Mark Gurman

Apple has seeded the eighth Developer Preview of the upcoming OS X 10.9 Mavericks to developers. The update is available via Software Update in the Mac App Store. Approximately two weeks ago, Apple provided developers with Developer Preview 7. A new Safari 6.1 beta seed for Mountain Lion and Lion is also available. We previously reported that Apple is aiming to publicly release Mavericks towards the end of October. Mavericks includes several enhancements over Mountain Lion, including an iBooks app, Maps app, and power-user features in Finder.

Ahead of the iPhone 5s’s launch later this week, Apple has put up a notice for developers to start submitting 64-bit compatible App Store apps. One of the iPhone 5s’s marquee features is a new 64-bit A7 processor that improves gaming and speed performance across the system and apps. Apple’s notice to developers:

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<em>Via Getty Images</em>

According to France-based MacGeneration, which has offered both accurate and inaccurate information in the past, Apple’s next media event will be held on Tuesday, October 15th. Apple is expected to debut a series of new products by the end of this year, including multiple new iPad models, several new Macs, OS X Mavericks, and perhaps an update to Apple TV hardware.

Today’s report also claims that iMac stock is constrained, something we reported earlier this month. An October event following a September event would not be unprecedented. Last year, Apple debuted the iPhone 5 and new iPods in September, and then it launched new Macs, a new full-sized iPad, and the first-generation iPad mini in late October.

We’re expecting OS X Mavericks to hit the App Store toward the end of October. Besides the iMac, the MacBook Pro and Mac mini are both due for Intel Haswell-infused refreshes. We’re also expecting Apple to introduce at least two new iPads, including a redesigned full-sized model and an iPad mini with a Retina display.

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One of the cornerstone features of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5s is the Touch ID fingerprint scanning system. The feature allows an iPhone 5s user to unlock their iPhone or authenticate iTunes/App Store/iBooks downloads with the touch of their fingerprint on the device’s Home button. During the hands-on time with the device following Apple’s September 10th presentation, Apple demonstrated Touch ID with Apple employees carrying around iPhone 5s units that are programmed to their distinct fingers.

But come September 20th, Apple will have more than just a couple hundred journalists wanting to test out Touch ID: they will have millions of customers rushing into their hundreds of stores worldwide. With fingerprints being an authentication solution personalized to every individual, Apple needs an effective way to allow customers to test out Touch ID in its chain of retail stores. With millions of customers, it will be difficult for Apple to keep Touch ID testing restricted to devices showcased by Apple employees in the stores, and Apple has a solution…

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While the first version of iOS 7 will arrive for end-users next week, Apple is already well into testing for iterative updates to the revamped operating system. According to web analytics for 9to5Mac, Apple employees seem to already be testing iOS 7.0.1, iOS 7.0.2, and iOS 7.1. While we cannot absolutely confirm that these tests are occurring inside Apple, it seems likely based on the cities in which these operating systems are being tested. Apple’s headquarters is in Cupertino, California, and we are seeing these views from these unreleased operating systems from both Cupertino and surrounding areas.

Based on Apple’s past release history, iOS 7.0.1 and iOS 7.0.2 are designed as successive bug fix updates, while iOS 7.1 could bring either new functionality or support for new hardware. Apple typically releases bug fixes updates within a few weeks following a major iOS launch, so it is somewhat unsurprising to see Apple employees already testing the new versions. Based on Apple preparing new models of iPad hardware for the later this fall, perhaps the iOS 7.1 update is designed to launch on that new hardware. We previously reported that the new iPads will run a successive update to iOS 7.0. Perhaps backing this up is that all signs of iOS 7.1 testing in our analytics have been conducted on iPads.

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With the iPhone 4S launch nearly two years ago, Apple introduced the Siri voice control system to its customers. At launch, Siri was a gimmicky feature at best, being released with bugs, a highly-computerized voice, sluggish content loading, and unreliable servers. In addition, Siri of 2011 was short on user compatibility, only launching with knowledge of English, French, and German. Apple certainly did not deny the early issues with Siri: the company launched the product in “beta,” a tag that has remained on the software ever since.

Since 2011, Apple has been slowly improving the service. In early 2012, Siri gained support for Japanese, and with iOS 6 in late 2012, the service added support for several new languages and capabilities. With iOS 7, Siri has been given a redesigned user-interface, new functionality, and all-new voices. Many of the server errors and lengthy processing time issues that riddled the product in its early days have now disappeared; and it seems that Apple agrees. With the upcoming launch of iOS 7, it appears that Apple will finally be taking Siri out of “beta.”

Late this past week, Apple updated its Siri webpages to drop all references to the product being in beta. Prior to this past week, the bottom of the Siri informational page read:

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While the iPhone 5c became available for pre-order today in several countries via Apple’s website, Apple is currently not offering pre-orders for the iPhone 5s or reservations for pickup at Apple Stores for either model. However, this will change on September 17th in China. Apple began noting this on its website on the day the new iPhones were announced, and MacTrast brought it to our attention today.

Starting on September 17th, customers visiting both the general China Apple website and the Hong Kong Apple website will be able to reserve either an iPhone 5s or an iPhone 5c for pickup at an Apple Store. In line with the official launch date of the new devices, the pickups will begin on September 20th. At the Apple Store, employees will help customers who reserve devices choose carrier plans and setup the iPhone…

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avO5FXj7K-c

Following the release of the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, Microsoft has uploaded a video poking fun at the new Apple smartphones. The video pretends to be a “fly on the wall” during an Apple product development meeting, apparently attempting to make fun of the plastic materials and colors of the 5c.

