Apple Pay was introduced last year during Apple's September iPhone event and debuted alongside iOS 8.1. Months after launch, the service continues to expand with two major announcements today that mark the further expansion of the mobile payments service into regional supermarket chains and the continued adoption by consumers.
Starting today, California supermarket chain Save Mart Supermarkets is rolling out Apple Pay to all 217 Northern California and Nevada stores it operates under the Save Mart, S-Mart Foods, Lucky, Maxx Value Foods, and FoodMaxx brands. Save Mart Co-President & Chief Strategy and Branding Officer Nicole Piccinini Pesco said that the grocery store chain is adding Apple Pay for the "benefit and convenience" of their customers, adding that Apple Pay will "transform the shopping experience for our customers".
While Apple Pay continues to expand to new retailers, consumer interest in the mobile payment service also remains strong. As part of its Q4 2014 earnings report, Bank of America today announced that almost 800,000 customers have enrolled in Apple Pay and have added approximately 1.1 million cards to the service since it launched in October 2014.
The number of mobile banking customers increased 15 percent from the year-ago quarter to 16.5 million users, and 12 percent of deposit transactions by customers were done through mobile, compared to 9 percent in the year-ago quarter. Since the introduction of Apple Pay™ in October, nearly 800,000 customers have enrolled in the service, adding approximately 1.1 million cards.
Bank of America was a launch partner for Apple Pay, and the company has continued to promote Apple Pay since that time, releasing advertisements showcasing the convenience of using Apple's mobile payments service with a Bank of America credit card.
Google today updated its Google Maps app to version 4.2, adding a number of new features to enhance the user experience including filters to sort restaurant searches by cuisine and built-in weather information for various cities around the world.
It's now possible for users to drop pins for both starting and destination points when mapping out directions, and Google Maps allows users to add transit directions to their calendars. Finally, the update also includes several bug fixes.
What's new
- Filter searches for restaurants by cuisine type - See current weather information for cities around the world - Drop a pin for your starting and destination points in directions and navigation - Add transit directions to your calendar - Bug fixes
The new beta, build 14C99d, is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store and through the Mac Dev Center.
As with previous betas, Apple asks developers to focus testing on Wi-Fi, Mail, and VoiceOver. Many Yosemite users have had some ongoing problems with Wi-Fi since the new OS was first launched in October, and a November 10.10.1 update did not resolve all of the lingering issues.
As the largest consumer electronics show in the world, CES often gives us a hint of the technologies we can look forward to in the near future, based on the products that are shown off at the show. In 2013 and 2014, there was a heavy focus on wearables, and this year's emphasis on home automation suggests 2015 will be a big year for connected home products.
There's one other important emerging technology that we may see explode over the course of the next few years -- wireless charging. Several companies, including Energous and WiTricity, demoed upcoming wireless charging solutions, and the Alliance for Wireless Power had a booth showing off how wireless charging will work in the Home of the Future.
MacRumors had a chance to sit down with Alex Gruzen, the CEO of WiTricity, who walked us through the company's technology, its existing partnerships, and gave us details on when we might see the debut of the first products using WiTricity's technology, which uses the Rezence specification agreed upon by the Alliance for Wireless Power. WiTricity's wireless charging solutions, which we have covered multiple times in the past, works using magnetic resonance, which is able to transfer power over distances using the magnetic near-field.
In the past, wireless charging solutions like the Powermat (which uses a competing technology from the Power Matters Alliance) have required the electronic device being charged to rest directly on the power source, but WiTricity's wireless charging technology is unique because it does not require direct contact. The magnetic field used for charging is able to wrap around barriers, letting WiTricity charging pads be placed in unassuming locations like under desks, rugs, tables, and more.
In our time at the WiTricity booth, we saw charging pads that were placed under concrete, under desks, and more, hidden out of sight but still capable of delivering a full charge to a device (or multiple devices at once) equipped with WiTricity's technology. This type of hidden charging technology is what we can expect in the future, and Energous, previously mentioned, also debuted a similar "WattUp" technology that uses radio frequencies to charge devices, replacing a charging pad with a transmitter that can provide power up to 15 feet away.
Samsung has recently been in talks with BlackBerry about a potential takeover, reports Reuters. The South Korean company has reportedly offered to buy BlackBerry for $7.5 billion, in the hopes of acquiring BlackBerry's extensive patent portfolio. Executives from both companies are said to have met last week in order to discuss the potential deal.
