Apple buys audio recognition service Shazam for $ 400 million

Shazam is a pioneering audio recognition service that can quickly listen to and identify music (as well as TV and likely other forms of media). The company and its employees were recently involved in a $400 million purchase by Apple who might look to integrate the service tightly with its iOS and Mac devices.

Shazam boasts more than 120 million active users, using the app 20 million times each day so giving this user base tigher integration with iOS devices will likely keep them longer. The Pixel 2 from Google has a feature that identifies music playing automatically and presents this information on the display.

Shazam can also be used to identify images, determine what TV show or movie is on and has some features related to QR codes and possibly AR (Augmented Reality) functionality. A quiet acquisition, Apple has yet to send out a detailed release about their plans for Shazam and what will happen to the app in other competing paltforms.

Source: CNBC

Apple unveils its vision for the smartphone future with iPhone X

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Apple's big reveal at its September event today was the iPhone X the company's vision for the future of smarthones. Featuring a new edge-to-edge 5.8-inch display, an new Face ID facial recognition technology that uses face tracking and camera technology to authenticate access and mobile payments.

Using a new OLED display with an edge-to-edge display, iPhone X is the culmination of 10 years of Apple innovation in the segment it defined. iPhone X meets competitors like the LG G6, Samsung Galaxy Note8, and S8 as well as the Essential Phone by offering a similar edge-to-edge display and an all new OLED panel. Because of this new display, Touch ID and the Home button are no longer available.

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The Apple Beat: Apple surges behind iPhone 6 sales, what's next?

Apple CEO Tim Cook may not be a master showman on stage, but he's masterfully engineered Apple's most profitable quarter in history By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Any doubt or cynicism on CEO Tim Cook’s leadership in the post-Steve Jobs era evaporated after the news of Apple’s US $18 billion profit, the most profit ever reported by a publicly-traded company.

Under Tim Cook’s leadership, Apple once more managed to shatter earnings expectations and post record highs in revenues and profits behind the surging popularity and sales of the iPhone 6 line which is now the company’s biggest earning product and which secures its place in the mobile industry in the markets where it is sold.

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iPhone 4 Canadian pricing released, $659 (16GB) and $779 (32GB)

We just received pricing confirmation from Apple Canada for this Friday's iPhone 4 Launch. Seems like "iPhone 4 will be available without a contract for a suggested retail price of $659 (CAN) for the 16GB iPhone 4 and $779 (CAN) for the 32GB iPhone 4 through Apple’s online store (www.apple.ca/store) and Apple's retail stores. An  iPhone 3GS 8GB model is currently available without a contract for $549 (CAN). iPhone 4 will roll out to many more countries later this year and Apple will announce availability and local pricing for these additional countries at a later date."

We are still trying to confirm if web pre-orders will be available or whether interested iPhone 4 buyers will need to camp out in Bell, Rogers, Telus or Virgin Mobile stores to get the iPhones under their providers. Apple Stores should be carrying the unlocked phone that work with any provider, for as long as the MicroSIM card is available.