MacRumors

Earlier this week, Business Insider reported that all Apple retail store staff would be receiving raises of at least $4 per hour, a claim that the site later backpedaled from somewhat as other sources from the company's stores reported in to note that they had heard nothing of the sort.

But Dow Jones Newswires is now weighing in with its own claims that Apple is indeed raising staff pay by "as much as a quarter of their wages".

Employees began learning of the raises in face-to-face meetings with managers last week, according to three Apple employees in various regions across the U.S. The raises, which are based on performance, will begin appearing in paychecks around the middle of July, two of these people said. [...]

The overwhelming staff complaint during an internal review was wage levels, one employee said. Higher-level retail staff, such as its "Genius" tech support teams and "Creative" educational teams were among the most frustrated, this person said. At one store, another employee noted, a nearby competing Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) retail shop had begun poaching employees by offering promotions and higher wages.

The report notes that sales staff at Apple retail stores are currently paid between $9 and $15 per hour before the forthcoming raises are factored in, with Geniuses at the high end of the pay scale earning as much as $30 per hour.

It is unknown just how the raises will be distributed across staff and what proportion will be closer to the 25% end of the raise spectrum, but it is clear that Apple is making a significant effort to increase wages for its retail store workers in order to help retain staff and increase satisfaction amid booming sales and retail store traffic.

A number of MacRumors readers are reporting that iCloud services are currently down, and based on the number of reports it appears that the outage is quite widespread. Apple's iCloud system status page is currently acknowledging access issues, although there is no estimate of the proportion of iCloud users being affected.

Beyond iCloud, Apple's iMessage service also appears to be down, with messages failing to go through as the sending process hangs prior to completion.

Update: Users are also reporting problems with Apple's developer portal and iTunes Store access, although pieces of Apple's online services do appear to be coming back online. We're even hearing that Apple may have experienced Internet issues for its own employees at its Cupertino headquarters.

Update 2: Apple has updated its iCloud system status page to note that "some" users are affected and that service will be restored "ASAP".

Update 3: Roughly two hours after reports of the issues began surfacing, Apple now notes on its iCloud system status page that all services are back online.

Other World Computing posted this picture on their blog showing a MacBook Pro with Retina Display hooked up to a pair of iMacs serving as Thunderbolt displays and a third monitor via HDMI. This setup powers four screens with a total of 15,680,000 pixels.

The writer of the post, OWC Mike, seemed impressed with the performance of the MacBook Pro:

Moving images and media didn’t create any lag and we were able to play video on all four displays simultaneously.

Apple officially supports hooking three monitors into the Retina MacBook Pro, noting in the Thunderbolt ports FAQ in its Support Knowledge Base:

MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012) can support an HDMI-compatible device on its HDMI port while also using two Thunderbolt displays.

This makes the Retina MacBook Pro the first Mac -- other than a tower-based workstation like the Mac Pro -- to natively power four displays simultaneously.

As it has done in some previous years, Apple is again offering free summer camps for kids at its retail stores, focusing on filmmaking using iMovie. Each session of the camp, which is targeted at children ages 8-12, includes two 90-minute weekday workshops where students will learn about filmmaking and then create their films in iMovie using footage shot themselves. The session concludes with an optional Saturday morning film festival in which participants can screen their films for friends and family.

At Apple Camp, kids ages 8-12 learn how to shoot their own footage, create an original song in GarageBand on an iPad, and put it all together in iMovie on a Mac. This free workshop, held at Apple Retail Stores, spans three days and ends with campers debuting their masterpieces at the Apple Camp Film Festival. Space is limited and workshops fill up quickly, so sign up now for a super-creative adventure.

The first camp groups begin on July 23, with stores offering as many as 12 separate groups between then and late August to help meet demand. Camps groups are, however, already filling up at some locations, and those interested in participating should move quickly to secure spots at the locations of their choice.

Signups are currently available for programs at Apple retail stores in the United States and Canada. Apple's European, Chinese, and Japanses sites indicate that schedules and signups should be coming soon for summer camps, while Australia will see its camps arrive in September.

It's been a busy week of Apple teardowns for iFixit, with the firm announcing today that it has completed its work on the non-Retina version of the Mid-2012 MacBook Pro.

Given that the non-Retina version has retained the same form factor for a number of years, there are few changes to the internal layout of the components, but a fresh look inside now that the redesigned Retina MacBook Pro has been released offers some interesting comparisons of how Apple is working to reduce the size and weight of its machines.

In particular, iFixit focuses on the hard drive and RAM differences between the two machines, noting that the proprietary solid-state drive used in the Retina MacBook Pro measures only 3.16 mm thick compared to 9.45 mm for the traditional hard drive in the non-Retina version. On the RAM side, Apple has soldered the chips directly to the logic board in the Retina MacBook Pro, while the non-Retina version still retains removable RAM modules in a stacked configuration measuring 9.15 mm thick.

