Mark is an award-winning journalist who worked at 9to5Mac for over six years. He covers Apple and other topics related to the consumer technology industry.
Mark is regarded as one of the go-to reporters for all Apple-related matters, one of Wired‘s top 16 people to follow in technology, and one of TIME Magazine‘s top 25 bloggers of 2013. Mark has also been profiled by CNN Fortune multiple times, NPR, the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, the Huffington Post, Business Insider, Columbia Journalism Review, Marketplace, Haaretz, and USA Today. Mark was also recently named to the 2015 Forbes 30 under 30 List.
In 2012, Mark published the first photos of the iPhone 5, broke the news about Apple’s switch to an in-house Maps application, revealed the first 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, forecasted that Apple would update the iPad’s software with Siri support, and accurately revealed the iPad mini’s higher-than expected price point.
In 2013, Mark published the first photos of the original iPad Air, provided the first details about Jony Ive’s end-to-end iPhone and iPad software update called iOS 7, provided information about OS X Mavericks, and detailed Apple’s early work on the Apple Watch.
In 2014, Mark revealed Apple’s work on a new Health application for iOS 8 and the Apple Watch, Ive’s redesign of OS X called Yosemite, and details about the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Mark started out 2015 with a significant scoop detailing Apple’s yet-to-be-released 12-inch MacBook with a Retina display, thinner design, and more advanced trackpad and keyboard. He has continued the year by reporting on several details about iOS 9, including the new Proactive Assistant, redesigned Siri, upgraded Maps with transit functionality, new system font, split-screen iPad apps, Swift 2.0, as well as predicting a performance focus for both that software upgrade and OS X El Capitan. Mark finished the year by reporting the majority of the details about the new Apple TV, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, Apple Watch updates, the iPad Pro, the iPad mini 4, and iMacs.
Mark started out 2016 with exclusive reports on Apple’s work on a pair of completely wireless Beats headphones for the iPhone 7, details on the iPhone SE, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, Apple Watch updates, Apple’s March product event, new Apple retail initiatives, and Tim Cook’s Town Hall meeting with Apple employees.
Mark has also written long-form features on “Apple Anonymous,” a group of retail employees who discuss work over Twitter and the fascination of watches by Apple executives. Most significantly, in fall 2014, Mark published an extensive profile of Apple’s PR and Communications department that was compiled over two months into nine chapters. Mark also provides analysis on relevant technology industry topics, such as Apple’s recent executive shakeup. Mark kicked off his writing career at the end of 2009, and he had his first significant break in 2011 with a story detailing Siri and the iPhone 4S.
You can follow him on Twitter.
Just a few days after the second golden master candidate, Apple has seeded a third version of OS X Yosemite to developers. Sources say that Apple has planned to finalize the code for Yosemite tomorrow ahead of a ship date around next week’s October 16th media event. The update is available in Software Update on the Mac App Store and on the developer center.
Skype today has begun rolling out a redesigned version of its Mac client, bringing an enhanced look that better fits the upcoming design aesthetic of OS X Yosemite. The new design also brings the Mac app more in line with the recently redesigned iPhone and iPod touch version of Skype. The new look’s most significant new feature fixes a common #FirstWorldProblem: having to figure out how to send someone an instant message during a voice or video call. Now, the new Skype 7.0 update brings the split-screen view shown above. Improved multi-person video calls, easier sharing, and chat syncing across devices rounds out the update. Skype 7.0 for Mac is a free download from the Skype website. Some more screenshots are below:
Weebly, one of the more popular web-based, drag-and-drop solutions for creating websites, has made its way to the iPad for the first time. The app, which was demonstrated to us earlier this week, is a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for creating, editing, and managing websites right from the iPad. The video below shows a little bit more about the app:
It’s happening: Apple has just announced a keynote address for Thursday, October 16th to take place at the Town Hall auditorium on its Infinite Loop Campus in Cupertino, California. Invitations to select members of the media and special guests indicate that the event will, as always, begin at 10 AM Pacific time/1 PM Eastern Time. News of the October 16th date broke last week. We’ll be providing full, live coverage on 9to5Mac.com of the event’s proceedings. Here’s everything we’re expecting Apple to discuss at the event:
Apple wasn’t kidding when it said that the first “Golden Master” of OS X Yosemite was a candidate. The Cupertino-company just issued OS X Yosemite GM 2.0 for developers, and it’s available in Software Update on the Mac App Store. Public Beta 5 is also out for those in the AppleSeed program. The new seed is labeled as build number 14A386a, and it does not appear to include any noticeable changes over the previously provided built. It’s likely, however, that it includes some under-the-hood bug fixes. Earlier today, Apple unleashed a second beta of iOS 8.1.
Alongside a string of updates to both the mobile and desktop Creative Cloud software suites, Adobe today launched a trio of new services at its annual MAX conference. First up, and most critical to the updates on the software side of the story, is the new Creative Profile content synchronization service. Blending nicely with the existing Creative Cloud sync service, Creative Profile takes ubiquity of files to new heights by allowing synchronization of more aspects of documents:
This Creative Cloud release includes a new Creative Profile that connects creatives to their work, to the assets they use to create, and the communities that matter to them – no matter where they are. Files, photos, colors, brushes, shapes, fonts, textstyles, graphics, and any other assets are always at their fingertips. This new Creative Profile moves with creatives from app-to-app, and device-to-device, so assets automatically appear when they need them, in the right context.
