iTunes 11.3 Expands iTunes Extras as Apple TV Finally Adds Support and Apple Plans for iOS 8

Apple today released iTunes 11.3, including several improvements to iTunes Extras, including new features for HD movies. This new content will be added automatically to previously purchased iTunes movies for free.

Alongside the launch of iTunes 11.3, Apple has also announced that the Apple TV is finally supporting iTunes Extras with the 6.2 software update released late last month. The first-generation Apple TV supported iTunes Extras, but the feature was lost when Apple revamped the Apple TV back in 2010.

Finally, Apple has also announced that iTunes Extras will be coming to iOS with the public release of iOS 8, which is slated for this fall.

iTunes 11.3 includes all-new iTunes Extras for HD movies. iTunes Extras can include behind-the-scenes videos, short films, high-resolution image galleries, director’s commentary, scenes, and more. These immersive iTunes Extras can also be enjoyed on Apple TV with Software Update 6.2 now, and will be available on iOS 8 this fall.

New iTunes Extras will be automatically added to your previously purchased HD movies as they become available – at no additional charge.

iTunes 11.3 can be downloaded from the software update tool in the Mac App Store or Apple’s iTunes web page.

Update: Apple has added a feature page [iTunes Store] to the iTunes Store highlighting iTunes Extras and compatible movies. The page also includes a promotional video for iTunes Extras.

Nike CEO ‘Excited’ About Future of Fitness Partnership with Apple

Late last week, it was revealed that Nike is scaling back its FuelBand hardware effort to focus on the software side of its fitness tracking ecosystem, sparking speculation of a potential partnership with Apple focused around the iWatch or other Apple hardware.

Nike CEO Mark Parker appeared on CNBC earlier today, and while he would not directly address specific plans with respect to Apple, he did note that Apple is a longtime partner and that he is “excited about where that relationship will go forward.”

Parker: [Y]ou’re going to continue to see us commit to this area, to focus on expanding the reach. Today, we have about 30 million FuelBand users. We’re hoping to push that to over 100 million. We have partners that we work with…obviously the most visible partner we have is Apple. We’ve been working with them for a long time. And we’re excited about where that relationship will go forward.

CNBC’s Sara Eisen: Well, can you give us a hint? Are we going to expect some sort of collaborative device coming out? Nike and Apple?

Parker: I can’t really say that. There’s been a lot of speculation, which I understand. I will just say the relationship between Nike and Apple will continue. And I am personally, as we all are at Nike, very excited about what’s to come.

Parker went on to discuss how Nike is going to focus on the software side of the wearable fitness device market going forward, integrating it into some of of Nike’s products as well as those of partners. With those partnerships, Nike is seeking to further its primary goal of expanding the overall Fuel ecosystem to as many people as possible.

Speculation of a Nike-Apple partnership is natural given the long history between the two companies, highlighted by the Nike+iPod initiative to bring pedometer and other fitness tracking to Apple devices. Apple CEO Tim Cook has served on Nike’s board of directors for nearly a decade, and he is frequently seen wearing a Nike FuelBand.

New Slim 12″ MacBook and MacBook Air Updates Soon

A new forum post on Weiphone.com has revealed a number of details about Apple’s upcoming plans for their MacBook notebooks as well as some details about their iWatch initiative. The author of the post has previously posted legitimate leaks and photos of un-released MacBook hardware in the past.

The poster writes about the upcoming MacBook Pro line as well as a new 12″ notebook that has previously been predicted. A MacRumors reader provides a summary translation of the post:

1. MacBook Air updates are coming soon; MacBook Pro updates won’t occur until September.
2. He discusses a new 12 inch notebook without fan assembly. It comes with a new trackpad design that doesn’t include the mechanical button, as we do on current MacBooks.
3. An Apple watch device does exist but still in prototype stage, so its announcement won’t come anytime soon.

It’s not entirely clear where the 12″ Apple notebook will fit in the product line. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first predicted in October that Apple would be releasing a 12″ slim MacBook with a Retina Display this year:

We expect the unprecedented 12″ model will boast both the portability of the 11″ model, and productivity of the 13″ model. The high resolution display will also offer the outstanding visual experience of the Retina MacBook Pro. The offering will likely be lighter and slimmer than the existing MacBook Air to further highlight ease of portability in the cloud computing era.

