MacRumors

Local news affiliate ABC 15 Arizona is reporting that Apple's facility in Mesa, Arizona, which it acquired through its ill-fated partnership with GT Advanced last year, caught fire this afternoon. While the second-alarm fire has since been extinguished on the rooftop, which is equipped with multiple solar panels, local firefighters and emergency crews remain on the scene and authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze.

Mesa Arizona Apple Fire
Apple confirmed in February that it plans to repurpose the GT Advanced facility as a $2 billion data center. The data center will reportedly act as a "global command center" for Apple's global data network. Mesa fire crews confirmed that the fire was located near Elliot and Signal Butte Roads in east Mesa, coinciding with where the GT Advanced facility is situated.

Update 12:20 PM Pacific: ABC 15 reports that fire crews from Mesa, Gilbert and Superstition Fire worked together to extinguish the fire within 35 minutes, and there are no reports of any injuries. The local news affiliate says the fire appears to have originated on the solar panels on the roof, and does not appear to have spread inside the building.

Apple Red LogoApple is considering issuing about 200 billion yen ($1.62 billion) in bonds as early as June in Japan, in what would be the company's first fundraising activity in the country, according to Nikkei. The report claims that Apple plans to take advantage of low interest rates in Japan to procure the funds, which could be used to boost shareholder rewards and expand Japanese operations.

"Early this month, Apple started gauging potential demand for the yen-denominated bonds among regional banks, life insurers and other institutional investors," claims the Nikkei Asian Review. "The bonds will target Japanese investors but will likely be sold to overseas investors as well."

Apple has issued 2.8 billion euros ($3 billion) and 1.25 billion Swiss francs ($1.31 billion) in bonds since last year, and will reportedly benefit from an interest rate on bonds in Japan about 1 percentage point lower than in the United States. It was also reported in February that Apple was planning to raise $6.5 billion in a corporate debt sale. The funds are used for corporate purposes such as repurchasing of common stock and payment of dividends through Apple's capital return program.

Tag: Bonds

os_x_yosemite_round_iconApple today seeded the fourth beta of OS X 10.10.4 to developers, just over two weeks after releasing the third OS X 10.10.4 beta and a month after releasing the first OS X 10.10.4 beta. OS X 10.10.4 has been in testing since mid April, following the early April release of OS X 10.10.3 with the new Photos for OS X app.

The new beta, build 14E26a, can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store or through the Mac Developer Center.

OS X 10.10.3 brought several consumer-facing changes including the new Photos for OS X app, a redesigned emoji picker, and diversified emoji, but OS X 10.10.4 appears to be an under-the-hood update that brings performance enhancements and bug fixes. Thus far, OS X 10.10.4 betas have not included outward facing design changes or feature additions.

The first two updates to OS X Yosemite, OS X 10.10.1 and OS X 10.10.2, were also minor behind-the-scenes updates that improved performance through bug fixes and enhancements.

Related Forum: OS X Yosemite

Following a recent report suggesting that iOS 9 could feature "Rootless" security, "Trusted Wi-Fi" and support for legacy A5-based devices, today 9to5Mac followed up on a few smaller-scale improvements to Apple's next major software version that could have a big impact on the overall experience for iPhone and iPad users.

The next-generation iPhone will feature some form of Force Touch as one of the biggest new additions to the hardware, a rumor that has been circulating since the beginning of the year and only gaining forward momentum. The report today, however, specifically mentions that Apple has designed iOS 9 "to be Force Touch-ready" and is already hard at work with developers to integrate the technology into various apps.

iphone6_6plus_laying_down
Since Apple's work on Force Touch runs the gamut of iOS devices, there's also a possibility of updated Force Touch displays on new iPad models sometime this year. All iOS versions of Force Touch are also expected to provide the real-time haptic feedback buzz similar to that of the Apple Watch to provide users a physical response when their deep presses have been noticed. As 9to5Mac points out, however, since any new Force Touch on iOS announcement automatically requires the confirmation of new hardware, any iPhone and iPad support for the feature is unlikely to happen at WWDC.

Next, Apple is rumored to be working on a new keyboard experience for iOS 9, with the company experimenting on multiple designs, like one that is "slightly longer than the current keyboard" and provides users with a more robust suite of editing options while in portrait mode. Also in the works is a more accessible way to access the QuickType keyboard and a redesign to the unpopular Shift Key to provide an easier visual understanding of when shift or caps lock is engaged.

