Apple

6,155 'Apple News' stories November 2008 - January 2014

Apple News and Brief History

Before you can properly understand Apple News, it’s important to know its history. Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. In 1977, Apple’s sales were growing with the success of its early computers. Within a few years, Jobs and Wozniak hired designers and a production line crew. Apple went public in 1980 and was an instant success. Over the next few years, Apple shipped new computers featuring new graphical user interfaces, such as the original Macintosh in 1984. As the market for personal computers expanded through the 1990s, Apple lost market share to the cheaper Microsoft Windows on PC clones. Eventually, Wozniak and Jobs both left Apple. Jobs would go on to found NeXT and would return to Apple when NeXT was acquired in the late 90s. Apple then began a journey to the great second act in the history of the business world.

Since the release of the iPod in 2001, Apple has become a major player once again in the technology industry. After releasing the iPhone in 2007, the iPad in 2010, and the Apple Watch in 2015, Apple is now one of the largest companies in the world. Apple’s worldwide annual revenue totaled $274.5 billion for its 2020 fiscal year.

Today, Apple operates retail stores all across the world, has a growing services division, and an ever-expanding hardware lineup. The technology industry follows Apple news to see where the company is headed in the future.

Keep reading for the latest Apple news

Apple to begin in-store iPhone 5c screen repairs next week

Mark Gurman Jan 16 2014 - 5:30 pm PT

9 Comments

We’ve gotten word from multiple sources that Apple will begin repairing/replacing broken iPhone 5c displays in its retail stores next week. The current plan is to begin offering replacements on Monday, January 20th. As we noted in November of last year, this initiative has been in the works for several months as Apple needs to source individual screens for replacement and supply each of its stores within special calibration machines…

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Shopkick testing iBeacons in 100 American Eagle locations in largest roll out yet

Zac Hall Jan 16 2014 - 9:34 am PT

0 Comments

Deals and rewards app Shopkick is continuing to push support for Apple’s iBeacon technology adding 100 American Eagle Outfitter locations (via GigaOm) to its iBeacon test bed.

Shopkick previously introduced iBeacon support, or shopBeacon as it brands it, to select Macy’s retail locations ahead of Apple’s own Apple Store roll out. Now with its plans to introduce the technology to American Eagle locations, Shopkick is behind the largest implementation of iBeacons to date. As with other iBeacon implementations, the presence in American Eagle retail locations will allow Shopkick to interact with shoppers’ iPhones while they’re in the stores based on Bluetooth LE connectivity.

Earlier this week we showed you one company looking to expedite iBeacon support in Europe as support in the US continues.

Image via Flickr
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Inside Apple’s MFi game controller program: Why the current crop of controllers aren’t up to snuff

Jordan Kahn Jan 16 2014 - 6:59 am PT

13 Comments

Apple’s new MFi game controller program offers a lot of promise for gaming on iOS— the top mobile gaming platform around could also soon be a serious platform for hardcore gamers. But the first crop of controllers have been met with much criticism from developers, reviewers and consumers alike. The consensus so far: flimsy buttons and joysticks, lack of support from developers, and a $99 price tag make them far overpriced compared to your standard Bluetooth game controller.

The launch for the first few controllers to hit the market was rushed, developers are disappointed and still trying to catch up, and manufacturers are limited in pricing, features, and quality due to Apple’s MFi program requirements. What does Apple have to do to overcome a rocky start to its game controller program which is supposed to control quality? And how are manufacturers limited by Apple in building better controllers at a fair price? We’ve dug into Apple’s MFi program and talked to developers and companies building the controllers to find out…
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Apple keeps its options open with patent for iBeacon- & NFC-compatible secure payment system

Ben Lovejoy Jan 16 2014 - 6:41 am PT

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While it seems likely that Apple is intending to eventually establish iBeacon as a wireless electronic wallet system, rather than the existing NFC system commonly used in parts of Europe and Asia, a patent filing published today incorporates both protocols. It also allows for other forms of Bluetooth payment.

The secure payment system Apple describes would work in much the same way as the chip-and-PIN cards which are well-established in Europe. Instead of transmitting your actual card details to the payment terminal, the card details are used to generate an encrypted code which is sent instead. The terminal is able to validate the code and identify the account without ever having access to the card details themselves.