The buttonless trackpad design that the author describes may be related to a recent patent application by Apple which describes a buttonless trackpad design using an array of sensors and an actuator to mimic the function and tactile feedback of the current trackpad.

New Apple TV Hardware References Found in iOS 7 Software Builds

Recent rumors have indicated Apple is planning to release a redesigned set-top box in the near future, and hints of the new hardware have already appeared in iOS 7 software builds, according to 9to5Mac and developer Hamza Sood.

There is a reference to the AppleTV4,1 listed in the iOS 7 Apple TV framework that handles AirPlay. AppleTV4,1 does not correlate to an existing Apple TV device, thus pointing to new hardware.

The current Apple TV (which was tweaked in 2013) is listed internally as AppleTV3,2, while AppleTV3,1 refers to the 1080p device released in 2012. AppleTV2,1 references the first ios-based Apple TV released in 2010.

According to 9to5Mac, references for AppleTV4,1 first appeared in the original version of iOS 7 released in September, but were not discovered until recently. AppleTV4,1 appears to be a reference to an entirely new device that is more than just an iterative update to Apple’s existing set-top box.

An updated Apple TV has been expected for quite some time, as Apple’s last refresh of the device was a minor tweak last year that saw the device upgraded to a smaller A5 chip. The device has otherwise retained the same look and functionality since the third-generation Apple TV was released in March of 2012.

Rumors have suggested that the revamped box might include game support, an Apple TV-based App Store, and support for Bluetooth controllers. Apple is also said to be testing a set-top box that combines the Apple TV with wireless router functionality and the company may also be testing a version of the device with a TV-tuner component allowing users to pull in content from their existing cable boxes, overlaying channels with an Apple interface.

Recently, Apple revised its online storefront to give the Apple TV greater prominence, suggesting it has moved past the “hobby” status that Apple executives have long assigned it. Over the course of the last several months, Apple has worked hard to boost the content it offers on the Apple TV, adding a number of channels including ABC, Bloomberg, Crackle, KORTV, Redbull TV and The Beatles channel, which was just added today.

AT&T Hits Back at T-Mobile with Up to $450 in Credits for Switchers

Over the past year,

T-Mobile US has been shaking up the U.S. carrier market with its “Un-carrier” plans, the addition of the iPhone to its device lineup, and a frequent device upgrade program, enticing several other major carriers to make changes to their own services to align with T-Mobile’s offerings.

Going beyond recent moves to uncouple device and service costs as T-Mobile has done, AT&T today announced that it is offering up to $450 in credits for customers switching to the carrier from T-Mobile. The offer consists of two parts: up to $250 for trading in their current smartphone as part of the carrier’s usual trade-in plan and an additional $200 for transferring their wireless service to AT&T.

Beginning Jan. 3, under the limited-time offer, T-Mobile customers who switch to AT&T can trade-in their current smartphone for a promotion card of up to $250, which can be used toward AT&T products and services. Trade-in values will vary based on make, model and age of the smartphone, but many of the latest and most popular smartphones will qualify for a value of $250. T-Mobile customers can receive an additional $200 credit per line when they transfer their wireless service to AT&T and choose an AT&T NextSM plan, buy a device at full retail price or activate a device they currently own.

Last month, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson noted that the long-standing U.S. wireless business model of carriers providing device subsidies in exchange for service contracts is no longer economically feasible. By uncoupling device costs from service, carriers believe they can offer customers more flexibility when it comes to deciding about device upgrades while still allowing customers to spread out their significant hardware costs through payment plans.

Following last year’s series of Un-carrier announcements from T-Mobile, the company is set to announce the next stage of its program next week at CES. Details have yet to surface, but hints and rumors have suggested that the carrier may be making some changes to encourage family plan users to switch carriers, perhaps through subsidizing early termination fees imposed by other carriers.

