Apple is taking some of the confusion out of its subscription services by bringing iTunes Match’s song matching system to Apple Music. That means Apple Music users will have get a much better matching algorithm, they get DRM-free versions of matched songs, and they don’t need their iTunes Match subscriptions any more. If that sounds like a winning combo to you, it’s time to disable auto-renew for your iTunes Match account. Read on to learn how.
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Iran Ready to Ban and Confiscate iPhones
The Iranian government has given Apple an ultimatum: register with the country’s anti-smuggling office now, or all iPhones will be banned and confiscated. The demand comes as part of Iran’s plans to create a database of every cell phone in the country under the guise of blocking smuggling.
New Star Trek Series Coming to Netflix Streaming, but not in the US
Netflix announced a deal with CBS Studios International on Monday to stream the new Star Trek television series in countries around the world. Episodes will air within 24 hours of their showing after the show launches in 21017, except in the United States where viewers will still need a CBS All Access account. You didn’t misread that: the new Star Trek series won’t be available on Netflix Streaming in the U.S.
Apple Rolls Out Bug Fix and Security Updates for OS X, iOS, watchOS, tvOS
Apple rolled out updates for OS X, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS on Monday. The updates are all free and fairly easy to install, and they haven’t caused any problems on The Mac Observer’s test devices so far. Read on to learn about the updates and how you can get them installed.
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Apple Snubs Samsung for iPhone 7 and 8 Processors
Apple reportedly gave an exclusive manufacturing deal to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company for the A10 processor used in the upcoming iPhone 7. The deal means Samsung won’t get to cash in on the next iPhone model, and sources say TSMC already scored an exclusive deal for the A11 processor in 2017’s iPhone lineup.
SoftBank to Buy Apple Chip Designer ARM
Apple chip designer ARM Holdings is about to get bought by Japan’s SoftBank in a £24.3 billion (about US$32.16 billion) deal. SoftBank plans to keep ARM in the UK while using the deal to make itself the preeminent mobile chip designer and cash in on the growing “internet of things” product market.
Supreme Court to Hear Samsung's iPhone Patent Appeal Oct 11
Samsung’s appeal in its ongoing patent infringement fight with Apple over smartphone designs goes before the U.S. Supreme Court on October 11th. This doesn’t, however, signal the end of a battle that started in 2011 and is only the latest round in a dispute that’s drug on for years.
How to Limit Pokémon GO's Access to Your Google Account
Nintendo and Niantic’s wildly popular Pokémon GO came under fire only days after it launched when users found out the game had permission to access everything in their Google accounts. Niantic said the game checked only basic account information and wasn’t supposed to get unfettered access to everything. There’s an patch out that fixes the permissions issue, but you’ll need to do more than simply install the update. Read on to learn how to limit Pokémon GO’s access to your Google account.
Apple Watch Scores Top Spot in J.D. Power Smartwatch Satisfaction
Apple Watch came out on top in J.D. Power’s newest smartwatch satisfaction survey. The Apple device narrowly beat out the competition in overall points, but scored significantly higher in J.D. Power’s Power Circle Ratings, as shown in the chart.
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Leaked iPhone 7 Plus Pics Show Mute Switch is Gone
Yesterday we saw a leaked photo of what looks to be the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, and today brings us the iPhone 7 Plus. The new photos look pretty much like what we’re expecting, but with a glaring omission: the physical mute switch is gone.