It appears that Apple has begun quietly phasing out its trailer download options from the trailers.apple.com website, effectively eliminating 1080p trailer availability. Previously, the site gave users the ability to stream trailers in 480p or 720p, along with providing download options for 480p, 720p, and 1080p. Trailers uploaded to the site after an approximate date of May 22 no longer have any download options and can only be streamed in-browser at 480p or 720p. Trailer options before 5/22 Trailer options after 5/22 While trailers uploaded before May 22 can still be downloaded, Apple appears to be removing the option from movies with multiple trailers that have a trailer uploaded after that date. For example, Disney Pixar's Monsters University has trailers that were uploaded on the following dates: 6/20/12, 3/08/13, 5/20/13, and 5/22/13. None of these trailers have download options. Disney’s Planes, on the other hand, has trailers that were uploaded on the following dates: 3/15/13, 04/04/13, and 5/17/13. Each of these trailers can still be downloaded at all resolutions, including 1080p. So, while older trailers can still be downloaded from the site, Apple appears to be removing downloads from older trailers as newer trailers are added, slowly phasing out the availability of trailer downloads altogether. It is not clear at this point why Apple has begun phasing out movie trailer downloads, but we have contacted the company for more information. (Thanks Eduardo and Theo!) Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Automatic Connected Car System Delayed Until August • Best Buy to Discount iPhone by $50 Beginning Sunday • Skycore Creates Platform for Passbook Delivery Via MMS • Letter to Brazilian Apple Repair Centers Suggests June 2013 Policy Changes? • Jon Stewart Takes on Apple's Appearance in Front of Senate Committee • Angry Birds Space Named App of the Week, Available for Free • Evernote Adds Reminders to Mac and iOS Apps in Update • Shazam for iPad Rebuilt as Universal App With Background Auto-Tagging and More    
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent a letter to BioSense Technologies over its iPhone uChek urinalysis system, asking why its medical app hasn't been cleared by the agency. The app is one of the first that turns the iPhone into a medical device, designed to read urinalysis test strips that are normally examined by users and compared to a color-coded chart. With the uChek system, patients can take a picture of the strip with the iPhone's camera and then receive an automated readout of parameters like glucose, urobilinogen, pH, ketone and more. The app also stores results which then can be analyzed over time. Though medical device makers have adopted the iPhone for some measurements like blood glucose monitoring for diabetics, large scale use of smartphones and tablets as a replacement for existing medical devices has yet to take off -- likely due in large part to government regulation of medical devices. From Bloomberg: Biosense Technologies Private Ltd.’s uChek system isn’t cleared by the Food and Drug Administration and the agency said it wants to know why not, in a first-of-its-kind letter to a maker of a mobile-device application. The app relies on users, such as diabetics checking their glucose, to dip test strips in urine and use the smartphone’s camera to allow the system to processes and generate automated results. UChek works with test strips made by Siemens AG (SIE) and Bayer AG (BAYN), which are only approved for visual reading and require new clearance for automated analysis, the FDA said in the letter. The agency has said it wants stricter rules for apps that directly diagnose or treat conditions, proposing in 2011 to apply similar quality standards as for heart stents, ultrasound machines and other medical devices.The uChek kit can be purchased in the US and India for $40, while the uCheck iPhone app is a free download [Direct Link] from the App Store -- though the app can also manually read urine strips from other companies. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Best Buy to Discount iPhone by $50 Beginning Sunday • Skycore Creates Platform for Passbook Delivery Via MMS • Letter to Brazilian Apple Repair Centers Suggests June 2013 Policy Changes? • Jon Stewart Takes on Apple's Appearance in Front of Senate Committee • Angry Birds Space Named App of the Week, Available for Free • Evernote Adds Reminders to Mac and iOS Apps in Update • Shazam for iPad Rebuilt as Universal App With Background Auto-Tagging and More • Gmail Management App 'Mailbox' Gains iPad Compatibility     
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Apple today significantly reduced prices on refurbished models of the iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad, with all models now carrying approximately 15% discounts relative to brand-new units. iPad mini - 16 GB Wi-Fi: $279, down from $299 previously and $329 brand-new - 32 GB Wi-Fi: $359, down from $389 previously and $429 brand-new - 64 GB Wi-Fi: $439, down from $489 previously and $529 brand-new - 16 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $389, down from $429 previously and $459 brand-new - 32 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $469, down from $519 previously and $559 brand-new - 64 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $549, down from $619 previously and $659 brand-new Fourth-generation iPad - 16 GB Wi-Fi: $419, down from $449 previously and $499 brand-new - 32 GB Wi-Fi: $499, down from $549 previously and $599 brand-new - 64 GB Wi-Fi: $579, down from $649 previously and $699 brand-new - 16 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $529, down from $579 previously and $629 brand-new - 32 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $609, down from $679 previously and $729 brand-new - 64 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $689, down from $779 previously and $829 brand-new Introduced last October, the iPad mini and fourth-generation arrived in Apple's online store for refurbished products in mid-March at modest discounts. The company's 128 GB fourth-generation iPad models introduced in early February have yet to appear in the refurbished store. Rumors have indicated that Apple is unlikely to launch its next versions of the iPad and iPad mini until late this year, but the company has apparently still decided to reduce pricing on refurbished units of the current generation in order to attract more buyers as its supply of refurbished units has undoubtedly grown over the past several months. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Letter to Brazilian Apple Repair Centers Suggests June 2013 Policy Changes? • Jon Stewart Takes on Apple's Appearance in Front of Senate Committee • Angry Birds Space Named App of the Week, Available for Free • Evernote Adds Reminders to Mac and iOS Apps in Update • Shazam for iPad Rebuilt as Universal App With Background Auto-Tagging and More • Gmail Management App 'Mailbox' Gains iPad Compatibility • Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Tablet Ad Highlighting iPad's Flaws, High Price [Updated] • Clear Updated with List Emailing Functionality, iPad Version Coming Soon     
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9to5Mac shares more details on Jony Ive's redesign for iOS 7, noting that not only will it bring a flatter look to the operating system but also more emphasis on black and white design elements.Sources have described iOS 7 as “black, white, and flat all over.” This refers to the dropping of heavy textures and the addition of several new black and white user interface elements. [...] For the upcoming operating system, which Apple says will be unveiled at its June Worldwide Developers Conference, Ive has not simply picked areas of the software design to tweak. He has essentially made his mark on every corner of the operating system, according to descriptions from sources, all while mostly keeping the essence of what has made iOS so ubiquitous.The report walks through a number of specific changes appearing in the current development version of iOS 7, including changes to the lock screen, notifications, and the home screen. The report also describes how the look of some of the default iOS apps has changed:[T]he iPhone’s Notes app has replaced the yellow notepad design for a flat white look. Apps such as Mail, Calendar, and Maps have also gained a more uniformed look with flat white textures. While the core elements of those apps are mostly white, each app has been given a unique button color. Essentially, each app has a white base with a respective color theme. For example, the Calendar app could potentially have red buttons, while Messages could have green controls.Other changes include the addition of panorama home screen wallpapers that pan as the user swipes between screens, subtle animations in the Weather app, and the possibility of FaceTime being moved out of the Phone app into a standalone app for greater visibility. Apple is expected to show off at least some of iOS 7's changes at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) where the keynote is scheduled for June 10. Today's report indicates that Apple has tested several different design themes for iOS 7 over the past several months and that things may still change before the public release, but it seems reasonable to expect that aspects shown at WWDC will be close to the final shipping version. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Letter to Brazilian Apple Repair Centers Suggests June 2013 Policy Changes? • Jon Stewart Takes on Apple's Appearance in Front of Senate Committee • Angry Birds Space Named App of the Week, Available for Free • Evernote Adds Reminders to Mac and iOS Apps in Update • Shazam for iPad Rebuilt as Universal App With Background Auto-Tagging and More • Gmail Management App 'Mailbox' Gains iPad Compatibility • Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Tablet Ad Highlighting iPad's Flaws, High Price [Updated] • Clear Updated with List Emailing Functionality, iPad Version Coming Soon     
