MacRumors

Earlier this month, Apple began selling an updated World Travel Adapter Kit, which offers a set of seven AC plugs and prongs to fit in different electrical outlets around the world.

The new kit that Apple's selling no longer includes a 30-pin to USB cable, and rather than adding a Lightning to USB cable, Apple has instead opted to ship the kit with no cable and drop the price by $10.

worldtraveladapterkit
Apple's updated World Travel Adapter Kit includes seven pieces (up from six plus a 30-pin cable) and specifies that it supports outlets in Brazil in addition to North America, Japan, China, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Korea, Australia, and Hong Kong. Apple has also updated the language specifying which devices the kit is compatible with to reflect its newest products.

The kit is designed to work with iPod, iPhone, and iPad, and is compatible with Apple MagSafe and MagSafe 2 Power Adapters (for MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air), 10W and 12W USB Power Adapters, and Portable Power Adapters.

The updated World Travel Adapter Kit can be purchased from the online Apple Store for the new lower price of $29. It's also available in many Apple retail locations.

Following rumors of an acquisition, Google today announced that it has purchased some technology and intellectual property from NFC-based mobile payment service Softcard, formerly known as Isis Mobile Wallet. The purchase will allow Google to improve upon its existing mobile wallet technology to better compete with Apple Pay.

Owned jointly by AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, Softcard was established in 2010 in an effort to allow the three carriers to enter the mobile payment market. As an NFC-based payment option that works primarily with Android-based phones, Softcard has been a major Google Wallet competitor, arguably stunting NFC mobile payment growth for both companies.

softcard
Google Wallet nearly floundered following its 2011 debut after Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile refused to support the app in favor of Softcard (then known as Isis). Google later found a way to circumvent the Google Wallet lockout, but its growth has suffered amid competition from Softcard and other payment technologies.

Today's purchase consolidates the number of payment options for Android devices and it lets Google establish a deal with the three carriers to build Google Wallet into future Android phones for the first time.

So today, we're excited to announce that we're working with AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, as well as their mobile payments company Softcard, to help more Android users get the benefits of tap and pay. Under this relationship, the Google Wallet app, including the tap and pay functionality, will come pre-installed on Android phones (running KitKat or higher) sold by these carriers in the US later this year. We're also acquiring some exciting technology and intellectual property from Softcard to make Google Wallet better.

The early success of Apple Pay has sparked a lot of interest in mobile payments in recent months. Along with Google's acquisition of Softcard, Samsung has recently purchased LoopPay in an effort to develop its own payments solution.

It is not clear if Google's purchase of Softcard technology means Softcard will be shutting its own payments service down entirely. According to Softcard, its existing customers can continue to use the Softcard service for the time being, and more information is forthcoming from the company.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Today's second OS X 10.10.3 beta builds on the emoji groundwork laid with the first OS X 10.10.3 beta, introducing all new emoji and emoji skin tone modifiers. When selecting an emoji with a skin tone, such as one of the many people emoji, it's now possible to choose a specific skin tone from one of six options.

There are also several new people emoji that introduce greater diversity. Family emoji now include multiple same sex couples, both with children and without, all with variable skin tone options. Apple first promised to add more diversity to its emoji character set in early 2014, stating at that time that it was working with the Unicode Consortium to add more characters, and it appears the company will be making good on that pledge with the release of 10.10.3.

10_10_3_emoji
Along with a range of diversified people emoji, today's update brings 32 new country flags, including flags for Canada, Australia, and India.

newflags
Apple has also made several changes to emoji that are related to Apple products. The existing standard watch emoji has been replaced with an emoji that's based on its upcoming Apple Watch, with a black band and an analog watch face. The iPhone emoji has been updated to resemble the iPhone 6, and the computer emoji is now an iMac.

apple_watch_emoji

Screen Shot 2015-02-23 at 2.30.16 PM
In addition to new emoji characters, OS X 10.10.3 introduces a renamed Character palette that focuses more heavily on emoji. Accessible through the "Edit" menu in most Mac apps, the palette was previously named "Special Characters," but is labeled "Emoji & Symbols" in OS X 10.10.3. The emoji picker has also been redesigned, featuring a layout with a single larger vertical-scrolling page for easier access to emoji.

The same diversified emoji options will be coming to iOS as well. Today's iOS 8.3 beta 2 update includes the same diversified emoji options and a redesigned emoji picker.

Note: Due to the political 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 Forums: iOS 8, OS X Yosemite

While it remains unknown if Apple will ever release a new budget smartphone to succeed the iPhone 5c, which was a plastic-backed carbon copy of the iPhone 5, a new gallery of renders from 3D Future provides an early look at what the so-called "iPhone 6c" could look like. The concept smartphone essentially combines an iPhone 5c and iPhone 6 into one, which would seem like a logical move if Apple ever releases an iPhone 6c.

iPhone 6c concept
The concept iPhone 6c features several design attributes adopted from the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, including a slimmer design, rounded edges, pill-shaped volume buttons, circular speaker grilles and a slightly protruding rear-facing camera. The smartphone also appears to have a 4.7-inch display and is pictured alongside the iPhone 6 for a side-by-side comparison.

iPhone 6c Concept 1
It is important to note that these mockups are not based on any leaked specifications, design attributes or other information. Apple did not release an iPhone 6c alongside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last September, prompting debate as to whether the company will hold off until the iPhone 6s next September or eventually phase out the mid-tier model from its lineup entirely.

iPhone 6c Concept 2
Apple is expected to release its flagship iPhone 6s next September. It was reported in November that the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus could have the "biggest camera jump ever" with a dual-lens, DSLR-quality system. The smartphone is still expected to retain an 8-megapixel rear camera and is rumored to feature an improved Touch ID fingerprint scanner with reduced errors. At this point, it remains unclear if an iPhone 6c is also in the works, but these artistic renditions provide a teaser of what could be.

Apple today seeded the second beta of iOS 8.3 to developers, two weeks after seeding the first iOS 8.3 beta. The initial iOS 8.3 beta came as a surprise because iOS 8.2 with the WatchKit SDK also remains in testing.

The beta is available through the iOS Developer Center. It includes Xcode 6.3 and a new version of Apple's programming language, Swift. Apple has also released a new Apple TV beta for third-generation Apple TVs.

ios_8_3_beta_2
While iOS 8.2 appears to bring only minor bug fixes to the operating system along with the WatchKit SDK and support for the Apple Watch, the first beta of iOS 8.3 introduced several new features including support for wireless CarPlay connectivity, a new emoji picker, support for Google 2-step verification, and Apple Pay support for the China UnionPay network. It also removes the "beta" label from iCloud Photo Library.

iOS 8.3 will be released following iOS 8.2, which is expected in March, so it may be a few months yet before we see a public iOS 8.3 launch.

What's new in iOS 8.3 beta 2:

Release notes - According to iOS 8.3 release notes, the new beta is not compatible with LTE Voice on Verizon. Apple asks that customers using Verizon set LTE to data only. There's also been a fix to the dialog that appears when an iPhone is connected to a CarPlay-compatible car.

Emoji - iOS 8.3 beta 2 introduces all new diversified emoji and skin tone modifiers. There are also new country flags and updated emoji for the iPhone, iMac, and Apple Watch.

Siri - Siri has gained support for several new languages, including Danish, Dutch, English (India), English (New Zealand), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish.

Crash reporting - The new Xcode 6.3 beta 2 update includes a crash log reports service that collects and aggregates crash log data into crash reports that will be available in Xcode.

Tag: iOS 8.3
Related Forum: iOS 8

os_x_yosemite_round_iconApple today seeded the second beta of OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite to developers, two weeks after releasing the first OS X 10.10.3 beta and three weeks after releasing OS X 10.10.2 to the public.

The new beta, build 14D87h, is available for registered developers through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store and through the Mac Dev Center.

OS X 10.10.3 brings several new features to Yosemite, including the new Photos for OS X app. Photos is designed to serve as a replacement for both iPhoto and Aperture, and is on track to see an early 2015 launch. Early reviews have suggested that while Photos is a suitable replacement for iPhoto, with more advanced tools and performance optimizations, it may leave professional users disappointed, at least in its initial incarnation.

The first beta of OS X 10.10.3 also brought a new emoji picker that consolidates emoji into a single page with clear labels, and support for Google 2-step verification when setting up accounts in System Preferences.

Update: Today's 10.10.3 update introduces new diversified emoji options and new skin tone modifiers for emoji, as hinted at in the previous 10.10.3 beta. There are also new country flags and updated emoji for the iPhone, iMac, and Apple Watch.

