Year: 2018

AT&T Announces “WatchTV” with a new unlimited data plan

CompuScoop Staff June 21, 2018 0

On the heels of the merger with Time Warner, AT&T has announced a new option with data plan for its subscribers.

Dubbed Watch TV, the new service incorporates over 30 channels - several of those were under the Time Warner umbrella including CNN, Cartoon Network, TBS, and Turner Classic Movies. Sometime in the future, AT&T will be including such networks as Comedy Central, Nicktoons, and others.

People will be able to watch on "virtually every current smartphone, tablet, or Web browser," as well as "certain streaming devices." The company didn't immediately specify compatible Apple platforms, but these will presumably include at least the iPhone and iPad, given their popularity and AT&T's long-standing relationship with Apple.

The first data plan is "AT&T Unlimited &More", which will also include $15 in monthly credit towards DirecTV Now. People who pay extra for "&More Premium" will get higher-quality video, 15 gigabytes of tethered data, and the option to add one of several "premium" services at no charge — initial examples include TV channels like HBO or Showtime, and music platforms like Pandora Premium or Amazon Music Unlimited.

&More Premium customers can also choose to apply their $15 credit towards DirecTV or U-verse TV, instead of just DirecTV Now.

WatchTV will at some point be available as a $15-per-month standalone service, but no timeline is available.

Follow CompuScoop on Apple News

Dan Uff June 21, 2018 1

We're very pleased to announce that our readers can now follow us on Apple News!

This means that once subscribed, you'll get notifications of new news via iOS and Mac Notifications, exclusive articles, and more content that may not show up on our regular web site.

Note: Some articles maybe a day or two old. Apple News needs to catch up with our current content. Thanks for your understanding during this time.

To subscribe, just open this page using an iOS device and tap the below icon.

Microsoft introduces its own all-in-one news reader – called Microsoft News

Dan Uff June 20, 2018 0

Yes, you read that right. Microsoft has copied Apple yet again with its own news reader for Android and iOS called Microsoft News.

The company boasts that this new platform is a way to “keep you informed in an easily accessible, compressive, and trustworthy way.”

On iOS and Android, the Microsoft News app comes via an update to the old MSN application. Microsoft is seemingly moving away from that branding in an effort to better compete with Apple News and Google News, though the MSN website will retain the old branding for the time being.

In a blog most, Microsoft News editor in chief Rob Bennett explains that the new mobile applications allow you to subscribe to specific topics of interest, such as finance, fitness, sports, and more. There’s also support for personalized push notifications, a dark mode, and widget support.

New personalization upgrades, including the ability to tailor interests to follow in your news feed – such as World News, Personal Finance, Fitness and many more – and to roam interests across devices and local news options for top cities
Easy to configure breaking news alerts
A new dark theme, enabling better night reading
Simplified access through seamless integration with iOS and Android widgets
Continuous reading, for a smooth content experience

The Microsoft News app comes just a month after Google launched its AI-driven ‘Google News’ applicationon iOS. Both Microsoft and Google’s offerings serve as direct competitors to Apple News, on which Apple has been putting an increasingly strong focus. The company recently published its first “Apple News Exclusive” piece, while its hiring trends indicate thatthe focus on editorial is just beginning.

You can download the Microsoft News application for iOShere and for Android here. If you already had the MSN /Bing News app installed, Microsoft News is available as an update to that application.

Apple Pay starting to show up at major summer events and festivals

Dan Uff June 20, 2018 1

In what seems to be a new way to market Apple Pay, the service is starting to show up at some major summer events around the United States and the world.

Dubbed "Apple Pay Fast Lanes", the feature lets an Apple Pay user to get into a special line and use the service as a faster way to pay.

Apple Pay fast lanes are being advertised by event coordinators at BRIC's Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival in New York this week, and the effort looks to be paying off for iPhone and Apple Watch owners.

In addition to faster service and deals, employees wearing Apple Pay T-shirts are on site to make sure iPhone and Apple Watch owners are properly set up to complete their transactions. It is unknown if the representatives are official Apple staff or event workers, though the effort appears to be backed in part by the tech giant.

Point of sale terminals used to process Apple Pay transactions differ from booth to booth. Some rely on Square hardware and others are using Clover Mini units, though all are adorned with Apple Pay stickers and other marketing material.

Celebrate Brooklyn! is the second major festival this summer to feature Apple Pay fast lanes. The Firefly Festival, which wrapped up on Sunday, pushed the dedicated payment lines as a speedy alternative to credit card and cash last week.

Fast lanes are not to be confused with Apple Pay order ahead integration. That system ties in with an event's app, allowing customers to place food and beverage purchases from their iPhone, then pick up the order from a dedicated window. Order ahead was tested earlier this month at the BottleRock music festival near San Francisco, the same venue where dedicated Apple Pay fast lanes first appeared last year.