Apple

6,154 'Apple News' stories November 2008 - July 2015

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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

UK Apple Pay now available for HSBC and First Direct customers

Benjamin Mayo Jul 28 2015 - 1:37 am PT

Following the launch of Apple Pay in the UK two weeks ago, Apple is continuing the rollout with the addition of two major banks, HSBC and First Direct. Customers who have credit cards or debit cards with those banks can start using Apple Pay now. As with other UK Apple Pay transactions, there is a £20 transaction limit at most retailers apart from those with upgraded payment terminals that support higher-value contactless purchases. The £20 limit is getting raised to £30 in September.

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Opinion: A Mac’s longevity is its biggest unsung selling point

Jeremy Horwitz Jul 27 2015 - 10:07 am PT

Apple can’t advertise Macs as having ten-year lifespans for legal reasons, and reviewers rarely write about their old computers ten years later — they’re typically focused on each year’s latest and greatest machine. But the average person buys a computer and keeps using it until it stops working, something I note every time a friend or family member “finally” upgrades from an old Mac to a new one.

This morning, Christopher Phin’s article “Saying goodbye to a beloved 2008 MacBook Pro” recalled the many end-of-life Mac discussions I’ve had with people over the years — specifically that their still-working-but-old Macs are so antiquated that virtually every internal component has been replaced in current models. Yet no one ever says they’re switching from an old Mac to a new PC; instead, the conversation is always about figuring out which new Mac to buy, or whether to squeeze a little more life from the old machine with a hard drive to SSD swap or additional RAM.

The superb longevity of Macs isn’t discussed very often, but it’s due as much to the durability of the hardware as the engineering of the software. Let’s take a quick look at what keeps Macs going so long…

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Best Buy to begin selling Apple Watch in stores and online on August 7

Chance Miller Jul 26 2015 - 7:42 pm PT

Best Buy announced today in a press release that it will become the first national retailer, aside from Apple, to sell Apple Watch in stores. The company says that the device will hit more than 100 of its stores on August 7th and will be available online from that date, as well. Best Buy will expand Apple Watch availability to another 200 locations in time for the holiday shopping season.

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Apple ‘Back to School’ promo expected to go international on August 6/7

Cam Bunton Jul 25 2015 - 7:21 am PT

Apple recently kicked off its ‘Back to School’ promo in the US and Canada, offering customers a free pair of Beats headphones for buying a Mac. The same deal will be rolling out internationally in various countries on either August 6th or 7th (exact date depends on country). Like those in the US and Canada, European customers will be able snag a free pair of Beats Solo2 headphones with a qualifying Mac purchase, or get €200 discount on the Beats Wireless Solo2.

According to French Mac blog Consomac, Angela Ahrendts, the company’s retail chief told employees of its wider rollout plans in a short video:

“In the US and in Canada, in our stores and online, it is the season for Back to School. Kids go back to school in these countries earlier than a lot of other countries. It Will Be launching August 6 and August 7 in additional countries, again aligned to When Your kids and your students Actually go back to school.”

It’s expected that European customers will be subject to the same purchase rules as in the States and Canada. They’ll need to buy an iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or Mac Pro with education pricing to get the free Beats. Build-to-order configurations are eligible, but Mac Mini is excluded from the deal.

This is first year Apple has given away Beats products with its Macs for ‘Back to School’ students. Last year, a Mac purchase got you a $100 gift card, and an iPhone or iPad purchase got you a $50 gift card.

Once the deal goes live in Europe, we’ll be sure to update you. As things stand, we’re expecting the roll out to begin in just under two weeks’ time.

First trailer for former Gawker COO’s ‘Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine’ documentary released

Chance Miller Jul 24 2015 - 2:08 pm PT

Magnolia Pictures and CNN Films today debuted the first trailer for the upcoming biographical film centered around Steve Jobs. “Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine” was originally premiered earlier this year at SXSW and is spearheaded by director Alex Gibney and executive producer Gaby Darbyshire, who is the former Chief Operating Officer of Gawker Media.

