iTunes App Store to coast through holidays on autopilot
Apple has warned developers that its iTunes Connect tool for managing App Store titles will shut down December 22-29 as the company goes on holiday break, while retailers Amazon and Best Buy are preparing for the holidays by lowering the price of the Apple TV to $89.99. Also, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a large batch of 30 patents to Apple on Tuesday.
App Store on holiday
The Cupertino, Calif., company's warning puts developers on notice that they shouldn't plan to release new apps, post updates or change the price of existing apps after December 22.
"We strongly recommend that you do not schedule pricing changes through the interval pricing system in iTunes Connect that would take effect from December 22 through December 29,? the company admonished developers in an email.
?We also recommend that you do not schedule any apps to go live during the shutdown," the company stated. Changes made during the holiday week might result in the apps being unavailable for purchase during a peak period of app sales.
The holidays have similarly put the App Store on hold for modifications over the previous two years. Apple's corporate operations largely shut down over the holidays, even as the company sets new records in hardware and software sales for the quarter.
Apple set revenue guidance for the quarter at $37 billion, a dramatic increase of more than $10 billion over last year's final quarter.
Apple TV
Both Amazon and Best Buy are advertising a $10 drop in price for the Apple TV. The latest version of Apple's "hobby" originally came with a $99.99 price tag when it was released last year.
But, the new pricing isn't the lowest price ever for the set-top box. Last November, MacConnection ran an early Black Friday sale offering the device for just $79.99.
The price drop does not, however, suggest an imminent release of an updated Apple TV, as it is likely too late in the holiday season for Apple to launch a new product. The last time the company released new hardware in November was the Core 2 Duo MacBook in 2006.
Though Apple declined to release a hardware update to its Apple TV this year, it did release a software update around the one-year mark. Version 4.4 of the set-top box's software added compatibility with new iOS 5 features such as AirPlay Mirroring and Photo Stream. The update also added a Trailers app, as well as access to Wall Street Journal Live and National Hockey League content.
Apple patents
The USPTO granted Apple more than two dozen patents on Tuesday, including several design patents.
Among them was a patent for the ornamental design of the Magic Mouse, which Apple released in October 2009. Earlier this year, a patent application surfaced that revealed Apple's continued interest in multi-touch mice. According to the filing, future versions of the Magic Mouse could house a customizable multi-touch display.
Apple's newly granted patents demonstrate the company's interest in a range of areas, including near-field communication technology, multi-touch gestures and workout support features such as Nike+. For instance, one patent describes a process whereby two iPhones can use NFC chips to communicate and share contact information.
Another patent issued Tuesday describes an invention that involves "anonymous location based services" that could increase privacy for mobile device users. The patent could be of particular interest to Apple because it has faced several lawsuits (1, 2) over a database file that has been accused of tracking the locations of iPhone users.
The perceived value of patents has appeared to skyrocket in recent months as a flurry of intellectual property-related lawsuits have pitted numerous technology giants against each other. This summer, Apple paid $2.6 billion for a batch of patents from Canadian telecom equipment maker Nortel. In August, rival Google struck a $12.5 billion acquisition deal with handset maker Motorola Mobility that would bring 17,000 patents to the search giant.
App Store on holiday
The Cupertino, Calif., company's warning puts developers on notice that they shouldn't plan to release new apps, post updates or change the price of existing apps after December 22.
"We strongly recommend that you do not schedule pricing changes through the interval pricing system in iTunes Connect that would take effect from December 22 through December 29,? the company admonished developers in an email.
?We also recommend that you do not schedule any apps to go live during the shutdown," the company stated. Changes made during the holiday week might result in the apps being unavailable for purchase during a peak period of app sales.
The holidays have similarly put the App Store on hold for modifications over the previous two years. Apple's corporate operations largely shut down over the holidays, even as the company sets new records in hardware and software sales for the quarter.
Apple set revenue guidance for the quarter at $37 billion, a dramatic increase of more than $10 billion over last year's final quarter.
Apple TV
Both Amazon and Best Buy are advertising a $10 drop in price for the Apple TV. The latest version of Apple's "hobby" originally came with a $99.99 price tag when it was released last year.
But, the new pricing isn't the lowest price ever for the set-top box. Last November, MacConnection ran an early Black Friday sale offering the device for just $79.99.
The price drop does not, however, suggest an imminent release of an updated Apple TV, as it is likely too late in the holiday season for Apple to launch a new product. The last time the company released new hardware in November was the Core 2 Duo MacBook in 2006.
Though Apple declined to release a hardware update to its Apple TV this year, it did release a software update around the one-year mark. Version 4.4 of the set-top box's software added compatibility with new iOS 5 features such as AirPlay Mirroring and Photo Stream. The update also added a Trailers app, as well as access to Wall Street Journal Live and National Hockey League content.
Apple patents
The USPTO granted Apple more than two dozen patents on Tuesday, including several design patents.
Among them was a patent for the ornamental design of the Magic Mouse, which Apple released in October 2009. Earlier this year, a patent application surfaced that revealed Apple's continued interest in multi-touch mice. According to the filing, future versions of the Magic Mouse could house a customizable multi-touch display.