Today's report also falls in line with previous rumors reporting that Canada will be the first country outside of the United States to support Apple Pay, with the report claiming that iOS 9's Passbook app includes a "necessary foundation" to support various banks, credit and debit cards, and credit unions within the country. Although Canada is well-prepared for such a service, with many retailers and businesses across the country equipped with the contactless payment terminals needed for Apple Pay, such an expansion outside of the United States has proved difficult for Apple, especially in places like China, so a WWDC announcement yet again seems unlikely.

The final minor update to iOS 9 reported today includes the addition of read receipts to both group chats in iMessage as well as on a per-contact basis. Users will be able to turn on the read receipt functionality for specific recipients while leaving the read status of a message in the dark for other contacts. The company also seems to be considering removing the little-used Game Center app altogether in iOS 9, and minor data points suggest a few additions and updates to the new Health app, as well.

Related Forums: iOS 9, iPhone

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published a patent application filed by Apple in September 2011 (via AppleInsider), detailing a new keyboard that includes inputs for both traditional mechanical keystrokes along with a new touch-sensitive interface laid over each individual key.

The so-called "Fusion keyboard" would be able to detect the traditional swipe and zoom inputs of a MacBook trackpad, simply spread across the touch-sensitive interface of individual keys. The keyboard - noted to be both an integrated or external accessory, meaning the feature could come to both iMac and MacBook - could also allow for a sort of multi-touch input, meaning a user could simultaneously type something with their left hand while using a touch gesture for cursor control, for example, with the other.

keyboard patent
Notably, the new keyboard patent also includes two-position mechanical switches that perform certain tasks at different levels of pressure, unlike the single-position design of not only the Mac line but most keyboards used today. The first level of pressure could act as a normal text input, while the second level could generate some alternative command similar to that of a mouse click. Although no indication of increased forceful pressure is described in the new patent, the two-position switches do sound akin to Apple's new Force Touch technology which debuted on the Apple Watch and is now found on the company's MacBook trackpad.

Although Apple debuted a new kind of lighter butterfly mechanism keyboard with the new 12-inch Retina MacBook, the patent described today could be aimed at either the beefier line of MacBook Pro and iMac models, or some unannounced update yet to come. Like with every other patent, it'll be quite a long time before we see any tangible manifestations of today's patent, if ever, but it's still an intriguing glimpse at the company's possible future.

Tag: Patent

Microsoft today announced that its Cortana personal digital assistant will be available for iPhone and Android smartphones later this year, after multiple rumors hinting at cross-platform expansion of the service over the past year. Windows 10 will also feature a new "Phone Companion" app as a central place for PC users to install Cortana and other Windows-related apps for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone.


Microsoft unveiled Cortana on Windows Phone 8.1 last April as the company's answer to Siri and Google Now, and the company is also bringing the personal digital assistant to the desktop as part of Windows 10 this summer. Cortana's features include contextually-aware reminders, routing and mapping, current weather and traffic conditions, sports scores, biographies and more.

Microsoft Cortana Nokia
Some of Cortana's features on Windows Phone won't initially be available on iPhone and Android smartphones, including toggling settings, opening apps or "Hey Cortana" hands-free invoking of the personal digital assistant. Microsoft will also release an updated version of its Xbox Music app for iOS with free streaming playback of your music files and playlists from OneDrive in late June or July.

Apple today announced the appointment of Jony Ive to a newly created position of Chief Design Officer, allowing him to continue overseeing design aspects of numerous projects within the company while turning over the day-to-day management of the design teams to Richard Howarth and Alan Dye, who have both been elevated to vice president positions. Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the changes today in a company-wide email.

dye_ive_howarth

Alan Dye, Jony Ive, and Richard Howarth (Gabriela Hasbun for The Telegraph)

Team,

I have exciting news to share with you today. I am happy to announce that Jony Ive is being promoted to the newly created position of Chief Design Officer at Apple.

Jony is one of the most talented and accomplished designers of his generation, with an astonishing 5000 design and utility patents to his name. His new role is a reflection of the scope of work he has been doing at Apple for some time. Jony’s design responsibilities have expanded from hardware and, more recently, software UI to the look and feel of Apple retail stores, our new campus in Cupertino, product packaging and many other parts of our company.

