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Avatar for Jordan Kahn

Jordan Kahn

jordankahn

Dir. Partnerships

9to5Mac / 9to5Google / 9to5Toys / Electrek.co / DroneDJ / SpaceExplored

Jordan manages the internal Partner Program for sponsorships and partnerships across the 9to5 network’s media brands including 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, Electrek.co, SpaceExplored and DroneDJ.com.

Jordan also writes about all things Apple as a Senior Editor of 9to5Mac. He covers Google for 9to5Google.com, the best gadgets and deals on 9to5Toys.com, and EV and solar news on Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series and makes music sometimes.

Contact Jordan with partnership inquiries and long-winded complaints:  

Connect with Jordan Kahn

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You can already pre-order an Apple Watch stand/charger and it is actually really nice

Apple Watch isn’t set for release until next year, but you can already order a charging stand for the device from Dodocase (via Uncrate). The handcrafted walnut stand doesn’t actually have a built-in mechanism for charging, but instead has a recess to hideaway Apple’s charging cable that will come with the Apple Watch.

Introducing one of the first products to market to support the Apple Watch coming in 2015. Our innovative wood charging block is made from rich California orchard walnut, American-tanned Leather and features inductive charging housing to easily snap watch into place and provide single handed lift-off. The Apple Watch Charging Stand will become your essential bedside table companion or desk accessory featuring traditional craftsmanship for today’s modern technology.

While Apple’s most expensive “Edition” model of the Apple Watch is said to come in a jewelry box of sorts that doubles as a stand/charger, it’s unclear if other models will be given a similar treatment with their packaging. So far Apple has only shown the following when it comes to charging the device via the new MagSafe inductive charging solution:

Apple-Watch-charging

It’s still a possibility that the cheaper Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport models will include some style of stand that utilizes the product’s packaging, but so far we’ve only heard of such a feature for the most expensive gold Edition model as noted above. If not, there will likely a lot of accessory makers offering similar stands and cases for Apple Watch next year. As for possibility integrating the charging mechanism directly into an accessory, we’ll have to wait and see if Apple opens up the device for accessory manufacturers through its Made-for-iPhone/iPad/iPod program. 

  • Made from Reclaimed California Orchard Walnut
  • American tanned Leather
  • Carved relief for wire routing
  • Travel mode allows you to easily wrap cable and charger in one package
  • Magnetic inductive charger housing provides quick, easy lift-off (cable not provided)
  • Space age Japanese suction cup material, grabs mounting surface for sturdy placement and one handed watch lift off but leaves no adhesive residue
  • Natural linseed oil finish for protection and beauty
  • Handcrafted in San Francisco

The Dodocase charging stand for Apple Watch is available now to preorder for a $5 deposit with the product eventually selling for somewhere between $60-$80 when it ships next year alongside Apple Watch.

Apple CEO Tim Cook to speak at WSJDLive conference in October

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D11 Tim Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to appear at a new technology conference hosted by The Wall Street Journal this October called WSJDLive. 

Apple executives including Steve Jobs have appeared at past “D” conferences hosted by former WSJ employees Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. WSJDLive appears to be a continuation of sorts of those conferences, although Mossberg and Swisher since left to form Recode.net and have also hosted Apple executives at the site’s new “Code Conference” in May.
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Joan Rivers iPhone 6 product placement goes out to social media weeks after the comedian dies

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Apparently whoever runs Instagram and Facebook feeds for the recently deceased Joan Rivers forgot to unschedule social media posts promoting the iPhone 6- that one that was just released today, weeks after Rivers died on September 4th. The message below, which we can only speculate might have been the result of Apple’s efforts to get the device in the hands of celebrities, appeared on Instagram and Facebook accounts for Rivers before being promptly removed earlier today (via BusinessInsider):

“This badass is being replaced by an iPhone 6 (not the fat one). I got this one in 2010 and, after 4 years, my only complaint is that apps are now designed for bigger screens, and the battery is getting tired. Never had a case for it, since it was most beautiful on its own. Great achievement in design. Great product. #apple #iPhone #tech.”

It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen celebrities giving Apple some exposure during product launches. Stephen Colbert, for example, often shows off Apple products before they are event released to the public including this year with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus on last night’s show ahead of today’s launch.