As we always note with patent stories, Apple patents huge numbers of things, most of which never make it into products. But while Apple is adopting its usual wait-and-see policy where new technologies are concerned, the question of using iPhones for payment is almost certainly when and how rather than if.

Skype for iPhone adds two-way HD videocalls and lockscreen chat notifications

Ben Lovejoy Jan 16 2014 - 6:21 am PT

0 Comments

The latest version of Skype for iPhone adds support for two-way HD video calls (for iPhone 5 and later), and receipt of chat messages on the lockscreen even when the app is closed.

Microsoft also says that chat messages will sync more rapidly across devices.

The app was last updated with a flatter, cleaner look for iOS 7 in October last year, and is a free download from iTunes.

LA Board of Education approves $115-million deal to bring iPads to classrooms

Zac Hall Jan 15 2014 - 10:00 am PT

19 Comments

In an ongoing effort to equip more classrooms with tablets and computers, the Los Angeles Board of Education has green lighted a plan to distribute and integrate iPads in nearly 40 campuses throughout the school district, the Los Angeles Times reports. The deal which was approved allots $115 million for deploying between 40,000 and 70,000 tablets to classrooms for use by students and teachers used especially for spring-scheduled standardized testing.

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Apple settles with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over App Store in-app-purchases

Mark Gurman Jan 15 2014 - 8:49 am PT

6 Comments

Apple CEO Tim Cook informed Apple employees today via email that the company has settled with the United States Federal Trade Commision over an in-app purchases dispute. Cook says that Apple and the FTC have been negotiating for “several months.” The issue in the App Store comes down to the controversies surrounding children spending money too easily in the App Store without the consent of their parents.

Cook notes that “protecting children” has been a priority for everyone at Apple, and Cook notes that the App Store has industry leading controls for security and privacy, making the need to deal with the FTC surprising. Cook’s email details the safeguards in place for the in-app purchase system. Cook also notes the great lengths that Apple went to in order to appease customers who may have been harmed by in-app purchases:

Last year, we set out to refund any in-app purchase which may have been made without a parent’s permission. We wanted to reach every customer who might have been affected, so we sent emails to 28 million App Store customers – anyone who had made an in-app purchase in a game designed for kids. When some emails bounced, we mailed the parents postcards. In all, we received 37,000 claims and we will be reimbursing each one as promised.

Cook also says that it doesn’t feel right that the FTC intervened here. Alas, a settlement has been reached:

It doesn’t feel right for the FTC to sue over a case that had already been settled. To us, it smacked of double jeopardy. However, the consent decree the FTC proposed does not require us to do anything we weren’t already going to do, so we decided to accept it rather than take on a long and distracting legal fight.

Here’s Cook’s email in full:

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Stealing €70,000 of Apple products out of the back of a truck…at speed on a German highway

9to5 Staff Jan 15 2014 - 8:12 am PT

5 Comments

The video screenshot above is a re-enactment from Romanian TV

Some “James Bond” thievery was reported in Germany yesterday. According to the story, thieves pulled up behind a moving truck carrying Apple products on its way to the Czech Republic. They then got out and climbed onto the hood of the SUV, broke open the truck’s door and removed about 160 iPads and iPhones, all while the truck driver was unaware and unable to see anything happening.

The Google translation is almost as entertaining as the video re-enactment:

How hurrying officials of the police station Kassel-east and the staff of the forensic noted the perpetrator had the security lock of the tarp apparently cracked with a bolt cutter and stole a total of seven loaded pallets of electronics products high quality Apple products worth a total of around 70,000 euros.

The loot includes according to the police 125 iPads, four iPad mini, “probably” 30 iPhones and two keyboards of the Californian cult group. In the further investigation, the suspicion compacted that the cargo thieves had apparently slammed unnoticed while driving on the highway.

Makes those German smash and grabs seem boring

In rare TV interview, Tim Cook says he is ‘honored’ to be doing business with China Mobile

Ben Lovejoy Jan 15 2014 - 6:40 am PT

5 Comments

In a rare TV interview, Tim Cook described this week’s launch of the iPhone on China Mobile as “a watershed day” for the company. While the soft-spoken Apple CEO is noted for the humbleness with which he speaks, it’s hard to imagine him describing Apple as being “honored” to do business with many other companies.

