Apple

6,154 'Apple News' stories November 2008 - October 2012

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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

EU Justice Commissioner calls for investigation into Apple’s warranty practices

Jordan Kahn Oct 1 2012 - 6:50 am PT

Following a $1.2 million fine from Italian regulators over Apple’s failure to inform consumers of a two-year guarantee mandatory by EU law, Bloomberg reported today that EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding is calling for an investigation by the EU’s 27 states:

“Apple prominently advertised that its products come with a one-year manufacturer warranty but failed to clearly indicate the consumers’ automatic and free-of-cost entitlement to a minimum two-year guarantee under EU law,” Reding said to ministers in the letter, which was obtained by Bloomberg News. “These are unacceptable marketing practices.”

The Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection is also looking into AppleCare.

Former Apple CEO discusses the genesis of ARM mobile processors that now power the world’s mobile devices [Video]

Élyse Betters Oct 1 2012 - 6:42 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBCUzydKSng&start=3514]

Former Apple CEO John Sculley recently attended a South Florida Technology Alliance event to discuss Apple and the genesis of tablet computing, specifically: the Newton MessagePad and ARM Processor.

The MessagePad is the first series of ARM 610 RISC processor-based mobile devices developed by Apple for the Newton OS platform in 1993. Since then, it has become the dominant platform for mobile computing.

“Handwriting was never intended to be a very important aspect of it. […] It was really much more about the fact that you could hold this thing in your hand and it would do a lot of the graphics that you would see on the Macintosh,” explained Sculley at SFTA.

The tablet-like digital assistant spurred a flurry of models with various ARM processor. The series is generally remembered as a market flop now, of course, but Apple’s ARM initiative essentially paved the way for greatness. As The Next Web first noted, the iPhone today uses a by-product of the Newton MessagePad’s specifically designed ARM core.

“No microprocessor existed that would allow you to do mobile graphics-based software,” Sculley revealed, while discussing the birth of ARM.

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Profile of Apple’s Nevada-based investment arm, considered the world’s largest hedge fund

Jordan Kahn Oct 1 2012 - 6:25 am PT

Here’s a profile on Apple’s Nevada-based investment arm, Braeburn Capital, which sits as the world’s largest hedge fund with $117,221,000,000 in AUM. Go to ZeroHedge for more details.

Apple gets approval from Nevada Board of Economic Development for Reno data center (9to5mac.com)
NYT: Apple discussing investment in Twitter worth hundreds of millions of dollars (update) (9to5mac.com)
Apple’s A6 isn’t an ARM processor design, it is Apple’s first CPU design (9to5mac.com)

Verizon iPhone 5 update eliminates carrier data usage while connected to a Wifi Network

Seth Weintraub Sep 30 2012 - 5:40 pm PT

An update is going to Verizon iPhone 5 owners this evening that resolves an issue where, under certain circumstances, the iPhone 5 may use Verizon cellular data while connected to a Wi-Fi network. We are not sure how much data leaks, or why and if Verizon will offer a refund, but we reached out to the carrier for a statement.

Update: Torod Neptune, spokesperson for Verizon Wireless, provided the following statement:

“Under certain circumstances, iPhone 5 may use Verizon cellular data while the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. Apple has a fix that is being delivered to Verizon customers right on their iPhone 5. Verizon Wireless customers will not be charged for any unwarranted cellular data usage.”

Instructions to install the update.

Tap Settings > General > About.
Wait for the following alert to appear:
Tap OK to install the update.
Hold the Sleep/Wake button down until you see “slide to power off”.
Slide to power off.
After the device powers off, hold the Sleep/Wake button to turn your phone back on.

Note: To finish the installation of the update, your iPhone 5 must be turned off and then turned on again.

After your iPhone restarts, tap Settings > General > About, and then scroll down to Carrier and verify “Verizon 13.1” is displayed.

The issue may be a carryover from the Wi-Fi+Cellular feature that was in the betas of iOS 6 but was eliminated in the final version. One reader below mentions the data leak seems to have occurred while the device is asleep.

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Apple no longer calls iOS6 Maps ‘the most beautiful, powerful mapping service ever’

Seth Weintraub Sep 29 2012 - 6:24 am PT

As noted by iDaily.de, Apple has not only begun recommending competing mapping services but it also removed some superlatives from the Maps page.

All of which may just make this app the most beautiful, powerful mapping service ever.

Changed to:

All in a beautiful vector-based interface that scales and zooms with ease.

