Bloomberg reports that Apple will for the first time begin accepting trade-ins on iPhones in its retail stores, encouraging users to upgrade to the latest models and seeking to boost sales. Apple will be partnering with recycling firm Brightstar to offer the program.Used iPhones collected in the U.S. will only be resold in emerging markets, where Apple’s share is lower and demand for cheap devices is greater, said one of the people. That way, the resale of Apple’s older models won’t cannibalize iPhone 5 sales in the U.S., the person said.Since 2011, Apple has partnered with third-party firm PowerON in the United States to offer Apple gift cards to users seeking to recycle their used iOS devices through the company's website, moving last year to expand the program to other countries where it has offered cash back. With the new program, the trade-in program will expand to Apple's popular retail stores.The new trade-in program with BrightStar will only be available at Apple’s retail outlets, letting consumers receive payments instantly and avoiding the hassle of shipping their older gadgets, the people said.Apple's web-based recycling and trade-in programs have so far been relatively hidden away on the company's site, resulting in low consumer awareness. The new retail store effort is, however, likely to make a significant difference in trade-in usage, appealing to consumers looking for hassle-free credit toward new devices. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Airbus Unveils Prototype iPhone-Enabled Smart Luggage • Intel Shows Off Prototype 128GB Thunderbolt Thumb Drive • Dropbox Beta for Mac Adds Automatic Screenshot Sharing and More • Las Vegas' Fashion Show Apple Store Getting Major Expansion • Apple Retail's New Machines for Calibrating Replacement iPhone 5 Displays • iTunes Festival London 2013 App Updated with Passbook Support • Apple Releases Aperture 3.4.5 with Import and Memory Card Bug Fixes • Kindle for iOS Updated with Line Spacing Options, Multipage Highlights     
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Last month, BlackBerry announced that it would be bringing its BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service to iOS and Android this summer, seeking to strengthen its existing network of 60 million monthly active users with a broader cross-platform messaging solution. SlashGear now points to a Tweet from T-Mobile UK claiming that BBM will be launching on iOS and Android on June 27.Great news - BlackBerry Messenger will be available to download on iOS and Android from June 27th! :) #BBM In an interview with CNET yesterday, BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer Kristian Tear also revealed that the company is in talks with other handset makers to offer BBM preloaded on their devices. Apple obviously would not agree to such a deal, but it seems that certain Android handsets may soon come with built-in support for the service.BlackBerry is working with other handset manufacturers to get its BlackBerry Messenger service preloaded on to their phones, according to a top executive. "There is interest from other handset makers," BlackBerry Chief Operating Officer Kristian Tear told CNET in an interview on Wednesday.BBM's expansion comes as Apple has gained traction with its Apple-centric iMessage service and other cross-platform services such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger have accumulated significant user bases of their own. BlackBerry has clearly decided that the potential benefits of opening up BBM to more users outweigh the risks of BlackBerry device customers defecting to other platforms, but it remains to be seen whether the smartphone pioneer can help stabilize itself with such a move alongside its new BlackBerry 10 operating system. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Dropbox Beta for Mac Adds Automatic Screenshot Sharing and More • Las Vegas' Fashion Show Apple Store Getting Major Expansion • Apple Retail's New Machines for Calibrating Replacement iPhone 5 Displays • iTunes Festival London 2013 App Updated with Passbook Support • Apple Releases Aperture 3.4.5 with Import and Memory Card Bug Fixes • Kindle for iOS Updated with Line Spacing Options, Multipage Highlights • Apple and THX Work to Resolve Speaker Patent Dispute Outside Court • Plex Releases Client for Non-Jailbroken Apple TVs    
