While numerous leaks have shown that the next-generation iPad will be adopting smaller form factor based on that of the iPad mini, a new piece of evidence pointing to a launch in the relatively near future has surfaced in the form of a video from Unbox Therapy showing new Smart Covers in a variety of colors designed to fit the new form factor.
The video shows the new Smart Covers in gray, black, red, pink, orange, blue, white, and green. The video also shows the new Smart Covers attached to a fifth-generation iPad assembly of the rear shell and front panel, demonstrating how they fit the new design.
With the upcoming iPad measuring significantly narrower than the current-generation model, Apple will be shifting from the current four-panel Smart Cover to a three-panel design similar to that used for the iPad mini Smart Cover. As with existing Smart Cover products, the cover can be folded behind the iPad to act as a stand.
Apple is expected to launch its redesigned iPad and a Retina iPad mini in the near future, perhaps at a media event as soon as next month. Apple also has several updates to its Mac products still to come before the end of the year, and they may make an appearance at that same event.
Update: 9to5Mac has discovered that the alleged Smart Covers are actually being offered for sale on Chinese marketplace Alibaba for just $5 each, strongly suggesting that these are fake/knockoff Smart Covers not from Apple or its official suppliers.
Continuing its expansion of content offerings on the Apple TV, Apple today rolled out two new channels for the set-top box: MLS (Major League Soccer) and Disney Junior.
The MLS channel offers scores, standings, and video content from Major League Soccer, while also offering access to the MLS Live subscription program for live video of matches. MLS Live is priced at $24.99 for the season and a subscription can be used not only on the Apple TV but also on iPhone and iPad.
The new Disney Junior channel is similar to Disney Channel and Disney XD offerings added last month. All three channels require authentication through a participating cable provider for access to live and on-demand content.
Today's additions are the latest in a long line of new channels introduced to the Apple TV in recent months. In June, WatchESPN, HBO GO, Sky News, Crunchyroll, and Quello were added, and last month Apple debuted channels for Vevo, the Smithsonian, and the first two Disney channels. Deals with TWC and The CW are also said to be in the works.
Back in June, Apple announced that it had been awarded a $30 million deal with the Los Angeles Unified School District to supply 35,000 iPads to students in the district. That program was announced as a pilot effort that was projected to lead to all 640,000 students in the district receiving iPads by the end of 2014.
However, a report from the Los Angeles Times indicates that the school district is experiencing difficulties with students bypassing content restrictions on the devices, thus forcing the school district to halt the home use of the tablets and jeopardizing the full rollout of the program.
It took exactly one week for nearly 300 students at Theodore Roosevelt High School to hack through security so they could surf the Web on their new school-issued iPads, raising new concerns about a plan to distribute the devices to all students in the district.
"Outside of the district's network ... a user is free to download content and applications and browse the Internet without restriction," two senior administrators said in a memo to the Board of education and L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy. "As student safety is of paramount concern, breach of the ... system must not occur."
Specifically, the students simply deleted personal profiles from the district-issued iPads, which then enabled them to browse websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Pandora, all of which had been blocked on the devices.
Apple has long had a heavy focus on the educational market, entering a new phase with the introduction of the iPad in 2010. The company has also often discounted its product lineup for students with its yearly back-to-school program, and has pushed its initiative to bring iPads to classroom on an international scale, as evidenced by its efforts to land educational deal in Turkey that would see the country purchasing more than $4.5 billion worth of iPads.
After announcing a refresh to its line of iMacs earlier this week, Apple has quietly increased the prices of all Mac mini configurations in multiple countries, including Australia, Brazil, and Malaysia, reports 9to5Mac. In Australia, the prices of the standard Intel Core i5 2.5GHz, Intel Core i7 2.3GHz, and Mac mini with OS X Server models are now A$749, $A999, and A$1249 respectively, up from their previous prices of A$699, A$899, and A$1099.
Earlier this year, the Mac Mini's shipping estimates increased to 5-7 days on the Apple Online Store, leading to hope for a potential refresh, but they returned to normal a few days later without an update. Notably, the Mac Mini is still using Intel's last-generation Ivy Bridge processors, with the 2013 MacBook Air and recent iMac refresh using Intel's new Haswell processors, which contain features such as lower power usage, better performance, and increased battery life for laptops.
