Apple Seeds OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 Build 13D55 to Developers [Mac Blog]

Apple today seeded build 13D55 of OS X 10.9.3 to developers, just over a week after releasing the eighth OS X beta, build 13D45a, and nearly two months after the first 10.9.3 beta.



The beta is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store as well as through the Mac Dev Center.



Apple continues to ask developers to focus on Graphics Drivers, Audio, Mail, Contacts and Calendar sync over USB in iTunes, and Safari. As was discovered with the first beta, 10.9.3 adds new support for 4K displays, offering “Retina” resolutions that improve readability along with support for 60Hz output from the Retina MacBook Pro.

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Posted in 2014 at 10:12PM, April 29

You can finally print Office documents from your iPad

Microsoft's Office suite has been a big hit on the iPad so far but it was also missing a crucial feature when it was first released last month: The ability to print out your documents from your tablet. Don't fret, however, because Microsoft announced on Tuesday that it's issuing its first update on Office for iPad that will enable printing on Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Other features included in the update are SmartGuides, a PowerPoint feature designed to "help you align pictures, shapes, and textboxes as you move them around on a slide," and AutoFit, a new Excel feature that "lets you adjust the width of multiple rows or the height of multiple columns at the same time. With just a few taps, you’ll be sure that your spreadsheet looks better and that no content is hidden."

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Posted in 2014 at 09:30PM, April 29

Pics of Huawei’s flagship Ascend P7 leak, and they have a very familiar look

Huawei's big claim to smartphone fame is that its devices are huge in China, where it's been challenging Samsung as a major player in the Android smartphone market. The company's newest flagship smartphone, called the Ascend P7, is set to release soon and Nowhereelse.fr has posted some new leaked pictures of the device that show it has a very familiar look to it.

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Posted in 2014 at 08:00PM, April 29

iWatch Reportedly Entering Production in Small Quantities Ahead of Fall 2014 Launch

Apple's suppliers have already begun producing the iWatch in small quantities, according to supply chain sources cited by China Times via G for Games , ahead of a prospective launch during the second half of 2014.



Echoing an earlier report from notable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the site's sources also suggest the iWatch will take advantage of a system-in-package (SiP) design that allows a multitude of chips to be placed on a single module. This could allow Apple to the fit multiple sensors rumored for the smart watch into a tiny area while keeping the device small enough to be worn comfortably on the wrist.




Traditional watch-style iWatch concept by Gábor Balogh


Rumors have indicated Apple's iWatch will contain several different biometric sensors allowing it to track health-related statistics like heart rate, sleep quality, movement, and more. The sensors will aggregate data that will be stored in a rumored "Healthbook" application, slated for inclusion in iOS 8.



Along with including health sensors, the iWatch will likely function similarly to other smart watches on the market, integrating with the iPhone and iPad to provide notifications and quick access to frequently used apps and services.



Apple's iWatch is expected to ship in two different sizes to accommodate different sized wrists and it may also come in multiple price points and materials. According to recent reports, Apple's iWatch could make an appearance as soon as September, but a solid launch date remains unclear.

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Posted in 2014 at 05:23PM, April 29

Microsoft's Office for iPad Apps Gain Printing Capabilities

Microsoft's Office for iPad apps, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint received their first major update today, gaining the printing capabilities that were notably absent when the apps launched back in March. The lack of an ability to print documents directly from the apps was a major complaint in initial reviews of the mobile productivity suite.





According to an official blog post, all three apps will gain the ability to print over-the-air to an AirPrint-compatible printer.

Your top request is here! You can now print Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations to an AirPrintTM printer. In Word for iPad, you can choose to print a document with or without markup. In Excel, print a selected range, a single worksheet or an entire spreadsheet. Of course, you can select the pages or slides you want to print.

Along with printing capabilities, the apps have gained a few other highly-requested features, including SmartGuides for PowerPoint and AutoFit for Excel. While SmartGuides help PowerPoint users align pictures, shapes, and textboxes on a slide page, AutoFit will let Excel users adjust the width and height of multiple rows and columns at once.



Each update also includes a number of bug fixes, along with a note from Microsoft outlining its commitment to continually improving its Office for iPad apps. "We're already working on the next update," reads the post.