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While quite a few low-cost cases based on the alleged design of the fifth-generation iPad have been circulating for a number of months, bigger names are now getting into the act. The news comes from CNET, which reports that Gumdrop Cases has developed its own $35-$60 cases and is in fact betting that the new iPad will make an appearance at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).[Gumdrop Cases founder and CEO Tim] Hickman wouldn't say who his sources are, but he's confident enough in them to start producing new cases for the iPad 5 and put them up for pre-order. In fact, a press sample of the $59.99 Gumdrop Drop Tech is due to arrive later today, and we'll update the post with new pictures once we get it. Gumdrop is also manufacturing the Gumdrop Bounce ($34.95) and Gumdrop Drop Tech Designer Series ($59.99). They're scheduled to ship on June 10. The fifth-generation iPad is widely rumored to be taking design cues from the iPad mini, adopting narrower side bezels while coming in roughly 15% thinner and up to 33% lighter that the current full-size iPad. The vast majority of reports have, however, indicated that the new iPad will not be appearing at WWDC, with Apple instead said to be launching updated iOS hardware later in the year. Relatively reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that Apple will begin ramping up production of the new full-size iPad in the August-September timeframe, with an updated iPad mini with Retina display perhaps coming several months later. Digitimes has offered similar estimates of launch timing for the new iPads. Case makers have traditionally had a fair amount of success basing their designs on leaked measurements for new and redesigned Apple devices, although many were fooled by rampant rumors of a tapered iPhone design that failed to appear when Apple launched the iPhone 4S in 2011. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Las Vegas' Fashion Show Apple Store Getting Major Expansion • Apple Retail's New Machines for Calibrating Replacement iPhone 5 Displays • iTunes Festival London 2013 App Updated with Passbook Support • Apple Releases Aperture 3.4.5 with Import and Memory Card Bug Fixes • Kindle for iOS Updated with Line Spacing Options, Multipage Highlights • Apple and THX Work to Resolve Speaker Patent Dispute Outside Court • Plex Releases Client for Non-Jailbroken Apple TVs • Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2'    
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9to5Mac has received information from a source that suggests the MacBook Air updates that are expected at WWDC will ship soon after the keynote, perhaps with updated Airport Extreme and Time Capsule wireless base stations that support a new, faster wireless standard. These leaks line up with a report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who said in April that the MacBook Air update expected at WWDC would ship very soon after the event, while the Retina MacBook Pro would ship later due to production bottlenecks on the advanced displays. Today, we have received specific pricing for the aforementioned SKUs, and the price-points correspond to Apple’s current pricing for the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air models. We have yet to receive pricing information that points to the imminent availability of new MacBook Pros (as some had hoped), but perhaps the next refresh to Apple’s Pro portables will arrive in the coming months. Supply constraints to the Retina MacBook Pro line seems to infer that…The site also says it received pricing for three new accessories that could be new Airport Extreme and Time Capsule models. If accurate, these would likely support the new 802.11ac-wireless standard. As we wrote in our WWDC rumor roundup earlier today, the notebook updates are likely to be the hardware highlight of WWDC, with new MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro models announced. Expected upgrades include a shift to Haswell processors, a possible slimmer design for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, a new full HD (2.0-megapixel) FaceTime camera on the Retina models, and a dual-microphone system on the MacBook Air. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • iTunes Festival London 2013 App Updated with Passbook Support • Apple Releases Aperture 3.4.5 with Import and Memory Card Bug Fixes • Kindle for iOS Updated with Line Spacing Options, Multipage Highlights • Apple and THX Work to Resolve Speaker Patent Dispute Outside Court • Plex Releases Client for Non-Jailbroken Apple TVs • Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2' • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia    
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According to Joseph Brown, one of the developers behind the iTweakiOS site that provides hacked carrier updates for iOS users, Apple is purposely throttling iPhone data speeds to "even out" the network as Apple's phones consume more data than other smartphones. Brown states that AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint limit the iPhone's data speeds and provides evidence in the form of snapshots of network settings. For example, AT&T limits the iPhone 5 to Category 10 (14.4Mbps) HSDPA despite the fact that the network is able to support up to Category 14 (21.1Mbps) HSDPA+ and the iPhone supports Category 24 (42.2Mbps) DC-HSDPA+. Brown goes on to point out similar throttling code present in the LTE and 3G network settings of both Verizon and Sprint, for the iPhone and the iPad. His theory is that Apple (or the carriers themselves) are throttling data speeds in order to cut down on the iPhone's data usage.- AT&T limits HSPA+ and permanently throttles LTE (unless hack is applied) - Verizon permanently throttles LTE (unless hack is applied) - Verizon and Sprint throttle down 3G (unless hack is applied) - Apple has band preferences set for T-Mobile and AT&T causing signal issues (very much fixable by Apple and the carrier and is currently being looked into, from I've been told)T-Mobile, the last network to receive the iPhone, is the only carrier that does not appear to throttle iPhone data usage. Though Brown places the blame for the network settings on Apple, it is unclear whether it is Apple or the carriers themselves at fault, and the reasoning behind the alleged throttling is equally unclear. Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon have all historically throttled the data speeds of high volume users. To thwart the apparent throttling, iTweakiOS offers a number of carrier hacks that are designed to increase data speeds. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • iTunes Festival London 2013 App Updated with Passbook Support • Apple Releases Aperture 3.4.5 with Import and Memory Card Bug Fixes • Kindle for iOS Updated with Line Spacing Options, Multipage Highlights • Apple and THX Work to Resolve Speaker Patent Dispute Outside Court • Plex Releases Client for Non-Jailbroken Apple TVs • Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2' • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia    
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The new Mac Pro model, expected later this year, is "something really different" according to a video professional who says he spoke with the Mac Pro product manager. Writing on the RedUser.net forum, Andrew Baird says he spoke to Mac Pro project manager Douglas Brooks on the phone after emailing CEO Tim Cook with his concerns about the lack of a new professional tower from Apple over the past few years. Baird told MacRumors that the call didn't include any specific details about when the new machine would be released, nor its specifications -- however, he was assured several times that the new Mac Pro would be worth the wait. Brooks told him that the machine would be released later this year. For what it's worth - a couple of months ago I received a call from Douglas Brooks, Apples project manager for the new Mac Pro to address my concerns about the new machine. Obviously he didn't tell me anything about the new MP, but asked me what I wanted to see. I told him expandability for extra graphics cards support, and memory expansion were at the top of my list amongst other things. His reply was simple: "You are going to be really glad that you waited [to buy a new tower]. We are doing something really different here and I think you're going to be very excited when you see what we've been up to. I can't wait to show this off". That conversation gave me enough confidence to wait for the new machine. I'm looking forward to the announcement. Hopefully the wait will be worth it.Somewhat corroborating Baird's phone call, Lou Borella -- administrator of the 'We Want a New Macpro' Facebook group -- wrote on the page that he heard the new professional Mac would be "heavily reliant on Thunderbolt" with "no internal expandability", and would have support for dual-GPU's and no FireWire or optical drive. In mid-2012, after a minor update to the Mac Pro was announced at WWDC, Tim Cook confirmed to a fan that new Mac Pros were coming in 2013, which was later reiterated by an Apple spokesman. It has also been rumored that the new Mac Pro would be the first Apple computer in years to be 'Made in the USA'. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • iTunes Festival London 2013 App Updated with Passbook Support • Apple Releases Aperture 3.4.5 with Import and Memory Card Bug Fixes • Kindle for iOS Updated with Line Spacing Options, Multipage Highlights • Apple and THX Work to Resolve Speaker Patent Dispute Outside Court • Plex Releases Client for Non-Jailbroken Apple TVs • Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2' • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia    
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Following a report earlier this week that suggested Apple's iAd staff would be responsible for securing advertising deals to support Apple's upcoming streaming music service, AdAge has confirmed the rumor and released new details on how the upcoming service, dubbed "iRadio," will function. AdAge claims that iRadio, which Apple plans to offer to users for free, will incorporate both audio ads and standard mobile ads, all of which are highly targeted. Numerous reports on iRadio have suggested that Apple has tried to negotiate lower rates and more flexibility than has been offered to competitors like Pandora, leveraging its advertising reach and its iTunes store.Selling interstitial audio ads – ones that play between songs – will allow Apple to offer the service free to users as is typical with most streaming music