than a “rough idea” of what Cupertino has in store for us later this year. Confused? We say it’s better to temper expectations and be patient anyway…

Picturelife Debuts New iOS App, Unlimited Family Share Plan

The imminent launch of Apple’s iCloud Drive seems to be making many cloud services rethink their approach, typically in favor of the consumer. Picturelife announced Tuesday a complete revamp of the iOS app that now ups storage for free users to 8GB and introduces new Places, Faces and Favorites views along with quick actions, which are intended to make editing or sharing as easy as two taps. The app also now makes it easier to get started without requiring an account, and a new pricing structure makes it cheaper as well, including a new 100GB Family Plan for $10 per month and unlimited storage for up to three immediate family members for only $15 per month — and those prices include both photos as well as videos.

Apple Releases iOS 7.1.2, OS X Mavericks 10.9.4 Updates

MacRumors reported Monday that Apple closed out the month of June with fresh updates to both iOS 7.1.2 as well as OS X Mavericks 10.9.4. The relatively minor updates focus on “bug fixes and security improvements” for the former, including a fix for an email attachment encryption issue and data transfer when using third-party accessories. On the OS X front, the 10.9.4 update “fixes an issue that prevented some Macs from automatically connecting to known Wi-Fi networks” while also improving the reliability of wake from sleep and includes Safari 7.0.5 with the requisite round of security patches. iOS 7.1.2 can be downloaded via iTunes or as an over-the-air update from your device, while OS X Mavericks 10.9.4 can be found from the Updates tab of the Mac App Store.

JET Magazine Transitions from Print to Digital with iPad App

First announced back in early May, Johnson Publishing Company announced Monday that the iconic JET Magazine has concluded its transition to digital only, having published its final print edition last month. Founded in 1951, the publisher claims the decision was a way to “adapt to the changing needs of its readers as their desire to get information quickly and easily increases.” All these years later, the publication touts a base of 700,000 readers and remains the third largest magazine in the African-American market.

New iPhone Ad Puts Focus on “Parenthood”

If you’re a parent who owns an Android or Windows Phone handset, Apple wants you to know that was apparently a bad decision, courtesy of a new television commercial landing on the airwaves this week. Entitled “Parenthood,” the spot features the song “Life of Dreams” by Julie Doiron and shows how the iPhone 5s can enhance the lives of parents as they monitor their baby from the next room, teach kids how to brush their teeth, find a lost pet and even discover how to take care of plants — all without a rival device in sight.

Macphun Snap Pack Bundles Mac Photo Apps Until July 7

Have an aversion to Adobe’s new subscription-based Creative Cloud photography apps? For the cost of only two and a half months of that plan, Macphun is now offering a package of its four Mac photo applications, along with a a high speed memory card and a $20 credit for CanvasPop, enough to get one of your best images printed on a wall-ready canvas. The package includes Snapheal, FX Photo Studio, Focus and Color Strokes for only $24.99 (a $70 value), but you’ll have to act fast: The deal will vanish as quickly as it appeared on July 7. (If the website shows $39.99, click though to purchase and the correct price will appear.)

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Teachers may be only now starting to enjoy summer vacation, but Apple is looking ahead to the new school season this fall with a major update to the iTunes U app that makes it easier to do even more on the iPad.

Apple today announced improvements to the iPad functionality of the free iTunes U app that will make life easier on educators and help students collaborate like never before with class discussions.

Starting July 8, teachers will be able to create, edit and manage entire courses for the first time using nothing but the iTunes U app on an iPad. Rich content can be added directly from iWork, iBooks Author and more than 75,000 other third-party educational apps, or captured from the built-in camera.

“Education is at the core of Apple’s DNA and iTunes U is an incredibly valuable resource for teachers and students,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “iTunes U features an amazing selection of academic materials for everyone around the world. Now, with the ability to better manage and discuss educational content, learning becomes even more personalized on iPad.”

The latest update also improves the educational process for students as well, with new collaboration features between classmates and teachers. Discussions allow students to automatically join and follow classroom conversations, complete with push notifications for new topics or replies to active exchanges.

Content creation will be available to educators in 69 countries, with new courses accessible in 155 countries. Apple also touted more than half a million apps specifically created for the iPad, as well as nearly 30,000 multitouch iBooks created by independent teachers and publishers thus far using the free iBooks Author for Mac software.

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Facing a jury trial next month with $840 million in potential damage claims on the line in a dispute over alleged e-book price fixing, Apple has instead decided to settle out of court to make the problem go away.

Bloomberg reported Monday that Apple Inc. has reached a settlement with U.S. states who allege the iPhone maker colluded with five big publishers to put the squeeze on Amazon, the reigning heavyweight champion of e-books.

Although the U.S. attorneys general and the consumers they represent have accepted Apple’s settlement, a memorandum of understanding under court seal prevented lawyers from revealing any details of the agreement, and Apple was typically mum on the subject as well.