Darbyshire headed up Gawker legal when the media company’s subsidiary Gizmodo bought the iPhone 4 that was “left at the bar” and would have been at the center of the controversy that surrounded the subsequent firestorm with Apple and then CEO Steve Jobs.

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Report: Apple in negotiations to use BMW i3 as basis for its own electric car

Jordan Kahn Jul 24 2015 - 1:35 pm PT

Apple and BMW have engaged in negotiations over Apple’s interest in using BMW’s i3 electric cars as a basis for its own electric car project, according to a new report from German publication…

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Honda reaffirms commitment to Apple’s CarPlay, says 2016 Accord will be first to support it

Chance Miller Jul 23 2015 - 3:08 pm PT

When CarPlay was debuted in March of 2014, a variety of automobile manufacturers signed on to support Apple’s in-car offering. One of those launch partners was Honda and despite the manufacturer having promised to support the platform from the beginning, it has yet to release any car model with support for CarPlay. Today, however, Honda announced at an event in Silicon Valley that it will begin shipping cars with support for CarPlay in 2016.

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Apple highlighting Accessibility apps to celebrate anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act

Chance Miller Jul 23 2015 - 2:47 pm PT

Apple today has launched a new page on the App Store dedicated to showcasing apps that take advantage of the Accessibility features on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Apple says that the section is meant to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Accessibility featured page on the App Store is further broken down into sections for Vision, Hearing, Speech, Learning and Literacy, and Physical and Motor Skill.

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Apple launches massive iOS sale w/ 100 apps for $0.99 ea: Rayman, Angry Birds, Pixelmator, Spider-Man, many more

Justin Kahn Jul 23 2015 - 1:53 pm PT

From 9to5Toys.com:

Unlike most App Store promos, Apple has now quietly kicked off one the largest iOS game/app sales we have seen this year. The news comes courtesy of participating app developer Readdle.

The sale includes 100 apps and games at “new low prices”, most of which are $0.99. While we have posted some of these titles over the past week in our daily/game app roundups, this is the first time they’ve all appeared together in one giant sale. Now is your chance to fill up your app library, as we are seeing all-time lows on games, productivity apps, photography apps and much more.

A couple standouts are Pixelmator (Reg. $5), GoodReader (Reg. $5), The Room Two (Reg. $3), Rayman Jungle Run (Reg. $3), BADLAND (Reg. $4), Real Racing (Reg. $5), Angry Birds titles, and well, far too many to mention here. Not even including the insanely popular Angry Birds games, just these apps alone combine for a 4+ star rating from 100,000 reviews.

If there is still a couple apps you can’t find in this sale, then be sure to hit our daily roundups for even more discounted options and the new Free App of the Week.

You can also download Screenium 3 on Mac for 50% off (Reg. $50) for a limited time.

Apple backing LGBT anti-discrimination Equality Act

Zac Hall Jul 23 2015 - 11:30 am PT

Apple is officially putting its weight behind new LGBT anti-discrimination legislature currently being proposed in Congress. The company said in a statement to the Human Rights Campaign that it actively supports the Equality Act.

At Apple we believe in equal treatment for everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love. We fully support the expansion of legal protections as a matter of basic human dignity.

Apple’s support for the bill that would expand federal protections in the workplace to LGBT Americans in all states follows several years of Apple CEO Tim Cook calling on Congress to pass such legislation, and Apple’s backing is in line with its own company policies.
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IDC: Apple snatches 3% of smartphone users from Samsung

Stephen Hall Jul 23 2015 - 9:44 am PT

IDC has just released its smartphone market share data for Q2 2015, and at least one thing is clear: Samsung is still struggling, and Apple is still doing really well. The Korean company’s smartphone market share dropped from 24.8% to 21.7% year-over-year, a 3.1 percentage point drop. Conveniently, while other manufacturers made gains as well, Apple’s numbers are up about the same number — 2.4 percentage points year-over-year to 14.1%…
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Apple’s 2015 Back to School deal: free Beats Solo2 headphones with Mac purchase

Benjamin Mayo Jul 23 2015 - 6:40 am PT

Apple is today launching its Back to School promotion for 2015. This year, it will give away a free pair of Beats Solo2 headphones with the purchase of an eligible Mac. Customers must either purchase an iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac Pro with education pricing to qualify, including build-to-order configurations. The Mac mini does not participate in the deal.

