MacRumors

Apple shares dipped below $100 in pre-market trading today amid a wider Dow Jones and stock market downturn, with AAPL fluctuating around the $98-$100 mark prior to the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange opening bell at 9:30 AM Eastern. Apple shares last dropped below $100 in October 2014, four months after opening at $92.69 following a 7-for-1 split that took effect in June 2014.

Apple shares closed at $105.76 on Friday and are down over $35 from a 52-week high of $134.54 set on April 28, but many analysts remain bullish about the stock and believe that the current dip presents a buying opportunity for investors. The company is expected to announce new iPhones and iPads alongside the launch of iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan through the end of October.

Last March, Apple replaced AT&T on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which is currently down over 500 points. The Dow Jones provides a price-weighted average of 30 significant stocks traded on the NASDAQ and NYSE, including American Express, Boeing, Chevron, Coca-Cola, Disney, Exxon Mobil, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Intel, JPMorgan and Chase, Microsoft, Verizon and Visa.

Update 6:10 AM Pacific: Apple CEO Tim Cook remains bullish about China in an email sent to Jim Cramer:

"Jim,

As you know, we don’t give mid-quarter updates and we rarely comment on moves in Apple stock. But I know your question is on the minds of many investors.

I get updates on our performance in China every day, including this morning, and I can tell you that we have continued to experience strong growth for our business in China through July and August. Growth in iPhone activations has actually accelerated over the past few weeks, and we have had the best performance of the year for the App Store in China during the last 2 weeks.

Obviously I can’t predict the future, but our performance so far this quarter is reassuring. Additionally, I continue to believe that China represents an unprecedented opportunity over the long term as LTE penetration is very low and most importantly the growth of the middle class over the next several years will be huge.

Tim"

Apple shares opened at around the $95 mark on the Nasdaq today.

Update 8:53 AM: Apple's stock has recovered all of today's losses and is now trading above Friday's closing price, although it remains down significantly from its mid-July peak.

Apple today launched an iSight Camera replacement program for the iPhone 6 Plus, which will see the company replacing the camera module in a small percentage of iPhone 6 Plus devices that have a faulty rear-facing camera.

According to a new support page dedicated to the replacement program, some iPhone 6 Plus units that were sold between September of 2014 and January of 2015 could have a component that can fail and cause photos to look blurry.

iPhone 6 Plus units that are producing blurry photos and have an eligible serial number will get their cameras replaced from Apple at no charge. Replacement units can be obtained through Apple's online support team, an Apple retail store, or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

iPhone 6 Plus users have been complaining of blurry photos since shortly after the device first launched in September of 2014. As outlined in various reports, the issue prevents the camera from focusing and could be related to the Optical Image Stabilization in the larger-screened device. The iPhone 6, which does not have Optical Image Stabilization, is not affected.

Apple recommends that affected users prepare for the replacement process by backing up their data to iTunes or iCloud. Apple also warns that iPhone 6 Plus units with damage like a cracked screen will need to have those issues solved before the camera can be replaced as the damage could impair the camera replacement process.

The iSight Camera Replacement Program will cover iPhone 6 Plus iSight cameras for three years after the first retail sale of the unit.

Apple recently hired a senior engineer from Tesla Motors, presumably to work on its secret car project. As highlighted by Reuters, former Tesla Motors Autopilot Firmware Manager Jamie Carlson's LinkedIn page says he now works at Apple on "Special Projects."

His profile doesn't go into detail on what he did for Tesla, but he was working on the company's autonomous vehicle firmware project and could be taking on a similar automotive firmware role at Apple.

Reuters also points out several other previously unknown hires with similar expertise in autonomous driving, including Megan McClain, a former Volkswagen engineer, Vinay Palakkode, a graduate researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, and Xianqiao Tong, who developed driver assistance systems for NVIDIA.

On their respecitve LinkedIn pages, McClain is listed as a Mechanical Design Engineer, Palakkode is listed as an engineer working within Apple's Special Projects Group, and Tong is listed as an R&D engineer. Last fall, Apple also hired Sanjai Massey, a Ford engineer who worked on connected and autonomous vehicles, Stefan Weber, a Bosch engineer who worked on driver assistance systems, and Lech Szumilas, a Delphi research scientist with former expertise in autonomous vehicles.

