Skip to main content

Apple

6,150 'Apple News' stories November 2008 - August 2014
See All Stories

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

Court rejects earlier $324 million anti-poaching settlement between Apple, Intel, Google, and Adobe

Avatar for Mike Beasley Aug 8 2014 - 12:42 pm PT
9 Comments
Site default logo image

Image via <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-01/tech-hubris-the-silicon-valley-antitrust-hiring-conspiracy#p2" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>

A judge has rejected a settlement that was reached earlier this year between employees of Apple, Intel, Google, and Adobe and their respective companies, CNBC reported today. According to reports from the courtroom, Judge Lucy Koh ruled that the settlement was not high enough and should actually be $380 million.

The lawsuit was brought against the tech giants in question by current and former employees who believed (correctly) that their employers had created agreements to avoid attempting to hire engineers from one another. The idea was that if no competitors were making offers, each company was free to pay its employees whatever it wanted without having to worry about them jumping ship for a better offer.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Apple says iCloud Mail experiencing outage for some users

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Aug 8 2014 - 10:05 am PT
1 Comment

Following several reports from readers earlier today that Apple’s iCloud Mail service was experiencing an outage, Apple has now updated its system status page to reflect the downtime.

Apple says that “some users are affected” and that “users may be unable to receive iCloud mail”. Apple’s system status page says the outage started a little before 12PM ET this morning and continues for some. iCloud Mail service also went down last month with a relatively small number of users experiencing an outage for as long as 18 hours.

Apple has made some improvements to the iCloud Mail service recently including flipping the switch on encryption for email sent between providers.

We’ll update here when/if Apple provides an update on the outage.

[tweet https://twitter.com/toddheberlein/status/497771810843160578]

Tim Cook shares ‘deepest sympathies’ and makes $1.6m donation following Yunnan, China earthquake

Avatar for Mark Gurman Aug 8 2014 - 8:21 am PT
19 Comments
Site default logo image

In an email to employees, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared his “deepest sympathies” to the people of Yunnan, China after the region was struck by a disastrous earthquake this past weekend. The earthquake took the lives of 589 people and caused the relocation of over 200,000 people, according to reports. Here’s Cook’s internal memo to employees, which was provided by a source:

Team,

Our deepest sympathies go out to the people of China’s Yunnan Province, which was struck by a devastating 6.5-magnitude earthquake over the weekend. Nearly 600 people died and over 2400 were injured in the worst earthquake to hit the region in 100 years. Rescuers have evacuated 230,000 people who are now displaced from their homes. The road to Longtoushan Township, the epicenter of the quake, has been blocked by landslides, making the rescue effort there even more challenging. Apple is eager to help. We are making a financial donation in support of the work of Mercy Corps and CFPA (China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation) to get supplies and relief to those affected by the earthquake and to help them through the process of healing and recovery. The tragedy in Yunnan Province is on the minds of many in the Apple community. Apple has over 6500 employees in China and Hong Kong as well as a growing developer community and deep ties to the workers in our supply chain who make Apple products. In this time of tragedy, our thoughts are with the victims and their families.

Tim

Cook says that Apple will be making a monetary donation to groups that provide relief efforts for those hurt by the earthquake and its ramifications. Reports indicate that the donation is worth 10 million Yuan, which converts to just over $1.6 million. Cook also notes that Apple has deep ties to the area as Apple has over 6500 employees in China, many third-party developers, and family members of supply chain personnel. Apple has also posted a message on its China homepage:


Expand
Expanding
Close

Opinion: Is the case for Apple ending its patent battles with Samsung stronger than ever?

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 8 2014 - 7:25 am PT
23 Comments
Site default logo image

Steve Jobs famously declared back in 2010 that Android was a stolen product, and he was willing to “go thermonuclear war” in order to “destroy” it.

“I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong,” Jobs said. “I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.”

