As the initial wave of reviews for the much-anticipated Apple Watch began flooding in this morning, French website Metronewsposted one of the first unboxing videos for Apple's wrist-worn device, showing off specifically what appears to be the 42mm Stainless Steel Case with Milanese Loop Apple Watch.
The video is short, but confirms that photos of the packaging shared yesterday were legitimate, with a squat, square box housing the MagSafe charging cable in its bottommost compartment and the actual Watch in its own plastic-looking box separate from the rest of the packaging.
Metronews runs through a few of the Watch's features after the unboxing, showcasing some quick swipes through Glances and even longer looks at sending taps, drawings, and a heartbeat to another Watch user.
Along with its featured review of the Apple Watch posted this morning, Mashable debuted a Vine unboxing of the device, showcasing a stop-motion reveal of the link bracelet option slowly emerging from its packaging.
The Apple Watch launch date of April 24 is getting closer and closer, with pre-orders going up as soon as this Friday, April 10 at 12:01 AM Pacific Time. Stay up to date on what all the major outlets are thinking of Apple's newest wearable in MacRumors' Apple Watch review round-up hub, which we'll update as more sites post their thoughts on the device.
Apple has given members of the media several hands-on experiences with the Apple Watch following its special events, but ahead of Apple Watch pre-orders, select sites have been able to get a much closer look at the device. Apple has provided a handful of publications with Apple Watch review units, giving them a chance to spend multiple days with the watch, and they've now shared their opinions in reviews published today.
Apple Watch has received favorable reviews, but isn't for everyone (Image: CNET)
We've rounded up tidbits from several of the best reviews in order to give MacRumors readers a look at the Apple Watch from the perspective of those who have finally had a chance to use it extensively. The roundup includes reviews and opinions from Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Verge, Re/code, Yahoo Tech and other large publications that tested the Apple Watch.
The consensus among reviews is that the Apple Watch sets the bar for smartwatches, but has downfalls as a first-generation product and isn't for everyone. More specifically, the watch's goal of providing you with instant access to notifications of a paired iPhone can be both convenient and interruptive at times. Overall, the device is the future of the wrist and should get better after new features are added in the future.
"The watch is not life-changing. It is, however, excellent. Apple will sell millions of these devices, and many people will love and obsess over them. It is a wonderful component of a big ecosystem that the company has carefully built over many years. It is more seamless and simple than any of its counterparts in the marketplace. It is, without question, the best smartwatch in the world."
"It was only on Day 4 that I began appreciating the ways in which the elegant $650 computer on my wrist was more than just another screen. By notifying me of digital events as soon as they happened, and letting me act on them instantly, without having to fumble for my phone, the Watch become something like a natural extension of my body—a direct link, in a way that I’ve never felt before, from the digital world to my brain. […]
What’s more, unlike previous breakthrough Apple products, the Watch’s software requires a learning curve that may deter some people. There’s a good chance it will not work perfectly for most consumers right out of the box, because it is best after you fiddle with various software settings to personalize use. Indeed, to a degree unusual for a new Apple device, the Watch is not suited for tech novices. It is designed for people who are inundated with notifications coming in through their phones, and for those who care to think about, and want to try to manage, the way the digital world intrudes on their lives."
"With the Apple Watch, smartwatches finally make sense. The measure of their success shouldn’t be how well they suck you in, but how efficiently they help you get things done. Living on your arm is part of that efficiency—as a convenient display, but also a way to measure your heart rate or pay at a cash register. This is a big idea about how we use technology, the kind of idea we expect from Apple. […]
Yet the Apple Watch isn’t quite the gatekeeper to my digital life that I wanted. Take app alerts—there’s a fine line between being in the know and having your wrist jiggle all day. It never got horrible for me, because Apple lets you assign VIP status to individual contacts and specify which apps can trigger alerts. But setting up all of this is a tedious—and unfortunately ongoing—chore."
"There’s no question that the Apple Watch is the most capable smartwatch available today. It is one of the most ambitious products I’ve ever seen; it wants to do and change so much about how we interact with technology. But that ambition robs it of focus: it can do tiny bits of everything, instead of a few things extraordinarily well. For all of its technological marvel, the Apple Watch is still a smartwatch, and it’s not clear that anyone’s yet figured out what smartwatches are actually for."
"Not everyone has an iPhone 5 or later, which is required for the watch to work. Not everyone wants her wrist pulsing with notifications, finds animated emojis thrilling or needs to control an Apple TV with her wrist. Smartwatches can sometimes feel like a solution in search of a problem. […]
One day this past week, I woke up at 5:15 am, exercised for an hour using the Watch, ran Maps during my commute, made phones calls and received notifications throughout the whole day, and by 11:00 pm the Watch was just hitting its Power Reserve point."
"I’ve worn a watch every day since I was in 7th grade, almost 30 years ago. I’m used to being able to see the time with just a glance whenever there is sufficient light. Apple Watch is somewhat frustrating in this regard. Even when Wrist Raise detection works perfectly, it takes a moment for the watch face to appear. There’s an inherent tiny amount of lag that isn’t there with a regular watch.
Some other specific examples. I was in New York last week, and stopped to have coffee with a friend in the afternoon. He had a meeting to get to, and I wanted to catch a 4:00 train home to Philadelphia. I was sitting on a low bench, leaning forward, elbows on my knees. It got to 3:00 or so, and I started glancing at my watch every few minutes. But it was always off, because my wrist was already positioned with the watch face up. The only way I could check the time was to artificially flick my wrist or to use my right hand to tap the screen — in either case, a far heavier gesture than the mere glance I’d have needed with my regular watch."
"The Apple Watch is light-years better than any of the feeble, clunky efforts that have come before it. The screen is nicer, the software is refined and bug-free, the body is real jewelry. First-time technologies await at every turn: Magnetic bands, push-to-release straps, wrist-to-wrist drawings or Morse codes, force pressing, credit-card payments from the wrist. And the symbiosis with the iPhone is graceful, out of your way, and intelligent.
But the true answer to that question is this: You don’t need one. Nobody needs a smartwatch. After all, it’s something else to buy, care for, charge every night. It’s another cable to pack and track. Your phone already serves most of its purposes. With the battery-life situation as it is, technology is just barely in place to make such a device usable at all."
"We're still two weeks away from Day One of the Apple Watch. It's already got tremendous potential, lots of software, and beautiful design. I like wearing the Apple Watch, and it might be my favorite smartwatch...if its battery life lasted beyond one day. That makes me want to return to the Pebble again, or wait and see what Pebble Time, a more bare-bones but much more affordable watch, feels like."
The Apple Watch will be available to pre-order beginning on Friday, April 10 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time. Orders will go live in all first wave launch countries simultaneously. Try-on appointments for the Apple Watch will also be available on April 10, giving customers a chance to experience the Apple Watch in person ahead of its April 24 launch.
OS X 10.10.3 with the all-new Photos app will be available Wednesday as a free software update for Mac users, according to The Associated Press. The news organization mentioned the release date as part of its in-depth review about the all-new Photos for OS X app, which it praised for making basic photo editing easy.
"Procrastinate no more. Apple's new Photos app for Mac computers, available Wednesday as a free software update, makes it easy to organize and edit your pictures. The app, which replaces iPhoto, bundles professional-level tools such as granular color correction into one free consumer package."
OS X 10.10.3 will be available through Software Update in the Mac App Store.
Apple announced today that it is collaborating with internationally acclaimed artist HENSE to commemorate the upcoming opening of its all-new Apple Store at 1021 Lincoln Road in Miami, Florida. The relocated store is set to open April 24, the same day that the Apple Watch goes on sale in the United States, and HENSE will be painting a one-of-a-kind mural live from April 8 to April 12 to celebrate the opening.
"Miami is one of the most creative places on Earth. A big part of that creativity is expressed through its incredible street art scene. So to announce the upcoming opening of the all‑new Apple Store at 1021 Lincoln Road, we’re collaborating with internationally acclaimed artist HENSE. The mural he’s painting, like the store itself, will not only be inspired by the energy of Miami, it will also be a fresh source of inspiration for the city."
