MacRumors

Apple is leading the way in the adoption of sapphire, with the company producing the material in limited quantities in its new Arizona plant. A portion of this material is expected to land in the iPhone 6 and possibly the iWatch as a scratch-resistant display material. According to Korean media reports (via GforGames), both Samsung and LG are showing renewed interest in sapphire following Apple's early success in manufacturing the material.

This year however, the aforementioned Korean tech giants might be forced by the industry to reconsider their decision. With numerous other gadget manufacturers putting a lot of thought into making sapphire glass feasible, and with Apple already operating the sapphire glass processing plant in US, Arizona, LG and Samsung are supposedly going to jump on the sapphire display bandwagon sooner rather than later.

Sapphire may be a critical component of Apple's rumored iWatch, providing an outer scratch-resistant layer to the wrist-worn device. Recent rumors also suggest Apple may incorporate a sapphire crystal display into its upcoming iPhone 6. A recent research note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests the initial supply of sapphire displays could be limited, forcing Apple to use the material only in select high-end models of the upcoming handset.

Transcend has introduced new JetDrive Lite expansion cards designed to increase the storage capacity of the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro with Retina display. The cards provide up to 128 GB of additional storage for less than $100.

The new JetDrive Lite expansion cards are tailor-made with a flush design that matches the case form factor of both the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro models. This on-the-go storage solution offers read and write speeds of 95MB/s and 60MB/s, respectively.

With their substantial amount of storage space, Transcend's JetDrive Lite expansion cards provide plenty of space to backup, store, and carry personal documents, photos, movies, and music.

[...]

When inserted into the card slot of a compatible MacBook Pro with Retina display or MacBook Air, the low-profile JetDrive Lite will not stick out like an SD card and can be left in place for on-the-go storage.

The company offers separate products for the different MacBook models due to design differences between the machines. While the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro can be upgraded to 64 GB and 128 GB capacities, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro is limited to 64 GB.

Bringing "culturally aware" managers to Apple is a big part of why Apple is interested in acquiring Beats, according to a new report from TechCrunch.

The piece claims that Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre are the big prizes at the company, and that it fits with Tim Cook's recent hiring of high-fashion managers like Angela Ahrendts from Burberry, wearable expert Ben Shaffer from Nike, and Paul Deneve from Yves St. Laurent.

Dre and Iovine have design and marketing savvy from Beats that could be significant for the company, which has struggled somewhat with its marketing efforts since Steve Jobs has passed away.

A well-placed source has confirmed rumors that Apple’s acquisition of Beats “is happening” but was close to falling apart multiple times. The source said with “70% certainty” that Apple’s planned multi-billion acquisition of headphone maker Beats will go through. But Apple isn’t buying Beats for the technology, they’re buying the talent.

“They want Jimmy and they want Dre,” said the source. “He’s got fashion and culture completely locked up.”

In a separate TechCrunch piece, a different reporter says Apple is looking to operate Beats as an external streaming music service to avoid cannibalizing its iTunes download business.

Reportedly, it's not that Apple is worried about losing its 30% cut of song downloads, but Apple launching a streaming music service could decimate the more than $1 billion that iTunes generates for record industry revenues.

Because it’s deeply conscious that pumps a lot of blood into the music industry. My source says iTunes execs started deeply considering streaming at least two years ago. They realized a sudden move for iTunes from downloads to streaming could lead to dark days for the record business, reducing musical inventory – and revenue – accordingly.

The piece argues that Apple may be looking to grow its streaming business on the side as iTunes music downloads drop, and that the company is looking to "bridge the download and cloud eras gracefully."

It says Apple executives are looking to strike a deal with record labels that would allow the company to sell a subscription music service for $5 per month, half of what Spotify charges, but with a higher cut of revenues.

Supposedly the acquisition will be announced soon, perhaps during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on June 2.

Microsoft's design manager for Office for iPad has posted an interesting piece discussing the company's design philosophy behind the software.

The software, released back in March, has been well received by both users and critics. It's seen more than 27 million downloads and has already seen a significant update to add features that weren't ready for launch.

Han-Yi Shaw writes about the scenarios that the team imagined Office for iPad users would find themselves in, as well as the user experience goals they had:

- Familiar Office experience, with no learning curve
- Unmistakably Office, optimized for iPad
- Immersive and removes distractions
- Document content, not UI, takes center stage
- Experience is always beautiful, fast, and fluid

The purpose of a familiar Office experience is simple: a low learning curve and high user confidence. However, it’s just as important to strike a balance between “unmistakably Office” and “platform optimization,” which means optimizing for iOS platform conventions and touch-first user expectations. The most important, yet challenging, goal was finding the sweet spot between the essence of Office and iOS. Fortunately, since the Office for iPad and Mac team (formally known as the Macintosh Business Unit) is made up of Apple platform specialists, we were able to apply our deep knowledge of Apple platforms to the task.

