Apple has seeded the eighth Developer Preview of OS X Mavericks to developers, nearly two weeks after the release of the seventh Developer Preview. Registered developers can receive the update via the Software Update tool in the Mac App Store.
OS X Mavericks, which is expected to be released this fall, includes multiple new features like a tabbed Finder, full screen dual monitor capabilities, Safari improvements, and a new Maps app.
Apple's iPhone 5c silicone cases have begun arriving to pre-order customers according to MacRumors tipsters. iLounge has also received its review unit.
The silicone rubber case is lined with microfiber on the inside, and includes Sleep/Wake and volume button protection. It's quite light, with the empty space left by a 5 x 7 grid of 5/16" holes helping to keep the weight down, while also oddly exposing only portions of the iPhone 5c's rear labeling.
Though many of the iPhone 5c models are still available for delivery on Friday, iPhone 5c cases show a shipping lead time of 1-2 weeks on the U.S. Apple Online Store.
Unibox, a new Messages-style email client that was first announced in August of 2012, is now available for download as part of a public beta test.
The app is designed to make email more "personal" by organizing emails into a contact-centric view. Unibox's interface is divided into two main panes, with the left side displaying contacts and the right side displaying all messages that have been received/exchanged with a particular person or website.
According to Unibox, this chat-like design significantly reduces email clutter by grouping incoming messages from contacts into a single list.
Composing emails with the app is done in a single window, which eliminates separate compose windows utilized by existing apps like Mail. All attachments sent to and received from contacts are readily available, and attached media is presented in a grid view.
Unibox supports all IMAP accounts and works with both Mountain Lion and Mavericks. The full Mac app is expected to be released at the end of September, and ahead of release, users can sign up for the beta on the company's website. Beta will last until the Mac app debuts.
Apple is now permitting developers to submit 64-bit apps to take advantage of the A7 processor in the iPhone 5s, according to a note posted to the company’s developer site today.
Developers with apps that function on both iOS 6 and iOS 7 will be limited to 32-bit development for the time being, but Apple has plans to support a single app binary for both 32-bit and 64-bit apps in the next month.
You can submit 64-bit apps for iOS 7 today that take advantage of the power of iPhone 5s. Xcode can build your app with both 32-bit and 64-bit binaries included so it works across all devices running iOS 7. If you wish to continue to support iOS 6 then you will need to build for 32-bit only. Next month we will be making changes that will allow you create a single app binary that supports 32-bit on iOS 6, as well as 32-bit and 64-bit on iOS 7.
First unveiled last Tuesday, the iPhone 5s incorporates the first 64-bit processor found in a mobile device. According to Apple, the processor offers double the power and graphics performance of the iPhone 5 and is 40 times faster than the processor of the original iPhone.
Apple is not accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 5s, which will be available for purchase from Apple’s online store beginning at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on Friday, September 20.
Update: Apple has removed the note for unknown reasons.
Twitter is planning a massive overhaul of its mobile apps, reports AllThingsD. While the redesigned iOS app won’t be launched until sometime after iOS 7 is available, it will include a focus on streams, doing away with the standard menu bar on the bottom of the screen.
Content, including what is found in today’s Home, Connect, Discover, and Me sections, will be organized into streams, which can be navigated by swiping. The Discover section of the app will be eliminated and embedded media will be available in all streams.
There will be a main, reverse-chronological stream like users are currently familiar with, as well as a stream for interactions between other users and conversations they’re having. Notably new, there will also be a stream dedicated entirely to photos shared on Twitter.
Essentially, moving through all the streams will be more of a visual experience, sources said, with a heavier emphasis on multimedia. There won’t be the need, for instance, to click inside a tweet to see a photo or a video — it’ll just appear in the stream. (For reference, see how Twitter’s current “Discover” tab treats some media content.)
The overall theme: Look pretty, feel richer, and become far more visually immersive than the text-heavy Twitter we’re all familiar with.
The company is also reportedly experimenting with a stream that will display only television-related tweets and conversations, designed to bump up user retention by helping first time Twitter users discover interesting content. In August, Twitter redesigned conversations within its app, adding lines and reordering conversations to make it easier to follow discussions.