While the Retina MacBook Pro received iFixit's lowest repairability score ever for a notebook at just 1 out of 10, the non-Retina version receives a score of 7 for its use of mostly-standard screws and its easily-accessible battery, optical drive, hard drive, and RAM. But as evidenced by the popularity of the MacBook Air and the strong reception to the Retina MacBook Pro, repairability and upgradability appear to be taking a back seat to size and weight savings in the minds of consumers as Apple pushes the envelope with highly-customized components fabricated to meet the company's design goals.

Just days after the conclusion of its 2012 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco, Apple has posted the full set of session videos to its website and iTunes. Access to the videos requires a minimum of a free Registered Apple Developer account.

With over 100 sessions available, the videos are a significant resource for those looking to learn more about developing for OS X and iOS. The quick turnaround on posting the videos is helpful for developers who were unable to attend WWDC, especially given that the conference sold out in less than two hours this year.

Apple used to charge several hundred dollars for the videos, but ended that practice in 2010 as the company restructured its developer programs to lower the cost of entry and its increasing popularity led to conference sell-outs that prevented some willing developers from attending in person.

Earlier this year, Apple completely revamped iTunes U with new iPad and iPhone apps as well as new tools that allow teachers to include assignments, books, quizzes and syllabuses with their iTunes U courses.

Now, Stanford is taking that a step further by linking the Piazza social learning platform with one of the most popular iTunes U courses -- Professor Paul Hegarty's iPad and iPhone App Development [iTunes Link].

The new social media aspect of the course builds on a technology many students already use: Piazza, a social learning platform. Stanford students taking the classroom version of Paul Hegarty's programming course, on which the online course is based, have used Piazza.

Earlier versions of the 10-week apps course have proved enormously popular, with individual lecture videos downloaded more than 10 million times.

The inclusion of Piazza will enhance the learning experience, said Brent Izutsu, Stanford's program manager for iTunes U. "There is an enormous potential for collaboration and community-building though Q&A and problem-solving with friends from across the globe," he said.

Those enrolled in the iTunes U class are expected to answer questions as well as ask them, while the course captains facilitate discussions and drive students toward correct answers.

The course follows the iOS 5 course from the Fall 2011 semester that's currently on iTunes U -- Stanford is taking those lectures and using Piazza to improve the experience for users taking the class across the same 10 week period.

We hope that the ability to ask and answer questions online will help even more people learn - increasing the value of the materials Stanford has already made available. We also think having peers will make it more fun, and will make you more likely to keep going when the going gets tough.

The course will run June 25 to August 16. Registration is free and closes July 6.

Following yesterday's news that Apple was preparing to begin seeding versions of OS X 10.7.5 to developers, the first of those developer seeds has now been released. This first version arrives as Build 11G15 and asks testers to focus their efforts on the following areas:

- Graphics performance and quality
- Image & Media importing, editing or viewing
- Networking reliability & performance

The build weighs in at 937 MB for the delta version and 1.87 GB for the combo version that can be used to upgrade from any prior version of OS X Lion.

There are no known issues associated with this build, but a timetable for a public release is unknown. Apple has announced that it will be launching OS X Mountain Lion sometime next month, and it is likely looking to release OS X 10.7.5 before that time, although the company has occasionally released maintenance updates for its operating systems even after their successors have launched.

As part of its iOS 6 preview at last week's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple announced that it would officially be bringing its FaceTime video calling feature to cellular networks, significantly expanding the usability of the feature for users on the go.

FaceTime now works over cellular networks as well as Wi-Fi, so you can make and receive FaceTime calls wherever you happen to be. You can even make and receive FaceTime calls on your iPad using your phone number. That means you can use FaceTime wherever you are, on any device. And never miss another wink, smile, air kiss, or eye roll.

But as with other carrier-dependent features like tethering and personal hotspot, FaceTime could still find itself subject to limitations imposed by the carriers.

MarketWatch takes a look at the impact of FaceTime over cellular, noting that it could soak up significant amounts of cellular bandwidth just as carriers are moving to refocus their service plans to emphasize data usage over calling minutes. But so far the carriers are silent on how and even whether they will support FaceTime on their networks.

The carriers that offer the iPhone wouldn't comment on their plans for offering FaceTime on their networks, but an AT&T spokesman said the company is "working closely with Apple on features disclosed for iOS 6, and we'll share more information with our customers as we get closer to launch."

The report notes that with customers being shifted to tiered data plans on most carriers, carrier concerns over FaceTime usage may be lessened, but it still remains to be seen just how they will handle the new functionality and how it will impact their networks.

Apple's small-print footnotes on FaceTime in iOS 6 mention only that "carrier data charges may apply", making no disclaimer that the feature could be not supported at all by certain carriers. And with FaceTime over cellular networks working under the iOS 6 beta, it seems likely that carriers will support the feature and simply rely on customers' data caps to keep usage in check or increase revenue through higher-cost plans.

