Martin Hajek has done it again. This time, he's pondered a possible Apple iPad mini strategy. "The question that I asked myself is: will Apple follow a similar s and c strategy for the iPad mini as it has for the iPhone 5s and 5c?" And then, in his brilliant way, Mr. Hajek has rendered some examples. Perhaps the addition of these colors, including gold, plus the TouchID will soon have ecstatic customers wound around the block on launch day. It could happen.

Apple’s fifth-generation iPad and second-generation iPad mini will both have 8MP cameras with larger apertures, according to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo expects both devices to launch this year. Another report from earlier today expressed doubt that the second-generation iPad mini would launch this year — and if it…

With the announcement of the new iPads approaching later this month, rumors surrounding the new full-sized iPad have centered around a thinner, lighter design, but it’s been unclear if the new tablet will sport the Touch ID fingerprint authentication system from the iPhone 5s. I’ve heard that Apple’s most recent internal next-generation iPad prototypes have lacked Touch ID sensors, so it’s unclear if it will make the cut for this year. There are a few reasons why Touch ID wouldn’t make sense on an iPad this year:

• Exclusivity to iPhone 5s could help with sales for Apple’s flagship phone. Notice the iPhone 5c doesn’t have it.
• Supplies for Sapphire Crystal are obviously...

Some users may be experiencing difficulty making purchases on the iTunes Store, according to Apple’s system status page. We’ve heard mentions of issues beginning this morning, and Apple reports trouble starting around 1:30 PM EST. Game Center and FaceTime also experienced issues this afternoon, though the former may be somewhat difficult to notice.

.@MileyCyrus knocked us out with "Wrecking Ball." Listen to First Play: Miley Cyrus, Bangerz. #iTunesRadio (US only) tw.itunes.com/fCo—
  (@iTunes) October 02, 2013

Apple’s iMessage service has been suffering turbulence for days now, which is not reflected on the system status page as it may be limited to iOS 7 users. Apple told the WSJ it is...

Promotional material for a future Fitbit device has surfaced, showing the company as creating another wrist-based fitness tracker. The Force, mimicking much of the style of the Fitbit Flex, appears not to stray too far from the path of its predecessor, but this time the tracking watch will have an altimeter and an updated display....
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The New York Times on Monday published a fascinating article detailing how smartphones like the iPhone are opening up whole new avenues of opportunities for the visually impaired.

In one profile, the Times details how the iPhone has helped Luis Perez, who is close to being fully blind, take professional photographs. In assistive mode, for example, Perez's iPhone will tell him aloud how many heads are detected in a photo, thereby ensuring that everyone who should be in the photo is, in fact, in the photo.

The iPhone of course isn't the only smartphone that helps the visually impaired, but Apple has for years demonstrated a consistent focus on making its products and features more accessible to the masses.

The Times adds:

Apple's assistive technologies also include VoiceOver, which the company says is the world's...

The latest firmware updates fix improper battery function in Apple's laptops.

With the perspective of several weeks of usage by tens of millions of users, we look at four notable hassles we and other iOS 7 users have experienced, including crashes under low battery, iMessage not sending messages, Siri failing to respond, and some subtle audio-playing bugs and design problems.

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

Apple is distributing new pre-release builds of iTunes, Safari, Java, and the OS X 10.8.5 Supplemental Update amongst employees, a report says. The Supplemental Update is said to have reached build 12F45, as opposed to the 12F42 code seen during an initial leak. Safari 6.1 is meanwhile up to build 537A134....
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One of my favorite things in the world, Cinefex magazine, has funded the digitization of its older magazines to its iPad app thanks to a Kickstarter campaign that has become the fourth most-funded publishing project on the site to date.

Cinefex, for those who don't know, is a magazine that takes a behind-the-scenes look at special effects work for Hollywood movies. Back in my film school days, I would get an issue when I could afford it, and pore over the photos and text, which took me backstage to some of the world's most talented artists, designers, animators and more.

Much of what Cinefex documented shows the evolution of effects work as well, not to mention rare glimpses into what made some of our favorite movies work. The photo of the Stay-Puft...

Having trouble with the date and time picker in iOS 7’s Clock app? It’s not you — the “hit areas” are indeed smaller, making it harder to use. Developer Sean Woodhouse deconstructs the picker in this blog post, comparing it to the iOS 6 version that may be clunkier, but is kinder to the fingers.

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

Apple has released a slew of SMC Firmware Updates for all of its MacBook computers. The updates are for all MacBook models between mid-2012 and mid-2013, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Pro with Retina display and fixes significant battery issues many users were experiencing.

MacBook Pro's SMC Firmware Update 1.8

This update is recommended for MacBook Pro (mid 2012) models.

This update addresses rare issues where the battery unexpectedly stops functioning or the system hangs when the battery charge reaches less than one percent.

MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update 1.2

This update is recommended for 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display (late 2012) models, and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display (mid 2012) models.

This update addresses rare issues where the battery unexpectedly stops functioning or the system hangs when the battery charge...

If you've been waiting to grab the newest iPhone 5c and 5s, you may want to think about getting one now -- from Virgin Mobile. That's because the carrier is offering the unlocked 16 GB models of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c for US$100 less than Apple's normal retail price, notes AppleInsider.

The 16 GB iPhone 5s normally costs $650 unlocked from Apple, but customers can snap it up for only $550 at Virgin Mobile. Likewise, the 16 GB iPhone 5c normally costs $550 unlocked from Apple, but it's currently $450 at Virgin Mobile. The new iPhones went on sale for the first time at Virgin Mobile yesterday. There's no word from the company if the prices on these 16 GB iPhones are an introductory price or the standard price--but either way, they're a great deal.

...

Today, Apple has begun seeding new versions of OS X Mountain Lion, iTunes, Safari and Java to Apple employees. The new OS X build is version 10.8.5, and it is a supplemental update to the version that was publicly released last month. Last week, we noted that Apple was preparing this new version with bug fixes for MacBook Airs, USB, and HDMI, and today’s new seed is a higher build number (12F45 versus 12F42). This indicates that Apple is making progress on the release and that the launch is nearing for customers…

In addition to...

German iCloud users can now receive push email notifications again, Apple has confirmed. The feature was restored last night after a delay of more than 19 months, caused by a dispute with Google’s Motorola Mobility which forced Apple to deactivate the notifications. Apple reportedly had to post a $132…

With rumors of an October Apple even to introduce new iPad models circulating, one report claims we may not see a Retina Display version of the iPad mini until next year. The reasoning for skipping a 2013 release is that display supplies may not be available in high enough quantities to meet Apple's needs.

The Mac Observer Spin:
Unless Apple can get iPad mini-sized Retina Displays in sufficient quantities, which doesn't seem likely based on today's report, it really may be 2014 before the company releases the next version. The full-size iPad, however, is ripe for an update and that most likely will come this month.

A senior vice president for Apple supplier Qualcomm says the 64-bit A7 chip in Apple's iPhone 5s is more a marketing gimmick than a development that will lead to real consumer benefits, but at the same time appeared to hint that the chip maker is planning a future 64-bit processor of its own.
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Apple is working on a solution for a known iOS 7 glitch that is disrupting iMessage, the Wall Street Journal reports. Some users have found that iMessages appear to go through, only to later discover that the message has not actually been delivered. “We are aware of an issue…

Author Tom Clancy has passed away at age 66.

Sam Radford talks about Apple’s 5GB of iCloud storage space and how the company has to increase the limit. I agree with Sam. Years ago 5GB was a lot of space, but if Apple wants users to utilize iCloud and all of its services, they are going to have to increase the limits.

∞ Read this on The Loop

CableLabs senior vice president of Technology Development Jean-François Mulé has a new gig working for Apple on an mystery project he called "something big." Mr. Mulé started working for Apple in September, and his experience in the cable television industry could be a hint that the iPhone and iPad maker has big plans for its Apple TV set top box.

The Mac Observer Spin:
Apple has been snatching up some serious talent this year. The company's competition in the mobile space, wearable technolog market, and home entertainment have plenty of reasons to step up their games or risk getting bowled over and left behind.

As is typically the case with any major iOS update, the release of iOS 7 has brought with it a small number of bugs. One such bug is a glitch in iMessage wherein some users aren't receiving iMessages sent to them while others are finding that they can't send iMessages at all. While restarting a troubled iOS device seems to alleviate the issue for some, this solution reportedly doesn't do the trick for everyone.

To that end, Apple late on Tuesday night confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that it is aware of the issue and plans to implement a fix in an upcoming software update.

"We are aware of an issue that affects a fraction of a percent of our iMessage users, and we will have a fix available in an upcoming software update," Apple said in a statement. "In the meantime, we encourage any users having problems to...

Part of me marvels at the coolness of this water slide. But the other side of me is just plain scared.

∞ Read this on The Loop

Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue says that Cupertino will lean on the newly-launched iTunes Radio to enhance discoverability for albums that make their streaming debut on the iTunes Store.
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German iCloud users may use push again, reports FOSS Patents. Push iCloud email went live again at 9PM local time in Germany last night, more than 19 months after Google's Motorola used a patent the company held to bar Apple from offering its iCloud users in the country the popular feature.

Google's patent was found to be invalid on four previous occasions, but the company still insisted on moving forwards with the infringement case against Apple in Germany, for which Apple had to put up a US$132 million bond. Ultimately, this will come back to bite Google in the end however, as Florian Mueller explains:

But, very disappointingly, Google again and again refused to stipulate to the only appropriate thing to do under the circumstances: an unconditional stay of the enforcement of this injunction. For a company that has criticized assertions of "bogus patents", this behavior is,...

