Apple

A London-based digital publishing company is trialling use of Apple’s iBeacon technology to provide bar patrons with free access to digital versions of two magazines in Newsstand, reports TechCrunch.

The way it works is that the bar buys a subscription, and one or more iBeacons (each little larger than a quarter) unlock the content for customers within range. On iOS devices, the whole process is completely automatic. Once the customer leaves the location, the content is locked again and becomes available for purchase as normal …
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Poll: Would you buy a 13-inch iPad?

Ben Lovejoy Dec 4 2013 - 4:24 am PT

50 Comments

With further rumors of a larger iPad in the works – the latest one Chinese site Pad News claiming that Apple is testing several variants of a 12.9-inch iPad – we thought it would be interesting to gauge the level of interest.

The specifics of this claim fall well into sketchy territory. Pad News suggests a 4K display, which wouldn’t match iPad resolution ratios (though as the current iPad is close to 2K, something close to 4K wouldn’t be impossible). It also suggests a launch date of April – given that Apple switched iPad launch dates from the spring to the fall, switching back again doesn’t seem terribly likely.

The core rumor, however, has been around for quite some time. Several different sizes have been suggested, but 12.9 inches is the one most commonly cited. This idea first emerged back in May, attached to the world’s least likely name, and gained credibility (without the silly name) when reported by the WSJ in July …
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This is what the 5c ‘Crocs’ case would look like for the iPhone 5s

Mark Gurman Dec 3 2013 - 11:40 am PT

5 Comments

When Apple launched the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c earlier this fall, the company also debuted accompanying cases. To match the plastic colors of the 5c, Apple launched a “Crocs-like” case for the phone with holes on the back.

The iPhone 5s launched alongside a leather case in multiple colors. Now, technology writer Michael Andrew shares photos of what he claims to be a prototype version of the 5c case for the 5s.

There are, however, two crucial differences between the iPhone 5C version of the case that was meant for the iPhone 5/5S and the actual, official iPhone 5C case that was released to the public:

Instead of the seven-by-five grid of holes that is on the back of the released iPhone 5C case, the case for the iPhone 5/5S sports a subtly different six-by-five grid of holes.

Unlike on the iPhone 5C case, the top and bottom of the iPhone 5/5S is not protected by the silicon case.

We can’t verify that these photos represent an actual Apple prototype, but they, nonetheless, show what the 5c case would look like if designed for the 5s’s body. Another photo is below:

Apple updates Remote Desktop Client and Dashboard Widget with fixes

Mark Gurman Dec 3 2013 - 11:33 am PT

1 Comment

Apple has issued a pair of updates today to its Remote Desktop software. The first update is Apple Remote Desktop 3.7.1 Client:

The 3.7.1 update is recommended for all Apple Remote Desktop clients and addresses several issues related to overall reliability, usability and compatibility.

The Client works hand-in-hand with the main Apple Remote Desktop administrative software, which is available on the Mac App Store. The second update issued today is version 3.7 of Apple’s Remote Desktop Dashboard widget:

The Apple Remote Desktop Dashboard widget* gives you an instant, at-a-glance view of the remote computers in your network.

It’s fully integrated with the Apple Remote Desktop administrative application, so a click on a particular computer will allow you to select and start working with any computer in the system.

The widget requires a user to have the administrative app installed.

Apple patents image technologies for security, artificial depth photography, more

Zac Hall Dec 3 2013 - 9:28 am PT

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Apple is steadily focused on enhancing and innovating the camera system on its hardware, the iPhone in particular, and the tea leaves unsurprisingly suggest we should expect further progress in iPhotography.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark office recently granted Apple a patent entitled ‘producing stereoscopic image,’ as noted by AppleInsider, which describes a process in which two similar images are intelligently combined to create an artificial sense of depth within the photo.

The camera system on the latest iPhone hardware already supports a number of algorithm-driven features such as HDR (high dynamic range) photography in which an over exposed and under exposed image are matched together to produce a greater dynamic range of lighting.

