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Apple Retail

1,477 'Apple Retail' stories September 2010 - April 2013
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Apple operates more than 500 retail stores across the globe.

iphone 16 pro max apple store

Apple operates more than 500 retail stores in 22 countries. Under the direction of Deirdre O’Brien, Apple Stores are staffed by more than 70,000 team members and 3,000 Creative Pros. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple Retail including COVID-19 status, new store openings, and the latest news.

Table of contents

COVID-19: Changes to the Apple Store experience

Wondering about the status of your local Apple Store? Check out our COVID-19 Reopening Tracker, which includes a full map of open stores, health and safety procedures, and all the information you need to know before your visit.

Apple Stores: What makes them unique?

Beyond their award-winning architecture and landmark designs, Apple Stores are known for their focus on education and creativity. Over 250,000 free Today at Apple sessions were offered to the community each quarter prior to the pandemic. New stores are designed with a Video Wall and gathering area for Today at Apple known as the Forum. Older “classic” locations are being upgraded to accommodate the same experience.

Hours and locations: Where can I find details about my local Apple Store?

Apple’s website has a great tool for finding nearby locations and store hours; just type in your address or zip code to get started. You can learn more about the design and details of Apple Stores at The Apple Store Glossary.

Apple Store appointments: How can get I help?

If you’re having a problem with your device or want to shop with a knowledgeable Specialist, take the time to make an appointment before your Apple Store visit. If you need to make a Genius Bar appointment or contact Apple Support, visit Apple’s website. To schedule a shopping session, visit this link or open the Apple Store app.

The latest store openings and upgrades

Share your experience

If you attend a store opening, spot something interesting, or attend a great Today at Apple session, we’d love to see and share your photos.

Poll: Should Apple re-hire Ron Johnson to run its Retail division?

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Apr 8 2013 - 2:47 pm PT
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We’re all discussing this here and wondered what the wider Apple community thinks.
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Ron Johnson out as CEO of JCP, Apple Retail boss job still open

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Apr 8 2013 - 2:02 pm PT
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Former Apple Retail Chief Ron Johnson is out at JCPenney after his radical retail redesign failed to ignite sales in the same manner in which Apple Stores had grown accustomed. Ron Johnson left Apple in 2011 for the JCP job after a decade at Apple.  He helped design the original Apple Store concept after being lured away from Target by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. He pioneered concepts like the Genius Bar which was unheard of at the time but still a growing trend in the industry.

We know more than a few folks who would like to see him back at Apple which meanwhile has found him difficult to replace. One such attempt was the hiring and subsequent firing of John Browett, a former Dixon’s UK CEO.

Johnson continued to live in the Bay area during his stint at JCP commuting to Plano Texas via Jet so…

We’ve reached out to JCP and Apple for comment and will update as appropriate. Press release follows:

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Apple tripling franchise stores in India, but Apple Stores still impossible

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Mar 26 2013 - 5:53 am PT
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The Economic Times reported that Apple plans to triple the number of Apple-exclusive franchise stores in India from 65 to 200 by 2015, but the country still won’t see any official Apple Stores.

Government regulations mean that branded stores must source 30 percent of their stock from Indian companies, something Apple’s yet unable to do. It instead sells via franchisees who operate under their own brands, though generally emulating the look and feel of official stores to some degree …
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New Apple Stores headed to UK and Germany starting with Leeds grand opening on Thursday

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 18 2013 - 8:51 am PT
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Apple has plans to announce at least 30 new Apple stores this year to add to the 400 or so it already has up and running, and today we get tips that it has also started advertising jobs for new locations in Germany and the United Kingdom.

First off is a new U.K. Apple Store located in Trinity Leeds shopping center in Leeds. TechnoDaily pointed us to an announcement from Apple that the new store will open March 21 at 10 a.m. local time.

Apple also appears to have new stores on tap for Munich in addition to job lists going up for the already confirmed Dusseldorf store.

CEO Tim Cook announced plans earlier this year to open 30 new retail locations in 2013, most of which will be located outside of the United States. Apple will also move 20 stores to new, larger spaces during the year and bring the total number of countries with Apple Stores to 13 after launching its first store in Turkey.

9to5Toys Daily Deals Tool, ‘Specials’ and Free Otterbox Armor iPhone cases contest

Avatar for 9to5 Staff Mar 16 2013 - 9:44 am PT
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We have some exciting 9to5Toys.com announcements for our US readers today.