Design is one of the most important ways we communicate with our customers, and our reputation for world-class design differentiates Apple from every other company in the world. As Chief Design Officer, Jony will remain responsible for all of our design, focusing entirely on current design projects, new ideas and future initiatives. On July 1, he will hand off his day-to-day managerial responsibilities of ID and UI to Richard Howarth, our new vice president of Industrial Design, and Alan Dye, our new vice president of User Interface Design.

Richard, Alan and Jony have been working together as colleagues and friends for many years. Richard has been a member of the Design team for two decades, and in that time he has been a key contributor to the design of each generation of iPhone, Mac, and practically every other Apple product. Alan started at Apple nine years ago on the Marcom team, and helped Jony build the UI team which collaborated with ID, Software Engineering and countless other groups on groundbreaking projects like iOS 7, iOS 8 and Apple Watch.

Please join me in congratulating these three exceptionally talented designers on their new roles at Apple.

Tim

Alongside the announcement, Stephen Fry has published an exclusive interview with Cook and Ive at The Telegraph that addresses the legacy of Steve Jobs at Apple and Ive's continually expanding role with the company, among other topics. That expansion of Ive's duties, which has seen him add user interface design and increase emphasis on retail store and Campus 2 design leadership to his previous position as head of industrial design over the last several years, has led to today's restructuring that will free up some of Ive's time.

fry_cook_ive

Stephen Fry, Tim Cook, and Jony Ive at Apple Campus 2 (Gabriela Hasbun for The Telegraph)

When I catch up with Ive alone, I ask him why he has seemingly relinquished the two departments that had been so successfully under his control. “Well, I’m still in charge of both,” he says, “I am called Chief Design Officer. Having Alan and Richard in place frees me up from some of the administrative and management work which isn’t … which isn’t …”

“Which isn’t what you were put on this planet to do?”

“Exactly. Those two are as good as it gets.

Apple's design team is a small, tight-knit group, many of whom have been working at Apple for many years. Last October, it was revealed Ive's close friend Marc Newson had been officially hired part-time for the design team at Apple, but Newson is not publicly taking on any expanded role in the latest shuffling of responsibilities.

Apple Watch tracks your movement and heart rate. It uses that information in conjunction with your gender, height, age, and weight to estimate how many calories you burn during daily movement, including light strolls and dedicated workouts.

However, Apple Watch needs proper calibration to get the most accurate reading of your movement and heart rate, which is used to help determine distance and pace measurements when you are walking or running without your iPhone, or while using a treadmill.

christy turlington burns
Calibration is fairly easy and takes about 20 minutes of exercise. For this purpose, you will need both your iPhone and your Apple Watch. After calibrating, you won't need to bring your iPhone on walks or runs anymore.

➜ Click here to read more...

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

Apple Watch includes storage space for adding content like apps, photos, and music, with up to some of that space dedicated to storing songs. When you add a playlist, you can listen to music on it, even when your iPhone is not in range. While the process is fairly self-explanatory, there are a few steps you don't want to forget in order to play music from Apple Watch to your Bluetooth connected headphones

Adding Music to Apple Watch

In order to listen to music on Apple Watch without an iPhone in range, you must sync a playlist to it first.

  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and tap My Watch.
  2. Select Music from the list.
  3. Tap "Synced Playlist" to access your iPhone's playlist.
  4. Select a playlist from the list (if there is no playlist visible in this list, you will need to create one on your iPhone).
  5. Place your Apple Watch on its charger to initiate the sync. This step is important. Apple Watch will not sync a playlist if it has not been connected to the charger.

addingmusicapplewatch

➜ Click here to read more...

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

passbookapplewatchapplepayApple restricted Apple Pay to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus due to the need for an NFC chip that's not included in older phones, which means Apple Pay has been limited to those with newer iPhones since it debuted in October of 2014.

One of the major perks of the Apple Watch is that it enables Apple Pay for some older iPhones because it has the same NFC chip that's in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. If you have an Apple Watch and an iPhone 5, 5c, or 5s, you can now use Apple Pay and the watch to make secure purchases in retail locations.

For those of you who haven't had a chance to use Apple Pay, we've written up a tutorial that walks through how to set it up on your watch.