services. One music industry executive familiar with the negotiations between Apple and the major record labels said the terms of iRadio are more favorable for record labels than other streaming services because iRadio is expected to drive more song downloads. iRadio users will be able to purchase the song they are listening to through iTunes. Syncing with iTunes Match ($24.99 per year) will allow users to own those songs forever, keep them in Apple's cloud-based storage service and access them on any iOS device. However, the service will not allow users to search for and play a specific song on-demand, like with Spotify.While 70% of current iAd revenue is given to developers who utilize the service, Apple will be able to keep 90% of revenue from audio ads, sharing just 10% with music companies. Presumably, audio iRadio ads will function similarly to those offered by Pandora, playing in between songs. Apple will also be able to charge higher advertising rates than competitors like Pandora, as Pandora's ads can only be targeted to users based on sex, area code, and listening habits, while Apple can target users based on several other factors, including entertainment tastes that include movie, television, and app preferences. Last week, it was reported that Apple is considering launching an ad exchange, possibly within iAd, which is in line with the advertising information provided by AdAge. With an ad exchange, Apple could allow advertisers to target Apple users based on a number of data factors that Apple has collected about its customers. Companies like Google and Yahoo currently operate ad exchanges and an Apple exchange could greatly increase the popularity of its iAd program. According to the latest iRadio rumors, Apple is pushing to complete deals with record labels in order to launch the streaming music service at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which is scheduled to begin on June 10. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • iTunes Festival London 2013 App Updated with Passbook Support • Apple Releases Aperture 3.4.5 with Import and Memory Card Bug Fixes • Kindle for iOS Updated with Line Spacing Options, Multipage Highlights • Apple and THX Work to Resolve Speaker Patent Dispute Outside Court • Plex Releases Client for Non-Jailbroken Apple TVs • Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2' • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia    
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Following last month’s iTunes update that included a redesigned Mini-Player and improved songs view, Apple has today released iTunes 11.0.4. The update fixes a bug that caused iTunes to crash when users switched between wired and wireless syncing and addresses an ongoing issue that caused some users to have to log in to the iTunes store multiple times. This version of iTunes comes with several new features and improvements, including: New MiniPlayer. MiniPlayer now includes a beautiful new view that showcases your album artwork. In addition, a progress bar is now built right into MiniPlayer. Improved Songs View. You can now enjoy your album artwork while in Songs view. Multi-Disc Albums. Albums with multiple discs now appear as a single album. This update fixes a problem that may cause iTunes to quit if you switch between wired and wireless syncing and addresses an issue that may require you to log into the iTunes Store repeatedly.The update weighs in at 187.52MB on the Mac, and is available through the Mac App Store, Software Update, and direct from Apple's Software Download Page. A Windows 64 version is also available. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Apple and THX Work to Resolve Speaker Patent Dispute Outside Court • Plex Releases Client for Non-Jailbroken Apple TVs • Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2' • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia • Google Updates Gmail for iOS with Redesigned Inbox, Improved Notifications • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading    
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With the theft of Apple products on the rise, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has called for a summit with representatives from the four major smartphone manufacturers, reports the Huffington Post. Next week, Schneiderman plans to meet with officials from Apple, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft, where he will present questions on the actions that the companies plan to take to combat device theft.Schneiderman, along with San Francisco district attorney George Gascón, will question Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft officials in New York about why they have not yet developed technology that renders stolen mobile devices inoperable, eliminating the incentive for theft. "The theft of handheld devices is the fastest-growing street crime, and increasingly, incidents are turning violent," Schneiderman said in a statement Wednesday. "It's time for manufacturers to be as innovative in solving this problem as they have been in designing devices that have reshaped how we live."Both Schneiderman and San Francisco DA George Gascón have spearheaded efforts to cut down on device crime. Gascón has promoted the idea of a "kill switch" in Apple devices that could be used to permanently disable them in the event of a theft and Schneiderman has followed in his footsteps, sending out inquiry letters on device theft to smartphone manufacturers last month. While all four major U.S. carriers implemented a shared database to track stolen mobile phones last year, it has proven to be largely ineffective at cutting down on device thefts. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Plex Releases Client for Non-Jailbroken Apple TVs • Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2' • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia • Google Updates Gmail for iOS with Redesigned Inbox, Improved Notifications • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free    
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With Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicking off next Monday, June 10 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time with a keynote address, it's time for a roundup of rumors about what we might see at the event. In announcing the conference back in late April, Apple unsurprisingly revealed that it will be delivering "new versions of iOS and OS X" to developers, undoubtedly referring to iOS 7 and OS X 10.9. And as has become tradition since Apple moved its iPhone launches later in the year starting in 2011, WWDC 2013 is indeed expected to live up to its developer focus with an emphasis on software. iOS 7 iOS 7 will almost certainly make its consumer debut alongside updated iPhone hardware later this year, but WWDC will offer the first glimpse of the upcoming software and Apple should spend a fair amount of the keynote walking through the changes. Apple will also begin seeding versions of iOS 7 to developers at WWDC, giving them time to help test the operating system itself and to build and update their own apps to take advantage of new features coming in iOS 7. The big discussion surrounding iOS 7 has been regarding a new "flat design" driven by Jony Ive, who took over control of Apple's software-focused Human Interface team late last year in addition to his longtime role as head of Industrial Design. Prominent rumors for iOS 7 include: - Image of 'Flat' Redesign From Early iOS 7 Build Reportedly Leaks - iOS 7 May Include AirDrop Wireless File Sharing Capabilities - More Details on Jony Ive's Flat iOS 7 Design: Heavier on Black and White - Apple to Expand Social Network Integration in iOS 7 with Support for Flickr and Vimeo - Surge in Apple's iOS 7 Usage Revealed in Web Traffic Stats - Apple Engineers Working Overtime on iOS 7's 'DeForstallization' - Apple Looking to Boost In-Car Integration of Maps and Siri in iOS 7 - Details on Jony Ive's 'Very, Very Flat' Design for iOS 7 - iOS 7 Running Behind, Rumored to Have Significant Visual Makeover Claimed early alpha version of iOS 7 with flatter look OS X 10.9 For this year's OS X 10.9, many had been expecting Apple to mirror its 2012 OS X Mountain Lion schedule with developer previews beginning around February ahead of a late summer public launch, but despite a evidence of the next version of its Mac operating system showing up in web blogs late last year, the company has yet to make any public announcements about the update. Back in April, Daring Fireball's John Gruber reported that with iOS 7 having been running behind schedule, Apple had been pulling engineers from OS X 10.9 in order to assist with the iOS work. The report was later confirmed by AllThingsD and The Loop, although it seems unclear whether the shift had any effect on Apple's internal timeline for OS X 10.9. Details on what to expect in OS X 10.9 have been relatively scarce, but rumors have included: - OS X 10.9 to Bring Enhancements to Finder, Safari, Multiple Monitor Support, and Multitasking - Apple Job Posting Hints at Siri for Macs in OS X 10.9 - OS X 10.9 to Include Siri and Maps Integration "iRadio" Apple has been rumored to be working on a Pandora-like streaming radio service for quite some time, but difficult negotiations have reportedly slowed the effort considerably. Just weeks ago, it was reported that continued difficulties with record label and publisher negotiations might result in Apple being unable to unveil the service at WWDC, but just this past weekend Apple signed Warner Music in what appears to be a last-minute push to secure deals in time for a WWDC announcement. The service would not, however, launch until later this year alongside iOS 7. The service, informally dubbed "iRadio", is said to be free to users, relying on advertising support through Apple's iAd team to generate revenue. Apple is reportedly seeking to deploy a service similar to that offered by Pandora but with additional flexibility for users. Notebook Updates With Intel having announced a series of new Haswell chips yesterday, Apple's Mac lineups may be ready for updates. Apple's notebook lineup appears to be the primary target for updates at WWDC, with reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo calling the notebook refresh the hardware highlight of WWDC. Leaked model numbers have hinted at notebook updates for WWDC, although the identities of the products associated with those numbers have not yet been confirmed. Upgrades will primarily be internal with the shift to Haswell, although Kuo believes that the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro may see a slimmer design. Other rumored upgrades include a shift to full HD (2.0-megapixel) FaceTime cameras on the Retina MacBook Pro models and adoption of a dual-microphone system on the MacBook Air to improve sound quality. Kuo believes that Apple will continue to offer the non-Retina MacBook Pro, but handicap the line by continuing to offer Intel's older Ivy Bridge chips in a bid to push consumers to the thinner and more expensive Retina MacBook Pro models. Apple may also be upgrading to faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi in its next-generation machines. Mac Pro? Following a disappointing update for the Mac Pro last year, coming approximately two years after the previous update, Apple took the unusual step of confirming that the company would have a redesigned Mac Pro for "later" in 2013. Some rumors had suggested that Apple might launch the new Mac Pro this spring, but the update failed to come to fruition. Apple has even been forced to halt sales of the current Mac Pro in Europe over non-compliance with certain safety requirements. WWDC represents a reasonable opportunity for Apple to update the Mac Pro given the developer and professional focus for the conference, and stocks of the workstation are said to be running low. Timing may not, however, be in Apple's favor, as at this point the Mac Pro would be expected to adopt Intel's Ivy Bridge E processors, the full line of which is not expected until around September of this year. Still, it is possible that Apple could announce a new Mac Pro at WWDC with availability scheduled for the future. Live Keynote Coverage The WWDC 2013 keynote kicks off at 10:00 AM Pacific Time on Monday, June 10, and we will be providing live updates here. We will also be issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account. Separate news stories regarding the event announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2' • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia • Google Updates Gmail for iOS with Redesigned Inbox, Improved Notifications • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University    
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Russian newspaper Izvestia reports [Google translation, via AppleInsider] that Apple has filed for a trademark on the term "iWatch" in Russia, supporting rumors that the company is planning to launch a smart watch as soon as later this year. The Russian trademark filing is said to claim a priority registration date of December 3, 2012 in Jamaica. Apple and other companies frequently file first in Caribbean countries such as Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago where records are not easily searchable online, using those priority dates to help secure protection in other countries at later dates. According to the report, Apple has applied for protection on the "iWatch" name in two trademark classes: Class 9, which includes computers and peripherals; and Class 14, which includes various types of jewelry such as watches. Drawing from Apple patent application for a "slap bracelet" video accessory resembling a smart watch Izvestia reports that Apple faces a bit of competition for the iWatch name in markets around the world, including in the United States where multiple companies have received trademarks on variations of the term in Class 9. Even in Russia, another company's 2011 application for the iWatch trademark in Class 14 was denied due to similarities to an existing "iSwatch" trademark held by Swiss watchmaker Swatch. While efforts by Apple to protect the "iWatch" name are suggestive of plans to launch such a product, they are by no means definitive. In the lead-up to the iPad launch, we discovered that Apple had been seeking to secure rights to iSlate trademarks and domain names, only to later discover evidence that it was also protecting the iPad name. Both of those efforts were performed with the use of dummy corporations designed to hide Apple's role in securing the names, but it appears that Apple is not resorting to such measures with the iWatch name. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Intel Shares Additional Details on 20Gbps 'Thunderbolt 2' • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia • Google Updates Gmail for iOS with Redesigned Inbox, Improved Notifications • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University    
