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Apple Recognizes World AIDS Day Online and In-Store
Dec 01, 8:47PM
Apple, not known for its partnerships with third-parties, is recognizing December 1st as World AIDS Day on its website and within the Apple Retail Stores.
Apple currently sells two items associated with Bono's PRODUCT (RED) charity, a red iPod Nano and a red Smart Cover, both sold exclusively on the Apple Online Store and in the Apple Retail Store. Apple gives a portion of the purchase price of these specially branded items to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.
IFOAppleStore reports that today in the retail stores:
a select group of Specialists will be wearing and promoting the (RED) iPod nano, with a portion of the $129/$149 price going to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. Also, managers and store greeters who normally carry iPads for work will have (RED) Smart Covers protecting the devices. On the product shelves, signs will promote the Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD Headphones that are also part of the (RED) product line. There is also a special (RED) iTunes gift card available in the stores.Some stores, including the Regent Street location in London, have also colored their Apple logos red for the occasion:
In addition to its retail store efforts, Apple has put a prominent link on the bottom left of its homepage to (RED)'s 2015quilt.com.
Thanks to Sam for the Regent Street photo.
Apple Stopped Supporting Carrier IQ in iOS 5, Complete Removal Coming in Future
Dec 01, 8:37PM
In the wake of significant publicity about Carrier IQ, the mobile phone logging software that is able to transmit data back to carriers, Apple has now issued a statement to AllThingsD noting that the company stopped supporting Carrier IQ with iOS 5 on most of its products and that it will completely remove traces of the software in a future software update.
We stopped supporting CarrierIQ with iOS 5 in most of our products and will remove it completely in a future software update. With any diagnostic data sent to Apple, customers must actively opt-in to share this information, and if they do, the data is sent in an anonymous and encrypted form and does not include any personal information. We never recorded keystrokes, messages or any other personal information for diagnostic data and have no plans to ever do so.Early evidence had suggested that Carrier IQ has been able to capture significantly more information, including keystrokes and other extremely sensitive information, on Android than on iOS.
Research into Carrier IQ's functionality on iOS has indicated that any transmission of information has been limited to phone call and location information, but Apple's statement today suggests that the company has even stopped using that information via Carrier IQ, although it does collect its own anonymized and encrypted information from devices unless users have turned off the diagnostics reporting functionality.
U.S. Senator Al Franken has requested that Carrier IQ explain just what information the software is recording and transmitting and how that information is shared with carriers and potentially other parties. Earlier this year, Franken spearheaded the government inquiry into location tracking concerns related to Apple's iOS and Google's Android platforms.
Apple Researching Camera-Based Digital Handshakes for Sharing Data Between Devices
Dec 01, 7:50PM
Patently Apple points to a patent application from Apple published today that discloses the company's investigation of new methods for establishing communication between nearby devices for the purposes of exchanging data. In its application, Apple proposes the use of camera systems and identifying marks such as barcodes or even invisible ink to allow devices to recognize each other.
For example, each device can display a seed to be identified from an image taken by the other device. Using the extracted keys or seeds, each device can generate, using a same process, an identical digital handshake key. The digital handshake key can then be used to define a secure communications path between the two devices and share information securely.Apple describes a number of settings in which users might wish to quickly establish secure connections between devices, from social networking to gaming to retail transactions. Apple also describes how a user could quickly log into a device such as a computer by using a digital handshake initiated from another device such as an iPhone.
The patent application was filed in May 2010 and is credited to Apple user interface designers Marcel Van Os and Caroline Cranfill.
'iPhone' Ranks as Top Search Term on Yahoo
Dec 01, 7:38PM
The iPhone was the most searched for term on Yahoo in 2011, edging out both celebrities and the year's major news stories.
"This is the first time since 2002 that we have had a gadget at No. 1, which is an iPhone." Vera Chan, a Web trend analyst at Yahoo, said in a conference call announcing the results of the review now in its 10th year.Sony's PlayStation 2 topped the list that year.
