Apple buys 'Carpool Karaoke'


When I bought my first-ever iPhone in September 2015, I was a die-hard Spotify user. Since I was starting fresh by abandoning Android, I decided to give Apple Music a try instead. I loved it. The sound quality is superb, and the human-curated playlists are second to none. While it is not perfect, it is very satisfying and getting better.
Today, Apple makes a seemingly curious purchase to bolster the aforementioned streaming music service -- a TV series. While that may sound odd, it actually makes sense as it is music related. You see, it is based on the wildly popular "Carpool Karaoke" segment from CBS' "The Late Late Show".
Apple TV gets Adobe Lightroom, but there is one big catch


One of my favorite recent tech purchases is the 4th generation Apple TV. Not only is it a great way to stream movies and listen to Apple Music, but it makes a wonderful game console too. Not to mention, the ability to mirror my iPhone to my TV is totally killer.
Today, the 4th generation Apple TV gets a very unlikely app -- Adobe Lightroom. Before you get excited about editing photos on your television with the Apple TV remote, you should know that there is one huge catch.
Total iPhone sales will exceed one billion mark


Just days after it was reported that Facebook has a billion people using Messenger, a similar thing will happen with Apple.
The company has either already, or will very soon, sell its one billionth iPhone. In the last reported quarter (Q1 2016), it was unveiled that the company had sold a total of 987 million iPhones in the seven years since its inception. Some 40 million had been sold in the quarter alone, and according to Financial Times, analysts expect at least another 40m quarter ahead.
Apple patches Stagefright-like vulnerability on iOS, OS X


An equivalent to Android’s Stagefright vulnerability has recently been spotted on iOS and OS X devices. It has since been patched, and security experts from Sophos are urging all Apple users to patch up as fast as they can to protect themselves from the serious flaw.
For those who are unfamiliar with it, Stagefright (in its multiple version) allowed a hacker to take over a victim’s Android smartphone by sending a message with an image or a video file. Long story short, it had something to do with the way Android managed images, and pretty much every Android version you can think of was vulnerable (many of them may still be).
BBC iPlayer Radio app launches in the US for iOS and Android


The BBC pumps out a great deal of fabulous content, but there's one problem -- an awful lot of it can only be accessed in the UK. With the launch of the iPlayer Radio app for iOS and Android, this changes.
As well as giving listeners the chance to tune in to live radio broadcasts, the app also provides access to podcasts, and boasts a catch-up feature for shows you may have missed. The iPlayer Radio app is available free of charge, and has already received rave reviews in the Google and Apple stores.
BBC+ is a new iOS and Android app that delivers personalized BBC content


Over the years, the BBC has created a huge number of apps and websites to showcase the various services it offers. If you're interested in a range of BBC content, you've probably found that you have to jump from app to app and website to website. BBC+ aims to change all that.
BBC+ is a new app from the corporation that’s available for iOS and Android. This is one of the first apps built using the newly-developed Mobile Application Framework (MAF) and it gives BBC fans the opportunity to create a personalized collection of the content most relevant and interesting to them -- news, weather, TV and more.
In the wake of UK Brexit vote, ARM Holdings is to be bought by Softbank for $32 billion


The technology industry in the UK was rocked by the historic Brexit vote in the referendum about membership of the EU just a few weeks ago. Concerns were voiced that tech companies would scramble to leave the UK, and with Japan's Softbank Group due to buy UK chip-maker ARM Holdings for $32 billion (£24 billion), this could just be the start of things.
ARM chips are found in mobile devices produced by Apple and Samsung, and more recently it has branched out into the Internet of Things. But while some will be unhappy with the change of ownership, Softbank says that it will not only remain headquartered in Cambridge, UK, but will look to at least double its UK workforce.
Apple wants to simplify music royalty pay outs and this could harm Spotify


Many artists loathe music streaming services that have proved so popular with music fans. While they offer a platform to showcase music, the returns can be low and the way in which payments are calculated is endlessly complex.
Apple has put forward a proposal to simplify the royalty payment system which would not only see artists getting more money, but would make life more difficult for the likes of Spotify. Keep artists happy, harm the competition -- two birds with one stone. A government filing in conjunction with the Copyright Royalty Board suggests a royalty rate of $0.091 per one hundred streams.
Samsung's Galaxy S7 outsells iPhone 6s in US: Is Apple in trouble?


Samsung is enjoying a great deal of success in the US with its Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, as its flagship line is wiping the floor with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in terms of sales.
The US has typically been a strong market for iPhone sales, but Apple has to settle for the second place on the podium with more than a quarter to go until its next generation of flagships hits store shelves.
Apple releases iOS 10, macOS Sierra public betas


Apple's latest operating systems are coming this fall, but for enthusiasts who are interested in trying out iOS 10 and macOS Sierra before the big launch the company today releases the first public betas.
The first iOS 10 and macOS Sierra public betas arrive after Apple already released two builds for members of its developer program, so they should be more stable as a result. Here is what you should know.
How much storage does your laptop need?


The question nags as I prepare to review TarDisk Pear flash memory expansion. The doohickey is available in 128 or 256 gig capacities for either MacBook Air or Pro. It fits neatly and snuggly into the SDXC card slot, which is required; color and finish match, too. Windows users must look elsewhere, though, and many may be glad to. The tech lists for $149 and $399, respectively. But, hey, the Apple fan club is accustomed to paying more for everything.
I will test TarDisk Pear on my 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, 3.1GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD. I recently, and unexpectedly, filled up the hard disk with photos and podcast raw recordings. (Hehe, using Chromebooks for so long spoiled me and my awareness of such things.) Doubling storage, particularly with San Diego Comic-Con coming in 14 days, could prove useful for editing audio, pics, and video on the laptop. But is it necessary or contrivance?
Apple enables iPhone users to become organ donors


Apple has announced that iPhone users will soon have the option to sign up as an organ, eye and tissue donor straight from their smartphone. With the public debut of iOS 10 this fall interested users will be able to register in the National Donate Life Registry using the new Health app.
The Health app will feature a "simple sign up process" for iPhone users who want to become nationally-registered donors. "It [...] takes just a few seconds and could help save up to eight lives", says Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams.
Apple iOS 10 playing catch-up with Android


Apple held its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 13 in San Francisco, where Tim Cook and his team announced a wide array of new features and functionality across Apple platforms, including a major update to iOS, the renaming of mac OS X to macOS (the new version will be named Sierra) and updates to watchOS, and tvOS were also announced.
After reading about it though, I can’t help but think that we already have a lot of the features talked about in a number of Android devices and personally feel that Apple is merely playing catch-up to Android. That said, I will leave you to make up your own mind.
Apple should buy Tidal


As a Tidal subscriber, I welcome Apple acquisition—assuming lossless tracks are made available through the fruit-logo company's music services. Not that anyone should seriously believe the rumors. But one can hope.
Merger talks are typically silent affairs. When they're serious, you don't hear about them until there is a deal. Reasons are many, with regulatory being among them when public companies are involved. Acquisition rumors often mean something else: Principal party leaks information about preliminary or ongoing discussions to gauge customer and shareholder reaction; one side or the other is dissatisfied with progress/terms and seeks to apply pressure.
Apple pays just £12.9 million in UK taxes


By booking sales through its international headquarters in Ireland, Apple was able to only pay £12.9 million in UK corporate tax during 2015. This is a nine percent increase from the previous year, in which it paid £11.8 million.
The European Commission has been investigating Apple’s tax arrangements in Ireland for two years now and the results of the probe are set to be released as early as next month. If the company’s tax arrangements are found to be unlawful, it could end up repaying billions to the Irish state.
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