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TECHNOLOGY A23
Thursday 10 September
Apple stakes new claim to living room, shows new iPhones
BRANDON BAILEY iPhone is still Apple’s most tions for apps made by egories. In addition to the already sell voice-activat-
AP Technology Writer Apple and outside devel- Apple Watch, introduced ed TV systems at prices
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) important product. Sales opers. earlier this year, execu- ranging from $100 to $250.
— Apple staked a new “No matter what you like tives spent a large part of Google makes a popular
claim to the living room on of the iconic smartphone to do with your phone, 3D Wednesday’s event show- streaming video device,
Wednesday, as the maker Touch makes it better than ing off the new Apple TV. the Chromecast, that sells
of iPhones and other hand- contributed more than ever,” boasted Apple Se- The new TV box is a signifi- for $35.
held gadgets unveiled an nior Vice President Craig cant upgrade from older Still, even competitors
Internet TV system that’s two-thirds of the Cuperti- Federighi. versions the company has say Apple’s clout could
designed as a beachhead Some analysts have ques- sold since 2007. The new change the landscape of
for the tech giant’s broad- no, California, company’s tioned how compelling the device has a more power- the living room.
er ambitions to deliver a Apple’s popularity will
wide range of information, $107 billion in revenue dur- make more consumers
games, music and video aware of the latest stream-
to the home. ing the first half of 2015. ing technology, while en-
CEO Tim Cook and other couraging developers to
executives also showed off Apple announced build more games and
two new iPhone models, apps for TV screens, said
a plus-sized iPad with de- Wednesday that it will sell Matt Wuebbling, gen-
tachable keyboard and eral manager for Nvidia’s
updated software for the two new iPhone models, Shield system.
Apple Watch during an ex- Apple TV is unlikely to hurt
haustive, two-hour event Apple CEO Tim Cook discusses the Apple TV product advancements during the Apple event at sales for gaming consoles
in San Francisco’s Bill Gra- the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015. Associated Press like the Xbox and PlaySta-
ham Civic Auditorium. tion, however. For now, at
Apple is counting on sales dubbed the 6s and 6s Plus, new features will be. Apple ful processor and updated least, analysts say those
of the new iPhones to starting Sept. 25. They’re sold more than 183 mil- software for running Inter- consoles still provide “hard-
maintain its position as one roughly the same size and lion iPhones since the last net apps and games on core” gaming enthusiasts
of the most profitable, and will cost the same as the models were introduced in TVs, along with streaming with more elaborate ef-
valuable, companies in fects and faster processing
the world. record-selling 6 and 6 Plus 2014, which is 40 percent music and video. It will start speeds than what’s gener-
But it’s the new Apple TV models introduced last more than it sold in the at $149 and will be avail- ally been available over
system that some analysts year, which will now sell for same period a year ear- able in late October. the Internet.
point to as an important $100 less. lier. But the company may An integral part of Apple’s Cook and his top lieuten-
step for the company as The new iPhones will have be hard-pressed to show system is a hand-held re- ants on Wednesday also
Cook attempts to build a more memory and faster more growth, especially mote that can be con- showed off a new iPad Pro
business that doesn’t rely processors, along with a when smartphone sales trolled with a touch screen with a 13-inch screen, at-
so heavily on the iPhone. new 12 mega-pixel cam- are slowing worldwide. and voice commands, al- tachable keyboard and a
“Apple is laying the era. “That’s one big con- lowing users to request in- stylus, which the company
groundwork for a broader hopes will help turn around
living-room strategy” said Perhaps the most notice- cern about Apple, that formation and search for a two-year slump in iPad
analyst Ben Bajarin from able upgrade, however, is it’s so dependent on the music, movies or TV shows sales. Earlier full-sized iPads
the research firm Creative the addition of “3D Touch,” iPhone,” said Jerry Kim, a by using Apple’s electronic have had 10-inch screens.
Strategies. Apple wants to a feature that uses added Columbia University man- personal assistant, Siri. While Apple executive
make the already-impor- screen sensors to detect agement professor. Apple Inc. isn’t alone in Phil Schiller said the big-
tant TV screen into an es- the difference between Cook, while insisting there its ambitions for the living ger screen offers improved
sential hub for communi- a light tap and extended is room for iPhone sales room. It’s entering a mar- viewing for movies, the
cation and entertainment, finger pressure, triggering to grow, has begun push- ket where rivals such as company is also promot-
he said. different menus and func- ing into new product cat- Roku, Amazon and Nvidia ing the device for workers
“TV plays a huge role in who will use specialized
our lives and it occupies business apps.
an important place in our In a move that might have
homes,” Cook said during been unthinkable a few
his presentation. He added years ago, Apple even in-
that Apple believes “the vited an executive from
future of television is apps” once-bitter rival Microsoft
that deliver streaming vid- to come on stage and
eo, games and other ser- demonstrate his compa-
vices. ny’s Office productivity
For now, however, the software on the iPad Pro.q
Instagram expands marketing reach for businesses
BARBARA ORTUTAY now they can expect lon- ple who use it at least once and ads are now available able to use landscape-style
AP Technology Writer ger video ads in the mix too. a month. Previously, ads on in more than 30 new coun- photos, as well as a product
Instagram users have al- The Facebook-owned pho- Instagram were 15 seconds tries, including India, South called Marquee that aims
ready been seeing more to-sharing app is adding long. Instagram said in a Korea and Mexico. More to quickly expand a com-
advertisements pop up 30-second video ads and blog post that large and than 70 percent of Insta- pany’s reach in a short time
in their feeds of artisanal other features in a push to small advertisers will be able gram’s users are outside of frame for things like movie
cocktails, wide-eyed kittens give businesses more ways to run campaigns on Insta- the U.S. Aside from video premieres and product
and vacation photos, and to tap the 300 million peo- gram starting this month, ads, businesses will also be launches.q