South Korea's Samsung proposed an initial price range of $13.35 to $15.49 per share, which represents a premium of 38 percent to 60 percent over BlackBerry's current trading price, the source said.
The offer price would imply an enterprise value of $6 billion to $7.5 billion for BlackBerry, assuming conversion of $1.25 billion of convertible debt, according to the documents.
BlackBerry has struggled with flagging sales in recent years, and in 2013, the company received a takeover bid worth $4.7 billion from Fairfax Financial, but the deal ultimately fell apart. BlackBerry went on to receive interest from both Apple and Microsoft, among others, but was uninterested in breaking up the company to sell it piecemeal.
Ultimately, the company accepted investments and aimed to re-establish itself in the smartphone market, which led to the launch of the Passport, a large square-shaped phone, and the Classic, a throwback to original BlackBerry designs.
BlackBerry holds quite a few valuable patents, which are estimated to be worth $1 billion to $3 billion. In 2012 alone, its patent portfolio grew by 986 patents, many of which are relevant to competing smartphone companies like Samsung.
Update 2:40 PM PT: BlackBerry has issued a press release claiming that it has not communicated with Samsung about a possible purchase.
BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ:BBRY)(TSX:BB) ("BlackBerry") is aware of certain press reports published today with respect to a possible offer by Samsung to purchase BlackBerry. BlackBerry has not engaged in discussions with Samsung with respect to any possible offer to purchase BlackBerry. BlackBerry's policy is not to comment on rumors or speculation, and accordingly it does not intend to comment further.
Google today announced a forthcoming update to its Google Translate app for iOS that will bring instant camera-based translation and automatic language recognition to Apple's mobile devices. This will be Google's first update to the translation app in nearly a year.
The updated translation app improves upon the current text recognition feature by incorporating the real-time translation technology that Google acquired with Word Lens last year. Instead of capturing a photo for translation, users can point their phones at signs, menus and other text and immediately view overlays containing the translated phrases.
At launch, this Word Lens feature will support a limited number of languages (English to and from French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish) with additional languages expected in the future. It also will work even when there is no available Internet connection.
Google has also added a new real-time conversation mode that is available for the first time on the iOS platform. Previously incorporated into Android, this real-time mode improves the flow of a conversation by automatically detecting the languages being used by the participants. Once language identification is complete, users can speak at a natural pace without needing to tap the mic between each side of the conversation.
Google is rolling out the Translate update across its platforms with the iOS version debuting in the next few days. Google Translate is a universal app and available for free in the iOS App Store. [Direct Link]
Update 10:42 AM: The Google Translate update is now available in the App Store.
Facebook today plans to launch a new app for iOS and Android, simply titled "Work", that will allow businesses to build their own Facebook-like social networks to facilitate interaction amongst employees.
The service, which will also available on the main Facebook website, has been beta tested in "a very small set" of businesses around the world, Lars Rasmussen, the engineering director at Facebook who is heading up the project, told TechCrunch. Today's launch is the next step in testing the project, a continuation of a process the company has essentially been working on for a decade due to its basis in Facebook's own employees using the service to plan meetings, share files, and collaborate on projects.
“Facebook at Work’s strength is that we’ve spent ten years and incorporated feedback from 1 billion active users,” he says. “All of that is embedded now in the same product but adapted for different use cases.”
And it’s actually used by staff. “When Mark makes an announcement he just posts it on Facebook at Work,” Rasmussen says.
No details on pricing of the app, or overall service, were given, though TechCrunch points out that Rasmussen never rules out advertisements as a future possibility for the service. Facebook at Work will also be a bit bare bones when it launches today, as the service will allow users to share and receive documents, but due to the company's time crunch to meet today's launch, there won't be any in-app editing yet.
Rasmussen also gave TechCrunch a run-down of how the service functions when starting out, describing linking accounts amongst a user's personal Facebook and an overall similarity to the company's previously established Groups service.
“When an employer adopts Facebook at Work, they can construct it with a set of new accounts. Users can then link their work and personal accounts together so that they are logged into both at the same time.” This would work much like Groups and public profiles do today. On mobile, you would have two mobile apps running at the same time, he adds. “Even if the employee chooses to link there is no crossover. The content stays entirely within your personal or work Facebook.”
