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Tag: ios 8

  • Groupon Updates App With Apple Pay Support

    Apple officially launched Apple Pay, its new payments product, via an update to iOS 8 today. Third-party apps are also getting updates to add support for it.

    Groupon announced that it has updated its iPhone app to include it as a payment option. iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users in the U.S. can take advantage.

    “To use the new payments service, existing customers need to download iOS 8.1, install Apple Pay, update the Groupon app and select Apple Pay on the purchase confirmation screen. New Groupon customers need to do the same and their method of payment will automatically default to Apple Pay,” Groupon says.

    “With nearly 92 million app downloads worldwide and more than half of our transactions occurring on mobile devices, Groupon is one of the largest mobile commerce companies in the world,” says Groupon CEO Eric Lefkofsky. “Bringing Apple Pay to the Groupon mobile app makes it easier than ever to find and buy the best things around you.”

    Groupon’s app is one of the 25 most-downloaded free apps in the App Store.

    Image via BusinessWire

  • iOS 8.1 Released With Apple Pay, Bug Fixes & More

    At its big press event last week, Apple announced that it would launch Apple Pay on Monday, and it has with iOS 8.1 now available for download.

    Let’s hope this update goes off without a hitch. Its first iOS 8 update (8.0.1) launched to immediate complaints about the disabling of Touch ID and problems connecting with cell networks. That was quickly followed by 9.0.2, which fixed the issues, and came with an apology from the company.

    It would appear that iOS 8.1 is a successful launch based on early reactions.

    In addition to Apple Pay (for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus), are MMS/SMS Handoff support on Macs, some new Photos features and new Messages features. There’s a new option for selecting between 2G, 3G or LTE networks, AirDrop support for Passbook passes, and an option to enable dictation in Keyboards settings. It also enables HealthKit apps to access data in the background.

    The update includes fixes for Wi-Fi performance and Bluetooth connection issues. It also fixes a screen rotation bug and a few other things. iMore has a rundown of all the fixes and features here.

    Image via Apple

  • PopKey Is the GIF Keyboard You’ve Desperately Wanted

    Now that you’ve used iOS 8’s new third-party keyboard option to use SwiftKey or other swipe text keyboards (because who wasn’t waiting for that?), please be alert to the fact that there is now an all-GIF keyboard that you can download. Right now.

    We’ve all been communicating in animated GIFs for some time now. It’s pretty much a new language. Don’t lie – you know you do it all the time.

    The problem with this is that is takes too many steps to find, secure, and transmit the proper GIF reaction to any text. First you have to go find the GIF online, copy it, and paste it into your text field. PopKey, announced awhile ago, makes it much, much easier and has just hit the App Store today.

    Like other third-party keyboards, all you have to do is download the app, go to your general settings, tap keyboards, and add PopKey to your existing keyboard list.

    Once you have it set up, PopKey is pretty simple to use. Select the keyboard inside your text convo, and you can choose from a ton of reaction GIFs, sorted by various categories. There’s a tab full of tags like ‘happy’, ‘shocked’, ‘not amused’, and many more – which will pull up various GIFs that fit that feeling.

    There are also options to browse recently used GIFs as well as favorited and featured GIFs.

    You can also upload your own favorite GIFs and add them to the keyboard.

    If you click on a GIF, it’ll preview for you. All you have to do to use it is paste it into your text field.

    PopKey’s going to be a hit – there’s really no way that it won’t be. Just remember, GIFing is a privilege. Don’t abuse the power.

    Image via PopKey, iTunes

  • Apple Pushes iOS 8.0.2 After 8.0.1 Blunder, Apologizes Again

    A week after pushing iOS 8 to iPhone users, Apple released its first update – iOS 8.0.1. Immediately, complaints flooded Twitter and the blogosphere, with people reporting that the update disabled Touch ID and prevented them from being able to connect with cell networks.

    Apparently only iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users were negatively affected by the update, and according to Apple, less than 40,000 of them experienced the problems (though that still seems like a lot of people to me).

    Apple has released another update – iOS 8.0.2 – to fix the issues, and has apologized (which seems to be a common theme with new iOS/iPhone releases in recent years). TechCrunch shares this statement from the company:

    iOS 8.0.2 is now available for users, it fixes an issue that affected iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who downloaded iOS 8.0.1, and includes improvements and bug fixes originally in iOS 8.0.1. We apologize for inconveniencing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who were impacted by the bug in iOS 8.0.1.

