Jake Smith, Author at 9to5Mac - Page 3 of 29

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Apple holding iTunes event in Moscow, Russia tomorrow evening

Jake Smith Dec 3 2012 - 4:34 am PT

Update: Apple has now confirmed that the iPhone 5 will launch in Russia on December 14. iPhones.ru posted images of the Russian iTunes gift cards pictured right.

Hot off the heels of the iTunes 11 launch last week, Russia looks to be gaining the service very soon. According to a forwarded invite obtained by TechCrunch, Apple is holding a small iTunes event at the local GUM shopping center in Moscow’s Red Square tomorrow evening. Rumors of the launch have been ongoing for a few months, as App Store users in the country were beginning to see music searches appear at very low prices.

According to a November report by Russian language publication vedomosti.ru, citing industry sources, Apple will sell songs cheaper in Russia for 11- to 20 rubles each, which translates to roughly 35- to 65 cents USD. Additionally, another report from Vedomosti claimed iTunes senior executive Eddy Cue and iTunes Europe Director Ben King went to Russia for the launch originally scheduled for Nov. 20. However, in November, the newspaper also cited sources close to Apple as saying the launch is now scheduled for the first week of December—possibly to coincide with the launch of iPhone 5 in the country. Today’s event invite seems to confirm at least the iTunes bit. We are working to gain more information. [TechCrunch]

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Video/Gallery: Apple CEO Tim Cook seen giving interview/tour at Apple Store Grand Central with NBC anchor Brian Williams, airing Dec. 6

Jake Smith Nov 30 2012 - 2:38 pm PT

Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted at the company’s massive Grand Central store this afternoon, giving an interview with NBC anchor Brian Williams. The U.S. network is doing a piece on Apple and shopping at its stores during the holidays. Additionally, Cook was seen checking out the store and showing off the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. Apple’s Grand Central store opened to the public in December 2011, and it is considered a flagship for the company.

The program is set to air Dec. 6—per the tweet, press release, and video embedded below.

[tweet https://twitter.com/RockCenterNBC/status/274662314110763009]

Via: TVNewser
Source: Instagram, Twitter

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New 21.5-inch iMac now available through Apple’s online store, 27-inch models ship in 2-3 weeks

Jake Smith Nov 30 2012 - 3:25 am PT

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The eighth-generation iMac was announced at the company’s late-October media event, where Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller called it, “the most beautiful iMac we have ever made.” Right on track, the 21.5-inch iMac is now available on the company’s online store and is available across a slew of third-party retail stores this afternoon. The 27-inch model will ship starting in “2-3 weeks” in the United States and Canada, while overseas (Australia/EU is “15-19 days”) is looking at up to 20 days—making a Christmas delivery tight.

(MacConnection has the best prices: $20 off, while MacMall knocks $5 off but adds Parallels ($79.99 value) and configuration/financing options. B&H Photo, Amazon, and Best Buy also seem to be getting some stock soon. iMac Product page prices updated daily!)
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Apple now offering unlocked iPhone 5 online on US store, starting at $649 for 16GB

Jake Smith Nov 29 2012 - 7:24 pm PT

Following our report from this morning, Apple made the much-awaited unlocked iPhone 5 available in the United States on its online store this evening. The unlocked device’s price range is set at $649, $749, and $849 for 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage, respectively. Apple has offered an unlocked version of the iPhone 5 in several countries around the world since the device first launched in late September —including Canada and in Europe. However, as it has done in the past, Apple delayed the U.S. unlocked launch.

Additionally, we learned from several retail sources Apple will sell the unlocked iPhone 5 in its chain of retail stores in the coming days—perhaps as soon as tomorrow. The devices have begun arriving in large quantities to Apple stores over the past couple of days.

The unlocked version is GSM only, which supports AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S., and will not work on CDMA bands. If you hate contracts, like swapping the nano SIM, and taking the device abroad is your thing, this is the version of the iPhone 5 for you. To avoid scalpers, Apple is limiting two per customer.

