Author

Michael Steeber

‪MichaelSteeber‬

Michael is a Creative Editor who covered Apple Retail and design on 9to5Mac. His stories highlighted the work of talented artists, designers, and customers through a unique lens of architecture, creativity, and community.

Contact Michael on Twitter to share Apple Retail, design, and history stories: @MichaelSteeber

Connect with Michael Steeber

‪MichaelSteeber‬

iOS 7.1 likely to unlock Apple’s upcoming iOS in the Car feature

Michael Steeber Dec 13 2013 - 12:24 pm PT

In July, we reported that Apple was already at work on iOS 7.1 and that it would build in support for the upcoming iOS in the Car feature:

We also understand that Apple is already at work on a point update (perhaps iOS 7.1 or 7.2), and this new version will begin building in support for iOS in the Car. Apple says that iOS in the Car will formally launch in 2014 with several car makers.

iOS in the Car is a feature that allows customers to attach an iOS device to a compatible car center console via either wireless protocols or over a USB cable. An iOS interface for managing Maps, Messages, and Music appears on the car’s display…

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FireCore releases Infuse 2 iOS app with all new design

Michael Steeber Dec 3 2013 - 10:00 am PT

Back in April, we reviewed Infuse, a media player application by FireCore, the makers of aTV Flash. After several feature updates, and an announcement earlier this year, FireCore today released Infuse 2, an all new version of the application with a completely redesigned user interface and a new pricing structure.

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Popular translation app iTranslate gains iPad support

Michael Steeber Nov 28 2013 - 10:01 am PT

SonicoMobile, the developers behind the popular apps iTranslate, iTranslate Voice, Files, and Languages released a new update today, iTranslate for iPad. As the name implies, iTranslate for iPad brings all the features customers have loved from iTranslate to the big screen, with an iPad optimized app.

Like the iPhone version, iTranslate for iPad lets you translate words and text in over 70 different languages, with dictionaries for many languages that offer a wide variety of interpretations and meanings, as well as a full text-to-speech conversion tool. With an in-app purchase, you can also unlock iTranslate premium, with features like Voice Recognition built in, and powered by Nuance.

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Jony Ive and Marc Newson’s special edition red Mac Pro sells for $977,000 at Sotheby’s auction

Michael Steeber Nov 23 2013 - 5:55 pm PT

The one of a kind, special edition red Mac Pro designed by Jony Ive and Marc Newson brought in a whopping $977k at Sotheby’s (RED) Auction this evening in New York. The custom Mac was estimated to sell for $40-60,000, but ended up fetching quite a bit more than its value, as did the majority of the other items sold at the charity auction. Recently, Ive and Newson shared their thoughts on the auction and design in an interview on Charlie Rose.

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Apple starts providing phone support to publishers for iBooks Author

Michael Steeber Nov 21 2013 - 2:52 pm PT

In an email sent out to book publishers, Apple has informed iBooks Author users of a new phone support system for the iBooks Publisher Support team, rolling out in a dozen countries, which will allow those with questions about iBooks Author to contact Apple directly to receive help about the application, publishing questions, and more.

The phone support system is only available in English at this time, with support hours running Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT. The introduction of this new system comes right after Apple’s recent iBooks 3.2 update, which redesigned the application for iOS 7, as well as the launch of iBooks for Mac in OS X Mavericks.

Apple issues AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule firmware update with fixes for WAN connectivity and USB hard drives

Michael Steeber Nov 21 2013 - 12:37 pm PT

Apple issued a minor firmware update today to address issues specifically related to customers using USB hard drives with their routers, and fixes for intermittent loss in WAN connectivity as well as issues that may cause a network loop. You can view the full release notes below:

Addresses an issue that prevents a USB hard drive connected to an AirPort Extreme from appearing as an available disk in Time Machine
Resolves an issue that may intermittently cause a loss in WAN connectivity
Resolves an issue that may result in a network loop

If you own an AirPort Extreme or Time Capsule, you can view more information about grabbing new firmware updates here.

Apple once again teams up with The Global Fund to offer an exclusive iTunes album

Michael Steeber Nov 16 2013 - 5:58 pm PT

Apple has opened pre-orders on a new exclusive album on the iTunes Store, titled “Dance (RED) Save Lives, Vol. 2”. The album, which is expected to debut on November 25th, is in support of the Global Fund, with 100% of proceeds being donated to the cause. Apple promoted Volume 1 of the album last year, with proceeds benefiting the same cause.