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As noted by Macworld, Pioneer has lowered the prices on several of its AirPlay speakers, which have, historically, been offered at a much higher pricing tier than Bluetooth speakers.The company recently dropped the price of its XW-SMA1 speaker from $299 to $149, while the prices of the XW-SMA3 and XW-SMA4 have similarly been cut in half from $399 to $199. (These changes aren't yet reflected on Pioneer's website, where the latter two speakers are still listed at $399.)Macworld spoke to a Pioneer representative, who said that the company is aiming to make its AirPlay speakers price competitive with its Bluetooth models, with the hope that lower prices will help consumers to appreciate AirPlay's advantages. While Bluetooth has been a more affordable option for consumers, AirPlay has a distinct edge, offering a much longer range with the option of utilizing multiple speakers for a complete home audio experience. Traditionally, AirPlay speakers have been priced higher than Bluetooth speakers due to the cost of licensing the technology from Apple. It is unclear if Pioneer is eating the additional cost or if Apple has made AirPlay licensing more affordable, but with Pioneer lowering the price of its AirPlay speakers, it is likely that other manufacturers may have to follow suit in order to continue to offer competitive pricing. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia • Google Updates Gmail for iOS with Redesigned Inbox, Improved Notifications • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos    
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Apple has begun decorating the Moscone Center ahead of its Worldwide Developers Conference next week. 9to5Mac has posted one image of a banner inside the building featuring the tagline 'Where a whole new world's developing'. The banner users the same color scheme as the WWDC invitations sent out in April. MacStories has also shared an picture of workers installing WWDC graphics on the outside of Moscone. Workers will continue installing imagery throughout the day and readers are encouraged to send in their pictures of the installation to tips@macrumors.com Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia • Google Updates Gmail for iOS with Redesigned Inbox, Improved Notifications • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos    
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The U.S. International Trade Commission today reached a decision [PDF] in the ongoing Apple vs. Samsung case, ruling that Apple infringed on Samsung Patent No, 7,706,384, which is entitled “Apparatus and method for encoding/decoding transport format combination indicator in CDMA mobile communication system.” The ITC has issued a cease and desist order that prohibits the sale and distribution of older Apple products that infringe on specific claims (75–76 and 82–84) of the ’748 patent, which includes AT&T models of the iPhone 4 and 3GS, the iPad 3G and the iPad 2 3G.Under the modified constructions, the Commission has determined that Samsung has proven that the accused iPhone 4 (AT&T models); iPhone 3GS (AT&T models); iPhone 3 (AT&T models); iPad 3G (AT&T models); and iPad 2 3G (AT&T models) infringe the asserted claims of the ’348 patent. The Commission has further determined that the properly construed claims have not been proven by Apple to be invalid and that Samsung has proven that a domestic industry exists in the United States with respect to the ‘348 patent.The ITC’s decision is a preliminary final ruling which means the ban will not go into effect immediately, and could be overriden by the Federal Circuit Courts or the White House. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia • Google Updates Gmail for iOS with Redesigned Inbox, Improved Notifications • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos    
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After a beta period spanning several weeks, Apple today released the final version of OS X 10.8.4. The update, which can be accessed via the Mac App Store, includes several notable bug fixes including improvements to both FaceTime and iMessage. - Compatibility improvements when connecting to certain enterprise Wi-Fi networks - Microsoft Exchange compatibility improvements in Calendar - A fix for an issue that prevented FaceTime calls to non-U.S. phone numbers - A fix for an issue that may prevent scheduled sleep after using Boot Camp - Improves VoiceOver compatibility with text in PDF documents - Includes Safari 6.0.5, which improves stability for some websites with chat features and games - A fix for an issue that may cause iMessages to display out of order in Messages - Resolves an issue in which Calendars Birthdays may appear incorrectly in certain time zones - A fix for an issue that may prevent the desktop background picture from being preserved after restart - A fix for an issue that may prevent documents from being saved to a server using SMB - Addresses an issue that may prevent certain files from