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6,147 'Apple News' stories November 2008 - December 2015
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Apple News and Brief History

Before you can properly understand Apple News, it’s important to know its history. Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976. In 1977, Apple’s sales were growing with the success of its early computers. Within a few years, Jobs and Wozniak hired designers and a production line crew. Apple went public in 1980 and was an instant success. Over the next few years, Apple shipped new computers featuring new graphical user interfaces, such as the original Macintosh in 1984. As the market for personal computers expanded through the 1990s, Apple lost market share to the cheaper Microsoft Windows on PC clones. Eventually, Wozniak and Jobs both left Apple. Jobs would go on to found NeXT and would return to Apple when NeXT was acquired in the late 90s. Apple then began a journey to the great second act in the history of the business world.

Since the release of the iPod in 2001, Apple has become a major player once again in the technology industry. After releasing the iPhone in 2007, the iPad in 2010, and the Apple Watch in 2015, Apple is now one of the largest companies in the world. Apple’s worldwide annual revenue totaled $274.5 billion for its 2020 fiscal year.

Today, Apple operates retail stores all across the world, has a growing services division, and an ever-expanding hardware lineup. The technology industry follows Apple news to see where the company is headed in the future.

Keep reading for the latest Apple news

Apple debuts new iPhone 6s ads highlighting ‘Hey Siri’ and power advances

Avatar for Chance Miller Dec 1 2015 - 5:14 pm PT
11 Comments

Apple today has debuted two new TV ads for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. These ads come just a week after the company unveiled its new holiday ad featuring Stevie Wonder and Andra Day. The two new iPhone ads are entitled “Hey Siri” and “Ridiculously Powerful,” and focus on exactly what you would expect them to.


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Microsoft charms ‘old friends’ at 5th Ave Apple Store with ‘Peace on Earth’ performance [Video]

Avatar for Zac Hall Dec 1 2015 - 8:14 am PT
27 Comments

While Apple’s Christmas ad brought Stevie Wonder and Andra Day together this year for a warm performance of ‘Someday at Christmas’, Microsoft decided to take to the cold streets of New York City this year for their holiday commercial … right in front of the iconic 5th Avenue Apple Store. Taking a rather cheeky approach to celebrating the season while naming the competition, Microsoft Store employees from a nearby location traveled down the block to sing ‘Peace on Earth’ to “some old friends” decked in red shirts … Apple Store employees.
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Eddy Cue discusses the motivation behind Apple News and what the future holds

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 30 2015 - 7:37 pm PT
12 Comments

Following his interviews centered around the new Apple TV, Apple’s SVP of software and services Eddy Cue has now sat down with CNN’s Brian Stelter to discuss the News app the company launched alongside iOS 9. In the interview, Cue and Stelter discuss a variety of points surrounding News, including Apple’s main goal with the app, the expansion to additional countries, and revenue sharing.


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Report: Apple testing iPhone 7 models with USB-C, multi-touch 3D Touch, dual cameras, more

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 30 2015 - 6:46 pm PT
48 Comments

The iPhone 6s launched just two months ago, but rumors surrounding its successor are already circulating. Earlier rumors have claimed that the device will feature a waterproof and dustproof design, as well as a new casing material. Now, G For Games reports that Apple is currently in the process of testing five different iPhone 7 models, all with distinct differences.


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Cyber Monday: The best deals on Apple accessories, software, & more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 30 2015 - 10:57 am PT
1 Comment
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While Black Friday often gets the most promotion, the deals aren’t over. Some of the best deals aren’t available until today, Cyber Monday, as many retailers offer the same or even deeper discounts in order to help move as much stock as possible ahead of the Christmas holidays.

Below we’ve done the dirty work for you, compiling the best of the best deals on accessories, software, and more for all of your iPhone, iPad, Macs, and other Apple products.
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9to5Toys Last Call: 12″ MacBook $1,100, iTunes $100 Gift Card for $80, tons of discounted iOS apps, more

Avatar for Nov 30 2015 - 9:43 am PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

Sports/Fitness: Fitbit Charge HR Wristband $105 (Orig. $150), Jawbone UP3 Activity Tracker $85 (Orig. $180), more

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/671454035787030529 align=’center’]

Apple 12″ 256GB MacBook $1,100 (Reg. $1,299), 13″ 128GB Retina MacBook Pro (newest) $1,050 (Reg. $1,299)

$100 iTunes Gift Card for $80 with email delivery from PayPal (20% off), more

Apple’s Amazing Apps & Games sale 50% off: Threes!, Transistor, PAC-MAN, Sworkit Pro, iTranslate Voice, more

Cyber Monday brings big iPad Pro savings: 32GB $679 (Reg. $799), 128GB $807 (Reg. $949), more

Target offers a 15% sitewide discount for Cyber Monday: Nest Thermostat w/ $50 Gift Card $212, more!

