Being the default search engine option in iOS is such an important position that losing it could cost Google around 10 percent of its gross annual revenue, according to a new analysis by investment bank UBS. The advertising giant is at risk to lose upwards of $8 billion if it should lose the default search engine position, a real possibility with the deal between Google and Apple coming up for renewal. Investors are worried that Apple will refuse to renew the arrangement.
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Yesterday in the MacNN forums, one Fresh-Faced Recruit was asking other members how they might go about doing a clean install of the OS on a 2010 MacBook Pro that they don't have a system install disc for. A discussion about giving Apps access to contacts was started by Mac Elite "jeff k" earlier this week after he asked about a specific App that was requesting such access.
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Today at Apple's online store, find big savings on refurbished Macs with prices as low as $419. The refurbished Mac mini with a 1.4GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 500GB hard drive has been discounted by $80 to $419. A $130 discount is available on the refurbished 11.6-inch MacBook Air with a 1.4GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, now $769.
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Welcome to Daily Deals, the weekday post when the staff of MacNN and Electronista search for discounts and deals on hardware, software, games, gadgets, and other tech for you, our discerning readers. Today, we have a pair of Linksys routers, Sennheiser headphones, and a 27-inch Dell 4K monitor, alongside our recap of yesterday's still-active deals.
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Alongside the new Nikon D7200 DSLR shown at the Mobile World Congress yesterday, the imaging company announced the Coolpix P900, a point-and-shoot camera with a 83x optical zoom. The 16MP shooter also includes built-in GPS, and the Nikon Snapbridge technology, allowing users to pair the camera with an iOS or Android device over NFC or Wi-Fi for image sharing and camera control.
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2 hours ago | Posted in: industry
PayPal has made two announcements relating to mobile payments at Mobile World Congress, including an acquisition. The company has purchased Paydiant, a startup that provides mobile wallet services to retailers and banks for payments, loyalty cards, and coupons. At the same time, PayPal advises it will be making an updated version of its Here Chip and PIN reader, this time one that works with NFC.
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4 hours ago | Posted in: industry
The Republican-run US House Judiciary Committee has sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission head Tom Wheeler, claiming that the new net neutrality ruling is the "most oppressive and backward regulatory option possible," despite a failure to cite any specific evidence of harm. The committee is claiming it will instigate a Congressional Review Act to refute the net neutrality regulations as voted on by the FCC, and also to strip the FCC of its ability to impose Title II regulation on US Internet Service Providers.
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Pebble has given backers of its wildly-successful Pebble Time Kickstarter a difficult decision, by adding an alternative device to purchase. Similar to the Pebble Steel compared to the original, the Pebble Time Steel is a metal-clad version of the smartwatch, containing the majority of internal components as the updated wearable device, but with a few slight changes to match the more mature design.
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5 hours ago | Posted in: industry, Apple
Judge Lucy Koh of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California offered little opinion on a revised settlement, which would end the Silicon Valley worker poaching class-action suit. The $415 million counter-offer is $90 million more than the older deal, and exceeds what the judge asked for to approve the deal. Focusing dissent on what attorneys and a objector asked for individually, Judge Koh has set the next hearing for July 9, which should end the case once and for all.
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5 hours ago | Posted in:
Burg announced today the new Burg 31, the first standalone phone and safety smartwatch for kids and senior citizens. The new smartwatch has a Miyota watch movement with traditional analog hands, a GPS tracker, and is a standalone phone to make and receive calls and texts without a tethered smartphone.
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When it comes to selecting a printer, it's not exactly something most people put a lot of thought into. Printers are often touted as fragile, fickle devices that break at the drop of the hat - and in our personal experience, most home printers are this way. But what if someone owns a business and is looking to replace their small, slow printer with something a little more substantial? That's the moment the market suddenly becomes quite a bit more intimidating. We're here to help, though, as we offer up our thoughts on the Brother HL-L8250CDN Color Laser Printer, a laser printer that promises to change your opinion about printers as a whole. Did it change ours? Check our review to find out.
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It's one year since I was given a premium subscription to Evernote for OS X as a present, it's probably three years since I started using the service and its generous free version. Naturally, when you've used something for a while you get familiar with it and you know it's good and bad points. However, the kind of long-term test that Living With entails feels especially vital with Evernote. At first it feels like a handy note-taking app or convenient syncing service but if that is enough for you to carry on using it, there suddenly comes a moment when it changes. At some point Evernote becomes a ubiquitous part of your working life.
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Memory producer SanDisk has set the bar high for mobile device storage, by revealing its first 200GB microSD card. At the same time, the company unveiled two more items for transferring data between computers and devices, including its first USB deive using a Type C connector, and the 128GB iXpand Flash Drive designed for use with the iPhone and iPad.
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15 hours ago | Posted in: Apple
Although there is an official biography of Steve Jobs, made with Jobs' cooperation before he died in 2011, another tome on the life and thoughts of the mercurial Apple co-founder will be published later this month, titled Becoming Steve Jobs. The book is noteworthy due to Jobs' posthumous involvement, along with new interviews with Jobs' family, Apple CEO Tim Cook, design chief Sir Jonathan Ive, and former Apple and Pixar colleagues galore.
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As the publicity machine shifts into high gear in preparation for the public debut of the Apple Watch on March 9, new details and additional features, applications and other bits of information are making their way into the press. The codename for the project, for example, was "Gizmo," reports The New York Times. Among other revelations are the role that former Adobe Flash chief Kevin Lynch played, power-saving and style details, and the news that the watch will also launch abroad in its first month.
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Epic Games is making it easier for would-be developers to gain access to its powerful Unreal Engine 4 software, by getting rid of the monthly subscription. Previously costing $19 per month per user, Epic has removed the charge entirely, allowing anyone with an interest to register, download, and use the game engine in the production of their own games and apps.
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