Apple currently has a nearby retail store at 738 Lincoln Road that will close as the new, larger location opens down the street later this month. Apple also recently commemorated the opening of its West Lake store in Hangzhou, China with a calligraphy video, and we reported last night that the company will open a second retail store in Hangzhou on Apple Watch launch day.
Apple is opening a second retail store in Hangzhou, China on 701 Fuchun Road in the Jianggan District, less than three months after the company opened its first Apple Store in Hangzhou at West Lake in the Shangcheng District. The new Hangzhou location at the MixC shopping mall is set to open on April 24 at 9:00 AM local time, the same day that the Apple Watch goes on sale in China. Apple will now operate 19 retail stores in China after expanding around the Chinese New Year.
MixC shopping mall in Hangzhou where Apple's nineteenth store in China will open
Apple commemorated the opening of its first Hangzhou store in West Lake with a calligraphy video in January, with the store officially opening its doors on January 24 at 9 AM local time. Apple is committed to expanding its presence in China, an emerging and increasingly important market for the company, with retail chief Angela Ahrendts commenting on Apple's expansion into China earlier this year amid five new store openings in the world's most populous country.
A series of photos have surfaced on social media today that provide a first look at what could be the retail packaging for the Apple Watch and individual bands. Instagram user Jeremy Gan posted the photos to his profile, which he has since switched to private, this afternoon. The photos appear to show a 42mm stainless steel Apple Watch with Milanese Loop propped on a stand within its official packaging, alongside a brown leather band in a separate box.
It appears that the pictures were taken during the day in Daily Mail's offices at 51 Astor Place in New York City, and it's plausible to think the publication may have had the device on hand. Nevertheless, we cannot guarantee the veracity of these photos, and it is entirely possible that the retail packaging is not official. A number of fake Apple Watches have already hit the streets, and this could very well be fake packaging to go along with the knockoff models.
The long, narrow box for the Apple Watch band in particular appears mostly consistent with a stock image that appeared on Apple's careers page last month, which at the time was speculated to be retail packaging for bands. The packaging in Apple's picture appears to be plastic, however, with a slightly tapered appearance, which is slightly different than the box pictured above. The photos should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt until if and when their authenticity can be confirmed.
Update: Gan has made both his Instagram and Twitter accounts private.
Apple's recently announced 12-inch Retina MacBook has been met with both praise and criticism ahead of its upcoming release on April 10. The new MacBook, positioned at the lower end of Apple's notebook lineup, paves the way for the future with an ultra-thin design, one USB-C port, redesigned keyboard with an all-new butterfly mechanism, Force Touch trackpad, fanless architecture and all-day battery life.
At the same time, the new MacBook has been criticized for having an Intel Core M processor, a system-on-a-chip that Intel typically markets for use in mobile devices. The single USB-C port, which combines power, USB, DisplayPort, HDMI and VGA connections into one, is also an area of concern for some, especially given that costly adapters must be used to connect many external devices and peripherals to the notebook.
Look no further than this parody of an Apple engineer talking about the Retina MacBook on YouTube, where it has amassed over 5 million views since being uploaded in early March. The video pokes fun at the Retina MacBook for, among other reasons, having one port and a 480p front-facing camera. Rest assured, the parody's creator Armando Ferreira is an Apple fan that owns an iPad and a few MacBooks himself.
While waiting for Apple to lift its embargo for large tech publications to publish their in-depth Retina MacBook reviews, we've sifted through the MacRumors forums and highlighted some of the more interesting discussions about the notebook. Read ahead for a roundup of opinions and noteworthy comments about the Retina MacBook, and be sure to join the conversation within the discussion forums.
Forum Discussion Threads
Who Else Changed Their Mind? "When Apple announced the new MacBook, I was very excited and was seriously planning on getting one April 10th even after I've seen the price tags and specs. However, two days ago it all of a sudden hit me that I should not get the new MacBook. Even though I can afford one. I've started contemplating. I think it's not worth it at all for the price Apple is asking for it."
12" MacBook — Disappointment and Hope: A number of users offer their opinions about the pros and cons of the new MacBook, emphasizing how the notebook paves the way for the future but requires making compromises in the present. Apple has a history of heading in bold new directions with past products such as the original iMac, MacBook Air and iPhone, so this is not unchartered water for the world's most valuable company.
USB-C Accessories: Belkin announced a new line of USB-C cables and USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet adapter for the new MacBook last month, while LaCie announced the first USB-C external hard drive. This discussion thread is a valuable resource that highlights a number of other USB-C accessories from HydraDock, MonoPrice, Google and other accessory makers and vendors.
Retina MacBook Benchmarked: We posted an early 64-bit Geekbench benchmark of the Retina MacBook that places the notebook in line with the 2011 MacBook Air in terms of CPU performance, and this full Geekbench 3 report offers a more in-depth look at the notebook's single-core and multi-core scores based on integer, floating point and memory performance.
Performance Difference Between CPUs: A side-by-side comparison of the performance differences between the three Intel processor options available for the Retina MacBook. The discussion thread includes speculation that the entry-level CPU may generate the most heat inside the fanless notebook and contains other interesting information about the trio of processor options. Apple recently confirmed build-to-order pricing for the 1.3GHz processor.
Retina MacBook vs. Surface 3: Microsoft is marketing its new Surface 3 tablet as a potential laptop replacement, so it naturally has been compared with the Retina MacBook. The discussion touches upon a number of factors, including price point, physical design, processors, operating systems, battery life, multipurpose functionality and more. Realistically, the Surface Pro 3 is the more suitable device for drawing comparisons.
The Can't List — Reasons Not to Buy Retina MacBook: A forum user shares eighteen different reasons not to buy the Retina MacBook, including a lack of ports, planned obsolescence, the need for multiple adapters, a 480p FaceTime camera, no SD card slot and, in his opinion, the notebook's expensive price tag. Some other users are quick to counter that Apple's new MacBook is not designed for everyone, arguing that refreshed MacBook Airs and Pros are still available.
Software for Retina MacBook: A forum user shares a list of software that he plans to install on his Retina MacBook when it becomes available, including Matlab, Parallels, OrCAD Schematic Capture and PCB Layout Tools (Windows), Freescale Symphony Studio (Windows), Microsoft Office, Microchip MPLAB (Windows), XCode, Handbrake and Windows 7. Other users list software such as Chrome, Scrivener, Pages, Notability, OneNote, Skype, Moom, Caffeine, Dropbox, OneDrive, Reeder, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, 1Password, VLC and Logic Pro X.
Who's Buying a Retina MacBook Without Trying It? This popular discussion thread within the forums involves users that plan on purchasing the Retina MacBook without trying it out first at an Apple Store. Many users claim they will be pre-ordering the new MacBook on April 10 and having it shipped to their home under the assurance of Apple's standard 14-day return policy.
When Apple launched the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3 in late 2014, many people were disappointed with the iPad mini update, which essentially just added Touch ID to the existing iPad mini 2 with no other external design changes. Since then, there have been a few rumors suggesting Apple is working on an iPad mini 4 update that includes iPad Air 2 design elements like a thinner body.
French site Nowhereelse.fr [Google Translate] today shared a video and some images of what's said to be an early version of the rear casing for the upcoming iPad mini 4.
The aluminum shell closely resembles the shell of the existing iPad mini, but it does include several design elements introduced with the iPad Air 2. There's a single row of larger speaker holes alongside the Lightning port at the bottom of the device, rather than two smaller rows, and the mute switch on the device has been removed and replaced with a microphone hole.
Rumors have suggested the iPad mini 4 will be thinner than the iPad mini 2 and the iPad mini 3, giving it a thickness more akin to the iPad Air 2, but it is difficult to determine the device's possible thickness based on the images that were shared. Along with an iPad Air-style design, an updated iPad mini 4 would likely adopt one of Apple's more recent processors, possibly the A8X in the iPad Air 2 or an A9 processor coming later this year.
There's been little word on when an updated iPad mini might launch, but given Apple's historical fall release schedule for iPads, it's unlikely we will see the iPad mini 4 until the later months of 2015.
Job site Freelancer.com recently hosted a contest that called on designers to imagine what the rumored Apple Car might look like. We don't have any details on the car that Apple is said to be developing, so the designs submitted to the contest have no basis in reality.
That said, it's a fun look at how different designers took Apple design aesthetics and applied them to imaginative, futuristic car renderings. The contest had 193 submissions, with the winning vehicle, from Aristomenis Tsirbas, featuring a flat design with smooth curves and sliding doors.
This concept explores a semi-autonomous electric car in the minimalist tradition of Apple design. It features external high resolution LED screens front and back for user selected headlight/taillight designs. This concept explores a semi-autonomous electric car in the minimalist tradition of Apple design. It features external high resolution LED screens front and back for user selected headlight/taillight designs.
Many of the popular entries had similar futuristic designs and explored different car types from traditional sedans and sports cars to vans and trucks. This third-place Volkswagen Bug-style Apple Car from user Maximchernysh features purple accents, a wide frame, no side windows, and a generous number of Apple logos.
While all of the designs are fanciful, some of the renderings look like they came straight from a science fiction novel. This tiny shark-shaped Apple car from DearbornDesign rides low to the ground and has a front panel for entry.
The winning entry, which is the one at the top of the page, received a $1,500 prize from Freelancer.com for getting the most likes during the contest. All of the different car designs people imagined can be seen over at Freelancer.com's contest site.
We haven't heard much about the actual Apple Car in recent weeks as media attention is largely focused on the Apple Watch, but work on the car is still ongoing under the codename Project Titan at an unspecified location near Apple's Cupertino headquarters. We've learned little about the car, but we know that it may resemble a minivan and is being worked on by hundreds of employees.
Apple this morning released full pricing information for the Retina MacBook to reseller partners such as Expercom, confirming prices of the new 12-inch MacBook for customers who plan to opt for beefed-up processors in the checkout process when the device launches this Friday, April 10.
As stated during the "Spring Forward" event last month, the entry-level MacBook will retail for $1299 with a 1.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor, 8 GB of memory, and 256 GB of flash storage.
According to Expercom, this machine will have a configure-to-order option that bumps its performance with a 1.3 GHz Intel Core M processor, with the same 256 GB flash storage. The upgrade will cost those interested an extra $250, raising the entry-level option to $1549 when choosing the upgraded version.
The high-end stock model announced at last month's event comes with a 1.2 GHz processor with 8 GB of memory and 512 GB of flash storage, priced at $1599. Apple will offer the 1.3 GHz processor upgrade option here as well, keeping the same 512 GB of flash storage and charging an additional $150 over the base price of the 1.2 GHz model for a total price of $1749.
Complete lineup:
- 1.1 GHz with 256 GB storage: $1299 - 1.3 GHz with 256 GB storage: $1549 - 1.2 GHz with 512 GB storage: $1599 - 1.3 GHz with 512 GB storage: $1749
The new 12-inch MacBook is set to launch this Friday, April 10 on the Apple online store and in Apple retail stores, though recent news from Apple Retail Chief Angela Ahrendts points to better possibilities of a completed order when visiting the company's online storefront or Apple Store app.
The recently announced HBO NOW channel has gone live on the Apple TV set-top box, iPhone and iPad ahead of the series premiere of HBO hit show Game of Thrones on April 12. The new Apple TV channel and iPhone and iPad app allow users to stream all of HBO's original content, past and present, as well as its entire movie catalog. The standalone streaming service costs $14.99 per month, with customers receiving the first month free if they sign up in April.
HBO NOW sorts the premium network's content into various categories, including a watchlist, series and movies. There is also the option to search for TV shows and movies, and a settings menu. The streaming service is presumably limited to the United States due to content licensing restrictions. The new Apple TV channel should appear for all users today alongside a companion app for iOS devices.
HBO NOW's official iPhone and iPad app [Direct Link] is rolling out on the App Store right now, and should become available for all users by the end of the day. After subscribing to HBO NOW through Apple TV or an iOS device, users can also access the HBO NOW website to stream content on the web using a Mac, which should be a familiar experience for those who have used Netflix.
HBO NOW for iPhone and iPad has a similar setup as the Apple TV channel, with a side menu of categories including Home, Watchlist, Series, Movies, Comedy, Sports, Documentaries, Collections, Late Night and Settings. The app is currently featuring Game of Thrones and Silicon Valley as some of its headline programming, while other popular HBO series include Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Girls, and Entourage.
HBO NOW is based on paying a flat monthly rate of $14.99 instead of needing an existing cable or satellite subscription like HBO Go requires. By providing access to a wide range of content across multiple devices, including Apple TV, Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and eventually other platforms, HBO NOW has adopted a Netflix model that should prove valuable for cord-cutters looking to watch HBO content without paying for an entire channel package.
Grovemade today announced a new Laptop Stand, adding to its line of handmade wooden desk accessories. Available in Walnut and Maple like the company's other products, the Laptop Stand is made from sheets of wood veneer that have been molded into a curve.
The Laptop Stand is designed to position a laptop at an angle that makes it easy to use on a desktop. There's an aluminum stop at the end to keep the laptop from falling off and it's lined with vegetable tanned leather for extra grip. When placed on a desk, there's room underneath for hiding accessories out of sight.
"Bringing increased function and order to your desktop, the Laptop Stand is the perfect complement to any work or home office, making for a distinctive and comfortable way to help you work, watch, or play," says Ken Tomita, Grovemade's co-founder. "The Laptop Stand's unique design, employing a curvature, molded and shaped from several sheets of wood, lends a welcoming aesthetic boost to your workspace."
Grovemade's new Laptop Stand has been created to match a range of other desk accessories, including a monitor stand, a keyboard case, a mouse pad, a wrist rest, a lamp, and more.
The Laptop Stand is available in Walnut and Maple from the Grovemade site and is priced at $119.
A handful of prominent child advocacy groups plan to work together today in asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google's YouTube Kids app, with the groups claiming that the popular video streaming service is deceptively targeting kids with advertisements on the tablet and smartphone application (via San Jose Mercury News).
The root of the complaint stems from restrictions placed on children's entertainment dating back to the 1970's, which bans hosts of a kids' television series from attempting to sell products during a show, amongst other restrictions. The central crux of that established law, now coming back into play with the coalition's defense against Google, is that young kids haven't yet developed the reasoning behind resisting such advertisements, or even understand that they're being targeted in the first place.
The complaint to be filed Tuesday asks the FTC to investigate several features of YouTube Kids:
Branded channels: "McDonald's has its own channel on YouTube Kids ... (presenting) promotional videos styled as news reports on topics such as, 'What are McDonald's McNuggets made of?' ... (Branded channels) take advantage of children because they do not understand that the entire channel is actually advertising."
Lack of separation between shows and ads: "Selecting My Little Pony brings up four options. Two of the four options are labeled 'TV Commercial.' The other two are identified as 'TV Clip' but are actually promotions for the My Little Pony program.' "
The groups rallying against the YouTube Kids app allege Google's new kid-friendly application blurs the line between funny, kid-centric videos and lengthy product promotions. Jeff Chester, director of the Center for Digital Democracy, one of the groups campaigning for more regulation on the YouTube Kids app, sees this as just the first step in a long line of kids' entertainment regulation.
"This is the opening shot in a new battle with Google, Nickelodeon, Amazon, Netflix, Cartoon Network and others that are trying to cash in on this generation of young children," said Jeff Chester, director of the Center for Digital Democracy. "It's a battle for the hearts and minds and pocketbooks of America's kids in the digital age."
"Google simply ignored the basics," Chester said. "They deliberately ignored the well-documented research on children's developmental limitations when it comes to advertising and programming."
Chester also noted that the groups don't just want a more serious look into advertisements, but anything resembling such in the app as a whole, namely the perennially popular "unboxing videos" found on the service. "We want Google to pull all of its unboxing videos from the app," Chester said. "There's no disclosure of who actually owns those channels. They're an ad, in essence, for toys."
A few have stepped forward in speaking out in Google's favor, namely Parry Aftab, an Internet privacy lawyer, who pointed out that "something's got to pay" for the free app and said that she doesn't "worry about ads as long as they're not ads for Viagra and Victoria's Secret and things like that, and as long as you teach your kids the reality of ads."
YouTube itself responded, stating that when creating the app the company "consulted with numerous partners and child advocacy and privacy groups" and are always "open to feedback on ways to improve the app." The YouTube Kids app officially launched back in February with a catalog of kid-friendly shows and parental controls, both aimed at giving kids a daily burst of entertainment without making parents worry about the more questionable content that can sometimes pop up on YouTube's official service.
Apple Watch reservations for in-store pickup will be limited to one per customer through Apple's Reserve and Pickup service, MacRumors has learned. Customers in the United States and other launch countries will be required to present a valid government-issued photo ID upon pickup at the Apple Store where they placed their Apple Watch reservation, and only the person named on the reservation will be allowed to pick up the product.
"Inventory is subject to change. Your reservation is valid for pickup only at the Apple Retail Store that you selected. If you do not pick up your selected item(s) by the designated date and time, your reservation will be cancelled and your item(s) will be returned to stock. There is a maximum of 1 reservation per customer. Number of reservations may be limited. Apple reserves the right to refuse, limit or cancel a reservation if Apple determines that a customer has provided misleading or fraudulent information and/or abused, disrupted or attempted to circumvent the reservation system."
Apple's one-per-customer reservation limit has been confirmed to be in place in the United States and United Kingdom, and likely other launch countries, but it's worth noting that the company's plans could change between now and the Apple Watch launch. Apple was originally planning to allow two reservations per customer as recently as March, according to sources, but is now allowing one per customer as stock is expected to be limited. MacRumors can also confirm recent reports claiming the Apple Watch Edition will be offered at select Apple Stores only.
The limit does not apply to online pre-orders that will be shipped to home beginning April 24, although it is possible that Apple will also restrict online orders to one or two Apple Watch models per customer as it has done for Personal Pickup with the iPhone, iPad and other products in the past. Apple will not be allowing walk-in purchases of the Apple Watch without a reservation, according to leaked Apple Store training documents obtained by MacRumors last month.
Apple Watch pre-orders begin April 10, and the wrist-worn device goes on sale April 24 in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and United Kingdom. Apple Watch starts at $349 for the entry-level Sport model, while the stainless steel model costs between $549 and $1,099, and the gold edition starts at $10,000. Try-on appointments will be available at Apple Stores and select fashion boutiques beginning April 10.
Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts has issued an internal memo to retail employees that encourages store staff to direct customers to the Apple Online Store to purchase the Apple Watch and new MacBook, according to Business Insider. Ahrendts says that this is "a significant change in mindset" for Apple, noting that the long lines that typically form on Apple product launch days "are over" at retail stores.
"Get in line online
The days of waiting in line and crossing fingers for a product are over for our customers. The Apple Store app and our online store make it much easier to purchase Apple Watch and the new MacBook. Customers will know exactly when and where their product arrives.
This is a significant change in mindset, and we need your help to make it happen. Tell your customers we have more availability online, and show them how easy it is to order. You'll make their day."
Apple previously outlined changes to its so-called "Customer Journey" in leaked training documents obtained by MacRumors last month, emphasizing that retail employees will be focused on "reducing wait times and physical lines" and ensuring that customers get the Apple Watch that is best for them.
One way Apple will limit in-store waiting times for the Apple Watch is by requiring reservations for pickup at brick-and-mortar Apple Stores, although Business Insider notes that in-store pickup will not be available whatsoever to U.K. customers at launch. U.S. customers will be able to reserve for pickup, although stock will likely be tight compared to online availability.
Apple Stores will have limited in-store supply of the Apple Watch when the wrist-worn device goes on sale April 24. Apple will begin accepting online pre-orders for the Apple Watch on April 10, the same day try-on appointments will be available for customers, in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and United Kingdom. Read how to pre-order the Apple Watch and what to expect at a try-on appointment for useful info ahead of time.
All six Star Wars movies will be available digitally for the first time this Friday, April 10 on iTunes and other digital stores, Disney, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox have announced. The movies will be available to purchase separately and as a collection, and come with two never-before-seen special features.
“We’re thrilled that fans will be able to enjoy the Star Wars saga on their digital devices wherever they go,” commented Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. “These films broke new ground in technology, design, sound, and visual effects, and we’ve created some very special bonus material which delves into the saga’s rich history, including new and never-before-released conversations between legendary Star Wars artists — the masters who helped George bring his iconic universe to life.”