1. We’ve teamed up with Stack Social to launch Specials.9to5toys.com which will feature new software and hardware specials for Apple ecosystem folks every day. Some examples:

2. Specials will headline our new 1 minute Daily Deals Aggregator. This is one of the tools the 9to5Toys Team uses to scout out the best deals on the web. Now we’re releasing it to the public.

Every Day, you get the best 36 retail Daily Deals on the net including: Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, MacMall, MacConnection, Woot, 1SaleaDay, Sears, NewEgg, eBay, Apple Refurbs and many others. The page gets updated every hour and is super-cached  for speedy browsing. Checking all 36 Daily Deals only takes a minute using the ^ and v arrow keys.

Bookmark the 1 Minute Daily Deals page now and you are guaranteed to save some money.

3. To celebrate the launch, we’re teaming up with AT&T to offer 3 of new $99 OtterBox Armor Series iPhone 5 cases in White, Black and Gray. We will award one on each of the three major social platforms: FACEBOOK, TWITTER and GOOGLE+. Just Follow/Like/Circle 9to5Toys (if you haven’t already) and Tweet/Like/+1 this post to enter. We’ll pick winners on Monday.

Speaking of contests, our $49.99 Parallels 8 Bundle (expires this weekend, details below) winners were picked; congrats to Robert, Tyler and TK!
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Apple Store smash-and-grab Canadian style with bear spray

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 5 2013 - 6:52 am PT
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The Vancouver Sun reported police in Vancouver, British Columbia are currently on the lookout for three suspects involved in a robbery of the Oakridge Mall Apple Store on Monday night. The suspects apparently entered the store at 7 p.m. “blasting bear spray then taking off with a number of items” while around 40 customers were still in the store:

Five customers were treated at the scene by paramedics for inhaling the powerful spray, the release said.

“Officers arrived and searched the area for the suspects with the help of a police K-9 unit,” VPD spokesman Const. Brian Montague said in a news release. “Some of the stolen items were recovered, but police were not able to find the three men responsible.”

Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Vancouver Police Department. There’s no word on what exactly the suspects got away with.

(image via CTV)

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Google to open retail stores to compete with Apple Stores

Avatar for 9to5 Staff Feb 15 2013 - 1:16 pm PT
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Google is launching retail stores by the end of the year to sell its own products, we’re reporting over at 9to5Google. Will Google try to squeeze into the local Mall between the new Microsoft store and the existing Apple store? Will it be able to supplant some of Apple’s MacBook sales with its $249 Chromebooks? iPhones with Nexuses? Find out more.
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iMac shipping times continue to slip in EU to 4-6 weeks, as iPad mini shipping estimates improve

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Feb 4 2013 - 5:34 am PT
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We told you last month that shipping times for Apple’s new 21.5-inch iMacs slipped from an estimated delivery of 7 to 10 business days to 2 to 3 weeks. Today, iMacs are continuing to experience supply shortages with shipping times on many international Apple Stores once again pushed back. As noted by French language blog macg.co, Apple’s online store is now listing the 21.5-inch iMac as shipping in 3 to 4 weeks and the 27-inch model as available in 4 to 6 weeks in at least France. While Apple has yet to update its U.S. website with the new shipping times, Apple stores in Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, and many other European Union countries are now listing the longer wait times for new iMacs.

We heard that Apple expects to reach a supply and demand balance for the new iMacs (and iPad mini) within the next couple of months, but CEO Tim Cook recently noted that supply constraints will most likely continue into Q1. The same thing goes for Apple’s new iPad mini that, as of this week, is now shipping with an improved delivery time of 1 to 3 business days in at least the U.S. and Canada:


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Apple rumored to open first retail store in Berlin, new Castro St. San Francisco location

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jan 29 2013 - 6:43 am PT
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Two new reports today provide some intel on Apple’s future retail store plans. First, a report from SocketSite (via sfist.com), citing a “plugged-in tipster,” claimed Apple is eyeing an old Bank of America building at 400 Castro Street and the corner of Market for a new San Francisco retail store:

The word on the street is a 50% jump in rent was to blame for effectively chasing Diesel from their 400 Castro Street location at the corner of Market. And if a plugged-in tipster is correct, Apple has their sights set on the space with plans to develop the old Bank of America building into an iconic Apple Store which would be the fourth in San Francisco.