Alternatively, customers can upgrade for an additional $100 to a pair of wireless Beats Solo2 headphones, rather than the usual $299 price. The announcement is not yet being advertised on Apple.com apart from a small mention on its rebates page. It is surprising that there appears to be no Back to School promotion for iPads this year, despite Apple pushing the tablet into education markets.

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Official third-party Apple Watch stands and docks with integrated chargers on the way

Benjamin Mayo Jul 22 2015 - 5:16 pm PT

An example of current Apple Watch stands that must utilize Apple’s official Watch charging cable.

Apple will soon let manufacturers in its Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) licensing program include charging pads for the Apple Watch directly in their accessories, according to sources. Currently, dock makers can only offer charging by making unsightly openings in their docks for Apple’s official charger to sit, forcing users to bring their own cable and install it, and compromising an ideal design and user experience in the process. By making charging modules available to manufacturers to use, however, customers will be able to buy docks and stands with integrated chargers without needing to use their own.

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Happy Hour Podcast 024 | New iPods, September hardware expectations, and Apple’s latest earnings call

Dom Esposito Jul 22 2015 - 11:00 am PT

Apple has refreshed its entire iPod lineup and we’re discussing all of the details along with what to expect later this year. New hardware is expected, but aside from an iPhone what will Apple launch? Along with that, developers now have access to a new iOS 9 beta plus watchOS 2 beta and we discuss Apple’s latest earnings call. The Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and through our dedicated RSS feed.

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Apple again lands behind Samsung at #15 on Fortune Global 500 list, #2 by profit

Jordan Kahn Jul 22 2015 - 8:15 am PT

Fortune is out with its latest Global 500 today ranking the world’s largest 500 companies by revenue and Apple has once again landed at #15 on the list. Apple comes in behind #1 Wal-mart, a long list of petroleum companies, Volkswagen, Toyota, and #13 Samsung.

After a bumpy start to 2014, Apple’s stock finished the year up 40%, adding nearly $200 billion to the company’s market value. A product pipeline that’s gotten Apple fanboys lining up all over again has certainly helped reenergize revenue growth: In addition to unveiling new categories like Apple Pay and Apple Watch, the company launched the iPhone 6, selling a record-breaking 10 million units in the first three days. As CEO Tim Cook recently told investors: “It’s tough to find something in the numbers not to like.” The normally low-profile Cook is breaking new ground in other ways too–in October, 2014 he came out as the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

In Fortune’s calculations, which account for total revenues for the fiscal year that ended before March 31, 2015, Apple came in with almost $183 billion in revenue, compared to around $195 billion for Samsung and $485 billion for #1 on the list, Walmart. Apple, however, comes in at #2 on the list when filtering by profit with $39.5 billion compared to $44.7 billion for the #1 company by profit, Industrial & Commer. Bank of China. Other tech companies coming in behind Apple for profit include Microsoft at #8 with $22 billion and Samsung at #9 with $21.9 billion in profit.

The new Fortune 500 Global list follows Apple’s Q3 2015 earnings report yesterday where the company reported record revenue for several products, hinted at over $1 billion in Apple Watch sales, and crossed the $200 billion in cash mark for the first time.

iOS device sales outpace Windows PC sales for first time

Chance Miller Jul 21 2015 - 7:41 pm PT

Apple earlier today reported its Q3 2015 earnings, and while the company’s stock has taken an after-hours dive, the numbers were generally strong. Apple reported that it had sold 47 million iPhone units and 10.9 million iPad units in the quarter, combining for a total of 57.9 million iOS devices, not including the iPod touch. As noted by Benedict Evans of a16z, Apple’s sales last quarter mean that iOS sales are now matching those of Windows PCs.