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Google Search iOS app renamed ‘Google’, adds Chromecast integration, new Now cards

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Google just updated its Google Search app for iOS and in the process renamed it to simply “Google”, which seems to make a bit more sense considering the app integrates Google Now features and much beyond just search. Also in today’s update: new features for Chromecast and additional Google Now cards.

For Chromecast users, the app now allows users to ask “What’s on Chromecast?” and jump right into the Chromecast app to begin casting content to a TV. The update also includes new Google Now cards that Google says offer “personalized TV recommendations and traffic information.”

Version 4.2.0 of the Google app is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 4.2.0

This update includes new Google Now cards for personalized TV recommendations and traffic information. Chromecast users can now ask Google “what’s on Chromecast?” to open the Chromecast app and start casting. We’ve also made improvements to speed up your browsing experience.

Sign in to the Google app and enable Now cards to take full advantage of these new features.

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Windows users get iCloud Drive support while Mac users await Yosemite

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While developers are warning iOS 8 and Mac users to avoid upgrading to Apple’s new iCloud Drive feature before the release of OS X Yosemite, Windows users now have access with an updated iCloud for Windows utility released by Apple. With the update, Windows users can now view and edit content stored in iCloud Drive through File Explorer (via Ars Technica).

As for Mac users, Apple explains in its support document: “If you upgrade to iCloud Drive before OS X Yosemite is available, documents on your Mac won’t be kept up to date with documents on your devices with iOS 8, or on iCloud.com.” Apple allows users to upgrade to iCloud Drive on devices running iOS 8. 

Windows users can download the latest iCloud for Windows here to access the new iCloud Drive features, while Mac users will have to wait for the OS X Yosemite release this fall.

Hong Kong Apple Store met with protest over supply chain violations on iPhone 6 launch day

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Apple has implemented improved reservation procedures and policies for employees dealing with the iPhone 6 launch today at retail stores, but the launch at the company’s Hong Kong store hasn’t gone quite as smooth as elsewhere. The store was hit by protesters from the Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) and also required police to help disperse customers that had waited in line without reservations.

SACOM protested outside Apple’s Hong Kong stores with the banner pictured above reading, “iSlave, Harsher than Harsher, Still made in sweatshops.”  To go along with the protest today, SACOM has also published a new report titled “The Lives of iSlaves” that reveals recent findings from an almost 1-year long investigation of three factories run by Apple’s manufacturing partner Pegatron. SACOM says its key findings include various infractions related to labor laws at the facilities:
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Apple removes language from Transparency Reports signaling new government requests for data

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Tim Cook

Just as Apple published a new letter from Tim Cook and an update on privacy and security policies, a new report points to evidence the company has recently received new government demands for user data under the Patriot Act. GigaOM reports that language previously included in Apple’s Transparency Reports noting the company had “never received an order under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act” has since been removed. That could signal, according to the report, Apple’s involvement with controversial National Security Agency programs that demand data from companies:
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Apple releases Safari 7.1 for Mavericks w/ DuckDuckGo search engine, encryption for Yahoo searches

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Apple has just released Safari 7.1 to all users of OS X Mavericks following several beta releases in recent weeks. The update adds DuckDuckGo as a default search engine option, which was also just added to Apple’s mobile version of Safari alongside iOS 8. The update also includes a security improvement for Yahoo search engine users: Apple says Yahoo searches from the search field are now encrypted. 

In addition, Apple notes the release improves Reader and AutoFill compatibility with websites.

The release follows OS X 10.9.5 becoming available to all users yesterday with Safari 7.0.6. The Safari 7.1 update is available to users on OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 now through Updates in the Mac App Store. 

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Sony mocks iPhone 6 in Xperia Z3 Compact ad: “Better than bigger”

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Samsung isn’t the only one mocking Apple’s new iPhone before the device even officially goes on sale tomorrow. Today Sony released its own jab at Apple with the ad above playing on Apple’s “Bigger than bigger” catchphrase for the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The Xperia Z3 Compact device in the ad sports a 4.6-inch display about the same size as the iPhone 6, but the ad also points out a few specs the new iPhones can’t claim: 2 day battery life, 20.7MP camera, and waterproofing features.

On cue, Samsung and others have also joined in on the iPhone 6 mocking following Apple’s unveiling earlier this month.