Apple also plans to open its first retail store in Berlin in the capital’s upscale shopping district known as Ku’Damm, according to a report from Bloomberg that cited “a person with knowledge of the plan.” We had first heard reports about Apple acquiring the location over a year ago, while job listings for the new location appeared in March.

Bloomberg confirmed previous rumors today that the new Berlin store will indeed be located in a former movie theatre at Ku’damm 26:
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Belkin debuts the Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater, an iPad case with integrated front-facing speakers

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jan 6 2013 - 3:49 pm PT
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We just looked at the latest range of audio accessories from Griffin, and now well-known accessory maker Belkin is showing off a new audio product for CES 2013: The Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater. Available starting this month on the Apple Store, the otherwise traditional-looking iPad case packs in front-facing ported speakers, thanks to a little help from Audifi, and doubles as a stand with various angles.

The case works as a dock, meaning Belkin will release two models to accommodate for both 30-pin and Lightning connectors. Belkin is also making a free companion app available that will allow users to customize sound profiles for different types of media. The Thunderstorm app isn’t available yet in the App Store, but it should début alongside the 30-pin version of the Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater case sometime this month. A lightning-compatible version of the dock will become available in the spring. Both models will sell for $199.99 from Amazon, the Apple Store, and additional retailers.

We’ll bring you full hands-on from the CES show floor shortly.

Update: We had a chance to listen to the product on a loud crowd floor. While the sound was definitely a significant improvement over the built-in iPad capability, it was a little tinny/thin and didn’t add as much base as we would have liked.  We’ll have more when we get some hands-on time later.

Updated Gallery below:
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Bring the Apple Store experience home, get yourself a Genius Bar Lithium Atom logo (Update: Sold!)

Avatar for Jan 6 2013 - 11:59 am PT
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Update: Sold!

In the back of every Apple store is the iconic Lithium Atom logo that designates the Genius Bar area. A seller on eBay has gotten his hands on one of the displays and has put it up for sale (first time we’ve seen). Apple Store collectibles are rare, because Apple typically makes store management destroy any old signs or visual elements.

If you’ve ever dreamed of bringing the Genius Bar experience home, this is your chance. The sign is currently listed for $600 but also has the option for potential buyers to make an offer.

The Apple Store begins offering Retina 15″ MacBook Pro refurbs starting at $1869

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Jan 4 2013 - 6:52 pm PT
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From 9to5Toys.com:

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This evening, Apple began offering refurbished Retina MacBook Pros at the online Apple Store at significant 15% discounts, yielding savings of over $500 on high end models (below). 15-inch Retina MacBooks normally retail at $2200 but we’ve seen them as low as $2,000 (which is also the EDU discount price).

Apple refurbished products are packaged and look like new and come with the same one year of AppleCare. See all of the best prices on Apple Products on our Apple product pages.

Thanks Jason!
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Upper West Side NY Apple Store closes due to adjacent building fire (Gallery)

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jan 3 2013 - 7:17 am PT
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As noted by several New Yorkers on Twitter, a fire in a building next to the Upper West Side NY Apple Store has caused the retail store to close temporarily. There was some confusion on Twitter from people who first reported that the fire was actually at the Apple retail location, but several have since reported the smoke is coming from an adjacent building. An Apple employee at the location confirmed to us that the fire is in a neighboring building, but he also said the Apple Store has been evacuated with all appointments cancelled for the time being.

[tweet https://twitter.com/TVMarci/status/286851827381698560/photo/1]

https://twitter.com/gregcmartin/status/286847786144653312

[tweet https://twitter.com/EtienneDMartel/status/286847511325446145]

[tweet https://twitter.com/MusicMumbler/status/286853102122962945]

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Mophie OutRide wide-angle, waterproof camera kit for iPhone now available for $149

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Dec 26 2012 - 6:55 am PT
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We told you about Mophie’s new lightweight, waterproof video housing and companion app for iPhone 4/4S when it was first announced in August. The polycarbonate case builds in a 170-degree wide-angle lens and aims to compete with dedicated devices for shooting action sports such as a GoPro or Contour camera.

Mophie is now taking orders nationwide with a black edition of the case it originally showed off available through both Amazon and the company’s website.

The company is also making an all-white edition with a silver aluminum bezel (pictured above) available as an exclusive from the Apple Store. No word on whether these will be available from Apple retail stores, but it is already available to order from Apple.com.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6pLM2bzT38]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3jwlEafYM0]

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Printable/Email-able gift cards for Christmas shopping slackers everywhere

Avatar for 9to5 Staff Dec 24 2012 - 8:04 am PT
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So you waited too long and you need a last second gift for that last person on your shopping list? No problem Apple fan! We’ve got some great options for you.

