Electronista

Just a few days ahead of the beginning of the first US iTunes Festival, being held as part of the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, Apple has now re-added its iTunes Festival channel back to Apple TV, where concerts will be streamed live. Currently the channel also offers information on the concert schedule and background on the various acts, as well as a history of the festival -- which has previously only been ...

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Trying to mash tactics and strategy into a game that spans computers and mobile devices is no easy task. Not only do the controls need to be precise enough to use with a mouse and touchscreen, but the game must offer a consistent experience. Best known for Battlecruiser 3000AD in the late 90s, 3000AD has offered gamers a tactical, squad based strategy game in Line of Defense Tactics across multiple platforms -- OS X,...

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Facebook announced that it will be using its Rapid Deployment Data Center (RDDC) concept that was created through the Open Compute Project (OCP) for its latest build in as part of a second building at the existing Luleå, Sweden data center location. The design was displayed at the Open Compute Summit in January, showing the strides the company has made in data center construction and development since the official l...

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Tech accessory producer, Mujjo, has announced the release of its two new sleeve collections -- Low-key and Understated -- for iPhone 5s, iPad mini and iPad Air. Composed of vegetable-tanned leather, the Low-key collection features a matte black finish, and the Understated collection a tan color. The sleeves' leather is treated with aniline oil for color enrichment, and the vegetable tanning process creates a dense an...

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At a panel in Austin, Texas during SXSW, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt told the audience that the company felt "pretty sure that now the information inside of Google is safe from prying eyes, including those of the US government." This of course comes after the company completed a security system improvement, the process of which had began before the information was leaked by Edward Snowden and Britain's GCH...

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T-Mobile in the United States has updated its Simple Choice price plans with a few changes. The amount of data available to customers on the carrier has both risen and fallen, depending on the tier of service, with all plans also gaining enhanced global data and text services in more countries, and the extra introduction of unlimited stateside international text messaging. ...

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The second patent trial between Apple and Samsung, scheduled to start on March 31, took a dramatic turn late on Friday as the two companies filed a stipulation with the court dropping some of the claims and counter-claims to be debated in the second trial. Samsung, perhaps fearing further investigations over its improper use of standards-essential patents (SEPs) as legal weapons and bargaining tools, has agreed to dr...

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Ubisoft's open world, cyber-espionage title Watch_Dogs now has official release dates of May 27 for North America and May 29 for the rest of the world on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC. The game was pushed in back in October 2013 from its original release window, which coincided with Ubisoft's fiscal year-end of March. Watch_Dogs was originally pinned to be a launch title for the newest generation of consoles, b...

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A class action lawsuit brought forward by the Attorneys General for 33 states over price fixing for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) has reached a settlement, with manufacturers agreeing to pay out $310 million nationwide. Of the settlement amount, around $200 million will go to consumers and businesses that purchased devices with DRAM or DRAM itself from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2002....

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Networking hardware producer, TrendNet, is now shipping its new Extreme Performance AC1900 (TEW-818DRU) wireless router. Powered by a 1GHz processor, high-power radio amplifiers for extended wireless coverage, and Gigabit Wireless AC networking speeds, the unit is designed to optimize wireless connections within the home. The TEW-818DRU is pre-encrypted, to help with mitigating the threat of hacking based on using un...

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After not carrying the iPhone for nearly four years because of a dispute about sales guarantees, Russia's second-largest carrier Megafon signed a new deal with Apple late last year to return to selling the popular smartphone. The new deal requires the carrier to buy at least 750,000 iPhones over the course of three years, and spend at least $28 million in marketing the smartphone. While not a high number compared to ...

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E-book reading app, Marvin, has been updated to version 2.7. Marvin is currently designed for iOS 7, offering the ability to format books as desired with high-fidelity rendering, and a selection of fonts and text settings. In v2.7.0, users have access to new German and British English localisations, a new star rating system, and greater in-app control of e-book files, bookmarks and highlights. Streamlined installati...