Though Facebook's new app is decidedly business-focused, it follows the company's recent trend of separating individual aspects of the service into multipleindependentapps acting autonomously from the main Facebook app.
The nascent service has a bit of an uphill battle, with competing services already filling the market and ensuring users their personal data won't leak over into the work side of things, but Rasmussen points out he's already seen how a service like this can fail by working on Google Wave, a similar work-focused service. “I can say that the challenges of making work more efficient is something that has been on my mind for a long time," he told TechCrunch, "And I come to it with a lot of passion and the knowledge of a failure of doing this at a different company."
Facebook's Work for iOS app is scheduled to launch later today.
Apple last week implemented price increases for App Store content throughout the European Union and in several other countries, rebalancing the company's pricing as exchange rates have shifted and new taxes have gone into effect in some countries.
One side effect of that change, however, is that auto-renewing subscriptions for app content have been automatically turned off for any pricing tiers that saw increases due to Apple's changes. The issue was noticed by a MacRumors reader and also highlighted by Popular Science UK editor Tom Royal today.
Users have so far apparently not been notified that auto-renewals have been turned off following the price increases, although in the examples we've seen the renewal dates are still several weeks into the future.
It is understandable that Apple may want or need to receive consent from customers before automatically raising recurring subscription fees, but so far neither publishers nor users have been notified of this issue and they are only discovering it for themselves when digging into the subscription settings for their apps.
Apple was proactive about notifying app developers of impending price increases roughly a day and a half of time, but additional information on the effect those changes are having on recurring subscriptions was not included. As a result, some users may suddenly find themselves losing access to their content while publishers may lose out from users who simply elect not to follow up on the issue and resubscribe, regardless of whether the new rates themselves would be a determining factor.
Users in affected countries should check their settings for any recurring in-app subscriptions and ensure that they turn auto-renew back on should they wish to continue receiving their content.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has frequently offered accurate information on Apple's product plans based on supply chain information, has released a new report outlining his expectations for the company's chips over the next several years. Kuo highlights a diversified supplier lineup for Apple's A-series chips used in its iOS devices, with TSMC, Samsung, and GlobalFoundries all contributing to production.
Kuo sees the 2015 chip breakdown with the A9 chip destined for this year's iPhones being shared by Samsung and GlobalFoundries, while TSMC handles the A9X that would be used in iPad models. That split is projected to flip in 2016, with TSMC handling the A10 iPhone chips and Samsung being responsible for A10X iPad chips.
Perhaps most enticingly, Kuo projects that Apple could begin launching ARM-based Macs in the next year or two based on its custom chip designs.
Apple may launch Mac products that use own AP in next 1-2 years. This prediction is based on the assumption that Apple’s self-developed AP performs at a level between Intel’s Atom and Core i3 and is good enough for Mac. Using self- developed AP can help Apple better control the timing of Mac launches and Mac product features.
Use of A-series chips in Macs would certainly be limited to lower-end devices at first, but Apple's emphasis on controlling its supply chain and the improving performance of Apple's A-series ARM chips compared to low-end Intel chips could lead to a shift in the coming years.
Kuo also looks at the Apple Watch, where Samsung has been reported to be handling the primary portion of Apple's custom "S1" chip for the upcoming smartwatch. He believes, however, that TSMC will take over responsibility in 2016 for the S2 in the second-generation Apple Watch.
Kuo certainly does not have a perfect track record with his claims over the years, but he is reliable enough that his predictions are followed closely. Given muddled rumors of Apple's chip partnerships for future devices, it will be interesting to watch how these supplier deals play out over time.
Shares of personal camera maker GoPro fell 12 percent as trading volume doubled yesterday following the publication of a recently awarded Apple camera patent (via Bloomberg). Apple was granted US patent no. 8,934,045 yesterday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a remote control camera system powered by a wrist-worn device.
Originally filed by Kodak in 2012 and subsequently acquired by Apple in a much larger patent deal, the patent details a remote digital camera system that can be controlled by a smartwatch or phone. In its description, the patent seeks to address a wind resistance flaw present in select GoPro cameras that may lead to image artifacts.