One of our readers predicted the call, below:
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Woot! has 2011 Dual-Core i5 MacBook Air – New in box (Update: $749)

9to5 Staff Sep 29 2012 - 5:27 am PT

From 9toToys.com:

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Update: MacMall has it for $748.99 with free shipping and the current 4GB USB 3 version for $948.99

Today only, Woot! has the base model 2011 MacBook Air new in box for $759.99+$5 shipping and tax where applicable (Apple charges roughly the same for a refurbished unit). That’s the lowest price we’ve seen for this MacBook Air that was replaced at WWDC in June.

Bonus: Get this Transcend 64GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $29.99 with free shipping at Amazon.

Specs include:

Eligible for OS X Mountain Lion Up-to-Date Program
Originally released July 2011
11.6-inch (diagonal) high-resolution LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
2GB memory
64GB flash storage
Thunderbolt port with support for up to 2560-by-1600 resolution
FaceTime camera
Intel HD Graphics 3000

Product Details

Processor	1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
L3 Cache	3MB shared
Memory	2GB of 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; supports up to 4GB
Hard drive	64GB flash storage¹
Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory²
Ports	Thunderbolt port, two USB 2.0 ports
Audio	Stereo speakers, Omnidirectional microphone, headphone port, support for Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
Wireless	802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking; IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible; Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology³
Size and weight	Height: 0.11-0.68 inch (0.3-1.7 cm) Width: 11.8 inches (30 cm) Depth: 7.59 inches (19.2 cm) Weight: 2.38 pounds (1.08 kg)⁴

All-Flash Storage

“Wow, that was fast.” With MacBook Air, you’ll find yourself saying that a lot. Because flash storage is up to two times faster than a conventional hard drive,⁵ everything you do is more responsive and immediate — starting up, browsing a large photo library, launching applications, and opening files, for instance. When you combine the speed of flash storage with a fast dual-core processor and power-efficient graphics, your entire MacBook Air experience feels turbocharged. And flash storage doesn’t have any moving parts, which means it’s more reliable and quiet. Lightning fast, durable, silent — qualities that make sense in a notebook tasked with keeping up with you.

High-Speed Thunderbolt I/O

The breakthrough I/O technology pioneered on MacBook Pro and iMac now comes to MacBook Air, letting you connect multiple high-performance devices — such as external hard drives — through a single port. With two 10-Gbps data channels, Thunderbolt lets you transfer data at rates up to 12 times faster than FireWire 800 and up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0. Thunderbolt technology gives MacBook Air capabilities it’s never had before. Like attaching FireWire peripherals or connecting to Ethernet networks at gigabit speeds — two big gains from one tiny port.⁶

Long-lasting battery. Instant on. Even after a month off.

Since space-saving flash storage leaves room for a bigger battery, you can devote more time to the things you enjoy most. Things like browsing the web, editing photos, and watching videos. Get up to 5 hours of battery life on a single charge on the 11-inch model. Put MacBook Air to sleep, and it enters standby mode to conserve battery life for up to 30 days.⁷ When you come back to your MacBook Air and open it up, it’s on in an instant.

DVD or CD Sharing

With the Mac App Store, getting the apps you want on your Mac has never been easier. No more boxes, no more discs, no more time-consuming installation. Click once to download and install any app on your Mac. But if an app you need isn’t available from the Mac App Store, you can use DVD or CD Sharing. This convenient feature of OS X lets you wirelessly “borrow” the optical drive of a nearby Mac or PC. So you can install applications from a DVD or CD and have full access to an optical drive without having to carry one around.

Backlit keyboard

As incredibly compact as MacBook Air is, it still manages to fit a full-size keyboard that makes typing as natural as it is comfortable. And now the keyboard is backlit, so you can type with ease in even the dimmest light. A built-in ambient light sensor detects changes in lighting conditions and adjusts the display and keyboard brightness automatically. From a seat in a sunny café to a seat on a cross-country red-eye, you’ll always have the perfect lighting for any environment.

Apple’s tight control over its Asian supply chain profiled

Seth Weintraub Sep 28 2012 - 9:24 pm PT

In a wide-ranging report on Apple’s Taiwan supply chain, the Mercury News reports on the incredible sway Apple has over the manufacturing markets in Asia. One little part of the story is notable, however:

An Apple engineer called to inquire about TeamChem’s new conductive adhesive technology that, among other things, would allow chips to be mounted directly on an iPhone circuit board, eliminating the need for tiny sockets. This would lower manufacturing costs, increase the speed in which the devices roll off assembly lines and allow them to be even thinner. The adhesive, which has yet to be mass produced, could also be used on flexible circuit boards for future devices with flexible panels.