According to Reuters, Chan "credited the iPhone with helping to facilitate political movements around the world and said the device embodied the vision of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs who died in October".
Other top searches on the list included Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Aniston, American Idol, the Casey Anthony trial, Osama bin Laden's death, and the earthquake in Japan.
Mophie and Rocketfish Recall iOS Device Battery Cases [iOS Blog]
Dec 01, 6:39PM
Two external battery cases for iOS devices are being recalled in partnership with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, one by case maker Mophie, and the other by Best Buy's house brand Rocketfish. 6,118 units of Mophie's Juice Pack Air for the iPod Touch 4th Generation are being recalled because the battery case's integrated circuit switch can overheat, posing a burn hazard. Mophie has received 110 reports of batteries becoming warm to the touch, 44 reports of cases being deformed due to heat, and 9 reports of minor burns. Cases with serial numbers beginning with TR113 through TR120 are subject to the recall.
Owners of affected cases should stop using it immediately, and contact Mophie at 877-308-4581 or via its recall website to receive a replacement product.
Best Buy's house brand, Rocketfish, is recalling 32,000 Model RF-KL12 Mobile Battery Case for the iPhones 3G and 3GS. There were 14 incidents with the case, including minor burns to 3 consumers and 4 reports of minor property damage.
Owners of the case should stop using it immediately, and contact Best Buy at 800-917-5737 or via its recall website to exchange the case for a $70 Best Buy gift card.
Survey Finds 96% of Customers Satisfied with iPhone 4S
Dec 01, 5:00PM
Research firm ChangeWave today released the results of an early November survey of over 200 iPhone 4S owners, finding that 96% of them registered as either "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied", up from 93% for the iPhone 4 following its launch last year.
Siri topped the list of most-liked features on the iPhone 4S, with nearly half of survey respondents citing it. Other positives include the ease of use, the new 8-megapixel camera, and faster browsing. On the downside, battery life issues and a lack of 4G (LTE) capability easily led the pack of complaints.
Two-in-five owners said they had experienced reduced battery life with their iPhone 4S (40%). But when asked how much of a problem this issue was for them, only 8% of all owners said it was a Very Big Problem while 20% said it was Somewhat of a Problem.ChangeWave has long focused on dropped calls as one of its metrics, and the current survey reports a dropped call rate of 2.5% for the iPhone 4S, down significantly from the 5.2% rate for the iPhone 4 just after its launch. The significant drop is due in large part to Verizon now offering the iPhone, as Verizon iPhone 4S owners reported a dropped call rate of only 1.3% while AT&T; iPhone 4S owners reported a rate of 4.1%. Sprint's iPhone 4S dropped call rate was not broken out in the survey.
Apple's Grand Central Terminal Store Opens December 9th, State Probing Lease Deal
Dec 01, 3:53PM
In line with previous rumors, Apple has officially revealed that its massive new retail store inside Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal will be opening on Friday, December 9th. The opening date was made official today with an updated message on the digital signage installed on the construction barrier surrounding the store.
Apple Store, Grand Central.One MacRumors reader has also provided us with an overhead shot of a portion of the store, revealing that Apple has installed the wood tables where it will display its products for customers to test out. A small portion of the store's Genius Bar can also be seen in the photo.
Arriving Friday, December 9.
Meanwhile, in the wake of yesterday's disclosure of Apple's lease terms for the store, which total $60 per square foot and no revenue sharing with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, The New York Post now reports that the State of New York is investigating the deal.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has launched an investigation into whether the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) gave Apple overly generous terms on its lease for the shop, which is slated for a splashy opening next week.The MTA has pointed out that Apple is paying four times the rent paid by the previous tenant, the restaurant Metrazur, and that Apple is investing in new infrastructure, including an elevator, to support the store.
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"The article in the New York Post about the MTA's contract with Apple in Grand Central Terminal is a cause for concern," DiNapoli said in a statement yesterday. "This is a prime property, and I intend to make sure that the MTA hasn't given away the store."
