Joe Rossignol
Joe joined MacRumors in January 2015, and is now a Senior Reporter. Based out of Stoney Creek, Canada, he has been writing about Apple since 2008, with a focus on breaking news coverage.
Joe Rossignol's Articles
You Can Now Pay For iTunes and App Store Purchases With Your Phone Bill in Three More Countries
Apple has expanded mobile phone billing to Denmark, Hong Kong, and Sweden, according to an updated support document on its website. The feature is now supported by the carrier Three in each of the countries, in addition to SmarTone in Hong Kong and Telenor in Sweden. The payment method enables customers to pay for iTunes Store content, App Store apps, iBooks, and Apple Music subscriptions ...
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Questionable Rumor Says Apple May Introduce New iPhone SE at Event in Late August
A questionable rumor has surfaced today suggesting Apple could unveil a new iPhone SE next month, but it might just be more noise in iPhone silly season. The rumor comes from French-language blog iGeneration, which cited an unnamed source claiming Apple will hold a product event in late August to introduce an updated version of the 4-inch smartphone. Mickaël Bazoge, the author of the...
Apple Resumes Selling Nokia's Digital Health Products Following Settled Legal Dispute
Apple today resumed carrying Nokia's digital health products on its online store in the United States and Canada, nearly two months after the two companies announced they settled all litigation related to their intellectual property dispute. The products available to purchase again include Nokia's Body Cardio Scale, Body+ Scale, BPM+ Blood Pressure Monitor, and Thermo Thermometer. Each of...
Apple Pay Expanding to AIB in Ireland, CaixaBank in Spain, and Other Banks in UK, France, and Italy
Apple Pay continues its global expansion today with several new participating banks, and more coming soon, in France, Italy, Ireland, Spain, and the UK. In France, Apple says Apple Pay will be available later this year to Banque BCP and Arkéa Banque Privée customers, and through mobile-only banking and/or payment solutions Orange Bank, Lydia, and N26. In Italy, as promised, Apple Pay is av...
'AirBar' Accessory That Gives 13-Inch MacBook Air a Touchscreen is Now Available
Neonode today announced that AirBar for the 13-inch MacBook Air is now available to purchase for $99 at select retailers in the United States, including Fry's Electronics and Evine.com. It'll also be available online through Amazon, Best Buy, and Staples, but it doesn't appear to be in stock on those websites yet. AirBar, a CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree, is a thin aluminum bar that...
AirPods In Stock at AT&T and Verizon With Free 2-5 Day Delivery
AirPods continue to have a 6-week shipping estimate when purchased through Apple's online store, but AT&T and Verizon currently have the wireless earphones in stock online with free delivery in 2-5 business days. AT&T and Verizon sell AirPods for $159, the same price as Apple charges, but the carriers only ship to addresses within the United States, excluding P.O. boxes. AirPods...
iOS 11 Will Expand Your iPhone's NFC Capabilities Beyond Apple Pay in Several Ways
Apple at WWDC 2017 last month introduced Core NFC, a new iOS 11 framework that enables apps to detect Near Field Communication tags. Similar to Apple Pay, iPhone users are prompted with a "Ready to Scan" dialog box. After holding the iPhone near an item with an NFC tag, a checkmark displays on screen if a product is detected. An app with Core NFC could then provide users with information...
EE Extending Free Six-Month Apple Music Subscription Offer, Won't Count Against Data Caps
British carrier EE today announced it is extending its free six-month Apple Music subscription offer to all new and existing iPhone and Android smartphone customers with a pay monthly plan. SIM-only customers are also eligible. The offer begins Wednesday, July 19, and customers will be able to register for the deal with a short-code to be revealed next week. EE said any data consumed by...
Apple Has Finished Moving and Precisely Reassembling a Historic Barn At Its New Headquarters
Matthew Roberts has uploaded his latest 4K drone tour of Apple Park, the company's new headquarters in Cupertino, California. A limited number of Apple employees began moving into the new headquarters in April, but the video shows that construction is still well underway. Among the highlights are a closer look at the main circular building, Steve Jobs Theater, the visitor center across the...