    Apple has also been taking a beating from the media about the iPhone 6 Plus bending in people’s pockets. The company addressed that too (via MacRumors):

    Our iPhones are designed, engineered and manufactured to be both beautiful and sturdy. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature a precision engineered unibody enclosure constructed from machining a custom grade of 6000 series anodized aluminum, which is tempered for extra strength. They also feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high stress locations and use the strongest glass in the smartphone industry. We chose these high-quality materials and construction very carefully for their strength and durability. We also perform rigorous tests throughout the entire development cycle including 3-point bending, pressure point cycling, sit, torsion, and user studies. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus meet or exceed all of our high quality standards to endure everyday, real life use.

    With normal use a bend in iPhone is extremely rare and through our first six days of sale, a total of nine customers have contacted Apple with a bent iPhone 6 Plus. As with any Apple product, if you have questions please contact Apple.

    Samsung has even gone so far as to capitalize on “bendgate” for its ads, which in turn were parodied on Conan.

    Image via Apple

  • iOS 8.0.1 Is Messing Up iPhones, According To A Lot Of Angry People

    Update: Re/code shares this statement from Apple:

    “We are actively investigating these reports and will provide information as quickly as we can,” a spokesperson said. “In the meantime we have pulled back the iOS 8.0.1 update.”

    —

    If you have an iPhone, you may want to think twice about downloading its latest software update iOS 8.0.1. It appears to be causing problems for a lot of people.

    Here’s a small sampling of current reactions on Twitter:

    Business Insider says some people in its office updated their phones, and it turned them into “bricks”. TechCrunch is also reporting first-hand issues.

    Evidently, while the update fixes some bugs from the previous release, it disables Touch ID, and is impacting actual cell phone service for some. You’ll probably want to wait for the next update.

    This comes as Apple is facing backlash over its new phones bending in people’s pockets.

    According to the company, 46% of iOS users are on iOS 8.

    Image via Apple

  • Bing Adds A Couple Features For iOS 8

    Apple released iOS 8 last week, and many apps are adding features that take advantage of its specific capabilities. These include Microsoft’s Bing app, which has added a new translation feature and the ability to put Bing’s daily homepage image and trends on the Today screen.

    “With this release, we were able to take advantage of the extensibility possible in iOS 8 making it easier to extend the reach and functionality of Bing on iPhone,” the company says.

    With the update, you can translate webpages from the Bing app or from Safari. From the Bing app, just tap the Share icon, and select the Translate button. From Safari, you’ll need to manually add the Bing Translate button to your options.

    “Swiping from the top on your iPhone brings up the Today screen, which can now host the beautiful image of the day and trending stories from the web,” Bing says. “With this information available at a glance, we hope to save you time while informing you about what’s going on in the world. To enable this feature, tap ‘Edit’ on your Today screen and add Bing.”

    You can grab the latest Bing app update in Apple’s App Store.

    Apple said they sold over ten million of the new iPhones over the course of the first weekend of availability, and the iOS 8 update is available for the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display, iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad mini with Retina display. So far, 46% of applicable devices are updated to the new OS, according to Apple.

    Images via Bing

  • Apple: 46% Of iOS Users Are On iOS 8

    Apple: 46% Of iOS Users Are On iOS 8

    At its iOS launch events, Apple always likes to talk about how many of its users are on the latest version of its operating system in comparison to Android. There are so many different Android devices, that ultimately there is never a very high percentage of users on the latest version.

    Apple considers this a major bragging right. I’d be surprised if the majority of Android users even know or care if they’re on the latest version, but developers do. Better apps make for a better phone experience, so that’s why this matters.

    Apple is touting its current OS version breakdown on its Developer site, and as of right now, 46% of users are already on iOS 8, according to the company.

    About half of users are still running iOS 7, and 5% are using an even older version.

    The update went live on September 17th. It’s available for the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display, iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad mini with Retina display.

    iOS 8 comes on the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus as well, of course.

    Knowing that a majority of users are on the latest version of an operating system enables developers to cater to users who have access to the latest features. It will be interesting to see how quickly iOS 8 takes the majority of iOS users. It shouldn’t be too much longer.