Apple's newly granted patents demonstrate the company's interest in a range of areas, including near-field communication technology, multi-touch gestures and workout support features such as Nike+. For instance, one patent describes a process whereby two iPhones can use NFC chips to communicate and share contact information.
Another patent issued Tuesday describes an invention that involves "anonymous location based services" that could increase privacy for mobile device users. The patent could be of particular interest to Apple because it has faced several lawsuits (1, 2) over a database file that has been accused of tracking the locations of iPhone users.
The perceived value of patents has appeared to skyrocket in recent months as a flurry of intellectual property-related lawsuits have pitted numerous technology giants against each other. This summer, Apple paid $2.6 billion for a batch of patents from Canadian telecom equipment maker Nortel. In August, rival Google struck a $12.5 billion acquisition deal with handset maker Motorola Mobility that would bring 17,000 patents to the search giant.
Comments
But talk about whistling through the graveyard - one of the busiest times of the year, tens of thousands of new people bombarding iTunes and the App Store, and it's on autopilot? Wow. Best of luck, and keep your fingers crossed!
Kudos for giving their employees quality-of-life time.
But talk about whistling through the graveyard - one of the busiest times of the year, tens of thousands of new people bombarding iTunes and the App Store, and it's on autopilot? Wow. Best of luck, and keep your fingers crossed!
It’s not on “autopilot.” Apple maintains huge staffing around the clock, all year. This means SOME activities, of importance to developers, are suspended during that time, not the entire Apple operation.
And it’s probably in part because it IS such a busy time: if devs went nuts with Christmas specials, and short-term promos, and holiday updates, and critical fixes to those updates, all around the busiest time, that’s just asking for trouble. Apple’s telling devs to either get that stuff done early, or wait.
I was planning on offering special discount on my existing app on the 24th and 25th. Well, I guess Thanksgiving will do for now. I will think about it since a week of discount is longer than what I planned.
But Apple's giving its employees leave through that entire week, too. Or does that not jive with App Store scheduling?
But Apple's giving its employees leave through that entire week, too. Or does that not jive with App Store scheduling?
It's alway the same every year and every year I forget about the off time
"We strongly recommend that you do not schedule pricing changes through the interval pricing system in iTunes Connect that would take effect from December 22 through December 29,? the company admonished developers in an email.
I listen to music way more now b/c of the photostream. See all my recent pics as a screensaver.
If anyone doesn't have an Apple TV, now is a good time.
Right before the release of the 3rd gen with 1080p playback? I don't think so?
Right before the release of the 3rd gen with 1080p playback? I don't think so?
2S gen.
Right before the release of the 3rd gen with 1080p playback? I don't think so…
I must have missed the press release. When is the date and specs?
Besides, who doesn't have two TVs that when ATV3 comes out you can put it in another room? What if it is August next year- almost a year from now?
The second ATV came out 3 years and 8 months after the 1st, which is the only one we have to base anything off of. So I fail see your point on it coming out soon, which if it follows suit, would be May 2014. While I don't think it will be that long, and although you think you know all, the fact is no one knows. And someone might be waiting a year or more for one that they can have now. It's $90... Seriously.
Right before the release of the 3rd gen with 1080p playback? I don't think so?
You beat me to it. I really hope this does signal the approach of the mk. 3, I am needing a second ATV right now but I am resisting and hoping for the next gen.
I must have missed the press release. When is the date and specs?
Besides, who doesn't have two TVs that when ATV3 comes out you can put it in another room? What if it is August next year- almost a year from now?
The second ATV came out 3 years and 8 months after the 1st, which is the only one we have to base anything off of. So I fail see your point on it coming out soon, which if it follows suit, would be May 2014. While I don't think it will be that long, and although you think you know all, the fact is no one knows. And someone might be waiting a year or more for one that they can have now. It's $90... Seriously.
You may be correct but I see nothing stopping an upgrade far sooner. The A5 chip is all that's needed as far as I can tell. It may be one of those products Apple simply update with no announcements. Christmas season would make sense. Well see soon enough, if not I'll just get a mk. 2.
Seriously, I don't think you can use the release dates of previous versions to forecast. ATV was a concept at first and the technology has advanced very rapidly in iOS devices recently.
2S gen.
If anyone doesn't have an Apple TV, now is a good time. Even though it was $80 for a time last year, with photostream, iTunes match, and mirrored AirPlay w/ iOS 5- now is the best deal it's ever been b/c of its capabilities.
I listen to music way more now b/c of the photostream. See all my recent pics as a screensaver.
Agreed. Best $99 I've ever spent. Love my AppleTV. Highly recommend it.
You beat me to it. I really hope this does signal the approach of the mk. 3, I am needing a second ATV right now but I am resisting and hoping for the next gen.
Interestingly, airport expresses are out of stock on amazon. My (realistic) dream ATV3 would be a combo of the two. Allow for AirPlay and a wifi extender (no printer out) of the express, and the ATV as an A5 that pushes 1080p. I think that would be a phenomenal feature to promote the airport line as well.
So as much as I would love for them to release the ATV3- I would think that would be announced at an event and not a silent announcement.