Jimmy Iovine tells the real story of how he convinced Apple to buy Beats

Apple's decision to shell out $3 billion for Beats was one of the year's most surprising deals, largely because Apple normally concentrates on smaller acquisitions that don't make a lot of headlines. In an interview with GQ , Beats cofounder Jimmy Iovine explains how he got Apple to finally take the plunge on buying Beats, although he admits it took a while to really convince the company it needed to act.

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Posted in 2014 at 09:16PM, December 03

Likely Fake iPhone 6 Box Insert Surfaces [iOS Blog]

While we've seen dozens of images depicting iPhone 6 elements that are likely to be real versions of parts that will make their way into the finished device, we've also been seeing quite a few iPhone 6 mockups, iPhone 6 clones, and other fake iPhone 6 parts as we creep closer to the device's launch date.



French site Nowhereelse.fr [Google Translate] has today shared what it believes may be a genuine iPhone 6 box insert (or quick start guide) that "confirms" the launch date of the iPhone 6 as Tuesday, September 9, but MacRumors believes the insert to be fake based on several different design elements.




(Click for Full Size)


Nowhereelse.Fr compares the September 9 date listed on the fake insert to the "10" date on the calendar icon of the original iPhone 5s card as proof the iPhone 6 insert is real, but the site erroneously assumes that the date on the iPhone 5s insert referred to the Tuesday, September 10 unveiling of the iPhone 5s.



The "10" date actually corresponds to the date when iOS 7 debuted, Monday, June 10. Therefore, the iPhone 5s card did not depict the phone's debut date, which means an actual Apple quick start card for the iPhone 6 would be unlikely to display "September 9" over the iOS default date.



Additionally, the design of the card also lacks slashes between the Ring/Silent switch and Home Button/Touch ID sensor, and the font of the time is not quite in line with Apple's style. Nowhereelse.Fr claims that Apple has opted for a more simple insert design that does not show the actual device to explain its difference from the iPhone 5s insert, but it is unclear whether that is factual. Even when poised as a possible rough draft for a finished quick start guide, the glaring errors on the card continue suggest that it is indeed a fake and not representative of the actual insert card that will be included with the finished iPhone 6.



Apple is expected to introduce its iPhone 6 on Tuesday, September 9 at a media event. The device is rumored to come in two variations, 4.7 inches and 5.5-inches, but it is unclear if both models will ship at the same time as production issues are said to be plaguing the larger iPhone 6.

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Posted in 2014 at 09:16PM, August 25

Apple Updates Final Cut Pro, Compressor With Reliability Improvements, Bug Fixes [Mac Blog]

Apple today updated its professional video editing software Final Cut Pro to version 10.1.3, adding reliability improvements and fixing several bugs. An issue that caused instability when burning a Blu-ray Disc has been fixed, and color corrections pasted between clips are now retained during Share.



The reliability of automatic library backups has been improved, as has the stability of the software when skimming growing files in the browser. A full list of changes can be found below:

What's new



- Fixes reliability issues when burning a Blu-ray Disc or creating a Blu-ray disk image

- Color corrections pasted between clips are retained during Share

- Effects applied to clips in the Browser in prior versions of the app are retained when adding those clips to the timeline

- XML round-trip imports correctly when using gap clips

- Improves reliability of automatic library backups

- Improves stability when skimming growing files in the Browser

Today's minor Final Cut Pro update follows a June update that added a range of new features and improvements. Apple has also updated Compressor to version 4.1.3, fixing several bugs and improving the app's performance.

What's new

- Support for Apple ProRes 4444 XQ

- Status display and improved responsiveness when using "Send to Compressor" from Final Cut Pro X and Motion

- Improved performance and color accuracy when encoding H.264 source files from GoPro cameras

- Fixes issues transcoding alpha channels in image sequences

- Includes general stability improvements

Final Cut Pro can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $299. [Direct Link]



Compressor can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $49.99. [Direct Link]

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Posted in 2014 at 09:16PM, August 19

Apple Launches New EFI Update 2.9.1 For 2011 MacBook Air to Solve Installation Problems [Mac Blog]

Apple today re-released its EFI Firmware 2.9 update for 2011 MacBook Air models after the original EFI update appeared to be causing trouble for many MacBook Air users.