➜ Click here to read more...

Related Roundups: Apple Watch 10, Apple Pay
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

The Unicode Consortium today released a list of 38 emoji characters that are candidates for inclusion in Unicode 9.0, which is set to be released in the middle of 2016. These represent emoji that could be available on iOS and Mac devices in the future.

Candidates include a range of different character emoji, from "face with cowboy hat to "drooling face" and "lying face." "Selfie," an emoji represented by a hand holding a camera, is also on the list, as is "shrug," and "handshake." As for food, emoji proposals include croissant, avocado, cucumber, bacon, potato, and carrot. There are also several proposed animal additions: fox face, eagle, duck, bat, shark, and owl.

emojicandidates
According to the Unicode Consortium, these emoji have been chosen for several reasons. Some are proposed based on expected high frequency of use or due to requests from online communities. Others on the list fill in gaps in existing emoji sets or are compatible with emoji characters in existing systems.

Emoji candidates are not finalized so it's possible that some of the characters on the list could be removed before Unicode 9 is released in 2016, and it's also possible that additional characters could be added to the list.

The emoji proposed for inclusion in Unicode 9 are separate from the emoji that will be included in Unicode 8. Unicode 8, which includes specifications for the emoji modifiers that Apple introduced with iOS 8.3 and OS X 10.10.3, is set to be released in mid-2015 and is currently in beta testing.

Emoji additions proposed for Unicode 8 include zipper-mouth face, nerd face, thinking face, robot face, hugging face, hot dog, burrito, taco, cheese wedge, popcorn, and unicorn face, among others.

It is not known if and when Apple will adopt the Unicode 8 and Unicode 9 emoji as it still has not added the Unicode 7 emoji that were finalized in June of 2014.

It's nearly Memorial Day, which means there's a long three-day weekend coming up and some solid deals on Apple products from vendors who are cutting prices in the hopes of drawing customers into stores over the weekend.

Best Buy's offering a can't-miss deal on the 13-inch MacBook Air and the high-end 27-inch Retina iMac is available for the lowest price we've seen. The 2014 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro is also being sold at low prices following this week's refresh. As always, we've also got some solid deals on Apple accessories and we've rounded up a list of apps you can get on the cheap.

iPad Air 2

Deals on the iPad Air 2 aren't as good as they have been in past weeks, but Apple started offering refurbished iPad Air 2 models this week, so the company's refurbished store is worth checking out if you're looking to get a discount on a tablet.

ipad-air-2-group
B&H Photo is offering a small discount on most of its iPad Air 2 models, dropping prices by $30 to $50. With the discount, the 16GB WiFi only iPad Air 2 is priced at $459 and the 64GB model is priced at $549.99. Prices vary somewhat by model, but there are slight discounts to be had.

MacMall is also offering some discounts on iPad Air 2 models, dropping the prices by $30 to $50. With the discount, the 16GB entry-level Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 is priced at $469, while the Wi-Fi-only 64GB iPad Air 2 is available for $569.

iPad Air

Both Best Buy and B&H Photo have deep discounts on some remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad Air models, as listed below.

- iPad Air Wi-Fi Space Gray 128GB - $549
- iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 128GB (AT&T) - $529.99
- iPad Air Cellular Silver 64GB (AT&T) - $499
- iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 64GB (AT&T) - $449
- iPad Air Cellular Silver 64GB (Verizon) - $566.99
- iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 64GB (Verizon) - $449
- iPad Air Cellular Silver 128GB (Verizon) - $579
- iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 128GB (Verizon) - $679

iPad mini 3

B&H Photo is offering some modest discounts on various iPad mini 3 models, dropping the price by up to $60. The 16GB WiFi + Cellular iPad mini 3 in gold is available for $469 and the 128GB version is available for $649. the 16GB Wi-Fi only version in Silver is available for $349 and the 64GB Wi-Fi model in Silver is available for $429.

ipadmini3
Discounts for each model and and color vary, but most models are being offered at a lower price than you'll find at the Apple Store, and buying from B&H, you won't have to pay sales tax unless you're in New York.

iPad mini 2

Best Buy, B&H Photo, and Amazon have remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad mini 2 models, which are a good deal if you're looking for an iPad mini. Compared to the iPad mini 3, the iPad mini 2 only lacks Touch ID.

