2 hours ago | Posted in: industry, audio
Following a similar lawsuits against Sirius XM radio, a group of record companies has filed suit in a New York court against Pandora, the top streaming subscription music service in the US. While songs made before February 15, 1972 are not subject to federal copyright protections, the labels argue that Pandora, like Sirius, should pay royalties to the tune of tens of millions of dollars because the songs are still protected under state laws.
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Version 9.0 has been released for Facebook's app for iOS, adding new features. Though a minor update, the biggest addition to the app is the ability for users to reply to comments on pages that have enabled it. Administrators can now review and review posts by group members, and all users will be able to view trending topic posts in the iPad's version of News Feed. Facebook's app for iPhone and iPad can be downloaded for free from iTunes.
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Historically, investment and Wall Street analysts have had a poor track record predicting Apple's fortunes ahead of time. However, as Apple's guidance has gotten more accurate, and as supplier leaks and blatant manipulation of the market grow, predictions are getting more accurate. As it traditionally does, Fortune magazine has rounded up the predictions of various investment houses and independent analysts, which show slow growth in iPhones this quarter, but expectations of boosts ahead.
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Yahoo has updated the iOS client app for its Flickr photo-sharing service, giving it a more iOS 7-compatible "flat" look and navigation system that offers a noticeably more "Instagram-like" experience, where moving through photos is more free-form. The update now allows users to post up to 30 seconds' worth of HD video to the service, with live filters and adjustment tools available for both video and photos. Version 3.0 now sports certain kinds of object recognition beyond just faces, among other changes.
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8 hours ago | Posted in: software
Other World Computing today introduced its new DIY Kit for all 2011 iMac and 27-inch 2012 iMac models, enabling owners to replace the factory-installed internal hard drive with up to 6.0TB hard drive for expanded storage and back-up capacity. The kits feature a custom power cable with an in-line digital thermal sensor, ensuring proper factory fan operation and full compliance with Apple diagnostic testing. All kits include a NewerTech 14-Piece Toolkit, Microfiber Pro Cleaning Cloth, custom iMac to HDD SATA 3.0 (6GB/s) interface and power cable with in-line Digital Thermal Sensor, and two suction cups for outer glass removal. Priced at $65, the DIY Kits can be purchased online.
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Although there have been a number of good deals in recent months on both the iPhone 5c and 5s, a new deal kicking off tomorrow from RadioShack may be the one iPhone 4S holdouts have been waiting for. Starting April 18, new or upgrading customers using AT&T, Verizon or Sprint can buy the 16GB version of the iPhone 5s for $99, half of its usual $199 up-front cost. The deal, which is available both online and in stores, gets sweeter if users trade in a working iPhone 4S or newer.
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9 hours ago | Posted in: security
Craft store chain Michael's Stores and affiliated Aaron Brothers has confirmed details of a massive security breach including between May 8, 2013 and January 27, 2014. The analysis conducted by the company shows that approximately 2.6 million cards may have been impacted, which represents about seven percent of payment cards used at Michael's stores in the US during the time period.
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The US Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has confirmed that he plans to limit how much spectrum that AT&T and Verizon can buy in the 2015 auction of bandwidth reclaimed from broadcasters. The chairman spoke out a day after AT&T threatened to boycott the auction, possibly slashing the reimbursement that the federal government would get from the auction.
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Facebook has announced an upcoming feature for its iOS and Android apps, Nearby Friends. The function will notify users when friends are within a certain radius, giving a chance to meet up. For security purposes the feature will be off by default, only work if both parties have it enabled, and allow restricting notifications to specific groups -- close friends, for example, or a custom list.
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Google is picking select Kansas City companies to test Google Fiber prototype offerings for business. The business rollout in Kansas City is the first of its kind for the Gigabit Internet service with Google saying that it is "in the beginning of figuring out what that product could look like, and that's why we're launching this pilot."
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Cloud storage service Dropbox has bought out Loom, a photo storage and organization service, according to a notice on the latter company's website. Additionally acquired by the file sharing locker is collaborative document service Hackpad which will continue to support its app, unlike Loom.
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The Google Chromecast is now supported by the MLB.com At Bat for iOS and Android. The update allows subscribers of MLB.TV's Premium Subscription to stream live, out-of-market games and on-demand events, with a choice of home or away broadcasts also available. The MLB.TV subscription is $25 per month or $130 for the entire year, with access to the MLB.com At Bat app's features included in the price.
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RunKeeper has launched a new, passive step tracking app today, entitled Breeze. By constantly tracking motion with the M7 chip found within the iPhone 5s, Breeze offers its users a personal coaching feature, in the form of push notifications and updates regarding one's activity levels. The following day, Breeze details a summary of the previous day's activities and stats. Users can share their completed goals, high activity level days, and a general activity profile with friends on Facebook, Twitter, RunKeeper and elsewhere. Free to download, Breeze requires iOS 7.0 or later and an iPhone 5s for full feature compatibility.
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16 hours ago | Posted in: Apple, iPad
For the first time, Apple's online store has begun selling refurbished versions of the Retina iPad mini. The option drops the price of a 16GB Wi-Fi model to $339, $60 less than its usual cost. 32GB has been reduced $80 to $419, and 64GB models have been cut $90 to $509. Cellular-equipped Minis aren't yet available in refurb form.
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16 hours ago | Posted in iOS apps
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Pinnacle Studio allows iPad users to edit film footage directly on their mobile device. Clips can be arranged on a storyboard, while built-in transitions, effects, and audio can be used to enhance footage. Version 5.0 has been overhauled for iOS 7 and includes an updated interface, as well as the ability to create 24, 25, and 30fps projects. Users can also now duplicate timeline clips to quickly create title and PIP templates.
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Figure is a music creation tool that provides users with drums, bass, and synth sounds. The software works with a touch interface that doesn't require the user to have any pervious musical background knowledge. In v1.6 users can now share songs with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Three new drum kits, Sonny, Code, and Boom Bap have also been added, along with various bug fixes.
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Tangent can be used to edit photos on an iOS device. The software provides users with various shapes, patterns, and filters, that can be combined to create unique effects. The latest release adds support for sending edits directly to Union, the company’s app for blending and masking, with the tap of a single button,
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QuizUp is a social game where players compete in small trivia rounds against friends and players around the world. Version 1.2 adds support for playing in German and resolves a number of reported issues.
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Instagram is a popular social network for sharing images and videos. Within the app users can edit their media and share it with all of their followers in a photo feed, or privately share content directly with friends. The latest release is strictly a maintenance update that fixes some bugs and improves overall performance.
Sonos is testing a software update for its wireless speaker system that removes the need for a physical connection to the home network. The software would allow for the system's SonosNet network to operate with one of the speakers accessing the local Wi-Fi network, and avoiding wiring either a speaker or the Sonos Bridge wireless networking device to a router.
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17 hours ago | Posted in: industry, Apple
Future Apple retail head Angela Ahrendts may actually remain the CEO of Burberry until June, says The Guardian. Although Ahrendts has finished a mandatory six-month wait and is technically free to switch this month, she has allegedly promised to stay with Burberry until at least June 6th to ease the transition to her replacement, chief creative officer Christopher Bailey. She also has a strong financial incentive, since she could earn a bonus of as much as £8M (about $13.5 million) if she makes it to the 6th.
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