If Apple is to refresh the Mac Mini this year, it would potentially be a part of a number of updates to various products in its line, including a new line of iPads, a new Apple TV, and a new MacBook Pro with Intel’s Haswell processors, as well as the company's dramatically redesigned Mac Pro. All products are expected to be refreshed in the following months before the end of the year.
Update: Contrary to the original report, Mac mini prices have not increased in Portugal.
Apple has been hit with a judgment for ¥330 million ($3.3 million) in a Japanese court case over infringement of a patent by the company's click wheel system used on a number of past iPod models and the current iPod classic, reports Dow Jones Business News.
The Tokyo District Court on Thursday ordered Apple Inc. ( AAPL ) to pay Y330 million in damages to Japanese inventor Norihiko Saito in a patent infringement case involving the U.S. firm's iPod music player, Kyodo News reported.
The patent that Mr. Saito's company applied for in 1998 covers a technology for the Click Wheel controller that Apple has adopted for the music player in Japan since 2004, Presiding Judge Teruhisa Takano said in the ruling.
Saito had filed an injunction request against Apple back in 2007, and as settlement negotiations failed to result in any agreement, he eventually increased his damages request to ¥10 billion ($101 million). The court ruled, however, that Apple's infringement warranted the much smaller judgment.
Vesper, a note-taking app developed by a team led by Apple blogger John Gruber, has launched an update that features a complete redesign in-line with the “flat” design principles of iOS 7, as well various other enhancements such as 64-bit support on the iPhone 5s, new typography settings and improved text rendering. The update also includes brand new gestures for photo management and performance improvements.
Originally released in June, Vesper offers a simplistic user interface that focuses on quick input and customizable organization, using a “tags” based system to easily group items into collections. The app also supports photos in addition to text along with an in-app browser, and drag and drop functionality for organization.
Vesper can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]
Activist investor Carl Icahn, who recently purchased around $1-2 billion in Apple stock, has a date for his meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss the company's stock buyback plans and other issues, according to CNBC. The two will reportedly meet in New York City next Monday, September 30.
Activist investor Carl Icahn will meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook in New York City next week, where the billionaire may discuss the company's prospects, and the possibility of adding to his sizable stake in the technology giant.
Apple announced a stock dividend and buyback program in March 2012 as part of an effort to boost shareholder return as the company's cash and investment holdings have rapidly grown in recent years. Apple increased and accelerated the stock buyback program earlier this year, issuing debt to take advantage of a drop in the company's stock price.
Icahn believes that Apple should accelerate its buyback plans even further, arguing that it is a prudent move given the company's financial position and his belief that the company's stock remains undervalued.
Some users on Apple’s Support Communities discussion forum are expressing discontent with the parallax and zooming animations in iOS 7, claiming that they have experienced bouts of motion sickness, reports The Verge. The specific thread, which spans over eight pages, has users discussing symptoms that correlate to vertigo, intense nausea, and dizziness and which are occurring with prolonged use of iOS 7 involving actions such as returning to the home screen from an app and using the multitasking menu.
Instead, most are pointing to the zooming effects that are now ubiquitous across iOS when opening and closing apps or entering the multitasking menu. "I had severe vertigo the minute I started using my iPad with iOS 7," writes Apple forum user glassrabit. "Lost the rest of the day to it." Another user, nybe, writes, "I had to go home 'sick' from work because of the intense nausea due to using my iPhone with iOS 7."
Apple has included a “Reduce Motion” option within iOS 7’s Accessibility menu, but that option only seems to turn off the parallax effect on the homescreen. Users in the thread have also called the company’s support line, but were informed by Apple that there is no way to completely turn off the effects. After its release last week, Apple announced earlier this week that iOS 7 is reportedly running on 200 million iOS devices, which makes it the fastest software upgrade in history.
An alleged China Mobile poster promoting the upcoming release of the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on the network has surfaced, reports Unwired View. The poster touts the theoretical 100Mb/s download speed that the new devices are set to support on China Mobile's TD-LTE network. Chinese officials approved the iPhone to run on China Mobile's network earlier this month.
