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Monday, February 11, 2019
[Exclusive] Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10e Shown Off in New Blue Color Renders
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Ariana Grande's 'Thank U, Next' Breaks Apple Music Record for Most-Streamed Pop Album in First 24 Hours
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Ariana Grande's latest album "Thank U, Next" has set a few Apple Music records since its debut on Friday, February 8. The music streaming service told Billboard that "Thank U, Next" saw the highest day 1 streams ever for a pop album on Apple Music.
This also makes "Thank U, Next" the biggest debut for any female artist in any genre on Apple Music within the first 24 hours of release. Ariana began releasing singles for the album last year, starting with the title track "Thank U, Next" and followed by "Imagine" and "7 Rings." "Thank U, Next" released about six months after Grande's previous album, Sweetener.
Other recent Apple Music records include Shawn Mendes' self-titled third studio album becoming the most-streamed pop album of 2018, and Cardi B's "Invasion of Privacy" setting a new record for first-week streams by a female artist, beating Taylor Swift's "Reputation." "Thank U, Next" appears to be on the path to battling both of those albums for the record of first-week streams by a female artist on Apple Music.
According to the latest numbers, Apple Music now has over 50 million paid subscribers around the world. This update came during Apple's latest earnings call and was the first update on Apple Music subscriber numbers since May 2018, when Apple Music had 50 million paying and trial subscribers combined. In comparison, Spotify now has 96 million paid global subscribers.
This article, "Ariana Grande's 'Thank U, Next' Breaks Apple Music Record for Most-Streamed Pop Album in First 24 Hours" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories http://bit.ly/2BroTht
Ariana Grande's latest album "Thank U, Next" has set a few Apple Music records since its debut on Friday, February 8. The music streaming service told Billboard that "Thank U, Next" saw the highest day 1 streams ever for a pop album on Apple Music.
This also makes "Thank U, Next" the biggest debut for any female artist in any genre on Apple Music within the first 24 hours of release. Ariana began releasing singles for the album last year, starting with the title track "Thank U, Next" and followed by "Imagine" and "7 Rings." "Thank U, Next" released about six months after Grande's previous album, Sweetener.
Other recent Apple Music records include Shawn Mendes' self-titled third studio album becoming the most-streamed pop album of 2018, and Cardi B's "Invasion of Privacy" setting a new record for first-week streams by a female artist, beating Taylor Swift's "Reputation." "Thank U, Next" appears to be on the path to battling both of those albums for the record of first-week streams by a female artist on Apple Music.
According to the latest numbers, Apple Music now has over 50 million paid subscribers around the world. This update came during Apple's latest earnings call and was the first update on Apple Music subscriber numbers since May 2018, when Apple Music had 50 million paying and trial subscribers combined. In comparison, Spotify now has 96 million paid global subscribers.
Tag: Apple Music
This article, "Ariana Grande's 'Thank U, Next' Breaks Apple Music Record for Most-Streamed Pop Album in First 24 Hours" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories http://bit.ly/2BroTht
New Report Delves Into Poor Working Conditions at an Apple Maps 'Black Site'
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A new report out today by Bloomberg offers a look inside one of Apple's so-called "black sites," this one a satellite office near Apple Park in California where the company hires contractors to work on Apple Maps. These contract workers were hired by Apex Systems, which staffs and manages a few Apple mapping offices, and creates a "culture of fear" according to former employees.
One former worker at the black site near Apple Park, on Hammerwood Avenue in Sunnyvale, said that "it was made pretty plain to us that we were at-will employees and they would fire us at any time." Most workers at the office signed up for 12-15 month work contracts, but many didn't make it that long.
Image via David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
To hire workers, sources referred to "aggressive" messaging received via LinkedIn. Apex Systems browses the social network to find people with proficiency in mapping-related skills, and then "messages them repeatedly." Former workers then say Apex uses the revelation that the job will be for Apple as a way to tip potential employees over the edge and easily hire them.
Former workers described a poor work environment with understocked vending machines, long lines for men's bathrooms due to a predominantly male workforce, and restrictions on using the bathrooms designated for full-time Apple employees. To protect Apple's secrets, management instructed employees to enter the building through the back door every day, and to walk several blocks away from the building before calling for a ride home at the end of the day.
At first, they could put "Apple, via Apex Systems" as their employer on sites like LinkedIn, but then in the summer of 2018 Apex instructed all workers to remove the word "Apple" and to describe their employer as "A Major Tech Company Via Apex Systems."
These differences between contract workers and full-time employees have led to what some sources called a caste system within Apple.