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A new report from mobile ad analysis firm Mixpanel has reinforced some speculation about the iPhone 5s, even as it has dispelled other rumors about the iPhone 5c. In its latest report, the company says that the iPhone 5s is set to top the popular iPhone 4s in user share, with the newer model currently accounting for about 19 percent of all active iPhones....

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With surprising speed, Samsung has now officially filed a notice of appeal over the final judgement in the first Apple vs. Samsung patent trial from 2012. The last ruling in the case was handed down yesterday, when Judge Lucy Koh ruled in Samsung's favor that sales injunctions on the products it was found guilty of infringing Apple patents with were not warranted in the interests of competition. Apple is likely to ap...

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When Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard Cover first came out, it caused something of a minor stir in the iPad world. It was the very first keyboard cover, solving a problem many people probably didn't realize they had: finding a Bluetooth keyboard that's more convenient than a separate unit, but less bulky than a full-on keyboard case. The one major issue -- apart from having to find your own protection for an iPad's re...

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Ubisoft has announced that its game Assassin's Creed Pirates has been updated for iOS and Android devices. The update includes a new map area and campaign missions, with three new secondary missions and new treasures and diaries available for collecting. Each map features its own "survival mission," where players can fish and hunt whales for food. The update to Assassin's Creed Pirates is free for existing users. ...

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This week in the MacNN forums, members continue to debate what the future of Mac OS X will hold, with some forum-goers noting that Microsoft is attempting major redesigns and customers are rejecting it. On another topic, "Can I delete apps without having to enter ID?" asked Mac Elite "jeff k" yesterday. ...

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This week at Apple's online store, find a wide selection of refurbished Mac Pro and Mac mini models. The refurbished 2012 Mac Pro with a 3.2GHz Intel quad-core Xeon processor, 6GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive has seen a $360 price cut down to $2,139. A $560 discount is available on the refurbished Mac Pro with dual 2.4GHz six-core Xeon processors, 12GB of RAM and a 1T hard drive, bringing it down to $3,239. ...

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MacMall.com has reduced the price of a 27-inch iMac from $1,799 down to $1,349 with instant savings and a $100 mail-in-rebate, amounting to $449 in total discounts. That makes the deal about $50 less than the lowest price offered anywhere else. This iMac features a 2.9GHz Intel core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive with Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M graphics, two Thunderbolt ports, and OS X Mavericks comes pre...

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Apple grew its share among US smartphone owners during the last quarter to 41.6 percent, according to new comScore data. Data polled between October and January shows that Apple advanced 1 percentage point. The company's main rival, Samsung, grew ownership by 1.3 points, but remained firmly in second place at 26.7 percent. LG's share rose just 0.3 points to 6.9 percent, presumably on the back of the G2 and the Goo...

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Beginning on Sunday, the US branch of Target will run another trade-in promotion for iPad 2 owners. People who bring in a used iPad 2 will be awarded a gift card worth at least $150. Although that credit can only be used at Target, the company is also offering an extra $30 card if a person buys a new iPad. $150 is generally higher than most specialized third-party trade-in services offer. The promotion ends March...

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The OS X 10.9.3 beta supports new graphics scaling options which appear aimed at supporting 4K displays, users say. While a Mac Pro or Retina MacBook Pro can connect to a 4K monitor, they normally do so at resolutions up to 4096x2160 at 24Hz, which results in OS X's interface being spread out and shrunk, and choppiness in the case of things like the mouse cursor. The MacBook Pro can alternately use 3840x2160 at 30H...

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Twitter has updated its terms of service for video sharing app Vine, banning videos of sexual content. The change, which takes immediate effect, aims to stop users from posting adult content of a sexual nature on the service, but still allows for nudity in an artistic or documentary context to be displayed, and appears to be another attempt by the company to clean up the service. ...

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Third-party insurance firm ProtectCell has issued a report based on its two million policies with various mobile device owners, saying that while iPhone users are 46 percent less likely than other platform smartphone owners to need a replacement device due to accidental damage, they are 65 percent more likely to have their device get stolen or go missing than other groups....

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As reported previously, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Wednesday with Apple CEO Tim Cook at Apple headquarters as part of a California-driven initiative to strengthen commercial ties between the state and Israel. In a short video posted to the prime minister's official YouTube channel, Netanyahu can be seen touring Apple's headquarters and posing with Cook ahead of a lunch meeting....