The piece talks about how Microsoft redesigned The Ribbon -- the control strip at the top of all Office programs -- to mesh with Apple's design philosophies following the release of iOS 7. "That meant stripping out extraneous detail," said Shaw. "If there was a visual treatment or text label that wasn't absolutely necessary, we stripped it away."

The full piece is an interesting peek behind the curtain for designers and anyone interested in how software used by millions of people gets built.

Office for iPad is available from the App Store. [Direct Link: Word, Excel, PowerPoint]

Recent weeks have seen a number of cases and physical mockups for Apple's rumored iPhone 6, and now we're getting a good look at the aluminum mold being used by case manufacturers as they prepare for the upcoming launch, courtesy of MobileDirect.ro.

Rather than a dummy model made to resemble the iPhone 6 directly, the mold is intended to represent the general shape of the device for the purposes of creating cases to fit the device and its physical features. As a result, the mold contains holes and depressions to allow it to be attached to machines for making the cases.

The iPhone 6 is expected to be available in two display sizes, both larger than the current 4-inch display on the last several generations. A 4.7-inch version has been rumored to be launching first around the September timeframe, with an even larger 5.5-inch model reportedly following several months later.

With just eleven days to go until the expected public unveiling of iOS 8 at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, Apple also appears to be working on an upcoming iOS 7.1.2 update, as has also been hinted at by recent statements from the company. Devices identifying themselves as running iOS 7.1.2 and coming from Apple's networks have been showing up in our web logs since last Friday.

Activity is still low, but that is typical for the early stages of update testing, particularly minor ones that may not require widespread internal or external testing. As a minor update, iOS 7.1.2 is likely to focus on bug fixes and other tweaks rather than major feature additions, and it likely will not even be put through a developer testing period before release.

The second is a long-standing iMessage issue that has recently gained new attention. The issue, which results in lost messages for those switching away from the iPhone to another device and not having their phone numbers disassociated from iMessage, has been worsened recently by server problems. Just today, Apple reported those server problems have been fixed and that it will be including "an additional bug fix in a future software update".

For both of these issues, iOS 7.1.2 would be the first iOS update since Apple's promise of fixes, so it's reasonable to assume those problems will be addressed in the forthcoming update.

While Apple is expected to preview iOS 8 at its June 2 keynote and begin making builds available to developers, a public release of iOS 8 is not expected until around the September timeframe, in line with the release of new iPhone hardware. Apple has on occasion continued to release updates to iOS after it has begun developer testing of the next major version, but these updates have historically been specialized ones targeting significant performance or security issues rather than broader sets of improvements.

Heading into WWDC, traffic from devices on Apple's network identifying themselves as running iOS 8 has been rising fairly steadily in recent months, while OS X 10.10 traffic has been fairly stable.

Algoriddim, makers of the popular DJing software Djay, have solved one of the app's biggest problems with a new update out today. Thanks to a new partnership with Spotify, the subscription music service, Djay now offers direct access to Spotify's full music library of more than twenty million songs.

Previously, users could only mix and play songs that were stored locally on their iPhone or iPad, which was fine for professional DJ's using the software, but a significant limitation to users looking to play around at a backyard barbecue.

With twenty million songs at their fingertips, users may feel overwhelmed by the choices at hand -- but Djay and Spotify have a solution to that problem too. Earlier this year, Spotify acquired The Echo Nest, a "music intelligence company" that analyzes songs to recommend songs that would go well together.

As a result, Djay will analyze a currently playing track and make recommendations based on BPM, key, musical style, and how well a song mixes with the current track. There is also an Automix Radio feature that will automatically pick and play songs that go well together, beatmatching them for DJ-style transitions.

The Spotify integration, a relative rarity for standalone apps, shows what Apple could be looking for with its rumored Beats music service acquisition. A subscription music service API built-in to iOS could unleash a whole new category of apps to give the iPhone and iPad a unique differentiator from Android, especially if Apple were to bundle the service into the cost of the device itself.

