Tag - France
Apple Stores open summer camp registrations in US, other countries
Apple has opened registrations for its annual summer camp for kids in the US, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, allowing children ages 8 to 12 who are accompanied by a parent or guardian to attend a series of workshops at a local Apple Store focused on iMovie, iBooks Author, and in some countries, basic programming. The sign-ups are on a first-come, first-served basis, and tend to fill up quickly.
Apple launches Back to School promotion in Europe
Apple has expanded its Back to School promotion into Europe, two weeks after the program for educational customers launched in the United States. Just as with the offer in the US, customers in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and other European markets can get a free pair of wireless Beats headphones as part of a qualifying order, alongside a discounted selection of Mac, MacBook, and iOS devices.
Uber fined $907K in France, debuts Scheduled Rides in Seattle
Ridesharing service Uber has been fined €800,000 ($907,000 US) in a Paris criminal court for running its UberPop service illegally, despite being banned by a 2014 law that was subsequently challenged and then upheld last September. The UberPop service, similar to the company's US service, pairs non-professional drivers and users, which ran afoul of the law. Meanwhile, in Seattle, the company has begun a new Scheduled Rides service that allows users to schedule a ride from 30 minutes to 30 days in advance.
French authorities release app to alert tourists of terrorist attacks
France is taking extra precautions ahead of the upcoming Euro 2016 soccer tournament, set to start on Friday, by launching an app to help visitors in the event of a terrorist attack. Named SAIP (Système d'alerte et d'information des populations), the app has been launched by the French Interior Ministry to warn fans of any attacks shortly after they occur, and if the immediate area is still at risk of further attack.
French consumer agency suing Apple over carrier business contracts
France's answer to the US Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, the DGCCRF has filed suit against Apple. The DGCCRF is seeking 48.5 million euro ($55.2 million) over Apple's "significantly unbalanced" contract terms with mobile carriers, that force carriers to buy a minimum number of phones, and allow Apple to use the companies' trademarks and patents.
French bill threatens tech companies failing to provide encrypted data
The French government wants to fine tech companies that do not provide law enforcement agencies access to encrypted data, as part of terrorism investigations. An amendment to a bill relating to the fight against terrorism and organized crime has been approved by politicians, adding in the threat of financial penalties and jail time for companies failing to assist police in bypassing encryption, though a second version that included tougher penalties was voted down.
Apple reportedly still in Apple Pay talks with French banks
Apple Pay could roll out in France by the end of this year, but Apple is still said to be in negotiations with major French banks over the matter. Sources of one French outlet claim the commission Apple receives on each Apple Pay transaction from the financial institutions is a sticking point, in that existing transaction fees for debit and credit cards are not much more than what Apple is said to be requesting as its own fee.
Report claims Apple signed lease for new Paris Apple Store
Apple could be planning a new flagship store in Paris, France, with a report claiming apple has secured a lease for a building in the French capital. A seven-story building at 114 Avenue des Champs-Elysees is claimed to be a potential venue for an Apple Store, with a twelve-year lease for the building allegedly already signed by Apple late last year, though initial reports suggest the venue's size could indicate it as being used for more than just retail.
Briefly: more Apple YouTube channels; POP issues in iOS 9, OS X 10.11
Following some localized YouTube channels for Apple's videos in South Korea and Japan over the summer, four new official Apple channels -- for Spain, France, Germany, and Italy -- now offer local-language versions of Apple's recent and older videos for new products and services. Not counting the US-based "original" channel, the Japanese version has thus far proven the most popular, attracting more than 10,000 subscribers after less than three months. Of the four new European channels, France has about half as many subscribers as the others.
French data regulator denies Google Right to be Forgotten appeal
The French government's data protection agency has rejected Google's appeal against a request to apply the "Right to be Forgotten" to all search results, not just European results. The Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) is now threatening to fine Google for non compliance, with the possibility of the search giant paying €300,000 ($335,000) at first, potentially increasing as time goes on to a maximum of 5 percent of global operating costs.
Now AAPL Stock: 151.89 ( -1.5 )
Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit
Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj
Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket
The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]
Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera
Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94
Apple employees testing wheelchair features
New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa
SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards
SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If
Apple's third-quarter results due July 26
Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm
Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users
Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE
