MacRumors

Jony Ive, Apple's senior vice president of design, has contributed to an auction [PDF] celebrating "masterworks of design and innovation" to benefit Bono's Project (RED) charity.

Ive worked with designer Marc Newson to curate and in some cases customize a number of items including a one-of-a-kind Steinway & Sons grand piano, and the pair curated the rest of the collection, including a set of 18k solid rose gold Apple EarPods, pictured at right, and a customized magnum of Dom Perignon 1966 with a custom red label.

Leading the auction are the two items designed in their entirety by Jony and Marc – a unique Leica Digital Rangefinder Camera, which is, in and of itself, a feat of extraordinary engineering, and a unique aluminum desk produced by Neal Feay Studios. Joining these editions labeled 01/01 and specifically produced for the (RED) Auction are: a Steinway & Sons Parlor Grand Piano and a 2012 Range Rover, both customized by Jony and Marc; a unique version of Hermès’ iconic Cavale saddle created in red leather with custom red stitching; a one- of-a-kind pair of classic Apple EarPods in solid rose gold; a Russian cosmonaut suit; a pair of Damien Hirst ‘Spin Chairs’ designed by Jasper Morrison; a custom Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos “561” Clock with unique red accents created for the auction; and a Dom Pérignon Œnothèque s 1966 Magnum with custom red foil label, red ice bucket cooler and limited edition protective case.

The charity auction will be held on November 23 at Sotheby's New York.

Norwegian software company Opera Software ASA has released a brand-new WebKit-based browser named Coast for the iPad. The browser, which comes with the tagline "the browser that should have come with the iPad", is the product of one and a half years of software development at the company's headquarters in Oslo.

Coast is Opera's attempt to build a browser actually optimized for a touchscreen interface, such as the one on the iPad, and dispenses away with the traditional toolbar seen in most internet browsers. Instead, users swipe back and forth to navigate between pages and, in order to keep the interface as clean as possible and to help users focus on the web page they are currently viewing, the URL box is missing. There are no tabs for individual pages; users can switch back and forth using thumbnails, much like switching applications in iOS 7, and close down pages by swiping upwards.

The iPad is nearly buttonless; why shouldn’t the apps for it be? Elements such as back and forward buttons are gone from Coast. All navigation is done by swiping the way you naturally would on an iPad – just like in a good iPad app. A single button takes you to the home screen, and another shows the sites you have recently visited – that’s about it for buttons in Coast.

When using touch-based navigation, small buttons that work on a regular computer don’t work well on a tablet. It’s not about just enlarging already existing elements; it’s about making the design interesting and uncluttered.

Essentials such as website security are handled in the background, with can’t-miss warnings when a suspicious site is accessed and extensive info on site reputation.

The home screen of Coast displays a number of common websites, such as YouTube, Google+ and Vice, which can be shuffled around and deleted if necessary. Commonly-viewed pages will also start appearing over time. Unlike Opera's previous browser, Opera Mini, Coast now relies on WebKit, the default engine built into iOS to render pages, rather than its own. The project is simply an attempt by Opera to try and redesign the browsing experience on a tablet device, and the company plans to release it to the iPhone and other devices such as Android soon.

Coast is a free download from the App Store and is currently only available on the iPad. [Direct Link]

Amazon has released a “mandatory” update to its Kindle app for iOS devices, informing users that not updating the app to the latest version may cause a loss of books and account registration upon upgrade to Apple’s upcoming iOS 7 mobile operating system.

This is a fix for a Kindle issue with the upcoming iOS7 OS upgrade that may cause customers to have to re-register and re-download books from Amazon. Please download and install - this is a required update before upgrading to iOS7.

iOS 7 is expected to be released shortly after the announcement of Apple’s refreshed iPhone line at the company's media event tomorrow, with the updated operating system featuring a new design and numerous other tweaks. Kindle is a free app and can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Microsoft today launched its Xbox Music service on iOS and Android, expanding the service to other devices almost a full year after its original introduction. The company has also introduced free ad supported web-based streaming for all browsers, but mobile users will need an Xbox Music Pass to access the service, which costs $9.99 per month after a free 30-day trial.

The Xbox Music iPhone app includes a number of iOS optimized features such as the ability to multitask with Xbox Music running in the background, artist-based radio stations, and playlists that sync across all devices.

Xbox Music Pass on iPhone features:
- Stream ad-free music from a catalog of tens of millions of songs
- Add songs, albums, and playlists to your Xbox Music collection and access them from other devices
- Create playlists that sync across your phone, Xbox 360, PC, tablet, and the web
- Listen to music while using your iPhone
- Listen to artist-based radio stations
- Enjoy a rich visual experience for searching, viewing, and playing back music

According to Xbox Music general manager Jerry Johnson, who spoke to The Verge, Microsoft plans to update the Xbox Music app every four to six weeks. One of the first updates will include support for an offline mode.

Microsoft's expansion of Xbox Music comes as the company prepares to launch the service on its upcoming Xbox One console, which will be released on November 22nd.

Xbox Music is a free app and can be downloaded on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Popular iOS game Dots has been updated to add a new gameplay option called "Gravity Mode" that will be available for one week, along with with improvements in speed and battery life.

Specifically, the new mode is sponsored by company General Electric to celebrate "Gravity Day", and features no time limits or restrictions along with the addition of a "gravity button" which shuffles the dots based on the the angle and tilt of the phone.

Betaworks executive Paul Murphy spoke about the new mode to The Verge:

Gravity mode will arrive this Sunday on Android and iOS and be available for one week. Betaworks' SVP of product, Paul Murphy, describes how it will work. "You can think of it like a 'zen' mode for Dots. No timers, no restrictions, just connect as many dots as you'd like. If you get stuck, you can click the gravity button, which acts as a shuffler. To make it happen, our team implemented a physics engine so the dots appear to fall with gravity and move based on the angle of the phone."

The game has been very popular on iOS, hitting #1 in 20 countries. Dots is a free app and can be downloaded on the App Store. [Direct Link]

It appears that Apple plans to include support for iBooks Textbooks on the iPhone and the iPod touch with the launch of iOS 7. As noted by 9to5Mac, the iOS 7 App Store includes a new "iBooks Textbooks" section in the educational category.

The section is currently unpopulated, but it does contain the framework for future textbook offerings. There are a number of subject headings, including Humanities, Life Sciences, and Physical Sciences, which include promotional graphics optimized for the iPhone. Section headings are also populated, advertising a number of book bundles like "High School Core Curriculum" and "School Yourself Hands-on Calculus."

The appearance of iBooks Textbooks in the App Store comes following an iBooks Author wording change suggesting Apple could be adding iPhone support for content created with the iBooks Author app. While the wording was later changed back to specify that such content was viewable only on the iPad, the wording has been changed once again to include all iOS devices with iBooks 3.0 or later.

iPhone support for Textbooks and other iBooks Author content is a logical step for Apple as it continues its educational push to get more iOS devices in classrooms. The company has signed several major educational deals in recent months and it has also changed its iTunes Terms and Conditions to allow students under age 13 to create educational iTunes accounts for the first time.

Apple is also planning to expand the reach of its iBooks with Mavericks, introducing an iBooks Mac app for the first time. The app, which is geared toward students, includes a number of study tools like automatically generated note cards and simple note-taking capabilities. iOS 7 is expected to be release shortly after the launch of the new iPhones on September 10, with Mavericks expected somewhat later in October.

Update: The Textbooks section has now been removed from the iOS 7 App Store.

BlackBerry Messenger for the iPhone was submitted to the App Store two weeks ago, which means the launch could be coming at any time pending approval from Apple. The news was announced this afternoon by BlackBerry Social Media Manager Alex Kinsella.

BBM, which functions similarly to Apple's iMessage, was one of the first proprietary mobile messaging services and remains popular to this day with more than 60 million active monthly users.

BlackBerry first announced the iOS version of BBM in May, and sent out beta invites to the service in early August.

Two weeks ago, BlackBerry posted a user guide for the app, detailing the how the service works, its available features, and how to create an account. The app was expected to be launched shortly after the guide was posted, but it appears that it is still under review.

It is not clear why BlackBerry Messenger is still stuck in the review process after two weeks, as Apple typically finishes app reviews within five business days.

BlackBerry will have a lot of competition in the messaging space on iOS. In addition to iMessage, there are a number of other third-party messaging services that have soared in popularity over the last couple of months, including LINE, Whatsapp and WeChat.

Microsoft today updated its OneNote app for the iPad to version 2.1, allowing users to create new notebooks within SkyDrive for the first time. In-app notebook creation means OneNote for iPad can now be used as a standalone product without the need for a PC connection.

Previously, users were not able to create new notebooks within the app, meaning that a desktop or web version of OneNote was necessary. Now users can add, rename, and delete their notes directly on the iPad. Unfortunately, while the iPhone version of OneNote did receive an update to decrease the size of the app, it did not receive the same standalone functionality.

In addition to the ability to create notebooks, the iPad version of OneNote has also received improved Japanese typing responsiveness, automatic list detection, and bug fixes.

- Create new notebooks within SkyDrive
- Create, rename or delete sections
- Improved Japanese typing responsiveness
- Automatic list detection
- Bug fixes

OneNote is available for free for the iPhone or iPad. [Direct Links: iPhone/iPad]

With Apple's media event still four days away and the launch of new iPhone hardware likely two weeks away, campers are already starting to line up at the company's flagship Fifth Avenue retail store in Manhattan.

While early lineups are frequently done as promotional stunts rather than campers arriving simply as devoted fans, with some early campers at past launches even receiving sponsorships to promote brands while they wait, it seems that the bar is continually being raised with campers now arriving even before Apple has announced anything.

Two representatives from Cincinnati-based SellYourMac arrived on the scene today to begin what they hope will be a two-week campout, only to find that they were not the first people in line at the Fifth Avenue store, which generally serves as one of the most high-profile launch sites due to its iconic design and 24-hour operation. Two other campers claimed their spots at the front of the line last night, settling in for the long wait.

According to Sell Your Mac's Jon Murphy, the campers have yet to have any discussions with Apple's store staff about their plans, but the line is forming in its usual spot on the plaza outside the store's landmark glass cube.

Apple's media event is scheduled for next Tuesday, with rumors and speculation pointing to a launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C in the United States and other first-wave countries on Friday, September 20.