In November 2018, Apex changed the maximum amount of paid annual sick time from 48 to 24 hours, leading to a protest as over a dozen contractors said they had suddenly fallen ill and left work. Around the same time, Apex suddenly fired about two dozen people. Eventually, many remaining employees left Apex permanently and moved onto contract work at other companies that had better benefits for these workers, including Facebook and Google.
One former Apple contractor who worked under Apex, Amber Lutsko, was one of the workers who quit before her contract was up because of the company's questionable practices. Even now, a few months after she stopped working for Apex, the company's recruiters still find her through LinkedIn and send her messages about potential employment with a can't-be-named silicon valley company.
Other former contractors report the same, even ones who were fired by Apex: "You got rid of me because of my quote-unquote performance, and every three months I get these emails," says one of them. "It's insulting, honestly."
Head to Bloomberg to read the full report: What It's Like To Work Inside Apple's 'Black Site'
This article, "New Report Delves Into Poor Working Conditions at an Apple Maps 'Black Site'" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories http://bit.ly/2I5015e
A new report out today by Bloomberg offers a look inside one of Apple's so-called "black sites," this one a satellite office near Apple Park in California where the company hires contractors to work on Apple Maps. These contract workers were hired by Apex Systems, which staffs and manages a few Apple mapping offices, and creates a "culture of fear" according to former employees.
One former worker at the black site near Apple Park, on Hammerwood Avenue in Sunnyvale, said that "it was made pretty plain to us that we were at-will employees and they would fire us at any time." Most workers at the office signed up for 12-15 month work contracts, but many didn't make it that long.
To hire workers, sources referred to "aggressive" messaging received via LinkedIn. Apex Systems browses the social network to find people with proficiency in mapping-related skills, and then "messages them repeatedly." Former workers then say Apex uses the revelation that the job will be for Apple as a way to tip potential employees over the edge and easily hire them.
Former workers described a poor work environment with understocked vending machines, long lines for men's bathrooms due to a predominantly male workforce, and restrictions on using the bathrooms designated for full-time Apple employees. To protect Apple's secrets, management instructed employees to enter the building through the back door every day, and to walk several blocks away from the building before calling for a ride home at the end of the day.
The working environment was uncomfortable in other ways, according to current and former contractors. Apex managers sometimes broke up unauthorized water-cooler socializing. Several workers say their managers would get notifications if their workstations were idle for too long. “Being monitored like that is super dehumanizing and terrifying,” says one former Apex mapping technician.Many workers who took the contract jobs did so because Apex played up the possibility of landing full-time work with Apple down the line, but chances for this turned out to be small. At the same time, many other workers agreed to the contract work to have Apple on their resume, but even that wasn't a possibility.
At first, they could put "Apple, via Apex Systems" as their employer on sites like LinkedIn, but then in the summer of 2018 Apex instructed all workers to remove the word "Apple" and to describe their employer as "A Major Tech Company Via Apex Systems."
These differences between contract workers and full-time employees have led to what some sources called a caste system within Apple.
The restrictions were just one of many reminders of the contractors’ inferior status, right down to the apple design on their ID badges. For direct employees, the apples were multi-colored; contractors got what one described as “sad grey.” It’s common for companies to distribute different badges to contractors, a practice that discontented workers across the industry have seized on as evidence of a caste system.The Hammerwood office is managed by Apex, not Apple, and in a surprise audit on the staffing company, Apple said it found a work environment consistent with other Apple locations. According to an Apple spokesperson, "Like we do with other suppliers, we will work with Apex to review their management systems, including recruiting and termination protocols, to ensure the terms and conditions of employment are transparent and clearly communicated to workers in advance."
Amber Lutsko, who worked for Apple through Apex in 2017 and 2018, described an opening-day pep talk that aimed to make her feel both honored and excluded. “‘You work at Apple now! You have made it!’” she recalls being told. “‘You’re not allowed to use the gym.’”
In November 2018, Apex changed the maximum amount of paid annual sick time from 48 to 24 hours, leading to a protest as over a dozen contractors said they had suddenly fallen ill and left work. Around the same time, Apex suddenly fired about two dozen people. Eventually, many remaining employees left Apex permanently and moved onto contract work at other companies that had better benefits for these workers, including Facebook and Google.
One former Apple contractor who worked under Apex, Amber Lutsko, was one of the workers who quit before her contract was up because of the company's questionable practices. Even now, a few months after she stopped working for Apex, the company's recruiters still find her through LinkedIn and send her messages about potential employment with a can't-be-named silicon valley company.
Other former contractors report the same, even ones who were fired by Apex: "You got rid of me because of my quote-unquote performance, and every three months I get these emails," says one of them. "It's insulting, honestly."