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MacRumors has learned that AT&T's GoPhone prepaid wireless brand will be undertaking a significant expansion of its services starting tomorrow, offering support for the AT&T's fastest LTE and HSPA+ data networks for the first time and also adding official support for the iPhone. Until now, GoPhone has allowed iPhone users to sign up for service, but without cellular data access. With the changes coming tomorrow, the iPhone will have access to the full range of AT&T services through GoPhone, including LTE data and Visual Voicemail. GoPhone will support three service plans for the iPhone, including the high-end $65/month plan that offers unlimited calls and texts and 1 GB of data. Users can also opt for cheaper $25 and $50 plans, but they must purchase separate data packages on top of those plans if they wish to use cellular data. For iPhone purchases, GoPhone customers can either bring their own off-contract iPhone or purchase one in-store at the full no-committment price. Existing GoPhone iPhone customers will be automatically updated with support for cellular data access on June 21, but support representatives will be able to manually upgrade customers before that time upon request. The iPhone has been making significant inroads into the U.S. prepaid carrier market, led by Cricket nearly a year ago. Since that time, Sprint's Virgin Mobile brand and AT&T's prepaid brands Straight Talk and Aio have also begun offering the iPhone. Sprint prepaid brand Boost Mobile has also been rumored several times to be launching iPhone support, but has yet to do so. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Letter to Brazilian Apple Repair Centers Suggests June 2013 Policy Changes? • Jon Stewart Takes on Apple's Appearance in Front of Senate Committee • Angry Birds Space Named App of the Week, Available for Free • Evernote Adds Reminders to Mac and iOS Apps in Update • Shazam for iPad Rebuilt as Universal App With Background Auto-Tagging and More • Gmail Management App 'Mailbox' Gains iPad Compatibility • Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Tablet Ad Highlighting iPad's Flaws, High Price [Updated] • Clear Updated with List Emailing Functionality, iPad Version Coming Soon     
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Apple started running a new iPhone ad this evening called 'Music Every Day', the second in a series that launched last month with a spot entitled 'Photos Every Day'. Both ads in the campaign focus on people actually using the phone, rather than just the phone itself. Every day, more people enjoy their music on the iPhone than any other phoneIn a series of colorful clips, the iPhone is used by owners to listen to music at school, in the shower, at the gym, at a club, at a swim meet and more. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Letter to Brazilian Apple Repair Centers Suggests June 2013 Policy Changes? • Jon Stewart Takes on Apple's Appearance in Front of Senate Committee • Angry Birds Space Named App of the Week, Available for Free • Evernote Adds Reminders to Mac and iOS Apps in Update • Shazam for iPad Rebuilt as Universal App With Background Auto-Tagging and More • Gmail Management App 'Mailbox' Gains iPad Compatibility • Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Tablet Ad Highlighting iPad's Flaws, High Price [Updated] • Clear Updated with List Emailing Functionality, iPad Version Coming Soon     
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To go along with two previously released anti-iPad Windows 8 tablet ads, Microsoft has released a side-by-side comparison of the iPad and various Windows 8 tablets, such as the ASUS VivoTab Smart, the same tablet that was used in the aforementioned ad. In the comparison, Microsoft points out the many reasons why the VivoTab is superior, noting its thinner size and lighter weight. Microsoft also includes a diagram of the 9.7-inch iPad next to a 10.1-inch widescreen tablet that looks visibly larger. That image is not to scale, however, as Elliot Temple of Curi.us (via Daring Fireball) details in a blog post. Microsoft has drawn a 10.1 inch tablet 36% larger than a 9.7 inch tablet (140x78 pixels vs 102x79). This is so far off you can visually see it's wrong. The iPad has a screen area of 45.16 square inches, which I double checked with a calculator. The ASUS VivoTab Smart has a screen area of 43.56 square inches. That's right, the ASUS screen is smaller than the iPad's. The iPad screen is 7.76 by 5.82 inches. The ASUS screen is 8.8 by 4.95 inches. ASUS is larger in one direction but smaller in the other direction, and has 3.55% less area than the iPad, not 36% more as Microsoft depicts.At the end of the comparison, Microsoft clearly states that the ASUS VivoTab Smart has a "bigger touchscreen" than the iPad:The ASUS VivoTab Smart is lighter than the iPad, has a bigger touchscreen and more ports, works with more printers, lets you see two apps at once, and runs Microsoft Office and other desktop programs.As noted by Temple, while the ASUS VivoTab Smart has a larger diagonal screen, its display is smaller overall than the display of the iPad, making Microsoft's above statement clearly false. In previous ads, the first of which was released yesterday, Microsoft also touted the lower cost of the VivoTab along with its ability to run Microsoft Office apps. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Jon Stewart Takes on Apple's Appearance in Front of Senate Committee • Angry Birds Space Named App of the Week, Available for Free • Evernote Adds Reminders to Mac and iOS Apps in Update • Shazam for iPad Rebuilt as Universal App With Background Auto-Tagging and More • Gmail Management App 'Mailbox' Gains iPad Compatibility • Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Tablet Ad Highlighting iPad's Flaws, High Price [Updated] • Clear Updated with List Emailing Functionality, iPad Version Coming Soon • Casemaker OtterBox Acquiring LifeProof    
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Macotakara has released a report with new details on a number of upcoming products, including the rumored low cost iPhone, the iPhone 5S, and the iPad 5. Citing information from several different sources, the site suggests that the low cost iPhone may ship in a number of different colors and that it will begin trial production soon. Color choices for the low cost iPhone remain murky, as the site has heard rumors from two different sources. The first source said that the low cost iPhone will come in colors that include navy, gold orange, white, and gray, while a second source named white, pink, green, blue, and yellow orange as the available colors. A common theme, however, is that the low cost iPhone will not include a black option. Rendering of low cost iPhone in multiple colors Apple's rumored low cost iPhone is said to be targeted at emerging markets, carrying a price tag of approximately $350-$400 without subsidies. To facilitate a lower price tag, the phone is rumored to have a polycarbonate shell. According to Makotakara, the low cost iPhone will begin a field test production in June, which will be followed up by wide ranging production in July to accommodate a September launch. This launch date is a bit confusing, as Macotakara previously said that the low cost iPhone would ship in 2014. As for the iPhone 5S, Macotakara believes that it too will come in multiple colors. Previously, the site suggested that it would ship in three different colors, including the original black and white, but now says that additional colors might be offered, namely gold and green. The design of the iPhone 5S is rumored to be largely the same as the iPhone 5, but Macotakara’s sources say that it will sport a dual-LED flash and that the rear microphone hole will become circular instead of pill shaped, placed between the camera and the flash. Before the launch of the iPhone 4S rumors suggested that it too might ship with a dual flash, but that did not happen. Rendering of iPhone 5S dual LED flash Finally the site gives a small bit of information on the 5th generation iPad, suggesting that the extra hole that was seen in some iPad mini prototype cases will be added to the iPad 5. The hole did not make it into the final iPad mini design, but it has appeared in prototype iPad 5 cases as well, and Macotakara suggests that it is an additional microphone. While the site does not give an expected release date for the iPhone 5S, it does note that the fifth generation iPad will ship after the new iPhone. Previous rumors have suggested that the iPhone 5S will ship in the fall or later. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Jon Stewart Takes on Apple's Appearance in Front of Senate Committee • Angry Birds Space Named App of the Week, Available for Free • Evernote Adds Reminders to Mac and iOS Apps in Update • Shazam for iPad Rebuilt as Universal App With Background Auto-Tagging and More • Gmail Management App 'Mailbox' Gains iPad Compatibility • Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Tablet Ad Highlighting iPad's Flaws, High Price [Updated] • Clear Updated with List Emailing Functionality, iPad Version Coming Soon • Casemaker OtterBox Acquiring LifeProof    
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In an unsurprising announcement, Apple has confirmed that the keynote address for the Worldwide Developers Conference will be at the Moscone Center on June 10, the first day of the conference. The company did not disclose any speakers or agenda, but Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to take the stage with other Apple executives to present new versions of both OS X and the iOS operating systems. Prior WWDC keynotes have started at 10 AM Pacific time. Tickets for the 2013 WWDC sold out in two minutes this year, an all-time record for the event. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Evernote Adds Reminders to Mac and iOS Apps in Update • Shazam for iPad Rebuilt as Universal App With Background Auto-Tagging and More • Gmail Management App 'Mailbox' Gains iPad Compatibility • Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Tablet Ad Highlighting iPad's Flaws, High Price [Updated] • Clear Updated with List Emailing Functionality, iPad Version Coming Soon • Casemaker OtterBox Acquiring LifeProof • Voice Search Coming Soon to Chrome for iOS • Former Gartner Research Director Michael Gartenberg Joins Apple's Marketing Team    
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MarketWatch takes a look at the state of the repair industry for the iPhone 5, noting that costs for display replacements remain very high eight months after the device's launch in the United States. The report points to Apple's tight control over components as being the major contributor to high costs, even as the device's new design makes it simpler to replace the display than on previous models.There is a tight control on iPhone 5 components in the market, [repair firm iCracked founder AJ] Forsythe says. “Market forces determine the price,” he says. “Apple sells about 300,000 iPhones a day and, as the repair market grows, prices will get lower.” “Apple controls everything from the manufacturing to the gear for the iPhone 5,” says Jeff Haynes, editor at deal site TechBargains.com. As the iPhone 5 is larger than the 4, the cost for replacement parts rises, he says.The display is the most frequently cited repair item on the iPhone, given the frequency with which users break the glass front of the device, and it is also the most costly component. For the iPhone 4S, repair firm iFixit currently sells the display assembly for $95, with users needing to follow a difficult 37-step guide to perform the repair. On the iPhone 5, iFixit is charging $200 for the corresponding part, with the white version not even available at this time. But for those who can get their hands on the part, the replacement process requires only a 23-step guide judged "moderate" in difficulty. The report notes that many repair firms have even not yet begun offering iPhone 5 display replacements, due to both the shortage of parts in the market and the high costs. Apple itself frequently performs repairs by swapping out the user's device, then putting the damaged device through a refurbishment process and reselling it at a discounted price. Recognizing the prevalence of accidental damage issues with its mobile devices, Apple rolled out an AppleCare+ extended warranty plan alongside the iPhone 4S in October 2011. The $99 plan extends warranty coverage to two years and includes coverage for up to two incidents of accidental damage with $49 deductibles. The plan is not, however, universally available throughout Apple's global sales footprint yet. Apple is said to be planning to revamp its AppleCare offerings later this year, with Apple reportedly moving to perform more repairs on iPhones rather than simply swapping them out. The company is also said to be transitioning AppleCare into a subscription agreement that would cover multiple devices owned by a customer, rather than having to purchase coverage separately for each device. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Shazam for iPad Rebuilt as Universal App With Background Auto-Tagging and More • Gmail Management App 'Mailbox' Gains iPad Compatibility • Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Tablet Ad Highlighting iPad's Flaws, High Price • Clear Updated with List Emailing Functionality, iPad Version Coming Soon • Casemaker OtterBox Acquiring LifeProof • Voice Search Coming Soon to Chrome for iOS • Former Gartner Research Director Michael Gartenberg Joins Apple's Marketing Team • Twitter for Mac Updated with Notification Center Integration, Bug Fixes    
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KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has on a number of occasions offered accurate information about Apple's product plans, issued a new research report this week outlining his expectations for Apple's rumored smart watch device, informally dubbed "iWatch". Despite some expectations that the device could launch later this year, Kuo believes that both hardware and software issues will result in the iWatch making its debut in the second half of 2014.Apple may not have adequate resources to develop an iWatch version of iOS because it may require big changes to iPhone and iPad iOS this year. In addition, wearable device components aren’t mature. For these reasons, we think mass production of the iWatch is more likely to begin in 2H14, not 2H13 as the market speculates.Sony SmartWatch (left) and Pebble e-paper watch (right) On the hardware front, Kuo projects that the iWatch will use a 1.5-2.0 inch display and unsurprisingly believes that Apple will draw on the iPod nano when it comes to components, particularly with respect to the main processor and the touch technology.Currently, the iPod nano uses the same GF2 touch technology as used by the iPad mini. Since the size and computing ability requirements of the iWatch are similar to those of the iPod nano, we think iWatch will use iPod nano’s GF2 touch technology and AP [application processor].Further, Kuo believes that biometrics will be a key feature for the iWatch, allowing for increased security and opening the door to broader health-related applications. The biometric support should also aid in building out the cross-device integration many expect to see from the iWatch. Rumors regarding Apple's smart watch project have been relatively quiet over the past few months, although a report from earlier this week claimed that Apple is testing 1.5-inch OLED displays for the device, with Foxconn said to be gearing up for a trial run of 1,000 devices. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Clear Updated with List Emailing Functionality, iPad Version Coming Soon • Casemaker OtterBox Acquiring LifeProof • Voice Search Coming Soon to Chrome for iOS • Former Gartner Research Director Michael Gartenberg Joins Apple's Marketing Team • Twitter for Mac Updated with Notification Center Integration, Bug Fixes • FiftyThree Gives Behind-The-Scenes Look at Developing Paper's Zoom Feature • 'Trunk' Posable Lightning Cable Doubles as iPhone Stand • Logitech Targets Schools With New $60 Wired Keyboard for iPad    