The new special features are broken into two new categories. The first is titled "Conversations", which has key members of the cast and crew talking about the productions of all the films. The second is titled "Star Wars: Discoveries From Inside", which features new looks at the making of the movies, from models and miniatures to costume design.
The full list of bonus features can be found at the Star Wars website. The versions included in The Digital Movie Collection are not the original theatrical versions of the films, and are instead the altered versions found in the Blu-Ray editions of the movies. Additionally, the New York Times reports they will not be available for rent.
All six Star Wars movies are currently available for pre-order on iTunes for $19.99 each, however it is currently unclear if there's special pricing for the entire collection. [Direct Link]
Just a few days before the Apple Watch is available for pre-order on April 10, the device has been spotted in what seems to be its first TV appearance. The Watch, which appears to be the stainless steel version with a white sport band, is on the wrist of musical artist Pharrell Williams as he judges on NBC's singing competition show The Voice. It's likely this marks the first time a non-Apple employee wore it on national TV.
Thus far, Apple has carefully curated the Apple Watch's image and has exercised control on how the device is portrayed in media. Apple's marketing efforts have so far been split between posing the Watch as a fashion statement and fitness accessory. Williams is often known for his unique style, recently winning the Fashion Icon Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
The fitness side of the Apple Watch has been promoted on the covers of fitness magazines like Fitness Magazine on the wrist of Kate Bock, Self magazine on the wrist of Candice Swanepoel and model Christy Turlington as she writes about how the Watch helps her train for a marathon on a personal blog on Apple's website. The fashion side of the Apple Watch has been on display in magazines like Vogue, Style, East Touch and YOHO. It was also shown off at an exclusive event at Parisian boutique Colette.
As the launch of the Apple Watch gets closer, and people are able to try them on within Apple Stores, it's likely the device will continue to appear on TV, magazines, billboards and more as Apple attempts to market the device to a wide variety of potential customers. The Apple Watch will be available beginning April 24, but will be available for pre-order and in-store try-ons starting April 10.
Update: Williams has also posted a brief Instagram clip of the watch in action, with the watch actually appearing to be a gold Edition model.
While most Apple acquisitions become public knowledge shortly after they happen, there are acquisitions that go largely under the radar until months or years afterwards. TechCrunch has recently learned of one such acquisition, which may have happened in 2013. Apple is said to have purchased Ottocat, a small startup specializing in search technology.
Ottocat's technology is said to be behind the "Explore" app discovery function in the App Store. The Explore tab in the iOS App Store lets users find apps in different categories plus nearby apps.
TechCrunch has learned that Apple quietly bought a startup called Ottocat some time ago, which had developed a system to organize and surface apps on the app store based on "nested" categories of increasing specificity. A version of that system now powers the "explore" tab in Apple's app store.
According to TechCrunch, though there's little evidence on LinkedIn to suggest the acquisition happened, Ottocat co-founder Edwin Cooper was the author of a patent that was granted to Apple, which Cooper appears to have filed as an Apple employee. The patent, "System and Method for Divisive Textual Clustering by Label Selection Using Variant-Weighted TFDIF," which is related to the App Store's explore feature.
TechCrunch has some information on how Ottocat worked, explaining that its technology aimed to introduce categories for better app discovery to assist users looking to find apps in specific areas when they didn't have an app in mind to search for, which sounds very similar to what the Explore feature in the App Store does.
The premise was to do away with keywords by categorizing apps into increasingly more specific subcategories that worked on a "drill-down" principle -- eliminating the guesswork and potential inaccuracy of keywords altogether.
The Ottocat website originally went down in October of 2013, so that may have been around the time that the acquisition occurred. The original error message stated "Ottocat is no longer available," but the website is now completely defunct. Explore was announced as an App Store addition in June of 2014.
OS X 10.10.3 with the all-new Photos app will be available Wednesday as a free software update for Mac users, according to 
Apple Watch reservations for in-store pickup will be limited to one per customer through Apple's Reserve and Pickup service, MacRumors has learned. Customers in the United States and other launch countries will be required to present a valid government-issued photo ID upon pickup at the Apple Store where they placed their Apple Watch reservation, and only the person named on the reservation will be allowed to pick up the product.