Twitter is expected to launch an update for iOS 7 following its release on Wednesday, but the redesigned app will not be released until later this year.
Twitter for iOS is a universal app that can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
With the initial public release of iOS 7 slated for this Wednesday, September 18, signs of future iOS 7.0.1, iOS 7.0.2, and iOS 7.1 releases are all showing up in web logs. Their presence was noted by 9to5Mac and is also being seen in our own logs, showing visitors running those operating system versions coming from IPs associated with Apple. Our records are also showing a handful of visits via Apple's networks from devices reporting themselves as running iOS 8 starting at the very end of August.
While iOS 7.0.1 and 7.0.2 are expected to be minor bug fixes to the upcoming mobile operating system, iOS 7.1 could potentially bring a host of new features, similar to iOS 6.1 which brought LTE support for more carriers and Fandango Siri integration at the time.
iOS 7.0.1 visits from Apple's network began showing up in our logs as long ago as early August and began increasing significantly in late August, presumably as work on the version increased as Apple began locking down the golden master version of iOS 7.0.
Visitors to MacRumors.com via Apple's networks from devices running iOS 7.0.1
iOS 7.0.2 is a much more recent appearance, with the first sign of it showing up in our logs coming last week just after Apple's media event. And iOS 7.1 has been the least frequently seen version among the three upcoming iOS 7.x versions seen by MacRumors, with a small handful of visits coming in early August before appearing with increasing frequency in late August.
The prevalence of all of the future operating system versions among visits from Apple's networks remains very low, so it appears that they have not yet entered widespread testing within Apple.
iOS 7 features a brand new design along with a number of new features, including a vast overhaul of multitasking with a new cards look, a new universal settings window known as Control Center, and a revamp of Notification Center that offers new daily overviews. The software will also come pre-installed on Apple’s new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c devices, with owners of the iPhone 5s receiving device-specific features such as 64-bit support, Touch ID fingerprint sensing, and a several new camera features.
The golden master (GM) version of iOS 7 was seeded to developers last Tuesday following Apple’s special iPhone media event. The software update will be available for free upon its release this Wednesday, and will be compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, fifth-generation iPod touch, iPad 2, iPad with Retina Display (third- and fourth-generation), and the iPad mini, along with Apple’s new iPhones.
Google is acquiring Bump for an undisclosed sum, according to a blog post by company cofounder David Lieb.
Bump's eponymous app allows users to share contact information, photos and more with other Bump users by 'bumping' devices with each other, including across platforms. Bump's apps will continue to operate normally for now.
Our mission at Bump has always been to build the simplest tools for sharing the information you care about with other people and devices. We strive to create experiences that feel like magic, enabled behind the scene with innovations in math, data processing, and algorithms. So we couldn’t be more thrilled to join Google, a company that shares our belief that the application of computing to difficult problems can fundamentally change the way that we interact with one another and the world.
Bump and Flock will continue to work as they always have for now; stay tuned for future updates.
We’d like to extend a special thank you to all of you who have used our products so far. It continues to be a pleasure to serve you, and your feedback and evangelism inspire us every day.
Ahead of tomorrow's Grand Theft Auto V launch, Rockstar has released a companion app for the game, Grand Theft Auto: iFruit (via TouchArcade). Though the name of the app is a parody on Apple devices, it provides a number of helpful in-game features, including allowing users to create and customize vehicles that will then be available in the game.
Customization options for cars include paint jobs, window tints, smoke colors, wheels, hoods, and spoilers. Engines, brakes, exhaust, and suspension can be upgraded, and there are even customized license plates available in the online portion of the game.
The Los Santos Customs app offers players the freedom to create their ultimate vehicle in Grand Theft Auto V from anywhere. At the bar, on the beach, on the toilet. This is the future, we’re almost sure of it.
Gamers can also use the iFruit app to access options for caring for Chop the Dog, an in-game sidekick in GTA V. Though a virtual pet system, the app provides in-game benefits that cause Chop to be more helpful, performing tricks, and locating hidden items.