The future of T-Mobile does, however, remain up in the air, as parent company Deutsche Telekom has been looking to exit the U.S. market. Following a failed attempt by AT&T to acquire T-Mobile US in 2011, Sprint has been reported to be mulling its own offer for T-Mobile that could allow the combined carrier to rival the much larger Verizon and AT&T.

Update: In an email to Re/code, T-Mobile CEO John Legere calls AT&T’s new offer a “desperate move”.

“This is a desperate move by AT&T on the heels of what must have been a terrible Q4 and holiday for them,” Legere said in an e-mail to Re/code. “Consumers won’t be fooled… nothing has changed, customers will still feel the same old pain that AT&T is famous for. Just wait until CES to hear what pain points we are eliminating next. The competition is going to be toast!” […]

“We used AT&T’s cash to build a far superior network and added ‘un-carrier’ moves to take tons of their customers – and now they want to bribe them back,” Legere said. “I’m flattered that we have made them so uncomfortable!”

Update 2: T-Mobile has published a similar version of Legere’s statement.

App Store Searches Now Compensate for Typos and Misspellings

Apple has implemented changes to its App Store search engine to compensate for small typos, misspellings, and spacing issues, reports TechCrunch. Previously, an app name had to be spelled correctly and with the proper spacing in order to bring up desired search results unless a developer thought to include misspellings in keywords.

Sources familiar with the matter confirm to us that these App Store search engine changes went into effect a few weeks ago.

The improvements could lead to increased app downloads for affected developers, particularly those with hard-to-spell or lengthy titles, as many are only now beginning to realize.

According to App Store SEO firm SearchMan, comparing App Store search data taken earlier this year to search data from November shows a notable improvement in search results for misspelled words in many cases. “Newz,” for example, used to show nine results, but with the built-in spelling correction, it now displays over 2,199.

SearchMan CEO Niren Hiro did find, however, that there’s a cap of 2,200 results on misspellings, and some erroneous searches, such as “shoping” are seeing fewer results than before as the App Store now corrects for misspellings rather than looking for keyword matches. Some misspellings are also not returning many results, as a misspelled search for “restaurant” still turns up only two apps.

While autocorrected searches are a welcome and long overdue change in the App Store, app misspellings represent only a small percentage of App Store searches. According to App Store optimization firm Straply, which tested various spellings of “Angry Birds,” correct spellings drove 98.48% of searches while misspelled variations failed to generate even a single percent of search volume.

Apple’s spell check improvements come several months after the company implemented significant changes to its App Store Top Chart ranking algorithms to boost app discoverability.

Siri Eyes Free Now Available for Select Honda and Acura Vehicles, Deeper Integration Coming Soon

Honda today announced the launch of Siri “Eyes Free” integration for select Honda and Acura vehicles. The functionality, which launches as a dealer-installed accessory for the 2013-2014 Honda Accord and 2013 Acura RDX and ILX models, allows users to interact with Siri hands-free systems in these cars without having to take their eyes off of the road.

Owners can direct Siri to perform a number of specific tasks while they keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel. Using Eyes Free mode, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further and helps minimize distractions by keeping an iOS device’s screen from lighting up.

Additional functionality includes:

– Sending text messages and e-mails
– Reading incoming text messages and emails
– Setting up calendar entries, reminders, and alarms
– Checking the weather
– Turn-by-turn voice navigation (when the audio system is set to Bluetooth Audio or iPod mode)
– Sports scores and stock quotes

The launch of Siri Eyes Free for Honda and Acura vehicles, which was first announced in January, is just the first step in extending the iOS experience to vehicles, and Honda will be holding a Google Hangout next Tuesday at 10:00 AM Pacific Time to make further announcements about iOS integration for the company’s vehicles.

One of the iOS 7 features highlighted by Apple at the operating system’s initial unveiling in June was “iOS in the Car”, a system for interacting with iOS devices not only through Siri Eyes Free but also through in-dash displays in vehicles. The feature did not launch with the rest of iOS 7, and Apple continues to list iOS in the Car as “Coming Soon”.

‘HiddenApps’ Hides Stock Apps, iAds and More on Non-Jailbroken iOS Devices

An app that hides the standard apps on the iPhone like Stocks or Newsstand has evaded Apple’s App Store approval process.