- iPad mini Cellular Silver 128GB (AT&T) - $430
- iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 128GB (AT&T) - $449.99
- iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 64GB (AT&T) - $399.99
- iPad mini Cellular Silver 128GB (Verizon) - $499.99
- iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 128GB (Verizon) - $534.99
- iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 64GB (Verizon) - $439.99

iMac

- 2013 21.5-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) - $1,179, $120 off
- 2013 21.5-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) - $1,399, $120 off
- 2013 27-inch 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) - $1,649.99, $150 off
- 2013 27-inch 3.4GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) - $1,794.99, $204 off
- 2014 27-inch 3.5Ghz/8GB/1TB Retina iMac (Best Buy) - $2,099.99, $200 off

retina-imac-27

Mac mini

- 1.4GHz/4GB/500GB (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $464.99, $34 off
- 2.6GHz/8GB/1TB (MacMall) - $663.99, $35 off
- 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $938, $60 off

MacBook Air

- 2015 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $824.99, $75 off
- 2015 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB (Best Buy) (Amazon) (B&H Photo) (Adorama) - $1044.99, $50 off
- 2015 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (Best Buy) - $849, $150 off
- 2015 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB (Best Buy) (Amazon) (B&H Photo) - $1,139.99, $60 off
- 2014 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $899, $200 off
- 2014 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (B&H Photo) (Adorama) - $819, $180 off
- 2014 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (Amazon) (B&H Photo) - $999, $200 off

macbook_air_yosemite_roundup

Retina MacBook Pro

- 2015 13-inch 2.7Ghz/8GB/128GB (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,234.99, $64 off
- 2015 13-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) - $1,424.99, $74 off
- 2015 13-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/512GB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) - $1709.99, $90 off
- 2014 15-inch 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB (Adorama) (MacMall) - $1,799, $200 off
- 2014 15-inch 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB (Adorama) -$2,299, $200 off
- 2014 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/128GB (B&H Photo) - $1,079, $220 off
- 2014 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/256GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,229, $259 off
- 2014 13-inch 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB (B&H Photo) - $1,499 $300 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.

Super popular puzzle game Monument Valley is on sale for $0.99 this week, down from $3.99. Death Rally is available for free, down from $0.99. Platformer Bean Dreams is available for $1.99, down from $2.99. Cut the Rope 2 is available for $0.99, down from $2.99. Puzzle game KAMI is available for $0.99, down from $1.99.

Sketching app Procreate Pocket is available for $0.99, down from $2.99. Photography app Enlight is available for $0.99, down from $5.99. Endless runner Alto's Adventure is available for $0.99, down from $1.99.

Puzzle game Magnetized was named Apple's App of the Week, so it will be free to download until next Thursday when a new app is picked.

Apple Accessories

PayPal Digital Gifts is offering $100 iTunes gift cards for $80 on eBay, a $20 discount. Groupon is selling the Lifeproof Nuud Waterproof case for iPhone 5c for $39.99, down from $56.69. Groupon also has Scosche Earphones with remote and microphone for $18.99, down from $79.99. The Incase Nylon Sleeve for the 13 or 15-inch MacBook Pro is available for $24.99 from Groupon, down from $60.

itunes_gift_cards_2x
Groupon has the OtterBox Defender Case and Holster for the iPhone 6 available for $29.99, down from $59.95. The Otterbox Defender Case for the iPhone 6 Plus is available for $34.99, down from $70. The Apple iPad mini Smart Cover is available for $17.99, down from $39. The Beats by Dre Pill 2.0 Bluetooth speaker is available for $159.99 from Groupon, down from $199.

beatspill
The Prong PocketPlug charging case for iPhone 5/5s is available from LivingSocial for $24.99, down from $50. Best Buy is offering the Misfit Shine activity tracker for $20 off, dropping the price to $79.99. Target is selling Beats Solo HD headphones at a $70 discount, dropping the price to $99.99.

misfitshine
The iWalk Extreme Trip battery 10,000 mAh pack is available for $49.99 from StackSocial, discounted from $85. Woot has the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air and iPad Air 2 for $59.99, down from $99.99. Groupon's still running a big Apple event and selling a range of Apple products and accessories at discounted prices, including the LifeProof Fre case for the iPad Air, Apple EarPods, Speck MacBook cases, MagSafe chargers, Mophie battery cases, and more.

MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.

There are dozens if not hundreds of iPhone stands on the market, but every once in awhile, there's one that sets itself apart with a unique form or a rich set of features. The MOS Kick falls into the latter category, offering a stand, screwdriver, bottle opener and tripod connector in a portable package.

Developed by the MOS team that's created several other popular products like the MOS Reach power outlet and the MOS cable organizer, the MOS Kick is made from metal so it can withstand being carried on a backpack or in a pocket.


We went hands-on with a prototype (hence the small bit of rust) of the MOS Kick and found it to be a convenient stand. It works with any smartphone because it includes adjustable silicone pads that hold a device in place. It's able to mount on a tripod with its 1/4" threaded hole, and it has a couple little tools for when you're in a pinch -- a bottle opener and a flat head screwdriver.

Since it's all metal, it's heavy enough to hold an iPhone up on any surface, and when attached to something like a GorillaPod, it's usable in a wide range of situations. On the downside, the MOS Kick is priced a bit high, but it's a handy way to take advantage of some of the iPhone's camera features that require the phone to be still, like time-lapse.

The MOS Kick can be purchased from the MOS website for $24.95.

Over the past several years, BlackBerry has gone from one of the top smartphone manufacturers to a company that's struggling to stay afloat in an increasingly competitive market. BlackBerry is hemorrhaging subscribers and losing revenue quarter after quarter as it attempts to turn the tide by focusing on marketing secure devices and software to its enterprise customers.

An upcoming book by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff, Losing the Signal, explores the events that led to the rise and fall of BlackBerry, and an interesting excerpt was shared by The Wall Street Journal today, covering the iPhone's contributions towards BlackBerry's (then known as RIM) failure.

As we've previously learned from Google execs, the launch of the iPhone, which stood apart from all other smartphones on the market at the time, took everyone by surprise. Not only was the iPhone incredibly different from its competitors, it also had features that carriers had previously denied other manufacturers like a full web browser and later, an App Store that had no carrier ties.

blackberryiphone

Image via CIO

One of RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis' first comments was "These guys are really, really good," but despite that fact, RIM failed to see the iPhone as a threat due to its lack of security and the fact that it had no keyboard, features RIM execs thought would make it unappealing to RIM's core consumers.

If the iPhone gained traction, RIM's senior executives believed, it would be with consumers who cared more about YouTube and other Internet escapes than efficiency and security. RIM's core business customers valued BlackBerry's secure and efficient communication systems. Offering mobile access to broader Internet content, says Mr. Conlee, "was not a space where we parked our business."

RIM executives did not understand the iPhone and were "incredulous" that people were purchasing it, realizing too late that form had become as important as function in the eyes of consumers. In an effort to combat the threat of the iPhone, RIM teamed up with Verizon to create a competing touch-based phone -- the Storm.

Verizon pressured RIM into speeding up development on the phone, resulting in a product that was riddled with bugs and issues when it launched in 2008. Despite the flaws, the product was heavily marketed and RIM sold 1 million in two months, leading to a lot of unhappy customers who wanted to return or exchange their devices.

The Storm was a spectacular failure that impacted RIM's relationship with Verizon, ruined its reputation, and cost upwards of $100 million. After the failure, the company was demoralized and at a crossroads, unsure of where to take the company going forward and how to compete with the iPhone and other smartphones in a landscape that was radically different from what the company knew.

RIM was unable to fully recover from failure of the Storm and find its footing, eventually leading to the path that it's on today. "The Storm failure made it clear we were not the dominant smartphone company anymore, said RIM co-CEO Jim Balsille. "We're grappling with who we are because we can't be who we used to be anymore, which sucked...It's not clear what the hell to do."

The full excerpt from the book is worth a read and can be found over at The Wall Street Journal. The book itself is coming out on May 26 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon for $21.

