MacRumors

SAP and the One4 Project today announced a partnership with the band Imagine Dragons and Apple that aims to provide support to the UN Refugee Agency as it addresses the refugee displacement crises occurring in Europe (via Forbes). The new single by the band, called "I Was Me," is out now on iTunes for $1.29, and both Imagine Dragons and Apple have confirmed that all proceeds from its sales will go toward relief efforts.

imaginedragonsapple
SAP, the corporation supporting One4, has also announced it will donate 10 cents for each of the first five million purchases of the new single. Each member of the project hopes the funds not only aid in providing relief for the refugee crises, but bring the international issue into the public eye.

Apple has already been supporting the relief efforts, opening up iTunes Store donations to the American Red Cross last month to help those displaced from their homes due to violence and forced to migrate across the Mediterranean Sea and into Europe. Those interested in supporting the cause can purchase "I Was Me" on iTunes right now.

Note: Due to the 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.

Related Forum: Mac Apps

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of iOS 9.1 to registered developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fourth iOS 9.1 beta and two weeks after releasing iOS 9.0.2, the second minor bug fix update to iOS.

The new iOS 9.1 beta, build 13B137 (13B5137 for public testers), is available as an over-the-air update and through Apple's Developer Center. There's a second build, 13B139 (13B5139 for public testers), that's unique to the newly released iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

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iOS 9.1 offers new features and compatibility updates for upcoming Apple products like the new fourth-generation Apple TV and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The iPad Pro ships with two accessories, the Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil, both of which are deeply integrated into the operating system.

The update includes Unicode 8, adding support for emoji like the taco, burrito, cheese wedge, middle finger, unicorn head, and more, along with a new Messages option in the Settings app, allowing users to disable photos for their contacts.

It is not yet known when iOS 9.1 will be released to the public, but it's likely it will come in late October, coinciding with the launch of the new Apple TV. iOS 9.1 is required for setting up the new Apple TV through an iOS device.

Tag: iOS 9.1
Related Forum: iOS 9

Last year, popular accessory company Sanho and its HYPER brand launched the iStick, a flash drive with both USB and Lightning connectors to make it easy to transfer files between iOS devices and computers. A Kickstarter campaign for the iStick raised over $1.1 million, with the device coming in capacities ranging from 8 GB to 128 GB.

Building on the success of the iStick, HYPER by Sanho has worked with Taiwanese firm iCirround to bring a next-generation version, the MFi-certified iShowFast, to the United States. By upgrading the USB connectivity to USB 3.0, the iShowFast is up to 14 times faster than the iStick and SanDisk's similar iXpand flash drives, offering read speeds of up to 140 MB/second over USB and 30 MB/second over Lightning.

ishowfast
As it has done with a number of its other products, HYPER by Sanho is launching iShowFast via an Indiegogo campaign, but backers shouldn't expect an extended production timeline with potential stumbling blocks pushing delivery out even further than anticipated. iShowFast is already in production and ready to go, with HYPER by Sanho set to start shipping orders out as soon as the $50,000 Indiegogo campaign ends next month.

We've had a few days to play with an iShowFast stick, and while it's a pretty straightforward product that operates essentially identically to the iStick, it was good to see the device is indeed ready for launch in its retail packaging and to be able to try it out with its companion app for managing files on iOS devices.

➜ Click here to read more...

India-based consumer electronics chain Croma has announced a new partnership with Apple to introduce a few store-within-a-store locations in the country. Croma will host the Cupertino-based company's products at six of its retail locations as a test for the partnership, with hope to expand in the future (via The Economic Times).

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"We are proud to partner Apple to launch the Apple Store in India and extremely bullish about it," said Avijit Mitra, chief executive officer of Infiniti Retail, which owns Croma. "These stores will be modeled on the global design and will offer the best experience to consumers, showcasing the entire range of Apple products."

Five of the Croma locations introducing Apple support will be in Malad, Juhu, Oberoi Mall, Phoenix Mall and Ghatkopar, all located in Mumbai. The sixth, in the city of Bangalore, will be found at the Croma location in Jayanagar. All of the locations are expected to open by November 11 and will be between 400 and 500 square feet in size.

Due to India's strict real estate investment laws for foreign companies, Apple has yet to build one of its own full retail stores in the country, so the Croma partnership gives it a good opportunity to get a foothold in India's retail space without needing to build an entire location of its own. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently discussed expansion possibilities with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including new manufacturing plants, Apple Pay, and the upcoming release of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in the country, on October 16.

Only a limited number of fans have been able to see Steve Jobs over the weekend, thanks to its initial small scale release in only Los Angeles and New York on October 9. Despite that limited run, the Danny Boyle-directed film has debuted with impressive numbers, making $521,000 in its first weekend with a per-theater average of $130,250 (via Variety).

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Although those numbers landed the movie well below any top-earning spot for the weekend box office at large (it placed sixteenth overall), that per-theater average places Steve Jobs as the fifteenth highest PTA figure in film history. As the rollout for the film expands -- 25 new markets and 60 theaters on October 16, and then 2,000 theaters on October 23 -- Universal has doubled down on its release strategy, believing the slow trickle to wide release will help generate positive word of mouth.

“By holding back and platforming it in this way, we let the public know what this movie is all about and we generate a hotter ‘want to see’ among audiences,” said Nick Carpou, head of Universal’s domestic distribution operation.

Universal hopes these limited release numbers translate into bigger returns when Steve Jobs debuts in wide release next weekend, aiming for a similar trajectory as The Social Network's $97 million overall domestic haul. Current analysts predict at least a $20 million opening wide release weekend for the new film, pointing to the ubiquity of Apple products, largely positive early reviews, and the audience's hunt for "prestige movies" at this time of year as the main factors for its potential success.

elonmuskElon Musk raised eyebrows yesterday when he called Apple the "Tesla Graveyard" in an interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt, but this afternoon he attempted to smooth things over with a series of tweets clarifying his stance on the company.

"Yo, I don't hate Apple," he said before stating "it's a great company with a lot of talented people." Musk says he loves Apple products and he's "glad they're doing an [electric vehicle]."

In the interview, Musk called Apple the Tesla Graveyard after being questioned about Apple hiring some of Tesla's "most important engineers." Musk laughed off the idea that important Tesla employees had left the company for Apple and said people Apple hired had already been fired from Tesla. "If you don't make it at Tesla, you go work at Apple," he said. "I'm not kidding."

Musk also made fun of products like the Apple Watch, the iPad Pro, and the Apple Pencil, comments that he explained in a bit more detail today. In a second tweet, Musk said he wasn't a fan of the Apple Watch's functionality, but expects it to be a much more compelling product in the future.


Apple and Tesla have been at odds in recent months as Apple has entered the car business. The two companies have been poaching employees from one another for several months running, but Musk has maintained that Apple has hired away "very few people" from Tesla despite attempting to lure Tesla employees with salary increases and large signing bonuses.

watchOS 2, the first major update to the Apple Watch's operating system, was released in September, just five months after the device's debut. If you didn't face any download issues getting watchOS 2 on your Apple Watch, you are well on your way towards looking for the new features the update brings.

One major change we'd been anticipating for months is the ability to personalize watch faces with the photos we've taken, and third-party complications are another fantastic addition that will add more variety and more functionality to the look of the Apple Watch. A third addition, time-lapse video watch faces, is sure to wow your friends and will give you some dynamic scenery to look at each time you raise your wrist.

Custom watch faces watchos 2
To help you get started, we've created this how-to guide to show you how to set up each of the new watch face features.

This guide assumes you know how to customize your Apple Watch's watch face. If you don't already know the process, head over to our how-to guide on that topic for reference.

Photos Watch Faces

Adding photos to your watch face only takes a few minutes to set up. In watchOS 2, you can either select a specific photo to display all of the time, or choose a photo album to see a different image every time you wake your watch.

➜ Click here to read more...

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Google today announced that its app indexing feature is now compatible with the HTTP deep link standards for iOS 9, which will allow iOS users to open mobile app content directly from the Google Search results page in Safari for iOS.

To use the feature, developers need to add Universal Links to their iOS apps and then integrate with Google's SDK. For end users, this change will result in better integration between search results and apps.

For example, when searching for a restaurant with Google Search and getting a Yelp result, clicking on the Yelp link will open the Yelp app on iOS instead of opening the Yelp website within Safari.

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Google's app indexing feature for iOS was announced in May, but prior to today, it was limited to the Chrome browser and Google app for iOS. iOS users will begin to see app content in Safari on iOS starting at the end of October.

Tag: Google

mailappiosSince iOS 9 was released to the public on September 16, some users with POP email accounts have been having trouble opening emails with attachments. There's a 22 page thread on the Apple discussion forums covering the issue, which currently has more than 200 replies from users who are all experiencing the same problem.