The update, originally released on July 15 to address sleep/wake issues, caused some MacBook Air machines to shut down completely for several hours. On other machines, the update simply refused to install. Today's re-released software, labeled 2.9.1, presumably fixes these issues, allowing the update to be properly installed.





The MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.9.1 is available in the Mac App Store for 2011 MacBook Airs and can also be downloaded from the Apple Support site.

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Posted in 2014 at 09:16PM, July 30

Apple is no longer doomed

For a while, analysts spent most of their time describing the many ways Apple was doomed. But now their tune may be changing, at least when it comes to Apple’s stock price. According to a recent survey of analysts by Fortune , now over 60% of analysts predict Apple’s stock price will rise above $100. This is a significant increase from a year ago, when only 4 out of 45 analysts predicted that Apple’s stock price would rise above $700, the $100-equivalent of Apple’s stock price since its 7-for-1 stock split last month.

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Posted in 2014 at 09:16PM, July 02

Apple's 'Podcasts' App Crashing on Launch

Apple's Podcasts app appears to be malfunctioning for many users, crashing directly after being launched on both devices running iOS 7.1.1 and devices running iOS 8 beta 2. Multiple reports of the crashes have surfaced on Twitter, and MacRumors' own testing also revealed the same crashing-after-launch issue.



While the app will temporarily open after being tapped, it closes automatically just seconds later. The Podcasts app was last updated to version 2.1.2 with minor bug fixes on May 29, so it is unclear what is causing the app to crash.



Podcasts is one of Apple's most poorly rated apps and has been widely criticized for performance issues, with users complaining about syncing problems, podcasts being deleted, and more. Apple attempted to resolve some of these issues with Podcasts version 2.1, which introduced improved episode browsing, Siri integration, and syncing fixes, but the app continues to have a two star rating in the App Store.



As of iOS 8 beta 2, Podcasts is a default iOS app that comes pre-installed on iOS devices, meaning it can no longer be deleted. This change is expected to make its way into the public release of iOS 8, coming later this year.



The crashing issue appears to have begun this morning and it is unknown when a fix might be available.

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Posted in 2014 at 09:16PM, June 26

Video: Watch the first 13 foul-mouthed minutes of ‘South Park: The Stick of Truth’

Let's say you're a fan of role-playing games, but you can't find one aggressively offensive enough to suit your tastes. I might have the perfect game for you. South Park: The Stick of Truth is the first major retail release of a South Park branded console game since the Nintendo 64 and the original PlayStation were still the latest and greatest. The Stick of Truth is a full-featured RPG, complete with distinct classes to choose from, weapons to purchase, spells to cast, quests to complete and party members to meet along the way.



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Posted in 2014 at 09:16PM, February 14

Xbox One said to be ‘easily the most appealing console platform’ for game makers

People will be comparing the brand new video game consoles from Sony and Microsoft in any number of ways for years to come. Sales, power, performance, utility, home entertainment capabilities and more are all valid points of comparison, but another angle we keep seeing pop up gives us a different perspective on the current-generation "console wars." As developers continue to test Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4, feedback they share could give us an idea of what to expect from game makers on each platform — and according to one independent game lab, Xbox One is the place to be for indies.



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Posted in 2014 at 09:16PM, February 12

How to avoid a crazy new phone scam that’s costing people a fortune

Upon seeing missed calls from unfamiliar numbers on our cell phones or home phones, we often instinctively call the number back to see who it was. According to a recent warning issued by the Better Business Bureau, however, that quick call-back can end up costing consumers ridiculous sums of money.



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Posted in 2014 at 09:16PM, February 05