Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Services, took the stand one more time on Monday in the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust suit against the company. Mr. Cue was questioned by Apple's attorneys about the process of building the iBooks app, the iBookstore, and he talked extensively about the role of the late Steve Jobs in those processes. Bryan Chaffin walks us through what we learned.

Apple's vice president of Internet Services and Software Eddy Cue retook the stand on Monday, looking to add clarity to U.S. Department of Justice allegations that the so-called agency model contracts the company signed with publishers caused an overall inflation in e-book pricing.  ...

From 9to5Toys.com:
A large majority of the deals we cover each day come from a variety of ‘Daily Deal’ websites or are so popular that they don’t even last 24 hours.  We know you can’t be at your computer every second, so we’re going to roundup the best deals each day to make sure you have a fair shot at the deals you want. Be sure to follow 9to5Toys.com so you never miss a deal... Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook
Today’s Featured deals:
...

Automattic, the company behind Wordpress, has purchased the iOS Wordpress client Poster. Developer Tom Witkin is joining Wordpress' mobile team with the aim of bringing his app's unique features to Wordpress' own app.

Sadly, progress for Wordpress means Poster is no longer available in the app store, but there's a bright spot for those who've already picked it up. Users who already own the app will be able to re-download it from their accounts and Witkin has announced that he will continue to provide support.

Poster brought a number of features not found in the company's own apps to Wordpress users, including Dropbox integration for importing articles from the cloud, support for Markdown and the ability to choose your own URL slug for posts. While it's sad to see Poster leave the App Store, it's nice to know Wordpress' own apps will most likely be seeing these improvements in...

Oculus VR, Inc., a virtual-reality headset manufacturer, today announced that it has closed a deal for $16 million in funding. The round was co-led by Spark Capital and Matrix Partners. Santo Politi, Spark founder and general partner; and Antonio Rodriguez, entrepreneur and general partner at Matrix, have joined the company's board of directors. The funds will be used to accelerate the development of virtual reality hardware, software and services, ultimately creating commercially-available virtual reality platforms.... ...

With the impending doom of Google Reader just around the corner on July 1, RSS fans have been searching for an alternative to their beloved feed. Digg has heard their cries, and will be launching the first public beta of its new Reader replacement, called Digg Reader, next week.

The beta will slowly roll out at first, but Digg promises it will be available to everyone by June 26. Digg has made it clear the service will become a freemium product, akin to services like Evernote which provide free services with extra paid options available to those willing to pay. However, all of the features available during the free beta will remain part of the free version of the reader in the future.

Digg Reader will come with migration tools to help you move your feeds from Google Reader. In addition, Digg promises the core...

Like Peter Kafka said on AllThingsD, these little tidbits will have no bearing on the verdict, but I find them interesting.
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It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

No Flash? Click here to listen.

Subscribe via RSSDaily Update for June 17, 2013 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:15:00 EST. Please see our...

Matt Drance on iOS 7:

Now the hardware has caught up, and the Apple design team has a new leader. We don’t need the deception of “photorealism” anymore. Despite the loss of these tricks, iOS 7 feels more real. The parallax effect conveys an entire living world under that glass, not just abstract pictures and icons. This is reinforced by the launch and quit animations: your eye never loses sight of where you’re going, or where you came from.

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Why can't a leaker ever use a decent camera? Blurry evidence that iOS 7 gamepads are on their way.

Kotaku

Most of the buzz about Apple's next version of iOS has been about its brand-new design direction, but iOS 7 will also bring about a number of under-the-hood changes. One of these, according to Apple's keynote, is a new API (and MFi certification) for third-party gamepads. A tipster has alerted Kotaku to what is allegedly one of the first. The accessory, reportedly made by Logitech, looks like it has five buttons and a thumbpad at the very least, and it will connect to the iPhone (and perhaps the fifth-...

Skype is usually about communicating in real time, but today the Microsoft subsidiary added a new feature that works even in those cases when your recipient isn't going to be able to see you right now -- video messaging. Skype Video Messaging has been in beta for a while; today the free feature is becoming available to all users.

All video messages are sent and received free of charge, regardless of how often you wish to share video snippets with friends and family. Messages can be up to three minutes long. Although there are no editing tools built into the current incarnation of Skype video messaging, you can always go back and re-record your message until it's perfect.

...

John Moltz with a very important distinction in my “Don’t worry about iOS 7” article from earlier today.
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The Department of Justice's antitrust case against Apple is entering its final four days this week, according to Fortune. The original orchestrator of Apple's publisher deals for the iBookstore, Eddy Cue, is resuming court testimony today, having last testified on Thursday afternoon. Today's topics are expected to include a dinner Cue had with Macmillan's CEO, and disputed emails written to Cue by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs....  ...