“Having more than 20 million songs instantly at your fingertips is a DJ’s dream come true. It gives djay 2 users endless creative possibilities and elevates the artform of DJing to a new level,” says Karim Morsy, CEO of Algoriddim. “The power of The Echo Nest driving track selection brings a new tool to the DJ that I could not have ever imagined possible. It truly helps to discover, explore, and find great new music that sounds amazing together.”

“Not only can Spotify Premium users DJ millions of songs, but they'll also enjoy real-time, intelligent suggestions on what to play next, powered by The Echo Nest's analysis of all the music on Spotify,” says Sten Garmark, VP of Product at Spotify. “Djay 2 will help DJs and regular music enthusiasts, regardless of their skill level, select the perfect songs for their set - or simply lean back and let djay 2 turn any Spotify playlist into a slick DJ set for parties or private listening."

Djay owners looking to use Spotify will need to sign up for a $10/month Spotify Premium account, though Djay users will be able to take advantage of a special 7-day free trial even if they have previously used a Spotify Premium trial. Premium includes ad-free music, the ability to download tracks to listen offline, and full mobile support.

To celebrate the new partnership, Algoriddim is offering Djay 2 for iPhone as a free download and Djay 2 for iPad for half-price, $4.99, for a limited time. Both are available from the App Store. Djay for Mac does not include Spotify integration, but the company didn't rule it out as a future possibility. [Direct Link: iPhone, iPad, Mac]

iPhone owners switching from their iPhone to another device often encounter an issue with lost messages that are incorrectly delivered to their inactive iPhone, instead of their new phone. This issue is a long-standing problem that was recently made worse by a server glitch, claims Apple in a statement provided to Re/code.

Apple's iMessage service allows iPhone owners to exchange messages using Apple's iMessage servers, instead of the carrier's text messaging network. The system relies on the accurate identification of the originating and recipient devices as iPhones. When this identification fails, the message delivery system falls apart.

The lost messages problem arises when an iPhone owner switches to another smartphone, such as an Android device, and keeps their existing number. In select cases, Apple's iMessage service continues to recognize the phone number as being attached to an iPhone, instead of the new Android device. This recognition mistake causes a problem with messaging as Apple's iMessaging servers will route the message as an iMessage instead of converting it to a standard text message.

Apple advises iPhone owners to turn off iMessage on their phone and uncheck the number in other iMessage-compatible devices attached their iCloud account before switching devices. This method doesn't always remove the phone number from Apple's iMessage server, forcing former iPhone owners to contact Apple to remove them from the iMessage system manually. A recent server glitch has disabled this manual removal, leaving Apple support representatives temporarily unable to fix this problem for some customers.

“We recently fixed a server-side iMessage bug which was causing an issue for some users, and we have an additional bug fix in a future software update,” Apple told Re/code in a statement. “For users still experiencing an issue, please contact AppleCare.”

Apple has not provided a time-frame for the release of this software update. Until a fix is in place, customers will have to contact AppleCare for further guidance on how to handle this troublesome issue.

Apple has agreed to lease a new seven-building campus in Sunnyvale, CA, where it could move up to 1,450 employees, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

In the most recent expansion, Apple intends to occupy a 290,000-square-foot office complex known as Sunnyvale Crossing that is near the corner of Central Expressway and North Wolfe Road. Menlo Park-based Lane Partners bought the complex and then proceeded with a renovation to transform the decades-old buildings into a state-of-the-art office center.

According to city records, Apple is currently only listed as a tenant in one of the buildings, but plans to occupy the six other buildings as well. Additionally, building permit applications have been filed for all seven of the buildings for "interior improvements", though those must be approved by Sunnyvale's city planning commission.

The new Sunnyvale campus is yet another part of Apple's plan for expansion, alongside a new two-building Santa Clara campus that would hold 1,200 employees and Apple's already iconic Spaceship Campus, which will hold around 14,000 employees and is currently under construction.

Apple has renewed exclusive rights to use Liquidmetal Technologies' metal alloys in consumer electronics items, according to a filing with the SEC.

The rights were originally purchased back in 2010, to run through February 2014. The new renewal extends the agreement through February of 2015.

On May 19, 2014, Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”) and Apple Inc. (“Apple”) entered into an second amendment (the “Second Amendment”) to the Master Transaction Agreement that was originally entered into on August 5, 2010 (the “MTA”) and amended on June 15, 2012 (the “First Amendment”). Under the MTA and the First Amendment, the Company was obligated to contribute to Crucible Intellectual Property, LLC, a special purpose subsidiary of the Company, all intellectual property acquired or developed by the Company from August 5, 2010 through February 5, 2014, and all intellectual property held by Crucible Intellectual Property, LLC was exclusively licensed on a perpetual basis to Apple for the field of use of consumer electronic products under the MTA. Under the Second Amendment, the parties agreed to amend the MTA and the First Amendment to extend the February 5, 2014 date to February 5, 2015.