The U.S. government first launched an assault against Apple in April 2012, accusing e-book publishers of working with Cupertino to keep the price of digital books high while the iPad maker scarfed up 30 percent of the take. The move was intended to pressure Amazon to raise their prices, rather than offer best sellers below cost.

The settlement will keep Apple out of court and avoid a potentially costly jury trial, including damage claims of nearly $840 million.

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Amidst rumors Google is about to swallow up voice recognition provider Nuance, Domino’s Pizza has teamed up with the current Apple partner to provide a new voice ordering assistant in the latest version of its U.S.-based app, which pretty much brings us full circle back to ordering on the phone, although without any human interaction. That’s progress… right?

Apple Retail Announces Free Summer Creative Camp for Kids

Looking for something to keep the kids busy this summer? Apple Retail Stores will again be hosting free summer camp workshops for kids eight to 12, where they’ll learn to make movies on iMovie as well as create an interactive book. Campers will create elements using the iPad, then apply the finishing touches using software on Mac, with an Apple Camp Showcase at the end for sharing finished projects with the world. Kids must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and are welcome to bring their own digital camera or video camera for the Stories in Motion workshop (otherwise the store will provide one).

Parallels Access 2.0 Lets iPhone, Android Users in On Fun

Parallels announced Tuesday the release of Parallels Access 2.0, a major update to the company’s formerly iPad-only remote-access app for Mac and PC which is now a universal build with iPhone support. New features include Facebook login support, a file browser, adjustable screen resolutions, and the ability to use a tablet or smartphone microphone for the remote desktop. Last but not least, Access is also available on Android devices for the first time, and it’s cheaper than ever to subscribe at $19.99 per year or $34.99 for two years ($29.99 through the end of June) for access to up to five computers on an unlimited number of devices; new business subscriptions are also available.

Users Report Increasing Problem with iTunes Match Uploads

Having issues uploading unrecognized tracks via iTunes Match lately? MacRumors reported Monday that you may not be alone, with an ever-expanding thread of complaints slowly filling up the Apple Support forums over the last week or two. Although the $24.99-per-year service appears to match tracks against the extensive iTunes catalog just fine, unrecognized tracks instead stall during the upload phase, then unceremoniously end without ever actually finishing. No word yet from Apple on what might be causing the problem, which is likely a server-side issue that will hopefully clear up soon.

Garmin Goes for Cheaper Mobile Navigation with Viago

Now that both Apple and Google offer free navigation apps on their respective iOS and Android platforms, what’s a veteran of the GPS space to do? Garmin is now taking a unique approach with a new app called Viago, which promises “navigation tailored to fit your needs.” Offering international map browsing, regional navigation, lane assist with “photoreal junction” view, and traffic and speed info, the 99-cent app can be customized with optional upgrades via in-app purchases, including a free bonus package with new map themes and vehicle icons for iOS users.

Box Scoops Up Streem, Adds iWork Sync Support

The folks at Box were busy on Monday with a pair of announcements. First up is word the company has acquired Streem, an upstart storage service that allows users to store documents, presentations, videos, and other files via a cloud drive mounted on the desktop. More immediately, Box Sync now supports Mac package files, which will be good news for iWork users, since they’ll be able to finally sync Pages, Numbers, and Keynote files between the desktop and Box as a single file, exactly the way it appears on the desktop. The only requirement is upgrading to Box Sync 4 — a free update that’s available now.

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Everyone remembers that classic series of “Get a Mac” ads pitting a cool Mac against an uptight PC, but when is the last time Apple had a truly memorable marketing campaign? With any luck, there could be another one on the horizon.

Advertising Age filed an extensive report Monday focusing on how Apple plans to reclaim some of its former marketing glory, starting with bringing some of the creative work in-house.

According to industry insiders, Apple is quietly building up an internal marketing agency said to eventually number 1,000 people, and using those minds as leverage to produce better results from longtime ad agency TBWA/Media Arts Lab while keeping critics at bay who claim the Cupertino company has lost its edge.

The most notable recent misstep with Apple’s marketing came during the 2012 Olympics in a spot focusing on the company’s retail-based Genius Bar employees that vanished nearly as quickly as it debuted.

It’s a definite black eye for a company best known for its iconic “Think Different” campaign, especially in the wake of recent attack ads from rival Samsung touting how “the next big thing is already here.”

In April, the Apple v. Samsung patent dispute shined a spotlight on Apple’s marketing woes, including an email from VP Phil Schiller to CEO Tim Cook calling for “a search for a new agency… we are not getting what we need from them and haven’t been in a while.”

Cook apparently took the advice to heart, as the report noted Apple has gone to great lengths to build up an arsenal of marketing talent, including some poached right from its longtime partners at TBWA/MAL — a move that would have been considered sacrilege during the Steve Jobs era.