The only thing that’s missing- is the permission from Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) [for China Mobile] to light-up the TD-LTE network for commercial use.
This permission is coming pretty soon. There is a lot of discussion about how soon exactly, but now we can stop speculating about the worst case scenario. According to MIIT minister Miao Wei, the first 4G licenses will most definitely be issued by the end of the year. Though the informed sources inside MIIT are whispering much earlier date – middle of October, with China Mobile’s 4G network going live soon after – in November.
A deal between China Mobile and Apple has reportedly long been in the works, with China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua and Apple CEO Tim Cook meeting in July to discuss “matters of cooperation”, with the former indicating that he felt optimistic about a potential deal leading up to the announcement of the new phones. The introduction of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c earlier this month also brought band tweaks that combine support for US carriers AT&T and Verizon in one model, but also notably added support for China Mobile’s network.
Apple today released a support document detailing a newly implemented Apple TV setup feature that was introduced last week with its Apple TV 6.0 software update.
Users that have a third-generation Apple TV running the 6.0 software can use an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 7 to automatically transfer network settings, Apple ID information, and language preferences to the Apple TV, allowing for faster setup. The information exchange is done via Bluetooth by touching the iOS device to the Apple TV, taking advantage of the Bluetooth LE built into all Apple devices after the iPhone 4.
Apple's support article includes a detailed list of instructions on the process:
1. Connect your Apple TV to your television and power and wait until your Apple TV displays the setup screen.
2. Unlock your iOS 7 device and ensure that Bluetooth is enabled. Also ensure that you are connected to the Wi-Fi network you want to use with Apple TV.
3. Touch your iOS device to your Apple TV and wait for the prompts to appear on your iOS device and Apple TV.
4. Enter your Apple ID and password on your iOS device.
5. Choose if you want Apple TV to remember your Apple ID password, and if you want Apple TV to send data to Apple.
6. Your Apple TV will start the configuration process, including connecting to your Wi-Fi network, activating Apple TV, and setting up your iTunes Store account.
Prior to the implementation of the tap setup feature, entering Apple TV information was a tedious process that required connecting a Bluetooth keyboard or using the Apple TV remote to pick and choose letters.
As noted by Apple, the transfer requires an iPhone 4s or later, a third-generation iPad or later, an iPad mini, or a fifth-generation iPod touch. The feature does not work with the iPhone 4 or the iPad 2.
Following last week's cover story on Apple CEO Tim Cook, SVP of Design Jony Ive, and SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, Bloomberg Businessweek has published the full transcript of its interview with Ive and Federighi, which reveals even more about Apple’s leading trio and the work that went into Apple’s newest mobile operating system, iOS 7.
According to Federighi, both he and Ive "wanted to do something big," and had to figure out how to bring together various Apple teams that had not previously worked together. After a major management restructuring last fall, Jony Ive took over Human Interface in addition to Industrial Design and Craig Federighi, who was previously in charge of OS X, took over iOS as well.
ID [Industrial Design] and HI [Human Interface] weren’t working together as much, and that became an intense collaboration, along with Engineering. These are teams that had a creative relationship going back a long time, but this became now a very intense relationship in the construction of iOS 7.
The mission, said Federighi, became "so clear and so critical" that "everyone who needed to contribute jumped in." Ive agreed, adding that intense task of creating iOS 7 gave their teams an "all-consuming focus" that greatly enhanced collaboration.
When you think about the roles changing, I think what happens is you think about this as the task at hand. So I don’t think we ever talked about our roles. We talked about how we can most effectively extend the collaboration that always existed. […]
I think that when you have a focus that’s that clear, what could be barriers sort of real or virtual would—in effect, just [waves hands in a dissipating gesture]. And it’s not even a conspicuous fading away—it’s just you’re so consumed by sort of trying to do something as well as you possibly can and enjoying the broad collaboration.
In addition to a close collaboration between their teams, Ive and Federighi have worked hand-in-hand on iOS 7. The two sit within one minute of each other, with Ive describing their working relationship as "very fluid."
At the end of the day, when you have been part of a team, getting to work with engineers working at that level or then can work with engineers who have been working on the gyro test, but we’re all trying to sort of deal with the same problem. The fact that we’re all united, that we are genuinely focused on trying to solve the same problem, I think those are the days that you go home feeling what a privilege it is to work at Apple.