Rumors have thus far disagreed over whether Apple's secret car project includes self-driving technology, but it's possible the company is exploring multiple avenues of development as the project is still in its early stages. A previous report from Reuters citing a source within the automotive industry suggested Apple was working on a self-driving electric car, but a report from The Wall Street Journal stated a self-driving car was not part of Apple's electric car efforts.

Apple is said to have more than 200 employees working on the electric car, under the code name "Project Titan." Apple has been heavily recruiting automotive experts over the past several months, with many members on its team coming from companies like Tesla, Ford, GM, MIT Motorsports, Ogin, Autoliv, A123 Systems, General Dynamics, and more.

High profile hires have included Tesla mechanical engineering manager David Nelson, Tesla senior powertrain test engineer John Ireland, Chrysler Group Senior Vice President Doug Betts, A123 Systems Chief Technology Officer Mujeeb Ijaz, and Paul Furgale, a researcher with a specialization in autonomous vehicles.

With the recent release of the movie Straight Outta Compton detailing Dr. Dre's hip-hop group N.W.A, unsavory moments from Dre's past were unearthed as critics questioned why the movie didn't cover his abuse towards women. During the 1990s, Dr. Dre was accused of assaulting several women, including his girlfriend at the time Michel'le and television host Dee Barnes.

In response to the allegations, Dr. Dre has given a statement to The New York Times apologizing for his actions and saying he deeply regrets what he did in his youth.

"Twenty-five years ago I was a young man drinking too much and in over my head with no real structure in my life. However, none of this is an excuse for what I did. I've been married for 19 years and every day I'm working to be a better man for my family, seeking guidance along the way. I'm doing everything I can so I never resemble that man again."

He added: "I apologize to the women I've hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives."

Dr. Dre has been employed at Apple for the past year, following the company's acquisition of Beats Electronics and Beats Music, created by both Dre and Jimmy Iovine. Apple also gave a statement to The New York Times, supporting Dr. Dre.

"Dre has apologized for the mistakes he's made in the past and he's said that he's not the same person that he was 25 years ago. We believe his sincerity and after working with him for a year and a half, we have every reason to believe that he has changed."

At Apple, Dr. Dre is working on Apple Music alongside Jimmy Iovine. Though he has no specific title, Dre has been involved with Beats 1 radio, hosting his own weekly show called "The Pharmacy" and has released two albums exclusively on Apple Music, including "Compton: A Soundtrack," the official soundtrack of the Straight Outta Compton movie, and "The Chronic," originally released in 1992.

Note: Due to the controversial nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Amid rumors that Apple is working on a top-secret automotive project ranging from its own electric car to a CarPlay-related technology platform for vehicles, Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler AG remains open to "different types" of cooperation with Apple, reports Reuters.

"Many things are conceivable," Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said in an interview with quarterly magazine Deutsche Unternehmerboerse published on Friday.

Silicon Valley is becoming increasingly important for automakers as vehicles become more deeply integrated with the latest technologies such as CarPlay and Android Auto, and companies such as Apple and Google could play an even bigger role as self-driving vehicles hit the streets over the next five-plus years.

"Google and Apple want to provide system software for cars and bring this entire ecosystem around Apple and Google into the vehicle," Zetsche said. "That can be interesting for both sides."

Last September, Apple hired former Mercedes-Benz R&D President and CEO Johann Jungwirth, who has over a decade of experience working on connected cars, autonomous driving, testing and regulatory affairs and more. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked at Daimler between October 1997 and September 2014 and is now Director of Mac Systems Engineering at Apple.

Apple Car rumors gained momentum in February when The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has hundreds of employees, including former Tesla, Ford and GM engineers, working on an electric vehicle at a top-secret research lab possibly located in the Sunnyvale area. The rumored project, known internally as "Project Titan," could be under testing at GoMentum Station, a former naval base in the Bay Area.

Samsung today launched a new promotion called Ultimate Test Drive, a program designed to get iPhone users to switch away from their Apple devices to Samsung ones (via Engadget). The Test Drive coincides with the launch of Samsung's newest devices, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+.

For just one dollar, you can try one of our latest Samsung phones for 30 days with no obligation. Your test drive kit will come with the phone of your choice, an activated sim card, and a step-by-step guide to help you start your test drive.