In addition, Apple paid $5 million to Metrazur in order to buy out the restaurant's lease, with the MTA arguing that the payment makes Apple's 10-year lease on the store equivalent to $180 per square foot in annual rent. But even considering that payment, which does not go to the MTA, Apple's lease rates remain below that of many other tenants in the terminal and well below market rates charged in other prime shopping areas of Manhattan.
Carrier IQ Logging Software Found on Many Mobile Phones
Dec 01, 7:25AM
Over the last couple of days, there has been a significant amount of press over the findings of Trevor Eckhart who exposed the presence of extensive logging software found on many Android, BlackBerry and Nokia phones. A video showing the extent of the logging was posted and is summarized by PCWorld. The software is called "IQRD" by a company called Carrier IQ.:After connecting his HTC device to his computer, Trevor found that IQRD is secretly logging every single button that he taps on the phone--even on the touchscreen number pad. IQRD is also shown to be logging text messages.It doesn't seem entirely clear what information is transmitted and used, though the presence of the software itself has generated many privacy concerns. Eckhart noted in his original findings that on his Android HTC phone, there was no way to turn off logging. He also notes that the Carrier IQ application is embedded so deeply that it can't be fully removed without rebuilding the phone from source code. Forbes is suggesting that the company may have even violated wiretapping laws based on its actions. Carrier IQ maintains that its actions are aimed at device performance only.
In the video, Eckhart shows that Carrier IQ is also logging Web searches. While this doesn't sound all that bad by itself, it suggests that Carrier IQ is logging what happens during an HTTPS connection which is supposed to be encrypted information. Additionally, it can do this over a Wi-Fi connection with no 3G, so even if your phone service is disconnected, IQRD still logs the information.
Tonight iPhone developer @chpwn reported on Carrier IQ references in Apple's iOS as well, though its logging seems to be much more in line with Carrier IQ's official statements about device performance. (The references were first spotted by Intell on our own forums). Chpwn reports:
Importantly, it does not appear the daemon has any access or communication with the UI layer, where text entry is done. I am reasonably sure it has no access to typed text, web history, passwords, browsing history, or text messages, and as such is not sending any of this data remotely.The information logged for iOS seems limited to phone call activity and location (if Location Services are enabled). Also unlike the implementation found on Eckhart's HTC, iOS users can opt out of these diagnostics by simply going to Settings -> General -> About -> Diagnostics & Usage -> Don't Send. The actually logged diagnostic data appears to be fully accessible for perusal in that same setting menu.
TUAW describes the iOS findings as "probably benign" and consistent with expected network performance diagnostics.
New Apple Board Member Bob Iger Buys $1M In AAPL Shares
Dec 01, 1:03AM
Newly appointed Apple board member and Disney president and CEO Bob Iger purchased 2,670 shares of Apple stock on the open market, according to a filing with the SEC. The average purchase price of the shares was roughly $375, valuing the purchase at $1,001,250. The large open-market purchase shows Iger's faith in the future of Apple. When he was appointed director, Iger was awarded 142 restricted stock units, or RSU's, which vest into AAPL shares in February of 2012. His wife holds 75 shares of Apple from before he was appointed director.
Non-employee Apple board members are typically paid $50,000 per year in compensation for their time, plus an annual stock award in the form of RSU's.
While a nice perk, Iger's pay as an Apple director is small change. His compensation package from Disney totaled more than $29.5 million dollars in 2010.
Hungarian Postal Service Issues Steve Jobs Commemorations [Mac Blog]
Dec 01, 12:01AM
The Hungarian postal service, Magyar Posta, is issuing a commemorative sheet bearing Steve Jobs image. The sheet, which includes a perforated stamp-sized image of Steve Jobs, will sell for 1,000 forints (about $4.40).
>From the Associated Press:
The sheet includes a perforated portrait of Jobs, while an accompanying card shows silhouettes of some of the inventor's characteristic poses and a quote about Jobs by Erno Rubik, the Hungarian architect who created Rubik's Cube and other mechanical puzzles.The sheet is strictly for commemoration however, and cannot be used as postage. 5,000 sheets will be sold starting in December from Magyar Posta's online store (Hungarian only).