Most critically, it is optimized for the new desktop and mobile apps so new content created with Adobe’s latest products can be easily synchronized. The Creative Profile service launches today, and it is a free addition for customers with existing Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions…
To complement the new Creative Cloud Talent Search, Creative Profile services, and significant mobile app updates, Adobe is today enhancing most of its suite of desktop Creative Cloud applications. Here are the highlights, courtesy of Adobe:
Touch support on Windows 8 devices for key design applications; new 3D print features and enhanced Mercury Graphics Engine performance for Photoshop CC; a new Curvature tool in Illustrator CC; interactive EPUB support in InDesign CC; SVG and Synchronized Text support in Muse CC; GPU-optimized playback for viewing high resolution 4K and UltraHD footage in Premiere Pro CC; and HiDPI and new 3D support in After Effects CC.
Perhaps more interesting on the desktop side of today’s news are some fresh services. Here’s Adobe’s explainer on the new Cloud Market, Cloud Libraries, and Cloud Extract products:
The Cloud Market feature could give services like Getty Images a run for its money, while Cloud Libraries is the iCloud-like solution that ties all of Adobe’s supported platforms together. Cloud Extract is an advanced cloud-based solution that allows designers and developers working on Photoshop projects together to share data on an asset-by-asset or feature-by-feature basis.
Like with the new services and mobile applications covered in our other Adobe news articles this morning, the updated desktop apps and new Creative Cloud services are free additions for those with existing Creative Cloud subscriptions.
Ahead of its annual MAX Conference kicking off today, Adobe has launched an entirely new suite of apps that are now available on the iPhone and iPad App Store. This year, Adobe is focusing on simplifying its mobile software lineup into four categories that sync with desktop counterparts: Illustration, Imaging, Video, and a new platform called Creative Cloud Capture Apps. Each of the apps within the four categories are either brand new or have been enhanced.
This morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook emailed all employees in reflection of the upcoming third anniversary of the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. “I hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate the many ways Steve made our world better,” Cook wrote in the internal memo. Here’s the full message, via several Apple employees:
Starting with iOS 5 in 2011, Apple has released a major new iOS version each fall and a notable follow-up update early in the following year. For example, iOS 6 launched in September 2012 and was updated to iOS 6.1 in January, and iOS 7, which was launched in September 2013, was updated to iOS 7.1 with CarPlay and interface improvements in March 2014. But starting with the recently released iOS 8, it appears that Apple has a different development schedule for 2015 and perhaps beyond. According to sources, Apple is already hard at work on three major follow-up versions to iOS 8: iOS 8.1, iOS 8.2, and iOS 8.3.
iOS 8.2 visits to 9to5Mac
We’ve confirmed that these major new versions are in development via two means. First, a developer of a major hardware-connected iOS application has shared with us their analytics, and this data indicates that all three versions are in testing by Apple employees in or around Cupertino, California. Second, and much closer to home, our own Google Analytics for 9to5Mac.com show that iOS users are visiting our website via iOS 8.1, iOS 8.2, and iOS 8.3 devices. iOS 8.1 hits to 9to5Mac.com started appearing even months before iOS 8.0 launched, but 8.2 and 8.3 visits only started picking up following iOS 8’s release in mid-September.
iOS 8.3 visits to 9to5Mac
While Apple works on several iOS features and enhancements over the course of several years, it typically only begins wholly testing major new releases close to the ship dates of the preceding release. Apple working on three significant follow-ups to iOS 8 is a shift from the usual development cycle, one which would normally indicate Apple to be working on just iOS 8.1 as well as iOS 9.0. It’s possible that iOS 9 is also in the works, and of course Apple is always working on nominal bug fix (x.x.1 or .2 or .3) updates, but the fact that 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3 are all in simultaneous development raises some interesting possibilities:
A new line of iMacs with ultra high-resolution Retina Displays is in late testing stages within Apple, according to our sources who have used the future desktop computer. While the machine will sport a thin profile similar to that of the current design, which was introduced in 2012, it will be packed with new internals such as faster processors and improved WiFi antennas. The fact that the iMac is in late testing indicates that Apple could be preparing to launch it alongside OS X Yosemite this fall…
Apple made a minor over-the-air change to the Mac App Store today on OS X Yosemite. The company updated the icons to be more in line with the new design aesthetic. The top bar is the new version, while the bottom is the old one that can still be seen on OS X Mavericks. The new icons also better match up with those on the iOS version. Apple will launch Yosemite next month for free.
The official ESPN SportsCenter app has been updated with support for an iOS 8 Notification Center widget, and it seems awesome thus far. The widget allows you to get quick access to scores from your favorite team (go Lakers) and provides access to ESPN’s radio stations. The update is free on the App Store.