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Following the discovery of a dormant but serious flaw in iOS 6 and iOS 7's handling of VPN and SSL security and the release of a patch by Apple to handle the issue, advertising and content-presentation company Onswipe estimates that more than 50 percent of the entire iOS userbase has already moved to iOS 7.0.6 as of March 3, under two weeks since the update became available. The transition has set a record for the f...

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All obstacles have been cleared, and the long-planned Union Square flagship Apple Store has finally received final clearance from the San Francisco City Council to demolish the current standing building and begin renovations and construction on the new store. The new building will be a two-story structure with an all-glass frontage facing Union Square, utilizing a cantilevered design that features a patio and waterfa...

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As a result of a shift in strategy, Disney's Internet and video game department Disney Interactive is laying off 25 percent of its employees, effective immediately. Around 700 employees are now looking for work, following 2013's consolidation of Disney's mobile and social game development efforts....

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Slightly less than two weeks after the public release of OS X 10.9.2, which brought FaceTime audio calling, Mail improvements and an important security fix to Mavericks, Apple is seeding the first beta of OS X 10.9.3, build 13D12, to developers. The brief release notes mention that developers are requested to focus on audio and graphic drivers in their testing. The previous update was released after approximately 14 ...

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Digital comic book retailer ComiXology is asking all of its customers to reset their passwords, as a precautionary measure following an intrusion. An e-mail sent to users of the comic book store and reader app states that an "unauthorized individual" had gained access to a database containing usernames, e-mail addresses, and "cryptographically protected" passwords. ...

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[Updated: US version of the app now downloading normally] Apple appears to have released an updated iTunes Festival app, v5.0, with content support for next week's SXSW concerts in Austin, Texas. So far, though, mostly people outside the US have successfully downloaded the software; Americans trying to download it via iTunes are encountering errors saying the app is "unavailable." Likewise, the title doesn't appear i...

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Eventbase, the creator of the official SXSW festival app has announced that it will be utilizing iBeacons at this year's events, which begin tomorrow in Austin, Texas. Eventbase plans to use the technology to allow the festival's attendees to participate further and have a more simplified experience, with functions including assisted badge pick-up, and access to Eventbases' new Season Live feature. The features will ...

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CarPlay support is fairly easy to implement for apps, suggests Brian Lakamp, Clear Channel's president of Digital. iHeartRadio -- an app that streams Clear Channel stations -- is one of the few third-party offerings currently supported by CarPlay. "Apple is pretty selective about how they disclose information," Lakamp says about how his company gained a toehold. "Apple made us aware of the opportunity. We were ent...

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Realmac has announced a large update to its Ember software for both OS X and iOS, featuring the new ability to organize folders for one's sidebar and collections. The Mac update is available in the App Store, and the iOS version has been automatically updated. ...

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Azoi has entered the health tracker market, by announcing a fitness-tracking smartphone cover that works with both iOS and Android devices. Wello contains a number of sensors on the side and back that take a snapshot of the user's vital signs after a few seconds of being held, with the results transferred wirelessly over Bluetooth 4.0 LE and recorded in a companion app. ...

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Mercedes-Benz is working on an aftermarket installation option for older cars without Apple's CarPlay, the company has confirmed. While the technology will be present in the 2014 C-Class, even people with older C-Class models won't have access to the technology at first. Mercedes will only say that it's developing "an after-market solution for previous cars," leaving pricing and other details unknown....

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Apple is "scrambling" to make changes to the way in-app purchases work ahead of an FTC deadline, a source tells ZDNet. As a part of its $32.5 million settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission, Apple must fix flaws in the App Store that have allowed people -- mostly children -- to inadvertently rack up hundreds or thousands of dollars in iTunes charges. The deadline for those changes is just a few weeks from n...

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Due to poor sales, unsold inventory of the iPhone 5c has amassed to more than three million units, anonymous Taiwanese supply chain sources claim. Production of the phone is said to have been cut completely towards the end of 2013. Regardless, manufacturer Pegatron allegedly is said to have two million or so units in stock, with the remaining phones being held by carriers and distributors. ...