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Tim Cook hints Apple Watch revenue higher than $1B, sales likely exceed 3 million units

Jordan Kahn Jul 21 2015 - 3:10 pm PT

Apple isn’t breaking out Apple Watch sales or revenue during today’s fiscal third quarter earnings report (the three month period that ended in June). While that’s not a surprise— Apple said previously it wouldn’t disclose Apple Watch numbers for competitive reasons— today we did get our first official glimpse at how the Apple Watch sold during its launch. The math plus some hints from Tim Cook himself hints that Apple Watch sold over $1.4 billion in revenue:
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Apple’s Q3 numbers: All-time high Android switching, record revenue, Apple Watch stats, & more

Jordan Kahn Jul 21 2015 - 2:18 pm PT

Apple just announced its fiscal third quarter earnings and as usual offered some stats on progress since last checking in. Among the notables: the company’s revenue in China is up 112%, it returned $13 billion to shareholders through its capital return program, and it sold a record number of iPhones and Macs during the quarter. The company, citing its own research, noted that users switching from Android to iPhone was at an all-time high, while giving us some insight into Apple Watch usage. Head below for the full roundup of numbers from today’s earnings call:
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Apple’s cash pile crosses $200 billion for the first time

Benjamin Mayo Jul 21 2015 - 2:02 pm PT

Apple has just announced record quarterly earnings with $10.7 billion of operating profit. This revenue accumulation has resulted in Apple’s biggest ever cash hoard, now standing at $202 billion dollars. This is up from the record $194 billion level reported in the previous quarter and despite Apple giving away $13 billion to shareholders through its capital returns program.

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Live blog: Apple’s fiscal year Q3 2015 earnings call

Zac Hall Jul 21 2015 - 1:44 pm PT

Apple earnings day is here at last. Catch up on the company’s latest results here while we await the quarterly conference call between Tim Cook, Luca Maestri and analysts. In summary, Apple reporting earnings $10.7 billion in profit from $49 billion in revenue after 47 million iPhone sales, 10.9 million iPad sales, and 4.7 million Mac sales during the company’s Q3 period. Analysts will likely push Tim Cook and company on sharing more information around Apple Watch sales during the call. The quarter covers the April to June period which includes Apple Watch sales in a number of countries from April 24th and on. Apple’s conference call kicks off at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET so stay tuned for our live coverage below:
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Apple releases OS X 10.11 El Capitan beta 4 to developers

Chance Miller Jul 21 2015 - 11:19 am PT

Apple today has released the fourth developer preview of OS X 10.11 El Capitan. The operating system carries the build number 15A226f. Two weeks ago, the company pushed the third beta build to developers after initially introducing the operating system at WWDC last month. Beta 3 brought about a variety of minor changes, including changes to Mission Control, the Photos app, and the Calendar app.

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Apple + IBM unveil 10 new MobileFirst enterprise apps for iPhone, iPad, & Apple Watch

Zac Hall Jul 21 2015 - 7:10 am PT

Apple and IBM today unveiled 10 new enterprise apps across several industries including tools for government inspectors, business travelers and managers, and field service professionals for the first time. The latest apps bring the number of iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch apps built for the enterprise under Apple’s IBM MobileFirst for iOS partnership to 32 in total. Here are the new apps joining the list today:
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New Zealand & Turkey Apple Watch pricing revealed ahead of July 31st launch

Chance Miller Jul 20 2015 - 6:33 pm PT

Last week it was revealed that Apple Watch would be launching in New Zealand on July 31st, but without any sort of pricing information. Today, however, Apple has updated its New Zealand online store with more details regarding the launch. The entry-level 38mm Apple Watch Sport starts at NZ$599 and increases to NZ$699 for the 42mm model.

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Apple hires former Fiat Chrysler executive for its rumored electric car team

Chance Miller Jul 20 2015 - 3:42 pm PT

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple has hired a seasoned veteran from the automotive industry for its rumored car initiative. The report claims that Apple has hired Doug Betts, who previously led global quality control at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Betts worked at Fiat Chrysler until last year and started at Apple earlier this month.

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