Back in April, I suggested three reasons it might be time for Apple to settle its Android disputes and move on. The relatively small damages award in the most recent case (and which now looks set to be further reduced) provided a fourth reason not long after I wrote that piece. But I think the case today is even more compelling … 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Reported ban on Apple products by Chinese government just a misunderstanding, say Chinese authorities

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 8 2014 - 4:55 am PT
4 Comments
Site default logo image

The reported ban on national and local government departments purchasing Apple products was just a misunderstanding, according to statements by the Finance Ministry and Central Government Procurement Centre cited by Reuters.

The statements say that the procurement list referred to by Bloomberg was just one of many, and listed only “energy-saving products.” China claims that Apple products did not make this list despite qualifying because the necessary paperwork had not been completed … 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Take a sneak peek inside the latest Apple Store ahead of tomorrow’s opening

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 8 2014 - 4:32 am PT
5 Comments

Dutch site OneMoreThing has provided our first look inside the new Apple Store in The Hague, opening at 10am tomorrow. Unlike many stores, where Apple completely replaced the existing interior of the building, it appears in this case to have retained some of the original features, including light-fittings.

The same approach has been taken with the exterior, where Apple has restored the existing doors rather than replacing them with all-glass ones.

It will be interesting to see whether this is an approach Apple is taking only with selected stores, or whether it forms part of a new look to future stores.

This will be Apple’s third retail store in the Netherlands, alongside Amsterdam and Haarlem. The first 1,000 visitors to the store will receive a free commemorative t-shirt. You can see more photos over at OneMoreThing of the interior and exterior.

USPTO rejects parts of Apple’s auto-correct patent, $119M payout by Samsung likely to be reduced

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 8 2014 - 4:08 am PT
2 Comments
Site default logo image

In a new twist to the second Apple vs Samsung patent trial, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has rejected the specific part of Apple’s auto-correct patent that Samsung was said to have infringed, reports FOSS Patents. This effectively means that Samsung was ruled to have infringed a patent that is no longer valid.

The trial found that Samsung infringed three of the five patents Apple claimed, including a specific element of its auto-correct patent which described a particular method of offering corrections or completions. Samsung had unsuccessfully argued at trial that this approach had been used by others before Apple, and therefore could not be patented. The court rejected this argument, but the USPTO has now agreed with Samsung … 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple seeds OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 build 13F12 to developers

Avatar for Mark Gurman Aug 7 2014 - 10:18 am PT
4 Comments
Site default logo image

Apple today has provided developers with the second beta of the upcoming OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 release. The new build number is 13F12 and it is available on the Mac Developer Center and in Software Update in the Mac App Store for those running the earlier build. Apple asks developers to focus testing on USB, USB Smart Cards, Safari, Graphics, and Thunderbolt.


Expand
Expanding
Close

NFL Now app launches on iPhone & iPad, coming soon to Apple TV with personalized video stream & more

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 7 2014 - 5:35 am PT
13 Comments
Site default logo image

The NFL Now app we revealed a few days ago has launched on iPhone and iPad, offering fans a personalized video stream of their favorite teams.

NFL Now delivers a personalized video stream of your favorite NFL teams, players and coaches right to your iPad or iPhone. Get exclusive interviews and stories about your team, breaking news on your fantasy players, and unlimited access to your favorites in the NFL Films Archives.

This official NFL product combines all of the intense football you love with a smart, easy-to-use interface. NFL Now for the iPhone and iPad learns what you like and delivers a non-stop stream of customized NFL content gathered just for you …


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

9to5Toys Deal Alert: Current iPods up to $110 off: touch 32GB: $214, nano 16GB: $114, shuffle 2GB: $29, more

Avatar for Jared Weintraub Aug 7 2014 - 5:28 am PT
2 Comments

A deal that probably won’t last until lunch time in the US from 9to5Toys.com:

Today Staples is offering deep discounts on current generation iPods.

