MacRumors

Starting last year, AT&T began charging a $15 activation fee for customers who wanted to upgrade to a new smartphone purchased outright or through an AT&T Next plan, and as of yesterday, that fee has been increased from $15 to $20.

As Droid Life noticed yesterday, AT&T updated its wireless activation and upgrade fees document to reflect the new $20 pricing on April 6, matching Verizon's recently implemented fee.

On Monday, Verizon started charging $20 for activating smartphones purchased through an installment plan or at full retail price, $5 less than AT&T was charging at the time. Less than two days later, AT&T raised its prices to $20.

AT&T customers who bring a phone to the AT&T network, purchase a phone using AT&T Next, or purchase a device through Apple's Device Upgrade program will need to pay the one-time activation fee as outlined below. Customers with a two-year contract will need to pay the standard $45 fee, which has not changed.

Wireless activation and upgrade fees,1 are one time fees that may be added to your first or next AT&T bill.
- Activation and upgrade fees for smartphones with AT&T Next - Activation and upgrade fees are $20 per smartphone added or upgraded with AT&T Next.
- Activation fees for installment agreements and bring your own devices - The fee is $20.
- Activation and upgrade fees for two year agreement - Fees are $45. Note: Two year agreements are available only on select devices.

As Ars Technica points out, AT&T doesn't provide any explanation or justification for the fee that it charges on its website, nor does it give an explanation for the price increase. In a leaked document we shared last week, Verizon said its own fee was to cover "increasing support costs associated with customers switching their devices."

Of the four major carriers in the United States, T-Mobile is the only carrier that does not charge an upgrade or activation fee. AT&T and Verizon both charge $20, while Sprint charges a fee of up to $36 per device.

Last month, Apple shared a charming iPhone 6s ad starring well-known Sesame Street character Cookie Monster, who used the iPhone 6s and the always-on "Hey Siri" feature as a cookie-baking aid.

The spot, which garnered more than 8 million views on YouTube, is one of the most popular ads in Apple's recent history, which is likely why the company today released a followup "Behind the Scenes" video depicting a humorous second look at Cookie Monster as he shoots the ad.

In the ad, we see some before and after shots, showing more footage of Cookie Monster waiting for his cookies. Cookie Monster asks over and over again when his cookies will be ready, and has a cute conversation with Siri where he offers her a cookie when they're done. The video continues on with the ding of the oven and Cookie Monster's excitement over the finished cookies, ending with Siri wishing Cookie Monster good night.

The two ads starring Cookie Monster are two in a series of iPhone 6s ads that have starred various well-known celebrities using different iPhone 6s features. Previous ads have focused on everything from Live Photos to 3D Touch and have starred Jamie Foxx, Bill Hader, Jon Favreau, and Stephen Curry.

Apple today released the first beta of an upcoming iOS 9.3.2 update for public beta testers, just a day after seeding the first iOS 9.3.2 beta to developers. iOS 9.3.2 comes just over two weeks after the public release of iOS 9.3 and a week after the release of iOS 9.3.1, a followup bug fix update.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 9.3.2 update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on their iOS device.

Those who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and OS X betas.

iOS 9.3.2, as a minor 9.x.x update, focuses primarily on performance improvements and under-the-hood bug fixes to address issues that have been discovered since the release of iOS 9.3. We don't know all of the fixes that will be included, but one issue with lagginess when activating Quick Actions in landscape mode on an iPhone 6s has been fixed.

No other outward-facing changes or immediately apparent bug fixes were discovered in the first beta of iOS 9.3.2.

Major graphics processing providers AMD and Nvidia are set to unveil new GPU products this year featuring Global Foundries' 14 nm FinFET and TSMC's 16 nm FinFET Plus processor nodes, respectively, allowing for significant improvements in graphics performance.

AMD's "Polaris" and Nvidia's "Pascal" architectures both utilize the latest FinFET silicon processes and will represent the first GPU process node change since 28 nm GPUs debuted in 2011. Both AMD and Nvidia skipped the intermediate 20 nm node, elongating the typical release cycle of consumer graphics processors.

While TSMC had traditionally provided multiple process offerings within a node, including one specifically tailored to higher power applications such as GPUs, the company found that the traditional planar geometries of its 20 nm node gave the firm less differentiation with its normal set of tweaks, rendering it a poor candidate for power hungry GPUs.

In a statement released earlier this year, AMD claimed that the new 14 nm Polaris GPUs will offer over double the performance per watt of their 28 nm predecessors. This news also confirmed AMD's use of Global Foundries' 14 nm FinFET process, rather than TSMC's 16 nm process, which Nvidia will use. While AMD confirmed the use of TSMC for its higher power product offerings, any products developed from that process node would be destined for the Mac Pro only, as Apple has traditionally used mobile GPUs for its notebook and iMac product lines.