Apple Watch Deals: Up to $100 off + $50 gift card – Sport from $299, Stainless from $449, more

B&H Photo’s Black Friday Mac Deals live! 5K iMac: $1579, Mac Pro: $500 off, Retina MacBook: $170 off (Tax in NY only)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

HDTVs: Samsung 48-inch 4K HDTV home theater bundle $600 ($755 value), Seiki 43-inch 1080p $260 (Orig. $400), more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Nomad Black Friday Sale: Apple Watch Stand $40 (Reg. $60), more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Unboxing and Review: Star Wars Battlefront limited edition PS4 is out of this galaxy [Video]

Mohu launches a “high-end” speaker with built-in Android display, save 10%

Samsung’s recently unveiled patents show an unhealthy obsession with Apple

Avatar for Cam Bunton Nov 30 2015 - 7:22 am PT
7 Comments

A recently unearthed patent published by the USPTO, and discovered by Patently Mobile shows a unique folding mobile device concept by Samsung. Although the idea of bending and folding electronic products is really interesting, perhaps more noteworthy is the Korean company’s choice of onscreen icons. We have WhatsApp, Phone and Messages which are all platform agnostic apps. But they’re followed by iPod. Certainly an unusual choice for a company which claims it doesn’t copy Apple. And one with which Cupertino has long been in legal battle with…
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Black Friday: The best deals on iPhone/iPad/Mac accessories + software deals and more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 27 2015 - 7:57 am PT
1 Comment

Black Friday is upon us and there is a long list of great deals on accessories, software and more for all of your Apple devices. Below we’ve collected some of the best we’ve seen, and check back often throughout the weekend as we update with more finds. Below you’ll find some significant discounts on popular iPhone, iPad, and Mac accessories, as well as some deals on rarely discounted software:
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Apple Black Friday Gameplan – knock out holiday shopping quickly, save tons of cash

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Nov 26 2015 - 6:44 pm PT
5 Comments

Update: We’ve got hundreds of items in our Apple Black Friday Mac/iPhone/iPad accessories and software guide

As the Thanksgiving turkey and wine buzz starts to wear off and we head into the pinnacle of American consumerism known as Black Friday, we here at 9to5Mac have some tips which should make the shopping experience pleasant, efficient and productive. Over the next 24 hours, everything Apple related will be at the lowest prices of the year. We’re going to guide you to getting in, saving a bunch of cash and getting on your way.

First some don’ts:

  • Don’t for any reason actually go to a physical store. The 2-3 $150 50″ Best Buy TVs per store isn’t worth being in the vicinity of Black Friday shoppers and the “Door Busting”. It’s a nightmare out there. Go to a park. Play with your kids. Spend a few minutes with us and we’ll knock out that gifting.
  • Don’t actually buy anything online until Black Friday. Prices keep dropping in the runup to Black Friday. Wait. Enjoy the time with your family, watch some football. If you must, grab some small ticket items and get those out of the way. If you miss something, it will likely be around again on “Cyber Monday”.
  • Don’t buy anything at an Apple Store or Apple.com. Apple has outsourced Black Friday to their retail partners and have normal prices across the board. The stuff you buy at Target/Best Buy/Walmart/Amazon/etc.com is the exact same product and warranty you get at Apple. Pro-Tip: Apple Stores are for showrooming and repairs.
  • Don’t touch that dial. Stick with us here at 9to5Mac, 9to5Google and most importantly 9to5Toys for all of the best deals. Heck, now’s the time to subscribe to 9to5Toys Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications. We’ve got a team of 20 people scouring the web for the best deals out there and tomorrow it is going to come fast and furious.

As for Apple products, we’ve distilled the absolute best deals out there into just a few options. Important considerations include state tax at time of purchase, gift cards vs. actual savings, shipping and rewards. Also, AppleCare discounts. Here’s the quick rundown:

Apple Watch

Target, B&H and Best Buy in the US have the biggest discounts we’ve seen this year. Best Buy will knock off $50 on Sport and $100 on Stainless. Target gives you a $100 gift card on both models which is of course good for an additional 5% cash back using their RedCard. Both sites charge tax in all 50 states but offer free shipping.

However, the best option might be B&H Photo which offers the Apple Watch in fewer varieties than Best Buy but for the same $50 off Sport/$100 off Stainless. In addition, B&H throws in a $50 gift card, B&H only charges Tax in New York State which may save you big money.

B&H Photo:

Best Buy:

Target:

Apple Watch Sport starts at $349 and comes with a free $100 Target Gift Card. Use your REDcard to save an additional 5% and your effective net cost is just $231.55. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen on new Apple Watches. Target will throw in the free gift card on any in-stock Apple Watch.