Apple Launches 2017 Back to School Promotion: Free Beats With Select Mac or iPad Pro Models
Apple today launched its Back to School promotion in the United States and Canada, offering the choice of a free pair of Beats Solo3, BeatsX, or Powerbeats3 headphones to qualifying students, parents of students, and educators who purchase an eligible Mac with education pricing for a limited time. Eligible models include any MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, or Mac Pro. As usual, the...
You Can Now Try HomeKit at Dozens of Apple Stores Around the World
Apple has recently unveiled interactive HomeKit experiences in 46 of its retail stores worldwide, allowing customers to test out its smart home platform free of charge, according to TechCrunch. Interactive HomeKit demo area at an Apple Store via TechCrunch Each interactive setup consists of two vertical displays positioned behind an iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch with the Home app, which...
Apple's Education Store is Down, Back to School Promotion Incoming?
An eagle-eyed Reddit user has noticed that Apple's higher education store is currently unaccessible in countries including the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Singapore, fueling speculation that Apple could be preparing to launch its annual Back to School promotion for students and educators. "We'll be back," the page reads, which is Apple's standard message when its website is being...
Microsoft Ends Support for 'Windows Phone' After Years of Battling to Compete With iPhone and Android
Today, Microsoft is ending support for Windows Phone 8.1, effectively marking the end of the "Windows Phone" era. Microsoft released Windows Phone in 2010 and, within three years, it became the world's third most popular mobile operating system. But the platform simply couldn't compete with the likes of Apple and Google and, as of earlier this year, iOS and Android accounted for a combined...
Apple Extends Free Repairs of First-Generation Apple Watches With Detached Back Covers
If you have a first-generation Apple Watch with a separated back cover, Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will repair it free of charge, according to an internal service policy obtained by MacRumors. Apple Watch with separated back cover via Reddit user PoorSpanaway Apple recently extended the service policy's coverage period to up to three years after the original purchase date....
Apple Maps Transit Directions Now Available in Las Vegas and Western Nevada
Apple Maps has been updated with comprehensive transit data in several higher populated areas of Nevada, enabling iPhone users to navigate with public transportation directions throughout the Silver State. Newly supported areas include Las Vegas, including the nearby cities of North Las Vegas and Henderson, as well as the state capital Carson City and the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area in...
Charitybuzz Auctions Another Lunch With Eddy Cue at Apple's New Headquarters
Charitybuzz today launched an auction in which the winning bidder will have lunch with Apple's services chief Eddy Cue at the company's newly constructed Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, California. The auction has an estimated value of $50,000. Bids can be placed between now and Tuesday, July 25 at 12:01 p.m. Pacific Time, in support of non-profit organization Autism Movement Therapy,...
Still Waiting for Apple's 2017 Back to School Promotion? Here's When It's Launched in Recent Years
For over a decade, Apple has offered an annual Back to School promotion, offering higher education students, parents of higher education students, and educators incentives, such as a free pair of Beats headphones or an Apple Store gift card valued up to $100, with the purchase of a qualifying Mac, iPhone, or iPad. We've been receiving questions about the Back to School promotion for a few...
Apple Predicted to Become Trillion Dollar Company Within 12 Months
Apple's stock price has declined around 9 percent from its all-time high of $156.10 in May, but Wall Street analyst Brian White believes the recent sell-off represents "yet another buying opportunity" as investors turn their focus to the so-called "iPhone 8" rumored to launch this fall. White believes Apple remains "among the most underappreciated stocks in the world," according to his...
Apple Maps Transit Directions Now Available in Calgary and Southern Alberta
Apple Maps has been updated with comprehensive transit data in Calgary, Alberta, enabling iPhone users in the Canadian city to navigate with public transportation, including the CTrain light rail system and buses. Apple Maps transit directions are also available for buses in the smaller Southern Alberta cities of Red Deer, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat. Apple Maps enabled transit routing...
Apple Pay Expanding to Additional Banks in France, Italy, and Spain
Apple has updated its regional websites to indicate that Apple Pay is expanding to additional banks in France, Italy, and Spain. In France, Apple Pay will be available later this year at Crédit Mutuel de Bretagne, Crédit Mutuel du Sud-Ouest, and Crédit Mutuel Massif Central, which are the three regional federations of Crédit Mutuel Arkéa. Apple Pay is also coming to Crédit Mutuel Arkéa's ...