MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

During today's second quarter earnings release, Apple revealed that it continues to see high revenue growth in China, with an increase to $8.2 billion or 8 percent year-over year with Apple's Chinese retail stores included. Greater China (without the retail stores included) represented 18.8% of Apple's total overall revenue, down slightly from 19.5% in the same quarter last year. According...

Apple today issued build 12E36 of OS X Mountain Lion to developers, roughly a week after build 12E33a was released. Build 12E36 marks the fourth beta iteration of OS X 10.8.4. Apple continues to ask developers to focus on Wi-Fi, Graphics Drivers, and Safari. The update is available through the software update tool in the Mac App Store and Apple's Developer Page...

Last month, Logitech launched its G series of gaming keyboards and mice. The devices feature numerous programmable buttons, custom color backlighting, and other features designed for MMORPG players. The company has now announced that its Logitech Gaming Software is now available on OS X. The top of the line models are the $100 G700s Rechargeable Wireless Gaming Mouse and the $200 G19s LCD ...

An Apple Pop-Up Museum is set to open this weekend, at the Vintage Computer Festival Southeast in Atlanta. The museum will feature a look at Apple products throughout the years and will include several rare Apple and pre-Apple artifacts like the original Lisa and the Xerox Alto. The museum is organized into a series of different rooms, with each different section dedicated to a different era...

Apple has changed the terms of its retail store One to One service (via ifoAppleStore), which is a $99 program that gives Apple customers personal training lessons on Mac usage from an Apple employee. The new terms state that One to One customers must initiate the included Data Migration services within 60 days of purchasing a One to One membership. One to One members are entitled to Data...

In 2011, Apple announced a worldwide repair program for MacBooks with a defective bottom case, which caused the rubber surface to separate from the hard plastic casing. The program originally stated that Apple would replace the bottom case of any affected MacBook for two years from the date of purchase, but the company recently extended the replacement period to four years from the original...

Apple today issued build 12E33a of OS X Mountain Lion to developers, eight days after build 12E30 was released. Build 12E33a marks the third beta iteration of OS X 10.8.4. Apple continues to ask users to focus on Wi-Fi, Graphics Drivers, and Safari. The update is available through the software update tool in the Mac App Store and it should appear on Apple's Developer Page shortly. ...

StackSocial has launched its second 'Name Your Own Price' Mac bundle, offering 10 Mac apps to any purchasers who pay more than the average purchase price (currently $7.99). Anyone paying less than the average price receives just three apps.Additionally, ten percent of the purchase price goes to one of three charities: Child's Play, the World Wildlife Fund, or Creative Commons.The three apps...

MacHeist has launched nanoBundle 3, offering eight apps with a total retail value of $260 for $9.99. The first six are available immediately, with the final two (Little Inferno and Path Finder) being unlocked after a set number of bundles have been sold. This nanoBundle includes the following apps: -xScope ($30) -iStopMotion ($50) -Totals ($40) -Clarify ($30) -Fantastical ($20) -Clean...

A number of tidbits related to Apple's retail store initiative have surfaced in recent days, with Apple apparently making progress on several new stores in Germany and the Netherlands as it opens a new store in the United Kingdom this weekend. iFun.de reports [Google translation] that workers have begun removing scaffolding and barriers outside of Apple's first Berlin store. The site reported...

Apple today updated both of its photo editing and management platforms. Aperture has been updated to version 3.4.4 while iPhoto has been updated to version 9.4.3. The updates contain several bug fixes and stability improvements and can be downloaded via the Mac App Store or Software Update. Aperture 3.4.4:-Addresses an issue that could cause Aperture to quit unexpectedly during image...

Back in 1983, Apple's Macintosh team attended a retreat at the La Playa Carmel hotel in Carmel, California, where employee shenanigans resulted in a 30-year company gathering ban from the resort. According to SFGate, the La Playa Carmel, which is located about two hours south of Cupertino, recently lifted the restrictions preventing Apple from using the spot for corporate retreats. Apple has...

Last night, a number of employees of longtime Mac developer Ambrosia Software tweeted that they had been let go from their jobs and that the company was shutting down.However, today The Mac Observer spoke with Ambrosia president Andrew Welch who said the company is not shutting down but employees had been let go.Mr. Welch didn't say if Ambrosia is scaling back on its app lineup, but his...

Storage maker CalDigit this week announced a new portable dock called the CalDigit Thunderbolt Station, adding to the growing collection of Thunderbolt docks introduced recently from Sonnet, Belkin and Matrox. CalDigit's entry costs $199 and provides users with USB 3.0, Audio In and Out jacks, Ethernet, and HDMI in a portable aluminum case.“As Macs are getting thinner, and more portable we...

Apple today issued build 12E30 of OS X Mountain Lion to developers, eight days after the first beta of OS X 10.8.4 was released. The first build asked developers to focus on Wi-Fi, Graphics Drivers and Safari, with no issues mentioned. Registered developers can download the update on Apple's Developer Page...

Apple hasn't sold a notebook docking solution since the Duo Dock for the PowerBook Duo. However, a new campaign on Kickstarter has designed a new dock that can be used with any current MacBook Pro model, including the new Retina units.The ZenDock connects to the Thunderbolt, USB, Gigabit Ethernet, and FireWire ports, while leaving a clever gap for the MagSafe power adapter to slide through. A...

Microsoft today announced that it will end support for Office 2008 for Mac next Tuesday, on April 9.Support for Office for Mac 2008 will end April 9th, 2013. View the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy for further details, such as the support dates for this product.Microsoft recommends that affected users purchase an Office 365 subscription, which includes Office for Mac 2011 and future updates...

Sonnet has announced a new Thunderbolt dock that combines USB 3.0, SATA and eSATA, FireWire 800, audio input and output, and Gigabit Ethernet ports, a DVD or Blu-ray reader/burner, as well as a 2.5" or 3.5" 6 Gb/s SATA drive bay.The dock is available for pre-order for $400 with a DVD drive and $450 with a Blu-ray drive. Additional choices are available with hard drives built-in.Back in...