Apple TV

Target has the New Apple TV for ~$50 off in store but those prices will likely hit retailers like Walmart ($112) tomorrow. HHGregg also is expected to have some availability on Black Friday at reduced cost. Staples has $25 off if you checkout with Visa Checkout. The 3rd Gen Apple TV is $50 in a number of places and $40 Geek squad refurb at Best Buy. Stay tuned.

iPods

For those of us that still love the iPod touch, there are a few nice deals around. Best Buy cuts $50 across the board, Target cuts $40-$60 and Walmart cuts $35.

iPhone

iPhones with plans from the major US carriers are marked down significantly in a number of retail outlets

iPad

iPad Air/2

iPad mini 2/3/4

iPad Pro

Macs

Mac prices and inventory will fluctuate wildly on Black Friday. Best Buy gives an extra $50 off to students on iMacs and MacBooks

Retina 12-inch MacBooks are now widely available in Gold, Silver and Space Gray. The best prices as of this writing are:

MacBook Airs: B&H are running the table as of this writing with $120 off across the board, Tax only in New York and 6 months of Parallels Access but things will likely change – stay tuned.

MacBook Pro

B&H is leading the way with $150-$500 off 13-inch MacBook Pros and $200-$500 off 15.4-inch MacBook Pros. We expect to see some lower prices at eBay and other locations through the day.

iMacs

The entry level iMac is a whopping $200 off at Best Buy ($899) and with the .EDU  credit drops down to $850 shipped. After that B&H is leading the way with at least $100-$300 off on standard models and MacMall leads the way on custom configs. We’ve heard whispers that a retailler is going to do some serious price drops so we’ll post those when they happen.

Mac mini:

B&H takes $50 off the base model which now starts at $449 and $70 and $100 off the higher models. Other places take off less but will likely drop prices tomorrow.

Mac Pros:

Again, B&H has the lowest base model price and most of the configurations along with MacMall.

The above prices and inventory will likely be all over the place on Black Friday so we’ll be updating frequently. Thanks again for joining us for Black Friday 2015.

Feature Request: Logic Pro for iPad (Pro)

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Nov 25 2015 - 3:18 pm PT
9 Comments

Feature Request is a new regular 9to5Mac series where authors offer their opinion on how to improve popular hardware or software products.

With the introduction of iPad Pro, now is the time for Apple to finally bring Logic Pro to its tablet. Apple has long had Garageband available for iOS devices, offering what is essentially a feature for feature companion for the desktop Mac app, albeit with a user interface tweaked for the smaller touch display. But it’s not much help to pros that have their workflow in Apple’s professional audio editing suite for Mac, Logic Pro.


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Happy Hour Podcast 042 | Apple Pencil impressions

Avatar for Dom Esposito Nov 25 2015 - 10:59 am PT
1 Comment

This week, we’re discussing all things Apple Pencil. Should you buy one? Who is it for? Today, we’ll get to the bottom of Apple Pencil along with our impressions and opinions. The Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and through our dedicated RSS feed.

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Apple officially acquires Faceshift, the company behind motion capture tech used in Star Wars

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 24 2015 - 6:26 pm PT
0 Comments

Earlier this year a rumor began floating around that claimed Apple had acquired Faceshift, the company behind the motion capture technology used in Star Wars. Now, TechCrunch reports that the acquisition has become official and Apple has acquired the Zurich-based Faceshift startup.

Apple has not directly confirmed the acquisition, but issued its standard statement regarding its purchasing of smaller companies. “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” the company said.

This isn’t the first motion capture startup Apple has acquired. Over recent years, the company has acquired PrimeSense, Metaio, and Polar Rose, all European-based motion capture, facial recognition, and virtual reality companies of some sort.

It’s still unclear at this point as to how Apple plans to use the talent and technology it has required in the virtual reality field. Early indications were that Apple was planning to implement some of the technology into the Apple TV, but none of that has yet to come to fruition, despite the newest generation model being released earlier this month.

Faceshift’s technology is used in the most recent Star Wars film to make non-human characters have features, characteristics, and expressions more similar to real humans.

Report: Apple to launch Apple Pay in China by February of 2016

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 23 2015 - 8:11 pm PT
8 Comments

Back in September, Apple created a company in the Shanghai free-trade zone, hinting at its plans to launch its mobile payment solution Apple Pay in the country. Now, Dow Jones & WSJ report that Apple plans to launch Apple Pay in China by February. Apple has reportedly secured agreements with the four largest banks in China to support the platform.


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Apple shares new Guided Tour video highlighting Apple Pay on iPhone 6/6s

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 20 2015 - 3:03 pm PT
2 Comments

Apple today has shared a new Guided Tour video to its YouTube channel that highlights Apple Pay on the iPhone. Apple has previously shared a Guided Tour showing off Apple on the Apple Watch, but this is the first video in which Apple has demonstrated the feature on its smartphone.