Related Forum: OS X Yosemite

itunesiconApple has added a support document to its website stating that customers who use an AOL username to sign into the iTunes Store, App Store or iBooks Store will be unable to continue doing so starting March 31 (via 9to5Mac). Apple customers must convert their AOL username to an Apple ID account in order to maintain access to the storefronts following the deadline.

"Starting March 31, 2015, AOL will no longer allow customers to use their AOL Username (also known as an AOL Screen Name) to sign in to the iTunes Store, App Store, or iBooks Store. You must convert your AOL Username to an Apple ID in order to maintain access to the stores and to content you purchased previously."

Apple will no longer provide support for AOL usernames that are not converted following March 31. The transition does not affect any iTunes purchases made with the AOL username or any other AOL services that may be associated with the account. To begin the transition process, users must sign into iTunes with an AOL username and follow the on-screen instructions.

Related Forum: Mac Apps

Earlier in the month, Apple's London-based iTunes team posted a job listing describing an "Editorial Producer" who would have past experience reporting on pop culture, with specific background in music journalism (via Music Ally). While far from definitive, the job post could be hinting at some editorial-related expansions coming to the revamped Beats/iTunes merger set to launch later in the year.

Set to be split between editorial and producing duties, the full-time job would require the applicant to write, edit, and oversee a group of various freelance writers covering content from music to books and movies. A good portion of the job will be devoted to "special projects and promotions" as well, with a focus on collaboration between other departments to make sure all of the content is successfully produced on time.

iTunes

Key Qualifications

-Excellent communication, cross-departmental collaboration, and planning skills with a strict attention to detail.
-Seasoned writer with broad pop culture background.
-Deep contacts in the freelance world with writers who can cover the spectrum of pop culture (music, movies, books, etc.).
-Experience managing and motivating a stable of freelance writers.
-Experience working cross-functionally across content, business, and production teams.
-Project management experience.

Apple has been hinting at big changes coming to iTunes, with the company acquiring media analytic service Semetric, and BBC Radio host DJ Zane Lowe joining the company ahead of the big Beats Music revamp. As Music Ally points out, the new job posting could be pointing to an even bigger expansion for the service in terms of an original journalistic effort.

As it stands, Apple's iTunes, iBooks, and App Store point users in the direction of various top-selling or most popular music, books, movies, and apps with occasionally short "iTunes Editors' Notes" detailing new and favorite releases amongst the services. Despite the fact the new post seems to be pointing to an attempt by the company to add original content and opinions to their download service, as with any job listing, it's far from a confirmation that this will be a direction the company takes in the future.

Though the exact timeline for the launch of the new Apple-backed Beats Music service has remained blurry, news concerning the service has remained steadily consistent since its announcement. Most recently it was reported that the Beats Music revamp would see a fairly deep integration into OS X and iOS, with users possibly even being able to merge their Apple ID with a Beats account for a more seamless experience.

Related Forum: Mac Apps

Google announced on Monday that it has released YouTube Kids [Direct Link] on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. The new app provides children and families with a kid-friendly portal to discover and explore videos about anything they can possibly imagine. The family-focused content is appropriate for children and broken down into four categories: Shows, Music, Learning and Explore.

YouTube Kids iPad
YouTube Kids allows children to discover new facts about dinosaurs from National Geographic Kids, learn about technology from Reading Rainbow, watch Thomas the Tank Engine leave the world of Sodor and more. Families and children can also watch video series on YouTube channels such as DreamWorks TV, Jim Henson TV, Mother Goose Club and Talking Tom and Friends.


Google offers a number of parental controls to ensure that families can fine-tune their viewing experience:

  • Timer: Let the app be the bad guy with a built-in timer that lets you limit kids’ screen time. The app alerts your child when the session is over, so you don’t have to.
  • Sound settings: Sometimes you need a little peace and quiet! You have an option to turn off background music and sound effects, so your kids can keep watching while you catch a breather.
  • Search settings: If you’d rather limit your children to just the pre-selected videos available on the home screen, you can turn off search.
  • Product feedback: Our goal is to improve YouTube Kids all the time, so we’ve included a space for you to give us your feedback.
  • YouTube Kids is free for iPhone and iPad on the App Store, and is also available for Android. The app is Google's first step towards offering an improved YouTube experience for children and families, providing parents with the comfort of knowing they can hand off their iPad to their children and know that only appropriate content can be viewed.

    samsung_logoApple is hiring away Samsung employees working on next-generation technology, including signal- and visual-processing management, according to The Korea Times.