    [via iClarified]

    Image via Apple

  • Getty Launches Photo Viewing, Sharing App Stream

    Getty Images announced the launch of a new mobile app called Stream, which lets consumers view and share its photos. This is the company’s first consumer app.

    Getty seems to be aiming to give users more ways to share its photos, but with more control over how they do so. Earlier this year, Getty launched an embed feature that lets users feature select images on blogs and social media.

    “Our new, free Stream app delivers Getty Images’ stunning news, sport and entertainment photography straight to your iPhone and iPad, giving you a front row seat to the latest events around the globe,” Getty Images Chief Technology Officer Steve Heck said. “Imagery is the world’s most spoken language. People love our award-winning pictures and Stream makes it easier than ever to view – and share – the world through the lens of Getty Images photographers.”

    The app includes a “streaming” feature for navigating curated photo streams as well as search feature and a slideshow option. You can also use the app to share images on Facebook and Twitter.

    Users also have the ability to set up customized alerts as new images are added.

    The app is for iPhone and iPad devices running iOS 8. It’s unclear if additional apps (namely Android) are on the way.

    Getty is currently battling Microsoft over a recently launched Bing Image Search widget, which Getty believes infringes on its copyrights.

    Image via Apple

  • Twitter Makes Its Biggest Ever Profile Update For iPhone

    With iOS 8 now available to iPhone users, Twitter announced a big update to profiles on these devices. In fact, the company says it’s the biggest update to profiles to date.

    “Featuring a fresh design, the updated profiles focus on your bio, Tweets and photos, making it easy for you to get a glimpse into the people you care about on Twitter,” says designer Sana Rao. “You can see a bio as soon as you get to the profile — it’s no longer a swipe away. The timelines for Tweets, photos and favorites are easy to get to, and you can access them from wherever you are in that profile.”

    You actually don’t have to have iOS 8 to use the new profiles. They work with iOS 7 as well, though they do utilize iOS 8’s abilities.

    “And of course we’re updating the app to take advantage of iOS 8,” says Rao. “You will now be able to interact directly with push notifications from Twitter, meaning you can Retweet, favorite, follow and more, directly from these notifications if you have iOS 8.”

    This brings the app more in line with what’s already available for Android in that regard.

    More about the new profiles here.

    Image via Twitter

  • With iOS 8, You Can Add Pinterest’s ‘Pin It’ Button And Pin From The Browser

    With iOS 8, You Can Add Pinterest’s ‘Pin It’ Button And Pin From The Browser

    As you’re probably well aware, Apple just released the big iOS 8 update. Pinterest announced that its app has some new functionality that takes advantage of it.

    You can now add the Pin It button to your iPhone, and pin things right from the mobile browser.

    “Now the Pin It button is always just a tap away,” the company says in a blog post. “Reading a must-save article? Found that desk chair you’ve been hunting for? Go back to the Share button, tap your new Pin It button, swipe to find the best image, and Pin it.”

    “Then get right back to what you were doing—your new Pin will be waiting for you in the Pinterest app,” it adds.

    To take advantage, you’ll simply need to download the app and update to iOS 8 (obviously), then from Safari or Chrome, tap the share button, swipe to the left and tap more. From there, you can tap to turn on Pinterest, and then drag it up if you want to reorder the menu.

    Image via Pinterest

  • iOS 8 Release Date Announced At Apple Event

    Apple held its big iPhone unveiling event on Tuesday, showing off the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, not to mention Apple Pay and the Apple Watch.

    The new iPhones will run iOS 8, which the company first announced back in June. Today, the company announced the official release date for the operating system: September 17th.

    On this date, the company will push the free software update to users of the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPod touch 5th generation, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display, iPad Air, iPad mini, and iPad mini with Retina display.

    The new iPhone models will become available on September 19th. Pre-orders start this Friday. The Apple Watch, which requires the user to have an iPhone, will be available next year.

    For a rundown of what iOS 8 brings to the table, check out our previous coverage from Apple’s developer event earlier this summer. Apple Pay will roll out in October.

    On a related note, check out how Denny’s burned Apple over a failed livestream of the day’s event.

    Image via Apple

  • Is Apple Weaning People Off Google?

    Is Apple Weaning People Off Google?

    As you’ve probably heard, Apple revealed its new Mac and iOS operating systems on Monday – OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 respectively. While the company didn’t exactly pitch them as such, it revealed some new features, which some think are designed to take on Google in the search department.