From Apple:

“The unlocked iPhone includes all the features of iPhone but without a wireless contract commitment. You can activate and use iPhone on the supported GSM wireless network of your choice, such as AT&T in the United States. The unlocked iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 will not work with CDMA-based carriers such as Verizon Wireless or Sprint. If you don’t want a multiyear service contract, or if you prefer to use a local carrier when traveling abroad, the unlocked iPhone is the best choice. It does not come with a micro-SIM card for iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, or a nano-SIM card for iPhone 5, so you’ll need to get one from any supported GSM carrier worldwide. To start using it, simply insert the card into the slot on your iPhone and turn it on by pressing and holding the On/Off button for a few seconds. Then follow the onscreen instructions to set up your iPhone.”

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AAPL Company

Apple’s Bob Mansfield cashes in 35K AAPL shares, valued at $20M

Jake Smith Nov 29 2012 - 4:05 pm PT

First noted by The Next Web, recently promoted Bob Mansfield cashed in 35,000 shares of AAPL stock at $582.21 a share. That is worth a fat check of $20,377,507.50, as a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing also revealed today. This is Mansfield’s second time cashing in the stock that he was awarded in 2005. His first cash-in was in 2009.

While Mansfield was set to retire from Apple in June, he was appointed Senior Vice President of Technologies under Apple’s major exec shake-up. The longtime-exec has 29,548 shares remaining, and he will gain another 150,000 shares in June 2013 and March 2016 if he remains with CEO Tim Cook and Co.

Source: The Next Web, SEC

[tweet https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/274299466641707008]
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Starbucks and Apple offering $30 gift card combo to benefit AIDS research foundation

Jake Smith Nov 29 2012 - 1:37 pm PT

Starbucks introduced a new Starbucks iTunes (RED) eGift basket this holiday season, with help of Apple, to give back to the world. The gift basket is complete with a $15 Starbucks gift card and $15 iTunes gift card. For every combo sold, Starbucks and Apple will donate 5 percent of each purchase (75 cents) to the Global Fund AIDS research foundation. The gift basket can be purchased on Starbuck’s website, where you can also choose to gift it directly to someone. This isn’t the first time Apple partnered with (RED), as it has launched several special edition iPods to compliment the foundation over the years. The same goes for Starbucks, which revealed today it gave $11 million to the Global Fund since December 2008. Pretty nice gift, if you ask me. Who doesn’t like music, coffee, and helping a good cause?

Via: The Loop

Source: Starbucks
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iPhone 5 gains necessary network approval in China, readying for mid-December launch

Jake Smith Nov 29 2012 - 4:39 am PT

The iPhone 5 has gained the proper network verification from The Ministry of Industry and Technology of the People’s Republic of China today, finally readying it for sale in the country where the device is made. Following rumors earlier this month, Wall Street Journal first noted the news this morning, and such verification sets-up for the mid-December launch as pre-orders are already kicking. Apple has gained WCDMA and CDMA-2000 verification, according to the filings, lining it up to be on China Unicom and China Telecom — China’s second and third-largest carriers, respectively.

China has proved to be a big-potential for Apple, emphasized by CEO Tim Cook several times. Earlier this year he said, “demand is off the charts in China.” Sadly it appears the world’s largest carrier China Mobile isn’t on board this round.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Via: Engadget

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Apple breaks ground on Santa Clara campus set to hold 1,200 employees

Jake Smith Nov 28 2012 - 5:31 pm PT

Mercury News reported that Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple has broken ground on a Santa Clara campus that is set to be home to 1,200 employees. The location is just short of the city limits of Cupertino, and it is a 296,000 square-foot space set to be developed by Peery Arillaga. It is said to be a two six-floor building campus—not to be confused with the massive Spaceship-like campus Apple currently has plans for. Earlier this month, we highlighted a few other Apple land grabs, which many believe are temporary offices until the new campus that is set to hold 14,000 employees is completed in mid-2016. The first six-floor building at the new Santa Clara location that is 188,000 square feet will be completed mid-2014, while there’s no word on the second.

