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.
On Twitter, investor Carl Icahn has disclosed that he issued a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook. The letter will be shared publicly via Icahn’s new website that is launching tomorrow. Earlier this month, Icahn, Cook, and Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer met over dinner in New York City. One of the major topics of discussion: $AAPL share buybacks. While unconfirmed, it seems likely that Icahn’s new letter to Cook is in regards to that. Icahn has been pushing for a $150 million buyback, and this comes ahead of Apple’s October 28th financial earnings call.
Update:CNBC agreeing the topic of the letter is in regards to share buybacks:
T-Mobile has formally announced its new “un-carrier” strategy for the just-introduced Apple iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display. While the Cellular-capable iPads normally cost an extra $130 over the upfront WiFi-model purchase price, T-Mobile will be offering the new tablets at $0 down. T-Mobile says that this is introductory pricing, and it is unclear when the price points will raise for T-Mobile customers…
As expected, Apple has updated iTunes with improved OS X Mavericks support. Also, Apple has released an iBooks Author update for better compatibility with iBooks in Mavericks. Both updates are out in the Software Update tab in the Mac App Store.
In line with some of the new features found in Safari for OS X Mavericks, the Mountain Lion version has been updated with support for the new sidebar, Shared Links, and improved power-efficiency. Get it from the Software Update tab in the App Store.
Apple has provided employees with iTunes 11.1.2, a bug fix update with improved OS X Mavericks compatibility, support for Hebrew and Arabic and improved performance. It should be rolling out for customers imminently.
Apple has released a major iOS bug fix update called iOS 7.0.3, bringing iCloud Keychain, improved password management in Safari, the delay of the Slide to Unlock text on the Lock screen for Touch ID devices, iMessage fixes, and fixes for sensor calibration issues.
For the first time, the iPad mini will come in a 128GB configuration. That’s for the Retina Display model launching later in November, and it will cost $699 for WiFi-only and $829 for the Cellular-capable version.
In addition to the new full-sized iPad Air, Apple has announced a new version of the iPad mini. And, yes, it has a Retina display. The new iPad mini also has a 64-bit A7 processor.
Alongside the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, Apple has announced an upgrade to the 15-inch model with much improved graphics processors, a new Intel Quad-Core processing system, improved battery life (up to 8 hours), and new 802.11ac WiFi.
The new 15-inch models also ship today, and they include OS X Mavericks. The new computer starts at $1999. (Full press release below)
Apple has announced a new version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. It is thinner and lighter than the previous generation, coming in at 3.46 pounds and 0.71-inches thin.
It also has new Intel Haswell processors for better battery life.
The new battery comes in at 9 hours on a single charge. The new laptop also has new graphics and faster PCIe-based flash (60% faster). Faster, 802.11ac WiFi and Thunderbolt 2 are also in the mix.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1299 and includes OS X Mavericks. It begins shipping today. (Full press release below)
This weekend, Apple seems to have updated the OS X Mavericks Golden Master (GM) version to a new build. The new build is 13A603 while the original GM seed was 13A598. It’s not common for Apple to change the GM build for a Mac OS, but it is not without precedent. Apple has altered GM iOS seeds before they shipped to customers on a few occasions in the past. Users of the new build have not reported any noticeable user-facing alterations…
Apple’s next event is upon us, and it’s likely to be action-packed. As Apple says: it has “a lot to cover.” So besides the speculation that rings in from the word cover (new Smart Covers, anyone?), Apple has some new tablets, computers, and software to discuss. Read our full roundup of what to expect (and not expect) on Tuesday, October 22nd, from Apple:
Update: Several readers report that games were previously held up by a dispute with the Films and Publications Board responsible for approving movies, games, and other content before going on sale in the country. No word on the resolution with Apple, but it appears they are now allowing Apple to sell games to iOS users in South Africa.
Apple has flicked the switch on the ability for developers to offer their games in the iTunes App Store in South Africa. It is unclear why Games have been unavailable in the country until now. A look at the South Africa App Store shows that the Games category is now active. Apple informed developers of the new ability to sell games, and the company tells the creators that games will automatically appear in the South African store.
We’re pleased to announce that games are now available on the South African App Store. All apps in the Games category that are cleared for sale in South Africa will be automatically available on the South African App Store. No additional action is required on your part. If you need to make changes to the territories where your apps are available, visit the Rights and Pricing section of the Manage Your Apps module on iTunes Connect.