Jawbone has put its Mini Jambox portable Bluetooth speaker, revealed by the company last month, on sale in the United States. The speaker, capable of connecting to an accompanying iOS and Android mobile app that collects playlists from iTunes, Rdio and Spotify for playback, is available to buy for $180 through Jawbone's website....
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From 9to5Toys.com:

We knew Virgin Mobile was launching the iPhone 5s and 5c today, but we weren’t expecting a $100-off starting price. That’s what’s on offer today from the Sprint subsidiary (Sprint will also knock off $100 the subsidized plans if you are a new customer – so much for loyalty benefits).

Virgin’s plans are the least expensive out there, especially considering they include unlimited data and start at $30/month.

...

Apple has begun training its AppleCare support staff on its upcoming OS X Mavericks, according to several sources. These sources say that training has begun today, and support staff will be required to learn about the operating system’s new features, installation process, and troubleshooting options for at least six hours over the course of the next few weeks…

Training on new Finder enhancements

The training is said to be similar in secrecy and style to the iOS...

Of the $1.48 trillion in cash held by U.S. non-financial companies as of June 30, Apple's $147 billion in reserves accounted for 10 percent of all companies, new data shows.
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The ongoing battle between Apple and Samsung may be more commonly fought in the courtroom than on social media, but Apple on Tuesday apparently made an exception following the publication of a report suggesting that Samsung may be artificially boosting the benchmark scores of its new Galaxy Note 3. "Shenanigans" tweeted Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of marketing, along with a link to the story in question.

Reuters is reporting that problems with the rumored retina display for the iPad Mini 2 mean that it will be available only in limited quantities when it launches this year, with full-scale production pushed into 2014.

Apple Inc will be unable to widely roll out a new version of the iPad Mini with a high-resolution “retina” display this month, people who work in the company’s supply chain said [...]

Given the time required to ramp up screen production, a retina display-equipped iPad Mini would not be available in large volumes until early next year, the sources said.

The delays are said to be due to the display suppliers – believed to be Samsung, LG and Sharp – having difficulties meeting the strict power-saving specifications...

Apple Inc. said it’s aware of a glitch in iOS 7 that is disrupting some iMessage texts and is working on a fix to quell mounting complaints after the company released the biggest overhaul of its iPhone operating system in years.

Annoyed iOS users took to Twitter and Apple’s message boards to report problems sending messages through iMessage, which provides free texting between users of Apple devices. It also converts those messages into SMS texts for non-iOS users.

Read the rest of this post on the original site »

Tim Cook says TV continues to be an area of great interest to Apple and the company has a “grand vision” for it. Could its latest hire be part of a move to realize it?

Last month, Apple hired cable television industry veteran Jean-François Mulé away from CableLabs, a sort of think tank for the cable TV industry. The company gave him the title of engineering director and assigned him to an undisclosed project that Mulé enthusiastically describes on his LinkedIn page as “something big.”

Just what that means, if it means anything, is hard to say. But given his background and expertise in cable engineering — Mulé spent the last two years as SVP of technology development at CableLabs — it seems likely that he will be involved somehow in the...

Today Jackery -- a provider of rechargeable battery products for mobile devices -- announced the launch of their latest product, the Jackery Giant+. An upgraded release of the Giant, which is a battery which offers up to 220 hours of charging time for electronic devices, the Giant+ features up to 260 hours extra operational time for one's electronic device. Easily portable, the battery weighs 10.4 ounces and measures 4.3 x 3.1 x 0.8 inches. The Giant+ can charge two devices simultaneously, and retain a charge for up to six months in standby mode. Alongside the rest of the Jackery lineup, the J...
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It's always fun to take a look back at the websites of yesteryear just to get a bit of perspective, and there may be no better example of this than Apple's homepage from 2001. The highlight of the site is a fancy graphic showing off the then-new iBook. The laptop was capable of interfacing with a whole bunch of state-of-the-art devices such as CD players, digital cameras and camcorders, PDAs and Apple's own UFO-shaped AirPort.

Of course, today, all the tasks performed by those specialized devices can be accomplished with the iPhone in your pocket. Hell, even the iBook itself pales in comparison to your handy smartphone, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't want to still have one around, just for nostalgia's sake.

...

Over the past few days, several iOS 7 users have been reporting issues with sending and receiving iMessages. A quick (partially successful) fix has been to Reset Network Settings inside of the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch Settings app. However, this mostly has only been working for outgoing iMessages.

Instead of sending as an iMessage, texts have either been reverting to SMS or just hanging without ever sending. Now, Apple has told the WSJ that it is aware of the issue and it is working on a fix for an upcoming software update:

“We are aware of an issue that affects a fraction of a percent of our iMessage users, and we will have a fix available in an upcoming software update,” Apple said in a statement. “In the meantime, we encourage any users having problems to reference our...

