Apple Music expands to 52 new countries in global services push

SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple Music is being expanded to 52 additional countries and territories in a push to broaden service revenue streams for the iPhone maker, the company said Tuesday.

The move, part of the biggest expansion of Apple services in a decade, brings Apple Music to a total of 167 markets, including 25 new African countries added Tuesday. 

Costs will range from as low as $3 to $11 monthly, with a 6-month free trial period in the new countries.

The expansion ramps up the global presence of Apple Music, which has some 60 million subscribers, in its duel against market leader Spotify, which has more than 120 million paid users but is available in fewer markets around the world.

Apple at the same time announced an expansion to 20 new markets of its other services, including its App Store, the Apple Arcade gaming service, Apple Podcasts and iCloud.

With the rollout, Apple services will be available in 175 countries around the world. 

Until now, Apple customers in parts of the world had access to some free apps and services for their devices without an opportunity for paid subscriptions.

Music and other services will be available with interfaces in at least 40 languages supported by Apple.

MORE SERVICES FEWER IPHONES 

The California tech giant has been shifting its focus away from the iPhone -- the longtime revenue and profit leader for the company -- to what is considered a steadier financial stream in digital content and services including music, digital payments and apps.

Amid a softer smartphone market, Apple's iPhone accounts for only around half of its revenues, while new services and accessories are showing gains.

"We're delighted to bring many of Apple's most beloved services to users in more countries than ever before," said Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president for music and international content.

"We hope our customers can discover their new favorite apps, games, music and podcasts as we continue to celebrate the world's best creators, artists and developers."

Apple's iCloud and other services were being expanded to eight additional African countries, two in the Asia-Pacific region, five in Europe, two in the Middle East and three in Oceania.


Apple has been working for some time on the expansion, but the move comes as consumers around the world are facing lockdowns and spending more time on their devices.

Apple Music holds about 19 percent of the global music streaming market, compared with 35 percent for Spotify and 15 percent for Amazon, according to Counterpoint Research.

The streaming music service has some 60 million songs and offers curated playlists along with a Beats 1 radio station.

Apple Podcasts has more than one million shows in over 100 languages. Apple's iCloud service is free but allows users to upgrade for extra storage.

The Arcade gaming service launched last year includes ad-free original titles designed for Apple devices.

Last week, Apple unveiled a new entry-level iPhone, aiming to appeal to consumers facing a suddenly bleak economic backdrop.

The updated iPhone SE will start at $399, or less than half the price of its flagship devices.

While the iPhone had been in the works for months, analysts said the launch appeared to be well-timed amid a pandemic-induced economic slump that has hammered the smartphone market and hit consumer sentiment.

Agence France-Presse

Apple unveils iCloud center in China as cyber laws tightened

SHANGHAI - Apple has unveiled plans to build a data center in China to store its local iCloud customers' personal details, marking the first such move by a foreign technology firm following the imposition of strict new cyber-security laws in the country.

The US titan said it was partnering with an internet service provider in southwestern Guizhou province on the project, which will "improve the speed and reliability of our products and services while also complying with newly passed regulations."

It appeared to be referring to the June 1 implementation of a new law that, among other things, requires tech companies to store user data inside the country.

Some foreign firms have said the law is worryingly vague on key provisions and expressed concern over the potential impact on their business in the world's second-largest economy.

The law also further tightens Chinese curbs on web content, banning the publishing of anything that "disturbs economic or social order" or is aimed at overthrowing the government.

But Apple issued a statement seeking to allay fears that data-security could somehow be monitored or compromised by China's government or other parties.

"Apple has strong data privacy and security protections in place and no backdoors will be created into any of our systems," it said in the statement released Wednesday.

The firm did not give any financial details of the project, but China's state-run Xinhua news agency said it was part of a $1 billion investment.

China has hundreds of millions of smartphone users and is a vital market for Apple, whose iPhones are wildly popular in the country.

Fu Liang, a Beijing-based independent telecom analyst, said more foreign data centers were expected under the cyber-security legislation.

"The new rule requires this key information to be put in China. The boundary is very clear," Fu said.

He said the ramifications for Apple and other companies could be higher costs and potentially more restrictions under Chinese law.

"For (Apple) users, the good thing is their user experience like download speed will improve but the downside is that their access to overseas services and resources will be reduced," Fu added.

"It will be harder for them to access services that aren’t allowed in China now."

Computer and data security has become a top international concern following recent cyber attacks including the global ransomware contagion in May that affected government, industrial, academic and other computing systems in more than 150 countries.