According to Dougherty & Co. analyst Charlie Anderson, the GoPro stock plunge was led by investors concerned that Apple may encroach on the extreme action-adventure camera market currently dominated by GoPro. Investor reaction to this patent appears to have been overblown, however, as Apple patents a variety of technology innovations, most of which are not used in consumer products. And in this case, the technology wasn't even Apple's to begin with, making it even less clear whether the company has any intention of following up on it.
Microsoft today announced the release of an updated version of its Skype iOS client app bringing a few tweaks to the dial pad and chat picker alongside a new pre-release feedback program.
The first major user interface overhaul focuses on the dial pad, streamlining the process by automatically detecting matching numbers as soon as the user begins inputting a phone number. The update to the new chat picker further expedites the process of starting a chat or a call, letting users scroll through a quick list of their contacts, making them all a tap away from a video call or voice chat.
Perhaps most interesting in the 5.9 update, however, is Microsoft's introduction of the new pre-release program for the iOS Skype app. The company states it is currently looking for "enthusiastic Skype users" who can provide feedback on the chat program's iOS app to "shape and enhance" the program in the future.
Those willing to sign up will gain access to early versions of Skype for iOS in the future, provided they agree to update the company with "regular feedback" as each update is rolled out to them. Applicants must also be 18 years or older with a valid email address and Skype or Microsoft account.
You can help us shape your skype experience by: -Trying out some new or upgraded features (don't worry we'll let you know what's new) and tell us about your experience after doing so -Giving us feedback and suggestions on what you would like to see in the app in the future -Letting us know of any issues that you run into while using this previewed version
The new version 5.9 is available now, and those interested in the pre-release program, which the company promises has limited availability, can sign up on Skype's official website. Skype for iPhone is available for free from the App Store. [Direct Link]
After a judge had rejected an earlier settlement deal, Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe today offered a higher settlement that may end an anti-poaching lawsuit filed on behalf of technology workers, reports Reuters. Citing a source close to the negotiations, The New York Times claims the companies are offering a combined payment of $415 million to settle the case.
The suit asserts that the companies had illegal agreements that they would not directly solicit one another’s employees. That limited the engineers’ mobility and their pay, to the benefit of the companies, the suit said. The case grew out of reported actions by the companies that centered on a period that began in 2005, when Google was ascendant and Apple was trying to defend its turf.
Judge Lucy Koh rejected an earlier settlement of $324 million when plaintiff Michael Devine objected to the proposed amount. In her rejection, Koh agreed with Devine, stating that the total compensation "falls below the range of reasonableness," when compared to the settlement that Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Intuit previously reached with the employees in 2013.
Lawyers confirm this new settlement amount is acceptable to the plaintiffs, but Judge Lucy Koh will still need to approve the deal. A settlement would allow the companies to avoid a potentially embarrassing trial that would expose internal communications between top technology companies such as Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe, Intuit and others.
A new survey from finance company Credit Suisse found that of the solely iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus owners questioned, 18 percent of them would "definitely" purchase Apple's upcoming wearable, the Apple Watch.
As reported by Business Insider, the level of interest from iPhone owners could translate to 35 million units moved during the device's first year. Beyond the definite purchasers, 11 percent of those surveyed said they "probably" would buy the Watch, another 18 percent said they would "definitely not" buy it, and a large pool of "maybe" and "probably not" users occupied 27 percent each in the middle.
With strong interest levels in the Apple Watch, Credit Suisse believes there will be shortages of the device at its rumored March launch.
But even if one out of every five iPhone 6 owners wants an Apple Watch, Credit Suisse believes Apple will only make about 20 million Apple Watches in 2015, suggesting there might be a supply shortage when the smartwatch goes on sale.
These estimates aren't far off from a survey by UBS in early December that focused on consumers in general, not just specific iPhone 6 owners, and found that 10 percent are "very likely" to buy the Apple Watch, with the company selling 24 million units in the first nine months. Following Apple's unveiling of the device last September, speculation on the Apple Watch's unannounced details has continued in the lead-up to its launch, with the most recent piece of news revealing details of the Watch's iPhone companion app.
Belkin's WeMo line, which consists of a range of home automation products like light switches, motion sensors, cameras, and more, has been around a few years, but the company has been dedicated to updating it and adding new products on a regular basis.
It appears that the WeMo line's next major update could be the addition of HomeKit support, letting the complete range of products integrate with Apple's upcoming home automation platform. Speaking to MacObserver, a Belkin spokesperson confirmed that the company is committed to introducing HomeKit support, which will come in "the very near future."