Staples says these are live for a week but they typically start dying within a few hours.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Paul Deneve brings YSL’s Europe President and Retail chief into the Apple fold

Avatar for Mark Gurman Aug 6 2014 - 12:07 pm PT
29 Comments
Site default logo image

Apple has just made another significant hire from the global fashion industry: Yves Saint Laurent’s Europe President and Retail Head Catherine Monier. Sources say that Monier left the Paris, France-based fashion icon earlier this summer and that she started at Apple within the last few weeks. The sources added that former Yves Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve, who joined Apple last year to work on “Special Projects” under Apple CEO Tim Cook, was behind the hire and that Monier will work on Deneve’s team…


Expand
Expanding
Close

City of Cupertino shares official updated aerial shot of Apple’s Campus 2 and surrounding area

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Aug 6 2014 - 6:00 am PT
10 Comments
Site default logo image

Following an update late last month from the City of Cupertino on progress being made at Apple’s currently under construction Campus 2 project, now the City has shared an official updated aerial photo of the site from Apple. 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Chinese government’s war on Apple escalates as it bans govt purchases

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 6 2014 - 5:08 am PT
24 Comments
Site default logo image

After a Chinese state-run TV channel last month described the iPhone as a “national security concern” (a claim Apple denied), Bloomberg reports that the Chinese government has stepped up its war on Apple by removing the company’s products from its procurement lists.

Ten Apple products — including the iPad, iPad Mini, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro — were omitted from a final government procurement list distributed in July, according to officials who read it and asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. The models were on a June version of the list drafted by the National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Finance, the officials said …


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple says it has created or supported 629,000 jobs in Europe, including 500k from the ‘app economy’

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Aug 6 2014 - 4:49 am PT
8 Comments
Site default logo image

Apple is today touting a lot of new stats regarding Apple’s contribution to European economies. The company has done similar things for the United States, in the past. For Europe, Apple claims to have created or supported 629,000 jobs across Europe, with over 500,000 of those representing the ‘app economy’. Apple says this number is made up of employees whose jobs can be directly attributed to the App Store. Out of $20 billion in worldwide developer earnings, $6.5 billion has gone to European developers.

In 2014, Apple estimates the ‘app economy’ will add $86 billion to worldwide GDP this year. Aside from the App Store, Apple employees 16,000 Europeans directly and indirectly supports a total of 132,000 jobs elsewhere. The company has also calculated that 116,000 European jobs have been created at other companies as a result of Apple’s growth.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Latest sketchy iPhone 6 battery rumor claims capacity jump over earlier ‘test battery’

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 6 2014 - 3:59 am PT
6 Comments

A claimed iPhone 6 battery with a capacity of 1810mAh was a ‘test unit,’ claims a Chinese news analyst cited by GforGames, while the real thing “might” have a capacity of 2100mAh.

According to her supply-chain sources, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 might actually sport a larger 2,100 mAh battery as opposed to a 1,810 mAh unit. Reportedly, the 1,810 mAh battery we’ve seen in the aforementioned leaked picture is as real as it can be, but according to Sung Chang Xu’s sources, these units have been used solely for testing purposes.

It should be noted that GforGames specializes in quoting every Chinese source going, and even the source doesn’t appear too confident in this case, so we’re not putting much stock in it.

The battery-life of the iPhone 6 is an interesting question. Assuming the many leaked case parts are real, the phone will be significantly slimmer than existing models, and it’s likely that this will be achieved in large part by a thinner battery. The larger, higher-res screen will also use more power.

However, the larger form factor of the phone will allow the battery to be both longer and wider, and it’s also likely that Apple will further improve the power efficiency of the phone. If I were to guess, I’d say that Apple will aim to cancel out these effects in order to match the battery-life of the iPhone 5s in the 4.7-inch model, but there’s still room to hope for an improvement.

Site default logo image

Sam Sung Apple Specialist raises a smile as he auctions last business card for charity

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 6 2014 - 3:52 am PT
1 Comment

framed

The idea of a former Canadian Apple Specialist auctioning his last business card might sound rather bizarre until you see his name.

card

The amusing card is being auctioned on eBay, with all proceeds going to the Children’s Wish Foundation, a charity whose mission is to fulfill the wishes of children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. The charity fulfills the wishes of more than a thousand children a year.