The six-month-old administration of US President Donald Trump has been dogged by allegations that his candidacy benefitted from Russian hacking aimed at discrediting his campaign opponent Hillary Clinton.

The finger also has been pointed at Moscow for interference in the recent French elections, and Germany's domestic security watchdog warned last week that the country would likely face Russian cyber attacks heading into September's general election.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Lawsuit accuses Apple of storage sleight of hand

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple on Friday faced a lawsuit accusing it of promising more available storage space than it actually delivers in iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices.

The suit filed early this week in US District Court in Northern California argues that while Apple touts 16 gigabytes of digital storage on lower price models of gadgets such as hot-selling iPhones, about a fifth of that is eaten up by the latest operating software.

The percentage of advertised space available for digital content such as photos, video, or music shrinks further when Apple gadgets built with eight gigabytes of storage are considered, the suit filed on behalf of two Florida men maintained.

The suit charges Apple with being deceptive in advertising that represents devices as having much more storage space than is really available to people who purchase devices.

Once Apple gadget owners reach limits to data storage, the California-based technology titan prompts them to pay monthly fees for digital locker space online at its iCloud service, according to the lawsuit.

"Using these sharp business tactics, (Apple) gives less storage capacity than advertised, only to offer to sell that capacity in a desperate moment, eg when a consumer is trying to record or take photos at a child or grandchild’s recital, basketball game or wedding," the lawsuit maintained.

"Each gigabyte of storage Apple shortchanges its customers amounts to approximately 400-500 high resolution photographs."

Apple offers all iCloud users five gigabytes of free storage, which arguably offsets the amount that the lawsuit contends is eaten up by the operating system.

Attorneys behind the suit are seeking class action status along with punishments that include Apple turning over all profits from sales of gadgets at issue in the case.

Apple declined to comment for this story.

A suit filed in a trial court in Canada regarding how up front Apple was being with the actual amount of storage space in devices was dismissed. That dismissal was upheld on appeal in early 2012.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Apple to add security alerts for iCloud users - CEO

Apple Inc is planning additional steps to keep hackers out of user accounts in the face of the recent celebrity photo scandal, but denied that lack of security allowed intruders to post nude photographs of celebrities on the Internet, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Apple will alert users through email and push notifications when someone tries to change an account password, restore iCloud data to a new device, or when a device logs into an account for the first time, Chief Executive Tim Cook told the Journal in an interview.

Apple is moving quickly to restore confidence in its systems' security ahead of the crucial launch of its new iPhone next week.

Some companies fear the two-factor authentication could drive users away as it gets too cumbersome. However, Matt Johansen of WhiteHat Security told Reuters that the usability battle will always be there but the users will eventually get along well.

Some security experts faulted Apple for failing to make its devices and software easier to secure through two-factor authentication, which requires a separate verification code after users log in initially.

Apple could also do more to advertise that option, they said. Most people do not bother with security measures because of the extra hassle, experts say, and the leading phone makers are partly to blame.

The iCloud service allows users to store photos and other content and access it from any Apple device. Security in the cloud has been a paramount concern in past years, but that has not stopped the rapid adoption of services that offer reams of storage and management of data and content off smartphones and computers.

Apple was not immediately available for comment.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Apparent Hollywood hack attack nabs stars' nude pix

LOS ANGELES - Nude photos purportedly showing many top stars, including Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence and pop star Rihanna, bounced around social media Sunday, in an apparent massive hacking leak, US media reported.

"It's so weird and hard how people take your privacy away from you," Lawrence said in a tweet.

The actress' agent, meanwhile, vowed to take legal action.

"This is a flagrant violation of privacy. The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence," her representative told TMZ entertainment website.

Word of the images began spreading early Sunday, amid reports that the photos had been obtained by hacking iCloud accounts, Mashable and other media reported.

Among the celebrities whose pictures allegedly were stolen and posted online were Avril Lavigne, Amber Heard, Gabrielle Union, Hayden Panettiere and Hope Solo, according to Mashable.

Media reports said among the other starlets targeted were Hillary Duff, Jenny McCarthy, Kaley Cuoco, Kate Upton, Kate Bosworth, Keke Palmer and Kim Kardashian.

Former Nickelodeon star and singer Victoria Justice said the images claiming to show her unclothed body were anything but the real deal.

"These so called nudes of me are FAKE people. Let me nip this in the bud right now. *pun intended*" she tweeted.

A spokesperson for actress and pop star Ariana Grande told BuzzFeed that images said to be of her, are "completely fake."