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Following Apple's adoption of sapphire crystal as a strong and durable covering for the rear cameras on the iPhone 5 and fifth-generation iPod touch late last year, rumors of expanded uses for the material have gained some traction. Back in March, we covered a report suggesting that sapphire could see wider adoption as coverings for displays on mobile devices, and just last week a sketchy rumor claimed that Apple is planning to use a sapphire-covered capacitive home button with integrated fingerprint sensor for the iPhone 5S. Amid these discussions of the potential of sapphire, Corning has published a feature outlining why its latest Gorilla Glass 3 is in fact already a better option than sapphire for mobile device displays, citing greater strength, lower weight, less energy cost in production, and significantly lower pricing. And with those features has come widespread adoption, with Corning reporting that over 1.5 billion devices have been made with Gorilla Glass.Jeffrey W. Evenson, [Corning] senior vice president, remarked, “Discussion seems to center around sapphire as an obvious solution for a cover material. What would people say if someone invented a cover that was about half the weight, used 99 percent less energy to make, provided brighter displays, and cost less than a tenth of sapphire? I think they’d say that sapphire was in real trouble. It so happens that we at Corning already invented that cover – and it’s called Gorilla Glass.” Evenson added that the company’s tests so far indicate Gorilla Glass requires about three times more force to break than sapphire after both materials have received similar wear and tear. Corning also discusses its latest work with Gorilla Glass, noting that the company has already trimmed the materials thickness to the point where it can be curved and shaped without losing strength. Earlier this year, The New York Times reported that Apple was working on a curved glass smart watch, a product that could potentially take advantage of Corning's latest Gorilla Glass advancements. Going even further, Corning lays out its future plans for Gorilla Glass, sharing that the company is working hard on new versions that reduce reflections for better visibility in bright sunlight and which incorporate antimicrobial technology to minimize the germs which are prevalent on mobile devices. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Voice Search Coming Soon to Chrome for iOS • Former Gartner Research Director Michael Gartenberg Joins Apple's Marketing Team • Twitter for Mac Updated with Notification Center Integration, Bug Fixes • FiftyThree Gives Behind-The-Scenes Look at Developing Paper's Zoom Feature • 'Trunk' Posable Lightning Cable Doubles as iPhone Stand • Logitech Targets Schools With New $60 Wired Keyboard for iPad • Apple Named World's Most Valuable Brand for Third Year in a Row • 'Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic' Might Come to the iPad     
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Last week Apple told the U.S. District Court in California that it planned to add the Samsung Galaxy S4 to its patent lawsuit already underway against Samsung. As promised, Apple today filed a motion (via Foss Patents) that details five different patents that the S4 allegedly infringes on. The filing includes two Siri-related patents violated by Google Now, Google's robust voice activated search assistant. Patents '604 and '959 cover a "universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system." The other three patents in the filing cover a "graphical user interface using historical lists with field classes (’502)," a "system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data ('647)." and "asynchronous data synchronization amongst devices ('414)." According to Apple, these are all claims that other Samsung devices already violate.Apple determined that the Galaxy S4 product practices many of the same claims already asserted by Apple, and that the Galaxy S4 practices those claims in the same way as the already-accused Samsung devices.Samsung and Apple were ordered to narrow the scope of their ongoing legal battle earlier this year and as a result, Apple has stated that it will remove one of the other 22 infringing devices from the lawsuit if it is permitted to add the Galaxy S4. There will be a hearing to discuss Apple's newly filed motion on June 25 in San Jose and the lawsuit, which covers newly released devices that were not a part of the original dispute, is expected to go to trial in March of 2014. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • 'Trunk' Posable Lightning Cable Doubles as iPhone Stand • Logitech Targets Schools With New $60 Wired Keyboard for iPad • Apple Named World's Most Valuable Brand for Third Year in a Row • 'Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic' Might Come to the iPad • Vudu Player for iOS Gets Updated With Ability to Download Movies • Apple to Open New Adelaide Retail Store in Australia on May 25 • Burj Al Arab in Dubai Introduces Gold-Plated iPads for Guest Use • Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface    
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Apple today rolled out some updates to its online store, not only posting new features advertising Father's Day gift purchases but also introducing a new, cleaner look for the store. While the main page of the online store had previously consisted of a main center column with product promotions flanked by sidebars with additional links, the new look brings an all-feature design focusing more on product images. Previously, the left sidebar had offered quick access to accessory categories for Apple's various product lines, as well as links to the company's refurbished and clearance stores. Shoppers looking for accessories must now drill down through the product categories along the top "shop" navigation bar to reach the various accessories, while links to the refurbished and clearance stores are listed at the bottom of the page. A similar situation exists for the former right sidebar, which offered links to Apple's other stores such as for education and business, as well as store services including gift cards, financing, and returns. All of these links are now only directly accessible through the store site map links at the bottom of the page. The change removes some redundancy on Apple's main store page, as many links had appeared both in the main body of the page and lower down in the site map section, and by removing the sidebar links Apple has been able to bring much greater prominence to product images. Apple has made additional image-centric changes further down in the site, with the main pages for each of the company's product lines now allowing for larger images and less text, while accessory pages have seen even more dramatic changes away from simple lists and toward more featured images. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Apple Named World's Most Valuable Brand for Third Year in a Row • 'Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic' Might Come to the iPad • Vudu Player for iOS Gets Updated With Ability to Download Movies • Apple to Open New Adelaide Retail Store in Australia on May 25 • Burj Al Arab in Dubai Introduces Gold-Plated iPads for Guest Use • Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface • Turkish Prime Minister Visits Apple Ahead of Major Tablet Purchase • Gameloft's 'N.O.V.A. 3' and 'Gangstar Rio: City of Saints' Are Free for the Weekend    
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Three Apple executives, CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and head of tax operations Phillip A. Bullock, appeared in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation earlier today, testifying about Apple's tax policies. MacRumors has a rough transcript of the hearing, while the full event is viewable on C-SPAN. The full hearing was quite long, but here are some selected excerpts from our transcript. At the beginning of the hearing, Senators are allowed to make whatever opening statements they wish. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) gave a spirited defense of Apple, saying he was "offended" by the hearing. "Tell me a politician who is up here and doesn't try to minimize his taxes… Tell me what Apple has done is illegal. I am offended by a government… that convenes a hearing to bully one of America's greatest success stories… If anyone should be on trial here, it should be Congress. I frankly think the committee should apologize to Apple." Instead of Apple executives, we should have brought in a giant mirror. This problem is solely and completely caused by our tax code. This committee should look in the mirror. "I find it abominable." We need to apologize to Apple, compliment them for the job creation they're doing, and get on with our job and redo the tax code.Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer also made opening statements. Cook noted that Apple is responsible for creating or supporting 600,000 jobs in the United States, and disclosed for the first time the the upcoming 'Made in the USA' line of Mac computers would be manufactured in Texas, with parts coming from a wide variety of states. Much of the hearing would focus on Apple's use of Irish subsidiaries to avoid paying U.S. income taxes on revenue generated overseas from the sale of products. Senators had accused Apple of having "sham" corporate entities in Ireland that served no purpose except for avoiding tax liability. Hitting back at that accusation, Cook said that Apple's operations in Ireland were not shell corporations, but had actual functions. Apple has real operations, in real places, with Apple employees selling real products to real customers. We not only comply with the laws but we comply with the spirit of the laws. We don't move intellectual property offshore and use it to sell products back on the U.S. Our foreign subsidiaries pull 70% of our cash because of the rapid growth of our international business. We use this money to finance construction of Apple retail stores around the world and fund production of products. It would be very expensive to bring that cash back to the United States. Unfortunately the tax code has not kept up with the digital age. We are handicapped in relation to our foreign competitors who do not have such constraints on the free movement of capital.Senator John McCain (R-AZ), asked Cook whether Apple's actions overseas created an unfair advantage for them compared to smaller companies that operate strictly inside the US and cannot create such overseas entities. McCain: If you look at the 35% [corporate] tax burden, that I'm sure we're in agreement is way too high, you said the purpose of AOI [an Irish subsidiary] is to ease administrative burdens. Isn't it obvious that you are not bearing the same tax burden as if you were bearing in the United States? This gives you some advantage over smaller companies located strictly in the US? Cook: Sir, I have tremendous respect for you. I see this differently from you. Apple is earning these profits outside the US. By law and regulation, these are not taxable in the US. AOI invests that money overseas and then the interest from those investments is taxed in the US. I see this as a very complex topic and I'm glad we're having the discussion. Honestly, I don't see it as being unfair. I am not an unfair person. That's now who we are as a company and who I am as an individual. I do not see it that way.In a moment of levity, the 76-year old McCain expressed a concern that many iPhone owners share: "I'm out of time, but why the hell do I have to keep updating the apps on my iPhone? Why can't you fix that?" Cook responded that Apple was "looking to do better all the time." Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), after praising Apple and its products, asked Cook about what's keeping Apple headquartered in the United States and why the company doesn't move overseas where the fiscal climate might be more favorable. McCaskill: What would it cost to move out of California or move entirely to Ireland or China? What keeps you from moving on a cost analysis basis? Cook: We're an American company. We're proud to be an American company. The vast amount of our R&D is in California. We love it there. McCaskill: It's an intangible? Cook: It's who we are as people. We're an American company whether we're selling in China or Egypt. We're an American company. It has never entered my mind that we would move to another country. It's beyond my imagination and I have a wild imagination. It's beyond it.One of the major reasons for Cook's appearance in front of the committee was for Apple to put forth its own plan for corporate tax reform. For one thing, Cook said the U.S. corporate income tax rate should be in the mid-20 percent range, while repatriation tax rates for income earned outside the U.S. should be somewhere in the single digits. Cook said that Congress should take a tip from Apple and focus on simplicity. Apple has always believed in the simple, not the complex. You can see this in our products and in the way we conduct ourselves. It is in this spirit that we recommend a dramatic simplification of the corporate tax code. We make this recommendation with our eyes wide open, fully recognizing that this would likely result in an increase in Apple's U.S. taxes. We strongly believe that such reform would be fair to all taxpayers and would keep the U.S. competitive.Finally, in his final line of questioning to Cook and Oppenheimer, Senator Levin went on the offensive, arguing that while Apple may not be violating the letter of the law, it was certainly violating the spirit of it. By routing most foreign earnings to an Irish subsidiary -- a subsidiary that, in Levin's view, existed solely to avoid paying U.S. income tax -- Apple was doing a disservice to the American public by not paying their fair share. Apple does pay U.S. income tax on earnings from the Americas (Mexico, Canada and Brazil most notably), but some two-thirds of its worldwide income eventually get routed to Irish subsidiaries. Levin: And all the profits from Mexico and Canada and Argentina are taxed in the United States. But you made a decision to shift economic value overseas and the result is that most of your profits are not taxed. You're an American company. You're proud of it, we're proud of it. The result of these arrangements is that most of your profit is now in Ireland in these companies that don't exist. Of course we have to change this system. But to change it, we have to understand what is going on. What is going on is a huge loss of revenue to the United States. We've got these corporations that are able to shift profits to places where you don't pay income tax on it. We better understand that if we're going to correct it. That's our purpose here today. To shed a light on that. I hope that purpose has been achieved. We cannot continue a system where the company, a multinational company, is phenomenally as successful as yours and can make a decision, sitting down in 2008 as to where the profits will flow. Where the R&D is 95% in the United States. You got R&D tax credits, all the benefits of living in this country. You're sitting there, unilaterally deciding whether to continue a system where profits are shifted to a place where they are not available to the American taxman. Everyone agrees that we need to change this system. In order for us to change this system, we've got to understand what is going on. You make a unilateral decision, three Apple employees in 2008, essentially decided where these profits will be taxed or not taxed. It's not right. That is not right. To leave that decision, it seems to me, the way it is decided so unilaterally, that a company can shift its value to a tax haven -- that's what Ireland is -- I know its your intention and I applaud your view. I know its not easy to come in front of the spotlight. It's important for us to write the laws. You agreed Mr. Cook that we need to rewrite these laws. Thank you for coming.Following the testimony of Apple's executives, representatives from the US Treasury and the IRS appeared and largely confirmed that Apple's activities appeared to be entirely legal. Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the comment thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All MacRumors forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts. 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Apple has been making efforts to offer deep social network integration in its mobile operating system, first offering Twitter integration in iOS 5 and then Facebook integration in iOS 6. Apple will expand its social network integration even further with iOS 7, reports 9to5Mac, including support for both photo sharing site Flickr and video sharing site Vimeo. As with Facebook and Twitter integration, Vimeo and Flickr integration will allow users to be able to sign in to the social networks in the Settings menu. Those one-time sign-in credentials will be usable across iOS, providing comprehensive sharing options and easy integration with other downloaded apps.With Flickr integration, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch customers will have the ability to share photos stored and/or taken on their devices to Flickr with a single tap from the system-wide share menu. Flickr has been integrated into the paid iPhoto iOS App Store app and OS X Mountain Lion since 2012, but iOS 7 will represent the first time in which the photo sharing service has been integrated deeply into the entire iOS operating system.Flickr is a logical addition to iOS given Apple's existing relationship with Yahoo, and popular video hosting site Vimeo is also a logical choice for iOS 7 as Apple continues to move away from Google products. Apple stopped offering YouTube as a stock iOS app with iOS 6 and also introduced its own mapping app, discontinuing its use of Google Maps. While Apple continues to allow direct video uploads to YouTube from its camera app, Vimeo integration will give iOS 7 users an additional option for video uploads. As with Yahoo, Apple has an existing relationship with Vimeo, having offered integration with the service in OS X Mountain Lion. As noted by 9to5Mac's unnamed source, though Flickr and Vimeo integration is currently in the works, as with all beta software, there is a risk that it could be removed before the public release of iOS 7. Apple's upcoming operating system is expected to feature a "flatter" design to modernize the look of iOS 7 while removing many of the skeuomorphic design elements that were introduced with iOS 6. Apple is expected to debut iOS 7 at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June with a release to follow in the fall, and MacRumors has noted a surge in traffic from devices running iOS 7 suggesting that a preview is imminent. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Vudu Player for iOS Gets Updated With Ability to Download Movies • Apple to Open New Adelaide Retail Store in Australia on May 25 • Burj Al Arab in Dubai Introduces Gold-Plated iPads for Guest Use • Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface • Turkish Prime Minister Visits Apple Ahead of Major Tablet Purchase • Gameloft's 'N.O.V.A. 3' and 'Gangstar Rio: City of Saints' Are Free for the Weekend • 'Haunting Melissa' App Brings Episodic Movie Exclusively to iPhone and iPad • FTC Begins Sending COPPA Letters to App Developers Ahead of July Rule Change    
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Microsoft today released details on its next generation console at an event hosted at its Redmond campus in Washington. Called the Xbox One, the new console is designed to be the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system with a heavy focus on both gaming and interactive television watching. The Xbox One recognizes individual users and presents a customized home screen filled with content like TV and movies, games, and music, along with a new Trending section that displays friend activity and a live TV system. Xbox One utilizes voice commands, motion control via the Kinect, and a new feature called Instant Switching to allow Xbox users to switch from gaming to TV to other types of entertainment with quick commands that work as fast as swapping channels on the TV. Home screen sharing, called Snap Mode, allows users to display multiple items on the television screen. The Xbox One's comprehensive voice commands, such as "Watch CBS" or "Play Game" are what many imagined Siri integration with the Apple TV might look like. The new Xbox sports 8GB of RAM, an 8-core CPU, a 500GB hard drive, USB 3.0 ports, and a slot-loading Blu-ray drive. It also comes equipped with a newly redesigned Kinect sensor that is far more robust for better motion sensing and an updated controller that has an updated d-pad, impulse triggers and a more ergonomic design, in addition to several other improvements. Xbox's second-screen companion app SmartGlass, which was originally introduced last year, has been improved to allow smartphones and tablets like Apple's iPad and iPhone to connect seamlessly to the Xbox one. According to Marc Whitten, SmartGlass is "fully integrated" into the new console. SmartGlass in its current form is designed to allow users to interact with the Xbox 360 in a number of ways, namely navigating through menus, controlling video, browsing the internet, and using the keyboard to type on the console. A number of games were also revealed at the Xbox One event including Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14, EA Sports UFC, FIFA 12, Forza Motorsport 5, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and Quantum Break, a new game from Remedy that aims to blend television and gaming. 15 new games will be released during the first year that Xbox One is available, with eight of those being new franchises. Though no exact release date was given, the Xbox One will launch around the world "later this year." More information about the console and its upcoming games will be available at E3 in June. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Vudu Player for iOS Gets Updated With Ability to Download Movies • Apple to Open New Adelaide Retail Store in Australia on May 25 • Burj Al Arab in Dubai Introduces Gold-Plated iPads for Guest Use • Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface • Turkish Prime Minister Visits Apple Ahead of Major Tablet Purchase • Gameloft's 'N.O.V.A. 3' and 'Gangstar Rio: City of Saints' Are Free for the Weekend • 'Haunting Melissa' App Brings Episodic Movie Exclusively to iPhone and iPad • FTC Begins Sending COPPA Letters to App Developers Ahead of July Rule Change    
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The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) has today released its annual rankings of customer satisfaction for mobile phones in the United States. While Apple had the highest customer satisfaction index score for the second year in a row, its score has fallen slightly while competitors like Motorola Mobility, Nokia, and Samsung have all gained in score. Apple is still at the top of the list when it comes to smartphone satisfaction, but this year's ranking of 81 (out of 100) is two percent below its 2012 ranking of 83. Motorola phones came in second after Apple, hitting a ranking of 77 after a 5% gain year over year. Nokia remained high on the list with a 1% gain giving it a score of 76, and Samsung experienced the most growth at 7%, bringing it to a score of 76. HTC and LG both saw drops in satisfaction while BlackBerry remained on the bottom of the list with a score of 69.The improvement [of Samsung] is the largest yet for any cell phone manufacturer, and earns Samsung a position even with the industry average and Nokia (+1%) and just behind second place Motorola, up 5% to 77. Nevertheless, Samsung remains well behind industry leader Apple.Since the May 2012 customer satisfaction survey which was the first that ranked smartphones, Apple has introduced its newest phone, the iPhone 5, while Samsung has debuted several devices including its most recent Galaxy S 4. The ACSI also ranked wireless telephone service, with Verizon and AT&T experiencing small gains in satisfaction. Verizon ranked first with a score of 73 outranking Sprint's steady 71, which earned it the top spot last year. AT&T went from 69 to 70, and T-Mobile dropped to last place with a score of 68. The ASCI bases its customer satisfaction index on a survey of 70,000 people in the United States that asks customers about the products and services they use the most. It measures satisfaction with more than 230 companies that span 43 industries and 10 economic sectors. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Vudu Player for iOS Gets Updated With Ability to Download Movies • Apple to Open New Adelaide Retail Store in Australia on May 25 • Burj Al Arab in Dubai Introduces Gold-Plated iPads for Guest Use • Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface • Turkish Prime Minister Visits Apple Ahead of Major Tablet Purchase • Gameloft's 'N.O.V.A. 3' and 'Gangstar Rio: City of Saints' Are Free for the Weekend • 'Haunting Melissa' App Brings Episodic Movie Exclusively to iPhone and iPad • FTC Begins Sending COPPA Letters to App Developers Ahead of July Rule Change    
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Tonymacx86 points (via 9to5Mac) to recently discovered photos of a Broadcom BCM94360CD Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card that supports the 802.11ac "Gigabit Wi-Fi" standard rumored to be coming to Apple's Mac lineup later this year. While the photos were posted to Chinese site VR-Zone in early March, they are only just now being noticed by those following Apple rumors. While the reports suggest that the new card is intended for the next-generation MacBook Pro or MacBook Air models rumored for launch at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), a commenter on the Tonymacx86 discussion thread points out that the card is actually nearly identical in size, shape, and layout to the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card found in the current iMac. The BCM94360CD card, which is very likely a custom design for Apple, contains Broadcom's BCM4360 802.11ac transceiver chip, offering support for the in-process Wi-Fi standard that allows for triple the speeds of the current 802.11n standard. An apparent date code of "1240" on the part suggests that it was manufactured in early October 2012, several months before Apple was reported to have struck a deal with Broadcom to bring 802.11ac support to its 2013 Macs. Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card from Late 2012 iMac (Source: iFixit) Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Vudu Player for iOS Gets Updated With Ability to Download Movies • Apple to Open New Adelaide Retail Store in Australia on May 25 • Burj Al Arab in Dubai Introduces Gold-Plated iPads for Guest Use • Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface • Turkish Prime Minister Visits Apple Ahead of Major Tablet Purchase • Gameloft's 'N.O.V.A. 3' and 'Gangstar Rio: City of Saints' Are Free for the Weekend • 'Haunting Melissa' App Brings Episodic Movie Exclusively to iPhone and iPad • FTC Begins Sending COPPA Letters to App Developers Ahead of July Rule Change    
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After jostling in competing memoranda yesterday, Apple and a group of U.S. Senators are prepared to go head-to-head in a committee hearing examining the tax avoidance strategies of Apple and other multinational corporations. CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and Apple's head of tax operations Phillip A. Bullock will appear in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation in the second part of a committee hearing running now. The hearing is streaming live on C-Span and we will be liveblogging the hearing below. Apple yesterday released a statement laying out some of its international operations and financial strategies, noting that it paid $6 billion in federal income tax in 2012 and that it has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the United States. A bipartisan group of Senators responded with a statement of its own, accusing Apple of using several offshore subsidiaries to avoid paying income taxes. Said Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), "Apple sought the Holy Grail of tax avoidance. It has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars, while claiming to be tax resident nowhere." Earlier today, the Irish government -- where a number of Apple's subsidiaries are headquartered -- said that it was not responsible for the tax rates Apple pays in other countries and that its system was transparent. Liveblog will start once Apple's employees appear in front of the committee Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the comment thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All MacRumors forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Vudu Player for iOS Gets Updated With Ability to Download Movies • Apple to Open New Adelaide Retail Store in Australia on May 25 • Burj Al Arab in Dubai Introduces Gold-Plated iPads for Guest Use • Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface • Turkish Prime Minister Visits Apple Ahead of Major Tablet Purchase • Gameloft's 'N.O.V.A. 3' and 'Gangstar Rio: City of Saints' Are Free for the Weekend • 'Haunting Melissa' App Brings Episodic Movie Exclusively to iPhone and iPad • FTC Begins Sending COPPA Letters to App Developers Ahead of July Rule Change    
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Following this morning's acquisition of Tumblr, Yahoo today hosted an event in New York City to detail changes to its popular photo sharing site Flickr. Flickr on the web has been given a major design overhaul, with a focus on full resolution pictures. In addition to eliminating much of the white space on the site, Flickr is now displaying in-line photo streams that encompass the majority of the screen and detailed photo-centric profile pages. Flickr has also implemented a slideshow mode to allow its users to flip through photos hands-free. With the redesign, Flickr is encouraging its users to upload high resolution photos by giving every Flickr user 1TB of storage space for free. That is a marked increase from its former photo storage policy, which limited users' monthly upload bandwidth and allowed only 200 photos to be visible. Flickr will allow up to 3 minutes of 1080p video as well.At Flickr, we believe you should share all your images in full resolution, so life's moments can be relived in their original quality. No limited pixels, no cramped formats, no memories that fall flat. We're giving your photos room to breathe, and you the space to upload a dizzying number of photos and videos, for free. Just how big is a terabyte? Well, you could take a photo every hour for forty years without filling one. And yep, you heard us. It's free.Flickr has upped the price of its ad-free accounts, charging $49.99 per year for an ad-free browsing experience, along with introducing a new "Doublr" account, which offers 2TB of storage space for $499 per year. During the announcement, Flickr also revealed that its redesigned iOS app, which was released last December, grew total Flickr uploads by 25 percent. Flickr's iOS app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link] Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Burj Al Arab in Dubai Introduces Gold-Plated iPads for Guest Use • Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface • Turkish Prime Minister Visits Apple Ahead of Major Tablet Purchase • Gameloft's 'N.O.V.A. 3' and 'Gangstar Rio: City of Saints' Are Free for the Weekend • 'Haunting Melissa' App Brings Episodic Movie Exclusively to iPhone and iPad • FTC Begins Sending COPPA Letters to App Developers Ahead of July Rule Change • eBay for iOS Updated with Multiple Item Checkout, Driver's License Scanning • Apple Releases MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0    
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A Senate subcommittee has released a 40-page memo accusing Apple of not paying billions of dollars in federal taxes through "extensive tax-avoidance strategies". Apple CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and Apple's head of tax operations Phillip A. Bullock will appear in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation tomorrow. The company issued a statement earlier today in a preliminary defense against the Subcommittee's accusations. The subcommittee, which previously explored tax avoidance by other multinational corporations using offshore subsidiaries, found similar practices at Apple. In addition, the subcommittee review discovered an unusual tax scheme: Apple’s claim that two key offshore companies are not tax residents of Ireland, where they are incorporated, or of the United States, where Apple executives manage and control the companies. One of those Irish subsidiaries has paid no income taxes to any national tax authority for the past five years. "Apple wasn’t satisfied with shifting its profits to a low-tax offshore tax haven," said Sen. Levin. "Apple sought the Holy Grail of tax avoidance. It has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars, while claiming to be tax resident nowhere. We intend to highlight that gimmick and other Apple offshore tax avoidance tactics so that American working families who pay their share of taxes understand how offshore tax loopholes raise their tax burden, add to the federal deficit and ought to be closed."The full forty-page memorandum (PDF) goes into some detail on the company's tax strategies, and we will likely hear much more about this at tomorrow's hearing. Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the comment thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All MacRumors forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface • Turkish Prime Minister Visits Apple Ahead of Major Tablet Purchase • Gameloft's 'N.O.V.A. 3' and 'Gangstar Rio: City of Saints' Are Free for the Weekend • 'Haunting Melissa' App Brings Episodic Movie Exclusively to iPhone and iPad • FTC Begins Sending COPPA Letters to App Developers Ahead of July Rule Change • eBay for iOS Updated with Multiple Item Checkout, Driver's License Scanning • Apple Releases MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0 • Google Play Books for iOS Updated with Support for Uploaded Files    