    The report, citing unnamed officials at the South Korean tech giant, also claims that Apple has expanded its recruitment efforts to focus on Samsung personnel with expertise in battery technology amid rumors that it is working on an electric vehicle project.

    "Some of our personnel have been hired by Apple. They now work at Apple's headquarters in San Jose, Calif.," said one official, adding that Apple offers highly-competitive benefits and large annual paychecks.

    "Those former Samsung workers are given greater independence to proceed with their tasks. Apple prefers to use Samsung's chip experts because they are very diligent, mission-oriented and are prepared to acquire new knowledge," said another official.

    Apple has reportedly assembled an automotive team with hundreds of employees working at a "top-secret research lab" near its Cupertino, California headquarters. Apple appears to be recruiting battery experts from multiple companies to join the team, as the company also faces a lawsuit for poaching key battery engineers from A123 Systems. That lawsuit also listed Samsung as one of the companies that Apple has been poaching battery engineers from.

    Apple's appetite for hiring former Samsung personnel has expanded to the battery arena as the Cupertino-based company is reportedly developing electric vehicles, which means Apple needs battery experts. […]

    "As the electric vehicle business is a new one, Apple needs patents and experts in battery technology. Top human resources firms have been approaching Samsung's battery experts, individually, and I think such human exchange moves are a win-win for both," said the official.

    Earlier this month, multiple reports from credible sources claimed that Apple is working on an electric and possibly autonomous vehicle that could enter production in 2020. Some other reports, however, downplay the rumors by claiming that Apple is working on expanding its dashboard presence through CarPlay. Any electric car project at Apple is likely in the early stages of research and development at this time.

    Tag: Samsung

    Apple Renewable EnergyApple announced on Monday that it will invest €1.7 billion to build and operate two new data centers in Europe. The state-of-the-art facilities will be located in County Galway, Ireland and the Central Jutland Region of Denmark, powering Apple's online services such as the App Store, iTunes Store, iMessage, Maps and Siri for European customers.

    “We are grateful for Apple’s continued success in Europe and proud that our investment supports communities across the continent,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “This significant new investment represents Apple’s biggest project in Europe to date. We’re thrilled to be expanding our operations, creating hundreds of local jobs and introducing some of our most advanced green building designs yet.”

    The data centers will be powered by 100% clean and renewable energy sources, with each having the lowest environmental impact yet for any Apple data center. Apple will also work with local partners to develop additional renewable energy projects derived from wind and other sources for future usage.

    “We believe that innovation is about leaving the world better than we found it, and that the time for tackling climate change is now,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environmental Initiatives. “We’re excited to spur green industry growth in Ireland and Denmark and develop energy systems that take advantage of their strong wind resources. Our commitment to environmental responsibility is good for the planet, good for our business and good for the European economy.”

    The 166,000-square-meter data centers are expected to be begin operations by 2017 and help support nearly 672,000 jobs in Europe, a large portion of which relate to the development of iOS apps. Apple claims that developers have earned more than €6.6 billion through app sales since the App Store launched in 2008.

    Apple hired former NV Energy VP Bobby Hollis to serve as its Renewable Energy Manager in April 2014, just over two years after outlining that it achieved 100% renewable energy usage at its data centers in its 2012 environmental responsibility report. Last year, the iPhone maker reached a deal for a third solar farm at its North Carolina data center and expanded its Reno data center with several new data cluster buildings.

    carplay_touchWhile Toyota has long been listed as one of Apple's CarPlay partners, the third best-selling auto brand in the U.S. currently has no plans to offer vehicles with the feature in that country, as noted in a New York Times overview of the race between Google and Apple to own the dashboard. Toyota also has no plans to offer Android Auto support in the U.S.

    John Hanson, the national manager of Toyota’s advanced technology communications, said while the company talked frequently with both Google and Apple, it currently had no plans to adopt Android Auto or CarPlay in the United States.

    “We may all eventually wind up there, but right now we prefer to use our in-house proprietary platforms for those kinds of functions,” Mr. Hanson said.

    While Toyota is ruling out the U.S. market for CarPlay support for the time being, the company has not made any firm announcement about support in other countries. Shortly after Apple's CarPlay announcement, Toyota's UK division briefly posted a blog entry claiming CarPlay would be coming in 2015, but the company quickly backtracked on the claim.

