-What's happening?
Brian Tong here and welcome to the Apple Byte for everything inside the world of Apple.
Now, we're back after vacation break and all the madness from CES which we'll get to, but first let's go to the show and the big story this week.
Apple will refund at least $32.5 million to customers in a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over in-app purchases.
Now, the refund is specific to purchases made by kids without parental consent like the horror story in 2011 about an 8-year old girl that racked up a $1,400 bill buying Smurf Fairies in the Smurf's Village app.
Now, I would argue that, you can't put a price on Smurf Fairies.
Now, the FTC agreement will also make Apple change its billing methods to make sure it receives very clear, express informed consent from users before an app charges them.
Now, originally entering a password to approve an initial in-app purchase
would allow a 15-minute window of time to make additional purchases and in this case 15 minutes can save you $1,400.
The FTC said Apple had received tens of thousands of complaints of un-authorized purchases like the little girl who spent $2,600 on Tap Pet Hotel.
Seriously, who wouldn't wanna spend that much on this app?
Or $500 on Tiny Zoo Friends.
Oh, he is so cute.
Totally worth it.
And maybe I should complain that my child spent over $200 playing the Injustice Gods Among Us mobile game just to unlock a limited Superman prison costume that I can only play on the console version.
Now, obviously I think Apple should close that window of time for additional purchases and they've already been refunding them made without parent's permission since last year but let's be honest, maybe some parents shouldn't give their iTunes passcode to their kids.
And, if
you've ever spent more than $200 on in-app purchases on any app; I'm giving you a bad apple unless it's for a Superman prison costume.
All right, now what would an Apple Byte show be without more rumors.
Display research chimes in with intel from their sources to piggyback on claims that we'll finally see a bigger screen for the iPhone 6 and a new iPad model.
They predict an iPhone 6 with a 5.5 inch screen with a 1920x1080 resolution and
401 pixels per inch.
Now, they're also jumping on the iPad pro-bandwagon claiming we can expect to see a 12.9 inch iPad with a 2732x2048 resolution and 265 pixels per inch.
While other reports continue to claim a 12.9 inch retina iPad is in production and may launch in 2014.
They are also supporting rumors claiming that the iWatch might ship in two sizes; 1.3 inches for women and 1.6 inches for men with
both sporting a 320x320 resolution and flexible AMOLED screens.
And one more rumor story for the iPhone 6, a report from DigiTimes says Apple's fingerprint sensor supplier, TSMC, is preparing to begin production on sensors for the iPhone 6 in the second quarter of 2014.
I know why you guys write-- why don't we get those going for the iPads too.
Now, we didn't have a show for a while because we were working our butts off at CES 2014 in Las Vegas.
Now, Apple doesn't go to the show but we had one of our best-looking correspondents check it out for us.
-Thanks Brian.
All right guys, we're here at CES 2014 show floor so let's go and see what we can find in the iLounge Pavilion.
All right guys, we're here with Patrick O'Neil, he is the CEO of olloclip; that popular lens attachment.
And you kind of have a few new things here that you're showing off at the show, right?
-Absolutely.
Yes.
We got our new Macro Lens, our 3-in-1 Macro Lens.
So, this is a more advanced macro lens than we've had before so we got three lens elements on each
side which gives you a more clear picture and you just strap it on the hoods, set the focus, diffuse light and click the diffusive.
So you can see it's just so easy, where before with the macro lens you had to sort of go in and out to get the focus which you still do on three dimensional objects but it's much easier with this lens.
And on the flat objects, it's just super easy.
-And then what's the retail price for this set?
-Seventy-dollars.
-You also have another little extra something, something here?
-Yes.
We've got something everybody has been wanting
since 5s came out; gold lens for their 5s.
-So, yes, I got my phone and I think, you know, that might be a nice little fit there.
-Yes.
All gold, everything.
-I'm not sure I'm getting that back.
-Now, we know that beacons are kind of gonna be a big thing coming into 2014, and I'm here at StickNFind's booth.
And this is basically a Bluetooth beacon, it's a sticker tracker that you can stick on anything.
We have these different kits that are available now for sale, $49.99 for two of these guys, it also comes with
an app that allows to see how far it is, it has a 150 foot range distance but you can put this anywhere on like your luggage, a shoe or whatever.
This is really clever idea and, you know, something that we're gonna see be a big thing.
And this little beacon, the StickNFind can also send out a signal or noise when you wanna locate it.
Another really cool thing, Treasure Hunt, this is a game that I want to play.
-Of course that's treasure.
Where is this--
-Excuse me.
I found it.
-Now, in the iLounge Pavilion we know there are plenty of cases, more than you can imagine but we're here with Laura Olsen with Rokform.
And tell us a little bit about this unique case?
-Yes.
So at Rokform, we manufacture protective cases that are mountable.
So, our cases mount a couple of different ways; first way is there's grooves on the back of the case so all you have to do is line it up with the teeth of your accessory and just give it a quarter click turn, and then you're mounted and ready to go.
The other way they're mountable is there is a rare earth magnet on the back installed
in the grid.
-Couldn't you just call it a magnet as it makes it sound actually really cool when it's a rare earth magnet?
-Yes.
It does make it cooler which is what we're trying to go for here.
So, yes, rare earth magnet, it holds about 10 pounds of force but any magnetic surface you could just stick it right on to and it will stick.
-Okay.
-So, your fridge, toolbox, wherever.
-So, we see here like bike handlebars but also there is like a baby stroller?
-Yes.
There is a whole line of interchangeable accessories; you can get the bike mount to the, you know, universal stroller mount, any accessory you wanna mount your
phone on.
-And then how much are these gonna be?
-So, the stroller mount with the case comes included for $49.
-And that stroller mount is right back there.
-Yes, one right here.
-Trust me guys, having a nanny it makes a lot easier to get around.
And the show really, it's about 90 percent iPhone cases out there but we were able to get a few things out there for you.
All right.
That's
gonna do it for this week's show.
We're back on track to our regular Apple Byte schedule and you can always email us at theapplebyte@cnet.com; just to say hi, send us your questions or feedback and I'll get to as many as I can.
I'm Brian Tong.
Thanks for watching.
We'll catch you guys next week for another bite of the apple.