Starting on Monday of this week, Apple began preparing to ship out the first batch of gold Apple Watch Editions to customers who pre-ordered in April. MacRumors readers have begun seeing credit card charges for the devices and have received shipping notifications and courier information from Apple. Some of the first Apple Watch Edition orders will begin arriving tomorrow.

applewatcheditioncharge

Image via MacRumors reader Calvin

The Apple Watch Edition is available in yellow gold or rose gold and is priced between $10,000 and $17,000. Given its high price tag, the Apple Watch Edition delivery process is somewhat different than the delivery process of Apple's less expensive watches, with customers receiving emails asking them to set up a delivery time.

applewatcheditioncourier
iFixit's Kyle Wiens ordered a 38mm Apple Watch Edition with a Black Sport Band and shared his tracking information and courier emails with MacRumors. His order was initially placed on April 10 and shipped out on Thursday, May 21. His delivery date was originally set for Sunday, May 24, but was moved up to Saturday, May 23.

applewatchshipped
Wiens tells MacRumors that while he initially ordered the Apple Watch Edition to do one of iFixit's traditional teardowns, he had second thoughts and ultimately decided iFixit couldn't afford to do the teardown. Wiens will be returning the Apple Watch Edition to Apple, but if an iFixit enthusiast has an Apple Watch Edition they wouldn't mind loaning out, he can do a non-destructive metallurgical analysis on the device.

Thus far the Apple Watch Edition has only been available in small quantities in some of the luxury fashion boutiques that have featured the Apple Watch, and it's also been seen on the wrist of several celebrities and designers including Katy Perry, Beyonce, Jay Z, Karl Lagerfeld, Pharell Williams, and more. With shipments going out over the next few weeks, we may be seeing more Apple Watch Edition models in the wild.

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

Following the release of Watch OS 1.0.1 on Tuesday, Apple Watch users have been noticing a problem concerning the frequency with which the Apple Watch sends heart rate data to the iPhone. Prior to the update, the Apple Watch sent heart rate information to the iPhone's Health app every 10 minutes, but now some users are seeing inconsistent update times.

As highlighted by everythingiCafe on Wednesday, Apple Watch owners on the MacRumors forums and Apple's Support Communities have been complaining that their Apple Watches are sending data sporadically, with gaps up to eight hours in some cases.

heartratemonitoring101

Before update on left, after update on right. Image via MacRumors forum member twisted-pixel.

Many of the users are still seeing occasional updates to the Health app, but at unpredictable intervals that are not as frequent as the previous 10 minute update intervals, and some are also seeing duplicate readings. This bug is not affecting all users, as some people are still reporting regular data transfers, but for the users experiencing issues, unreported heart rate data seems to be irretrievable.

I also noticed that my heart rate data in the health app for about a week period is gone and my heart rate data is now updating into the app intermittently. I spoke with Apple customer service this morning, but data could not be restored and their advice was to restart both the iPhone and the Watch, clean the sensor back, and keep an eye on it. That, unfortunately, has not fixed anything and I think there might be a bigger problem on our, er, hands (or wrists).

For those unaware, the heart rate information collected by the Apple Watch's sensors is aggregated in the Health app on the iPhone, giving users a picture of their overall heart health throughout the day. With consistent 10 minute readings, the iPhone is able to provide clear and consistent data that wearers can share with doctors and use to make health evaluations.

Data that is sent sporadically is less useful for these purposes, causing this bug to significantly impact the health tracking abilities of the Apple Watch for users who are affected.

Some individuals experiencing issues have said that restarting their devices temporarily solves the problem, but the sporadic measurement times return shortly after. On the Apple Support Communities, one affected user who spoke with Apple suggested that his Apple Watch stopped sending heart rate measurements when he was actively moving.

Apple is collecting information from users who call in with the issue, and some have been told that the company is working on a fix.

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

os_x_yosemite_round_iconWhile OS X Yosemite introduced several new high-profile features, such as Handoff, iCloud Drive and Instant Hotspot, the focus of OS X 10.11 will be on improved stability and performance, new security features and system-wide interface tweaks, according to a lengthy report by 9to5Mac.

OS X 10.11 is still expected to gain a handful of noteworthy features, including a systemwide change to Apple Watch font San Francisco and a new Control Center menu similar to iPhone and iPad. Control Center was originally found in early betas of OS X Yosemite, but was not included in the final release.

"Control Center moves many of the controls from the Mac’s Menu Bar to a pane that slides out from the left side of the Mac’s display, adding on-screen music controls and other iOS-influenced features," the report claims. "However, Control Center reportedly has been in flux during development, and could be pushed back again."