Speculation on Apple's Television Set: Range of Sizes, Device Integration, Premium Pricing
Nov 30, 9:15PM
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has long been one of the strongest advocates for an Apple-branded television set, and with increasing claims of just such a product pointing to a launch as soon as the second half of next year, it seems that his persistent confidence in the idea may be panning out.
Keeping in mind that Munster does not have specific knowledge of Apple's ultimate plans for its television sets, he does have ideas about what he thinks Apple will do with the product. Business Insider reports that he shared some of those ideas at a conference this morning, going as far as to recommend that anyone thinking of buying a TV wait until Apple shows its hand. Among Munster's predictions:
- Full-fledged television set. Given that Apple seeks to streamline the user experience and its recognition that users don't really want yet another set-top box, Apple will almost certainly be going for an all-in-one solution. But given that Apple does not currently offer a full suite of television content offerings, most users will likely not be able to cut ties to their cable or satellite providers. Apple's TV will instead serve as an advanced interface that still draws upon the standard signal coming in from a cable box.
- Range of sizes and twice current pricing. Munster believes that Apple will introduce its television in a range of sizes, recognizing that customers have different needs. He also believes that Apple will price its television at approximately twice the prevailing market price of similarly-sized televisions. The price premium would cover the additional hardware and software necessary for integration with the Apple ecosystem while also preserving Apple's high profit margins in a competitive market.
- Simplicity and Apple's ecosystem. Aside from the rumored Siri voice-powered interface, Munster predicts that the Apple television will integrate with iOS devices and Apple's content ecosystem for video, games, and apps, serving as another hub for digital entertainment tied into Apple. The interface will likely include a traditional remote control, but also iPad and iPhone apps for controlling the set's features, as well as Siri voice control that seeks to remove much of the complexity of interacting with television sets. Users will simply be able to input or say "ESPN" to be taken to the sports channel rather than having to look up or remember the channel number.
In line with some of the other predictions and rumors, Munster sees the Apple television set making an introduction late next year, in time for the 2012 holiday shopping season.
Siri0us Voice Dictation Hack Removed From Cydia Over Licensing Issues [iOS Blog]
Nov 30, 9:03PM
Siri0us, a package for jailbroken iPhones that brings Siri-like dictation to previous generation iPhones, has been removed from the Cydia store. The developer was forced to remove the package after Nuance, the company that makes the voice recognition technology in Siri0us, refused to sell a license to use its offerings in the program.
iDownloadBlog reports that Eric Day, the man behind Siri0us, is looking into free alternatives to Nuance. In the meantime, there's no indication how long Siri0us will continue to work for those that already have it installed.
LTE iPad Coming to Japan Next Summer, LTE iPhone by Fall?
Nov 30, 7:48PM
Nikkei Business reports [Google translation] that Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has reached an agreement with Apple that will see an LTE-enabled version of the iPad launch next summer, with an LTE iPhone to follow in the fall. The agreement is said to have been hammered out in discussions that saw NTT DoCoMo senior executives travel to Cupertino earlier this month to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook. The two companies reportedly reached a basic agreement on bringing the next-generation iPad and iPhone to the carrier, with more specific negotiations now focusing on details such as guaranteed sales volumes. Earlier this month it was reported that Apple and NTT DoCoMo were in discussions about the iPhone but that DoCoMo was hesitant to agree to Apple's demands on unit volume and its refusal to allow the carrier to add its own applications to the device.
Apple has yet to add LTE technology, which will enable faster data speeds, to its mobile devices over battery life concerns and a simple lack of chips appropriate for Apple's needs. But with carriers such as Verizon reaching a significant buildout of LTE and other major carriers also in the early stages of rolling out the faster network technology to their customers, Apple may be looking to take advantage of forthcoming LTE chips from Qualcomm to begin supporting the technology in 2012.