Just last month, the company was awarded a patent describing a Light Field camera with the ability to refocus images already captured hinting at which photography advancements we should anticipate in future hardware.
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PDF management iPad app PDF Expert redesigned, adds AirDrop, tags & file sorting improvements

Mark Gurman Dec 3 2013 - 9:11 am PT

Readdle’s popular PDF and file management application for the iPad today received a significant update. Version 5 of the software gains a new design with the iOS 7 aesthetic in addition to several new features that will improve file management and sorting:

Review: PopCalc, the calculator that thinks it’s a spreadsheet (with Promo)

Ben Lovejoy Dec 3 2013 - 7:40 am PT

7 Comments

I love it when an app developer takes one of my minor grumbles and comes up with a simple solution. PopCalc is one of those.

There are times when I have a few sums to do, and the standard calculator app is a bit too dumb, while creating a spreadsheet in Numbers feels like overkill. What I really want is a cross between the two: the simplicity of a calculator, but some of the functionality of a spreadsheet. And that’s exactly what PopCalc aims to deliver …
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Filemaker releases new version for 2013 with HTML5 data entry, new iOS features and tightened security

Benjamin Mayo Dec 3 2013 - 6:00 am PT

5 Comments

Filemaker, a subsidiary of Apple, has just announced its 2013 version of its popular database application. The new version focuses on bringing desktop database solutions to the browser. New in Filemaker ’13, projects can now be managed through a centralized web dashboard, with options for partner portals and file hosting. More importantly, data entry can now be taken in a web interface — HTML5 powered forms enable businesses to manage their deployments on any PC or Mac, as there is no longer a reliance on having the native applications installed.

BlackBerry implosion generating even bigger enterprise gains for iPad, says analyst

Ben Lovejoy Dec 3 2013 - 5:42 am PT

Concerns about the future viability of Blackberry – once the default choice of mobile device for the enterprise market – have further boosted iPad penetration in businesses, according to an analyst quoted by AllThingsD.

Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair theorizes that BlackBerry’s ill-starred attempt to sell itself inflamed concerns about the future viability of the company’s platform and gave corporations good reason to migrate their employees to other devices. That opened up a significant opportunity for Apple — particularly since Android continues to struggle for gains in enterprise […]

Said Blair, “Our recent work points to tremendous momentum for iPad in the enterprise over the last few months and we believe that this may be one of the most important trends for Apple as we move into the New Year.”

Steve Jobs said shortly after the launch of the iPad that Apple didn’t need to market the device to businesses as “it’s being grabbed out of our hands, anyways” …
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China Mobile subsidiary briefly accepting pre-orders for iPhones in possible soft launch

Ben Lovejoy Dec 3 2013 - 4:20 am PT

0 Comments

With the iPhone launch on the biggest carrier in the world’s most populated market confirmed for 18th December, Fortune spotted what appears to have been a soft launch in the city of Suzhou. The city is one of the richest in China, so would be a logical place for an early launch.

The attached screen grab comes from a website owned by a subsidiary of China Mobile Limited in Suzhou, a city of 5 million just west of Shanghai.

The site went live late Monday local time, when it began taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C …
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PayPal opens ‘digital gift’ store, debuts with iTunes gift cards

Benjamin Mayo Dec 3 2013 - 4:17 am PT

5 Comments

PayPal has announced a new section dedicated to online gift card purchases. The “Digital Gifts” store has opened with what PayPal describes as a “marquee merchant”, namely iTunes. Although buying iTunes gift cards with PayPal has been possible for a long time thanks to eBay, this is the first time PayPal is selling the cards directly through themselves.

Naturally, you can pay for the cards with your PayPal account credit. The company poses the store as a really simple way to give a meaningful gift to someone for the holidays.

Buying a digital gift from PayPal is as easy as one-two-three: select a gift and denomination, enter your PayPal ID and Password, send the gift to a loved one or redeem it on the spot. Simple, convenient and secure. To help open the digital doors we have just started offering iTunes codes.

The store is currently offering iTunes cards in $15, $25, $50 and $100 variants. Gifts can be bought for yourself or gifted to someone else via email. Whilst PayPal is not offering the best deal by any measure (offering gift cards at face value), the service is quick and convenient.

Amusingly, despite being a digital good, the store is reporting that $15 and $25 cards are already “sold out”.

Analysts raise AAPL target price in response to Black Friday shopping

Ben Lovejoy Dec 2 2013 - 6:35 am PT

2 Comments

Image: businessinsider.com

Both Deutsche Bank and Global Equities Research have raised their target price for AAPL – the price they expect the stock to achieve – in response to spot checks of Apple sales on Black Friday, reports Fortune.

