The 10 biggest tech stories: Taylor Swift schools Apple on Music
The last full week in June was a busy one in the world of technology, thanks to the imminent arrival of Apple Music. The following are the biggest tech stories during the week that was:
Taylor Swift beats Apple
Apple Music officially launches on Tuesday, June 30. When it arrives, the music streaming service will feature songs from most of the top artists from around the world. You can thank Taylor Swift for this.
The “Blank Space” singer penned an open “love letter” to Cupertino in which she demanded that artists be paid royalties during the service’s three-month trial period. Apple quickly agreed. Soon after, most artists, including Swift decided to join the service.
Apple Music goes online at noon PDT on Tuesday. One hour earlier, Apple is expected to release iOS 8.4 for the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad. This upgrade is necessary to receive access to the music streaming service.
See also: What you need to do to get Apple Music.
Competitors make some moves
Just days before Apple Music goes online, some of the service’s competitors are making some critical moves.
Spotify has decided to extend its premium trial from 30 days to 60 days for users outside the United States. Google announced a free, ad-supported way to listen to its Play Music service.
T-Mobile iPhones woes
An increasing number of T-Mobile U.S. iPhone owners have reported that their handsets are suffering from random reboots and crashes, according to a report from AppleInsider. Many have noted that their devices are often flashing a blue screen before resetting. T-Mobile and Apple have been quiet on the issue.
Confederate flag boycott
Apple joined other retailers this week in boycotting products featuring the Confederate flag. As a result, some Civil War-themed apps have been pulled from the App Store. By the end of the week, some of those apps had quietly returned.
Tim Cook praises marriage equity decisionIn a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court on Friday ended same-sex marriage bans in all 50 states. Soon after, the Apple CEO announced on Twitter his support for the decision.
Today marks a victory for equality, perseverance and love.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 26, 2015
Cook announced that he was gay in 2014.
A key news app ends production
Circa News is no more. CEO and co-founder Matt Galligan announced on Wednesday that his app and website will be on “indefinite hiatus” because of a lack of funding. The mobile news service launched in 2011.
Hear this
The Amazon Echo is now available without an invitation. The home entertainment device and shopping assistant was first unveiled late last year.
See also: Review: The Amazon Echo could offer a glimpse at the future of home entertainment.
Production begins on the next iPhoneAccording to Bloomberg, Apple is starting production on its next-generation iPhones. The new models are likely to be equipped with Force Touch capabilities and feature an improved camera.
New Apple betas are introduced
On Tuesday, Cupertino unveiled new beta software versions for developers, including iOS 9 beta 2, watchOS 2 beta 2, and OS X El Capitan beta 2. Public versions of each of these updates are likely to arrive this fall.
An Apple Watch “Reserve Strap” is announced
Forget having to charge your Apple Watch every night. The newly unveiled Reserve Strap promises to help extend the battery life on the wearable device by more than 30 hours. The $249.99 accessory launches in the fall in white, gray, and black.
What’s happening in the week ahead? Visit AppAdvice to find out.
Jeff Byrnes, Brent Dirks, and Sandy Stachowiak contributed to this report.