Head to Bloomberg to read the full report: What It's Like To Work Inside Apple's 'Black Site'
Tag: Apple Maps
This article, "New Report Delves Into Poor Working Conditions at an Apple Maps 'Black Site'" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories http://bit.ly/2I5015e
2019 iPhones Said to Keep Lightning Connector With Same Old 5W Charger and EarPods in Box
http://bit.ly/2N15Krp
While it was recently reported that Apple has at least considered switching to USB-C on the iPhone, Japanese blog Mac Otakara believes that 2019 models will stick with the Lightning connector as a cost-saving measure.
Based on its conversations with various accessory manufacturers, the blog predicts that 2019 iPhones will continue to be bundled with the same old 5W power adapter, forcing customers to spend extra on a faster charger like the 18W USB-C version that ships with the latest iPad Pro models.
The blog also predicts that 2019 iPhones will continue to ship with a Lightning to USB-A cable and Lightning-based EarPods.
This article, "2019 iPhones Said to Keep Lightning Connector With Same Old 5W Charger and EarPods in Box" first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories http://bit.ly/2SpOgLb
While it was recently reported that Apple has at least considered switching to USB-C on the iPhone, Japanese blog Mac Otakara believes that 2019 models will stick with the Lightning connector as a cost-saving measure.
Based on its conversations with various accessory manufacturers, the blog predicts that 2019 iPhones will continue to be bundled with the same old 5W power adapter, forcing customers to spend extra on a faster charger like the 18W USB-C version that ships with the latest iPad Pro models.
The blog also predicts that 2019 iPhones will continue to ship with a Lightning to USB-A cable and Lightning-based EarPods.
Related Roundup: 2019 iPhones
This article, "2019 iPhones Said to Keep Lightning Connector With Same Old 5W Charger and EarPods in Box" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories http://bit.ly/2SpOgLb
New iPads Expected in First Half of 2019, Including iPad Mini 5 With Similar Design as iPad Mini 4
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Apple is set to launch new iPad models in the first half of 2019, according to Taiwanese supply chain website DigiTimes.
One of those new models is expected to be the so-called iPad mini 5, but anyone hoping for a major redesign should lower their expectations, as Japanese blog Mac Otakara reports that the tablet will have a similar design as the iPad mini 4.
Mac Otakara claims the iPad mini 5 will have identical dimensions as the iPad mini 4, including a thickness of 6.1mm, suggesting that the tablet will have the same 7.9-inch display is bezel size remains unchanged. The blog also expects the tablet to retain a Lightning connector, Touch ID, and 3.5mm headphone jack.
One design change expected is the repositioning of the rear microphone to a top-center position in line with the sixth-generation iPad.
The report claims it is unclear whether the iPad mini 5 will have an A10 Fusion chip akin to the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and sixth-generation iPad, or an A10X Fusion chip in line with 2017 iPad Pro models and the Apple TV 4K.
It's also unclear if the iPad mini 5 will support the original Apple Pencil, but second-generation Apple Pencil support seems to be ruled out.
This article, "New iPads Expected in First Half of 2019, Including iPad Mini 5 With Similar Design as iPad Mini 4" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories http://bit.ly/2SCDYa3
Apple is set to launch new iPad models in the first half of 2019, according to Taiwanese supply chain website DigiTimes.
One of those new models is expected to be the so-called iPad mini 5, but anyone hoping for a major redesign should lower their expectations, as Japanese blog Mac Otakara reports that the tablet will have a similar design as the iPad mini 4.
Mac Otakara claims the iPad mini 5 will have identical dimensions as the iPad mini 4, including a thickness of 6.1mm, suggesting that the tablet will have the same 7.9-inch display is bezel size remains unchanged. The blog also expects the tablet to retain a Lightning connector, Touch ID, and 3.5mm headphone jack.
One design change expected is the repositioning of the rear microphone to a top-center position in line with the sixth-generation iPad.
The report claims it is unclear whether the iPad mini 5 will have an A10 Fusion chip akin to the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and sixth-generation iPad, or an A10X Fusion chip in line with 2017 iPad Pro models and the Apple TV 4K.
It's also unclear if the iPad mini 5 will support the original Apple Pencil, but second-generation Apple Pencil support seems to be ruled out.
Related Roundup: iPad mini 5
Tags: digitimes.com, macotakara.jp
Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Don't Buy)
This article, "New iPads Expected in First Half of 2019, Including iPad Mini 5 With Similar Design as iPad Mini 4" first appeared on MacRumors.com
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from MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - All Stories http://bit.ly/2SCDYa3
Nubia Set to Launch its First Flexible Wearable Device at MWC 2019 This Month
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