WeMo will continue to evolve as we deliver on our promise of being the most approachable entry point to the connected home, and it is a natural progression based on Belkin's long-term partnership with Apple that compatibility with HomeKit will be a part of that evolution.
We are currently in conversations with Apple, but no specifics have been finalized at this point. Though our primary goal will always be to create a robust WeMo platform and unparalleled user experience for both current and future WeMo users, we are actively engaged in bringing HomeKit compatibility to fruition in the very near future. Stay tuned.
Belkin was one of the first accessory companies to embrace home automation, and its wide collection of connected products will likely help skyrocket HomeKit to popularity once it becomes available. Belkin started out with a line of connected WeMo switches that allowed any electronic item plugged into them to be controlled by a mobile device, but has since expanded to light bulbs, slow cookers, humidifiers, coffee pots, cameras, motion detectors, and more. There's even a WeMo Maker that can be used by do-it-yourselfers to for a wide range of connected home projects.
Belkin's newest WeMo products
This January, Belkin debuted several new WeMo products, including a WeMo Door and Window sensor, a Keychain sensor, an improved motion detector, and an Alarm sensor that alerts users when an existing home alarm goes off.
Belkin has even bigger plans for home automation in the future. At CES this year, the company was demoing a smart home system that included an under-the-sink WeMo Water sensor designed to measure a home's water usage, and Belkin told MacRumors that a similar product for measuring total home power usage was in the works.
Quite a few companies have announced plans to integrate with Apple's HomeKit, including iDevices, Elgato, Schlage, and more, but Belkin is one of the largest. At the current point in time, it seems that Apple is still putting the finishing touches on its HomeKit tools with chips just beginning to ship out in November, so it may be a few months yet before we begin seeing the first HomeKit-compatible products hitting store shelves.
When the newest Mac mini first launched in October of 2014, Apple did not give the option for it to be configured with a 2TB drive, much to the disappointment of many Mac mini fans.
As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple reversed its decision to only offer 1TB of storage space in December and quietly updated the Mac mini build-to-order options, adding an option for a 2TB Fusion Drive for an additional $100. Before the change, users could only choose a 1TB Fusion Drive or 1TB of PCIe-based flash storage.
Though the return of a 2TB storage option will likely please some potential Mac mini buyers, the new 2014 machine has not been well received due to its soldered RAM and lack of a quad-core processor option.
Apple's Mac mini can be purchased from the company's online store, with pricing starting at $499. The high-end 2.8GHz option with a custom 2TB Fusion Drive and 8GB of RAM is priced at $1,099.
Apple's latest iOS 8.2 beta includes a reference to an Apple Watch companion app that will be installed on the iPhone to give users a way to access settings on their Apple Watch devices, and a new report from 9to5Mac using code created by developer Steven Troughton-Smith (which can be found on Github), details some of the functionality that can be found in the upcoming app and in the Apple Watch.
Called the Apple Watch "Companion," the app is described as housing both settings for the Apple Watch itself and settings for various Apple Watch applications. As we learned from the WatchKit SDK included in the first iOS 8.2 beta, initial Apple Watch apps will be extensions of existing iPhone apps and will be reliant on the iPhone to function.
According to screenshots of the app running on an iPhone, the Apple Watch will be able to send reminders to stand up every hour, progress reports on activity at selected intervals, and notifications for goal completions such as reaching a daily Move, Exercise, or Stand goal.
The Apple Watch will also be able to send notifications for achievements, such as when a personal activity milestone is met, and there's an option for a Weekly Summary, which will give users a brief recap of how much they moved during the previous week.
In addition to various fitness-related alerts, there are sections in the app to turn on push alerts from the iPhone for Timers and Alarms, get a notification alert in the form of a red dot on the Apple Watch face, and specify acronyms for various cities in the World Clock. All of these aforementioned settings and notifications can be controlled within the "Companion" app.
There's also an interesting feature that lets users choose a one to four letter monogram that will appear on the Apple Watch's Color watch face, which is described as a "Complication." First introduced in new marketing earlier this year, Apple Watch Complications are special functions that are displayed within various watch faces, such as stock quotes, weather, and more, like the monogram. With this enabled, the Apple Watch face will display a user's initials.
