MacRumors

Before announcing an enterprise partnership with IBM, Apple reportedly had discussions with Hewlett-Packard over a mobile search product nicknamed "Enterprise Siri." Detailed in a report from The Information (via BusinessInsider), "Enterprise Siri" is an HP product designed to allow employees to ask their devices for company-specific information like financial data or product inventory numbers.

According to The Information's report, though Apple held discussions with HP, the latter company has also been in talks with Google's Android unit for the past year over a potential partnership for the "Enterprise Siri" technology, which could lead to something like an enterprise version of Google Now for corporate data.

The idea is for employees to be able to ask their Android device for company information such as financial data or product inventory information in the same way they do routine personal searches for weather, traffic or restaurant locations. Google search doesn't currently offer any such integration with corporate databases and software applications, but it's an area Google has looked at as it tries to chip away at the iPhone's lead among business customers.

Now that Apple has inked a deal with IBM to further its hold on the enterprise market, a deal with HP for a powerful enterprise search product could allow Google to gain ground as well.

While more than 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies already use Apple devices in their businesses, Apple's recent partnership with IBM has the potential to skyrocket Apple's enterprise sales. As part of the deal, IBM will develop more than 100 industry-specific native apps that are built from the ground up for the iPhone and the iPad to draw new customers in industries like retail, healthcare, banking, travel, transportation, and more.

IBM will also offer Apple's iOS devices to its corporate customers and has plans to provide cloud storage, analytics services, and 24/7 assistance to enterprise customers under a new AppleCare plan. IBM's first apps will roll out this fall, with additional apps coming in 2015.

The iPhone 6 is expected to be announced on September 9th, 2014 with an Apple Media event. The actual launch will likely take place a couple of weeks later.

Some of the first rumors of any new Apple iPhone seems to come from the case manufacturers. There's a huge financial incentive for case manufacturers to be early to market with case designs for a new iPhone. The first leaked schematics for the iPhone 6 were published in March, 2014 and the first cases based on the designs started appearing shortly thereafter.

These case-design leaks aren't always correct, but this time there have been part leaks as well. Our iPhone 6 roundup goes into great detail about what we know so far.

During our early iPhone 6 research, we obtained a batch of 200 rumored 4.7" iPhone 6 cases with our logo on it. We thought they might be useful on day one of iPhone 6 launch, or could simply serve as a MacRumors souvenir if the specs turn out to be not-quite-right. So, we're giving away 200 4.7" iPhone 6 cases to 200 of our mailing list members selected at random. To be clear, these cases might not even fit the real iPhone 6-- but that's part of the appeal. The case colors will be distributed at random, but possibilities include red, blue, grey, and frosted clear.

We'll be giving out other prizes over time to our mailing list subscribers. Official rules are available here. For this initial prize, we have to limit it to U.S. mailing addresses only, due to the cost of shipping 200 items internationally. iPhone 6 case giveaway contest deadline is midnight (Eastern) on the evening of Thursday, August 21st 2014. Winners will then be picked and mailed their cases, hopefully in time for September 9th.

Our mailing list provides readers with regular updates to the biggest stories on MacRumors.

The case giveaway is over, but future giveaways are planned.

If you are already a member of our mailing list, you still have to fill out this entry form (and check the agree checkbox) to get entered. You won't be added to our mailing list twice.

Takorn Tantasith, Secretary General of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) in Thailand, announced earlier this week that the agency has approved Apple's application to distribute two iPhone 6 models in the country, reports Manager Online [Google Translate]. The Secretary also tweeted word of the approval from his @TakornNBTC Twitter account.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 6 in early September with retail sales to follow in the weeks following the announcement. Apple reportedly is prepping two iPhone models, with a 4.7-inch version slated to launch first this fall and a 5.5-inch version that could launch either alongside or up to several months later than the smaller version.

An application for approval in Thailand over a month prior to the device's expected introduction is unusual and suggests Apple may be planning for a very large number of countries in the initial wave of launches. For the iPhone 5s, Thailand was part of the second wave of launches that took place on October 25, 2013, and the company reportedly did not apply for approval in the country until September 16, 2013.

New reports from Chinese media sources (Google Translate, via G for Games) claim that the iPhone 6 has entered a final product validation testing stage ahead of mass production before its launch this fall. Apple is reportedly working with Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory to produce a small number of units to ensure quality control standards have been implemented, as the device will then be mass produced at Apple's various supply partners.

Previously, a report last month claimed that Apple had already begun mass production for the iPhone 6, however it is possible that reported production issues may have led to delayed testing and output. It is also unknown whether this final testing stage is for both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6, as Apple has reportedly had issues in producing the latter's sapphire display and battery life.