For now at least, TBWA/MAL remains in the picture, with sources claiming the agency will continue to provide “service-side duties” for Apple, even as Cupertino continues to ramp up marketing efforts to catch up to the iPhone maker’s runaway success over the last few years.

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(Image courtesy of ViralWriter.com)

iTunes Radio listeners in the United States can finally tune in to live, 24-hour content from ESPN and National Public Radio.

AppleInsider today reported that iTunes Radio is now serving up ESPN Radio as well as National Public Radio (NPR) content from local affiliates, right from any iOS 7 device or desktop computer with the latest version of iTunes.

First spotted by Twitter user Aaron Ruhlig, Apple appears to have flipped the switch on the new content Tuesday morning. The channels are different from the typical custom-built stations on iTunes Radio, instead matching the same live, 24/7 content heard by traditional radio listeners.

While NPR launched national network content back in March, the provider appears to have lit up local affiliate channels this week, including major markets such as New York and Los Angeles as well as smaller local markets.

iTunes Radio can be found from a dedicated tab in the Music app on devices running iOS 7, as well as iTunes running on a Mac or PC.

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Could a new day be dawning at Apple? Judging from a pair of recent reports, the Cupertino company is looking to put on a friendlier face, both in public relations and with former retail partners like Costco.

Re/code reported Monday that Apple CEO Tim Cook is apparently very hands on when it comes to searching for a replacement for VP of worldwide corporate communications Katie Cotton.

Cotton, a longtime Steve Jobs ally who never ventured far from the co-founder’s side during Apple media events, retired last month after almost 20 years with the company — but despite two of her underlings poised to replace her, Cook is said to be looking elsewhere for “high-profile external candidates.”

“He’s paying particular attention to those he believes could put a friendlier, more approachable face on Apple’s public relations efforts,” the report added, suggesting the “new” Apple could have a less contentious relationship with the media once such a candidate is hired.

And it’s not just PR: MacRumors reported yesterday that Costco Wholesale is renewing its relations with Apple for iPhone and iPad sales after parting ways in late 2010.

According to an internal email from Costco’s Wireless Advocates subsidiary, the new partnership will “incorporate Apple products into our already strong product line-up in Costco” in addition to two of the company’s three enterprise channels, which include the military and Car Toys.

The email acknowledges “much backend work and physical kiosk work” remains to get Apple products into Costco, but already iPods and iPad Air models with Wi-Fi only have started to appear in the wholesaler’s internal inventory systems, suggesting sales of such products could kick off over the summer.

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Google’s $35 Chromecast has been on a roll lately, adding support for a plethora of new apps and services. VLC users will be happy to know that they aren’t being forgotten, with VideoLAN recently confirming in a forum post that Chromecast support is underway for the iOS app, with Mac, Windows, and Linux coming a little further down the line. If that just brightened your day, wait until you read today’s recap!

Apple Details OS X Yosemite Design Changes in WWDC Video

If last week’s WWDC 2014 keynote whetted your appetite for a closer look at OS X Yosemite, Apple has just what you’re looking for. MacRumors reported Monday that Apple has posted the minute-long “The New Look of OS X Yosemite” video shown during the June 2 keynote, which focuses on the latest Mac operating system’s new desktop translucency while highlighting features such as AirDrop, Finder, Messages, and Notification Center. OS X Yosemite will be released this fall, and we’re sure to see even more of it over the summer.

Skype Announces iPhone Redesign, Available Next Week

The Skype Blog announced Monday that an all-new, “remastered” version of the company’s iPhone app is set to debut in the App Store “in about a week,” with a similar reboot also in the works for iPad as well. Version 5.0 promises to be “the most refined version yet,” with a “consistent look and feel with the Windows Phone and Android apps” and a speed overhaul said to be more than five times faster than the existing version. The iPhone app is also said to be smarter about syncing notifications between different devices and computers. Can’t wait for the new version? Skype has posted a closer look on its website, which will have to satisfy you for now.

Macphun Serves Up Creative Kit Plus Bundle Until June 22

The folks at Macphun are kicking off summer with a new Creative Kit Plus bundle offering $260 worth of Mac software for only $99.99. Available between now and Sunday, June 22, the bundle includes the company’s popular Intensify Pro, Snapheal Pro, and Focus 2 Pro applications along with a one-year Premium membership to photo contest service ViewBug. The first 500 customers will also receive a free copy of Macphun’s next app, which is due for release later this summer and is very hush-hush for the time being. You’re just a few clicks away from unlimited creative possibilities, so why not take the plunge on the Macphun website today?