To sign up for the promotion, iPhone users have to visit SamsungPromotions.com on their device and select their phone. Samsung tells Engadget that the promotion is compatible with any U.S. carrier. It's unclear whether Samsung will put a hold on trial-goers credit cards and, if so, how much that hold could be.

Last year, T-Mobile launched a trial program for users to test out its network with an iPhone 5s for a week. T-Mobile placed a $699.99 hold on a user's credit or debit card, charging it if the phone wasn't returned at the end of the trial.

Following the launch of both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Samsung has seen a significant profit drop in its mobile division as some of its customers opted to switch from Samsung devices to the larger-screened Apple devices. Before the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, screen size was one of the major differentiators between Samsung and Apple's smartphones, but now Samsung must find other ways to differentiate from Apple. Thus far, the Korean company has focused on faster charging and the S6 Edge's curved display screen. The Ultimate Test Drive is Samsung's latest attempt to win back some customers.

Apple today debuted a new iPhone-focused video featuring Apple Pay as part of its ongoing "If it's not an iPhone, it's not an iPhone" advertising campaign. The video, available on the company's YouTube channel, features an iPhone being used to make different Apple Pay purchases.

The iPhone is centric to the video and is shown going through several different Apple Pay transactions as a voiceover explains Apple Pay and its features in a clever rhyme. At the end of the video, Apple ends with its latest signature tagline, "If it's not an iPhone, it's not an iPhone."

This is an iPhone. And this is Apple Pay. Which lets you shop in a faster, simpler way. For groceries, and kicks, toys, and your lunchtime fix. It's safer than a credit card and keeps your info yours. And you can already use it in over one million stores.

"Apple Pay" is the fifth ad in this particular campaign, which focuses on the different capabilities of the iPhone. Other videos in the series have included "Loved," "Hardware & Software," "Amazing Apps," and "Photos & Videos," each with catchy music, visuals, and voiceovers.

In addition to its latest video ads, Apple also recently introduced a new iPhone-oriented web campaign, "Why There's Nothing Quite Like an iPhone," focusing on features that differentiate the iPhone from competing products. The mini site highlights the iPhone's integration of hardware and software, wide range of apps, camera, resistance to malware, Touch ID, and Apple Pay.

The Apple TV was the fourth most popular streaming media device in the United States in 2014, according to new data compiled by Parks Associates. Sales of the Apple TV were eclipsed by sales of devices from Roku, Google, and Amazon.

Roku continues to be the most popular brand when it comes to streaming media devices, representing 34 percent of units sold, while Google and its Chromecast were responsible for 23 percent of device sales. Amazon's Fire TV was the third most popular choice, while Apple came in fourth. In 2013, the Apple TV was the third most popular streaming media device, but in 2014, it fell behind the newly introduced Fire TV and Fire TV Stick.

Combined, streaming media devices from Apple, Roku, Google, and Amazon were responsible for 86 percent of all streaming media device sales to U.S. broadband households.

According to the data, almost 20 percent of U.S. households now own one or more streaming media players. When it comes to ongoing usage, Roku devices are unsurprisingly at the top of the list. 37 percent of households regularly use a Roku device, 19 percent use a Google Chromecast, 17 percent use an Apple TV, and 14 percent use an Amazon Fire TV/Fire TV Stick.

With a new Apple TV on the horizon, the streaming media device market could shift in Apple's favor in 2015 and 2016. The new Apple TV is a radical departure from the existing Apple TV, which has not been updated for several years. It will include a full App Store that supports games and apps, Siri integration, a refreshed design and operating system, more storage space, and a touch-based remote control.

The Apple TV won't be able to compete with devices like the Google Chromecast or the Amazon Fire TV on price, but it will bring a host of features not offered by other products.

Apple today launched a new Apple Watch advertising effort in London, decorating the 24 windows of the Selfridges department store with a massive floral installation. Each window has flowers that were inspired by the flowers that can be found within the "Motion" face on the Apple Watch.

Design magazine Wallpaper has shared photos and details on the installation, which uses 3D flowers created through a range of methods from resin casting to 3D printing. Each window also displays an Apple Watch with a watch face that matches the flowers.

There are eight different flower variations decorating the windows, each of which was scaled, sculpted, and hand-painted by artists, a process Wallpaper describes as "painstaking and meticulous as the original photography."