    Do you think people will use Google any less as a result of new features unveiled by Apple? Let us know in the comments.

    Apple didn’t come out verbally swinging at Google Search, but it certainly had digs at Android. Working up to the iOS 8 presentation, CEO Tim Cook dropped some iOS stats: over 800 million iOS devices sold, 100 million iPod touch units, 200 million iPad units, and 500 million iPhone units. They’ve had over 130 million new-to-Apple customers in the last year.

    “Many of these customers were switchers from Android,” Cook said. “They had bought an Android phone by mistake, and then had sought a better experience and a better life. And decided to check out iPhone and iOS. Nearly half of our customers in China in the past six months switched from Android to iPhone.”

    According to Cook, 89% of iOS users are running the latest version of the OS, compared to 9% for Android. Over a third of Android users are running a version from four years ago, he said.

    “That’s like ancient history,” said Cook. “That means that these customers are not getting great new features. They’re not able to run your latest apps. They don’t get security updates that they may need to stay safe. This is particularly important for Android, which dominates the global malware market.”

    iOS 8’s Spotlight feature lets you pull down on the home screen, execute searches, and find matches from the app store, Wikipedia entries, news, maps, songs from your own library and iTunes, movie theater results, content for streaming, etc. In Safari, you can get Spotlight suggestions in addition to Google suggestions. They’re also adding some new search-related features to the App Store, including top trending searches and related searches. Photos also gets some search improvements, like search suggestions based on location, time, and albums.

    Of course Siri also got some improvements, including Shazam song recognition, the ability to purchase iTunes content, streaming voice recognition, and 22 new dictation languages.

    Apple’s new emphasis on search was more obvious on the desktop though, with Yosemite. Interestingly, while Google still appeared in the Spotlight feature on iOS, in Apple’s presentation, Microsoft told Danny Sullivan that Bing “is powering Spotlight for both the forthcoming versions of Mac OS and iOS.” Apple did show Bing for the Yosemite feature.

    The feature here lets you click on the magnifying glass and get a big search field right in the middle of your Mac’s screen. From there, you can quickly search through applications, documents, contacts, calendar, mail, messages, dictionary, calculator, system preferences, Wikipedia, Maps, News, App Store, iTunes Store, iBooks Store, “Top websites,” movie showtimes, and Bing. No mention of Google. We saw Apple get closer with Bing last year after distancing itself from Google in other ways like (most famously) dropping Google Maps, and adding Bing integration to Siri. Now, they appear to be taking it up a notch.

    Sullivan even speculates, “It’s also a sign that Apple might be moving to turning Siri into its own branded search engine. Spotlight is handling a variety of different search tasks, similar to how Siri can. That’s a big change, and it could be a move toward Apple further distancing itself from Google search by using Siri as a stand-in.”

    How long until Apple’s deal with Google completely evaporates, and Google is no longer the default for Safari, and is all but gone from the iOS experience without users having to manually add it?

    Really, it would seem that Apple is encouraging users to use any search engine BUT Google. On its OS X Apps preview page, Apple says:

    Safari now gives you more control over your privacy on the web. You can open one Safari window in Private Browsing mode — which doesn’t save your browsing history — while keeping others in regular browsing mode. So while you do your online banking privately in one window, your browsing history is still being saved while you surf in another. You can also now search the web using DuckDuckGo, a search engine that doesn’t track you.

    Apple also announced a new SDK for iOS 8 with 4,000 developer APIs. Who knows what will come from all of that? There’s no question that Apple’s latest iOS release is very geared towards developers, and that in and of itself could mean more iOS-first approaches for new apps, leaving Android playing catch-up, which wouldn’t be good for Google in general.

    Among its developer offerings are tools for developers to create experiences that enable users to interact with home devices (locks, lights, cameras, doors, thermostats, plugs, switches, etc) and health info. That’s some very personal stuff, and could eventually play into the search experience as well. It all points towards the iDevice as the controller to pretty much a person’s entire life. Google, of course, has its own approach to some of this stuff, but it could all end up turning into separate search engines for separate ecosystems. Apple users will have their search engines, and Android users will have theirs (Google), and ultimately, that could cost Google some market share and ad dollars.

    Of course there are plenty of iOS-using Google users who aren’t going to be willing to completely abandon Google, even if they have to make some adjustments manually. Bing has come a long way though, and plenty will likely be willing to give it a try. In fact, Bing is celebrating its fifth birthday, outlining just how far it really has come.