South African App Store Begins Accounting for 14 Percent Tax

According to tipster Brandon Walker, Apple has started collecting Value Added Tax (VAT) on the South African App Store at a rate of 14 percent. The change was announced in an iTunes Connect email to developers on Sunday, which was expected to take effect within 24 hours. “Price adjustments on the App Store are made periodically due to changes in foreign tax rates,” the brief email reads, referring to a June 2 update to Apple’s Contracts, Tax and Banking agreements. If there’s anyone reading in South Africa, your iTunes dollar won’t stretch quite as far as it used to…

Flickr Abandons Facebook, Google Logins

Using Facebook or Google logins to sign into Yahoo-owned Flickr? Not anymore. According to a March 6 staff post in the official Flickr Help Forum, users have had several months to get used to the change, which has now finally started rolling out. “Starting this month, we will be requesting that everyone use a Yahoo username and password to sign in to Flickr,” the post reads, adding that Facebook and Google users will be prompted to create a Yahoo username when accessing their Flickr account. A tad inconvenient, but not surprising considering Yahoo’s recent moves to reestablish themselves as a major internet player.

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Cupertino may have put smiles on the faces of iOS developers at last week’s WWDC, but some of those with less scruples may soon find their apps rejected from the App Store.

TechCrunch reported Monday that Apple appears to be taking a stand against developers attempting to monetize their apps through “incentivized video viewing” and rewards for social sharing.

According to an unnamed developer who posted to StackOverflow, such apps run afoul of two sections in Apple’s Developer Guidelines, despite the app in question having been updated four times previously.

Section 2.25 clearly notes “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,” while section 3.10 targets “Developers who attempt to manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews.”

In this developer’s case, an App Store reviewer specifically cited the app for “promoting other apps not your own” and for offering up “free in-game credits for watching videos of other apps by developers other than yourself” — including posting to Facebook in exchange for a reward of some kind, such as in-app content.

The report notes that many developers use such tactics in an effort to manipulate their own app rankings, which could be bad news for companies like Flurry, AdColony, and Tapjoy who offer cross-promotion services, such as incentives for watching brief in-app videos.

Worse yet (for developers, anyway), such rejections could soon be applied retroactively, suggesting that Apple is going out of its way to stomp out such practices on the App Store at long last.

As one Apple reviewer put it: “You can advertise your own games via the standard ad networks. However, when you have a ‘More Games’ or ‘Other Games’ you should only market your own games,” which should benefit more traditional advertising networks, including Apple’s own iAds.

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(Image courtesy of Mashable)

Around two weeks ago, hackers identifying themselves with names like “Oleg Pliss” started holding iOS devices and even Mac computers hostage in exchange for payment — but now they’ve been caught in their Russian homeland.

The Sydney Morning Herald today reported that two Russian hackers aged 17 and 23 have been detained in a bizarre case involving digital ransom against unsuspecting Mac and iOS device owners.

The incidents, which were primarily targeted at Apple users in Australia, appeared to use some kind of loophole in the Find My iPhone software that allowed them to remotely lock the afflicted user’s devices until such time a ransom was paid via PayPal or other method.

According to the Russian Interior Ministry, a 23-year-old man known only as “Ivan” confessed to the crime along with an unnamed 17-year-old accomplice after being caught on closed-circuit television withdrawing the ransom money from an ATM machine.

Described as “madly keen on computers and hacking,” neither Ivan nor his cohort had any formal training or employment experience, but were simply “looking for easy ways to make money.”

Although Apple initially blamed the issue on recycled passwords, the report noted that Apple IDs were being stolen as part of a phishing scheme, and in some cases involved unauthorized access to email or social networks.

The alleged hackers then requested payments of $50 or $100 to unlock the devices, although users protected with passcodes could simply change the iCloud password and avoid the whole scheme.

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It’s been a week since Apple unloaded many of its plans for iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, but very little was actually said about one of Cupertino’s more controversial software efforts — and there may be a good reason for that.

TechCrunch reported Sunday that internal strife within Apple’s engineering teams may have contributed to the absence of any real news about new Maps features at the WWDC 2014 keynote last Monday.

Aside from vector maps in China, one unnamed Apple insider claims “there were multiple improvements that didn’t make it into iOS 8,” including a wide range of features outlined earlier this year by 9to5Mac.

In addition to “more reliable” data, public transit directions, and additional points of interest, those improvements were also said to include labels that made it easier to find highways, airports, and parks as well. So what happened?

“Many developers left the company, no map improvements planned for iOS 8 release were finished in time,” one tipster elaborated. “Mostly it was failure of project managers and engineering project managers, tasks were very badly planned, developers had to switch multiple times from project to project.”

“I would say that planning, project management and internal politics issues were a much more significant contributor to the failure to complete projects than developers leaving the group,” a second source added.

Whatever might be taking place behind the scenes, Apple still has the remainder of the summer to potentially get its act together — especially given the company’s penchant for leaving a few last surprises for the big iPhone unveil this fall.

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