Last week, the teardown experts at iFixit took a look at the new Retina MacBook Pro, noting how Apple used a number of innovations first deployed in the MacBook Air to reduce the machine's thickness but in the process hampered users' ability to repair and upgrade components.

As it notes on its blog, iFixit has now taken apart the Retina display itself to further examine the steps Apple took to mount the breakthrough 2880x1800 display within the thin lid of the notebook.

The Retina display is an engineering marvel. Its LCD is essentially the entire display assembly. Rather than sandwich an LCD panel between a back case and a piece of glass in front, Apple used the aluminum case itself as the frame for the LCD panel and used the LCD as the front glass. They’ve managed to pack five times as many pixels as the last model in a display that’s actually a fraction of a millimeter thinner. And since there’s no front glass, glare is much less of an issue.

With the LCD so tightly integrated into the display assembly, iFixit actually broke the LCD in the process of trying to disassemble it, noting that anyone looking to replace their display would need to replace the entire assembly instead of trying to swap in a new LCD panel.

The teardown documents the full range of features used to keep the display slim and light while delivering crisp images on the ultra-high resolution screen, including routing of cables through hinges, 48 LEDs at the bottom of the screen to light the display, and various diffuser, prism, and polarizing sheets to generate the screen's images.

The new Retina MacBook Pro remains in high demand amid tight supplies, with shipping estimates for new orders through Apple's online store remaining at the 3-4 week figure reached less than two days after the machine debuted.

Apple today posted a new television ad for the new iPad called "Do It All". The Retina Display is the focus, with a number of different apps sharing the spotlight.

Send a note. Stay informed.

Catch a show. Make your point.

Make a memory. Make a masterpiece.

Read something. Watch something. And learn something.

Do it all more beautifully, with the Retina display, on iPad.

This is the second television spot that Apple has released for the new iPad. The first, released in March after the introduction of the product, was titled "This Good". It also focused on the new Retina display. Last week, Apple released an ad for the new Retina MacBook Pro that also focused on the screen.

Microsoft today unveiled a major tablet initiative to compete with Apple's iPad, Google's Android, and its own PC hardware partners.

The Microsoft Surface is a 10.6" tablet powered by Windows 8, coming in two distinct versions -- both equipped with touch screens. One will be powered by an ARM processor and will be more like a traditional tablet running Windows RT. The other will be powered by Intel's 22nm Ivy Bridge chips running the desktop version of Windows 8.

As reported by The Verge:

The Windows RT version is just 9.3mm thin, weighs 1.5lbs, includes a built-in kickstand and is the first PC with a vapor-deposited (PVD) magnesium case, according to Microsoft. It will ship in 32GB or 64GB versions.

Microsoft's Intel-based Surface tablet will run Windows 8 Pro, with a thickness of 13.5mm, a weight of 1.9lb, and USB 3.0 support. This particular version will also include magnesium casing and a built-in kickstand, but will ship with either 64GB or 128GB storage. The Intel version will include additional digital ink support through a pen that magnetizes to the body of the tablet.

In addition to the tablet itself, Microsoft will sell two Smart Cover-like devices that attach magnetically to the Surface. Unlike Apple's add-on, which serves only as screen protection and as a stand, Microsoft's Touch Cover and Type Cover turn into a full-sized keyboard complete with a built-in trackpad. Microsoft says using the Touch Cover is "twice as efficient as typing on glass", a clear shot at the iPad's on-screen keyboard.

Microsoft did not share any information on pricing or availability, saying both the ARM and Intel editions would be price competitive with like products.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing made today, Liquidmetal Technologies announced that it has extended its agreement with Apple to effectively license its ongoing intellectual property development for an additional two years.

The agreement, which is funneled through a subsidiary known as Crucible Intellectual Property, LLC, provides Apple with a full license to all of Liquidmetal's intellectual property for commercialization in consumer electronics. The original deal required that Liquidmetal submit all of its intellectual property discoveries to the subsidiary through February 5, 2012, but the new amendment effective as of last Friday extends the agreement through February 5, 2014.

Under the MTA [Master Transaction Agreement], the Company was originally obligated to contribute to Crucible Intellectual Property, LLC, a special purpose subsidiary of the Company, all intellectual property acquired or developed by the Company through February 5, 2012, and all intellectual property held by Crucible Intellectual Property, LLC is exclusively licensed on a perpetual basis to Apple for the field of use of consumer electronic products under the MTA. Under the Amendment, the parties agreed to amend the MTA to extend the February 5, 2012 date to February 5, 2014.

The foregoing does not purport to be a complete description of the Amendment and is qualified by reference to the full text of such agreement, which will be filed with the Company’s next Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Apple acquired the rights to Liquidmetal's amorphous metal alloys in August 2010 after having tested the material in the iPhone 3G SIM eject tool. But broader use of Liquidmetal's alloys, which offer improvements in strength and durability over current alloys while proving easy to cast into complex shapes, is likely several years off.