The Excel and PowerPointupdates are currently available, while the Word update is expected to roll out soon. All of the apps can be downloaded from the App Store for free, but editing and creating documents requires an Office 365 subscription. Microsoft OneNote has also been updated with bug fixes.



- Microsoft Word for iPad [Direct Link]

- Microsoft Excel for iPad [Direct Link]

- Microsoft PowerPoint for iPad [Direct Link]

- Microsoft OneNote for iPad [Direct Link]

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Posted in 2014 at 04:44PM, April 29

Sprint Bundles Spotify Premium Into New 'Framily' Plans [iOS Blog]

Sprint today announced that it will start bundling Spotify Premium with its new Framily plans, offering a discount on the service for customers with multiple lines. The music streaming service is part of the company's new Sprint Sound Sessions program and will be available starting May 9th.



Under the new program, all new and existing postpaid customers on a Framily plan are eligible for a free, six-month trial of Spotify Premium that is followed by an 18-month discount on the premium service when the free trial is over. Framily customers will pay $7.99 per month for the paid service or $4.99 monthly if the Framily plan has more than six members. After 24 months, customers will pay the standard price for Spotify Premium, which is currently $9.99 per month.



Subscribers outside the Framily plan will receive a 3-month free trial and incur charges of $9.99 monthly when the free trial ends. All charges for the service will be added to a customer's monthly bill.

“With Spotify, people literally have all of the world’s music in their pockets,” said Daniel Ek, Spotify founder and CEO. “Spotify and Sprint share a passion for music and technology that makes this partnership a natural fit for both companies -- and the best music deal ever for Sprint customers.”

Spotify's Premium tier allows users to listen to Spotify's entire 20 million song library with support for unlimited on-demand listening and custom playlists. The service recently extended its free tier to iPhone users, allowing them to listen to pre-compiled playlists and shuffled music based on a specific artist or song.



This new Sprint partnership is not the first carrier tie-up for the Swedish-based music service. Spotify also bundles its Premium service with cellular plans from Vodafone throughout Europe. As a result, Spotify's growth has been accelerating, and the streaming service may soon eclipse Apple's iTunes downloads as Europe's biggest digital music service in terms of revenue.

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Posted in 2014 at 04:09PM, April 29

5 amazing Android apps you’ve probably never heard of

Even Android's own fans acknowledge that Google Play's app store needs a lot of improvement when it comes to discovering new apps put out by small developers. With that in mind, we've decided to point out some terrific new Android apps that you've probably never heard of before, as recommended by members of Reddit's Android community. Below you'll find 10 of the most promising little-used Android apps we've found alongside brief descriptions and pricing information for each.

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Posted in 2014 at 02:45PM, April 29

CNBC Recognizes Steve Jobs as Most Influential Business Leader in the Past 25 Years

To commemorate its launch in 1989, CNBC today ranked the most influential business and financial leaders from the past 25 years. Topping the list in the number one spot is Apple's own "iVisionary" Steve Jobs.





Steve Jobs was recognized by CNBC not only for his work at Apple, but also for his influence on the wider culture both in business and in people's personal lives.

His creative genius revolutionized not just his industry and its products, but also everything from music and movies to smartphones. He provided a platform for others to create and distribute apps, bringing innovation and change to an even wider sphere. Apple's co-founder tops our anniversary list of the 25 most transformative leaders, icons and rebels of the past-quarter century. More than any other member of our group of extraordinary entrepreneurs and executives—all outstanding leaders—his vision spurred changes far beyond his industry and put an indelible stamp on the wider culture.

When assembling the list, the editorial board at CNBC focused on business, eliminating politicians and government leaders from its top 25. They considered only those business men and women who were transformative both in their own field and beyond. Though most are well-known billionaires, the list was not based on personal financial success or popularity.

We made the decision early on to eliminate heads of government and state from our deliberations. This is a list, after all, about business people, not politicians. It's about the men and women who, for better or worse, have had the most transformative effect on commerce, finance, markets, human behavior and global culture over the past 25 years. So out went Bill Clinton, Angela Merkel, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, Lee Kuan Yew and Vladimir Putin. In came Oprah.

Also included on the list are other notable technology leaders including Microsoft's Bill Gates at number two, Amazon's Jeff Bezos at number five, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg at number eight and Google's trio of Sergey Brin, Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, who collectively share the number four spot.

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Posted in 2014 at 02:30PM, April 29