Apple is celebrating the addition with a large Games banner at the top of the App Store in South Africa (shown above).
Image via <a href="https://twitter.com/applespotlight/status/391010514379091968">AppleSpotlight</a>
Ahead of its October 22nd iPad and Mac event, Apple has begun dressing up the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Fransisco with banners. While the banners have just begun going up, it is easy to see that the banner will match the theme of the event’s invitation: fall-inspired leaves. We’ll continue to update this post as more images of the banners come through to tips@9to5mac.com. Thanks David Jones for the images!
eBay has hired Apple’s head of e-commerce R.J. Pittman as its new Chief Product Officer and Senior Vice President, the online payments company tells us today. At eBay, Pittman will lead marketplace development and product strategy, and he will report directly to eBay President Devin Wenig. At Apple, Pittman has served as the brains behind Apple’s online sales platforms. Before Apple, Pittman was a Product Manager at Google.
Redesigned icons for iPhoto for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and Garageband have appeared in the iCloud Storage Management function in the iOS Settings app. The new icons are simpler, flatter, and is designed with iOS 7’s new icon grid system in mind. They are a stark contrast from the colorful, 3D-like icons used in the current versions of the apps.
In line with the app redesigns for all of Apple’s bundled iOS 7 apps, it is likely that the new icon will come as a complement to a completely redesigned version of the iPhoto app. When Apple released iOS 7 last month, the designs to Apple’s App Store apps went noticeably unchanged. Besides iPhoto, Apple has a slew of other App Store apps (like iWork’s Pages, Numbers, and Keynote & iLife’s iMovie). However, there are yet to be any solid indications of redesigns for the other apps…
Ahead of Apple’s October 22nd iPad-focused event, major accessory maker ZAGG seems to be getting its offerings in order for the new Apple tablets. The company posted a listing for an iPad 5 keyboard case on its website this week, and the images for the case clearly show an iPad with a thinner-bezel. The case features backlit keys, white and black color options, and comes in at 7.6mm. While this case does not provide any breakthrough details about Apple’s new iPad, it does demonstrate that case makers expect that the iPad 5 will look just like the several leaks over the course of last many months. The above case launched for the current iPad mini earlier this year.
Apple has informed App Store developers via email that it will be increasing the prices of App Store apps in the Japanese App Store on October 17th. It is already October 17th in Japan, so it’s likely that the new prices will propagate throughout the day. The increases are due to natural fluctuations in currency exchange rates across the world. Apple tells developers that the new Pricing Matrix will be available to view in iTunes Connect after the change occurs.
Earlier today, Apple announced that it will be holding its fall event on October 22nd. The event will take place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California. However, like in some past years, Apple will hold a simultaneous event to cater to media not located in the United States.
For its September 10 iPhone event, Apple held simultaneous satellite streams in Berlin, Tokyo, and Beijing. For the upcoming event, the stream will be held in London, according to members of international media invited to the stream. The London-based event will begin at 6PM local time and it will be held at the Kings Place Hall. This hall fits a few hundred people.
It is likely that the London stream will also offer an opportunity for local journalists to try out the new devices. We’re expecting an iPad mini with Retina display, redesigned full-sized iPad, new Macs, and talk of OS X Mavericks, so there will be plenty in store for the demo area…
Apple has announced that it will be holding its next media event on October 22nd, which is in line with expectations. The event will take place at 10 AM Pacific/1 PM Eastern Time at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California.
Also in Apple’s pipeline are new iWork suites, a new version of the Apple TV, new MacBook Pros with faster chipsets, OS X Mavericks, and the new Mac Pro. It’s unclear which of the aforementioned products will actually get stage time this time around, but the new Mac Pro, MacBook Pros, and OS X Mavericks are the most likely to appear in addition to the tablets…
In line with my report from earlier this month, Nike has taken the wraps off of its brand-new Fuel Band. The FuelBand is Nike’s fitness tracking device that is worn around the wrist, and it has been popular (including within Apple’s upper ranks). The new version, officially called Nike FuelBand SE, makes improvements to the design that focus on color, durability, and connectivity. As I reported, the new FuelBand is more durable, more water-resistant, and connects to devices via Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy (LE) technology:
