MacRumors

The new SimCity will ship for the Mac on June 11, EA reported today. Gamers will be able to purchase SimCity for Mac as a $60 digital download via Origin, EA's Steam-like digital store that launched earlier this year, as well as other digital retailers. Owners of the PC version of SimCity will receive the Mac version for free, and vice versa.

EA is emphasizing that this is not simply a Mac "port" of the Windows version, but instead is a native version of the game designed specifically for the Mac. The software renderer has been rewritten for OpenGL, but the Mac version will use the same servers as the PC edition so gamers can play together regardless of what platform they are using.

"SimCity is coming to Mac on June 11 and one purchase will give you both the Mac and PC versions. You only need to buy SimCity once to play together across the same servers, regardless of which version you’re playing," said Lucy Bradshaw, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA’s Maxis Label. "We didn’t want to make any compromises when it came to the Mac so we created a native version that is optimized for the hardware and OSX."

SimCity's launch was more than a little rocky, largely because the game can only be played online. EA requires that the game be connected to its servers at all times to facilitate region play where multiple cities are connected to share utilities and citizenry.

At launch, SimCity's servers were overwhelmed with traffic and the gameplay experience was extremely poor. Today, EA seems to have ironed out the bugs and users are playing the game as intended. The company recently turned the 'Cheetah' speed mode back on after disabling it to reduce load on the servers after SimCity's initial release.

EA originally said SimCity would come to the Mac in February of this year, but pushed that ship date back.

Less than a week after a report from Bloomberg Businessweek outlined how Steve Jobs' strict requirements for "fit and finish" at the company's upcoming Norman Foster-designed Apple Campus 2 in Cupertino have seen the cost of the massive project balloon to $5 billion, Marketing reports [via Pocket-lint] that Foster's firm has been tapped to work on retail store projects for Apple.

Sources close to the project said Foster + Partners, which has designed buildings including the McLaren Technology Centre and Hearst Tower in New York, is helping Apple on the retail store design brief. [...]

A Foster + Partners spokeswoman said: "Any project for Apple is confidential and therefore we are unable to comment."

Apple has long worked with design firm 8 Inc on its retail stores, dating back to store-within-a-store concepts that preceded Apple's own retail locations. The retail partnership between 8 Inc and Apple built upon a previous arrangement that saw 8 Inc assisting with the design of Apple's displays at Macworld trade shows.

While 8 Inc has long served as Apple's design partner for the company's retail stores, architectural expertise for many of Apple's high-profile locations has been provided by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.

It currently remains unclear how extensive the relationship between Apple and Foster + Partners will be for retail stores, including whether 8 Inc and/or Bohlin Cywinski Jackson are being entirely replaced.

The Korea Times reports that Samsung has been excluded from Apple's plans for its next-generation A7 system-on-a-chip expected to be released next year to power upcoming iOS devices. According to the report, Apple is moving forward with plans to shift production to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

"Apple is sharing confidential data for its next A7 system-on-chip (SoC) with the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). TSMC has begun ordering its contractors to supply equipment to produce Apple's next processors using a finer 20-nanometer level processing technology," said an executive at one of Samsung's local partners in Korea by telephone, Wednesday.

Other sources report that Samsung is hoping its own handsets can fill the gap to be left by Apple, as the firm has made significant investments in its processor production facilities, but that some lines may have to be shut down. Samsung is also seeking to increase its work producing graphics chips for NVIDIA.

The report follows similar claims from Taiwanese media last week, which indicated that Apple and TSMC were pushing forward on a 20-nm A7 design for launch early next year. Last month it was reported that Apple and TSMC had taped out a design for the A7, although considerable work remains before the chip will enter production.

With Apple's 20-nm A7 not expected until next year, it appears that the company's 2013 iOS device lineup will have to make use of other alternatives such as a die shrink of the current A6 chip from 32-nm to 28-nm or a more substantially reworked A6 chip. Apple could conceivably also have a new "A7" chip ready to go at 28-nm ahead of the move to the smaller and more efficient 20-nm process node next year.

For the past several days, we've been following the story of Apple's removal of AppGratis from the App Store. AppGratis offers a popular app discovery service with the main feature being a hand-picked app offered free each day.

Apple acknowledged that it had pulled the app for violating two App Store rules related to offering apps in a manner which might be "similar to or confusing with the App Store" and using push notifications to send out promotions. AppGratis CEO Simon Dawlat responded yesterday to note that Apple had approved the app a number of times, including an iPad version just a week ago, before a new reviewer stepped in and quickly pulled the app after being unable to contact Dawlat, who was on an airplane at the time.

AllThingsD now reports that Apple's removal of AppGratis is just the first step in a broader crackdown on such apps, with more app discovery services soon to be pulled as well.

I’m told Apple feels these apps threaten the legitimacy of the App Store charts by providing a way for developers to spend their way to a high ranking. Apple did something similar in 2011, when it rejected a number of applications running incentivized app installs within their apps.

The company also worries that such apps undermine the integrity of the App Store by cluttering it with alternative storefronts. As one source described it to me, some of these discovery apps create a scenario
that’s similar to walking into Nordstrom and seeing a Walmart inside.

AppGratis notes that it is "far from finished" and that its 12 million existing users will be able to continue to use the app while the company explores its alternatives, but AllThingsD makes clear that the removal of AppGratis was not simply an error on the part of a reviewer and that AppGratis is "almost certainly finished as an iOS app — in its current incarnation, anyway".

French site Noweherelse.fr has discovered [Google translation] a pair of photos of what is said to be the front bezel of the fifth-generation iPad. In line with rumors and earlier leaks of cases and a rear shell, the new photos reveal a design inspired by the iPad mini, with narrower side bezels rather than the uniform size seen on the current iPad.

Sources appear to be split on when the fifth-generation iPad will make its debut, with some having suggested that Apple could hold an event as early as this month if the device is ready, while others have claimed that Apple is shooting for an October release. Just yesterday, Digitimes claimed that Apple is planning to ramp up production for the new iPad in the July/August timeframe.

Back in February, we commissioned CiccareseDesign to create renderings of the fifth-generation iPad based on circulating rumors and leaks, and today's front bezel photos are indeed consistent with those renderings.

Ahead of Friday's launch of the iPhone on T-Mobile USA, the carrier has announced details on its trade-in program designed to entice current iPhone 4 and 4S users to switch carriers. The trade-in program reduces the down payment on a 16 GB iPhone 5 from $99.99 to $0, with additional credit of up $120 depending on the value of the device being traded.

“Our message to iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 customers is simple: bring in your device and trade up to iPhone 5 on T-Mobile,” said Mike Sievert, chief marketing officer for T-Mobile. “We’re making it incredibly attractive to buy an iPhone 5 by pairing an un-beatable upfront price and trade-in offer with Simple Choice, the most hassle-free and affordable rate plan in wireless.”

The offer is valid through June 16, with the additional credit applicable to monthly service fees, an outstanding balance, accessories, or another device.

T-Mobile's new "Uncarrier" service plans unbundle device costs from service plans, allowing users to finance the full cost of their devices over 24 months while signing up for contract-free service starting at $50/month.

Code within the latest 10.8.4 beta release of OS X confirms that 802.11ac 5G "Gigabit Wi-Fi" support, which is not offered in OS X 10.8.3, will be offered on Apple's next generation Macs, reports 9to5Mac.

In January, Apple reportedly signed a deal with wireless chip firm Broadcom to bring the high-speed wireless access to its future Mac lineup.

802.11ac offers triple the speeds that are available with the current 802.11n standard, supporting up to 450 Mbps on one antenna and up to 1.3 Gbps when used with three antennas. The speed boost allows for quicker file transfers between home computers.

A report from Digitimes earlier today suggests that Apple might be refreshing its notebook lineup near the end of the second quarter, which may translate to an introduction at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

The first reviews for Facebook Home, the social network's new Android home screen experience, are out. Home isn't quite a "Facebook Phone", but it also isn't a full-fledged operating system. It slots right in between the two segments.

Dieter Bohn of The Verge details the two main components of Home:

Facebook Home essentially consists of two parts. The first is Facebook Home proper (henceforth "Home"), which replaces your homescreen and your lockscreen with Facebook's News Feed and app launcher. The second is a major update to Facebook Messenger which lets you receive and reply to texts no matter which app you're using.

Bohn mentions that the Chat Head feature, which overlays Facebook Messenger chats over any app a user may use, was a highlight.

The difference in immediacy and convenience is huge. What Facebook has figured out is that people usually have messaging conversations with somebody for a little while, but are doing other things on their phone while they do it. Being able to reply without losing your sense of place is incredibly convenient.

Walt Mossberg of AllThingsDigital thought that the two-pronged set-up was simple to use.

I found Facebook Home to be easy to use, elegantly designed and addictive. Although I’m a regular Facebook user, I found that, with Home, I paid more attention than ever to my news feed, Liked items more often and used Facebook’s Messenger service more often. So, if you are a big Facebook fan, Facebook Home can be a big win.

Although The Verge says that Home's simplicity also hurts it as it lacks key Android features like Widgets and Folders. They also mention that although Home has its own version of notifications, most apps do not support it and default to Android's notification pane. Both Bohn and Mossberg conclude that although Home is simple-to-use and addictive, only Facebook fans should take notice as it lacks key features for most smartphone users.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously said that bringing Home to iOS would not be as easy as it was on Android because Android is "open" and Facebook would have to go through Apple and its existing relationship with the company while they don't have to go through Google for Home.

Facebook Home will be available to download for select Android devices (Samsung Galaxy SIII, HTC One X, HTC One X+ and Samsung Galaxy Note II) on April 12th for free. HTC and AT&T will also be offering the HTC First, a $100 smartphone that will have Home preloaded.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple and Yahoo have been discussing how to integrate Yahoo's services more prominently in iOS, beyond powering the Weather and Stocks apps.