Ive and Federighi also described what it's like working for CEO Tim Cook. According to Ive, Cook is "incredibly supportive and understanding" of the problems Apple faces designing new products, and "he encourages the sort of collaboration and teamwork necessary to solve those problems." Federighi agreed, calling him a "beacon for Apple's values."
I think Tim understands intuitively how what we do here is the product of so many disciplines working so closely together. And he does everything he can to foster that happening to create great products.
The full interview, which spans multiple pages, goes into further detail about the deep collaboration between the various teams at Apple and highlights the thought processes behind the development of Apple software.
Both Jony Ive and Craig Federighi were also interviewed by USA Today last week, further discussing their partnership and the development of iOS 7.
Apple has introduced a new 'Employees on iTunes' section of the iTunes Store to showcase books, songs, movies and TV shows that Apple employees have contributed to in some manner.
The section, which was first noted by 9to5Mac, is only accessible by Apple employees.
Senior vice president of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue sent an email to Apple employees explaining the new program:
Team,
One of the things that makes Apple special is that every person here, no matter where they are or what they do, shares the same deep passion for creativity and innovation. We see this passion most noticeably in the products we make and in the experiences we create for our customers. But it’s in other places, too.
For instance, in addition to their work here at Apple, many employees have helped create some amazing books, songs, movies and TV shows on iTunes. In celebration of their achievements, as well as the creative pursuits of everybody at Apple, we’re launching a new internal website today.
It’s my pleasure to introduce you to our very own Employees on iTunes.
Eddy
Apps are not mentioned in the email because Apple forbids its employees from selling or working on apps when they are employed by the company because of conflict of interest rules.
Apple has won the right to legally use the "iPhone" name in Brazil after a judge ruled in favor of the Cupertino company in an ongoing lawsuit with IGB Electronica, reports BNAmericas (via CNET). IGB Electronica, a Brazilian cell phone company, originally filed for the iPhone trademark in 2000 but did not use the name until December of 2012 when it released a line of IPHONE Android phones.
Following the launch of the Android IPHONEs, Brazil's Institute for Industrial Property ruled that IGB had exclusive rights to the trademark as related to mobile phones. Apple appealed the decision, and on Tuesday, Judge Eduardo de Brito Fernandes overturned the ruling, denying IGB exclusive access to the iPhone mark.
According to Fernandes, the iPhone brand gained recognition due to Apple's success, a fact that should have been considered during the original ruling.
The judge also ruled in his decision that Gradiente's name was just the combination of "internet" and "phone", referring to a mobile phone with internet access, while Apple already had an extensive "i" product line, registered in several countries.
Both Apple and IGB have been given rights to the trademark, though IGB has announced plans to appeal the decision.
According to a March report, Apple was previously in talks with IGB over a cash settlement for exclusive access to the iPhone trademark and it is unclear if Apple plans to continue with a potential settlement for exclusive access given today's partial victory.
The French government is looking into Apple's carrier contracts in France over the requirements it places on companies that sell the iPhone, reports The Wall Street Journal.
This is not the first time that regulators in Europe have looked into the strict terms that Apple requires of its carrier partners -- Apple insists carriers guarantee sales of large numbers of iPhones and other factors that some say amount to anti-competitive behavior.
The inquiry is part of a larger investigation into the overall relationship between handset makers and some of their biggest clients, said the person familiar with the matter. "For operators, handsets have become one of the big expenses," the person said. "There is a balance of power that is shifting."
Back in March, European regulators looked into the potential antitrust issues of Apple's contracts with carriers, but this new investigation is specifically from the French government, rather than the EU itself.
France is also looking into Apple's treatment of its third-party resellers as well as the behavior of Apple, Google and Amazon that prevent customers from moving purchased apps from one platform to another.
Instagram today updated its iOS app to version 4.2, redesigning the look of the app for iOS 7 with a "focus on clarity." In addition to a revamp, Instagram has also gained higher resolution photos and videos that now stretch to the edges of the screen.