After spot-checking Black Friday weekend sales, Deutsche Bank’s Chris Whitmore raised his price target to $625 from $575. “We have become significantly more confident in our near-term estimates for Apple” […]

Global Equities Research’s Trip Chowdhry raised his price target to a Street-high $800 after visiting nine Apple Stores and five Targets and talking to “no less than 300 people.”

Anyone planning to invest on the basis of these numbers might want to dig a little deeper, however …
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Opinion: Will Apple return to a single MacBook range next year?

Ben Lovejoy Dec 2 2013 - 6:22 am PT

108 Comments

Photo: anandtech.com

I guess you could call me something of a fanboy where Apple laptops are concerned. I bought the very first one, the Macintosh Portable, in 1989 (and actually still have it tucked away in a cupboard even now). This was followed by a series of PowerBooks before the MacBooks came along, and I currently have both a MacBook Pro 17 and MacBook Air 11.

The split between the Air and Pro ranges made sense for a whole bunch of reasons up to now. The Air has performed two important roles for Apple. First, the cachet of producing the world’s slimmest notebook further boosted Apple’s style credentials. Even today, after it lost the slimmest notebook crown and has seen the wedge design copied by others, it remains a style icon, getting admiring glances every time you pull it out in a coffee shop …
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Apple offering 0% financing on online hardware purchases in most European countries, ends 10th January

Benjamin Mayo Dec 2 2013 - 3:07 am PT

Today, Apple has launched a promotion for online purchases, offering 0% financing on any purchase above £449 (or €400). The deal is on offer across most of Apple’s European websites, including the UK, France, Italy and Spain.

In the UK, for instance, a customer can buy any product above that value and spread repayments across ten monthly instalments with 0% interest. In other countries, such as France or Spain, the repayment is window is slightly longer at twelve months.

Black Friday: The best Apple deals on iPhone, iPad, Macs, & Apps all in one place

Jordan Kahn Nov 29 2013 - 9:48 am PT

Apple iPad Deals: iPad Air w/ $100 Target GC $479, iPad mini $249, iPad 2 $300, more

It can be hard to keep up with all of the great Apple related deals available this Black Friday weekend, so we thought we’d make it easy for you. Here are all of the best deals available this weekend on Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple TV, iPods, iTunes gift cards, and a ton of great apps for both iOS and Mac. As always, 9to5Toys is tracking all the best Black Friday deals on other products as well as the latest discounts as they get announced.

Mac |

Best Buy: Retina MacBook Pro up to $200 off, iMac $150 off, MacBook Air $150 off
MacMall: Black Friday Begins Now at MacMall: MacBook Airs $100 off, iPads $40 off, more
B&H: Some of the best deals on Macs if you want AppleCare included.

iPhone |

Best Buy: Best Buy offering iPhone 5s for $75 off all models on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon
Walmart: Walmart will credit YOU $30 to get an iPhone 5c on contract this Black Friday
T-Mobile: T-Mobile, regional carriers offering iPhone 5s and 5c for $0 down on Black Friday

iPad |

Apple TV |

Apple TV + HDMI Cable: $72.49 shipped
Apple TV 3rd generation 1080p $85 shipped (Reg. $99)

iPod |

Black Friday iPod Discounts: iPod Touch/iPod Nano $50 off, more

Accessories |

Where to find the best Black Friday deals on iPhones, iPads, Macs, & Apple accessories

iTunes |

Discounted iTunes Gift Cards: Save up to 20% on future apps, music, movies, more. $100 gift card for $85 or $50 gift card for $40.

Apps |

Black Friday App Store sale guide: The best deals on iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps

Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Elements 12 combo: $70 shipped

Adobe launches Black Friday deals up to 60% off on Photoshop, Lightroom, and more

VMWare sitewide Black Friday sale, VMWare Fusion 6: $38.99 new or $32.49 for an upgrade

AAPL goes into the Black for 2013 on Black Friday as it hits $550

Ben Lovejoy Nov 29 2013 - 7:23 am PT

We mentioned a couple of days ago that AAPL stock was approaching a high for the year, and it has now broken the $549.02 at which it began the year.