‘HiddenApps’, a free download on the App Store, lets users hide Apple’s stock applications, disable iAds, and access the hidden Field Test mode, according to iDownloadBlog. It is likely that the app will be removed from the App Store very quickly, as other apps that have broken App Store rules have disappeared quite quickly in the past.

HiddenApps is available for all non-jailbroken iOS devices.

iTunes release notes cleverly bill it as “a simple and easy app that shows you tips and tricks about your iDevice,” but the developer, of course, mentions at his web site the iAd and app hiding features.

Hiding stock apps normally requires a jailbroken device, so this program should come in handy for all non-jailbroken people other there.

Better hurry up, though, and download HiddenApps while you can because I’d bet my shirt that it won’t be available on the App Store for much time.

HiddenApps is a free download from the App Store, while AppAdvice has an explanation of how to actually use the app. [Direct Link]

Tweaked Apple TV Contains Die-Shrunk A5 Chip, Not A5X

Back in late January, an update to the Apple TV software revealed a new “AppleTV3,2”, with FCC documents for the device showing up the following day. By digging into the software files for this new device, it was discovered that the device appeared to be using an A5X chip rather than the single-core A5 chip found in the third-generation Apple TV.

This conclusion was based on the chip carrying an identifier of S5L8947 compared to the S5L8945 seen on the original A5X. A similar move was made when Apple rolled out a die shrink of the A5 in the third-generation Apple TV last year, shifting from the original S5L8940 to the smaller S5L8942.

According to Apple, this latest Apple TV update was designed to be invisible to users, offering no changes in features.

Apple’s tweaked third-generation Apple TV, which carries a part number of A1469 compared to an A1427 part number for the original version, has now begun making its way into Apple’s retail store stocks, and we have purchased one and cracked it open to examine its internals.

Most notably, the tweaked third-generation Apple TV does not contain an A5X chip. Instead, it contains an A5 chip like its predecessor, although the new chip is considerably smaller than the previous one.

The original A5 chip introduced in 2011 for the iPad 2 was built on a 45-nanometer process, measuring 10.09 mm by 12.15 mm, while the first die-shrunk A5 introduced in 2012 for the third-generation Apple TV and the tweaked iPad 2 measured 41% smaller at 8.19 mm by 8.68 mm.

This new A5 found in the tweaked third-generation Apple TV is considerably smaller still, with our measurements putting the chip at just 6 mm by 6 mm.

We do not know for sure what Apple is using to produce this even smaller A5, but it is very possible that the company is piloting a 28-nanometer process from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) for this new chip. Such a move would be a major development, making this A5 the first iOS device processor to be manufactured by a company other than Samsung. Samsung is also moving to a 28-nanometer process for its fab in Austin, Texas where it produces chips for Apple, but the facility will reportedly not be ready for mass production at that scale until late this year.

TSMC has been rumored to be coming on board for A6X chip production for the current iPad, as well as for future chips using even smaller processes.

Ferrari and Apple in Talks to Expand Relationship, iPad Mini Now Standard in FF Coupe

Ferrari and Apple are in talks to expand their partnership on in-car entertainment, reports Bloomberg. Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo said the company would be “more precise” over the next few months, though its unclear what exactly Di Montezemolo meant.

Ferrari’s new 963 horsepower ‘LaFerrari’ hybrid hypercar was introduced this week at the Geneva Motor Show, and Ferrari also announced that its four-seater FF coupe will now incorporate a pair of iPad minis into the seats for use by the rear passengers.

Ferrari’s 12-cylinder GT sports car prowess is represented at Geneva by the FF, the very first four-seater and four-wheel drive in Prancing Horse history. It will be sporting a Grigio Ingrid livery with an elegant glass roof and Iroko interior. The FF is also now seamlessly integrated with Apple technologies, thanks to direct access to the infotainment system via SIRI voice commands and the adoption of two iPad Minis as the entertainment system of choice for the rear seat passengers.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president in charge of Internet Software and Services joined Ferrari’s board of directors late last year.

(Image of the LaFerrari courtesy M t Petrany/Jalopnik)