Source: Mercury News

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Time Warner CEO wants Apple to release a television set

Jake Smith Nov 28 2012 - 3:33 pm PT

After years of rumors, we’d like to think the Apple TV set is a reality…and so would Time Warner Cable’s CEO. Speaking at Business Insider’s IGNITE conference this afternoon, CEO Jeff Bewkes said he believes Apple has what it takes to change the television market. When asked about the company delivering the Apple TV set, Bewkes said, “I hope they do. I think Apple is a great device company. They bring good interface and navigation skills.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard Time Warner talk about the Apple TV. In September, COO Rob Marcus said the company would be willing to give up control of the user interface, but he wants to keep the “customer relationship.” We’ve noted before the difficulty Apple will face to get cable companies to relinquish control of the user interface and user experience.

Recently, analysts have pegged the Apple TV set launch for the 2013 holiday season, but that’s not without timeframe misses in the past. Analyst Gene Munster said the HDTV size will be between 42- and 55 inches and priced between $1,500 and $2,000. At any rate, it looks like we’ll have to wait a while longer to get official word—if ever. In the mean time, check out a solid Apple TV concept.

Source: Business Insider
Image: The Verge

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Apple highlights iPad mini Newsstand in new magazine ad campaign

Jake Smith Nov 27 2012 - 4:20 pm PT

Using its clever advertising tactics, Apple began advertising its 7.9-inch iPad mini in several print magazines. As seen on the cover of the New Yorker above and TIME below, the ads highlight the device’s small, compact design and show how a user can get access to the same magazine content from Apple’s Newsstand feature. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Apple bust out advertising past the traditional TV spot this month, as it just began running 3D exploding iPod ads on several websites. It can’t hurt to try to juice sales just in time for the holidays, but, to be fair, they should have pixelated the display to signify the non-Retina screen.

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Source: Reddit, Instagram, @eduardosuarez

Via: Sam Stern

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Apple announces redesigned 21.5-inch iMac will be available Friday, November 30th; 27-inch models still on for December

Jake Smith Nov 27 2012 - 5:35 am PT

After being unveiled in late-October, Apple has officially announced that the 21.5-inch iMac will become available this Friday, Nov. 30. The latest iMac is the eighth generation and “is the most beautiful iMac we have ever made,” according to Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller. It features a 5mm edge, edge-to-edge glass, LED-backlit display with IPS technology, a FaceTime HD camera, dual mics, four USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, OS X Mountain Lion, Bluetooth 4.0, and more.

The 21.5-inch iMac is available in two versions. The 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 model (Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz) is available for $1,299, featuring 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 memory, 1 TB (5400-rpm) hard drive, and a NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR5 memory. The 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 model (Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz) is available for $1,499, featuring similar specs, except a 1TB (5400-rpm) hard drive that can be configured into a Fusion Drive.

Apple also has a 27-inch version iMac on its way. As we reported earlier this month, the 27-inch version is still set to launch sometime in December, according to Apple. CEO Tim Cook has already discussed that the company is expecting shortages of iMacs. Our sources have indicated that the new iMac is in relatively short supply, mainly outside of the United States. Check out Cook’s comments below:

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GM first to sport Siri’s ‘Eyes Free’ feature with the Chevy Sonic and Spark starting next year

Jake Smith Nov 27 2012 - 3:16 am PT

During its opening keynote at WWDC, Apple announced Siri would gain an all-new “Eyes Free” feature as part of iOS 6. After five months of quiet about the feature, General Motors announced this morning that it would be the first of nine automakers previously outlined to adopt Eyes Free in its vehicles starting early next year. Of its fleet, the Chevrolet Spark (1LT, 2LT) and Sonic LTZ and RS will be the first.