Customers with a wide range of devices are receiving a "Message not yet downloaded from server" error whenever they attempt to open an email message with an attachment. The problem appears to be affecting Apple customers who have POP email accounts and is causing issues with both new and old emails.

I am having exactly the same issue. Many of my old mails on my iPad just saying not yet downloaded from the server. I am using a pop account on both my iPad and windows live mail. I have tried deleting my email accounts and adding back in. Even some emails that were received this morning are now showing as not being downloaded from the server.

Deleting email accounts and adding them back in does not fix the issue, but downloading an alternate email program from the App Store seems to have worked for many users as a temporary fix. Turning off Wi-Fi also allows some users to read their previously downloaded emails and access attachments, but images are not viewable.

One customer experiencing issues received a response from Apple's engineering team, suggesting the email issue occurs when an email account has been configured to remove a copy of emails on the server. This has left some wondering whether the behavior is an intended function or a bug, but while leaving messages on the server solves some of the problem, sent and trash emails remain unaccessible. The requirement to leave messages on the server also defeats the purpose of a POP email account.

This issue usually starts if one of the devices/computers that was setup with this email account has been configured to remove a copy of emails on the server. If this is the case, the customer will need to check the settings of all the devices and computers that are running this email account.

iOS leaves messages on the POP3 server by default. iOS never stores email permanently, whether POP3 or IMAP. If they are removed from the server by another device then this issue can occur.

A test that you may want to do to confirm this is to have the customer produce the error by opening one affected mail on the iOS device, and then locate that specific email on his webmail. If not found, then the device is behaving as expected. If found, please try to forward it to the same mailbox and see if the same issue occurs.

While these email problems have been plaguing users since iOS 9 was released, Apple did not fix the problem in iOS 9.0.1 or iOS 9.0.2, the two minor bug fix updates that have been released to the public since September 16. It is not clear if iOS 9.1, the first major update to iOS, fixes the issue, and Apple has not given any statement on whether some kind of fix is planned or if there's been an intentional change to the way POP email accounts work on iOS in iOS 9.

Related Forum: iOS 9

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Duluth Pack to give one lucky MacRumors reader a chance to win one of the company's Deluxe Laptop Daypacks. Made of a rugged canvas, the Deluxe Laptop Daypack includes leather accents for better durability and resistance to wear, and it has adjustable leather shoulder straps for comfort.

There's a big pocket on the outside for holding things like cords, smartphones, and other small accessories, and there are dividers within that pocket to keep things organized. Inside, there's a padded laptop sleeve that's able to hold a laptop that's up to 15 inches high and 16 inches wide, which is plenty of room for all of Apple's laptops, up to the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro.

duluthdaypack
The Deluxe Laptop Dayback is a good-sized bag that's going to hold a ton of stuff along with a laptop. It measures in at 18 inches tall by 14 inches wide, and it comes with a lifetime warranty that covers all craftsmanship and hardware used in its construction.

duluthpacksideback
Duluth Pack's Daypacks are available in a wide range of colors, from traditional shades of black and brown to brighter colors like red, pink, and tangerine. The Deluxe Laptop Daypack is priced at $275, but Duluth also offers other Daypacks, bags, and briefcases at lower prices.

daypackcolors
One MacRumors reader will win a Duluth Deluxe Daypack in the color of their choosing. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize.

You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.

The contest will run from today (October 9) at 12:15 p.m. Pacific Time through 12:15 p.m. Pacific Time on October 16. The winner will be chosen randomly on October 16 and will be contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen. The prize will be shipped to the winner for free.

Independent podcast network Relay FM today launched its first iOS app, giving Relay FM listeners a dedicated spot to listen to their favorite podcast shows. The app is designed to allow users to discover new podcasts to listen to and then subscribe to their favorites, with push notifications sent whenever a show is streaming live.

Relay FM's new app has a clean, vibrant look with eye-catching animated artwork. Relay FM lets users listen to podcasts live and catch up on recent episodes, but it's not a complete podcast client. As noted by TechCrunch, there's no way to subscribe to shows within the app or listen to past episodes.

relayfm
Also new in the world of podcasting apps is an updated version of Marco Arment's popular Overcast app. Overcast 2 has gone free, with all of the app's features available at no cost, but there is an monthly patronage option for customers who want to support the app. Overcast 2 also includes streaming for a better listening experience.

