Apple News: 2014 at 04:22PM

Showing posts with label 2014 at 04:22PM. Show all posts

Southwest Airlines Adds Beats Music to In-Flight Entertainment Systems

Posted by Unknown on 8:39 AM

Starting this week, travelers on select Southwest Airlines flights will be able to listen to music streamed via Apple's Beats Music service. The airline today announced this new Beats Music option and provided a live demonstration onboard a 737 emblazoned with the Beats Music logo.

southwest-beats

Southwest adopted Beats Music in response to growing consumer interest in streaming music.

"Southwest connects our Customers to what is important in their lives and in this case, it's music," said Kevin Krone, Southwest Airlines Chief Marketing Officer. "We continue to enhance our onboard offerings to remain current as our Customers' needs evolve, and with the addition of Beats Music on our entertainment portal, we're doing just that."

The in-flight service is free and includes hundreds of music lists compiled by Beats' own expert curators. It is available on WiFi-enabled Southwest flights and is compatible with iOS, Android, and other devices.

Apple purchased Beats Music and Beats Electronics in a $3 billion deal that was finalized earlier this year. As part of the deal, Beats co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre joined Apple and are reportedly using their music contacts and Apple's clout help make inroads in the streaming music market. Rumors suggest Apple is working to lower Beats' pricing and revamp the service early next year.

European 'iWatch' Trademark Holder Plans New Android Smartwatch

Posted by Unknown on 9:29 AM

Irish firm Probendi is seeking to capitalize on Apple's announcement of the Apple Watch earlier this year by using its existing "iWatch" trademark in Europe to launch its own smartwatch device. Probendi director Daniele Di Salvo confirmed in a recent RTE Radio interview that the company will "absolutely push ahead" with its plans to build a smartwatch device that will compete with the Apple Watch, reports news site Herald.ie .

probendi-logo

Probendi owns an iWatch trademark in Europe and has been using the iWatch name for health and safety communication software. Di Salvo acknowledges the company's existing iWatch software product, but notes that "the name is easily associated with a smartwatch" when discussing the company's future plans.

It is unclear, however, how Di Salvo will be able to extend use of the iWatch name to a smartwatch, as the category protection for the company's trademark is somewhat limited within the computer software classification. Numerous other companies, including Apple, have filed for protection on the "iWatch" name in a variety of classifications and countries, something that may have contributed to Apple's decision to use the "Apple Watch" name for its product.

Speaking to RTE Radio, Di Salvo refused to comment on any potential discussions with Apple about the trademarked name, but did confirm that the company is in talks with Chinese manufacturers about producing a smartwatch device.

"We have been contacted by some very important manufacturers in China about the possibility of manufacturing a smartwatch and selling them with the name iWatch. Discussions are still ongoing. We are good at software but hardware is definitely not our business but we are evaluating this request," Mr Di Salvo said.

Di Salvo's iWatch will feature a square design, a touchscreen, GPS functionality, and an accelerometer. It reportedly will run the Android operating system, with support for fitness, health tracking and other apps. According to Bloomberg , Di Salvo is looking for manufacturers to assemble the device at a cost that is lower than the Apple Watch's $349 entry-level price.

OS X Yosemite Public Beta Now Available via Mac App Store Redemption Codes

Posted by Unknown on 9:30 AM

In line with yesterday's announcement, Apple today made available a pre-release version of OS X Yosemite to consumers who signed up for the company's OS X public beta program. Public beta program members are receiving promo codes via email that allow them to download Yosemite from the Mac App Store for free.

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Early reviews of the pre-release build are favorable, with several reviewers noting improvements in Safari, Messaging and Notifications. Notably missing from the beta, however, are the highly anticipated Continuity features that allow for the integration of OS X with an iPhone or iPad running iOS 8, as only Yosemite is included in the program.

To sign up for the beta program, users must have a Mac running OS X Mavericks and need to register with an Apple ID on Apple's website. Apple cautions members to install the OS on a secondary Mac as it is beta software and may cause unexpected errors or other issues. Enrollment in the beta program is limited to the first one million registrants.

Apple is expected to release OS X Yosemite to the general public later this year, possibly following an October event that also may be used to unveil the iWatch and new iPad models.