But horror movie actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, whose intimate photos were leaked, acknowledged her frustration.

"To those of you looking at photos I took with my husband years ago in the privacy of our home, hope you feel great about yourselves," she tweeted.

"Knowing those photos were deleted long ago, I can only imagine the creepy effort that went into this. Feeling for everyone who got hacked."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Apple brings iPad features to the Mac

SAN FRANCISCO —Apple released a preview version of its new Macintosh operating system on Thursday, bringing some features of the iPad to the personal computer.

The Cupertino, California-based company said the updated operating system, called Mountain Lion, will be available to Macintosh developers immediately and Mac owners can upgrade to the new software in late summer.

Apple said Mountain Lion includes a new Messages application which replaces iChat and allows a user to send unlimited messages, photos and video from a Mac to another Mac or a device running iOS software such as the iPad or iPhone.

It also includes integration with Twitter allowing users to sign in and tweet directly from Safari, Photo Booth and third-party applications.

Game Center allows for live multiplayer games to be played across iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch devices while with AirPlay Mirroring, a Mac user can wirelessly send video from a Mac to an HDTV using Apple TV.

Mountain Lion is the first Mac operating system built with the Internet “cloud” in mind, Apple said.

“More than 100 million users have iCloud accounts, and Mountain Lion makes it easier than ever to set up iCloud and access documents across your devices,” it said.

Mountain Lion entices users into iCloud, which Apple chief executive Tim Cook this week described as one of the “profound changes” people will one day talk about with their grandchildren.

“If you dial back 10 to 12 years, Steve (Jobs) announced a strategy for Apple that positions the Mac or PC at the hub of everyone’s life,” Cook said Tuesday at a Goldman Sachs technology conference in San Francisco.

“iCloud turns that on its head,” he said. “It recognizes that, across that decade, you and I live off multiple devices.”

A new security feature called Gatekeeper protects Macs against malicious software by giving users control over what applications can be installed and downloaded, Apple said.

Cook, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, said the new Macintosh operating system takes advantage of features popular on the iPad and iPhone.

“We see that people are in love with a lot of apps and functionality here,” Cook said of the iPhone. “Anywhere where that makes sense, we are going to move that over to Mac.”

Apple sold a record 5.2 million Macs last quarter.

In a nod to the booming China market, Mountain Lion boasts features tailored for Chinese users, giving them the option of using Baidu search in the Safari browser or uploading video directly to China websites Youku or Tudou.

Sales of Macintosh computers in China more than doubled last year, Cook said. “Not on a big base, but 100 percent is still good,” he said. “China is a big focus for us.”

Macintosh computers have benefited from a “halo effect” that started with the success of culture-changing iPod players introduced in 2001 and which has continued with iPhones and iPads, according to Cook.

“The world changed for us in many ways when the iPhone launched,” Cook said, explaining that the hit smartphones brought the California company to the attention of millions of people around the world who “had never met Apple.”

“You can definitely see a synergistic effect of these products,” he said.

The iPad is eating into desktop computer sales in what late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs branded the “post-PC era” but is taking a bigger bite out of sales of machines powered by Microsoft’s Windows software, according to Cook.

“I do believe the iPad is cannibalizing some Mac, but it is cannibalizing more Windows PC,” Cook said at the conference.

“The way we see cannibalization is we prefer to do it rather than have somebody else do it,” he said. “It doesn’t mean the PC is going to die; I think the Mac can still grow.”

source: japantoday.com

Apple iCloud moves out of beta

The iCloud, Apple Inc.'s long-awaited cloud-based storage service, received what could be its final update Wednesday (Manila time) - the removal of its "Beta" tag.

Enthusiast site MacRumors said the iCloud.com website was updated with a new login screen, and the service now shows icons in the background.

"(But) iCloud.com, itself, still seems restricted to developers for the most part. There have been sporadic reports of non-developers being able to upgrade, but it seems you must have created one in iOS 5," it said.

The iCloud was expected to Wednesday (US time) alongside iOS 5 and Mac OS X 10.7.2, Apple's respective operating systems for mobile devices and Macintosh computers.

Apple had released iTunes 10.5 on Tuesday in preparation, it noted.

A separate article on The Next Web said iCloud is allowing all MobileMe users to transition their accounts to iCloud, but signing up for new accounts is still not available.

"Although current MobileMe users can transition their accounts to iCloud right now, they will have to wait for a few hours for the launch of iOS 5 and a software update to Mac OS X Lion in order to use iCloud with their devices," it said. — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanews.tv