The videos don’t exactly position Windows Phone against iOS, simply taking jabs at iOS without explaining any benefits of the Microsoft platform.

The ad also mentions iWatch development and the new gold iPhone 5s with fingerprint scanner. The video above follows our roundup of the latest iPhone parody videos (and some additional ones below). Several more videos from Microsoft are also below:

Update: The videos have been removed. 

Update 2: Mirror of one of the ads replaced above

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Apple and fashion retailer Burberry have announced that Burberry’s London-based fashion show next week will be captured entirely with the new iPhone 5s. Apple’s iPhone 5s, which was announced earlier this week, includes major camera enhancements with an improved aperture, dual-LED flash, and new camera software like slow-motion and burst modes.

“iPhone 5s makes it even easier to take great photos with the world’s most popular camera,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPhone & iOS Product Marketing. “We’re thrilled to see the amazing photos and HD video Burberry has captured with the incredible all-new iSight camera.”

While the iPhone 5s will officially hit stores on Friday, September 20th, Burberry’s show is on September 16th, so they will be getting early access to the device for this special partnership.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iL5ceRxp4A

Update: Burberry has posted a new video (below) on their Instgram feed which spotlights the slo-mo feature of the iPhone 5s.
http://instagram.com/p/eUvd7NxJCC/

The full press release is available below:

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Following an extensive period of betas for developers, Apple has publicly released OS X 10.8.5. The update is available from the Mac App Store Software’s Update section and is recommended for all users on OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.4.

The OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.5 Update is recommended for all OS X Mountain Lion users. It improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac. This update:

• Fixes an issue that may prevent Mail from displaying messages
• Improves AFP file transfer performance over 802.11ac Wi-Fi
• Resolves an issue that may prevent a screen saver from starting automatically
• Improves Xsan reliability
• Improves reliability when transferring large files over Ethernet
• Improves performance when authenticating to an Open Directory server
• Addresses an issue that prevented a smart card from unlocking preference panes in System Preferences
• Contains the improvements included in MacBook Air (Mid 2013) Software Update 1.0

The build number for the public release is 12F37, which is a single build over the most recent beta. Apple has also issued RAW Camera Compatibility updates and a new version of Safari. Later next month, Apple will release OS X 10.9 Mavericks.

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Radio Shack will begin offering pre-orders for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5c tomorrow in its chain of retail stores. The pre-ordering will begin at the time of store opening. The company will be offering every available color (red, blue, pink, green, and yellow). Additionally, each color will be available on Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and AT&T.

At 12:01 Pacific Time on Friday morning, Apple will open up its pre-orders on its online store. The iPhone 5c will officially go on sale on Friday, September 20th. Also on September 20th, Apple will be launching its iPhone 5s, but that higher-end device will not be available for pre-order through Apple or Apple’s other retail channels.

Earlier today, we noted that Walmart will be also offering pre-orders for the iPhone 5c. Walmart will be offering significant savings on the devices.

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Besides the main 64-bit A7 processor in the new iPhone 5s, Apple has included a dedicated motion co-processor called the M7. The chip powers many of the sensor technologies in the iPhone, such as the accelerometer, compass, and gyroscope in order to move the weight off of those technologies from the phone’s main chip. This, in turn, will make the new iPhone more efficient for both performance and battery life for the user.

Apple briefly explained some of the consumer-facing abilities of the M7 motion chip, highlighting that the chip could greatly enhance fitness apps such as those from Nike. But, just like with the new iPhone’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner, Apple’s ambitions for the M7 are greater than those discussed earlier this week. According to a source with knowledge of the chip’s development, Apple plans to tightly integrate the chip with its own Maps service in the coming years.

On its official website, Apple presents a brief teaser of what the M7 can do, highlighting a feature in the iPhone 5s (which was not discussed during the keynote presentation):

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Apple is working on a new version of the Apple TV, and according to MG Siegler, it could arrive as soon as next month. We have independently heard that a new version of the Apple TV is in development, but our sources have not provided a clear picture in terms of a launch timeframe.

Siegler says that the launch could occur in October, which is the month that we’re expecting new versions of the iPad arrive. It would make sense for Apple to launch the new Apple TV and iPads in tandem as this is a launch combination that it has done in the past (iPad 3 + Apple TV 3 in 2012)…

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We’ve received multiple tips indicating that Apple’s Cards app and service for iOS has stopped functioning. Cards was launched alongside the iPhone 4s in fall 2011 and served as an easy way for users to create custom-made letterpress cards and have them shipped to another person.

Apple has confirmed that Cards has been discontinued as of today:

Cards ordered before 1 PM Pacific time on September 10, 2013, will be delivered, and push notifications will continue to work. You can view your previous purchases by tapping Saved Cards in the app.

As a replacement, Apple recommends creating letterpress cards on iPhoto for Mac. Thanks, Zac Coffman!

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Following today’s announcements of final iOS 7 details, the new iPhone 5s, and iPhone 5c, Apple CEO Tim Cook has taken the time to email employees about the new products. Cook excitedly shares details about the products and expresses the hardware and software collaboration that led to today’s launch event:

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Following today’s iPhone and iOS Apple media event, Apple has provided developers with the Golden Master (GM) build of iOS 7. The build is available for iPhone 4 and later, iPad mini, iPad 2 and later, and the 5th-generation iPod touch.

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