Apple media boss Eddy Cue spent the morning on the stand during the Apple/Department of Justice ebooks/antitrust case. No news came of his appearance, which is zero surprise: The only real news that will come out of the trial will be a verdict.
Still! If you’re the kind of person who has an intense interest in all things Apple, you might have found items of interest during Cue’s testimony at Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in lower Manhattan. Particularly the parts where Apple’s attorney asked Cue to talk about Steve Jobs.
I’m not sure why Apple lawyer Orin Snyder wanted Cue to spend time discussing his late boss, because I can’t see how it has any bearing on the case. But, then again, my legal training consists of watching some “L.A. Law” back in the ’90s.
So, in any case, for the record: Apple wants you to know that...

During last week's WWDC 2013 keynote address, support for MFi -- Made For iPhone / iPad / iPod -- game controllers at the iOS SDK level was quickly noted on one slide. Since that time, TUAW has discussed why this is so important to not only game developers, but Apple as a whole since a combination of an iOS device, a MFi controller and an Apple TV could easily make dedicated gaming consoles a thing of the past. Now 9to5Mac and several other websites are showing an image of a prototype MFi game controller from accessory manufacturer Logitech.

The rather blurry image showed a Logitech controller on top of a glass surface. Fortunately, 9to5Mac commenter "clstr0ud" had a much clearer image taken from a slide from the WWDC "Platforms State of the...

Apple didn't show off the newest version of iOS running on an iPad, but new screens have emerged online showing what Apple's overhaul of its mobile platform may like on its bestselling tablet.   ...

A paperback version of Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs is going on sale September 10th, according to publisher Simon & Schuster. The new edition will differ little from previous digital and hardcover releases, mainly gaining a new afterword and a new cover. The latter is a photo by Norman Seeff shot in 1984, but with Jobs in the exact same pose as the previous cover, which used an Albert Watson portrait from 2006....  ...

Freeform3 aluminum case is the perfect Bumper for iPhone 5
When Phil Schiller unveiled the iPhone 5 in front of a sea of exclusively invited press last September, he proudly stated that the smartphone is “an absolute jewel.” Schiller went on to say that the iPhone “is the most beautiful product we have ever made. Bar none.” So when Apple decidedly refrained from releasing a Bumper case for the iPhone 5 as it had done for the previous iPhone design, it was immediately clear that Apple wanted to showcase its new “jewel” and leave case making to third party companies.
That’s where Freeform3 comes in. What began as a crowd-funded Kickstart project has materialized as a beautiful new Bumper finally worthy of the iPhone 5.

//

The Freeform3...

Responding to recent allegations that the NSA can spy on users of online services, Apple has clarified what private user data governments can access. Apple’s statements, plus the released material, provide a clearer picture of how and where you data could be exposed. The short version? Ignore the hyperbole. Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

If you can read English and write in either Dutch or Japanese, we need your help in translating TidBITS! Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

Sprint has expanded its 4G LTE coverage in the United States. The addition of LTE to 22 more markets means that Sprint now covers a total of 110 areas, with the carrier also naming other locations that will have LTE access in the coming months, bringing it closer to its goal of covering 200 million people with its LTE network by the end of this year....  ...

Judging from my inbox, Twitter and Messages, people are losing their minds over iOS 7 and some of the changes Apple introduced at WWDC last week. Here is my advice to you—sit back, take a deep breath and relax.

Most of my generational cohort should remember the first few times they actually saw or laid hands on a personal computer. I'm pretty sure I do; my childhood friend Bradley Konia was the guy who always had the most interesting gadgets, and he claimed both a Sinclair ZX80 and an Atari 800 in his collection. We stayed up way too late typing BASIC commands on the Sinclair's membrane keyboard, or watching Hollywood Medieval simulate tunnels and hallways on the Atari while listening to Tubular Bells. (It seemed like a good idea at the time, I can't explain it any other way.) A classmate owned an Apple II, and we did indeed play Oregon Trail on it for hours on end.

My elementary school was fortunate to have a legitimate...

The Wikimedia Foundation has not been compromised under the PRISM spying program, and has not been asked to collect data on behalf of the National Security Agency (NSA), according to a statement released over the weekend. The foundation is also asking for feedback about what it should do about the threat to the privacy of its users and contributors....  ...

In celebration of its tenth anniversary, IGG Software is offering a $10 discount on all of its Mac apps, including iBank 4, iBiz 4, iBiz Pro, iBiz 4 Client and iPaste. The discount applies to all purchases of full versions of the software through the online store, as well as through the Mac App Store. The discounted prices are already reflected in both stores and will remain in effect until July 15. In addition, iBank for iPad has also been reduced to $10 for the duration of the anniversary sale....  ...

