Apple is reportedly in talks to acquire music streaming service Tidal. That’s according to The Wall Street Journa;, which reports that the talks are very much in the exploratory stage right now.

From The Wall Street Journal:

The talks are ongoing and may not result in a deal, these people said. Apple is exploring the idea of bringing on Tidal to bolster its Apple Music service because of Tidal’s strong ties to popular artists such as Kanye West and Madonna.

Tidal, which focuses on high-fidelity music streaming, was purchased rapper Jay Z in 2015. Despite a number of exclusive releases — largely due to its large backing from artists that own a stake in the company — Tidal has endured a rough year. As The Wall Street Journal notes; Tidal has lost three chief executives in less than a year.

Apple Music, which just celebrated its one year anniversary, has also seen quite the artist backing as Apple continues to build relationships with bands and solo musicians. Tidal’s alrea…

Nike has announced that Apple CEO Tim Cook has been appointed as the lead independent director of Nike’s Board of Directors. Cook has been a member of the athletic company’s board of directors since 2005.

The announcement from Nike notes that Cook also serves as chair of the Board’s Compensation Committee. He is also a member of Nike’s Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee. His new title comes as Nike’s Chairman, Phil Knight, steps down from that position while its President and CEO Mark Parker assumes the Chairman duties.
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Each week, the App Store highlights some of the best new and updated apps. This week, take a look at Hyper, Lego Star Wars, and apps for the Fourth of July.

We start our look at new apps this week with Hyper, an app that offers a curated collection of high-quality videos from around the web. Uptown & Co. offer vintage-style photo filters and insignias. Nike has launched SNKRS, an app built around finding, buying, and sharing your favorite Nike sneakers. In preparation for the Olympics, NBC has created the Rio 2016 Keyboard, which lets you post Olympics-related, emoji-like stickers in your messages.

Hyper – Free – Download Now
Uptown & Co. – $1.99 – Download Now
SNKRS – Free – Download Now
Rio 2016 Keyboard – Free – Download Now
Games this week are led by LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, based off the latest film in the Star Wars saga. Be sure to check out Crypt of the NecroDancer, a roguelike rhythm game with a retro art style. Square Enix has launched a new Final Fanta…

Mimpi Dreams, a game in which you must help the titular dog save his friends, is this week’s free app of the week on the App Store.

In Mimpi Dreams, you’ll join a dog named Mimpi as he dreams about saving his friends as a ”superdog.” The game features hints of the puzzle, adventure, and platforming genres as Mimpi journeys between six different worlds on his dream adventures. Along the way, you’ll be treated to gorgeous, unique visuals as well.

The gameplay is decidedly casual, so Mimpi Dreams should make for a relaxing time as you help Mimpi make his way past obstacles to save everything from lab rats to princesses. If you’re interested, you can grab Mimpi Dreams for free at the App Store link below through July 7.

Free – Download Now
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Facebook will remove its Paper app from the iOS App Store. An in-app message stated that Paper will no longer work after July 29.

Facebook launched Paper in February 2014, offering iPhone users a new design and UI, giving them full screen photos and status updates that made the social network look more like a newsreader than a website. It also did away with the typical menus in favor of swiping to get to news articles, status updates and images.

While Paper was a bold experiment for Facebook, it ultimately didn’t get a lot of public use and the app itself has not been updated in a year. In its in-app farewell message, Facebook said that many of Paper’s features made their way to the main app, including Instant Articles.
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How do you customize your Apple News experience? It’s easy!

You can customize your Apple News experience in a variety of ways. That includes muting channels, clearing articles and history, reporting concerns to Apple, opening articles in Safari, handling notifications, background updates, cellular data, and more!

How to mute a channel in the News app for iPhone and iPad
How to view items in your reading history in the News app for iPhone and iPad
How to clear individual articles from your reading history in the News app for iPhone and iPad
How to clear your reading history in the News app for iPhone and iPad
How to open a News app article in Safari
How to report a concern to Apple’s News staff
How to disable notifications for the News app for iPhone and iPad
How to disable Background App Refresh for the News app for iPhone and iPad
How to disable Cellular Data for the News app for iPhone and iPad
How to disable Story Previews in the News app for iPhone and iPad

How to mute a chan…

JVC has officially launched its first in-car dashboard unit with support for Apple’s CarPlay infotainment system. Originally announced during CES 2016, the JVC KW-V820BT features a 6.8-inch resistive touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, and integrations with both Spotify and Pandora.

With CarPlay support, JVC’s new receiver allows you to use many of the features of your iPhone in a more friendly manner. In addition to allowing you to make phone calls and send text messages with only your voice, a number of third-party applications feature support for CarPlay so they can be used more safely while you’re on the go.

The JVC KW-V820BT is currently rolling out to JVC retail partners, where it is expected to be available for $599.95.

Press release:

JVC Ships Flagship Multimedia Receiver With Apple CarPlayTM

KW-V820BT is the first JVC model to provide iPhone® users a safer smartphone experience

LONG BEACH – June 30, 2016 (MEDIAWIRE) – JVC Mobile Entertainment announced it is ship…

Spend more to save some money with Telus’s new Premium Plus financing option.

Last week, Telus launched a new plan under the Premium Plus name.

At a time when many U.S. carriers are all-in on financing options, Telus’s new Premium Plus plan is a hybrid system, providing customers a considerable subsidy in exchange for a two-year contract, along with flexibility in choosing to spend around $10 per month more on a plan in order to spend less for the phone upon purchase.

What is Premium Plus?

Premium Plus is the name of a new type of financing option offered by Telus, the second-largest carrier in Canada. It allows customers, new or existing, to add a small amount of money to their plans per month in exchange for paying less for the phone at the register.

How does it work?

It’s actually quite simple. Telus’s ordinary Your Choice share plans are priced based on the type of phone you buy: a premium smartphone, like an iPhone 6s; a smartphone, like a Moto X Play or other low-cost And…

Serenity Caldwell has been writing and talking about and tinkering with Apple products since she was old enough to double-click. Managing editor of iMore, she hosts a number of popular podcasts and speaks frequently at conferences. In past lives she worked at Macworld and Apple Retail.

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Apple’s new subscription service is new no more.

This time last year, I was sitting at this very same iMac I’m typing into now, waiting for the iTunes update that would unleash Apple Music — and Beats 1 — to the world.

Things are a little different in 2016: This June 30, I’m already listening to Apple Music — and wirelessly via my Sonos Play:5. Beats 1 and everything else in the Apple Music ecosystem has been part of my work and driving routine for 12 months now — I’ve been rocking along with the good, and writing numerous troubleshooting articles about the bad.

For current subscribers, should you continue to subscribe? Newcomers, is Apple Music worth t…

Spotify says that Apple’s refusal to approve the next update to its app for iPhone and iPad is actively harming the streaming service and its customers. Apple has apparently rejected the update due to problems with its business model, and Spotify seems to believe it’s to boost Apple Music.

From Recode:

The letter says Apple turned down a new version of the app while citing ”business model rules,” and demanding that Spotify use Apple’s billing system if ”Spotify wants to use the app to acquire new customers and sell subscriptions.”

The letter, sent by Spotify general counsel Horacio Gutierrez to Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell on May 26, suggests that Spotify intends to use the stand-off as ammunition in its fight over Apple’s rules governing subscription services that use its App store.

The letter has apparently been distributed to some Congressional staff members in the U.S. Spotify recently joined Sen. Elizabeth Warren in her criticism of Apple’s subscription pract…