MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

A few times a year, MacRumors partners with MacUpdate to promote a Mac application bundle deal. MacUpdate's latest bundle includes ten apps for $49.99, with a value of $564 if they were to be purchased separately. The bundle offer has just been extended by one week, giving interested users an additional opportunity to purchase the apps. The first 15,000 buyers will also receive two-time...

Apple today released MacBook Air SMC update 1.9, along with MacBook Pro SMC Firmware update 1.8 and Retina MacBook Pro SMC update 1.1. The MacBook Air update is recommended for all MacBook Air models from mid 2012 to mid 2013 and addresses an issue that causes the battery to unexpectedly stop functioning.This update is recommended for MacBook Air (mid 2012 and mid 2013) models. This...

Apple, along with over 30 other technology corporations, investors, nonprofit groups and trade entities, have signed a letter urging the U.S. Congress to pass the Surveillance Order Reporting Act of 2013 and the Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013, announced The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) (via The Verge). Specifically, the letter [PDF link] calls for the signing of both pieces...

Dropbox for Mac has been updated to version 2.4.0, adding an iPhoto importer that allows iPhoto users to automatically import photos from iPhoto directly to Dropbox. The feature works with iPhoto 7.0 and later, and can be accessed via the Import tab in the Preferences menu. With the import option turned on, photos uploaded to iPhoto will also be saved in a "Photos from iPhoto" folder within Dro...

Amazon's digital software store is offering MacRumors readers an exclusive $15 one-time discount on software purchased through their downloadable Mac software section and Digital Software sections on Amazon.com. The discount is available using the coupon code MACR0913 which expires on October 6th at 11:59 PST. It is limited to one use per customer, and excludes games. The discount can be...

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Atari founder Nolan Bushnell held an hour-long talk at the C2SV Technology Conference which MacRumors attended today in San Jose, CA, with the two speaking about a variety of topics including reminiscing about Steve Jobs and the early days of Apple. The duo started out remembering how they first met, which was due to the influence of Jobs. Wozniak started...

Internet streaming service Netflix has announced today that it is rolling out its Super HD video quality to all Netflix members and additional devices, including the 3rd-generation Apple TV. The viewing option is of a higher quality than a standard 1080p image due to a higher bit rate stream and reduced compression, and was previously only available on select ISPs with a direct connection to...

Apple today updated its System Status page (via 9to5Mac) to include iOS Device Activations, allowing users to check whether or not the iOS Device Activation servers are online and functional. These servers are responsible for the setup and activation of new iOS devices, such as the iPhone 5s, and have experienced some outages in recent weeks. The System Status site tracks the majority of...

After announcing a refresh to its line of iMacs earlier this week, Apple has quietly increased the prices of all Mac mini configurations in multiple countries, including Australia, Brazil, and Malaysia, reports 9to5Mac. In Australia, the prices of the standard Intel Core i5 2.5GHz, Intel Core i7 2.3GHz, and Mac mini with OS X Server models are now A$749, $A999, and A$1249 respectively, up from...

Apple has been hit with a judgment for ¥330 million ($3.3 million) in a Japanese court case over infringement of a patent by the company's click wheel system used on a number of past iPod models and the current iPod classic, reports Dow Jones Business News.The Tokyo District Court on Thursday ordered Apple Inc. ( AAPL ) to pay Y330 million in damages to Japanese inventor Norihiko Saito in a...

Apple has introduced a new 'Employees on iTunes' section of the iTunes Store to showcase books, songs, movies and TV shows that Apple employees have contributed to in some manner.The section, which was first noted by 9to5Mac, is only accessible by Apple employees. Senior vice president of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue sent an email to Apple employees explaining the new program:Team,...

In addition to grand openings for new Apple retail stores in Virginia and British Columbia scheduled for this Saturday, the company will also be opening its new OEZ retail store in Munich, Germany. The store will be the company's second in Munich once it opens to the public at 9:30 AM Saturday. Apple's ifc mall retail store in Hong Kong Apple is also planning an expansion to landmark ifc mall ...

Following today's launch of updated iMacs, Apple has released an iMac (late 2013) EFI Update 2.1 for the new machines.This update is recommended for iMac (late 2013) models. This update addresses an issue which may cause a black screen to appear when installing Windows 7 or Windows 8 using Boot Camp Assistant if both an external optical drive and USB thumb drive are connected to the system....

Image editing software Pixelmator was updated to version 2.21 today, adding a multitude of new enhancements that increase the overall speed of the app.Today we are happy to release the first Pixelmator 2.2.1 update. That may sound minor in numbers, but in our little Pixelmator world, it's a major one. We've done some radical improvements behind the scenes. One of them is a new Pixelmator file...

Apple has announced that it will be holding a grand opening for its Potomac Town Center retail store in Woodbridge, Virginia this Saturday at 10:00 AM. Located right off of Interstate 95 about 20-25 miles south of Washington, DC, the new store is located in the Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, a nearly year-old outdoor shopping center anchored by a Wegmans supermarket. The new Apple...

Apple is sending emails offering refunds to customers who purchased a Breaking Bad "Season Pass" for the fifth season of the series on iTunes. In early September, Apple was sued in a class action lawsuit for failing to provide all 16 episodes of Breaking Bad season 5 to "Season Pass" purchasers on iTunes, instead only providing 8 episodes.We apologize for any confusion the naming of "Season 5"...

The Los Altos home where Steve Jobs first began building computers may be turned into a protected historical site, reports CNN. Located on 2066 Crist Drive in Los Altos, California, the house was first inhabited by Jobs and his family after they moved to the area when he was in seventh grade. In the garage attached to the house, Jobs and Steve Wozniak famously assembled the first Apple 1...

Apple today updated its iOS device configuration tool for Mac, Apple Configurator, with support for iOS 7's new set of features and restrictions. The Mac app, which was launched in early 2012, allows users to mass configure and deploy iPods, iPads and iPhones in enterprise or educational environments. The new update enables users to allow AirDrop, Control Center and Notification Center on the...