It is interesting that the suppliers talk in one breath about how Apple will cut them off if any technical information is leaked, but they are leaking technical information to a media outlet in the next sentence.

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Eerie Steve Jobs wax statue display opens up at Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong [Video]

Élyse Betters Sep 28 2012 - 12:01 pm PT

[vimeo 50362565 w=600 h=381]

Creepy.

[via M.I.C. Gadget]

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Apple launches alternative Maps app section in App Store

Élyse Betters Sep 28 2012 - 10:35 am PT

Apple is prominently spotlighting alternative solutions to the new Maps app on the App Store.

The promotion of third-party apps is in conjunction with CEO Tim Cook’s open letter from this morning that apologized to iOS customers for the company’s less-than-perfect Maps offering. Apple further detailed on its website today how to add Google and Nokia maps website icons to an iOS 6 device’s Home screen.

[tweet https://twitter.com/djmexi/status/251729875046645760]

In related news, Reuters created an infographic recently that illustrates a side-by-side comparison of the key features available on mobile map apps from Google and Apple’s iOS in 27 countries (as seen below):

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Apps and updates: Gmail goes iPhone 5, IM+ Pro promo codes, dJay for iPad price drop, and more

Élyse Betters Sep 28 2012 - 8:39 am PT

[slideshow]

Many apps updated, went on sale, or made announcements recently, and 9to5Mac gathered the most noteworthy ones in our regular round up below. Today’s crop includes a few giveaways by developer Shape.ag, an alternative to Apple Maps featuring Google data, notable iPhone 5 updates, price drops for popular iOS apps, and etc. Per usual, we will continue to update this list throughout the day.

Check them out:

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Newly discovered Cirrus chip in iPhone 5 could explain enhanced audio features

Jordan Kahn Sep 28 2012 - 8:02 am PT

[tweet https://twitter.com/chipworksgary/status/251661621032796162]

When Apple introduced the iPhone 5, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller noted a number of new methods being used for noise cancellation from solutions using the device’s third microphone to an updated “noise-cancelling earpiece” and the addition of wideband audio. We know from reports earlier this month that Apple is not including noise cancellation technology from Audience, as it did in previous iPhone models. While we do not know exactly what powers the iPhone 5’s enhanced audio system, Chipworks discovered a second Cirrus chip being used in its recent teardown:

Audio chips from Cirrus. We know that Audience announced that they no longer have the noise cancellation and we were hoping we could get a little insight as to what is being done in the iPhone 5. Unfortunately, without a little more depth than a die photo can provide the best we can say is that Cirrus has two design wins related to the audio (one of which we originally guessed to be a memory MCP). One has some fairly large transistors and a whole lot of logic. If someone out there knows what the Apple package 338S1077 is we would be happy to report it. Starting here may be a good place.

Apple 338S1077 Audio CODEC. This is a wafer-scale device by Cirrus Logic. They have long held this private-label package with Apple.
Apple 338S1117 Cirrus Audio Chip

It is very possible that Apple’s new, in-house noise canceling technology uses this new Apple-branded Cirrus chip.
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This Gold-plated iPhone 5 will run you $4,300 [Video]

9to5 Staff Sep 28 2012 - 5:37 am PT

[ooyala code=”JxZmUxNjoylzrgDJtDjZX7Tao-xLN5se”]

As Apple fans from 22 countries are waiting in lines for limited quantities of the iPhone 5, some folks in the Middle East were offered up the opportunity to buy a 24-carat gold-plated version of Apple’s iconic device for a slight premium.

Just remember: Scratching is normal for any Gold surface; so do not try anything funny. [Via Bloomberg]

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Amazon requests judge throw out Apple’s ‘App Store’ trademark case

Jordan Kahn Sep 27 2012 - 6:39 am PT

Following Apple launching a lawsuit against Amazon in March 2011 over use of the “App Store” trademark, today we get an update on the case with Amazon requesting the claim be thrown out in a filing with the U.S. District Court in Oakland. Reuters reported that Amazon asked a federal judge to throw out the case, claiming the term is too common to constitute false advertising. Amazon also noted that even Apple employees, such as Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, used the term when referring to competitors:

Amazon added that even Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook and his predecessor Steve Jobs have used the term to discuss rivals, with Cook having commented on “the number of app stores out there” and Jobs referring to the “four app stores on Android.”

“Apple presumably does not contend that its past and current CEOs made false statements regarding to those other app stores to thousands of investors in earnings calls,” Amazon said.

“To the contrary, the use of the term ‘app store’ to refer to stores selling apps is commonplace in the industry.”

The case is expected to continue with Amazon’s motion on October 31 and trial date set for August 19, 2013.