Eyes Free lets automakers include a button on their automobiles that allows drivers to initiate Siri for sending messages, making calls, setting reminders, launching apps, and accessing a slew of information from inside of the car without picking up the device.

GM will include the Eyes Free feature on the automobiles, but it still won’t do away with its Chevrolet MyLink info-tainment system. However, if an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 enters the car running iOS 6, they can connect over Bluetooth with GM’s MyLink radio feature. From there, they can use the Eyes Free steering wheel button to access information. Additionally, the screen won’t light up to minimize distraction. Shown off in the gallery below:

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Canadian Bell and Virgin Mobile customers can now unlock any model iPhone…for $75

Jake Smith Nov 26 2012 - 6:03 pm PT

Canadian iPhone users can now unlock their iPhone on Bell and Virgin Mobile for $75. Mobile Syrup obtained more information on a previous report and discovered that Bell and Virgin’s unlocking programs are available for all Bell and Virgin iPhones, but a customer must not be on contract, must be a post-paid Bell or Virgin customer, and must pay a one-time $75 fee. The unlocking program began today, according to the leaked documents, and it can be completed by contacting Bell’s Credit & Prevention line or Virgin Care. The unlocking program will be “launched in a phased approached,” while “the next Phase in 2013″ will come where they will “expand the eligibility guidelines.”

Before this month, Canadian iPhone users could only unlock their iPhones via TELUS ($35), Rogers ($50), and Fido ($50), according to Apple’s support page. Unlocking the iPhone allows customers to use a SIM card from any carrier with the same bands, allowing for easy mobile travel around the world. Pretty cool, eh?

Source: Mobile Syrup, iPhone in Canada

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Mozilla releases Firefox beta featuring Retina display support

Jake Smith Nov 26 2012 - 12:49 pm PT

Mozilla released a new beta for Firefox this afternoon, featuring Retina display support that is sure to appease the Firefox devotees out in the crowd. Release notes below:

This update includes JavaScript improvements that make Web apps and games perform better and support for W3C Touch Events. Firefox Beta also supports Retina Display for Mac users.

IonMonkey: IonMonkey is a new JavaScript JIT compiler that provides a more efficient way for Firefox to process JavaScript. With IonMonkey, Firefox will perform faster with Web apps, games and other JavaScript-heavy pages.
Retina Display Support: Firefox Beta supports Retina Display for Mac users to make Firefox even sharper when watching movies, playing games and browsing the Web.
Disable Insecure Content: Firefox Beta can disable insecure content on HTTPS secure websites to maintain the privacy of your communication with the website. You can enable the feature in about:config.
Support for W3C Touch Events: Firefox Beta supports standard W3C touch events in addition to MozTouch events.

[Download via iClarified]
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Apple had to acquire Lightning trademark from Motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson

Jake Smith Nov 26 2012 - 4:15 am PT

In order to get its new Lightning technology out on the market, Apple had to acquire the trademark “Lightning” from the popular motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson. According to Patently Apple, two trademark applications published on Sunday by the EU Patent and Trademark Office show the transfer of the trademark officially went down on Saturday. The term “Lightning” is still protected until 2013 under the original filing, and Harley-Davidson still owns some rights to the term. Still having access more than likely gives the Motorcycle manufacturer the right to use Lightning on some of its products, which includes helmets and electrical parts, while Apple also has free reign. It seems somewhat odd that a term like “Lightning” can be trademarked. [Patently Apple via Gizmodo]

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Apple updates Spaceship campus plans with Cupertino including new mid-2016 completion date

Jake Smith Nov 21 2012 - 2:03 pm PT

Following this morning’s report that Apple’s grand spaceship campus introduced by Steve Jobs in 2011 won’t open until mid-2016, Apple has sent its revised plans to the city of Cupertino this afternoon. The 176-acre campus was originally slated to complete in 2015 after the company was set to start work this year; however, the City of Cupertino still needs to complete an environmental review. Apple notified Cupertino of the time-frame change in the updated project proposal and added, “This schedule may be modified to meet Apple’s business needs.”

