MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

Apple is considering issuing about 200 billion yen ($1.62 billion) in bonds as early as June in Japan, in what would be the company's first fundraising activity in the country, according to Nikkei. The report claims that Apple plans to take advantage of low interest rates in Japan to procure the funds, which could be used to boost shareholder rewards and expand Japanese operations."Early this...

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published a patent application filed by Apple in September 2011 (via AppleInsider), detailing a new keyboard that includes inputs for both traditional mechanical keystrokes along with a new touch-sensitive interface laid over each individual key. The so-called "Fusion keyboard" would be able to detect the traditional swipe and zoom inputs of a MacBook ...

It's nearly Memorial Day, which means there's a long three-day weekend coming up and some solid deals on Apple products from vendors who are cutting prices in the hopes of drawing customers into stores over the weekend. Best Buy's offering a can't-miss deal on the 13-inch MacBook Air and the high-end 27-inch Retina iMac is available for the lowest price we've seen. The 2014 15-inch Retina...

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster today confirmed that the asset management firm no longer expects an Apple-branded television set to launch in the future. The news comes courtesy of Munster's Company Note updates and follows yesterday's confirmation, out of The Wall Street Journal, that Apple ditched plans for such a television set over a year ago. Munster was well-known to tout beliefs that ...

Now that Mother's Day has come to an end and we're heading into June, deals have died down a bit. You can still get a decent discount on an iMac, older iPad, older MacBook Air, or Retina MacBook Pro, but when it comes to newer iPads and Macs, you might want to wait a week or two in case there are good Memorial Day discounts. The exception is the Retina iMac, which is available for the lowest...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Intrepid Bag Co to give MacRumors readers a chance to win one of the company's high-quality Journeyman Commuter Leather Messenger Bags. Priced at $379, the Journeyman is a cross-body messenger bag made from Latigo Saddle Leather in a rich brown color. The bag has a minimalist design with a simple flap held by two buckles, but it's equipped with...

Google has announced that it will be extending its policy that requires Chrome extensions to be hosted on the Chrome Web Store to all Mac users beginning in July 2015. Google says it is extending the policy, originally announced in May 2014, to protect users against unsafe Chrome extensions by malicious software developers."We originally did not enforce this policy on the Windows developer...

Apple subsidiary FileMaker today announced FileMaker 14, a new version of its database development platform for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows-based PCs and the web. FileMaker 14 contains several new features for developers, including a new Script Workspace for faster automation of common business processes, a redesigned FileMaker WebDirect, new app-like Launch Center interface, an enhanced iOS...

As we head into the second week of May, deals on Macs and Apple accessories continue to be good. It's an excellent time to buy a newer MacBook Air or Retina MacBook Pro, or pick up an older 2014 model at a cheap price. There are some limited deals on iPads this week, and we've also rounded up plenty of Mother's Day discounts on products and a list of apps that can be purchased on the cheap. ...

Apple today released Safari 8.0.6 for OS X Yosemite, bringing new security fixes to the browser. Apple has also released Safari 7.1.6 for Mavericks users and Safari 6.2.6 for Mountain Lion users. According to a security support document, the update addresses several WebKit vulnerabilities that could lead to arbitrary code execution or compromised personal information. WebKit Available for: OS X...

G-Technology's G-Drive ev ATC is its latest hard drive, offering Thunderbolt connectivity in an ultra protective package. Introduced at CES this year, the G-Drive ev ATC (ATC stands for All-Terrain Case) is shock/dust resistant, waterproof and pressure resistant, plus it offers 1TB of storage and Thunderbolt speeds. Designed for users who need storage space that can be used in the field in...

Software maker OpenTV has filed a patent lawsuit against Apple based on accusations that several of the company's products and services, including iTunes, infringe upon five of its patents related to streaming digital video. The civil suit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and OpenTV is seeking undiclosed compensation for the alleged patent...

Happy May! Heading into the first of the month, deals on Macs continue to be good, while deals on iPads are less impressive. It's a good time to buy a Retina MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air (either one of the new models or the older 2014 models -- discounts on both are solid), but if you're looking for an iPad and can hold out for a few weeks, you might be able to get a better price. Along with...

Apple may be looking to further beef up its search platform "Spotlight" for iOS and OS X with deeper integration of Tweets and Twitter accounts, according to Twitter CEO Dick Costolo (via Macworld). Spotlight already provides some Twitter search options, letting users place an "@" symbol ahead of a name to search for an account or a "#" to search for popular hashtags on the service. Users can...

Popular image editing app Pixelmator was today updated to version 3.3.2, introducing a more powerful repair tool and introducing support for the new Photos app and the Force Touch trackpad found in the new MacBook and the recently updated 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. Pixelmator's repair tool (the bandaid icon in the app) lets users remove unwanted objects from photos in just a few minutes using ...

iSkelter has released several TechDesks that are designed specifically for Apple devices with Mac air vents and built-in slots for holding the iPhone and the iPad, and as of today, the company's latest desk, the LiftPro, is available for pre-order on Indiegogo. The LiftPro is an electric desk that can be adjusted to several different heights suitable for sitting or standing, and like all of...

iCloud Photo Library was introduced with iOS 8, but with the launch of the Photos for OS X app, it's now available on the Mac. In a nutshell, ‌iCloud Photo Library‌ is Apple's newest photo service that lets you sync all of your images across all your devices and to iCloud. ‌iCloud Photo Library‌ supports several photo and video formats, storing photos in their original format, and it makes...

For our next giveaway here at MacRumors, we've again partnered with Pad & Quill, the maker of premium MacBook, iPhone, and iPad cases and other accessories. Pad & Quill is graciously offering a package of two prizes for this giveaway – the winner will be able to choose one leather Valet Luxury Sleeve (for the 11-inch Macbook Air, 12-inch MacBook, or 13-inch MacBook Pro, or the 15-inch MacBook Pro)...