On Tuesday, cable industry veteran and technology development architect Jean-François Mulé revealed on his LinkedIn biography that he had been hired by Apple in September, and was the Engineering Director for a unnamed project, and described his role as "challenged, inspired and part of something big." The disclosure has re-fueled speculation that Apple may indeed produce a branded HDTV set of some kind, or at least be working on a serious revamping of the Apple TV set-top box....
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Native Instruments today announced Maschine Studio and Maschine 2.0 ñ the new flagship groove production studio and next generation of Maschine software. Considerably bigger than the original hardware, Maschine Studio provides expanded tactile control and 
new hi-resolution color displays, setting a new precedent in intuitive, hands-on, computer-based beat production....
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Q:

I have an iPhone 4S and I upgraded to the iOS 7 operating system, but I really dislike it. Is there any way to get the old iOS 6 back?

A:

No, Apple typically doesn’t allow downgrades or reversals to an older operating system. For a brief period after the new OS appeared, there was a workaround to do it, but now you can’t.

Q:

I am concerned about the security implications of allowing Siri, the Notification Center and the new Control Center on the iPhone to be used even though my phone is locked. Is there a way to prevent that?

A:

Yes, in the Settings app in iOS 7, you can block all three features from use on the lock screen. For Notification Center and Control Center, go to their sections of the Settings app and turn off the switches that say “Access on Lock Screen.” For Siri, go to the General...

Three of Microsoft's top shareholders—representing some 5 percent of the company's outstanding shares—want company cofounder Bill Gates to step down as chairman. In an exclusive report, Reuters said that Mr. Gates's presence at the head of Big Redmond's board will inhibit the adoption of new strategies and products and limit the power of the company's next CEO to make changes.

Jean-Francois Mule, who recently served as a Senior Vice President at CableLabs, has joined Apple, according to his LinkedIn profile. The move was first noted by MultiChannel News. CableLabs is a consortium made up of cable providers that works with these providers in order to bring new TV-related technologies to life. At Apple, Mule will work as an Engineering Director, but it is currently unclear was his precise role will be. Apple has Engineering Directors in many departments across the company, so it is unclear if his role will actually be connected to TV-development.

According to his...

It's a "typical Apple touch." That's what developer Matt Gemmell said about something he noticed in Touch ID, and we agree. When you have your Touch ID setting open and have multiple fingerprints registered, touching the Home button will highlight the relevant profile. We'll show you how it works.

Emily Books is an independent e-book publisher that runs its own e-bookstore with a special twist, offering readers a subscription model. For US$13.99 a month, or $159.99 a year, readers are provided with one e-book every month. If you pay all at once, you save around $7.89 a year. Now Emily Books is moving beyond the web and onto your iOS device with a new app, and it's bringing subscriptions with it.

The app is called Emily Books Reader and it mixes the subscription model of its online service with the added content of a digital magazine. Emily Books focuses largely on the works of female authors, with special attention paid to memoirs and transgressive fiction. Emily Books Reader couples each month's subscription selection with essays that deal with the book's subject and a Q&A with the author.

The iOS app...

As of 9PM local time in Germany, users in that country are finally -- after 19 months -- able to activate push email services from iCloud. The previous block was due to a patent dispute with Google-owned Motorola Mobility over a patent on a push-type messaging originally granted for beepers, and which has in the intervening months been found invalid for four separate reasons by a court in the UK, and later on in three different courts in Germany....
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Andrew Cunningham

Apple has just released a minor update for some of its recent MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs that should address "rare issues" in which a laptop's battery abruptly stops working. The MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.8, the MacBook Pro Retina SMC Update 1.2, and the MacBook Air SMC Update 1.9 all share the same release notes:

This update addresses rare issues where the battery unexpectedly stops functioning, the system does not recognize the battery, or the system hangs when the battery charge reaches less than one percent.

The SMC update doesn't appear to have any impact on battery runtime, and this isn't an issue we've encountered in our own usage or on Apple's support boards before. If you've got one of the affected systems (a 2012 MacBook Pro, either the 13-inch or 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, or...

Here's a statistic for you: Apple holds 10 percent of all the non-financial corporate cash in the U.S. 10 percent. That's not bad for a company that is clearly on its death bed and can't figure out how to sell smartphones in a way that analysts and pundits can understand. Bryan Chaffin looks at the issue.

Today Ultimate Ears introduced a major upgrade to the Logitech UE Mobile Boombox with UE Mini Boom. The new speaker is a Bluetooth streamer, with range of up to 50 feet, and the ability to pair multiple devices together for simultaneous listening through the UE Mini Boom app for iOS and Android....
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