[tweet https://twitter.com/sonyxperia/status/512609575804342273/]

iOS 8 adoption after first day lagging behind previous iOS releases

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iOS-8-adoption

Over 60% of 9to5Mac readers are on iOS 8 following yesterday’s public release, but that’s not surprisingly representative of all users. In fact, adoption of iOS 8 this year seems to be lagging further behind previous releases, especially last year’s record setting adoption rate for iOS 7. A quick look at the various advertisers and research firms tracking adoption through apps and device usage on their platforms shows iOS 8 is sitting at around half of what iOS 7 had during the same time period.
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GarageBand’s iOS 8 update adds MIDI over Bluetooth for wirelessly connecting instruments

As one of the last of its own apps to get an update for iOS 8, Apple has now updated its GarageBand app for iPhone and iPad with support for the new operating system and more.

On top of the expected iOS 8 support, the app also gains MIDI over Bluetooth support, which means compatible MIDI keyboards, DJ controllers and other MIDI-based instruments can now connect wirelessly and send MIDI data to the app over Bluetooth LE. We first told you about Apple’s new MIDI over Bluetooth support in iOS 8 and coming soon in OS X Yosemite, which will also allow users to advertise their device as a MIDI device for sending MIDI from virtual apps on either OS to the other.

Also new for GarageBand is iCloud Drive compatibility, although developers have warned users to avoid upgrading to the feature before the release of OS X Yosemite.

Lastly, the app adds the ability to “Toggle the metronome on and off directly from the control bar.”

The updated GarageBand is available on the App Store now.

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Apple updates mobile iWork apps w/ iOS 8 support & iCloud Drive compatibility

Numbers-app-iconFollowing updates to a number of its other iOS apps for iOS 8 earlier today, Apple has just released an update for its Numbers app. The update includes iOS 8 support and iCloud Drive compatibility and comes ahead of what we expect will be similar updates for Apple’s other iWork apps, Pages and Keynote, later today. (Update: Pages and Keynote 2.4.2 are now available with these changes.)

Earlier today we noted that developers are warning users upgrading to iOS 8 to not opt into iCloud Drive until the release of OS X Yosemite. The feature, which allows users to store and access files stored in iCloud on Mac, Windows, and iCloud-enabled iOS apps, is available to users on iOS 8 starting today, but could break the ability to sync documents between Macs before the release of OS X Yosemite later this year.

The updated Numbers app is available on the App Store now.

What’s New in Version 2.4.2

• Support for iOS 8
• iCloud Drive compatibility
• Stability improvements and bug fixes

Apple turns Activation Lock on by default in iOS 8 to appease regulators calling for kill switch

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Activation Lock-iOS-7-Apple

Apple is reportedly making its Activation Lock theft deterrent feature on by default in iOS 8 as it moves to please politicians attempting to require smartphone makers implement a remote “kill switch” to disable stolen devices. The news comes from Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón who praised Apple’s decision in a statement today.


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Tim Cook, Jony Ive & other Apple execs talk Apple Watch & more in Bloomberg Businessweek interview

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Bloomberg Businessweek published an interesting profile on Apple today that includes interviews with Tim Cook and other Apple executives while detailing how the structure of the company has changed in recent years under Cook:

Almost everything else on Apple’s campus in Cupertino, Calif., is different. The executive wing once radiated nervous energy, with handlers scurrying to anticipate the whims of Apple’s temperamental co-founder. Now there’s tranquility in the hallways, a reflection of the new boss’s calm Southern demeanor. Downstairs, the cafeterias are packed—the workforce has almost doubled. A mile away, behind a ring of fences, construction crews are building the massive foundation for the circular “spaceship” campus that will accommodate 12,000 workers when it’s completed in a few years…

The piece also includes also includes some interesting bits about Apple’s latest announcements including Apple Pay and the Apple Watch as well as quotes from interviews with Apple executives Jony Ive, Jeff Williams, and Eddy Cue. In one interview, for instance, Jony Ive noted that the Apple Watch was conceived in his lab three years ago following Steve Jobs passing. “With an Apple Watch wrapped around his hand brass-knuckle style, Ive reveals that the project was conceived in his lab three years ago, shortly after Jobs’s death and before “wearables” became a buzzword in Silicon Valley. “It’s probably one of the most difficult projects I have ever worked on,” he says.”

Ive owns Jobs’s 15-seat Gulfstream jet, which he bought from Jobs’s widow at a significant discount, according to a person with knowledge of the transaction. As Ive, who helped Jobs decorate the interior, joked to a friend, “At least I don’t have to redesign anything.”