Tech giants like Google, Facebook and Microsoft and Apple were quick to deny that they give U.S. intelligence authorities broad access to their user data after being accused of doing so via leaked details of a National Security Agency program called PRISM. They’ve since fought to further disclose what volume of information they hand over to the feds, saying they want to be more open with their users.
In a live online Q&A at The Guardian today, the man who leaked the PRISM documents and much more, Edward Snowden, called those initial tech denials “...

Microsoft-owned Skype today announced that its Video Messaging feature has left the preview stage and should now be available in most of its native client apps. Desktop support includes OS X and Windows/Windows 8. Compatible mobile platforms, meanwhile, include iPhone, iPad, Android, and BlackBerry....   ...

Ben Bajarin:

The fallacy most make when critiquing Apple’s service challenge is to believe that Apple needs to out-innovate competing services. The truth is, all they need to do is out-integrate them.

Integration is a huge part of Apple’s advantage, but it’s services still need to offer what users want. For instance, I was impressed with the OS X Maps demo where you can look up an address and send it to your iPhone. That type of integration will win people over. However, you still have people that use Dropbox because they feel it’s better than iCloud.
∞ Read this on The Loop

You don't interact with your iPhone in the same way that you use your Mac, so why should your mobile email app act like it belongs on your desktop? That's the idea behing Mail Ninja for the iPhone. It uses swipe gestures to reply, delete and archive messages, supports multiple accounts, includes a unified mailbox, offers Push notifications, and even includes a left-handed interface option. Mail Ninja supports, IMAP, Gmail, iCloud email, Yahoo! and AOL, and is available through Apple's iTunes-based App Store for US$2.99.

This past weekend, we highlighted a couple of screenshots from a hacked version of the iOS 7 simulator that supports the iPad, and we also provided some steps to tweak the simulator yourself. Now, @SonnyDickson has sent in several new screenshots that show potential Maps, Settings, Newsstand, Contacts, Safari, Game Center, Control Center, and Notification Center interfaces for the iPad running iOS 7.
Some of these interfaces feature buttons that are seemingly out-of-place. While some believe that this is the reason for the iPad version of iOS 7 not being available in beta form yet (as we first reported would occur – a few weeks prior to WWDC...

It's time to save some of that hard-earned cash with our Daily Deals, featuring a handy list from Dealnews and our own hand-picked selections that include some sweet deals on iOS and OS X software (all prices are USD). Prices are subject to change.

Deals from Dealnews

• Rosetta Stone: [Reference & Learning Software] Rosetta Stone Version 4 TOTALe Level 1-5 downloads for $199.
• Other World Computing: [Digital Video Capture Devices] Refurb Elgato EyeTV HD Video Recorder for Mac for $128 + free shipping.
• Adorama: [Camera Accessories] LumiQuest...

Crytek, the company behind CryEngine and the popular Crysis and Far Cry series, is planning to release a new tactical action game later this year for iOS called ‘The Collectibles’.  We’re told the company implemented support for Apple’s new MFi gaming controller framework just in time to give developers a preview of the game and new controls during a session last week at WWDC.
Developers tell us team members from Crytek’s Budapest studio demoed the game on stage, which has the player command a squad of five through your typical war-torn environment. It isn’t the first time Crytek has released a game...

My tech-connected life has overdeveloped my confidence in my own ability to multitask. I have trouble not multitasking.
When I drive my car, I have to command myself not to glance over at my phone. Was that email notification important? Should I let someone know that I’m running late? Has anybody posted anything cool to Instagram? Somehow, driving and listening to the radio seems like not enough to do anymore.
Shutterstock/Jinga
Obviously, I realize the dangers of distracted driving, and I know better. But I think that our tech tools could and should do a better job of helping us be safe.
Maybe the best way to combat driving distraction would be to reduce the need for our fallible, distractible human minds. The...

Tom Witkin built a beautiful app in Poster and I’m really happy for him. Poster is an app that I’ve used and tested since it first came out, and it’s still my favorite. However, I worry that the folks at WordPress will ruin it. They shouldn’t try to incorporate what Tom built into the official WordPress app, they should throw theirs away and make Poster the new official app.
∞ Read this on The Loop

An anonymous reader writes "Not to be left out Apple has released details about government requests for customer data. The company said it received between 4,000-5,000 government requests, affecting as many as 10,000 accounts or devices. From the article: 'The iPad maker said that it received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement agencies for customer data from December 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013, and that 9,000 to 10,000 accounts or devices were specified in the requests. Apple did not state how many of the requests were from the National Security Agency or how many affected accounts or devices may have been tied to any NSA requests.' Facebook and Microsoft released their numbers this weekend." ...