Some iPhones coming off the assembly line with backward volume keys (iPhone 5 version)

Seth Weintraub Sep 26 2012 - 2:56 pm PT

Although it isn’t going to change your life, it looks like a few iPhone 4s are coming off the assembly line with reversed volume buttons. Reader Eric sends us his which he says works like it should if the buttons were reversed.

Fast-forward a year:

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Thanks Donut Bandit!

Those fine folks at Foxconn might have missed this one.

Apple nabs Google veteran Sally Cole for Communications Director role

Seth Weintraub Sep 25 2012 - 9:17 am PT

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Apple hired Sally Cole as the Director of Employee Communications last month. Cole comes from cross-town rival Google, where she served as the Director of Internal Communications for almost six years. The Scarsdale native has a B.A. in history from Yale and a J.D./M.B.A. from nearby Stanford University, from which both companies hire liberally.

As someone intimately familiar with Internal Communications at Google, Cole’s experience could prove very valuable at Apple. Apple is rumored to be after Google Maps employees, for instance, where Cole’s Rolodex could prove “fruitful.” Google and Apple previously had a “no-poach” agreement instituted by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Clearly, that is no longer the case.

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Apple crimes in New York City are increasing 10 times faster than the general crime rate

Jordan Kahn Sep 25 2012 - 7:51 am PT

A new report from the NYPD (via Gothamist) shows crimes involving Apple products in the city have increased 40 percent between Jan. 1 and Sept. 23, which is 10x the 4 percent increase that all crime in the city experienced over the same period. According to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and the NYPD, 11,447 incidents involving stolen Apple products were reported in comparison to just 3,280 the year before. We heard similar stats in the past, but Gothamist provided some of the NYPD’s numbers today to show how Apple-related crimes contributed to crime by category this year:

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Apple Retail scheduled to launch Personal Pickup for iPhone 5 tonight (Update: Confirmed by Apple)

Sep 24 2012 - 11:00 am PT

If you missed purchasing an iPhone 5 this weekend, we might have some good news for you. We are hearing Apple expects to launch its in-store product reservation system, Personal Pickup, for iPhone 5 tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern. Customers can use the Apple Store app or website between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. nightly to pre-purchase available iPhone 5 inventory for the next day. Because customers are actually purchasing the iPhone, they will have upwards of two weeks to pick up the phone (when it becomes available).

This certainly seems to be the best way to get your hands on Apple’s newest phone as ship times at Apple.com are still delayed “3-4 weeks”. Demand has been extremely high for this phone, so we recommend logging on to the reservation system as it becomes available.

Update: It appears Apple’s iPhone 5 Personal Pickup page has been updated ahead of the 10 p.m. launch. It reaffirms the reservation process which we outlined early this afternoon. All pre-purchased iPhone 5 units will be available for in-store pickup the next business day and any units not pre-purchased will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Apple agrees to meet with Swiss Rail Firm over Clock trademark dispute

Élyse Betters Sep 24 2012 - 7:49 am PT

Swiss Federal Railways SBB said it would soon meet with Apple representatives to discuss an agreement over its classic clock face design found in the new Clocks app for iOS devices.

“There’s been no agreement so far, we’re going to talk about it,” announced SBB spokesperson Patricia Claivaz to global news agency AFP, noting SBB’s lawyers first requested the sit-down.

SBB was unable to provide an exact date for the gathering, but its spokesperson added, “We’re rather proud that a brand as important as Apple is using our design, it’s already on show in exhibitions in places like New York.”

The clock face design, created in 1944, was originally a copyright and trademark of engineer Hans Hilfiker, but watchmaker Mondaine licenses the design these days, and is considering legal action. It is obvious the Clocks app resembles the railway’s design, so Apple will likely bring a check to the upcoming meeting.

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The first three iPhone 5 (and one EarPod) ads hit: ‘Thumbs’, ‘Physics’, ‘Cheese’ and ‘Ears’

Seth Weintraub Sep 21 2012 - 7:24 pm PT

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It sounds like actor Jeff Daniels, of “Dumb and Dumber” and “Newsroom”, narrates the first iPhone 5 ads.