Depth of content, high production values, defecation. It's the app that has it all. Because who doesn’t love tending to a virtual pet? Chop is Franklin’s canine sidekick in Grand Theft Auto V. Look after him well in the "Chop the Dog" app and you will reap the benefits when playing as Franklin in Grand Theft Auto V. Pet him, feed and water him, play fetch and tug-of-war, teach him tricks.
In addition to providing customization options and access to Chop the Dog, iFruit offers GTA V news, access to the Rockstar Games Social Club, and links to other Rockstar Games apps.
Grand Theft Auto: iFruit can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link] Grand Theft Auto V will launch on September 17 for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.
Apple late last week updated its official guidelines for third-party case makers looking to create products for the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, giving detailed schematics (PDF) and revealing additional details about the construction for each device.
iPhone 5c dimensional drawing (click for larger)
As noted by AppleInsider, the plastic iPhone 5c requires case makers to design radio-friendly transparent windows at the top of bottom of the device, indicating that the radio technology design inside of the iPhone 5c is similar in placement to that found the iPhone 5, which integrated cellular and other antennas in the upper and lower sections of the device.
iPhone 5s dimensional drawing (click for larger)
Meanwhile, the metal and aluminum iPhone 5s now requires case makers to compensate for the new Touch ID fingerprint sensor, with the restricted area for cases surrounding the home button slightly larger than that of the iPhone 5c and the previous generation. iPhone 5. The document also notes that no metal should come in contact with the iPhone 5s chassis, citing unwanted interruption with the device’s antennas and signal degradation.
Apple will begin selling the iPhone 5s and lower-cost iPhone 5c this Friday, September 20. The company began taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5c in 10 countries on September 13, with online orders for the iPhone 5s set to begin early in the morning local time on Friday prior to the in-store availability later in the morning.
Online music streaming service Rdio is announcing the launch of a free, ad-supported music service along with a new, $100 million partnership with radio operator Cumulus, reports The New York Times.
The move comes as Apple is officially launching its own ad-supported music streaming service, iTunes Radio, this week on September 18 with the public release of iOS 7. Currently, plans for Rdio start at $4.99 for web-only streaming, while unlimited web and mobile streaming is priced at $9.99.
Crucially for Rdio, which was introduced in 2010 and has struggled to gain a foothold in the market, Cumulus will also sell advertising for a free version of the service in the United States. Rdio, which costs $5 to $10 a month and is available in 31 markets around the world, lets its subscribers listen to millions of songs, build playlists and interact with other users.
Last month, rival music service Pandora announced that it was going to remove its 40-hour free listening limit ahead of the launch for Apple’s iTunes Radio, stating that it would again allow unlimited listening via mobile devices. Rdio updated its iOS app [Direct Link] with highly personalized radio stations early last month, and the app currently holds a four-star rating with over 9000 reviews since its release in October 2011.
According to an internal first look guide for use by Apple Retail Store employees (via 9to5Mac), the company is planning to implement a Touch ID demo app within iPhone 5s demo units that will show customers the process of registering a fingerprint for on the device.
Specifically, the app will allow in-store customers to register a single fingerprint on the demo unit, compared to the five fingerprints that the actual device allows, and show that it has been recognized through the Home button. The demo will then ask the user to place a different finger on the sensor, showing how Touch ID can reject unrecognized fingerprints for security purposes.
Last week, an Apple spokesman shared additional details about Touch ID amid security concerns, noting that no images of fingerprints are stored on the device. The demoing of Touch ID on the iPhone 5s in Apple retail stores is part of the overall sales push of the iPhone 5s to customers, with the internal first look guide also suggesting quick demos of the 8 megapixel camera to customers along with the new features of iOS 7. The guide also suggests “key messages” that Apple Retail Store employees should relay to customers, which involve speaking about the 64-bit A7 processor, M7 coprocessor, longer battery life, and numerous other features along with promoting the Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
Apple is set to begin selling the new iPhone 5s and low-cost iPhone 5c in-store this Friday, September 20. The company began taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5c in ten countries on September 13 with launch-day supplies generally holding up well. Online orders for the iPhone 5s are set to begin in the U.S. at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on the same day as in-store availability, with other countries seeing similar early-morning debuts local time.