Apple's iPhone 6 is expected to be announced at a launch event on Tuesday, September 9. In addition to a larger screen, the device will likely incorporate a thinner, rounded form factor and feature a faster and more efficient A8 chip, as well as an improved camera with stabilization.

Following the tragic news of the death of Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams, Apple has created a "Remembering Robin Williams" dedicated section of the iTunes Store housing many of the actor's popular movies and stand up comedy routines.

Along with offering movies organized into categories like "Essentials," "Comedy," and "Drama," the Robin Williams iTunes Store section includes a photo of the actor along with a short paragraph on his decades-long career and his involvement in Comic Relief USA, a charity that's raised upwards of $50 million for homeless assistance.

One of the most beloved and unforgettable performers in the history of show business, Robin Williams brought laughter and inspiration to millions. Throughout a career that spanned five decades, Williams evolved from stand up comedian to international movie star. Among the great masters of improv, he transfixed audiences with a mile-a-minute comic energy. Williams' Golden Globe-winning turn in Good Morning, Vietnam demonstrated that his versatile acting talents were equally suited to evoking dramatic complexity. Many of Williams' most iconic performances--in Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, and his Oscar-winning triumph Good Will Hunting--were dazzling high-wire acts that left audiences in tears of laughter one minute and tears of poignancy the next.

In the iTunes Store section dedicated to Williams, Apple lists more than 40 of his movies like Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, The Birdcage, Patch Adams, Good Morning, Vietnam, and more, along with a handful of his comedy performances.

Robin Williams' performance in Dead Poets Society is of special importance to Apple as his character, John Keating, delivered the famous "What will your verse be?" speech that inspired its "Your Verse" line of iPad advertisements. Williams also provided the voice over for one of the commercials, which began airing back in January.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robin Williams. He inspired us through his passion, his generosity, and the gift of laughter. He will be missed.

This is one of the few times Apple has honored someone's life with a page on its website, with the others being Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, board member Jerry York and Steve Jobs.

Apple's mobile operating system continues to dominate the enterprise sector, according to new numbers in Good Technology's latest Mobility Index Report [PDF], but Android has made enterprise market share gains at Apple's expense. Android's rising share of the enterprise market shows the wisdom behind Apple's recent IBM deal, which will see the two companies partnering up for custom enterprise apps.

iOS activations represented 67 percent of total global device activations, but Apple's numbers were down five percent quarter over quarter. At the same time, Android saw a five percent gain, with Android devices representing 32 percent of total device activations. Windows activations were at just 1 percent, while Blackberry activations were unable to be measured by Good due to their usage of the BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Broken down, iPhone activations were at 51 percent of total activations, while iPad activations represented 16 percent of total activations (and 90 percent of total tablet activations), a slight decrease from the previous quarter. Android smartphones represented 30 percent of total activations, with Android tablets comprising just a few percent of total activations.

As for apps, iOS enterprise app activations were responsible for 88 percent of total app activations during the quarter, while Android app activations were at 12 percent of total enterprise app activations, a shift of four percentage points from iOS to Android.

Though Apple's enterprise numbers have seen a slight drop in the current quarter, its share of the enterprise market is poised to grow substantially over the coming months thanks to its recent partnership with IBM.

In addition to selling iOS devices to its corporate customers, IBM has plans to create more than 100 industry-specific native apps built from the ground up for the iPad and the iPhone, which will undoubtedly draw more enterprise customers looking for customized experiences. According to Good's survey, custom app activations have been on the rise, seeing a 25 percent growth quarter over quarter.

Following the announcement of Apple's partnership with IBM, CEO Tim Cook said he sees the deal as an opportunity for "transforming enterprise" and opening up a "large market opportunity" for both companies.

IBM's first apps tailored to various industries like retail, healthcare, banking, travel, and transportation are expected to be released this fall, with additional apps following in 2015. In recent weeks, Apple has also been heavily pushing productivity apps on the iPad to poise the tablet as more than just a content consumption device, sending out emails promoting iWork and Microsoft Office and cutting the prices on many productivity apps.

Following in the footsteps of several other major tech companies, Apple has released a diversity report on the sex and race of its employees (via Re/code). As is common in the tech industry, the majority of Apple's workforce is male -- only three out of 10 employees around the globe are female. Broken down, males compose 65 percent of non-tech workers, 80 percent of tech workers, and 72 percent of Apple's leadership.