Product launches for these new GPUs are expected to occur around the summer timeframe. While Nvidia introduced its massive new Tesla P100 graphics card just this week, one rumor pegs the broader launch of the company's GeForce Pascal line around the time of Computex, which takes place from May 31 to June 4.

In addition to the new process nodes, both new architectures are expected to utilize a variety of new high-speed memories such as GDDR5x and HBM2, which promise improved memory bandwidth and memory size, in HBM2's case. AMD has already previously successfully launched a product utilizing a new 3DIC memory technology with their debut of the "Fury" line in 2015.

Though GPU rumor cycles tend to focus on desktop products, AMD's CEO stated that both desktops and laptops featuring the new Polaris GPUs are expected to launch before the back to school season. Apple has traditionally alternated between GPU offerings from both AMD and Nvidia when it comes to its product lines, with AMD owning the wins for the latest iterations of both the 27-inch iMac and MacBook Pro lines.

The MacBook Pro in particular is due for an update, and rumors have suggested new models could arrive at WWDC in June, but it is unclear whether Apple would be able to feature the upcoming GPUs within that timeframe. Apple has sometimes been very quick to incorporate the latest technology from its partners, but other times as waited quite some time before upgrading. Updates for the 27-inch iMac are less imminent, as the line was just upgraded to Intel's latest Skylake processors in October.

Reddit today released an official iOS app for browsing, searching, commenting, and upvoting within subreddits on iPhone or iPod touch.

Reddit for iOS replaces Alien Blue, which has now been removed from the App Store, as the website's official mobile app for Apple users.

Alien Blue previously served as Reddit's official iOS app after the company acquired it from developer Jase Morrissey in 2014. Alien Blue Pro users recently received four years of Reddit gold for free to help bridge the transition.

The new app is split into four tabbed sections:

- Timeline: Browse and comment on the latest stories from the front page and subreddits that you are subscribed to. Photos appear in line, while videos and external links open in a new window when tapped. There are also upvote and downvote buttons and options to share or hide posts. Tap on the three dots in the top-right corner to choose between compact or card view, or sort posts based on Hot, New, Top, or Controversial. Tap on the pencil icon in the top-left corner to submit a text, image, or link post. Swipe down to refresh.

- Subscriptions: A list of subreddits that you are subscribed to, along with a Discover option to find new subreddits based on a number of topics: animals, art and design, ask, books and writing, business, comics and hobbies, DIY and crafts, driving and vehicles, entertainment, fashion and style, food and drink, funny, gaming, health and fitness, interesting, life and advice, local, meta, military and survival, music, news and politics, philosophy, pics and GIFs, relationships, science, shopping, sports, stories, technology, trades, travel and outdoors, videos, and more.

- Inbox: View your private messages, comment replies, post replies, and mentions. Tap on the pencil icon on the top-left corner to compose a private message to another user. Swipe down to refresh.

- Profile: View your user profile, including an overview of your account karma and creation date, browsing history, saved posts, personal posts and comments, upvoted posts, friends, hidden topics, and image uploads. Tap on the settings icon in the top-right corner for account management, customizable themes, a safe for work browsing toggle, option to clear local history, and quick links to Reddit's content policy, privacy policy, user agreement, help FAQ, and bug reporting.

Reddit is automatically gifting users that download and sign into the new app with a free three-month Reddit gold subscription during its launch week.

Reddit gold provides perks such as turning off ads, custom themes, custom avatars, new comment highlighting, subreddit filtering, saved posts and comments categorization, and more. A subscription normally costs $3.99/month or $29.99/year, or you can mail Reddit a postcard to receive a one-month subscription for free.

Reddit for iOS [Direct Link] is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch. The app does not have universal iPad support, and availability appears to be limited to the U.S., U.K., Canada, and select other countries upon launch.

Amid rumors that Apple is working on ultra-thin 13 and 15-inch "MacBooks", HP yesterday announced the "world's thinnest laptop" in the form of the Core-i powered 13.3-inch Spectre, with a design that the company said offered proof that it is driving innovation faster than Apple.

Created with a focus on "luxury and artisanal craftsmanship", the HP Spectre is 10.4mm thick and weighs in at 2.45lbs, sporting a twin-tone aluminum and carbon fiber chassis with an edge-to-edge Corning Gorilla Glass IPS 1080p display. Apple's 12-inch Retina MacBook is 13.1mm thick and weighs 2.03lbs by comparison.

The copper and dark gray body has contrast bronze edging and a full-size, recessed backlit keyboard with 1.3 mm travel, and includes a pair of arcing piston hinges that fold flush for a "nearly hingeless look" when the laptop is closed. HP says the design is inspired by high-end furniture details.