I’m so honored to be doing business with … China Mobile. It’s a huge announcement…we’re incredibly impressed with them, we have deep respect for them, and have had from the very first discussion that we’ve had together” …
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Apple expands 3D Flyover coverage in Maps to Cape Town and Helsinki (Update: Marseille, France)

Jordan Kahn Jan 15 2014 - 6:02 am PT

3 Comments

Update: iGen.fr notes that Marseille, the second largest city in France, has also just received Flyover coverage.

Apple has been adding a lot of new imagery in its Maps app for the 3D flyover mode that initially launched in just a handful of countries. Over the last year it has added coverage for a ton of new locations in the US, UK, France, and Canada, and over the last week readers have reached out to note the addition of two major cities for the feature: Cape Town, South Africa and Helsinki, Finland.

Apple’s list of supported cities on its website hasn’t been updated in a while, but over the last year the company has added coverage in Paris, new areas in California, and other cities in the US, France, Spain, and the UK. Let us know in the comments below if 3D Flyover coverage has showed up for your city.

[tweet https://twitter.com/MikeCTZA/status/422746167144095744]

[tweet https://twitter.com/edwarddp/status/421284035294658560]

[tweet https://twitter.com/PetrusLundqvist/status/422365083168432128]

[tweet https://twitter.com/pajp/status/421599290532700161]

Review: Lacie Fuel, the wireless portable drive for all your iDevices

Ben Lovejoy Jan 15 2014 - 5:36 am PT

16 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9HTQybOxcI]

Wireless drives have been around for a little while now. There’s the Seagate GoFlex Satellite, and the Kingston W-Drive SSD, for example. They generate their own wifi networks, and you can then stream content from them to either a Mac or, more usefully, an iOS device.

Lacie has taken that concept a stage further, by adding the ability to upload content from iPhones and iPads also, and with 1TB capacity, you’re unlikely to find yourself running short of space.

I tested it with a MacBook Air, iPad and iPhone, and was generally impressed …

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Tim Cook calls China Mobile launch ‘a beginning’ as Chairman says ‘multi-million’ iPhones ordered

Mark Gurman Jan 14 2014 - 7:27 pm PT

3 Comments

(Image via Getty Images)

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone on China Mobile on January 17th, Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with the Wall Street Journal and other publications for a brief interview. Cook hints that this iPhone deal is only the beginning of a longer-term partnership between Apple and China’s largest mobile carrier:

Speaking in a small media briefing to Chinese media and The Wall Street Journal, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook said he is “incredibly optimistic” about the outcome of the cooperation with the Chinese carrier.

“We’ve gotten to know each other….today is a beginning, and I think there are lots more things our companies can do together in the future,” Mr. Cook said.

Cook is likely referring to future generations of the iPhone, and other products such as the iPad, appearing on China Mobile’s network in the future. Cook also shares that half a million of the App Store developers are from China:

Mr. Cook said Apple wants to reach as many Chinese consumers as possible by offering iPhones through China Mobile, and added that the country has more than half a million people writing apps for the U.S. company’s iOS operating system.

“Apple has always been about making the best products, not the most products, so that’s always our North Star and that’s not going to change ever,” said Mr. Cook.

“Multi-millions” of iPhones have already been pre-ordered through China Mobile, according to a statement from China Mobile’s Chairman in the same interview. Earlier today, the WSJ reported that over one million iPhone 5s units were shipped from Foxconn to China Mobile.

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Iron Man lives again as Black Sabbath’s 1970s albums come to iTunes

Michael Steeber Jan 14 2014 - 7:11 pm PT

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For the first time, eight of Black Sabbath’s early studio albums, and three compilations will be available exclusively on iTunes. According to the New York Times, the window of exclusivity will be short, however, with the band’s music arriving on streaming services very soon.

It’s worth noting that some of Black Sabbath’s later music was already available on iTunes, but many of their early tracks are first making their digital debut today. The list of holdouts from iTunes continues to shrink, with AC/DC arriving in 2012, and The Beatles in 2010.