'Infinity Blade II' Hitting App Store with Cutting-Edge Visuals and Enhanced Gameplay
Nov 30, 7:04PM
At Apple's "Let's Talk iPhone" event in October, Epic Games showed off some visuals from Infinity Blade II, the sequel to the company's ground-breaking and profitable title launched nearly a year ago. Infinity Blade, utilizing Epic's Unreal Engine 3, has been highly-regarded for its rich visual textures and gesture-based input in fighting scenes.
As an encore performance, Infinity Blade II is making its way into the App Store today, with our sister site TouchArcade calling it "an iOS masterpiece".
Infinity Blade 2 is a step a step or two beyond what was accomplished in the original, adding in layers and layers of next-level environmental and character texture detail on top of a ton of fantastic ambient touches -- sharper shadows, stronger lighting, and a glut of atmospheric effects bolster what's already a visual delight, especially on iPad 2 and iPhone 4S.Beyond the enhanced visuals, Infinity Blade 2 also advances the storyline of the original game and expands the combat experience to include more options and less predictable enemies.
...
It's a consistently well put together visual feast that shows off what Unreal 3, and now your new devices, can do.
Infinity Blade II has already appeared in Apple's Asia-Pacific App Stores such as in New Zealand [App Store], and should be hitting the U.S. store priced at $6.99 at 11:00 PM Eastern Time tonight.
Update: Infinity Blade II is now available in the U.S. App Store.
Terms of Apple's Sweetheart Deal for Grand Central Terminal Retail Store Revealed
Nov 30, 4:51PM
The New York Post reports on some of the details of Apple's contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for its Grand Central Terminal retail store, noting that Apple received an extremely favorable deal for the space compared to other tenants at the terminal. Among the most significant concessions made by the MTA was a lack of any revenue sharing from what has been estimated to be a potential $100 million per year sales location.
But while real estate insiders estimate the shop will rake in $100 million a year in sales, Apple won't be sharing a nickel with Grand Central's operator, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.All other tenants at the terminal with the exception of a Chase ATM branch pay a percentage of their sales to the MTA once an agreed-upon threshold has been reached. The MTA has apparently been willing to sacrifice such an arrangement in order to land Apple as a tenant, projecting that the company's presence will drive increased sales at many of the over 100 other retail stores at the terminal.
The tech giant is the only retailer in the fast-growing retail transit hub to have such a sweet lease.
Critics likewise note that Apple's $60-a-square-foot lease is well below what many other tenants are paying — including a future Shake Shack burger joint that will be shelling out more than $200 a square foot, according to the leases, copies of which have been obtained by The Post.
Apple's Grand Central Terminal retail store (Thanks, Tom!)
Apple has posted digital signage advertising the forthcoming store, with The New York Post having indicated that it will be opening on December 9th.
Apple Scrapped Completed 64-Bit Final Cut Pro 8 to Build Final Cut Pro X?
Nov 30, 3:44PM
Following the release of Final Cut Pro X back in June, Apple received a significant amount of criticism from users unhappy with the direction the company had taken with the professional-level video editing software and the many features that had gone missing in the revamp. The outcry resulted in Apple posting an FAQ on the situation and promising that updates to increase the software's functionality would be coming. fcp.co now points (via Cult of Mac) to a recent interview with RHED Pixel founder Richard Harrington in which he claims that Apple had completed work on a new 64-bit Final Cut Pro 8 product before scrapping the software to build the revamped Final Cut Pro X. According to Harrington:
There was a Final Cut 8 and it was 64bit and it was done and they looked at it and said 'This is not what we want to do, this is evolutionary, this is not revolutionary' and they killed it.Curiously, the video of Harrington's interview was removed from public view after his comment was publicized by fcp.co.
The report notes there has been no corroborating evidence of a finished Final Cut Pro 8 product, but also that there is no reason to disbelieve Harrington and that it does not appear that the comment has been taken out of context.
Update: Harrington did note in a Tweet that the comment was misunderstood and that he had merely "heard efforts were well underway then killed". He did also comment on the fcp.co article:
I do not have explicit knowledge of FCP8. Wasn't saying I did. Wasn't implying I did.Harrington's backtracking conflicts with what fcp.co's thought was a clear interpretation, but it does appear that "Final Cut Pro 8" was not nearly in as finished a form as had been initially thought from his statement.