Notable artists who have tracks featured on the album include Katy Perry, Coldplay, Robin Thicke, and Calvin Harris. While you can’t purchase the entire album today, a single from the album, “Celebrate,” is available when you pre-order.

Apple has a long relationship with the (PRODUCT)RED organization, recently working with designer Marc Newson to create several products, including a red Mac Pro, to be auctioned off at an upcoming event in support of the cause on November 23rd.

AAPL Company

Apple Store goes down: Retina Mini launch or maintenance?

Michael Steeber Nov 11 2013 - 9:06 pm PT

Earlier today, we noted that Apple had told support staff that the iPad mini with Retina display would be launching in several countries on November 12th. Because Apple typically does not inform this particular staff group of product launch information before they’d put it in a press release, we were initially skeptical. Perhaps backing up an imminent Retina iPad mini launch, the Apple Store has gone offline for maintenance worldwide. The store is even down in countries not listed as iPad mini Retina launch countries in our earlier report. It’s possible that this maintenance could simply be maintenance or downtime for another product.

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Review: Naztech’s Koncert Boomstation bluetooth speaker has a battery that won’t stop

Michael Steeber Nov 10 2013 - 10:09 am PT

It’s no secret that we’re fans of Bluetooth speakers here at 9to5Mac. So, naturally, it was exciting to a see a Bluetooth speaker from Naztech, the Koncert Boomstation, enter the scene. Combining a traditional Bluetooth speaker with a backup battery for your devices and a speakerphone makes for one interesting product, and I’ve been putting the device through its paces for the last few weeks. Let’s take a closer look.

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Apple copies popular collage app’s icon for iPhoto Web Journals in iOS 7

Michael Steeber Nov 8 2013 - 12:05 pm PT

Apple seems to have “been inspired” by popular collage app Pic Stitch when redesigning iPhoto for iOS 7. Taking a look at the share sheet in iPhoto reveals the icon for Photo Journals as being almost identical to that of the Pic Stitch for iOS icon, save for a quick 90˚ rotation and a color swap. What’s more, both Pic Stitch and iPhoto Journals perform very similar functions, allowing you to build photo collages to share with your friends.

We’ve reached out to the developers of Pic Stitch for comment.

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Many users reporting Facebook app crashing following latest update

Michael Steeber Nov 8 2013 - 11:44 am PT

Update: It looks like Facebook is pushing out version 6.7.1 of the app now, with “Bug fixes”, although some users are currently reporting issues downloading the update.

Following a small update to the Facebook app for iOS yesterday that let users edit posts on the iPad for the first time, many users are reporting that the app seems to be inexplicably crashing.

Twitter users have been voicing their frustration about the update today, as they discover the app attempt to launch, and immediately crash. The problem effects both iOS 7 and iOS 6 users, as verified by our own tests. It’s currently unknown whether the bug is on the app side or the server side, but it’s likely that Facebook will release a fix soon.

Some users are reporting that simply deleting the app from your device and reinstalling it will fix the issue:

https://twitter.com/CiRoCoHoLiC661/status/398899650351996928

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LiveSurface officially releases Context, a one-click way to preview your Illustrator designs in the real world

Michael Steeber Nov 3 2013 - 3:39 pm PT

Context, the photorealistic way to preview your Illustrator designs, has finally left beta, with an official release now available. We reviewed the beta version of Context back in March, but today you can get your hands on the final version…

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Apple now highlighting 64-bit A7 iPhone 5s chip on magazine covers

Michael Steeber Oct 29 2013 - 7:04 pm PT

Earlier this month, we highlighted that Apple is touting the iPhone 5s’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner and gold color option on the back of certain magazine covers. Now, we’ve spotted a new magazine ad for the iPhone 5s. This one, instead, highlight’s the device’s 64-bit A7 processor. “64-bit” is complex technical jargon, but Apple simplifies it to mean that the iPhone is powerful and offers all-day battery life.