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Horizon for iPhone always records landscape video, independent of device orientation

Benjamin Mayo Jan 14 2014 - 2:07 pm PT

6 Comments

Horizon is a new app for the iPhone (currently on sale for just $1) making the rounds today that attempts to eliminate a major annoyance of modern society — portrait videos.

Horizon uses the iPhone’s motion sensors (the accelerometer and gyroscope) to automatically scale and rotate input from the camera to generate videos that are always in landscape, no matter how the phone is actually being held.

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Stylish screensaver recreates the iOS 7 lock screen experience on your Mac

Benjamin Mayo Jan 14 2014 - 1:18 pm PT

13 Comments

Want to bring iOS and OS X even closer together than they already are?
Christian Heudens has recreated the iOS 7 lock screen to your Mac as a free downloadable screensaver. The thin fonts look great on a Retina Display. It’s a neat way to give your Mac a bit of individuality and make your experience across your Apple devices even more consistent.

The developer has done a good job of replicating the feel of iOS 7, using the same starry wallpaper by default and font style. The screensaver adds a zoom effect to the background too, which is a sophisticated yet subtle addition.

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Report: Apple ships 1.4 million iPhone 5s units to China Mobile ahead of Jan. 17 launch

Jordan Kahn Jan 14 2014 - 7:20 am PT

0 Comments

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has shipped approximately 1.4 million iPhone 5S units to China Mobile in preparation of the carrier’s iPhone launch on Jan. 17. The report notes it likely doesn’t present sales for the full month of January with preorders having kicked off under three weeks ago, but it is a good indication of how many new iPhone customers Apple could potentially get on a monthly basis through the deal:

“Shipping one million or more iPhones to a single carrier per month is substantial. But we have limited visibility beyond this month as Apple hasn’t informed Foxconn of the volume for the next shipment to China Mobile,” said the person.

Apple finally made things official last month when it announced in a press release that it had struck a deal with China Mobile to begin selling the iPhone 5s and 5c, marking the first time the iPhone would be sold through the carrier’s retail stores. China Mobile, the world’s largest carrier with over 760 million subscribers, started taking preorders for the device on December 25 following Apple’s announcement. No word on estimates for iPhone 5c shipments, but China Mobile is set to begin selling that device too starting Friday.

Total Apple device sales will equal Windows PCs this year, predicts analyst

Ben Lovejoy Jan 14 2014 - 5:40 am PT

13 Comments

The total number of Apple devices sold will equal the number of Windows PCs by some point this year, predicts Asymco’s Horace Dediu in an interesting piece of analysis.

The dark shaded area compares all Apple hardware – Mac plus iPad plus iPhone – with Windows PCs, and shows that by last year there were only 1.18 more Windows PCs than Apple devices. It’s of course a somewhat artificial comparison, as Dediu is including iPhones while excluding Windows Phones and tablets, but given the very limited success of Windows mobile devices to date, correcting that wouldn’t change the patterns too much.

What’s particularly interesting here, as John Gruber notes, is that the dramatic reversal kicked in well before the launch of the iPhone. Dediu and Gruber between them put forward a number of theories for this, and of these I think three are likely key …

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DOJ responds to Apple’s request to replace attorney in ebooks case (Update: Court denies Apple’s request, too)

Zac Hall Jan 13 2014 - 11:59 am PT

3 Comments

Following Apple’s formal request last week that Michael Bromwich be removed from his role in ensuring the Cupertino company meets compliances set by the anti-trust ruling in last year’s ebooks trial, the Department of Justice has pushed back (via GigaOm) with a denial letter accusing Apple of ‘character assassination’.

Regrettably, it is now clear that Apple has chosen a campaign of character assassination over a culture of compliance. Apple could have been spending the past months working with the External Compliance Monitor with the ultimate goal of reforming its policies and training, and in the process change its corporate tone to one that reflects a commitment to abiding by the requirements of the antitrust laws. Instead, Apple has focused on personally attacking Mr. Bromwich, and thwarting him from performing even the most basic of his court-ordered functions.
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Poll: What do you think about Apple’s “Your Verse” iPad Air ad?