Apple has released a statement on its website, titled Apple’s Commitment to Customer Privacy. The open letter reiterates and expands upon the company’s prior denials regarding PRISM, a U.S. government program which mines servers for data. In the statement, Apple details requests it has received for customer data…

Photos posted on German site Apfelpage.de (translated link) use an iOS 7 iPad emulator to show what some of Apple’s official apps might look like on an iPad running Apple’s new OS. The Control Center may not take up nearly as much screen space on the iPad, for instance.…

ifoAppleStore (via TechCrunch) reports that Apple is building a new “big, visually stunning” flagship store in Palo Alto – in the Stanford shopping center, close to the store Microsoft opened last year.
This store design was completed in 2011 by Apple’s long-time architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. It was approved by Steve Jobs about six months before Tim Cook assumed the position of CEO in August of that year. It took another year to refine the design and obtain building approvals. Demolition on the former building began late last year.
If you’re keen to get a preview of what Apple has planned for its retail stores, Palo Alto is reputedly the...

A photo of what appears to be an iOS-specific gamepad accessory has been leaked. The controller is reportedly made by Logitech — a look at the gaming section of Logitech’s website shows the same “G” logo seen on the gamepad — and was apparently demonstrated following Apple’s WWDC keynote…

WWDC has come and gone, and now we know what iOS 7 looks like. For some reason, that still hasn't stopped graphic designers with too much time on their hands from generating mockups... and of course, it hasn't stopped the endless tide of boneheaded Apple rumors.

New report claims Apple's 'iPhone mini' could launch next month (BGR)

Some analyst claims the low-cost iPhone will launch next month. BGR spends a good portion of this article making fun of the guy. When even BGR is pointing and laughing at your claims, your career as an Apple analyst is essentially over.

Alleged 'iPhone 5S' parts show FaceTime camera, home button, vibration motor (AppleInsider)

...

A shot of a logic board claimed to be from Apple's next-generation iPhone shows a design largely the same as the iPhone 5, though the screw hole has been placed in a new location.  ...

Apple has issued a rare follow-up public statement on the ongoing crisis over the National Security Agency's PRISM spying program. Reports revealed that the NSA is using PRISM to collect communications data from internal servers at major technology companies such as Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. All of the companies have denied providing a government backdoor; Apple in particular was quick to claim that it had "never heard of PRISM," even though the Washington Post says the company fought against joining PRISM for five years before finally participating. Apple added that it doesn'... ...

Every monday should start off with a good does of humor and sarcasm about the latest rumors. I enjoyed this article by Chris Rawson.
∞ Read this on The Loop

Apple is now the latest company to disclose requests by U.S. law enforcement agencies.
In a disclosure published overnight, the company said that from Dec. 1, 2012 to May 31, 2012, it had received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests affecting between 9,000 and 10,000 accounts or devices. That works out to an average of two accounts or devices per request.
The disclosure follows similar ones by Facebook on Friday and Microsoft on Saturday. And as with the Facebook and Microsoft disclosures,...

If you had any questions on what data Apple may provide to authorities, this should answer them for you.
∞ Read this on The Loop

Speaking at All Things D in 2010, Steve Jobs famously predicted that "PCs are going to be like trucks": specialised devices that only appeal to people with particular demands of their computing experience while ordinary people would come to prefer smartphones and tablets for all their computing activities. Last month, Enders Analysis consultant Benedict Evans gave a presentation at BookExpo America entitled "Mobile Is Eating The World." In it, he laid out a thorough series of metrics that suggest, when taken as a whole, that the scale of the post-PC opportunity is somewhere between 'ginormous' and 'staggering' -- and that Jobs's vision is coming inexorably to pass.

Now, I don't want to spoil the whole thing. I urge you to...

A new photo shows a prototype version of a Lightning-enabled iPhone 5 gaming controller from accessory maker Logitech.   ...

We already know that Apple has added support for game controllers in iOS7, but it appears that these plans are further along than first thought.  According to Kotaku, the above image shows an early  iOS gaming controller prototype made specifically for the iPhone 5 by gaming giant Logitech. While they weren’t forthcoming with details of where the device was seen or who showed it to them, Kotaku is standing firm that they believe this photo to be absolutely authentic.  The decision to support integrated gaming accessories is in stark...

Dissecting frogs in high school biology classes used to be a rite of passage. It was a physical, visceral method for teaching kids that living organisms have common pieces and parts: organs, muscle, nerves and connective tissue. Kids learned that even frogs have hearts, lungs and brains. With a real dead frog, though, the lesson seems to be larger than just the anatomy. By dissecting a formerly living thing, there's the knowledge that it used to hop around, eat, swim.