The AppAdvice tech week in review: Peeple backlash, new Apple TV, Surface Pro 4
The biggest story of the week: Tuning in the next Apple TV
At last month’s media event, Apple mapped out a three-month product release schedule for fall. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus arrived on Sept. 25, meaning that attention now shifts to the fourth-generation Apple TV. Featuring a new operating system called tvOS, the next Apple TV is expected to ship before the end of the month. Priced at $149, the entertainment box includes Siri and an app store for the first time.
Late last week, Cupertino sent out a new selection of development kits for the revamped Apple TV, signaling that a public release for the device is imminent.
Apple’s TV competitors are also making some interesting moves. Google introduced the company’s second Chromecast HDMI dongle. Meanwhile, Amazon announced no Apple TV or Chromecast devices will be available to purchase on the retailing giant beginning Tuesday, Oct. 29.
As Brent Dirks noted, while Amazon is obviously trying to gain a competitive advantage for its newly updated Fire TV and the existing Fire TV Stick, the company said the ban was for another reason: Neither devices support Amazon Prime Video.
See also: Will losing its Apple developer account hurt iFixit?
Also making news: “Yelp for People” making waves
In November, a new app is expected to arrive that lets you rate human beings like restaurants. As The Washington Post first noted, Peeple will allow users to search for and rate human beings in much the same way we review restaurants, hotels, and car services. Not surprisingly, Peeple is being met with backlash online.
Taking to Twitter, T-Mobile CEO John Legere noted:
That #peeple app isn’t just a bad joke??! #yikes #nothanks
— John Legere (@JohnLegere) October 1, 2015
Meanwhile, model Christine Teigen said the following:
This is a real app. It needs not to be. #peeple pic.twitter.com/QpeDnwhujp
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) October 1, 2015
AppAdvice’s Jeff Byrnes’ says that Peeple sounds a lot like a cyber-bullying app. I would agree.
Other news:
- Eddy Cue talks Apple Music and more in a new interview
- Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program is proving popular among users
- Apple Watch is arriving soon in Target retail stores
- Apple officially launches OS X El Capitan to the public
- Twitter might ditch its 140-character limit for tweets
Big app news
Tapbots has released Tweetbot 4 for iOS. The new version of the popular Twitter client features a new Activity tab, which allows you to see how many favorites or retweets you got today, how many new followers, or even view that activity plotted on a weekly graph. Tapbots released Tweetbot 4 as a new app, not an upgrade.
Byrnes explained: Tweetbot 4 is designed for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and is available on the App Store for a special launch price of $4.99. Once the introductory special of this new universal app is over, the price will jump to $9.99. To enable users to still upgrade their version for half of the regular price, Tapbots will allow them to use the “Complete My Bundle” option within the App Store to get Tweetbot 4 for the price of the bundle minus the cost of the previous version. Since the bundle will be priced at $10, this comes out to $4.99, allowing users who already own Tweetbot 3 to always upgrade for half of the regular price.
Other app news:
- Next Issue becomes Texture, changing how we read digital magazines
- Moleskine Timepage now offers cool complications and widgets
- Grab your wallet, we’re going to shop at Wondermall
- It’s now even easier to play Trivia Crack from your Apple Watch
- Google Maps lands on the Apple Watch
What’s coming up? The week ahead
Adobe Max has kicked off in Los Angeles, California. The five-day creativity conference continues through Oct. 7.
Do you like to hack? The two-day Ultimate Developer Event begins tomorrow, Oct. 5 in Boston, Massachusetts.
On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Microsoft is holding a New York-based media event. The company is expected to announce the Surface Pro 4 and new phones.
What will be happening in the week ahead? Visit AppAdvice to find out.