Episodes can now be played immediately without waiting for them to download, and new episodes can be listened to through streaming instead of via download in order to save storage space. A built-in storage manager lets users see how much space downloaded podcasts are consuming and it includes options to delete downloads and stream episodes on demand.

overcast
According to Marco Arment, Overcast 2's streaming architecture has improved battery life and made all playback faster to start and more reliable. Features like Smart Speed and Voice Boost have been enhanced, with Smart Speed adapting dynamically to quieter voices.

There are also 3D Touch launch shortcuts, better search, improved communication with the Apple Watch app, and more. A full list of features is available on Marco.org.

Relay FM can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Overcast can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Smile Software has released TextExpander 5.1.2 with a fix for OS X El Capitan-related crashing on launch and other minor bug fixes and improvements. The update is free for all users running TextExpander 5 or later.

TextExpander-5
TextExpander is a popular typing utility for Mac that can expand custom keystroke shortcuts into frequently-used text and pictures. The tool can insert text ranging from email signatures to paragraphs, automatically fix typos, autocomplete forms and more.

What's new in 5.1.2:

  • Addresses El Capitan related crash on launch

  • Other minor fixes and improvements

    What's New in Version 5:

  • Suggests snippets from phrases you habitually type

  • Reminds you of missed opportunities to use your abbreviations

  • Customize snippet file location

  • Sync via iCloud Drive or any sync folder

  • Simplified expansion of lengthy fill-ins and scripts

  • Search and expand snippets, abbreviations, and suggestions inline as you type

  • Preview expanded snippet

  • Refreshed statistics display

  • Supports JavaScript snippets that also operate on iOS

  • Updated for Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite (required)

  • TextExpander 5 is $44.95 with a free trial available, or $19.95 for users upgrading from a previous version.

    Related Forum: OS X El Capitan

    The much-anticipated Steve Jobs film today launches in select theaters across the United States, following its debut at a few film festivals throughout September and October. To coincide with the film's release, on its YouTube channel Universal Pictures has published a handful of new TV spots, inside looks, and the first full clip from the movie. In the scene, Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak confronts Michael Fassbender's Steve Jobs over the impending launch of the NeXT Computer.


    Alongside the scene, Universal shared four new TV spots for the movie that have been promoting its release over the past few weeks, most of them centering around Rolling Stone's four-star review of the film. The company also shared "a look inside" the newly released film, including short interview clips with its cast and crew that focus on writer Aaron Sorkin and director Danny Boyle.

    The first impressions of the film at festivals in Telluride and New York have been largely positive, centering on Fassbender's performance and the risky, yet rewarding liberties that Sorkin takes with certain aspects of Jobs' life. Currently, the film sits at a 91 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 50 fresh reviews to 5 rotten.

    Steve Jobs launches today in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles and will see a slow rollout to more select theaters in places like Toronto and Boston on October 16. The actual, wide release is set for closer to the end of the month on October 23.

    Apple has updated its regional websites for Chile, The Philippines and South Africa to indicate the Apple Watch will be available in those countries on October 23.

    apple-watch-trio-new
    Apple Watch became available for purchase on October 9 in Belgium, Finland, Norway, Luxembourg and Poland. The wrist-worn device expands to Brazil and Columbia on October 16 and to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on October 22.

    • April 24: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, UK, US
    • June 26: Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and Taiwan
    • July 17: The Netherlands, Sweden, and Thailand
    • July 31: New Zealand, Russia, and Turkey
    • September 25: Austria, Denmark, and Ireland
    • October 9: Belgium, Finland, Norway, Luxembourg, and Poland
    • October 16: Brazil and Colombia
    • October 22: Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates
    • October 23: Chile, Philippines, and South Africa

    In the Philippines, the Apple Watch Sport starts at ₱ 19,990.00, which is roughly $437 in U.S. dollars as of October 15. Apple Watch prices in Chile and South Africa are not yet listed on the Apple Online Store.

    Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
    Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

    appstoreApple tonight removed some ad blockers, among other apps, from the App Store for installing root certificates that would allow developers to view encrypted traffic from their users, reports iMore. In a statement provided to the publication, Apple said it was working with developers to get the apps back into the App Store.

    Apple is deeply committed to protecting customer privacy and security. We’ve removed a few apps from the App Store that install root certificates which enable the monitoring of customer network data that can in turn be used to compromise SSL/TLS security solutions. We are working closely with these developers to quickly get their apps back on the App Store, while ensuring customer privacy and security is not at risk.