Yahoo also provides sports scores to Siri, but Yahoo has significant content deals related to news, sports and finance that could be tapped.

Data from Yahoo Finance and its weather site already come preloaded onto iPhones and Yahoo data like sports stats help power Apple's voice-activated "assistant" Siri. But the companies continue to discuss new arrangements, including possible deals to get more content from Yahoo Sports and Yahoo News, among other Yahoo Web properties, preloaded onto Apple devices or available through an expanded partnership with Siri, one of these people said.

The WSJ also says Yahoo would like to provide search results to Apple in Safari, but Microsoft's Bing search engine currently powers Yahoo Search and Apple has a long-term deal with Google as the default engine on iOS.

The paper did note that no deal is imminent, and negotiations appear to be in the very early stages. Former Google executive Marissa Mayer took over as the CEO of Yahoo recently and has been focusing a lot of energy on Yahoo's products and content, rather than its traditional strengths in advertising.

Following a research note from Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White stating that the iPhone 5S would launch in two or three different sizes, Japanese website Mac Otakara has released a report suggesting that the iPhone 5S will come in five colors, including the original black and white.

The site also mentions that Apple’s rumored cheaper iPhone will also be offered in a range of different colors. There is no indication on what colors the iPhone 5S might sport, but the current 5th generation iPod touch is available in black, white, pink, yellow, and blue, along with a special edition available in red.

Mac Otakara's report adds that the iPhone 5S will be announced in July, with a release to follow in August. That is in line with previous reports released earlier this month, which suggested an August release.

In the past, Mac Otakara reliably predicted the redesigned form factor of the seventh generation iPod nano and the updated 4-inch screen of the fifth generation iPod touch.

It should be noted that AppleInsider claims that the original article has been incorrectly translated and actually mentions one color in addition to black and white, making for a total of three colors rather than five.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster today released the results of his semi-annual survey of U.S. teenagers, finding that iPhone and iPad usage remains strong among the 5,200 teens included in the study. According to the report, 48% of teens now report that they are using iPhones, up from 40% just six months ago.

We believe this demonstrates that Apple remains the top choice for teens despite more competition from Samsung. Additionally, the survey demonstrated that 62% of teens expect their next phone to be an iPhone, which we believe shows that the iPhone has loyalty amongst teens. In terms of Android, 23% of teens expect their next phone to be an Android device, up from 22% in Fall 2013. We believe that the Samsung Galaxy S3 and eventually the S4 are taking share from other Android devices, but little from Apple in terms of the teen demographic.

In looking at tablets, 51% of teenagers now report using a tablet, up from 44% six months ago. Of those 51%, 63% are using full-size iPads and 5% are using iPad minis, meaning that nearly 35% of teenagers in the survey are currently using Apple tablets.

For those teens that expect to purchase a tablet in the next 6 months, 68% said they plan on buying an iPad, thus it appears that Apple should be able to maintain its tablet share. The iPad Mini is beginning to show its impact as the 68% of those who plan to purchase break down into 54% for full sized iPads and 14% for iPad Minis. We would expect the iPad Mini to continue to cannibalize the full sized iPad in our continuation of the survey as we expect the breakdown in sales to reach 50/50 in the March quarter.

Samsung has attempted to play up its appeal with younger consumers through ads portraying the iPhone as uncool, with one ad poking fun at Apple fans waiting in line for the latest gadget by showing one Samsung user in the line actually saving a spot for his parents. But Piper Jaffray's results suggest that the iPhone and iPad brands remain strong with U.S. teenagers, with Apple undoubtedly planning for those users to become lifelong Apple customers as they become locked into the company's app and content ecosystem.

There are few great emulator options for OS X, but that is set to change in the near future as multi-source system emulator OpenEmu prepares for an official launch.

Open Emu is an open source project to bring game emulation to OS X as a first class citizen, leveraging modern OS X technologies such as Cocoa, Core Animation and Quartz, and 3rd party libraries like Sparkle for auto-updating. Open Emu is based on a modular architecture, allowing for game-engine plugins, this means Open Emu can support a host of different emulation engines and back-ends while retaining a familiar OS X native front-end.

OpenEmu, which has been in beta for quite some time, is able to emulate the hardware of several different consoles. Version 1.0 of the software will include support for several 16-bit systems, including the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Gear, NeoGeo Pocket, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, and Super Nintendo, among others.

Support for additional systems like the Nintendo 64, the Nintendo DS, and the Sony PlayStation will be added in the future.

The emulator features a slick iTunes-style design, displaying downloaded ROMs in a menu organized by system. Designed from the ground up for OS X, it offers up a native OS X interface.

With full save state support, the software allows for multiple ROMs to be played at once and it also provides OpenGL scaling, multithreaded playback, and gamepad support.

At this point in time the team behind OpenEmu is working on polishing the app and adding final artwork, but the release is "close."

OpenEmu was previously available as a beta download and the beta version of the application can still be acquired by downloading and compiling the source code via Xcode. A full set of instructions is available here.