If you’re an iPhone 6 user running the botched iOS 8.0.1 update and can’t make a phone call to ask for a ride, Uber has some great news for you today. The company has updated its iOS application with full optimization for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus screens. The update does not add much else today, but expect an update in the near-future with support for the upcoming Apple Pay payment service.
This morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a memo to all employees to recognize Apple’s September accomplishments and the products still in the pipeline. Cook also announced that Apple employees will receive extended vacation time for the November Thanksgiving holiday, which is an offer that Cook has extended in previous years. “This month has been one for the record books,” Cook wrote in the email, highlighting the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iOS 8, Apple Pay, and the preview of the Apple Watch.
“Each of these introductions represents years of innovation and hard work by teams all across Apple,” according to Cook. “Many of you have put the best work of your lives into these amazing new products, which bring together world-class hardware, software and services in the way only Apple can,” he added. Cook also acknowledged the teams working on Apple’s efforts in user privacy, the environment, climate change, and improving educational materials and services for students.
With all that in mind, Cook tells employees that “without you, none of these accomplishments would have been possible. Our people are the soul of our company, and we all need time to refresh and renew.” So, he’s “happy to announce that [Apple is] extending the Thanksgiving holiday this year. [Apple] will shut down with pay on November 24, 25 and 26 so our teams can enjoy the whole week off.” Of course, while many Cupertino-based employees will get the week off, retail and AppleCare assets will need to be on call. So, those teams will get the same days off at a later point.
The full email from Cook to employees is available to read below:
You may remember Apple CEO Tim Cook teasing major new product categories for Apple to be released in 2014. Technically, that will happen with Apple Pay next month, Apple’s first foray into the mobile payments category, but it is far more likely that Cook had been focusing his teases on the Apple Watch. Earlier this month, Apple debuted the fashion and fitness-oriented smart watch to the same crowd that saw the debut of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. While the Watch was demonstrated, it is obviously not a finished product: it’s not shipping until “early 2015,” according to Apple.
How early in 2015? Nobody knows for sure, but a new profile from The Information says “that Apple would be lucky to ship it by Valentine’s Day.” At 9to5, we’ve been hearing similar whispers. Valentine’s Day is in February, and this could be a great target for Apple to try to hit for the Watch’s launch. That Hallmark Holiday isn’t as strong as a shopping season as the December holidays, but it is still a time that many people seek out expensive or fashionable gifts. So why not the Apple Watch Edition, too? Apple has done product launches around that timeframe before, releasing new iOS device storage capacities and pink-colored models on multiple occasions.
Valentine’s Day aside, the bigger picture here is that many signs indicate Apple missed its own 2014 launch target. As The Information says:
Add another startup to the list of those under Apple’s wings: PRSS. The company launched in 2012 and gained coverage in 2013 as a simple tool for creating magazine apps for the iPad and Android tablets. TNW explains the startup well in a 2013 article:
Spoiler: Sort of? One thing we know for sure, though: it does bend.
Yesterday, Skype released an update for its iOS app to include iOS 8-optimized notifications and other goodies. However, it has no support for the higher-resolution iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus displays. That will change next month, per a Skype spokesperson:
We’re currently working on an update to Skype for iPhone that scales for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus screen sizes, which we plan to release in the next month.
Unfortunately, that sounds like quite a while. Hopefully the updated version isn’t just bigger, but more optimized for the larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch panels.
Some iPhone 6 owners have found that Apple’s latest and greatest phone comes with an unexpected (but patented!) new feature: flexibility. According to reports, the iPhone 6 is slightly bending beyond repair while in pockets. Some users say that the bending occurred after normal sitting, while other people have had more active lifestyles. Unfortunately, it does not appear that Apple will replace these more fragile-than-expected units at no cost. Some users are reporting that replacement costs are in the hundreds of dollars range. Additional bending pictures below:
Apple today has released an update to OS X Yosemite’s official Mail application via Software Update in the Mac App Store. It’s available for both developers and customers on the public beta. Apple says that the update fixes an issue related to users being unable to compose messages. It’s interesting that Apple issued this update as a standalone fix versus an entirely new developer preview. Apple released new developer and public betas for Yosemite last week. The final OS is expected to ship in late October.
*Actors, not actual Apple employees
The Apple Watch is only shipping early next year, after being announced earlier this month, and Apple engineers are reportedly already sporting the wearable in the wild. According to reports on Twitter, Apple engineers have been spotted with the sport model at their usual bus stops en route to work:
https://twitter.com/rohitjenveja/status/514102142802489344
Of course, they were carrying the new iPhones, too. We’ll know how the battery life is if they’re still wearing the watches when they return to the bus stop tonight. Another reader spotted the Raffi model last week:
https://twitter.com/natechiger/status/510603395527622656
Apple has informed iCloud users via email that the company will begin rolling out an app-specific password feature. The feature allows users with iCloud two-factor authentication enabled to use third-party apps.
Apple explains:
It will be required starting October 1st. Apple has also informed users via email about this morning’s general rollout of two-factor verification for iCloud.