In the United States, across tech, leadership, and non-tech, Apple's workers are 55 percent white, 15 percent Asian, 11 percent Hispanic, and 7 percent Black. Nine percent of workers declined to state their ethnicity, one percent selected other, and two percent listed more than one race.

According to CEO Tim Cook, he is unhappy with Apple's diversity numbers and says Apple is working to improve them.

Apple is committed to transparency, which is why we are publishing statistics about the race and gender makeup of our company. Let me say up front: As CEO, I’m not satisfied with the numbers on this page. They’re not new to us, and we’ve been working hard for quite some time to improve them. We are making progress, and we’re committed to being as innovative in advancing diversity as we are in developing our products.

During his tenure as CEO, Cook has taken steps towards improving Apple's diversity by boosting Apple's female leadership. Cook hired Angela Ahrendts as the head of retail and Susan Wagner was recently added to Apple's board, joining existing female board member Andrea Jung. Cook has also overseen the hire of Lisa Jackson, who oversees the company's environmental affairs, and the promotion of Denise Young Smith to head of human resources. Apple is a sponsor of the National Center for Women & Information Technology, which aims to get women involved in technology.

In its report, Apple suggests that its company diversity beliefs go beyond race and gender, pointing to its involvement in the Human Rights Campaign. Under Cook, Apple has supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which lobbied to add lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals to the U.S.'s existing nondiscrimination law. Apple also recently participated in San Francisco's Gay Pride event and the company has long had protections for its LGBT employees.

Update 1:30 PM PT: Apple has posted the Diversity video from its Diversity page on YouTube.

Ahead of its London iTunes Festival in September, Apple is promoting its Apple TV with a bundle deal offering a $25 iTunes gift card with each Apple TV purchase (via 9to5Mac). The gift card can be used to purchase apps, music, and movies available in the iTunes Store, and the promotion is valid through September 30.

Earlier this year, Apple offered a similar $25 gift card promotion that sparked speculation about a possible imminent launch of an updated Apple TV. These rumors turned out to be false, and Apple is still selling the same third-generation model that saw its last substantial update in early 2012. Though this latest promotion offers a $25 gift card, the Apple TV still retails for its original $99 price tag.

The current crop of rumors suggests a 2015 update for Apple's television-related hardware, with delays to a rumored set-top box interfacing with live and on-demand content reportedly due to ongoing negotiations with cable companies. Rumors have indicated the next-generation Apple TV may include an App Store, support for wireless game controllers, Siri integration and more, although it is unclear whether Apple plans to split the television lineup between the full-featured set-top box and an improved Apple TV or if everything will be bundled into a single Apple TV product.

When Apple acquired Siri in 2010, several members of the team behind the technology joined Apple to continue development of the virtual assistant. As iOS evolved and the vision for Siri changed, co-founders Dag Kitt­laus and Adam Cheyer left Apple to pursue other opportunities. This liberation led to their reunion and the formation of Viv Labs, which is now working on new virtual assistant software that may change how we interact with our devices. Writer Steven Levy takes a close look at Viv in a lengthy profile on Wired.

Viv Labs is building a virtual assistant that is capable of more than just pre-programmed answers in response to a question. Viv expands further into the realm of artificial intelligence with a codebase that can interpret the question, make connections across a variety of services and apps and even generate code on the fly if needed to formulate an answer. Team members describe Viv as a "global brain" that can learn about its users and adapt to their preferences.

Take a complicated command like “Give me a flight to Dallas with a seat that Shaq could fit in.” Viv will parse the sentence and then it will perform its best trick: automatically generating a quick, efficient program to link third-party sources of information together—say, Kayak, SeatGuru, and the NBA media guide—so it can identify available flights with lots of legroom. And it can do all of this in a fraction of a second.

Unlike Siri, which was targeted at the iPhone even before its acquisition by Apple, Kitt­laus and his team hope to license the technology and bring Viv to a variety of devices including TVs, cars and other Internet-connected devices.

“I’m extremely proud of Siri and the impact it’s had on the world, but in many ways it could have been more,” Cheyer says. “Now I want to do something bigger than mobile, bigger than consumer, bigger than desktop or enterprise. I want to do something that could fundamentally change the way software is built.”

Viv is an ambitious project that is still in the early stages of development, but the vision is revolutionary. "If this team is successful, we are looking at the future of intelligent agents and a multibillion-dollar industry," said AI expert Oren Etzioni of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence to Wired.

It's unclear whether Apple will be interested in the technology and what kind of relationship the two companies might have given their history with Siri, but what is clear is that Siri's inventors have much broader ambitions in mind.