Control Center OS X 10.11

A possible first look at Control Center for Mac on OS X from 2014

Apple is also reportedly working on a major new kernel-level security system called "Rootless" for OS X and iOS that will help curb malware and protect sensitive data by prohibiting users from accessing certain protected files on Mac and iOS devices. "Rootless" appears to be a permanent feature of iOS, much to the chagrin of the jailbreaking community, but can likely be disabled on OS X.

Apple plans to enhance security one step further by converting many of its core IMAP-based applications on OS X and iOS, such as Notes, Reminders, and Calendar, to have an iCloud Drive backend. Apple expects there to be increased iCloud usage after the transition, so the company is reportedly upgrading its iCloud Drive and CloudKit servers to handle the additional load.

"With iOS 9 and OS X 10.11, Apple plans to transition this sync process to iCloud Drive, which offers better end-to-end encryption and faster syncing than traditional IMAP servers. As an example of how this will work, when a user launches Notes in either of the new Apple operating systems, a splash page offering to move content from the IMAP server over to iCloud Drive will appear, making the transition easy for users."

The company is also testing a new "Trusted Wi-Fi" feature that would enable Macs and iOS devices to connect to trusted wireless routers with no additional security measures, while non-trusted routers would have a heavily encrypted wireless connection. Apple could release the feature later this year or hold off until next year's OS X and iOS releases, according to the report.

iphone4s

iOS 9 will reportedly support A5-based devices such as the iPhone 4s and iPad mini

Apple is also said to be optimizing iOS 9 to better support older hardware, with the report claiming that even legacy A5-based devices including the iPhone 4s and original iPad mini will be compatible with the upcoming software update. The four-year-old iPad 2 and three-year-old fifth-generation iPod touch, released in March 2011 and October 2012 respectively, are also powered by Apple A5 chips.

"Apple is now building a core version of iOS 9 that runs efficiently on older A5 devices, then enabling each properly performing feature one-by-one. Thanks to this new approach, an entire generation (or two) of iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches will be iOS 9-compatible rather than reaching the end of the iOS line."

Last, Apple is said to be preparing a major upgrade to its Swift programming language with “Application Binary Interface (ABI)" stability. Swift applications updated for iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 will have preinstalled code binaries that require less space and use less cellular data. The report claims that Apple plans to convert its own apps to Swift in 2016 as part of iOS 10 and OS X 10.12.

Related Forums: iOS 9, OS X El Capitan

An estimated 2.5 million Apple Watch orders have been processed in the United States in the first five weeks of availability, according to Slice Intelligence (via Quartz). Extrapolating from the e-receipts of about 14,000 online shoppers who use Slice's services, more than half of the orders placed so far came on April 10, the first day of pre-orders, with the Apple Watch averaging 30,000 orders per day since.

slice orders

Daily Apple Watch order estimates in U.S. (first-day orders of nearly 1.5 million omitted)

As Quartz points out, the Apple Watch saw a notable rise in order interest on April 24, the day most initial Apple Watch pre-orders that weren't high in demand, like the Leather Loop or Black Sport band, began arriving to customers. Social media posts and word of mouth that day no doubt helped Apple receieve a few extra orders, and it reaches back up to around 40,000 on a few days in April and May, but otherwise Apple's new wearable has seen a steady decline in order numbers since its launch date, according to the e-commerce shopping firm.

Even with the steep decline following the start of pre-orders, Apple Watch sales are easily outpacing early sales of the iPod and iPhone, and slightly topping those of the iPad, although Apple's continually increasing user base since the debut of those devices gives the company momentum for each subsequent product family launch.

Slice Intelligence's Apple Watch update today comes a few weeks after providing a break down of initial pre-orders for the wearable, which pegged 62 percent of customers as having pre-ordered the Apple Watch Sport and an unexpected popularity of the Space Gray case and Black Sport band. As with that data, a few factors should be taken into account when looking at Slice Intelligence's order estimates, including its data being limited to the United States and the relatively small pool of customer receipts examined.

Today's report also falls in line with KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's prediction of the Apple Watch order demand beginning to slow down following a high launch period. Although Apple has yet to announced any sales numbers for the Apple Watch and doesn't plan to break the device out into its own reporting segment in financial results, the Apple Watch's entry into the company's upcoming brick-and-mortar retail locations in June could help boost the wearable's sales figures.

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