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Apple releases redesigned Podcasts, Find my iPhone, and iTunes Trailers apps (Update: Keynote Remote now free, not updated)

Michael Steeber Oct 22 2013 - 3:53 pm PT

Along with updates to iWork and iLife today, Apple has overhauled their Podcasts, Find my iPhone, and iTunes Trailers apps to fall in line with the design paradigms of iOS 7. Along with new icons, all three apps have been completely redesigned, with user interfaces that closely resemble Apple’s other iOS 7 apps. While Find my iPhone and iTunes Trailers don’t include new features, Podcasts has received updates to the search tab, Top Charts section, and more. Here’s what the new icons for all three apps look like:

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Aperture updated to version 3.5 with support for iCloud photo sharing, SmugMug integration, and more

Michael Steeber Oct 22 2013 - 2:45 pm PT

Along with a slew of other updates today, Apple has just released version 3.5 of Aperture, with notable support for iCloud photo sharing, multiple contributors to Photo Streams, and the ability to post videos to shared streams. The “Places” feature inside of Aperture has also switched to use Apple Maps, instead of relying on Google’s mapping data like it did previously. SmugMug integration has also been added, allowing those who use the service to publish and sync galleries of their photos. A full change log for Aperture is listed below. You can grab the app for $79.99 in the App Store.

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Get ready for tomorrow’s Apple Event with these wallpapers for your Mac, iPad, and iPhone

Michael Steeber Oct 21 2013 - 9:25 am PT

As the day of Apple’s October 22nd keynote rolls around, what better way is there to get ready for the event then with some keynote banner themed wallpapers? Below you’ll find wallpapers at retina Mac, iPad, and iPhone resolution. Enjoy!

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Sketchy photos want you to believe Touch ID is coming to the new iPads

Michael Steeber Oct 19 2013 - 5:01 pm PT

Independent reports from CTechCn and 2014 News claim that Touch ID, which debuted last month in the iPhone 5s, will make its way to the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2. The new Apple tablets are scheduled to be announced this upcoming Tuesday at Apple’s media event.

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“Open in iBooks” button in Mountain Lion iTunes further indicates imminent launch of OS X Mavericks

Michael Steeber Oct 17 2013 - 7:54 am PT

Users running OS X Mountain Lion version 10.8.5 are beginning to see an “Open in iBooks” button for purchased books in the iTunes Store, replacing the previous “Download” button text. The button, while functionless on Mountain Lion, is yet another indication of the imminent launch of OS X Mavericks late this month. Clicking the button on a computer running Mavericks will indeed open the selected book in the all-new iBooks application.

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Review combo: RAVPower Qi-Enabled Wireless Charger and xRobot Power Bank

Michael Steeber Oct 13 2013 - 11:12 am PT

For the last few weeks, I’ve been testing out both the RAVPower Wireless Charger and the xRobot Power Bank, two unique takes on the conventional way to charge your devices. While both products come from the same family, their functionality couldn’t be farther apart. Let’s take a look how both worked.

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New model of Apple’s proposed spaceship campus reveals new details about the building

Michael Steeber Oct 11 2013 - 12:17 pm PT

New photos from the San Jose Mercury News today reveal additional details about Apple’s new campus, slated to be completed sometime in either 2015 or 2016. A scale model of the planned building was shown to The Mercury News by Apple’s CFO, Peter Oppenheimer, located at an office on the 175-acre site of Apple’s planned campus. According to Oppenheimer:

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FireCore announces Infuse 2 with new design coming this fall, 1.5 update available today

Michael Steeber Oct 8 2013 - 10:00 am PT

infuse-15-tvgroups@2x

Infuse 1.5

FireCore, the makers of the popular aTV Flash Apple TV software announced today that their media player application Infuse will be receiving a substantial update this fall as it hits version 2.0, with a completely new UI to match iOS 7’s design aesthetic, many new Pro features, and more.

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Capo 3 for Mac launches with automatic chord detection, beat detection engine, and more

Michael Steeber Oct 7 2013 - 5:00 am PT

As a sequel to their popular Capo 2 music learning software, SuperMegaUltraGroovy today has launched Capo 3 for Mac, a new version of Capo with several feature improvements and enhancements. Let’s take a look at what’s changed.

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Apple highlights the best moments from iTunes Festival 2013 in new video montage

Michael Steeber Sep 27 2013 - 7:01 pm PT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNFdou8nh_g

In a new video on their YouTube channel, Apple has highlighted some of their favorite moments from 2013’s iTunes Festival, which wraps up on the 30th of September.

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New video claims to show iPad 5 Smart Cover with smaller dimensions

Michael Steeber Sep 26 2013 - 8:43 am PT

Update: These look to be fake…

Leading up to Apple’s rumored October iPad event, Youtube user UnboxTherapy has posted what he claims to be the next generation Smart Cover for the upcoming iPad 5.

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