Earlier this year, Apple Human Interface Chief Alan Dye explained the effort that went into each of Apple's "Motion" watch faces. Apple shot all of the animated flower, butterfly, and jellyfish photos used in the watch face. For the flowers in particular, Apple shot photos as they bloomed, with one single flower taking 285 hours and more than 24,000 shots.

For the window installation, artists created 24 large, 50 medium, 240 "small plus" and 5,525 small flowers, split across the aforementioned eight varieties. Paul Deneve, formerly the CEO of Yves Saint Laurent, had a hand in the window designs and gave a statement to Wallpaper.

We are thrilled that the flowers of the Apple Watch face have inspired such a beautiful design and to see it come to life in this amazing installation, reflected in all 24 of Selfridges' historic windows,' says Paul Deneve, Apple's vice president of special projects.

Apple's flower installation follows two other installations that have been used to decorate the Selfridges department store, including "Chromosphere," which displayed the Apple Watch in colored orbs of light, and "Butterflies," featuring a huge kaleidoscope of fluttering butterflies.

Selfridges in London is the home of the iconic Wonder Room, a section of the department store that sells luxury jewelry and watches. The Apple Watch is sold from a pop-up shop located towards the entrance of the Wonder Room, with all models from Sport to Edition available for purchase.

Taiwanese website DigiTimes today reported the "iPad Pro" will enter production by the end of the third quarter and go into mass production in the fourth quarter, corroborating a recent KGI report that said the rumored 12.9-inch tablet would enter mass production in September-October.

The report claims the "iPad Pro" will be released in the fourth quarter, with an estimated 4-5 million shipments in 2015. DigiTimes reported in July that the "iPad Pro" could launch in mid-November as Foxconn prepared to start supplying components at the time, but the release timeframe remains uncertain.

The report claims Sharp will be the main supplier of LCD displays for the tablet, while Foxconn subsidiary General Interface Solution (GIS) will provide touch panels. Samsung Display and TPK will be secondary suppliers of LCD assemblies and touch modules respectively, according to the report.

Square Enix today released a long-awaited port of Final Fantasy VII for iOS devices. Originally released in 1997, Final Fantasy VII was the first game in the Final Fantasy series created for PlayStation and it continues to be one of the most popular Final Fantasy games.

At E3, Square Enix promised to launch Final Fantasy VII before the end of the summer in 2015, so with tonight's release, the company is living up to its word. Square Enix has previously made the first six Final Fantasy games available on iOS devices, but Final Fantasy VII for iOS marks the first Final Fantasy port from a PlayStation game.

According to Square Enix, the iOS version of Final Fantasy VII is a port of the PC version, with no changes or additions to the storyline.

With its unshakeable monopoly over Mako energy production, the evil Shinra Electric Power Company holds tight to the reigns of wold power. One day, a Mako reactor serving the sprawling metropolis of Midgar is attacked and destroyed in a bombing raid by a revolutionary group calling themselves Avalanche. Cloud Strife, a former member of Shinra's elite "Soldier" unit takes part in the raid as a mercenary hired by Avalanche and sets events in motion that will draw him and his friends into an epic struggle for the fate of the planet itself...

The iOS port of the game includes a virtual on-screen controller that's "designed not to obscure the action." It offers virtual analog or fixed 4-way digital control pad options and the opacity of the on-screen controls is adjustable. Also new to the iOS version of the game is an option to turn off enemy encounters in area maps and a Max Stats command to "become all-powerful in the blink of an eye."

It's taken several years for Square Enix to bring Final Fantasy VII to the iOS App Store, largely due to space constraints. In 2013, Square Enix producer Takashi Tokita said that a release of Final Fantasy VII was years away because of space limitations. "It's that currently, space will be an issue," he said. "Phones won't be able to contain the space it takes. It's over a gigabyte. People are probably going to have to wait for a few years."

In February of 2015, Apple expanded the size limitation on apps from 2GB to 4GB, paving the way for apps like Final Fantasy VII. According to the App Store description of the game, it takes 1.66GB of storage space, but requires more than 4GB of free space to download.

Final Fantasy VII is compatible with the iPhone 5s or later, the third-generation iPad or later, and the iPad mini 2 or later, with Square Enix warning that the game may not perform well on earlier devices. iOS 8 or later is also required.

Final Fantasy VII can be downloaded from the App Store for $15.99. [Direct Link]