Apps displayed on the Apple Watch home screen in a cluster pattern will be able to be organized and rearranged within the Apple Watch Companion app on the iPhone. Because there's no keyboard, there are tools within the Companion app that suggest the Apple Watch will use voice-based communications for messages and other text-based entry forms.
Like the iPhone and the iPad, the Apple Watch will include an option for a passcode that's used to verify Apple Pay payments. As has been detailed in the past, the Apple Watch will require users to enter a passcode when putting the watch on for the first time, and it will make sure that skin contact is maintained to prevent unauthorized Apple Pay payments with the device.
The Companion app also appears to confirm that the Apple Watch will indeed feature its own storage and the ability to play songs stored directly on the device, as the About Screen lists storage capacity, songs, and photos stored on the Apple Watch.
As the launch of the Apple Watch approaches, details on the device are beginning to leak out, but there are still several unknown elements. For example, there's no solid word on how long the battery will last, aside from Apple CEO Tim Cook's suggestion that users will need to charge it on a nightly basis, and we have no word on pricing, aside from the entry-level $349 Sport model. There's also no clear cut launch date in place, but the most recent rumors have suggested that the device could be released in March.
There are a few other minor details that can be gleaned about the Apple Watch based on the Companion app screenshots, and a full range of images is hosted over at 9to5Mac. Other details include stock selections, the use of the Taptic Engine for Maps directions, various Accessibility features, and more.
WayTools today debuted the TextBlade, a compact, collapsible keyboard that's just a third of the size of an iPhone. Instead of using traditional keyboard layout, it uses "next-gen key switch technology" to allow users to type using just eight large smart keys that represent the entire alphabet.
Described as the first MultiTouch keyboard, the TextBlade weighs 1.5 ounces and lasts for a month in between charges thanks to the lithium polymer battery built into the spacebar. Charging takes less than an hour and works through any USB port.
The TextBlade is collapsible and uses built-in magnets snap the pieces together into a form factor thats "as easy to carry as a pen," which was WayTools' main goal for the product. Its keys use a technology called "MagLever," which the company says is superior to a rubber spring keyboard with no drag, stretch, or wear.
TextBlade is brimming with advanced technology, including the World's first physical MultiTouch Keys, ultra low energy Bluetooth Smart, and the first MultiLayer Keys, bringing symbols and editing to home row ... all engineered into the most compact touch-type machine ever produced.
TextBlade uses the same character map as a traditional QWERTY keyboard, allowing people to use the same fingers to select the same letters as they would on a standard keyboard. This function makes typing on the TextBlade "instantly familiar" according to WayTools. The keyboard's eight smart MultiTouch keys are also described as "MultiLayer," allowing them to be used to select symbols and make edits quickly. All keys one might expect to find in an iOS-compatible keyboard, including keys for accessing audio controls and Siri, are included in the TextBlade.
Keyboard covers shrink keys, and fatten your tablet. Not TextBlade.You get full 19mm finger spacing – the same as a desktop.Precision keys outperform a MacBook Pro, with full 2mm travel and extra large keytops. TextBlade's innovative frameless array eliminates all keyboard shudder, with rock-solid grip that hugs the table closer than a MacBook Air, so it's even easier on your wrist. TextBlade's ultra-low profile is half as thick as an iPhone 6.
EA today announced via Twitter that the newest game in The Sims franchise, The Sims 4, will be coming to the Mac in February. The Sims 4 was first launched on the PC in September and EA initially promised a 2014 Mac launch for the game, but was unable to meet that target.
As with other games in the franchise, The Sims 4 invites players to create and control the lives of virtual characters, establishing relationships, building homes, and helping them advance through their careers. The Sims 4 has received some criticism for gameplay changes and features that were stripped from the previous game, but EA has pledged to return at least some of that former functionality to the game in the future.
The Sims 4 has received several content updates since its September launch, adding in ghosts, pools, and holiday decor. The game's first "Game Pack" expansion, The Sims 4: Outdoor Retreat will launch next week, adding new objects, features, and gameplay options.
Mac users who may have already purchased the PC version of The Sims 4 will be able to download the Mac version of the game at no additional cost. Though EA says the game will launch "next month," there is no specific release date specified at this time.
Apple today seeded a fifth beta of OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 to developers, just one week after seeding the 