You can read the full article on Bloomberg Businessweek here.

Developers warn iOS 8 users not to upgrade to iCloud Drive before OS X Yosemite release

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With the public release of iOS 8 landing today ahead of the new iPhone models shipping on September 19, developers are warning users not to upgrade to Apple’s new iCloud Drive feature just yet. The feature, which allows users to store and access files stored in iCloud on Mac, Windows, and iCloud-enabled iOS apps, is available to users on iOS 8 starting today, but won’t be available for Macs until Yosemite is released later this year. That means that upgrading today will cause syncing issues for apps that previously used other methods of syncing between Macs and iOS devices. The graphics above come from developers of iOS app DayOne, while developer Ginger Labs explained the problem in release notes for its popular iOS Notability app today:
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iPhone production at Foxconn’s Brazil factory halts as workers strike

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Foxconn-Brazil-Strike

Employees of Apple’s manufacturing partner Foxconn went on strike late last week in Brazil with protests outside the company’s Jundiai factory continuing into today. We received several tips about the strike and translated reports from local news sources such as Globo.com claim all production lines at the factory stopped when the strike involving around 3,500 employees began last Thursday.


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With ‘mother of all upgrades’ expected, Apple courts Android switchers with iPhone transition guide

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With iOS 8 set for public release tomorrow, Apple has posted a new guide on its website detailing the best way for Android switchers to move content from their old device to their new iPhone. The detailed guide includes instructions on transferring Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Photos, Videos, Music, Books, Documents, and Apps and highlights a number of third-party apps to get the job done.
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WATCH Disney iOS apps updated with AirPlay and Chromecast streaming support

Watch-Disney-ChannelDisney’s popular apps iOS apps including WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney Junior, and WATCH Disney X D have all been updated today with support for AirPlay and Chromecast streaming.

That means that owners of an Apple TV or Google’s Chromecast can now send content from the iPhone and iPad apps to an Apple TV or Chromecast-connected TV. Apple TV already has dedicated Disney channels offering most if not all of content available through the apps, but AirPlay streaming offers another way to get content to the big screen if you prefer browsing from a mobile device.

The updated WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney Junior, and WATCH Disney X D apps are available now on the App Store.

What’s New in Version 4.0.2

AirPlay streaming now available via Apple TV
Casting now available via Google Chromecast

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Court throws out $368 million judgement against Apple in VirnetX patent lawsuit

VPN-on-Demand-VirnetX

Recode reports that a federal appeals court today threw out a previous ruling granting VirnetX Holding Corp $368.2 million in damages in its long-running patent lawsuit against Apple:

Apple had appealed a November 2012 jury finding that it infringed VirnetX’s patents for virtual private network, or VPN, technology through the FaceTime feature on its iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad products, as well as on its Mac computers… While agreeing that some patents were infringed, the appeals court said the verdict was tainted by incorrect jury instructions from the trial judge on how to calculate damages, and that the error was not harmless.

The case previously resulted in Apple changing the behaviour of its VPN On Demand feature in iOS after it lost the initial patent case to VirnetX.

The case isn’t over yet, however, as both companies will return to U.S. District Court in Tyler, Texas work out what damages Apple will ultimately be on the hook for. VirnetX shares were down significantly today following the news.

Microsoft unveils MFi Bluetooth keyboard built for iOS, Android & Windows devices

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdPT-TzgU84]

Microsoft today announced a new Bluetooth keyboard accessory that doesn’t just work with non-Windows devices like some of its past keyboards, it also includes a function for easily switching between Windows, Android, and iOS as well as dedicated keys for the other platforms.

Other nice touches for iOS users: Microsoft even includes a CMD key normally reserved for Mac/iOS keyboards in its proper location in addition to a dedicated home button for both Android and iOS. Not only that, but the keyboard is a Made-for-iPhone/iPad/iPod touch product, which means it also has Apple’s seal of approval.


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Foxconn employee detained by Chinese police for iPhone 6 shell leaks

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An employee at Apple’s manufacturing partner Foxconn has reportedly been detained by Chinese police over allegations the 40-year old man stole and sold iPhone 6 shells in the week’s leading up to the device’s unveiling. The report comes from The Wall Street Journal, which cites local reports from Communist Party-run newspaper Taihang Daily:
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