1. Head over to the iTunes store and either email or Print a gift card in $10, $15, $25, $50 or $100 denominations. Or save a few bucks at Walmart/Sams Club.

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2. Amazon has a load of Printable and email-able gift options including embedding your own photos and videos for a personal touch. You can even send gifts over Facebook if that is your thing. Amazon carries lots of Apple products and peripherals which your giftees will love. Best Buy offers the same services.


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Apple releases iMac EFI Update 2.0 bringing general fixes to sleep and Thunderbolt

Avatar for Jake Smith Dec 17 2012 - 2:26 pm PT
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Apple has released an update to the late 2012 models of the iMac, that owners will sure want to grab. The iMac EFI Update 2.0, weighing in at 4.32MB, brings general performance fixes to sleep and Thunderbolt, and additionally improves the compatibility when using 5GHz band Wi-Fi. As always you can grab the update directly from Apple or via Software Update. [Apple]

Don’t miss: Apple releases Mac Wi-Fi Update 1.0 improving 5GHz band compatibility


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Black Friday was bleak for Microsoft as Surface Tablet didn’t register a blip compared to iPad

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 26 2012 - 6:28 am PT
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Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is out with a note today comparing foot traffic and sales per hour at Apple and Microsoft retail stores for Black Friday (via Fortune). Munster’s team apparently spent eight hours outside of the Mall of America Apple Store in Minneapolis to provide us with some good stats on how well Apple Stores did compared to the Microsoft Store at the same location. Munster found customers purchased 17.2 items per hour at the Apple Store, compared to just 3.5 products per hour at the Microsoft store. However, he also reported all but two of the Microsoft store purchases were Xbox titles.

During their eight hours at the Apple Store (and two hours at the Microsoft store), Munster’s team reported an average of 11 iPads per hour—compared to zero Microsoft Surface sales. Unfortunately, the chart above doesn’t track iPhones sales.

The positive take away was store traffic was up 31% y/y, likely driven by shoppers wanting to see the new iPad Mini. The negatives were that the most popular iPad Mini (16G) is in limited supply and Mac sales (~12% of revenue) continue to appear to be impacted by the iPad and a slowdown ahead of the new iMac.

Announcement: 9to5Mac Apple Products pages

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Nov 21 2012 - 4:42 pm PT
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It is the holiday shopping season again, and we know many of you will be looking to buy Apple- and Apple-related products this year. To help out, we’re compiling a new section of 9to5Mac called Apple products and separate sections for each of Apple’s lines. Elsewhere, we have seen buying guides, pricing guides, related news and predictions, but we’re wrapping them up into one page per product.

How it works:

1. With the help of our 9to5Toys editors, we’re finding the lowest prices on Apple products in the U.S. and keeping a matrix of the biggest retailers’ prices. Here’s the current static matrix of MacBook Airs.

2. For the last few months and going forward, every post we do on a related product will be propagated to the page so you’ll have a roundup of the latest information on each product line. Additionally, in every post on a topic, you’ll notice a new link to the product section on the right.

3. We’ll also have a record of Apple’s past updates on each product, which should help in estimating the next product cycle.

4. Finally, we have our best predictions on upcoming products from 9to5Mac’s editors headed by Mark Gurman.

Together—this information should help Apple product users and buyers make smart, informed decisions.

Enjoy!
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Report: iPhone 5 supplies significantly improving at US Apple Stores

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 21 2012 - 6:02 am PT
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Apple recently changed shipping times for iPhone 5 from “2-3 weeks” to two weeks for orders from its website, indicating the company is starting to iron out production delays and catch up to demand. Today, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster noted checks of 100 App Stores show supplies of iPhone 5 are increasing through Apple’s retail stores, as well (via Fortune). According to Munster’s checks, iPhone 5 is currently available in 92 percent of Apple Stores for Sprint, 82 percent for AT&T, and 72 percent for Verizon:

AT&T and Verizon have shown dramatic improvements in availability, while Sprint has maintained consistent availability. Last night, our checks indicated that Sprint phones were in stock at 92% of Apple Stores, AT&T was available at 82% of stores and Verizon at 72% of stores. Additionally, we note that wait times for online phone orders dropped to two weeks as of today.