    Today's report from The New York Times focuses more on Android Auto than on CarPlay, likely due in large part to Apple refusal to comment for the piece. Still, it offers a glimpse of the struggles auto manufacturers have had developing in-car systems and their reluctance to turn that experience over to Apple and Google.

    With consumer preference driving the market, however, many manufacturers now see little choice but to support both CarPlay and Android Auto. Vehicles supporting both systems are expected to be hitting showrooms in the near future, with Hyundai likely one of the first out of the gate.

    Related Roundup: CarPlay

    Apple debuted a new iPad ad to air during tonight's Oscar's. Apple highlights the new ad on their website which features students at Los Angeles County High School, using the iPad to write, produce, shoot, score, and edit films. It features a voiceover from Martin Scorsese and is called "Make a film with iPad".


    Mashable reports that the ad itself was filmed entirely on an iPad Air 2. Apple created a special section in the App Store highlighting the various apps used by the students for their filmmaking.

    Following Valentine's Day, deals are a bit sparse, but there are still some discounts to be had on the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3. Best Buy is also continuing to offer discounts on its stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad Air and iPad mini 2 models, and several sites have cut the prices on the Retina MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air.

    We've also got some discounts on Apple accessories, including an exclusive discount on iPad, iPhone, and MacBook skins from SkinIt for MacRumors readers.

    iPad Air 2

    B&H Photo is offering up to $60 off its entire stock of iPad Air 2 models, dropping the price of the entry-level 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 to $464. Discounts vary based on model, but the lowest discount is $35 and the highest is $60 off the 128GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2.

    iPad Air

    Best Buy still has a few now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad Air models available at low prices.

    - iPad Air Cellular Silver 64GB (AT&T) - $499.99
    - iPad Air Cellular Silver 128GB (AT&T) - $599.99
    - iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 128GB (AT&T) - $599.99
    - iPad Air Cellular Silver 64GB (Verizon) - $566.99
    - iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 64GB (Verizon) - $566.99

    ipadair2c

    iPad mini 3

    Best Buy is discounting its stock of 16GB iPad mini 3 models by $50, dropping the price on cellular versions to $479.99 and the price of Wi-Fi only versions to $349.99.

    iPad mini 2

    Best Buy still has a few now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad mini 2 models available at low prices.

    - iPad mini 2 Cellular AT&T Silver 64GB - $399.99
    - iPad mini 2 Cellular AT&T Space Gray 128GB - $499.99
    - iPad mini 2 Cellular AT&T Silver 128GB - $499.99
    - iPad mini 2 Cellular Verizon Silver 64GB - $424.99
    - iPad mini 2 Cellular Verizon Space Gray 128GB - $566.99

    iMac

    - 21.5-inch 1.4Ghz/8GB/500GB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) - $999, $100 off
    - 21.5-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) - $1,179, $120 off
    - 21.5-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) - $1,389, $100 off
    - 27-inch 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) - $1,689, $110 off
    - 27-inch 3.4GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,794, $205 off
    - 27-inch 3.5Ghz/8GB/1TB Retina iMac (Adorama) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) - $2,349, $150 off

    imac_retina_waterfall

    MacBook Air

    - 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (B&H Photo) (Adorama) - $819, $50 off
    - 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (B&H Photo) (Adorama) - $999, $100 off
    - 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (B&H Photo (Adorama) - $919, $80 off
    - 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (B&H Photo) (Adorama) - $1,099, $100 off

    macbook_air_yosemite_roundup

    Retina Macbook Pro

    - 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/128GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,189, $100 off
    - 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/256GB (B&H Photo) (Adorama) - $1,399, $100 off
    - 13-inch 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,599, $200 off
    - 15-inch 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB (Best Buy) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,799.99, $200 off
    - 15-inch 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB - (Best Buy) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $2,249.99, $200 off

    macbook_pro_13_15_late_2013

    Apps

    There are quite a few apps that are on sale at discounted prices or available for free for a limited time. We'll highlight a few here, but make sure to check out our sister site AppShopper for a complete list.

    Calcbot, which just got an update, is currently available for free. Gunship X, normally $0.99, is free this week. Tactical game Frozen Synapse, normally priced at $9.99, is also free.

    Duet Game is available for free this week as Apple's App of the Week pick. It's regularly priced at $2.99.