Japanese mobile carriers NTT DoCoMo, SoftBank, and KDDI are all set to offer the 16GB version of the iPhone 5s for free with a two-year contract, marking the first time that all three major carriers in the country will carry Apple’s flagship mobile device, reports CNET. Each carrier plans to offer the phone for free with discounts that enable the special pricing, with DoCoMo offering rewards points for users who bring in used iPhones from SoftBank or KDDI.
Japanese business newspaper Nikkei [Google Translate] has provided a comparison chart of the iPhone plans on the three major Japanese carriers: In July, it was reported that DoCoMo, Japan’s biggest mobile carrier, lost a total of 3.2 million users over the last four-and-a-half years as it had yet to reach a deal with Apple to finally offer the iPhone after its two chief rivals, Softbank and KDDI have done so. However, a report surfaced earlier this month that the carrier would finally be carrying the iPhone, after DoCoMo CEO Kazuto Tsubouchi cited “compelling reasons” to reach a long-illusive deal the month before.
Apple began pre-orders for the lower-cost iPhone 5c in 10 countries, including Japan, on September 13, and will offer the iPhone 5s in store and for online order on September 20th.
Following the introduction of early upgrade programs from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile earlier this year, a leaked document from Sprint (via CNET) shows that the mobile carrier is planning to roll out “Sprint One Up”, a program that allows its customers to upgrade their handsets and tablets at regular intervals. The program is reportedly set to launch on September 20, which is also the first day of availability for Apple’s new iPhone 5s and lower-cost iPhone 5c.
All of the carrier programs principally work the same, with a few nuanced differences. Sprint's One Up lets customers pick up a phone with no money down and pay for the device in 24 monthly installments. A phone that costs $649.99, for instance, will cost $27 a month (with the difference tacked on to the 24th payment). If a customer leaves the service early, that person is on the hook for the balance of the device cost, due the following month.
The program also states that customers can upgrade to a new phone by trading in the device after a year of service, with Sprint’s Unlimited, My Way or All-In plan eligible for the program. One Up also provides a $15 discount on the service plan, which allows for an unlimited talk, text, and data plan that costs $65 a month at minimum.
Current customers who have been on contract for at least a year are also eligible for the program, and also must trade in their existing phones unless they are already eligible for a discounted upgrade. The program does not apply to Sprint prepaid customers and does not discontinue Sprint’s other upgrade program, “Upgrade Now”, which allows customers to upgrade for a set fee.
While the unlocked yellow 16 GB iPhone 5c was the first model to run out of launch-day stock through Apple's U.S. online store, several additional unlocked models of the device are now experiencing similar shortages. Supplies of carrier-specific models do remain available for pre-order with delivery on launch day of this Friday, September 20.
Among the unlocked iPhone 5c models, the $549 16 GB models are seeing the most significant shortage, with all five colors currently showing shipping dates of September 25. The 32 GB model of the unlocked green iPhone 5c is showing a similar September 25 shipping date.
Outside of the United States, iPhone 5c pre-order availability remains good, with all markets showing availability for Friday delivery (other than outlying areas where delivery may take up to several days longer) with the exception of Hong Kong, which quickly saw all models move to 1-2 week shipping estimates after Friday's pre-order launch.
Apple's iPhone 5s launches this Friday, but Apple is not offering pre-orders for the device. Instead, customers will be able to purchase the device at Apple's retail stores, which will open at 8:00 AM local time on Friday, or order through Apple's online stores beginning on launch day. Rather than a single worldwide launch time for online iPhone 5s orders as was seen for iPhone 5c pre-orders, Apple appears to be staggering times in the various markets in order to ensure that online ordering begins before retail stores open for the day.
For example, iPhone 5s orders will begin in Australia at 2:01 AM Australian Eastern Standard Time, which corresponds to 9:00 AM Pacific Time Thursday in the United States. U.S. orders will begin at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on Friday, while UK orders will begin at 12:01 AM British Summer Time.
Customers in China and Hong Kong will also be able to make reservations starting tomorrow for the ability to make in-store purchases beginning on Friday.