Zac Hall Jan 13 2014 - 9:57 am PT

6 Comments

Continuing its “Life on iPad” campaign, Apple released its new “Your Verse” iPad Air ad yesterday featuring a motivational voiceover of Robin Williams from the film “Dead Poets Society”. While the ad has been largely received well, it has not been without some criticism by many citing its tone and some extreme use cases for the iPad. What do you think? Does the “Your Verse” ad inspire you to do more with the iPad? Does it miss the pitch by using extreme edge cases or does it fall flat altogether? Let us know in our poll below:

Nearly a fifth of all grand larcenies in NYC involved Apple products

Ben Lovejoy Jan 13 2014 - 4:41 am PT

4 Comments

Thefts of Apple products made up 18 percent of all grand larcenies in New York City last year, reports the WSJ, citing NYPD figures. Of the 47,000 grand larcenies occuring in the city last year, 8,465 involved Apple products.

Many of the thefts happen on public transportation, where most people are buried in their devices and aren’t paying attention to their surroundings, said Joseph Giacalone, a retired New York Police Department detective. “It’s easy pickings,” he said …
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“What a backstabber,” jokes Scarlett Johansson, after Siri diss

Ben Lovejoy Jan 13 2014 - 3:59 am PT

3 Comments

Scarlett Johansson, who plays a Siri-like virtual assistant in the movie Her, jokingly hit back at Siri’s dismissive remarks in an interview with Vanity Fair. The magazine noted that when Siri was asked “Are you Her?”, it responds with a variety of snarky remarks, including “Her portrayal of artificial intelligence is beyond artificial.”

“Oh. My. God,” Johansson responded, playfully hurt. “I feel like I’ve been betrayed. The other day I asked Siri how I looked and she said, ‘You’re the fairest of them all.’ So she’s obviously playing both sides … What a backstabber, man.”

We’re just waiting for Vanity Fair to interview Siri, to get her take on Johansson’s remarks …

Apple touts iPad’s abilities in new poetry-themed ad, ‘What will your verse be?’ website

Mark Gurman Jan 12 2014 - 10:44 am PT

24 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiyIcz7wUH0]
Apple certainly isn’t shying away from using the iPad as a camera anymore.

Airing today is a brand-new TV advertisement touting the abilities of the iPad. The ad is in a serious tone and is voiced over by a quote from the film Dead Poet’s Society. Re/Code has the text from the advertisement:

We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering — these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love — these are what we stay alive for.

To quote from Whitman,

“O me, O life of the questions of these recurring.
Of the endless trains of the faithless. Of cities filled with the foolish. What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer: that you are here. That life exists and identity. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”

“That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”

What will your verse be?

To go along with the TV ad, Apple has also posted a new webpage with the ad’s theme. This new page shares stories of the iPad being used in film-making, sports, and education. Original from movie below:

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Apple now shipping the Mac Pro to Europe once again, after EU ban of old model

Benjamin Mayo Jan 12 2014 - 6:10 am PT

0 Comments

<a href="http://www.macg.co/mac/2014/01/premieres-expeditions-des-mac-pro-pour-leurope-79176">via MacGeneration</a>

Since March, the old Mac Pro has not been available to buy in Europe as changes in regulations meant that the old Mac Pro no longer complied with EU law. In particular, the large exposed fans of the Mac Pro were the main reason behind the ban — the amendment required fan guards and minor changes to electrical ports.

With the design of the new Mac Pro, Apple once again complies with regulatory requirements. Via MacGeneration, customers in Europe are now receiving shipment notifications with delivery as early as January 14. According to Apple’s online store, customers ordering today should receive their Mac Pro in February.

Opinion: What “three revolutionary devices” will the iWatch be?

Ben Lovejoy Jan 12 2014 - 4:17 am PT

110 Comments

Concept image: Stephen Olmstead

When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone seven years ago last week, he described it as “three revolutionary devices” in one: touchscreen iPod, mobile phone and Internet communicator.

The iPhone wasn’t the first touchscreen smartphone. It wasn’t even close: Handspring launched the Treo 180 a full five years earlier (I know this because I owned one). Same with the iPod before it, launched three years after the MPMan (yep, I owned one of those too).

Apple has never been interested in being first to market, so no-one should be remotely surprised that others launched the smartwatch first. The company’s USP is its ability to take a relatively crude piece of technology being used exclusively by geeks and turn it into something so slick, beautiful and cool that mass-market consumers will find irresistible …
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