In the video, Apple highlights the ease of use that Apple Pay provides. The company demonstrates how you can use it at compatible checkout terminals in retail locations, as well as use it in apps for buying goods and apps like Uber for buying services.

Apple closes the video by demonstrating how easy it is to setup Apple Pay, including adding the card, verifying the card, and finally actually using it in stores.

You can view Apple’s new Guided Tour video for Apple Pay on iPhone below. Apple has previously shared a plethora of Guided Tour videos for Apple Watch. The company likes to use the format to showcase features that take some explanation to truly understand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez-2M3C_4wU

 

Apple refreshes Beats Solo 2 Wireless + urBeats with rose gold colors to match iPhones & Apple Watches

Avatar for Zac Hall Nov 19 2015 - 7:34 am PT
3 Comments

Two months after the introduction of the rose gold iPhone 6s and Apple Watch Sport, Apple has refreshed its Beats Solo 2 Wireless headphones and urBeats in-ear headphones with matching rose gold color options. If you’ve already got Solo 2 Wireless or urBeats, the only difference here is the new color option, but they do look good especially if you want to match your hardware. Apple now offers iPhone and Apple Watch color-matching versions of both headphone models with gold, rose gold, silver, and space gray.
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Official Google iOS app updated w/ interface tweaks, better organization of Google Now cards

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 18 2015 - 3:30 pm PT
3 Comments

Google today is rolling out an update to its iOS app that brings the app to version 10.0 and includes a handful of visual changes. With today’s update, the voice search feature has been redesigned to be more inline with Google’s Material Design aesthetic, while the Google Now cards in the app are now organized in a much more straightforward way.


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Happy Hour Podcast 041 | iPad Pro Impressions

Avatar for Dom Esposito Nov 18 2015 - 10:59 am PT
0 Comments

Apple’s iPad Pro is finally here, but what makes it so special? Today we’re getting into our first impressions with the iPad Pro and figuring out if it’s worth the hype. The Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and through our dedicated RSS feed.

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Apple Pay to rollout to Dominos & Cinnabon locations beginning this year

Avatar for Chance Miller Nov 17 2015 - 3:15 pm PT
5 Comments

News concerning the expansion of Apple Pay has been coming at a rapid pace today. This morning, the service launched in Canada and expanded to Tesco Bank and TSB in the U.K. Then, Apple revealed that more than 100 new banks and credit unions in the United States now support its mobile payment solution. Now, Apple has announced that the service will soon be supported at Dominos and Cinnabon, two popular food chains in the United States.


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Opinion: Apple is right to stand firm on encryption however much terrorist attacks ramp up the pressure

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 17 2015 - 7:36 am PT
73 Comments

Nobody who watched the news coverage of the terrorist attacks in Paris could fail to be moved by the scenes and the stories emerging from it. It was undeniably a horrific series of events, and it’s only human nature to want action to be taken to reduce the likelihood of future such atrocities.

But there is always a danger at such times that emotion, rather than rational thought, will drive government policy-making. I won’t get into the broader theme there, as there are more appropriate forums for that, but there is one aspect that is very much on-topic for us: the battle between Apple and governments over encryption.

There have already been unattributed reports that the terrorists in Paris used encrypted communication. I have no idea whether there is any specific evidence for that, but it would hardly be damning were such evidence to emerge: it would be frankly astonishing if they hadn’t.

There are three reasons why Apple is right to maintain that it will continue to offer end-to-end encrypted communication no matter how much governments in the USA, UK and elsewhere may protest … 
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Apple to be first company in Singapore to power all operations from solar energy as first Apple Store confirmed

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 16 2015 - 4:42 am PT
4 Comments

Apple has announced that it will power all of its operations in Singapore from solar energy, the first company in the city-state to do so. The scheme will also provide electricity to around 9,000 public-owned homes.

CNET reports that Apple is partnering with local clean energy provide Sunseap.

The Cupertino consumer electronics giant has partnered with Singapore’s largest clean energy provider, Sunseap Group, who will provide power to Apple’s 2,500-person corporate campus and retail store. Energy will be obtained from solar panels laid on the rooftops of 800 buildings.

Retail head Angela Ahrendts also confirmed to The Strait Times earlier reports that it is opening its first Apple Store in Singapore, with hiring underway …


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Apple adds black ribbon to French homepage to commemorate victims of Paris attacks

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Nov 15 2015 - 7:05 am PT
17 Comments

Apple has acknowledged the recent terrorism attacks in Paris with a commemorative ribbon on the Apple France homepage, www.apple.com/fr. The black ribbon is a sign of remembrance and mourning; Google has also added the symbol to its homepage in response to the attacks.

In addition, Apple has been contacting affected employees in French Apple retail stores to check they are safe.