    Apple is showing no signs of reversing course, and making its software any more Googley. Google’s developer conference is later this month. We’ll see what they’e got up their sleeve.

    Do you think Apple can hurt Google in search? Share your thoughts in the comments.

  • Apple Unveils iOS 8 At Worldwide Developers Conference

    After unveiling Yosemite, the new version of Mac OS X, at its Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple unveiled iOS 8.

    Just ahead of the presentation, CEO Tim Cook shared some stats: over 800 million iOS devices sold, 100 million iPod touch units, 200 million iPad units, and 500 million iPhone units. They’ve had over 130 million new-to-Apple customers in the last year.

    “Many of these customers were switchers from Android,” Cook said. “They had bought an Android phone by mistake, and then had sought a better experience and a better life. And decided to check out iPhone and iOS. Nearly half of our customers in China in the past six months switched from Android to iPhone.”

    According to Cook, 89% of iOS users are running the latest version of the OS, compared to 9% for Android. Over a third of Android users are running a version from four years ago, he said.

    “That’s like ancient history,” said Cook. “That means that these customers are not getting great new features. They’re not able to run your latest apps. They don’t get security updates that they may need to stay safe. This is particularly important for Android, which dominates the global malware market.”

    Craig Federighi took the stage to introduce iOS 8, which includes enhancements for both the iPhone and the iPad.

    There’s a refined notification center, which lets you pull down messages, and reply from right where you are. You don’t have to leave the app you’re in. This works for Calendar events too, and it works from the lockscreen.

    You can use double taps to get the people you communicate with most frequently. Safari for iPad gets a new tab view, as well as a side bar feature introduced for Yosemite.

    There are new mail management features. You can swipe a message down in mail and have access to the rest of your mail, if you need to look for something to add to a message you’re working on.

    The Spotlight feature lets you pull down on the home screen, execute searches, and find matches from the app store, Wikipedia entries, news, maps, songs from your own library and itunes, movie theater results, content for streaming, etc. In Safari, you can get Spotlight suggestions in addition to Google suggestions.

    The QuickType feature supports predictive typing suggestions for words as you type, and it’s context sensitive. Even before you type, if someone asks if you want to go to dinner or a movie, for example, it will give you the options “dinner” or “movie,” before you even type anything. It learns how you type, so may suggest words that you specifically use.

    The Continuity feature lets you pick up where you left off from your iPad to your iPhone, and vice versa.

    Group Messaging in Messages lets you name your threads. You can add/remove people from a conversation that’s underway. There’s a do not distrub feature on a per thread level, and you can choose when to leave a thread. You can share your location in a conversation, and if someone shares theirs with you, you can see it from within messages.

    The Tap to Talk feature lets you hold your finger down on the mic button, swipe up, and send what you said. it’s great for video messaging, Craig says.

    iCloud Drive lets you work across applications. You can use it within apps to open compatible documents. You have access to docs from Mac and Windows.

    It has some new enterprise features, including increased data protection, per-message S/MIME, VIP threads (if you want a notification for a thread you can get it with a tap) there’s automatic reply, supports third party document providers.

    “For Enterprise, iOS 8 builds on the new IT model for a mobilized workforce by improving the way users are informed of how their devices are configured, managed or restricted,” Apple says. “iOS 8 offers expanded security and management improvements as well as new productivity features, including an expanded level of data protection for key built-in apps, the ability to set your out of office response, see your colleague’s availability when scheduling a meeting and support for configurable Thread Notifications in Mail.”

    “For Enterprise, iOS 8 builds on the new IT model for a mobilized workforce by improving the way users are informed of how their devices are configured, managed or restricted,” it says. “iOS 8 offers expanded security and management improvements as well as new productivity features, including an expanded level of data protection for key built-in apps, the ability to set your out of office response, see your colleague’s availability when scheduling a meeting and support for configurable Thread Notifications in Mail.”

    There’s a new Health app, which utilizes an API called HealthKit, which lets users consolidate health info from various third-party health apps. Partners include Nike and Mayo Clinic.

    A Family Sharing features lets you share photos with a shared photo stream, and share calendars and reminder lists. You can configure Find My Friends, and find your kids devices. You can get purchases of all members of the family together for up to six family members who all share the same credit card. When kids try to to download an app, they get prompted to ask for permission, and the parent is prompted on their device.