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A company specializing in image processing semiconductors and software, Pixelworks, has revealed itself as an official Apple supplier through a new filing with the SEC. In 2013 Apple is said to have accounted for more than 10 percent of Pixelworks revenue. The news has sent the latter company's share price surging, boosting it by about 53 to 54 percent in Thursday trading, or more than $2.58 per share....

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Newly-published SEC filings reveal that on Wednesday, Apple awarded six top executives 35,780 restricted stock units each. Recipients include senior VP of Operations Jeffrey Williams; general counsel Bruce Sewell; senior VP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller; senior VP of Hardware Engineering Dan Riccio; senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi; and finally, senior VP of Internet Software and services Edd...

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Spotify is looking to bolster the music curation and discovery functions of its service, by acquiring music intelligence company The Echo Nest, the streaming music service has revealed. The purchase will provide Spotify with deeper access to The Echo Nest's knowledge base and music curation tools, currently used by competitors such as Nokia MixRadio and Rdio for their own music discovery offerings. ...

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A California court has denied Apple a renewed motion it sought for a permanent injunction against Samsung, according to reports. In December 2012, US District Court Judge Lucy Koh made the initial denial of a permanent injunction against 23 Samsung devices. Apple won a partial appeal of the ruling at the Federal Circuit, which affirmed the denial of trade dress (design) patents, but handed back an injunction over sof...

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Akitio has expanded its line of Thunderbolt accessories with its new Thunder dock. With eSATA, FireWire 800, USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt pass-through, the new accessory aims to provide a sensible set of additional ports for most MacBooks manufactured in the past three years. Check out our full review to see if the Thunder is a must-have desk accessory....

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Apple's practice over the past decade of funnelling all of its foreign profits through its international sales office in Cork, Ireland has allowed it to skip out on taxes in some other countries on billions of dollars in profits, according to an audit done by the Australian Financial Review. In Australia, Apple has paid only $200 million on ten years' worth of profits, totally nearly AUS $9 billion, the report said....

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Avira has updated its security software for Mac, offering performance enhancements and new security features, including Avira Protection Cloud and Avira Browser Safety. Avira produces free anti-virus and security software for PC, Mac, Android and iOS. Free Mac Security now includes optimized Time Machine back-ups, and an increase in scan performance for scheduled scanning. Quarantine management is also featured, as w...

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Two economists from CalTech and NYU have filed an amicus curae ("friend of the court") brief that makes powerful arguments for a reversal of the verdict in the original bench trial overseen by Judge Denise Cote. Across more than 30 pages, they tell the appeals court that fundamental concepts of antitrust law and crucial economic evidence and reasoning were "disregarded" by the judge....

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Walmart has reduced prices significantly on the Samsung Galaxy S4 for users signing two-year contracts with AT&T or Verizon. The Galaxy S4 has been reduced to $49, down from $99. A 16GB iPhone 5s has also been reduced to $119, with the iPhone 5c seeing a cut to $29. Additionally, consumers purchasing a Samsung phone with a two-year contract will be given a $50 Walmart gift card....

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On Wednesday, visiting head of state Benjamin Netanyahu -- the prime minister of Israel -- met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and the founders of Facebook's recently-acquired WhatsApp as part of a tour of Silicon Valley, part of a state government initiative to forge stronger trade and business relationships between California and Israel. According to reports, Netanyahu had lunch with Cook at Apple's Cupertino headquarters....

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The delayed grand opening of the Istanbul Apple Store will take place on April 4, says local site ElmaDergisi. The report further claims that Turkish President Abdullah Gül will be present, along with Apple CEO Tim Cook. Cook only rarely appears at Apple Stores, and it's even rarer for major government officials to inaugurate a location....

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A recent class action lawsuit -- filed last week in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida -- charges that the point-of-sale devices used by Apple Store workers discriminate against the visually impaired. Because shoppers can't enter a debit card PIN by themselves, plaintiff David New argues, Apple is in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Other retailers use POS devic...

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