Apple says small number of Apple TVs have WiFi issues, opens replacement program

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Apple has informed its official retail stores, AppleCare employees, and authorized resellers that a small number of third-generation Apple TV units have WiFi issues. These issues surround not being able to locate a WiFi network, unable to join a network, and dropped or intermittent connections.

Apple has determined that a very small number of Apple TV (3rd generation) products might experience one of these Wi-Fi related connectivity issues: Cannot locate network, Unable to join network, Dropped or intermittent connection.

If an Apple technician determines that an applicable Apple TV has these issues, the unit can be replaced as part of a replacement program that Apple has begun because of these WiFi issues. Apple says that replacements can be offered free of charge up to two years after the device’s purchase date.

Here are the serial number pairs that are eligible:

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MacBook Pro with Retina display: Problems in every dimension

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When Apple unveiled its first Retina MacBook Pro with the 15.4-inch model in June, it came with an all-new, slimmed down design, all-flash architecture, and its flagship Retina display with over 5 million pixels. Apple has built its reputation on quality, craftsmanship, and customer/user experience, but that hasn’t been the case with its latest lineup of MacBooks. What many consumers don’t know is that buying a new Retina MacBook means taking your chances with possibly receiving a unit that is subject to display defects, battery, graphics, and fan-related issues among other major stability problems. These widespread issues have received limited coverage in the press and many consumers claim Apple is failing to sufficiently address the problems by not informing consumers and employees.

Leading the reports of problems is one that causes burn-in or ghosting on the device’s display. The result is a support thread with over 364,769 views and, most recently, a class-action lawsuit in California that alleged Apple is failing to inform consumers of the issue. Users experiencing the problem eventually realized the source of the issue was with LG, one of Apple’s display suppliers for the new Retina MacBooks. Unfortunately, models with Samsung displays aren’t totally free from a myriad of other significant issues.

Apple described the image-retention problems on this user’s display as normal after two visits. The display was eventually replaced with a Samsung but continues to experience other display related problems. 

Problems at the Apple Store

Finally, after 4 LG screened rMBPs I give up!

The problems are severe enough that it’s affecting the buying experience for consumers, driving customers to opt for other devices, and forced me personally to stop recommending the machine. Not only is Apple not addressing the issues publicly, Apple retail employees and 9to5Mac readers confirmed Apple is failing to properly inform retail and repair staff of the problems… Read more

Apple releases iOS 6.1.2 with fix for Exchange calendar bug

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As expected, Apple just released iOS 6.1.2 with a fix for the Exchange bug in iOS 6.1 that we previously reported. The 107mb update is available OTA and comes with build number 10B146 .We reported earlier this month that AOL had informed its corporate employees via email that it would temporarily disable the ability to manage meetings with Exchange on iOS devices running iOS 6.1. AOL confirmed it was working with Microsoft and Apple to fix the “continuous loop” bug, and many had highlighted the problem on Microsoft’s forums.

Fixes an Exchange calendar bug that could result in increased network activity and reduced battery life.

The release notes only list the Exchange issues, but ArsTechnica looked deeper to see if it also fixed the passcode unlock bug from iOS 6.1. :

We tried the convoluted unlock exploit on our own iPhone and were able to unlock the screen successfully under iOS 6.1.1, and the same process once again unlocked the phone in iOS 6.1.2. Put simply: it doesn’t look like this update fixes the passcode unlock bug, according to our testing.

A previous report from iFun, which predicted today’s release of 6.1.2, claimed enhancements to maps in Japan that Apple introduced in the recent 6.1.1 beta would reach consumers in the coming weeks as iOS 6.1.3.