“Thumbs” shows how the 4-inch screen is tailored to the windshield-wiper motion of your thumb:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Rc4MDmr8o&feature=plcp

“Cheese” shows the new panorama feature with a comical “cheeeeeeee *breath* eeese”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtm4ySJQPOc&feature=plcp

Two more and a poll below:

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This is the first jailbroken iPhone 5

Seth Weintraub Sep 21 2012 - 5:44 pm PT

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Unless Walt Mossberg or David Pogue knocked it last week, @Chpwn (Grant Paul) has the first jailbroken iPhone 5,which he posted to his Twitter account a few minutes ago. It is usually common courtesy to give Apple devices 24 hours before jailbreaking, but someone apparently could not help himself. More below:

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Charlie Rose talks iPhone 5 with Daring Fireball’s John Gruber, NYTimes’ David Pogue [Video]

Élyse Betters Sep 21 2012 - 1:33 pm PT

[ooyala code=”swdnR4NTpMV8KaMiokPGILW5aTNJAkpk”]

Daring Fireball’s John Gruber and The New York Times’ David Pogue went on the “Charlie Rose” TV show last night to discuss and share their thoughts on the iPhone 5. While both technology bloggers adore Apple’s latest smartphone, Gruber longed for two-day battery life and Pogue seemed annoyed by the new Lightning connector.

Watch the clip above for more insights.

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Study shows AT&T still dominates iPhone in US with as much as 68 percent of all early sales

Élyse Betters Sep 21 2012 - 12:09 pm PT

Internet analytics company ComScore just revealed record-breaking numbers and carrier sales data for the iPhone 5.

The noteworthy tidbits:

U.S. online pre-orders for the iPhone 5 took just three days to hit 96 percent of the iPhone 4S’ numbers during its entire first month. ComScore disclosed 24 more million Americans owned a smartphone in July 2012, however, compared to October 2011, which likely affected the record sales. It also claimed a “substantial group of consumers held out for the iPhone 5.”

The iPhone 5 is also the fastest-selling iPhone ever offered through AT&T, as the carrier boasted 68 percent of total U.S. online sales for first three days of the iPhone 5’s release (including Apple.com carrier sales). ComScore noted AT&T was an exclusive iPhone carrier for a long time, though, so it made a “safe assumption” that AT&T is “home to the highest share of iPhone enthusiasts.” ComScore also mentioned iPhone 4 owners on AT&T are now eligible for upgrades, where as the iPhone 4 debuted on Verizon in February 2011, for instance, so those consumers are not eligible yet.

The iPhone 5 unveiled Sept. 12 and over 3 million people in the U.S. immediately searched the term “iPhone 5″. The Web experienced 6.3 million searches for term, with 4 million more queries following in the days after.

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T-Mobile rolls out 42 Mbps iPhone-compatible network in Las Vegas on Monday, more cities coming by Christmas

9to5 Staff Sep 21 2012 - 11:24 am PT

T-Mobile announced Seattle as its first iPhone-compatible 3G/4G network today at the GigaOm Mobilize conference. The 42MBps HSPA+ network will officially go live Monday and will roll out to other cities including Seattle, Washington, DC, and the New York metro area. It will also cover a ‘material’ part of T-Mobile’s U.S. coverage by the end of the year.

Why would you want to ride on T-Mobile’s network? As you can see above, the iPhone 5 uses 42Mb HSPA+ radios. So, you can get some pretty mean speeds (and even the older iPhones can still ride on the 14.4 networks). T-Mobile’s tests of unlocked iPhone 4S devices running over 4G (HSPA+) on its 1900 band have recorded 70 percent faster average download speeds than iPhone 4S on AT&T’s network.

Even on EDGE, the T-Mobile pre-paid plans are the best in the business. The $30 a month unlimited text/data plan with 100 minutes of talk is about the least-expensive plan you can find for an unlocked iPhone. Virgin offers the same.

Speaking of unlocking, we have a contest coming this weekend. Stay tuned!

T-Mobile unveils its big September 12th plans for iPhone: ‘Bring your unlocked iPhone and save $1200 vs. AT&T’

BestBuy not fulfilling all iPhone 5 preorders, promises delivery up to 28 days after launch

Jordan Kahn Sep 21 2012 - 7:15 am PT

We were just sent what appears to be a legitimate internal memo floating around BestBuy’s systems. It confirmed the retailer would not fulfill all iPhone 5 pre-orders based on “current inventory allocation.” Originally expected for delivery by today, the memo confirmed BestBuy sent emails to some customers informing they will not receive the pre-ordered iPhone 5 by this weekend. Instead, BestBuy is promising to fulfill preorders by mid-October—”no later than 28 days from launch.” Shipping times for the device slipped to “3-4 weeks” even on Apple’s website, but this is confirmation from a major retailer that some pre-order customers promised delivery by this weekend will not get their device. We recently posted documents showing Walmart’s internal iPhone 5 launch plans, which confirmed the retailer will also not guarantee Sept. 21 availability for preorder customers.

We have a reader email below:

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