The laptop is powered by an Intel Core i5 or i7 Skylake processor, rather than the significantly slower ultra low-voltage Core M CPU specifically designed for ultra-thin notebooks and found in the 12-inch MacBook.

HP claims this is made possible by the Spectre's integration of Intel's "breakthrough hyperbaric cooling system", which features two ultra-thin fans, a heat-pipe and a copper radiator, allowing the system to not only extract heat but also draw in cool air and direct it over the processor.

HP used two differently sized polymer batteries in the Spectre, making up four cells in total for a claimed battery life of up to 9.5 hours. HP also used a new variant of its logo on the rear of the display to set apart the laptop from its other ranges.

Other specifications include a glass trackpad, three USB-C ports (two of which support Thunderbolt 3), up to 512GB PCIe SSD storage, a maximum of 8GB RAM, dual speakers part-designed by Bang & Olufsen, and Intel HD Graphics 520. Early indications are that the SSD and memory are soldered onto the mainboard, suggesting HP sacrificed repairability for thinness.

HP says the Spectre will be be available for pre-order on April 25 and begin shipping sometime in May. Prices will start at $1,170. In addition, a Bluetooth mouse, carry bag and leather sleeve that match the design of the Spectre notebook will be sold as accessories.

Speaking ahead of the Spectre's unveiling at the New York Times' International Luxury Conference in Paris, the company's PC chief Ron Coughlin said that the laptop is an example of HP's determination to lead the way in the PC industry. "For years, Apple has been seen as the innovator and the driver of innovation [but now] HP is really taking over that mantle," Coughlin said.

HP has had to defend its laptops in the past over perceived design similarities with Apple's notebooks, but the company is clearly attempting to push its latest "luxury" model as a trendsetter in the premium PC laptop market. At the CES in January, HP unveiled its more business-focused Elitebook Folio, measuring less than half an inch in thickness.

A recent DigiTimes report claimed that Apple's upcoming "ultra-thin" MacBooks will "share a design similar to the existing 12-inch MacBook" and be "thinner than [the] existing MacBook Air," but failed to specify which MacBook lineup the new design is destined for.

New Macs could feasibly be introduced by WWDC 2016, which will likely take place between June 13-17 based on scheduling information available from the Moscone Center.

Apple's refreshed Mac lineup is expected to feature Intel's faster Skylake processors and Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C, while the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are also deserving candidates for an overall redesign.

Apple Campus 2 has been designed from the ground up to meet Apple's exacting specifications, and the same careful attention is also being applied to the interior of the building, including the furniture. In a recent visit to the Apple Campus, design-focused site Design Milk was given a small tidbit of information regarding one element of the interior design of Apple Campus 2 -- the tables.

Apple is having 500 custom white oak tables created for Apple Campus 2, each one measuring in at 18-feet long, 4-feet wide, and 660 pounds. The tables are being designed by Dutch company Arco from a single sheet of wood with skateboard-style rounded edges and a seamless surface.

The closest approximation that popped into my head was an enormous naked wood skate deck designed for a colossus Jony Ive. And if the length of all 500 tables inside Apple Campus 2 were combined, it would roughly equal the distance of the National Mall in Washington, DC.

These extra large Pod Island Tables by Arco are constructed from continuous sheets of solid Spesshart white oak sourced from the fairytale forests of Germany. There are no visible seams because of the company's innovative manufacturing technique, which essentially peels away continuous single thin sheets of wood, which is then layered into a table top.

Apple plans to use the tables inside of open area "pods" located on each floor of the main ring-shaped building. The layout is designed to encourage "accidental mingling" between employees by providing an open workspace that "brings people together organically," a concept Design Milk says originated from the time Steve Jobs spent at Pixar.

In an interview with Arco director Jorre Van Ast, Design Milk gleaned some details about what it was like designing a piece for Apple. Apple's team of designers and Foster + Partners were looking for something built to their exact specifications, and van Ast describes the collaboration as "very intense and constructive."

During a meeting to inspect the first prototype together with Apple and Foster+Partners, the question was raised: 'but what if it was made out of a single piece? Can you achieve it?' They challenged us to push the boundaries of our craft, we got excited ourselves as well and started to investigate how to overcome the limitations inherent to the way we produce tables--not just here at Arco but for the entire furniture industry including our partners. Design, machinery, logistics, finding the right material... it all had to be reconsidered.

When completed, the tables, along with 300 additional tables and 200 benches, will be shipped to Apple in Cupertino and installed at Apple Campus 2 using cranes and dollies. Apple's second campus is still under construction, but much of the main ring-shaped building has been completed, as has work on several auxiliary buildings like an auditorium and a fitness center. Apple plans to finish construction at Apple Campus 2 by the end of 2016, with employees moving into the space starting in 2017.

For much more detail on the tables that will be used at Apple Campus 2, make sure to check out the full article on Design Milk.