Pebble Unfazed by Apple Watch, Plans New Hardware and Software in 2015 [iOS Blog]

While much of the wearables focus remains on the upcoming Apple Watch launch, Pebble continues to push forward with its own smartwatch platform that began as a record-setting Kickstarter project and has blossomed into a successful company. Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky recently discussed the company's extensive plans for new hardware in the upcoming year, along with a few details of Pebble's prosperous 2014, in an interview with The Verge.



Reaching a milestone for the company, Pebble shipped its one millionth Pebble smartwatch on December 31, 2014, undoubtedly thanks to a few major price drops to its flagship products and the introduction of noteworthy apps onto the device last year. As The Verge points out, Pebble's biggest competitor in 2014 was Google's Android Wear device range, but both will be facing significant competition come this April when the Apple Watch launches to the public.





Migicovsky is unfazed by the imminent release of the Apple Watch, however, outlining how Pebble's line of devices planned for release this year will deal less with the app-obsessed world most devices focus on, instead offering something dramatically different than any smartwatch on the market.

"We’ve found a new framework to use as an interaction model on the watch," boasts Migicovsky, before adding that while apps will continue to exist on Pebble, they won't be the main focus of the platform. "It doesn't look like what we have today, and it doesn't look like what's on your smartphone."

Migicovsky sticks mostly to pointing out Pebble's successful year - such as the company more than doubling by year's end its 400,000 units sold as of March - than providing meaningful details on new products coming out of the company. He tells The Verge fans will have to wait until "later this year" for more details on the company's upcoming devices.



Pebble's unflinching attitude towards its upcoming war with the Apple Watch falls in line with previous actions the company has taken when it comes to Apple's new wearable. When Apple announced the Apple Watch last September, Pebble updated its website with a few related zingers - targeting battery life, price, and over-enthusiastic responses - aimed at its competitors, namely Apple.

Apple Planning to Raise Reported $5 Billion in Bond Sale [Mac Blog]

Apple today filed a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hoping to sell $5 billion worth of new debt according to reports.



Managed by Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, the offer's monetary specifics haven't yet been revealed by Apple, but the company says the money will be used to cover "general corporate purposes, including repurchases of our common stock and payment of dividends under our program to return capital to shareholders, funding for working capital, capital expenditures and acquisitions and repayment of debt."



As Bloomberg's Lisa Abramowicz points out, much of the proceeds the company receives from the bond sale are undoubtedly going to buybacks and dividend payments.

Except for rewarding shareholders, of course. Proceeds to go to buybacks & dividend payments

— Lisa Abramowicz (@LisaAbramowicz1) February 2, 2015

This follows the company's previous bond sale last November, where Apple notably began issuing bonds in euros. That sale saw Apple looking to raise €2.8 billion ($3.5 billion) for the usual "general corporate purposes," again primarily share buybacks and dividend payments.



Today's prospectus comes on the heels of the company's record-breaking earnings for the first fiscal quarter of 2015, posting revenue of $74.6 billion in the quarter, and subsequently seeing a noticeable bump in shares of its stock when the market opened last Friday.



While the company holds roughly $178 billion in cash and marketable securities, much of that cash is held outside of the United States and would currently be subject to significant taxes if brought back to the U.S. to be used for stock buybacks and dividends. As a result, Apple has been pursuing bond sales at very favorable interest rates as a cheaper means of funding these initiatives, repaying the bonds from ongoing operations over time.

iPad Momentum Falls Flat as Tablet Market Experiences First Year-Over-Year Decline

iPad sales slowed in the fourth quarter as the worldwide tablet market experienced its first year-over-year decline since being established in 2010, according to the latest numbers from market research firm IDC. Apple shipped 24.1 million iPads for 28.1% market share in the fourth quarter to maintain a comfortable lead over Samsung, which shipped 11 million tablets during the three-month period ending December for 14.5% market share.





The worldwide tablet market continues to be mainly a two-horse race between Apple and Samsung, with smaller competitors such as Lenovo, Asus and Amazon shipping just 3.7 million, 3 million and 1.7 million tablets respectively during the fourth quarter. IDC says that, despite a year-over-year decline, worldwide tablet shipments increased 4.4% to total 229.6 million units in 2014.

"The tablet market is still very top heavy in the sense that it relies mostly on Apple and Samsung to carry the market forward each year," said Jitesh Ubrani, Senior Research Analyst, Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker. "Although Apple expanded its iPad lineup by keeping around older models and offering a lower entry price point of $249, it still wasn't enough to spur iPad sales given the excitement around the launch of the new iPhones. Meanwhile, Samsung's struggles continued as low-cost vendors are quickly proving that mid- to high-priced Android tablets simply aren't cut out for today's tablet market."

Apple to Open New Retail Store in Tianjin, China on February 7 [Mac Blog]

Apple today announced on its Chinese retail website that it will be opening its brand new store in Tianjin, China this Saturday, February 7.





The store will be located within the Nankai District and follows Apple's other recently opened locations in Zhengzhou, Hangzhou, and Chongqing.



Last month, Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts noted that Apple would be opening five new retail stores in five weeks to coincide with the Chinese New Year. The Tianjin store is the fourth store in that rollout, as Apple has also boosted its advertising efforts in the region by releasing a new version of its ad "The Song" for the Chinese market. After the five stores are opened, Apple would have 20 locations in China and Hong Kong with an ultimate goal of 40 stores in China over the next few years.



Apple's new Tianjin store opens on Saturday, February 7 at 10:00 AM local time.

Apple Releases New Version of 'The Song' Ad for Chinese New Year [Mac Blog]

Apple today released a new version of its holiday ad "The Song" to coincide with the Chinese New Year holiday, using new actresses and showing a variety of Apple products throughout the video.





Like the original version, the Chinese version of "The Song" centers around a girl who comes across a vintage record sung by her grandmother as she secretly learns the notes and vocals to put together her own rendition alongside the original. The commercial ends with the girl and her grandmother listening side-by-side to the new record on an iPad.



The ad is currently being featured on Apple's Chinese website. The company has opened a number of new stores in the past couple of weeks in time for Chinese New Year, with new locations popping up in Chongqing and Hangzhou.