Apple is finalizing lease plans for the luxury shopping mall planned for the World Trade Center site, according to a report from IFOAppleStore.
IFO claims the mall developer has already signed a lease with Victoria's Secret and negotiations are in process with Michael Kors, Swatch and Abercrombie & Fitch, among other retailers, including Apple.
The website for the project contains a number of renderings of the proposed buildings, including the one above of the shopping area.
A one square-block memorial park has already opened at the site, and work is well underway on one of four high-rise office towers that will surround the park. The shopping mall will occupy space under three of the towers, and on the lower floors of two towers. Perhaps not coincidentally, the three towers were designed by architects Foster + Partners, who are working on Apple’s new California headquarters and the future San Francisco 2 retail store. Construction on the three office towers and a major transit station is in the early stages. The mall is scheduled to open in 2015, when the Apple store would open.
Apple already has a number of Apple Retail Stores in New York City including Fifth Avenue, Grand Central, SoHo, Upper West Side, and West 14th Street. The company has long been rumored to be looking at locations for a new store in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Microsoft has posted seven new videos to its Windows Phone YouTube page, as part of a new series it calls 'A fly on the wall in Cupertino'.
The ads purport to show iPhone 5c and 5s product pitch meetings with characters that bear a striking resemblance to Steve Jobs and Jony Ive, though the Jobs-esque character is called Tim several times.
If the executive in the videos is intended to resemble Steve Jobs, then they would appear to be in very poor taste. It's not at all clear how the videos -- which don't ever explain how Windows Phone is better than iOS -- help Microsoft achieve its stated goal of getting users to switch to its platform.
Update 12:42 PM PDT: Microsoft has pulled the videos from YouTube. The video embedded above is from a backup a viewer saved.
Microsoft gave this statement to The Next Web: "The video was intended to be a light-hearted poke at our friends from Cupertino. But it was off the mark, and we’ve decided to pull it down."
Infinity Blade III, the third installment in the popular hack-and-slash RPG series, first debuted during Apple’s iPhone media event. Chair today released a video entitled “Infinity Blade: Origins,” designed to summarizes the events of the first two games and introduce the storyline of Infinity Blade III.
Our sister site Touch Arcade has been playing a preview build of Infinity Blade III, and says "it’s safe to say the bar has been raised once again."
Similar to the other two titles, Infinity Blade III features the same best-in-class swipe-based controls. I'm not sure what it is about the Infinity Blade games specifically, but your swipes feel infinitely more connected to the actual action in the game compared to others.
Oh, and if you were hoping for free roaming control, you're out of luck. The game is entirely combat focused, with the exact same kind of stopping, searching for sacks of gold, and moving forward via defeating increasingly difficult enemies.
Without getting deeper into review-y sorts of stuff which we're saving until after the game is actually available, I'd say the best way to describe Infinity Blade III is that it's just more Infinity Blade. There's not even a tinge of free to play to it, it looks better than any game I've ever seen on the App Store, and I'm not sure it gets much more must-have than this.
Infinity Blade III will launch alongside iOS 7, debuting next week on September 18. The first two Infinity Blade games are available for download from the App Store.
Adobe has updated its popular Adobe Photoshop Express app for iOS to version 3.0, bringing a newly streamlined design, as well as new features such as over 20 additional filters, a corrective auto-fix feature that automatically adjusts photo attributes, and full integration with cloud photo syncing service Adobe Revel.
On-the-go photo editing was never so fun, fast, and cool. Touch your way to better-looking pictures with automatic fixes and filters. Get your pictures to pop! And after sharing, you’ll be the talk of your friends.
The updated app is not necessarily going over well with users, however, as the new version currently has only a 2-star rating in the App Store and a number of reviewers are complaining the loss of more advanced features that disappeared as part of the move to a more streamlined design.
Apple is now permitting developers to submit 64-bit apps to take advantage of the A7 processor in the iPhone 5s, according to a 
Twitter is planning a massive overhaul of its mobile apps, reports 
Google is acquiring Bump for an undisclosed sum, 
Online music streaming service 
According to an internal first look guide for use by Apple Retail Store employees (via 
While the unlocked yellow 16 GB iPhone 5c was the 