More photos said to be of the iPhone 6's rear shell have been shared by frequent iOS device part leaker Sonny Dickson. The part shown in the photos also appears identical to the rear shell shared by luxury modified iPhone vendor Feld & Volk, hinting that this may be a legitimate component.

Similar to previous leaks, this newest rear shell shows a number of physical features including a near-all metal design with upper and lower bezels, a cutout for the new round "True Tone" dual-LED flash, and a cutout for the rear camera that may hint at a protruding lens for the device.

Apple is expected to reveal the iPhone 6 at an event on September 9, with a launch likely coming one week after the announcement. It is possible that the company will release the 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 first, with the 5.5-inch version seeing a launch later this year or early next year as Apple solves production issues with the larger device. In addition to a bigger screen, both versions of the iPhone 6 will likely incorporate a faster A8 processor, an improved camera with stabilization, and iOS 8.

Apple is preparing to roll out its Healthkit development tools to health professionals across the U.S., and has been discussions with health providers at Mount Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins, and Allscripts to use the new system, reports Reuters.

Apple is said to be pushing Healthkit and its Health app as being an all-in-one solution for medical professionals to store patient data like blood pressure, pulse, and weight. Apple is also hoping that physicians will use the available data to improve diagnostics and treatment decisions. The company is also looking to partner with electronic health records provider Epic Systems to integrate its software and services.

The article notes that Apple is likely to face challenges in the mobile health data field due to privacy and regulatory requirements. Apple's Health app and Healthkit development tools were originally introduced at this year's WWDC conference this past July. The Health app allows users to keep track and input several different health metrics measured by various devices, and can also allow an at-a-glance view of overall health with the aggregated data. The HealthKit tool for developers can be incorporated into health and fitness apps to access health data stored within the health app.

Both Health and HealthKit will be shipping as a part of Apple's new iOS 8 mobile operating system this fall.

Apple's suppliers are gearing up to begin producing the next-generation iPad Air and Retina iPad mini, reports Bloomberg. Production for the 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 is underway and according to the site's sources, the tablet will debut towards the end of the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter. Production of the 7.9-inch Retina iPad mini 2 is also said to be beginning soon.

August production dates for both tablets are in line with rumors that have suggested the new iPads will be unveiled at a fall event (possibly October) that follows Apple's September 9 iPhone event.

Output of the larger iPad may be restricted by manufacturing complications related to the use of a new anti-reflection coating, which Apple plans to add to the device to make the display easier to read, said one of the people.

According to recent rumors, the iPad Air 2 and the second-generation Retina iPad mini will both feature form factors that are largely the same as Apple's existing iPad Air and Retina mini. The iPad Air may see some minor design tweaks including a new speaker grille with a single row of larger holes and a slightly recessed set of volume buttons.

Both tablets are expected to get upgraded A8 processors that are both faster and more efficient and Touch ID fingerprint sensors. The iPad Air may also gain an improved 8-megapixel camera.

Apple today began a new email ad campaign drawing customer attention to the iPad's productivity capabilities by highlighting several different Business-oriented apps for the tablet, including Pages, Numbers, Keynote and Microsoft's Office apps for iPad.

iPad is the perfect way to be more productive than ever. Its powerful apps are designed to take full advantage of the things only iPad can do. So you'll have everything you need to do what matters most.

The email advertises how customers can create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with Apple's own iWork software, available for free with every new iPad, and it also points towards Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which were released for the iPad in March.

Competitors like Microsoft and Samsung have launched aggressive ad campaigns attempting to position the iPad as a content consumption device without the multitasking capabilities or the software to allow it to serve as a true PC replacement, but Apple has fired back in recent months with an equally aggressive "Your Verse" iPad campaign that shows the iPad being used in hundreds of different ways for a variety of vital tasks that range from composing to choreographing to mountaineering.

Microsoft used the lack of Office software on the iPad as a main advertising point for its Surface tablets throughout 2013, before releasing an iPad version of the productivity software earlier this year. Microsoft has actually seen enormous success with Office for iPad, garnering 35 million downloads as of July, suggesting millions of customers are using their iPads for productivity-oriented tasks like creating documents and presentations.

In addition to sending out emails, Apple launched a promotion for several different productivity apps in the App Store last week, offering discounts on apps like Fantastical, Clear, Notability, Scanner Pro, and more. That sale lasts until August 14.

The company has also been continuing to expand its "Your Verse" advertising campaign, releasing two new stories earlier this morning highlighting Chinese electropop group Yaoband and Detroit Slow Roll city bike ride cofounder and organizer Jason Hall.

Apple's focus on productivity comes just weeks after the company inked a deal with IBM that will see the two companies teaming up to push for more iPads in enterprise environments.