The company has experienced a roller-coaster ride in its stock price, almost entirely divorced from any product-based reality. The value placed on the company by the market at any given time has more to do with the gap between rumors and product launches, and of course short-term speculation …
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Apple’s Black Friday deals go live in UK & other EU countries with discounts, not gift cards

Jordan Kahn Nov 28 2013 - 4:17 pm PT

1 Comment

While Apple’s Black Friday deals started going live in Australia and elsewhere today with Apple Store Gift Cards in place of traditional discounts, it appears Apple will be offering discounts and not gift cards in at least some countries. The UK, France, Germany and other European Apple Online Stores have now started posting Black Friday promotions with discounts on iPads, MacBooks, iPods, Apple TV, and many accessories.
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Where to find the best Black Friday deals on iPhones, iPads, Macs, & Apple accessories

Jordan Kahn Nov 28 2013 - 10:21 am PT

We’ve posted some answers to common questions about the deal.

It can be hard to cut through the noise with just about every retailer online having sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best deals available only for iPad, iPhone, iPods, and Mac. You won’t find any deals on TVs or microwaves in the list below, just the best of the best accessories for your iOS device and Mac, and we’ve only included great products from companies we trust (many of which we’ve reviewed personally). If you still need to buy a Mac, iPhone, or iPad first, you’ll also find a roundup of the best deals on Apple hardware from 9to5Toys at the bottom. As always, we’ll update as more deals are announced throughout the weekend and you can send any you might find to tips@9to5Mac.com.
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As predicted, Apple’s Black Friday ‘deals’ go live and are gift card only, no discounts

Ben Lovejoy Nov 28 2013 - 5:18 am PT

12 Comments

As we predicted, Apple’s Black Friday deals take the form of gift cards rather than discounts. The Australian store is first to come online with the promotion.

Buy a Mac, and you get a gift card for AUS$150 ($137), an iPad gets you AUS$75 ($68) and an iPod AUS$50 ($45) – with a range of gift card values on selected accessories. It’s likely these amounts will be rounded in the USA.

There appears to be no gift card with the Retina iPad Mini (only with the non-Retina model), likely a reflection of the limited supplies available and that Apple knows it will sell well into the holiday season without incentives.

While the gift card amounts are slightly more generous than past discounts (last year Apple offered $100 discount on a Mac), the fact that you have to lay out the full amount for a credit that has to be spent later may limit appeal …

DisplayMate tablet shootout puts Retina iPad Mini in last place, with ‘out-dated technology’

Ben Lovejoy Nov 28 2013 - 4:21 am PT

14 Comments

DisplayMate, a company specializing in scientific display testing and calibration, gave the Retina iPad Mini third place in detailed lab tests of three leading 7-inch tablets, criticising Apple for “really bad planning” for what it considers to be out-dated display technology.

And finally… the iPad mini with Retina Display unfortunately comes in with a distant 3rd place finish behind the innovative displays on the Kindle Fire HDX 7 and new Nexus 7 […]

All of this reliance on IGZO is really bad planning… Right now there is a readily available display technology that has much higher performance than IGZO. It’s Low Temperature Poly Silicon LTPS, and it is used in all of the iPhones and in all of Samsung OLEDs (so it’s available in large quantities). Two innovative tablet manufacturers, Amazon and Google, have significantly leapfrogged Apple by introducing Tablet displays using LTPS (in the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 and the new Nexus 7), and they are significantly outperforming the IGZO and a-Si displays in the current iPads. Apple is now lagging in displays, an area where it was once the leader…
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Judge formally dismisses user privacy lawsuit regarding location services and App Store data collection policy

Benjamin Mayo Nov 28 2013 - 3:04 am PT

Reuters is reporting that Lucy Koh has today dismissed a data privacy lawsuit against Apple that dates back to 2011. The plaintiffs were suing on the basis that (in iOS 4.1) Apple collected WiFi hotspot and cell tower location data even though Location Services were disabled.

Apple’s Black Friday deal to be store gift card promotion, not discounts

Mark Gurman Nov 27 2013 - 12:31 pm PT

Update: Live in Australia.

As part of the American Black Friday sales tradition, Apple typically offers minimal discounts on its own products and third-party accessories via its online and physical retail stores. However, this year will be significantly different. According to multiple sources, Apple’s sales event this Friday will be based around gift cards, not discounts on products. If a customer buys a product from Apple on Black Friday, instead of receiving a discount, they will be given an Apple Store gift card. This gift card will likely not be able to be used at the time of purchase, solely at a later date. The setup is similar to that of Apple’s recent Back to School campaigns, but it is Apple Store cards, not iTunes cards…