Munster said he believes “within the next two weeks that customers will be able to purchase iPhone 5s at Apple Stores same day,” which is obviously great news for Apple and consumers leading into the holidays.

Apple opens its first eBay store for a trial with select refurbished products

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 19 2012 - 3:14 pm PT
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Seth Weintraub and Danny DeSilva contributed to this post.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been posting links to a mysterious Apple refurbished store that appeared on eBay about a month ago and has been hiding in plain sight ever since. Labeled only “Refurbished Outlet” with hidden corporate information and nothing in the way of contact information or a traceable backend, the store gets impressive 99.7-percent positive reviews from buyers. But, there is no information on where devices are coming from.

We thought Apple might be testing the waters to sell refurbished products directly to customers through eBay, and it seems that’s exactly what is happening. We discovered that this is in fact an Apple-run Store within eBay. It is in trial, and it could open the door to much bigger things. No one would go on the record at eBay, however.

Aside from the image fonts above, which are an uncharacteristic wreck, there are many telltale signs of Apple’s direct involvement. Just like Apple’s own refurbished products, the “refurbished outlet” products all have the following:

  • Full one-year warranty
  • Returned to like-new condition
  • iPads/iPods include a new battery
  • Received complete burn-in testing
  • Original OS re-installed
  • Repackaged with manual and cable
  • Final quality inspection by Apple

The prices on the products are also identical to the Apple Store’s refurbished prices across the board (below)
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Apple Stores once again top highest sales per square foot list in US

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 13 2012 - 6:41 am PT
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Retail Sails (via Fortune) is out today with its list of U.S. retail stores that have the highest sales per square foot, and not so surprisingly, Apple has once again beat out No. 2 Tiffany’s for the top spot. Apple Stores came in with an average of $6,050 per square foot, over $3,000 more than closest competitor Tiffany’s. The full report includes profiles of 200 chains across 15 sectors, and it put Apple Stores at No. 9 for highest sales per store.

Fender launches new $199 Squier USB Stratocaster for iOS devices exclusively at the Apple Store

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 12 2012 - 9:21 am PT
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1EtnS98l8q4]

While there are a quite a few USB guitar solutions on the market already, Fender is bringing a USB version of its popular Squire Stratocaster series exclusively to the Apple Store. Priced at $199.95 on Apple’s online store, the guitar features a traditional 1/4-inch output, Type Mini-B USB connector, and two included cables for connecting via USB or directly to iOS devices. Unfortunately, Fender is including a 30-pin cable for iOS devices, so users of newer iOS devices will have to grab a Lightning to 30-pin adapter.

The NEW Squier Strat Guitar with USB & iOS Connectivity gives you a huge range of tones and all the features you expect from Fender—plus the convenience of direct connection to your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac.

Also included is a 3.5mm headphone jack and “a high-quality headphone amp so that you can monitor the processed guitar signal right from the guitar itself.” It’s clear Fender is aiming this product directly at the GarageBand iOS users, but you’ll have no problem hooking up to your Mac or PC with an included USB cable or using it as a traditional guitar with the 1/4-inch output.


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Apple takes AppleCare off the shelves in Italy following antitrust investigation

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 12 2012 - 7:42 am PT
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Last we heard, Apple was being threatened with closure of its Italian operations if it did not make necessary changes to its warranty policies following an investigation by the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato. The authorities had previously fined Apple $1.2 million, claiming the company failed to inform consumers about a two-year warranty mandatory by EU law. Now it appears Apple has officially taken its AppleCare Protection Plan products off the shelves in Italy with only online versions of the product still available to Italian customers.

setteB.IT shared the image above showing what is apparently an email from Apple Distribution International in Ireland to Apple resellers in Italy. Apple informed resellers that it would stop selling all AppleCare Protection Plans in Italian Apple Stores as well as through authorized resellers. From the email, it also appeared Apple will no longer offer AppleCare-related services over the phone in the country.

setteB.IT also noted Apple has updated the terms for AppleCare on its Italian website. Rather than a “1 year warranty”, the website now reads “AppleCare plans benefits are added to the 2 year warranty of the seller, required by Italian regulators to protect the consumers.”

A full translation of the email is below:


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A Siri-enabled smartwatch concept I’d actually use (Video)

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 8 2012 - 10:27 am PT
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The creators of many past Apple-related concepts, CiccareseDesign, is out today with its latest mock up: a Siri-enabled smartwatch.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_mn5rkwyCs&feature=youtu.be]

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