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While Apple's 15" MacBook Pro was the first consumer notebook to gain a Retina-level display nearly a year ago, it is no longer the only such offering, as Google's Chromebook Pixel with its 12.85" 2560x1700 display and Toshiba's Kirabook with a 2560x1440 220 PPI display have joined the market in recent months. Seeking to raise the ante on Retina displays, Samsung and Sharp have both introduced new high-resolution displays in the past week, targeting notebooks and ultrabooks with the latest technology. The new displays from both companies sport 16:9 ratios, making them unfit for Apple's line of notebooks, which all use 16:10 ratio displays, but they should make Retina displays a mainstream feature in the relatively near future. Sharp last week announced new 11.6", 14", and 15.6" displays with pixel densities of 235-262 PPI, joining the company's existing 13.3" display at 221 PPI. Samsung's announcement today included a new 13.3" display with a 3200x1800 LCD panel at an even higher 276 PPI. For comparison, Apple's 13" MacBook Pro with Retina Display has a 2560x1600 13.3" display at 227 PPI. While high resolution is the most obvious benefit of these new displays for consumers, some of the screens bring other benefits as well. Samsung says its new 13.3" display offers 30% power savings over existing displays, something that would be important for a potential MacBook Air with Retina display. That machine is constrained by needs for a super-thin display and battery. And even for Apple's existing Retina MacBook Pro, advances being brought about by Samsung and Sharp are likely to make their way into Apple's notebook displays in the future. Sharp advertises similar energy-saving benefits from its new IGZO displays:IGZO technology enables smaller thin-film transistors and increased light transmittance. As a result, fine text can be rendered crisply and clearly, and images can be displayed with impressive realism. For example, the 14-inch panel boasts a pixel density of 262 ppi, which represents 1.67 times the number of pixels of full high definition. Increased light transmittance also means lower rates of energy consumption, with IGZO technology reducing the amount of power required to drive liquid crystals during the display of still images. These factors lead to greater energy efficiency and longer battery life on notebook PCs.Apple has been rumored to be looking at Retina displays for desktop applications as well, but a future Retina iMac would face a different set of issues, including the cost of the panel itself at such large sizes, as well as the immense graphics and connectivity needs to drive such a display. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface • Turkish Prime Minister Visits Apple Ahead of Major Tablet Purchase • Gameloft's 'N.O.V.A. 3' and 'Gangstar Rio: City of Saints' Are Free for the Weekend • 'Haunting Melissa' App Brings Episodic Movie Exclusively to iPhone and iPad • FTC Begins Sending COPPA Letters to App Developers Ahead of July Rule Change • eBay for iOS Updated with Multiple Item Checkout, Driver's License Scanning • Apple Releases MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0 • Google Play Books for iOS Updated with Support for Uploaded Files    
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In a statement to The Verge on the future of pre-loaded apps, AT&T today revealed that it is planning to offer FaceTime over cellular to all of its customers on any data plan by the end of 2013.For video chat apps that come pre-loaded on devices, we currently give all OS and device makers the ability for those apps to work over cellular for our customers who are on Mobile Share or Tiered plans. Apple, Samsung and BlackBerry have chosen to enable this for their pre-loaded video chat apps. And by mid-June, we’ll have enabled those apps over cellular for our unlimited plan customers who have LTE devices from those three manufacturers. Throughout the second half of this year, we plan to enable pre-loaded video chat apps over cellular for all our customers, regardless of data plan or device; that work is expected to be complete by year end.When FaceTime over cellular was announced alongside iOS 6, AT&T initially restricted the service to its customers that subscribed to a Mobile Share data plan. AT&T soon expanded access, first to customers on a tiered data plan with an LTE device, and then to all customers with a tiered data plan regardless of device. Only customers with a grandfathered unlimited data plan were restricted from using the service. AT&T plans to allow its unlimited customers with LTE devices access to FaceTime over cellular beginning in June, with full access to all customers becoming available by the end of the year. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Tumblr for iOS Gets Redesigned User Interface After Yahoo Aquisition • Turkish Prime Minister Visits Apple Ahead of Major Tablet Purchase • Gameloft's 'N.O.V.A. 3' and 'Gangstar Rio: City of Saints' Are Free for the Weekend • 'Haunting Melissa' App Brings Episodic Movie Exclusively to iPhone and iPad • FTC Begins Sending COPPA Letters to App Developers Ahead of July Rule Change • eBay for iOS Updated with Multiple Item Checkout, Driver's License Scanning • Apple Releases MacBook Air Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.0 • Google Play Books for iOS Updated with Support for Uploaded Files    
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Apple today released a statement [PDF] ahead of Apple CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and head of tax operations Phillip A. Bullock's appearances in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation tomorrow. In the seventeen page statement, Apple notes that it has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the United States -- both directly and through suppliers and contractors. It notes that the company paid nearly $6 billion in federal taxes in fiscal 2012 and the company expects to pay $7 billion in 2013. The company also says Apple "does not use tax gimmicks", pushing back against reporting in The New York Times that examined Apple's international tax strategies. Apple, a California company, employs tens of thousands of Americans, creates revolutionary products that improve the lives of tens of millions of Americans, and pays billions of dollars annually to the US Treasury in corporate income and payroll taxes. Apple’s shareholders – from individuals and institutions to pension funds and public employee retirement systems – have benefitted from the Company’s success through the appreciation of its stock price and generous dividends. Apple safeguards the capital entrusted to it by its shareholders with prudent management that reflects the Company’s extensive international operations. Apple complies fully with both the laws and spirit of the laws. And Apple pays all its required taxes, both in this country and abroad.Apple reiterates repeatedly that all of its financial activities are fully legal and in the best interests of its shareholders. The company says it supports comprehensive reform of the U.S. corporate tax system, instead proposing a new system that is "revenue neutral, eliminates all tax expenditures, lowers tax rates and implements a reasonable tax on foreign earnings that allows free movement of capital back to the US." Apple notes that this would likely result in the company paying even more in corporate tax, but supports it nonetheless. The document includes an extensive history of the company, as well as fairly extensive details about Apple's corporate structure and tax practices, including details about Apple's sales and use tax payments ($1.3 billion in FY2012), state income tax payments ($830 million), and Apple's contributions to employer payroll taxes ($327 million). It lays out Apple's network of foreign subsidiaries, including several located in Ireland which distribute 'active foreign, post-tax income as dividend payments within Apple's foreign corporate structure'. Apple wants to make clear to the Subcommittee that the Company does not use its Irish subsidiaries or any other entities to engage in the following tax practices that were the focus of the Subcommittee’s September 20, 2012 hearing, entitled Offshore Profit Shifting and the US Tax Code. Specifically, Apple does not move its intellectual property into offshore tax havens and use it to sell products back into the US to avoid US tax, nor does it use revolving loans from CFCs to fund its domestic operations. Apple does not hold money on a Caribbean island, does not have a bank account in the Cayman Islands, and does not move any taxable revenue from sales to US customers to other jurisdictions in order to avoid US taxation.The statement continues in some detail, examining Apple's various international holdings and how the company uses them to fund international expansion of retail stores and other investments. It also notes that analysis of its decision to issue $17 billion in debt to fund share repurchases and dividends, rather than repatriating foreign earnings, "was in its shareholders' best interests". Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer will appear at 9:30AM Eastern time in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation. The hearing, titled "Offshore Profit Shifting and the U.S. Tax Code - Part 2" will be in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The subcommittee is attached to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. Other witnesses at the hearing include tax policy experts from the IRS and the Department of the Treasury, as well as professors from Harvard and Villanova. Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the comment thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All MacRumors forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts. 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