Just repeating rumors I had heard multiple times. I had been told many times that there were efforts to bring 64 bit to the type of interface used in FCP7.
iTunes Music Store to Debut Across Latin America on December 8th? [Updated]
Nov 30, 3:12PM
The Next Web summarizes several reports from the Brazilian media claiming that Apple is preparing to launch its iTunes Music Store in Brazil and perhaps throughout Latin America on December 8th. While users in many of these countries currently have access to the App Store, they have been unable to purchase music through iTunes.According to the weekly Brazilian magazine Veja, the launch of iTunes Music Store even has a date, being scheduled for December 8th. While it seems very soon, Apple has been getting ready beyond the scenes and already closed deals with Brazilian music labels, Veja said.The report notes that the iTunes Music Store, like the App Store in these countries, will offer pricing in U.S. dollars rather than local currencies, requiring users to hold international credit cards for paid purchases. According to Veja, local currency pricing should arrive for Latin American countries in about six months. The situation is reminiscent of the one in China, where Apple initially required payment in U.S. currency for the App Store but recently began accepting the local renminbi currency.
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Veja followed up on its initial piece today, declaring that the Store will launch all across Latin America on the same date, except in Mexico where it is already available.
Apple appears to be taking significant steps to increase its presence in Brazil and the broader Latin American market, working with manufacturing partner Foxconn to launch iPhone and iPad production in Brazil in order to avoid high import taxes that have so far hampered adoption of Apple's products there.
Update: The Associated Press reports that Brazil's major music publishers organization is close to a deal with Apple, setting the stage for an iTunes Store launch by the middle of December.
Executive Director Michaela Couto of the Brazilian Union of Music Publishers tells the O Globo newspaper that negotiations with Apple Inc. are at an "advanced stage" and that iTunes could be launched in Brazil by mid-December.
Samsung Galaxy Tablet Ban in Australia Lifted, Apple to Appeal
Nov 30, 5:26AM
Sydney Morning Herald reports that an Australian court has lifted the ban of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, reversing a previous injunction.The full bench of the Federal Court - Justices John Dowsett, Lindsay Foster and David Yates - today unanimously reversed a Federal Court judge's ruling last month that Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 be banned from sale in Australia.Apple, however, was able to extend the ban until Friday at 4pm while it prepares for an appeal to the High Court.
"Samsung will be permitted to launch the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia provided it keeps accounts of all transactions involving that device in Australia," the judges wrote in their judgment.
For those who have been following the legal battles between the two companies, Apple has been trying to ban Samsung's Galaxy tablet in a number of markets due to similarities to the iPad design. In this case, Apple had previously obtained an injunction preventing Samsung from selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia. The Galaxy Tab had also been blocked in Germany.
iFixit Offers Transparent Replacement Glass Back for iPhone 4S [iOS Blog]
Nov 29, 10:17PM
iFixit has introduced a transparent glass replacement back for the iPhone 4S. The glass, which retails for $29.95, completely replaces the rear glass on the iPhone -- making it useful for replacing a broken rear back or simply for a unique look.
Depending on the age of the iPhone 4, it may need iFixit's "liberation kit" to remove the newer "pentalobe screws" from the iPhone.
The instructions for installing the rear glass are simple and straightforward for the mechanically inclined. The transparent rear panel is available for the iPhone 4 (GSM) and 4S from iFixit.
Apple Releases Safari 5.1.2 with 'White Flash' and PDF Viewing Fixes
Nov 29, 10:14PM
Apple today released Safari 5.1.2, bringing several bug fixes and other enhancements. Most notably, it addresses issues with PDF viewing and pages "flashing white".This update contains various improvements, including fixes that:Apple seeded a version of Safari 5.1.2 to developers for testing earlier this month.
- Improve stability
- Address issues that could cause hangs and excessive memory usage
- Address issues that could cause webpages to flash white
- Allow PDFs to be displayed within web content
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