    Photos lets you access every photo you take from any of your devices. It has search suggestions based on location, time, and albums. It also has smart editing controls like light, color, auto-straightening, and cropping.

    Siri now has Shazam song recognition, the ability to purchase iTunes content, streaming voice recognition, and 22 new dictation languages.

    They’re adding some new features to the App Store as well, including a new Explore tab, top trending searches, related searches, and a new Editors’ Choice logo. They’re giving developers the ability to bundle apps together so people can buy them with a single tap. There’s also a new App Preview feature, which lets developers make short videos.

    Developers also get a new free feature called TestFlight, which lets them invite users to beta test their app and get results.

    There 4,000 new APIs, and the SDK is the biggest release sine the launch of the App Store. Third-party apps can take advantage of TouchID. With Extensibility, apps from App Store will be able to offer services to other apps.

    A HomeKit API was also announced for various home devices (locks, lights, cameras, doors, thermostats, plugs, switches). Devices can be grouped. Craig gave a scenario in which you tell Siri you’re “ready for bed,” and it locks all your doors, dims the lights, etc.

    “As HealthKit combines health data to help you take better care of your health, HomeKit lets your home accessories connect seamlessly to better manage your home,’ the company said. “HomeKit delivers a common protocol, secure pairing and the ability to easily control individual or groups of devices throughout the house including integration with Siri.”

    They announced a new programming language called Swift, which they say is fast, modern, safe, and interactive.

    More from the press release:

    Developers can further customize the user experience with iOS extensions, including new sharing options, custom photo filters, custom actions and document APIs. Developers can now add their own widgets into Notification Center, and third-party keyboards offer additional layouts and input methods.

    Gaming on iOS takes a huge leap forward in iOS 8 with Metal, a new graphics technology that maximizes performance on the A7 chip. With its dramatic 10 times improvement in draw call speed, Metal enables leading game providers for the first time to bring console-class 3D games to mobile devices. For casual games, iOS 8 now features SceneKit, making it easy to create fun 3D games, along with major enhancements to SpriteKit, including field forces, per-pixel physics and inverse kinematics.

    Swift is a powerful new programming language for iOS and OS X that makes it easier than ever for developers to create incredible apps. Designed for Cocoa and Cocoa Touch, Swift combines the performance and efficiency of compiled languages with the simplicity and interactivity of popular scripting languages. By design, Swift helps developers write safer and more reliable code by eliminating entire categories of common programming errors, and coexists with Objective-C code, so developers can easily integrate Swift into their existing apps. Xcode Playgrounds make writing Swift code incredibly interactive by instantly displaying the output of Swift code.

    Also included are PhotoKit, new Camera APIs, and CloudKit. PhotoKit lets developers use the same framework as the built-in Photos app. CloudKit lets them estimate the need for writing server code and maintaining servers.

    iOS 8 will be available to developers in beta today. It will be available to everyone else in the fall.

    More on everything here.

    Image via Apple

  • iOS 8 Will Have Shazam Music ID Built In [Report]

    Your iPhone is about to become a streamlined music identification device, if reports prove to be accurate.

    Bloomberg is citing two sources close to the matter who say that Apple is partnering with Shazam to integrate music ID into their upcoming iOS 8.

    You probably know Shazam as that app that lets you figure out what song is on the radio, or playing at a friend’s house. For years, Shazam has been the #1 such app, which “listens” to the music in the background and pulls up the correct track, artist, album, etc. from a large database. Shazam, headquartered in London, says that they connect over 420 million people to the music they love in dozens of languages. In the past couple of years, the company has received some sizable cash injections (one from Carlos Slim).

    If this report is correct, then we could see Shazam’s music recognition tech come built right in to Apple’s next mobile operating system, turning users’ iPhones and iPads into music ID machines.

    That’s because the feature would work with Siri, meaning you would be able to say things like “Hey, what song is playing right now?” or “Who is this on the radio, Siri?” and get a quick response.

    If true, we’d most likely get a peek at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to run from June 2nd to the 6th in San Francisco.

    From the same report: Apple has already internally constructed a subscription music service, and is mulling it over as we speak. Couple that with a rumored ITunes Radio expansion and we may just get a rather music-oriented new chapter in the iOS saga.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons