Apple

6,136 'Apple News' stories November 2008 - May 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

iPhone 6 with larger, sharper 1704 x 960 resolution screen in testing

Mark Gurman May 14 2014 - 6:45 am PT

76 Comments

Apple is preparing to release a new iPhone with a larger screen later this year, and while multiple reports have indicated that the screen will be larger, the exact dimensions of the screen and its resolution have so far been guesswork.

Some industry watchers have speculated that Apple could stretch the iPhone software’s interface and retain the iPhone 5s’s screen resolution of 1136 x 640. This approach would allow all iOS software and App Store apps to function normally on the iPhone 6 without work from developers. The downside of this approach would be that the iPhone 6’s display would fall below Steve Jobs’ somewhat arbitrary 300 pixels per inch definition of ‘Retina’ for a phone.

Just like with the transition to the iPhone 4’s Retina display in 2010 and the transition to the iPhone 5’s taller screen in 2012, Apple is preparing major resolution changes for the iPhone 6 that will require software changes by both Apple and developers, according to people briefed on the specifications of the new device…

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Detailed iPhone 6 mockup compared to iPad Air, iPad mini, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 4s, and iPod touch (4K video)

Dom Esposito May 14 2014 - 6:33 am PT

28 Comments

Lately, there has been a storm of rumored iPhone 6 images, renders, schematics, and videos. We’ve seen just about everything that the rumor mill has to offer at this point. All of the mockups that have been floating around may not match up with Apple’s official iPhone 6 design, but they are definitely convincing to an extent.

We recently put together a video comparing an iPhone 6 mockup to the iPhone 5s and fifth generation iPod touch, but what about Apple’s other iOS devices? In the video below, we compare this alleged iPhone 6 design to the iPad Air, iPad mini, iPhone 4/4s, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, and iPod touch. Hopefully this massive comparison will put an end to any other questions regarding the rumored iPhone 6 design, but based on the mockup units we’ve obtained the iPhone 6 is going to be a very large device and possibly feature a sharper 1704 x 960 resolution display.

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Apple reportedly acknowledges hijacked text message problem

Ben Lovejoy May 14 2014 - 5:33 am PT

74 Comments

Adam Pash, former lead editor of Lifehacker, reports that Apple has acknowledged a problem we’ve heard reported before: text messages continue to be converted to iMessages and forwarded to an Apple ID even when that ID is no longer in use. This means that any text messages sent from an iPhone are reported as delivered while actually disappearing into the ether.

[The AppleCare rep] explained:

This is a problem a lot of people are facing.

The engineering team is working on it but is apparently clueless as to how to fix it.

There are no reliable solutions right now — for some people the standard fixes work immediately; many others are in my boat …

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September Apple Retail holiday restrictions make August launch of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 even more unlikely

Ben Lovejoy May 14 2014 - 5:01 am PT

16 Comments

German site ifun is reporting that local Apple Store staff have been banned from taking any leave in September, the usual month for the launch of a new iPhone. No restrictions have been reported for August.

This would seem to scupper the unlikely but persistent rumors that have been circulating of the 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 being launched in August, with the 5.5-inch model following in September. Delays to the 5.5-inch model were said to be due to unspecified manufacturing difficulties.

A split launch always seemed unlikely for a variety of reasons, not least the logistical hassles of a launch at peak vacation time, requiring leave blackouts for two months rather than one. Sales figures would also be complicated by a two-phase launch, and would potentially provide competitors with data on the relative popularity of the two models. Apple has always only reported iPhone sales in aggregate, rather than breaking out numbers for specific models.

We’ve seen a range of schematics, renders and mockups of the rumored design of the iPhone 6, all suggesting an iPod touch-like design with a slim form factor and rounded edges.

The site ifun also reports that the Apple Store in Hannover, expected to open shortly, has been delayed until the fall by mold growth found in the building. Construction work had required the temporary closure of the Mobilcom store next door, which has now re-opened, suggesting a pause in work on the Apple Store.

iPhone market share in Japan climbs from a quarter to more than a third of all phones sold

Ben Lovejoy May 14 2014 - 4:24 am PT

1 Comment

Apple’s deal with Japan’s largest carrier, DoCoMo, saw the iPhone’s market share in the country climb from 25.5 percent last year to 36.6 percent in the year ending March of this year, reports Bloomberg. This full-year figure underestimates the current position, as it reflects only six months of sales through DoCoMo.

Japanese companies Sharp and Sony took second and third places, with 13 and 12.3 percent respectively, while Samsung was in sixth place at just 5.7 percent.

Apple’s market share in Japan hit almost 70 percent when the iPhone 5S and 5C were made available on DoCoMo, as pent up demand was first unleashed. Since then it settled back to just under 50 percent last quarter, and we’re likely to see a similar number in the full-year figures in six months time.

Apple adds iOS Developer interface design guidelines book to iBooks

Mark Gurman May 13 2014 - 3:50 pm PT

4 Comments

Apple has added the iOS Human Interface Guidelines for App Store app designers to the iBookstore. Previously, the guidelines were solely available from the online Apple developer portal, and the addition to the iBookstore makes the guidelines for designing iOS 7 apps more easily accessible.

Federico Viticci notes at MacStories that the book is properly optimized for viewing on the iPad:

The 20 MB guide is compatible with iPads as well as Macs running iBooks on OS X Mavericks, and it takes advantage of the app with inline video playback, two-page page layouts, and built-in annotations (plus, of course, font size and color controls for reading settings).

The book can be downloaded for free on iOS or OS X.

Apple's “iOS Human Interface Guidelines” is now available on the iBookstore: https://t.co/3UKBgttv5L

— Dave Addey (@daveaddey) May 13, 2014

@viticci Yep, just released today. The team here have done a *really* nice job of it, too.

— Dave Addey (@daveaddey) May 13, 2014

Review all types of 3D files with this free new Autodesk app for iOS and Mac

9to5 Staff May 13 2014 - 11:25 am PT

2 Comments

[ooyala code=”tyZ3RkZDptTdk4MiQaHJVCnxUdZyD8pf” player_id=”null”]

Today Autodesk launched FBX Review for Apple Mac OS X and iOS 7. The free standalone app gives professional artists and animators a powerful, lightweight tool to conduct detailed reviews of a wide range of 3D assets, including detailed 3D models, environments and character animations.

Now artists on the Windows or Apple platforms can use FBX Review to view 3D assets with a full feature set, without using commercial 3D animation software. An artist working in Autodesk 3ds Max can send an animation file to anyone who has installed FBX Review, and the recipient will have a full menu of features with which to view the assets.

New features coming to the Apple platforms are:

Support for ZIP files: makes asset review easier by supporting ZIP files containing both geometry and texture files. When opening the ZIP fileFBX Review automatically assigns the textures, helping to streamline the review process by eliminating the need to bake textures.
Geometry cache support: supports geometry cache playback, including Maya cache, 3ds Max cache, and the Alembic cache format. Geometry cache support is available only on desktop versions of FBX Review.
Re-focus perspective camera: FX Review now supports changing the focus of the perspective camera by double tapping (mobile) or double-clicking (desktop) on the desired area of focus.

To download FBX Review for iOS, visit: http://autode.sk/1qzHAFX and for Mac OS X: http://autode.sk/1spZtmp

For a complete list of FBX Review features, visit: http://area.autodesk.com/products/features/fbx

Updated: Lunch with Tim Cook charity auction closes at over $330,000 for RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights

Zac Hall May 13 2014 - 6:38 am PT

7 Comments

Update: The Auction is now closed with the winning bidder donating $330,001 to the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights

Going once, going twice, almost sold! Just two and a half weeks ago, Charitybuzz kicked off a campaign to raise money for the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights by offering the opportunity to have lunch with Apple CEO Tim Cook at the company’s campus in Cupertino. The auction’s goal is set at $100,000 – twice that of the previous year’s auction of coffee for two with Mr. Cook – and the clock is about to run out on this year’s chance to dine with the chief executive.

For perspective, last year’s auction for a similar prize (coffee with Cook) and the same charity far exceeded it’s goal of $50,000 raising an astounding $610,000 for the RFK group by the time it ended. This year’s charity auction for lunch with Tim Cook is an absolute bargain in comparison as the latest bid at the time of writing is sitting at only $180,000 with less than five hours before the closing bell…
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Apple plans to match Microsoft Surface with split-screen iPad multitasking in iOS 8

Mark Gurman May 13 2014 - 6:30 am PT

120 Comments

iOS 8 is likely to supercharge the functionality of Apple’s iPad with a new split-screen multitasking feature, according to sources with knowledge of the enhancement in development. These people say that the feature will allow iPad users to run and interact with two iPad applications at once. Up until now, each iPad application either developed by Apple or available on the App Store is only usable individually in a full-screen view.

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Beats Music had only 111k subscribers in March, claims music blog

Ben Lovejoy May 13 2014 - 5:35 am PT

3 Comments

If a leaked royalties report posted by a musician’s blog is genuine, Beats Music subscribers certainly played no part in Apple’s presumed decision to acquire the company. The report appears to indicate that the service paid first quarter royalties to musicians based on total subscriber numbers of just 110,992.

As Business Insider notes, there are a couple of complications that make it hard to determine the actual number of paid subscribers. First, the majority of subscriptions are family packages, where a single payment of $14.99 a month allows up to five users to access the service. The total number of users will thus be higher than the raw subscription figures.

Against this, however, a promotion by AT&T offering free 90-day subscriptions mean that many of those appearing in the subscriber numbers may have paid nothing.

Either way, the numbers are irrelevant to Apple. With the headphone business bringing in $1B a year, Apple appears to have bought itself a well-respected streaming music technology, unrivalled music industry expertise and contacts, and a highly successful marketing team, for a bargain price.

Beats acquisition may be part of a new focus on music quality, suggests Japanese blog

Ben Lovejoy May 13 2014 - 4:29 am PT

33 Comments

Following the presumed acquisition of Beats, Apple plans to up its music game with support for high-resolution audio files in a revamped Music app in iOS 8, and to offer a higher-quality version of its In-Ear Headphones, reports Japanese blog Macotakara.

The source of the high-res audio rumor appears somewhat circumstantial, linked to a Warner Music post about the forthcoming release of a ‘Super Deluxe’ version of three remastered early Led Zeppelin albums in 96kHz/24-bit form – a resolution the current iOS Music app cannot play. It is, however, consistent with a similar earlier rumor regarding iTunes support for higher-quality audio …
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Teardown reveals the risks of counterfeit iPad chargers

Ben Lovejoy May 13 2014 - 12:00 am PT

4 Comments

A teardown by an engineer investigating the differences between genuine and counterfeit iPad chargers found that despite looking almost identical externally, there were big differences internally, impacting on both power delivery and safety.

One safety difference is obvious: the Apple charger has much more insulation. The upper (high-voltage) half is wrapped in yellow insulating tape. Some components are encased in shrink tubing, there are plastic insulators between some components, and some wires have extra insulation. The counterfeit charger only has minimal insulation.

While the genuine charger delivered slightly above the 10W claimed, the counterfeit delivered only 5.9W, meaning it would take almost twice as long to charge. The fake charger power delivery was also found by engineer Ken Shirriff to be “noisy and low quality.”

But it’s the safety side that provides the greatest argument for sticking to the real deal. For example, safety regulations require a gap of at least 4mm between high- and low-voltage sides of any transformer. The genuine Apple charger comfortably exceeds this with a 5.6mm gap, while the fake charger gap was just 0.6mm.

The Apple charger also uses triple-insulated wire, while the fake one is uninsulated but for a thin varnish coating.

The full teardown is worth a read if you want chapter and verse, but the tl;dr version is that cheap chargers are cheap for a reason.

Detailed Space Gray iPhone 6 mockup compared to HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5 (4K video)

Dom Esposito May 12 2014 - 5:16 pm PT

26 Comments

Based on all of the iPhone 6 dummy units we’ve seen, this rumored design closely resembles Apple’s fifth generation iPod touch, but that’s not all. As shown in the video below, the alleged iPhone 6 design looks very similar to another flagship smartphone released this year.

The HTC One M8 and iPhone 6 mockup look like cousins or long-lost brothers when it comes to their design. Of course there’s no confirmation that Apple is actually using this design for the iPhone 6, but almost all of these mockups have been manufactured based on “leaked” schematics and specifications.

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Gold and Space Gray iPhone 6 mockup vs iPhone 5s, 5th gen iPod touch, and alleged iPhone 6 cases (4K video)

Dom Esposito May 12 2014 - 1:50 pm PT

41 Comments

We’ve recently obtained two iPhone 6 mockups in Gold and Space Gray and have put together a video comparing them to Apple’s iPhone 5s, fifth generation iPod touch, and the alleged iPhone 6 cases we’ve previously covered. We’ve seen quite a bit of news surrounding these dummy devices, but most of the time, the photos aren’t the best and we’re left wanting more information and details.

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Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine could hit the WWDC stage in early June as Apple execs

Mark Gurman May 12 2014 - 11:28 am PT

3 Comments

If the Apple acquisition of Beats Electronics actually moves forward, co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine could see their grand introductions as Apple executives at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in early June. That’s at least according to Billboard, which has a great track record in covering the music industry…

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Microsoft for Office for iPad shows continued growth with 27 million downloads to date

Mark Gurman May 12 2014 - 11:01 am PT

13 Comments

Microsoft announced today at the TechEd Conference that Microsoft Office for iPad, which includes Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, has been downloaded from the App Store 27 million times to date. The statistic was first shared on Twitter by Microsoft watcher Paul Thurrot and noted by Business Insider:

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Apple improves refund turnaround times for returns to less than a week

Benjamin Mayo May 12 2014 - 5:21 am PT

0 Comments

A retail research firm is reporting that Apple has improved its return systems for customers, via Reuters. Customers can now get a refund in a less than a week, whereas it used to take about ten days.

The report says Apple has transitioned to a new expedited shipping service, which ships returned products back to Apple within three days. In turn, this means customers get their money back faster. The new delivery method was first spotted during the holiday period and now seems to be a permanent measure.

Reuters positions the change as a way to lift online sales. This seems a little farfetched, and is unlikely to significantly affect purchasing decisions, but it will no doubt be appreciated by Apple’s customer base. Perhaps, it will help customer satisfaction slightly, Tim Cook’s favorite statistic.

Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine expected to become Apple executives as part of Beats acquisition

Mark Gurman May 9 2014 - 4:43 pm PT

99 Comments

As part of the impending $3.2 billion Apple acquisition of Beats Electronics, Beats co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine will join Apple as senior executives, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

But as Apple completes a deal to buy headphone and streaming-service company Beats Electronics LLC from Mr. Iovine and his co-founder, rap star Dr. Dre, both men are likely to take senior positions with the Cupertino, Calif., tech company, according to people familiar with the matter, commuting from the Los Angeles area to Silicon Valley—or meetings elsewhere—as needed.

The report does not seem to indicate that the two men will be full-time employees. Rather, it seems possible that the pair will commute and take meetings as needed. In the modern world of technology, working remotely is not a far-fetched possibility. If the deal closes, Iovine is also expected to resign as Chairman of Interscope, a record label…

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Apple-partner Vimeo revamps its iOS app with new design, faster video loading

Mark Gurman May 9 2014 - 2:16 pm PT

5 Comments

Vimeo has updated its iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch application with a new, lighter design as well as some helpful new features. The “friendlier” design is easier to navigate, lighter, and cleaner and features more user-interface elements to blend into the design aesthetic of iOS 7. Vimeo became an iOS partner last year with integrated Vimeo video uploading in iOS 7.

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Apple Store employees switching from iPod touch to iPhone 5s for EasyPay POS system

Jordan Kahn May 9 2014 - 9:59 am PT

25 Comments

Apple is in the process of updating the iPod touch units used by Apple Store employees as a mobile point-of-sale system to the iPhone 5s, according to sources familiar with the roll out.

Apple first started using its iPod touch as an “EasyPay” system for employees in its retail stores back in 2009 and currently uses 4th gen iPod touch or previous models for staff. It uses a point-of-sale attachment for the iPod touch that adds a magnetic stripe reader, barcode scanning functionality, and more. It’s not clear the exact motivation behind Apple’s move to the iPhone after long using the iPod touch, but the device does provide a few advantages.
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Opinion: Beats Music is actually so good that I’m worried about Apple ruining it (à la LaLa)

Zac Hall May 9 2014 - 9:42 am PT

23 Comments

My first reaction to yesterday’s news that Apple is nearing the close of a $3.2 billion deal to purchase Beats Electronics was one of worry, but not for the reasons that I saw in much of the commentary from others. I’m less concerned with what Apple could have planned for the headphones business or that the price tag is so high; after all, it’s exciting to think that Apple could make a major acquisition (its largest yet) after somewhat of a quiet period. What worries me is what Apple has planned for the not-so-popular-yet subscription streaming service Beats Music…
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Poll: Do you like Apple’s decision to buy Beats for $3.2bn?

Benjamin Mayo May 9 2014 - 9:38 am PT

26 Comments

With multiple sources saying that Apple’s acquisition of Beats is in the final stages, everyone is trying to figure out what Apple has to gain from the deal. Earlier, we posted some guesses about what the acquisition could be for, but nobody really knows for certain yet.

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Listen to Beats Jimmy Iovine talk about the future of music for 40 minutes

Jordan Kahn May 9 2014 - 8:00 am PT

12 Comments

With reports that Apple is in final talks to close a $3.2 billion deal to purchase Beats Electronics, we thought it would be interesting to revisit a recent interview with the company’s co-founder Jimmy Iovine from just before the launch of Beats Music. The interview above was from the D: Dive Into Media conference back in February of 2013 and in it Iovine gives a lot of insight into his view of the music industry leading up to the launch of the company’s new Beats Music subscription streaming service.

You’ll also get a sense of just how important a figure Iovine is in the music industry, which might be why Tim Cook is rumored to be keeping Iovine on as a special adviser on creative matters through the Beats deal. Lots of topics are covered, but the interview as a whole gives great perspective into Beats’ mission with its new streaming music service.

Opinion: What is Apple’s thinking in spending $3.2B on buying Beats?

Ben Lovejoy May 9 2014 - 6:51 am PT

82 Comments

Apple’s apparent purchase of Beats took everyone by surprise. I must confess that my immediate reaction was to be slightly appalled. As someone whose audio tastes run more to B&O and B+W, I’ve always viewed Beats headphones as over-bassed, over-priced fashion items. But then my tastes in music admittedly differ somewhat from those of the typical Beats customer.

Even so, it’s still a little baffling at first glance. Tim Cook himself said a year ago that Apple asks two questions when considering an acquisition:

Would it help us make a great product, and would the culture fit at Apple?

My immediate answer to both would be “no,” so why would Apple spend $3.2B on a headphone manufacturer with a small sideline streaming music service … ?
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