At the time of writing, the high bid was $4,850 with eight days to go. If you’re feeling well-off and generous, you can bid here. The winner will get the framed shirt, lanyard and card.

This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated

Samsung and Apple agree to end all patent disputes outside of the United States

Avatar for Chance Miller Aug 5 2014 - 7:19 pm PT
12 Comments
Site default logo image

Samsung and Apple just announced that they have agreed to drop all patent suits against each other in countries outside the United States, Bloomberg reports. The two companies will drop suits against each other in Australia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Netherlands, the U.K., France and Italy. This agreement does not include any licensing agreements, though. This has no effect on United States battles either.

In a joint statement, the two companies had the following to say:


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple files for HealthKit trademarks w/ classifications for watches, fitness sensors, & medical devices

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Aug 5 2014 - 9:33 am PT
4 Comments
Site default logo image

Apple has just filed for HealthKit trademarks in both the US and Europe ahead of iOS 8’s launch this fall and in at least one filing includes watches in a list of goods that could take advantage of the health-tracking software.

While the filing in the US (filed July 31) only includes classifications for computer software and covers the HealthKit text, a filing in Europe (published yesterday) extends classifications to include health, fitness, and exercise sensors, medical devices, and watches:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple Store iPhone 5s screen replacements coming to Europe next week

Avatar for Mark Gurman Aug 5 2014 - 9:00 am PT
4 Comments
Site default logo image

Earlier this week, Apple started replacing iPhone 5s glass screens in Apple Stores for the first time. But the catch is that the service is only available in the United States and Canada. That will change, though, next week. Sources say that the program will expand across Apple’s official retail locations in Europe as soon as Monday, August 11th. The pricing for the screen replacements will likely come in around the equivalent of $150. iPhone 5c screen replacements started across Apple’s locations earlier this year.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Apple’s recent buybacks brought highest 4-month returns of any company since 1998

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Aug 5 2014 - 8:44 am PT
2 Comments

Data from Bloomberg today shows just how profitable Apple’s recent buybacks have been with the company experiencing the highest returns of any company in over a decade. The buybacks, which were also the biggest ever since Bloomberg and S&P started tracking these numbers, came as Apple stock increased 77 percent over the last 15 months and 25 percent since its $18 billion buyback last year:

Those are the highest four-month returns among the 20 biggest quarterly repurchases by any company since 1998, according to data compiled by Bloomberg and Standard & Poor’s. S&P 500 constituents have spent $211 billion on their own stock this year amid concern the five-year bull market is prone to selloffs such as last week’s 2.7 percent retreat.

The report notes that other companies have been less successful with Microsoft experiencing a 16 percent increase in 2014 following its $3 billion buyback, while others including EBay and Boeing experienced shares falling. The average for the 100 largest buybacks being tracked by Bloomberg is a 5.5 percent increase this year.

Bloomberg adds that “the ratio of Apple’s per-share profit growth to its overall earnings has increased due to buybacks.” That includes an increase of 19.6 percent year-over-year as of last quarter compared to an increase in net income of 12.3 percent.

Samsung’s SoC profits down as Apple chooses TSMC for A8, although rumor says it will produce processors for iPhone 7

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Aug 5 2014 - 5:01 am PT
5 Comments
Site default logo image

Samsung has been having some issues lately, reporting falling profits in the most recent quarter. Although most of this is due to shrinking growth in phone sales, where Apple continues to dominate in terms of profit share, Apple has also affected Samsung’s income from its microprocessor production business. With TSMC having exclusivity over Apple’s A8 production, to be used in the upcoming iPhone 6, Samsung’s outlook for ‘logic chips’ is also gloomy, as The Wall Street Journal highlights in a new report.

Samsung executives admitted on a recent conference call that the outlook isn’t so bright for this business.

“Sales and profitability from System LSI (logic chip business) worsened as demand from main customers continued to decline,” Robert Yi, Samsung’s head of investor relations said last week. His comments confirmed, albeit indirectly, how Apple’s gradual shift away from Samsung as a customer of microprocessors was eating into its profits.


Expand
Expanding
Close