We put the community—and the photos and videos you share—first. To bring you the best experience possible, we have always valued beauty and simplicity in our app. With the introduction of iOS 7 and its emphasis on clarity, we were excited to rebuild the look and feel of Instagram in a way that would bring these principles together and let the moments this community captures and shares shine.
In this update you will find that we’ve increased the size of photos and videos in your feed so that they expand to the edges of your screen. We’re also happy to say that increased size means increased resolution, so photos and videos will be clearer and more vibrant than ever.
Along with edge-to-edge photos and videos, Instagram’s grid view has been streamlined, incorporating larger thumbnails. The app also has circular profile pictures to better fit into the iOS 7 ecosystem. Aside from a changed look, the app’s functionality remains the same.
Back in April after tickets to its Worldwide Developers Conference sold out in just two minutes, Apple announced that it would be launching a series of Tech Talks later in the year, taking seminars and hands-on help to a number of cities around the world.
Apple has now announced the schedule for the Tech Talks, which will focus on iOS 7 with two types of programs: one for general app developers and one for developers focused on games.
Get in-depth guidance about developing for iOS 7, learn practical coding tips and tricks, and obtain valuable one-on-one programming and design assistance in our lab. Choose which day is best for you — app developer day or game developer day.
The tour schedule includes:
App Developer Days - San Francisco: October 8 - New York: October 15 - Tokyo: November 6 - Shanghai: November 12 - Berlin: December 12 - London: December 17
Game Developer Days - San Francisco: October 9 - New York: October 16 - Tokyo: November 7 - Shanghai: November 13 - Berlin: December 13 - London: December 18
Interested developers must apply for spots at the events by 10:00 AM Pacific Time on Friday, September 27, and Apple has included sample agendas for the two types of events to help developers select which one they wish to attend. Attendees will be selected at random from all qualified applications.
With the launch of iOS 7, Realmac released a new universal Clear app to replace its original iPhone-only app, which it planned to discontinue.
Following customer backlash over the plan to eliminate the existing Clear for iPhone app, Realmac has reversed course and announced plans to continue support for both the original Clear app and the universal app, which has now been rebranded as Clear+.
The original iPhone app will now receive an iOS 7 update, complete with the iOS 7 redesign and new themes, and Realmac will continue to support all versions of Clear.
We're bringing back the stand-alone iPhone version of Clear, and we'll be updating it for existing users with new iPhone features.
To that end, we've submitted an update that includes the iPhone enhancements for iOS 7 (including the new list themes) and will be releasing it as soon as Apple approves it.
To make it easy to differentiate, we're now calling Clear for iOS 7 "Clear+" to signify that it’s for all your iOS devices.
Launched in early 2012, Clear is a to-do app that received accolades for its minimalistic, gesture-based design. Since its iPhone release, the app has been expanded to both the Mac and the iPad.
- Clear for iPhone can be downloaded from the App Store for $0.99. [Direct Link] - Clear+ for iPhone/iPad can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99 [Direct Link] - Clear for Mac can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $9.99. [Direct Link]
iFixit has already disassembled the new iMacs that were released yesterday. The teardown didn't reveal too many changes from the previous version, though there are a few new features worth mentioning.
Both the 21.5-inch and 27-inch models include the new 802.11ac wireless standard, while the 27-inch model includes the new PCIe-based flash storage that was originally introduced in the MacBook Air back in June.
The 21.5-inch model has a few differences from its larger sibling, according to iFixit. It now includes a new empty PCIe SSD slot so users can upgrade the base model iMac to the Fusion Drive combination HDD/SDD drive that Apple introduced last year. In last year's 21.5-inch model, Apple did not include an empty PCIe slot on the logic board.
More disappointing, for users who like to upgrade their machines, is the fact that the CPU is soldered directly to the logic board, making an upgrade nearly impossible. iFixit gave the 21.5-inch model a 2 out of 10 for repairability, largely because of the soldered processor.
The 27-inch model received a 5 out of 10. The largest issue with upgrading the iMac is getting the glass and LCD panel out of the machine, making repairs impossible for all but the most determined do-it-yourselfers.
Activist investor Carl Icahn, who recently 
Following last week's 
Apple has introduced a new 'Employees on iTunes' section of the iTunes Store to showcase books, songs, movies and TV shows that Apple employees have contributed to in some manner.