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2012 Mac Mini found to support 450 Mb/s Wi-Fi

Jake Smith Nov 21 2012 - 8:04 am PT

Past the new Fusion Drive, upgraded RAM, and speed, French publication Macg.co found the 2012 Mac Mini introduced in September also boasts upgraded Wi-Fi antennas. The upgraded antennas brings the desktop to a maximum Wi-Fi speed of 450 Mb/s, now up-to-par with the 2011 MacBook Pro and iMac.

Of course to reach 450 Mbits/s you need a router to support it, and luckily, both Apple’s latest Time Capsule and Airport Extreme. There’s also other factors such as room configuration, interference and so forth. As to why Apple isn’t advertising the speeds is unknown.

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Apple releases OS X 10.8.2 Supplemental Update 2 for 2012 Macs, fixing Keychain issues

Jake Smith Nov 20 2012 - 12:54 pm PT

Yesterday, we reported the 2012 Mac mini, Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro, and iMac were unable to update to OS X 10.8.2 after Apple pulled the first update from the App Store last Friday. Today, the folks in Cupertino have released their second supplemental update for OS X 10.8.2 that should allow those users to install the update. Additionally, Apple said the update “is recommended for all Mac systems introduced in 2012” and mainly “fixes an issue with Keychain that can affect 2012 Mac systems.” Grab it from the source link below, and let us know how the update experience fares in the comment section down south.

[Apple]
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Google plans to launch open AirPlay-like alternative

Jake Smith Nov 20 2012 - 4:43 am PT

As the television race heats up, Google said it is working on an open alternative to Apple’s AirPlay—a technology first introduced in iOS 4.2 that allowed users to share photo, audio, and video to the Apple TV.

Google had a similar streaming product to the Apple TV this summer—the Nexus Q— that allowed for sharing of content via an Android device to the TV. However, the product flopped and didn’t see the light of day for many customers. Additionally, in Google’s move to try to compliment streaming to the TV, the folks at YouTube launched an AirPlay-like feature last week that allows users to beam YouTube videos from their Android device straight to the television.

Speaking to GigaOm, Google Product Manager Timbo Drayson made it clear that Google has big plans in the space and wants to move forward. “We really want to move the whole industry forward,” Drayson told the publication.

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HTC CEO says company is not paying Apple $6 to $8 per device, number is actually much lower

Jake Smith Nov 20 2012 - 4:21 am PT

Last week, analysts and media began speculating the amount Apple will earn after HTC settled its patent lawsuits with the company. The 10-year licensing agreement was believed to be up to $6 to $8 for every Android-based HTC smartphone sold, according to one analyst, but HTC head Peter Chou made clear today that estimates are way too high. According to Reuters, Chou told reporters, “I think that these estimates are baseless and very, very wrong. It is a outrageous number, but I’m not going to comment anything on a specific number. I believe we have a very, very happy settlement and a good ending.”

The settlement between HTC and Apple is a first for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company. Apple has on-going patent litigations across the world with Samsung and Motorola Mobility, among others. “We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “We will continue to stay laser focused on product innovation.” Chou said, “HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation.”