According to a report from earlier this year, Apple is interested in using Liquidmetal's alloys for home buttons, touch sensors and tamper-resistant screws. The alloys possess a number of unique properties including high strength and corrosion resistance while remaining relatively light and able to cast into a variety of forms.

Released earlier this month, somewhat controversial iOS game Weed Firm quickly shot to the top of the App Store charts for free apps. The game centers around a marijuana business, with the player controlling a character responsible for all aspects of growing and selling the product.

Just as quickly as it arrived, Weed Firm has disappeared from the App Store, with the game's developer, Manitoba Games, tweeting yesterday that the game would be removed for "a few days" to address "a few maintenance things". That may not be the complete story, however, as Manitoba Games has posted a note on its website (via CNET) noting that the removal "was entirely Apple's decision, not ours."

The developers don't share Apple's specific justification for the removal, claiming that while there may have been some objections to "illegal activities", Apple must have simply thought it was "too good" of a game as there are a number of other marijuana-themed apps available in the App Store.

We guess the problem was that the game was just too good and got to number one in All Categories, since there are certainly a great number of weed based apps still available, as well as games promoting other so-called 'illegal activities' such as shooting people, crashing cars and throwing birds at buildings.

The Android version of Weed Firm has also been removed from Google Play, but the developer claims that this is due to an issue with the app's publisher rather than any action by Google.

Manitoba Games promises that Weed Firm will be returning to the App Store shortly, although some of the more controversial aspects of the game may need to be toned down given the close scrutiny Apple will undoubtedly give the app upon review.

Apple maintains a list of review guidelines for App Store submissions, but as part of the document's broader themes the company also reserves the right to reject "any content or behavior that we believe is over the line". As such, Weed Firm may simply have been a borderline case that garnered a second look as it soared to the top of the charts. But exactly what changes Apple will require of the app's developers in order for Weed Firm to return remain to be seen.

A pair of hackers from the Netherlands and Morocco, identifying themselves as AquaXetine and MerrukTechnolog, claim to have compromised the security of Apple's iCloud system for locking iOS devices.

The hack will unlock stolen iPhones by bypassing Activation Lock, making it possible for thieves to resell the phones easily on the black market, reports Dutch publication De Telegraaf [Google Translate]. It also may provide hackers with access to Apple ID passwords and other personal information stored in Apple's iCloud service.

The hackers reportedly worked on the vulnerability for five months, studying the transmission of data between iPhone handsets and Apple's iCloud services. The pair claim to be able to unlock a locked iPhone by placing a computer between the iPhone and Apple's servers. In this configuration, the iPhone mistakenly identifies the hacker's computer as one of Apple's servers and follows instructions provided by the nefarious computer to reverse activation lock on the handset.

While the hackers did not reveal precise information on how their intercepting computer can spoof Apple's iCloud activation servers, it appears that they may be taking advantage of an SSL bug that is present in iTunes for Windows, as noted by iPhone in Canada, who spoke to security researcher Mark Loman about the issue. The previously disclosed issue was fixed in iOS 7.0.6 and OS X 10.9.2, but it appears that iTunes for Windows is still affected.

After looking into some claims of the jailbreak community, Mark Loman decided to do some investigating of his own and made a shocking discovery. SSL has two tasks: one, to verify communication with the intended server; and two, to prevent manipulation.

“The problem is with verifying the certificate. Apple appears to have deliberately left out this essential step required for proper secure communication. They fixed it last month for iOS but forgot to fix it for iTunes. But the jailbreak community is already making use of it — which is how I figured it out.”

The vulnerability reportedly allows hackers to intercept Apple ID credentials, which can then be used to unlock iOS devices that have been locked after having been lost or stolen.

Actually, the data IS encrypted. But when an attacker strips SSL during a so-called man-in-the-middle attack the AppleID account name and password can be extracted as they are sent in plain text inside SSL, Mark Loman said in an email sent to iPhone in Canada.

Using this technique, the hackers claim to have unlocked 30,000 iPhones in the past few days. The group allegedly contacted Apple about this vulnerability in March, but Apple never responded, prompting the hackers to go public with the information.

Update 10:43 AM: One of the hackers has denied that the bypass involves an SSL bug.