Apple says it spent unspecified “billions” on its updated Apple Maps app.
Cupertino’s revelation about the Apple Maps expenditures came amid answers to questions from the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, which is currently carrying out antitrust probes into Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook.
Start blasting those holiday tunes with free Amazon Music on iOS.
The streaming service can now be enjoyed without a paid subscription for the first time on iPhone and iPad, giving it a big advantage over Apple Music.
But just like other free music plans, it does come with ads … and some restrictions.
iPad enjoyed steady growth during the third quarter of this year, giving Apple an even greater share of the worldwide tablet market.
But it is Amazon that will be most delighted with the latest figures. Shipments of its Fire slates more than doubled year-over-year as a result of generous Prime Day discounts.
Amazon is reportedly testing workout-tracking software for its Amazon Echo Buds. While this feature is seemingly still in its early testing phase, fitness-measuring earbuds could be a massive deal.
The good news? Apple is working on something very similar — and possibly even more advanced.
Apple is ramping up its smart home efforts in a bid to better compete against Amazon and Google, according to a new report.
Cupertino is said to be hiring for a team that will be focused on revamping HomeKit software and devices. It also wants to encourage more third-party manufacturers to support its platform.
Spotify’s third fiscal quarter figures show that it is growing considerably faster than Apple Music.
“We continue to feel very good about our competitive position in the market,” the streaming giant noted in a statement. “Relative to Apple, the publicly available data shows that we are adding roughly twice as many subscribers per month as they are. Additionally, we believe that our monthly engagement is roughly 2x as high and our churn is at half the rate.”
With just days to spare before the launch of Apple TV+, Apple has brought its TV app to Amazon streaming devices. This means that owners of the Fire TV Stick 4K, second-gen Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Basic Edition can watch shows from Apple’s streaming service and more.
Amazon has said support for other Fire TV devices will follow. That will include the likes of the Nebula sound bar, Fire TV Edition smart TVs, Fire TV Cube, and more.
Update: The Amazon Prime Video app is back in the iOS App Store after mysteriously disappearing for much of the day. Why this high-profile app went missing for so much of the day remains unknown.
Whether its disappearance resulted from a simple glitch or some sort of quickly resolved dispute between Apple and Amazon isn’t yet clear.
Here’s a top tip: If your job involves promoting hardware that is not made by Apple, do not use an Apple device in public.
It sounds easy, right? As it turns out, it’s pretty darn difficult. And it’s a problem suffered by many, many people who are likely way above your pay grade. The latest example? Amazon exec Dave Limp, who yesterday gave an interview promoting Amazon’s new wireless Echo Buds. While wearing Apple’s AirPods, of course.
Amazon is ready to push Alexa into every single corner of your life with a new wave of Echo products unveiled this morning.
Armed with 15 new products, Amazon is ready to challenge Apple like never before. The company even introduced some bold new products, like new smart glasses and a smart ring — wearables that give you 24/7 access to Alexa wherever you go. While Apple’s iPhone 11 keynote featured zero mentions of Siri, Amazon’s yearly product keynote put Alexa’s might on full display.
You might want to avoid the Apple Store if you plan on picking up a brand new Apple Watch Series 5 this week. Amazon is already offering a $50 discount on some models for a limited time.
Prices start at just $384.99 (down from $399) for a 40mm devices with GPS.
Apple Music subscribers in Germany can now stream their favorite tracks on Amazon Echo speakers. You’ll need to add the Apple Music skill via the Alexa app to get started.
Amazon is trying to move in on Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto by convincing carmakers to bake in Alexa as an in-car infotainment technology.
According to a new report, Amazon is scaling up its Echo Auto ambitions. It has already convinced BMW and Audi to adopt the tech. It is now supposedly trying to get other automakers to sign up as well.
A class-action lawsuit filed this week takes aim at Apple for storing some iCloud data on third-party servers.
The company is accused of breaching consumer trust to sell iCloud subscriptions. It states iCloud data will be “stored by Apple,” but offloads some of it to Amazon and other companies.
Frequent Apple contract manufacturer Foxconn recruited kids as young as 16 to work on its production lines, leaked documents show. The company reportedly pushed the teenagers to work nights and overtime as part of the job.
On this occasion, however, Apple isn’t the company under fire. The recruits (classed as “interns”) were working on the Amazon production line. They were building devices like the Echo smart speakers.
Amazon is making on-demand music more affordable than ever for students.
Its brilliant new deal provides access to Music Unlimited for just $0.99 a month. Students enjoy exactly the same service as other Music Unlimited subscribers for a fraction of the cost.
The $1 billion Apple spent on Intel’s modem business is the second-largest acquisition in the company’s 42-year history.
Still, while a huge amount of money by most normal standards, rival tech giants regularly dwarf Apple’s big spend on Intel. For a variety of reasons, Apple just doesn’t roll that way.
Stock prices of the major U.S. stock companies all took a tumble in after-hours trading today after the U.S. Justice Department revealed that it is launching a broad antitrust investigation into tech companies.
The department has not said which companies will be investigated specifically but it’s pretty likely that Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook will be swept up in the case.
Apple products seem to have dropped off shoppers’ wish lists this Prime Day.
Despite big discounts on Apple Watch, AirPods and Beats headphones, only one Apple product made it into the top 10 searches in the U.S. The Nintendo Switch claimed the top spot by a good margin.
Apple fans are no longer caught in a long-running tiff between Amazon and Google. The Amazon Prime Video iOS app has been updated with support for Google’s inexpensive Chromecast player.
Apple is gearing up to launch HomePod in Japan — more than two years after the device got its first unveiling.
Smart speaker shoppers will be able to pick one up in the coming weeks for 32,800 yen (approx. $301). HomePod will then be available in a total of 11 countries.
HomePod owners are becoming increasingly frustrated with the latest AirPods ad. The full version of the “Bounce” commercial keeps triggering “Hey Siri” on Apple’s pricey smart speaker.
Some say they end up hearing the “crappiest” music, while others say their HomePod randomly calls out “I’m here.”
Amazon is going all-out for Prime Day 2019. Not only will the event run for 48 hours, offering massive discounts on more than a million products, but it will also feature a music concert with some huge acts.
Shoppers will get to enjoy performances from Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Becky G, and more. And it’s completely free for Prime subscribers.
Amazon just confirmed the details of Prime Day 2019 — and it sounds like it’s going to be a corker.
This year’s event will run for a full 48 hours, making it the longest Prime Day so far. It also promises to be the best yet, with big discounts to be had on more than 1 million products across almost every category.
One new feature in the upcoming Kindle Oasis will make a huge difference to many people. The new model adds a Night Shift-style display capable of shifting color to match the warmer light of evening.
Other than that, the new Kindle Oasis is almost exactly the same as the current model. But this great new addition means no more cold blue pages when you’re reading in bed at night.