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Apple Maps alternative Nokia HERE now available, featuring offline maps and coverage of 200 countries

Jake Smith Nov 20 2012 - 3:14 am PT

As promised, the folks at Nokia launched their alternative to Apple Maps for iOS: a new cross-platform solution called “Nokia Here”. Based off HTML 5, Here is now available on the iTunes App Store for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad this morning, offering users full map views, the ability to save maps for later viewing, coverage of 200 countries, search history, Facebook login integration, step-by-step voice-guided navigation for the car and walking, offline map viewing, and social features that allow users to share their location. Offline Maps only work with one-specific map area, as users are only able to download 10MB of mapping data for offline use. We’re giving the app a first run right now and will let you know our first impressions. In the mean time, the full list of features and a gallery are below: [App Store]

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ITC to reevaluate its September ruling that stated iOS devices don’t infringe on Samsung patents

Jake Smith Nov 19 2012 - 2:49 pm PT

According to Bloomberg, the International Trade Commission will reevaluate its Sept. 14 ruling that Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple did not infringe on any Samsung patents with its iOS devices. As many of you may remember, Samsung unsuccessfully tried to earn damages and block Apple’s iOS devices…for a second time. The first time was a separate case with the California court where Apple not only came out not guilty but also was victorious in its damage claims. Apple won upwards of $1 billion in damages from the South Korean electronics firm.

Jon Erlichman said the reevaluation ordered today would give Samsung another chance to try to sway the ITC in its direction in the hopes of winning. The ITC has the power to block imports of products that infringe on patents. It’s not clear why the ITC is reevaluating, but Reuters said a ruling is expected in January.

Upon its win this summer, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook expressed his gratitude to the jury. “We applaud them for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right,” Cook said. “Today, values have won and I hope the whole world listens.”

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2012 Mac Mini users are unable to update to OS X 10.8.2, after update was pulled by Apple on Friday

Jake Smith Nov 19 2012 - 1:49 pm PT

A flurry of users on Twitter and CNET report that the newest Mac Mini released last month is unable to update to the latest version of OS X Mountain Lion, 10.8.2. The update is unavailable through the App Store’s Software Update feature after Apple pulled it for an unknown reason on Friday. Additionally, users received an error when trying to install the update manually through the manual installer made available by Apple. OS X displays an error message of “Error: OS X Update can’t be installed on this disk. This volume does not meet the requirements for this update.” Customers on the Apple Support Communities also voiced their concern.

The cause of the error is unclear, but what is clear is that for some reason a special version of OS X 10.8.2 is required for the Mac Mini (like the one that was pulled on Friday). Apple doesn’t explain why a special version is needed—perhaps it boils down to the new Fusion Drive that is also set to ship with the new iMac later this month—or why it pulled the update from the App Store on Friday. The best option for 2012 Mac Mini owners now is to stick it out on 10.8.1, because as Twitter user Gerald explained it, the update still didn’t work “after 5 hours and 4 reinstalls.”

There is no word on when the new version of OS X 10.8.2 will be released for Mac Mini owners or if they’ll have to stick it out until 10.8.3. We reported on Friday that Apple will soon release a build of 10.8.3 to early testers soon, and the Cupertino, Calif.-based company will provide new information about the 10.8.3 build during the week of Nov. 26.

Update: Additionally, we learned the update has also been pulled for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro and latest iMac…suffering the same issue as the Mac Mini.

Update 2: Apple has released a supplemental update to address the issue.

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Four years on, almost 1M apps have been built for iOS

Jake Smith Nov 19 2012 - 4:44 am PT

As we arrive on four years of the iOS App Store being made available, Apps Fire (via The Next Web) pointed out this morning that the thriving app marketplace will reach 1 million total apps approved for iOS. Apps Fire tweeted that the milestone will be reached later today; however, The Next Web said it confirmed that Apple reached 1 million total apps, already.

[tweet https://twitter.com/appsfire/statuses/270437631664476160]

According to AppShopper, another app discovery service that tracks the App Store, the current number of approved apps by Apple sits at 995,382. As for the number of apps actually available for download on the iOS App Store, there are 714,883. At any rate, it’s clear that Apple has/will reach the milestone—even if publicly announced or not.

During the iPhone 5 launch event in late-September, Apple announced that its average customer now uses over 100 apps. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said, “It’s been an absolute revolution. It’s phenomenal. Together with the incredible products, these have helped us achieve an incredible milestone.”

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