    Apple Accessories

    Groupon is selling a 3.3-foot Lightning cable plus a 5-watt power adapter for $14.99, down from the regular combined price of $38. The site also has the leather iPad Smart Cover for iPad 2, 3, and 4 for $12.99, down from $69. Woot is selling the Sony portable Bluetooth dock for $129.99, down from $249.

    ipadsmartcover
    The JBL OnBeat Mini Speaker Dock for iPhone 5/5s/6/6 Plus and iPad is available for $39.99 from Groupon, an 80 percent discount off its regular price. Woot is selling the Mophie Juice Pack Helium cases for the iPhone 5/5s for $29.99, down from the regular price of $79.95. LivingSocial is selling the Speck CandyShell Grip case for iPad mini for $14.99, down from $44.95.

    mophiehelium
    The Jawbone Big Jambox is available for $187.99 from Woot, down from its regular price of $299. The Ion iCade Arcade Bluetooth cabinet is available for $79.99 from Amazon, $55 off its regular price of $129.99.

    icade
    SkinIt, a site that makes custom skins for a wide range of devices from the iPhone to the MacBook, is offering a special deal buy one get one 50 percent off deal for MacRumors readers. With the code MACRUMORS, you can get 50% off a second skin after purchasing one skin.

    MacMall is offering discounts on several monitors. The 32-inch Acer B326HK 4K monitor is available for $879.99, $120 off. The ASUS Professional Graphics 27" WQHD 2560 x 1440 LED-Backlit PLS Monitor is available for $439.97, $270 off. The Dell 27" Ultra HD 4K Monitor is available for $579.99, $120 off.

    MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.

    applewatch2Daring Fireball's John Gruber today published a piece going in-depth on what he believes Apple's upcoming Apple Watch wearable will sell for, how the various accessory bands will be sold at retail, and just how much the all-gold Apple Watch Edition could possibly cost.

    Taking a step back from the tech industry, Gruber looked at the upper tier of the fashion accessory market and decided to revisit his early fall guess that the lowest price the Apple Watch Edition could sell for would be $5,000. He began asking "friends who might know" whether they thought that estimate was too high.

    The answer has always been “No”. But the way I’ve been told “No” has given me the uneasy feeling that I’ve been asking the wrong question. I should have been asking if $5,000 is too low.

    I now think Edition models will start around $10,000 — and, if my hunch is right about bands and bracelets, the upper range could go to $20,000. I was off by a factor of two, and my friend Vincent, I think, nailed it back on the day Apple Watch was introduced.

    Due to Apple's decision to remain silent on many details of Apple Watch pricing structure so far, Gruber, like many others, assumed the interchangable bands shown off at last September's reveal event would be able to be purchased separately. Watch wearers could, in essence, dress up a Sport Edition with a Milanese Loop, or exchange a nice leather band of a higher-tier model with a Sport band. Gruber now notes, however, that this does not appear to be the case, with band options for each watch version being limited.

    He points to a list of bands available for the mid-tier stainless steel Apple Watch model. As presented on Apple's site, the list starts with the Sport band and ends with the higher-quality Space Black Stainless Steel with Link Bracelets. Besides differences between each band's 38mm and 42mm sizes, Gruber argues this ordering is an indication of price from least to most expensive.

    So I’m thinking the regular Apple Watch will come in at least five pricing tiers:

    1. Entry: Sport Band, black or white.
    2. Regular leather: Classic Buckle, you’ll get it in black and you’ll like it.
    3. Milanese Loop.
    4. Deluxe leather: Modern Buckle for 38mm models, Leather Loop for 42mm models. Each with a choice of three colors.
    5. Link Bracelet.

    You’ll pay a premium for color straps and advanced clasp mechanisms, and you’ll pay even more for the Link Bracelet.

    He isn't sure the same ordering rules will apply to the expensive Apple Watch Edition, however, with a small list of six variations, he thinks their placement on the website "almost certainly does not correspond to price."

    Gruber's full piece is well worth a read, as it offers a thorough analysis of the various band options and how they will likely pair up with the various watch collections. With three different watch collections, two casing sizes, and a number of different bands that will likely vary substantially in price, the Apple Watch appears set to be available at a wide range of price points starting at the base price of $349 and quickly ramping up from there.