Intel today released new details on its next-generation 14-nanometer Broadwell processors, which are designed to combine high-performance and low power to allow for more efficient devices. Haswell ushered in an era of impressively long battery life, which is expected to improve even further with Broadwell.

In a list of features on the new chips, Intel says Broadwell will usher in "new form factors" with systems that are thinner and run both silently and cool, with two times reduction in thermal design point.

- The combination of the new microarchitecture and manufacturing process will usher in a wave of innovation in new form factors, experiences and systems that are thinner and run silent and cool.

- Intel architects and chip designers have achieved greater than two times reduction in the thermal design point when compared to a previous generation of processor while providing similar performance and improved battery life.

- The new microarchitecture was optimized to take advantage of the new capabilities of the 14nm manufacturing process.

- Intel has delivered the world's first 14nm technology in volume production. It uses second-generation Tri-gate (FinFET) transistors with industry-leading performance, power, density and cost per transistor.

- Intel's 14nm technology will be used to manufacture a wide range of high-performance to low-power products including servers, personal computing devices and Internet of Things.

As has been previously announced, the 14-nanometer Broadwell-Y Core M chip will be the first of the Broadwell processors to hit the market, with retailers releasing Core M devices in the fall. Designed specifically for low power devices such as two-in-one tablet/computer hybrids, the Core M's low wattage allows for fanless operation and its smaller physical size means it can fit comfortably in devices that are "razor-thin."

AnandTech has released a detailed look at the Broadwell architecture with a preview of Core M, pointing towards "substantial" GPU increases for the Broadwell line of chips and limited CPU performance improvements.

Apple is said to be working on a 12-inch Retina MacBook that has a slimmer form factor than the existing MacBook Air and a fanless design that aligns with some of the properties of the Core M Broadwell chip, but existing MacBook Air computers utilize the Haswell-U series chips that run at 15 watts while the Core M operates at approximately 5 watts, making it unclear whether it would be possible for a Retina MacBook to be powered by the Core M chip.

Intel's Core M processors are expected to ship during the 2014 holiday season, with additional Broadwell chips becoming available in early and mid-2015. The first devices utilizing Core M processors will be shipping before the end of the year.

Apple's "Your Verse" website highlighting the various ways that people use their iPads has been updated with two new stories, featuring electropop group Yaoband and Jason Hall, founder of a biking program in Detroit.

Luke Wang and Peter Feng, the two Chinese musicians who make up Yaoband, use their iPads to capture audio samples, turning them into beats. In a video on Apple's site, the duo are depicted using the iPad to capture sounds like water flowing over rocks in a river, water dripping from a faucet, a spoon on a bowl, a ringing bell, and more.

Various audio apps then allow them to mix sounds, styles, and techniques, creating a unique sound. To capture and make music, Feng and Wang use apps like iMaschine, iMPC, Music Studio, Notes, MIDI Designer Pro, Figure, and TouchOSC.

With iPad, Luke Wang has the power to make every show unique. "I'll add new apps, new techniques, and new ideas during the show," he says. By adding fresh elements to the music, even in a live performance, Yaoband lives up to its vision of an ever-evolving sound. "Creativity and innovation are the essence of music," says Peter. "For us they're what keep the power of music alive."

Jason Hall, who cofounded Detroit's Slow Roll city bike ride that thousands of people participate in, uses his iPad to organize the event, plan routes, create posters, communicate with other organizers, check the weather, and more. Hall uses apps like Mail, Calendar, Facebook Pages Manager, Prezi, Penultimate, and Phoster, managing each bike ride from start to finish on his iPad.

"I wanted to convince other people to see Detroit the way I was seeing it," he says. "The plan was, let's start a bike ride and see if people want to go with us."

It began simply enough. Just 10 friends on a Monday night ride. Soon it was 20. Then 30. In its second year, the ride grew from 130 to 300 cyclists in two weeks. As the numbers increased, Hall turned to his iPad and made it the command center for all things Slow Roll. "We use it for everything we do, from mapping to communicating to ordering new T-shirts," he says."

Apple's newest stories, which are part of its "What will your verse be?" campaign and a continuation of its "Life on iPad" ad campaign, join several previous stories that have shown the iPad being used in a multitude of creative ways. Featured iPad users have included conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, travel blogger Chérie King, mountaineers Adrian Ballinger and Emily Harrington, choreographer Feroz Khan, and biologist Michael Berumen.

Update 2:30 PM PT: Apple has now posted two YouTube videos on the new "Your Verse" stories featuring Yaoband and Jason Hall, which are embedded below.