    With iOS 9, Apple allowed developers to create content blockers that would block ads on websites in Safari. Some ad blockers were removed because they could use the installed root certificates to view customer data passing through them. However, iMore notes that the ad blockers removed from the App Store are slightly different than the content blockers Apple enabled with iOS 9.

    The ad blockers removed from the App Store block ads and other content inside apps by "exposing all your private Internet traffic to the blocker," according to iMore. The apps are set up in a way that allows a user's traffic to flow through the developer's servers to perform the content blocking. One of the apps that has been removed is Been Choice, who notes that they will resubmit their app tomorrow with the necessary changes.

    While Apple has enabled developers to create content blockers for Safari, it currently has no systems in place to allow developers to block content within apps.

    The PC market continues to slide, according to the latest estimates, and while Apple is seeing only a small gain or loss in shipments year-over-year depending on who is doing the counting, the Mac maker continues to outpace the overall market.

    gartner_3Q15_global

    Gartner's Preliminary Worldwide PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 3Q15 (Thousands of Units)

    Gartner's numbers show Apple shipping 5.6 million Macs worldwide during the third quarter, an increase of 1.5 percent over the third quarter of 2014 and good enough for fourth place with 7.6 percent of the market, placing behind Lenovo, HP, and Dell. The global market as a whole saw a 7.7 percent decline in shipments, with only Dell at 0.5 percent joining Apple among top vendors with shipment growth.

    gartner_3Q15_us

    Gartner's Preliminary U.S. PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 3Q15 (Thousands of Units)

    In the U.S., Gartner estimates Apple's shipments grew 7.3 percent to 2.5 million, ahead of the market's 1.3 percent growth. Apple ranked third with 14.8 percent of the market, although Lenovo is rapidly closing with strong U.S. sales growth.

    gartner_3Q15_us_trend

    Apple's U.S. Market Share Trend: 1Q06-3Q15 (Gartner)

    Compared to Gartner, IDC predicts steeper losses for the PC market, pegging the global shipment decline at 10.8 percent year-over-year with Apple falling 3.4 percent. That was, however, still good enough for fourth place worldwide with 7.5 percent of the market. IDC's U.S. numbers put Apple at 1.6 percent growth, reaching 13.7 percent share to edge out Lenovo as the third largest seller of PCs while the overall U.S. market fell 0.7 percent.

    A better picture of Apple's Mac shipments will come on October 27 when the company reports earnings for the typically strong back-to-school quarter.

    Tags: Gartner, IDC

    Delta today updated its Fly Delta app with Apple Pay support. This makes Delta the first U.S.-based airline to allow users to purchase tickets via Apple Pay.

    applepaydelta

    “Our Fly Delta app has come a long way since it was first introduced in 2010. More than 18 million customers have now downloaded the Fly Delta app and we are excited to be the first U.S.-based airline to allow our customers to book and pay for their tickets with Apple Pay. By providing a way to pay for flights with just the touch of a fingertip, Delta continues to optimize our robust mobile channels and provide an easy-to-use and seamless digital experience for our customers,” said Rhonda Crawford, Vice President eCommerce.

    While the app supports Apple Pay, Delta notes that it's not yet available for SkyMiles award bookings, trip extras, trip insurance or seat upgrades. The app also has an updated "Today" view that'll allow passengers to easily view their eBoarding pass on the day of travel.

    Apple Pay has slowly been rolling out to more vendors over the past months. Earlier today, Apple announced that the service would be available at Starbucks, KFC and Chili's in 2016.

    Fly Delta for iPhone is available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

    The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are now available SIM-free in Apple's online store, allowing potential customers to buy an unlocked iPhone with no carrier attached. The new option was first spotted by MacRumors forum member Ternary. On its website, Apple explains the differences between a regular iPhone and a SIM-free one.

    simfreeiphone

    The SIM-free iPhone comes without a wireless contract commitment or carrier financing. It doesn’t come with a nano-SIM card for iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, or iPhone 5s. And because it’s unlocked, it isn’t tied to one carrier, so you can get a nano-SIM from any supported carrier worldwide, such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or Sprint in the United States.

    Purchasing a SIM-free iPhone means that customers have to pay for the full price of the device upfront. It's ideal for customers who want to avoid multi-year commitments with carriers or for travelers who want to easily be able to switch to local carriers when traveling abroad. The SIM-free iPhone 6s is model A1633 while the iPhone 6s Plus is model A1634.

    Related Forum: iPhone