    News and rumors about the Apple Watch and all of its editions have been building since Tim Cook announced the device's launch window sometime in April. Most recently it was reported that Apple is allowing select third-party developers to visit the company's Cupertino headquarters to help them put the finishing touches on their various Apple Watch apps before the big launch. It remains unclear, however, just how long Apple will wait to announce full details on pricing and availability.

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

    Today we're debuting giveaways on MacRumors, a new feature that will see us partnering up with companies to give away products to our readers. You can expect to see giveaways from us on a regular basis throughout the year.

    For our first giveaway, we've partnered up with Kero, a company that makes a few awesome accessories for iOS devices, like the Nomad Lightning Cable. The Nomad cable is a three-inch Apple-certified Lightning cable that comes equipped with a USB cap that attaches to a key ring or clip for portability.

    If you've been a long-time MacRumors reader, you might recognize the Nomad, because we've covered it on a few occasions since it first originated on Kickstarter in 2012. There have been several iterations of the Nomad cable since then, and it now comes in three colors: white, blue, and gray.

    keronomad
    We're giving away 50 Nomad Lightning Cables. You can enter to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. You'll need to enter an email address, which we'll only use to contact you if you've won (your email address will never be provided to a third-party). Social media accounts are not required to enter the contest, but following us on Twitter or Facebook or subscribing to our newsletter can give you a chance for extra entries. You must be 18 or older to enter and located in the United States.

    The contest will run from today (2/20) at 10:00AM until next Friday (2/27) at 10:00 AM Pacific Time, at which point we will notify the winners, which will be chosen randomly. Winners will be able to pick a Nomad Cable in the color of their choosing, and it will be shipped out for free.

    Winners will need to respond to our email within 48 hours, or another winner may be chosen.

    Foreign display manufacturer Japan Display Inc. (JDI) is seeking to be Apple's next go-to source for iPhone screens in the future, according to someone "familiar with the matter" (via The Wall Street Journal).

    With the increase in profit overseas, especially following Apple's attempt at a bigger presence in places like China over the past few months, the source reported that JDI is hoping Apple takes much of the cost for the proposed plant's investment. As pointed out by Reuters, JDI is aiming for the plant to be operable by next year, and hopes Apple itself would pay much of the predicted 200 billion yen ($1.7 billion) cost of the project.

    Japan Display

    “We are reviewing various considerations to strengthen our business competitiveness, including new factories, but we haven’t made any decision yet,” Japan Display said in a statement Friday. Apple declined to comment.

    The unnamed source continued to describe the plant's possible location, stating that Ishikawa, in central Japan, is "most likely" the site for the manufacturing plant. JDI runs a plant southeast of Tokyo, in Mobara, "which makes 50,000 of the 1.5 by 1.85 metre sheets a month for iPhone 6 screens and other uses." According to the source, the new plant would have a "greater capacity" than even JDI's Mobara facility.

    JDI, formed from the troubled display portions of Sony Corp, Toshiba Corp, and Hitachi Ltd, has already seen a resurgence of profit after two consecutive quarter losses thanks to increasing demand from Apple-related devices. Now it wants a bigger contract with the Cupertino-based company - and its record-breaking profits - to boost its own earnings even higher.

    ipad_iphone_ios_8Following up on the public beta program used for OS X Yosemite that allowed non-developers to try out and offer feedback on the operating system before its release, Apple will be launching similar programs for iOS 8.3 next month and iOS 9 later this year, reports 9to5Mac.

    ...Apple intends to release the upcoming iOS 8.3 as a public beta via the company’s existing AppleSeed program in mid-March, according to the sources. This release will match the third iOS 8.3 beta for developers, which is planned for release the same week. Apple then expects to debut iOS 9 at its June Worldwide Developer Conference, with a public beta release during the summer, and final release in the fall.

    iOS 8.2 is still in developer testing as Apple gears up for an April launch of the Apple Watch, but the company has also begun seeding iOS 8.3 to developers. The update includes a number of tweaks including support for wireless CarPlay, two-step verification on Google accounts, a new emoji picker, and Apple Pay through China UnionPay.

    After a dramatic visual overhaul with iOS 7 in 2013 and a number of new features such as Continuity in iOS 8 last year, iOS 9 will reportedly focus on stability and optimization, although some new features are likely to be included.

    Update 4:21 PM PT: Re/code has confirmed that Apple has plans to offer a public beta testing program for iOS 8.3 beginning in mid-March.

    Tag: iOS 8.3
    Related Forum: iOS 9