opening after copied to a volume named “Home" - A fix for an issue that may prevent changes to files made over NFS from displaying - Resolves an issue saving files to an Xsan volume from certain applications - Improves Active Directory log-in performance, especially for cached accounts or when using a .local domain - Improves OpenDirectory data replication - Improves 802.1X compatibility with ActiveDirectory networks - Improves compatibility when using mobile accountsThe update also includes Safari 6.0.5, which improves stability for websites with chat features and games. After eight different beta builds, Apple closed its 10.8.4 Beta Testing Program last Friday. During the beta, Apple had asked users to focus on Wi-Fi, Graphics Drivers, and Safari. - OS X Mountain Lion Update v10.8.3 (342.33 MB) - OS X Mountain Lion Update v10.8.3 (Combo) (809.98 MB) Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia • Google Updates Gmail for iOS with Redesigned Inbox, Improved Notifications • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos    
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According to Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt, who spoke to investors at the Bank of America Merill Lynch Global Telecom and Media Conference today (via FierceCable), Time Warner is in talks with Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung over potential streaming video deals that are similar to its existing partnership with Roku. Time Warner Cable brought its authenticated cable service, TWC TV, to Roku in March. With the app, Time Warner Cable subscribers are able to watch up to 300 live TV channels with any TV connected to a Roku device, without the need for a cable box. Time Warner has a similar deal with Samsung to deliver cable programming to its connected TVs. "You should assume we're talking to everyone who makes devices like this, whether it's Samsung smart TVs, Apple, Microsoft," Britt said at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Telecom and Media conference. Britt's remarks suggest Time Warner Cable may eventually offer the TWC TV app through the Apple TV set-top and Microsoft's new Xbox One gaming console, which will debut later this year.Apple recently struck a deal with the CW network to bring content to the Apple TV through a dedicated CW app, and it appears that Apple is open to other deals that could potentially bring the TWC TV to the Apple TV. Presumably, such an app would function similarly to the version offered via Roku, allowing Time Warner Cable subscribers to use the Apple TV to stream live television channels. Britt's comments confirm a Wall Street Journal report from last year, which suggested that Apple was working on deals to create a set-top box that would allow user to view live cable channels. Such deals with cable companies are necessary if Apple wants to expand its product lineup with additional TV-centric products like the "iTV," which has been rumored to be in the works since 2011. At the D11 conference last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook reiterated that television continues to be an "area of great interest" for the company. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Zynga Shuts Down 'Draw Something' Creator OMGPOP After Spending $200M to Acquire It • New Apple Stores Coming to New Jersey, Utah and Virginia • Google Updates Gmail for iOS with Redesigned Inbox, Improved Notifications • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos    
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President Obama has today announced a set of executive actions directed at cracking down on patent-holding firms that interfere with competition and abuse the patent system, reports The Wall Street Journal. Many technology companies, such as Apple, have dealt with multiple lawsuits from so-called "patent trolls," which aim to make money through licensing fees.Mr. Obama's actions, which include measures he wants Congress to consider, are intended to target firms that have forced technology companies, financial institutions and others into costly litigation to protect their products. These patent-holding firms amass portfolios of patents more to pursue licensing fees than to build new products. The firms say they are doing nothing wrong, just using patents that were legally granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. They say they promote a fair market by protecting smaller inventors.Obama has constructed a five-step plan with a total of seven legislative changes, which will be released as part of a White House report on patent trolls. The plan includes a recommendation that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office create rules that require patent owners to be identified and a request for Congress to pass legislation that puts sanctions on questionable lawsuits filed by patent-holding firms. Additionally, Obama hopes to cut down on the International Trade Commission's involvement in patent disputes. Claims filed with the ITC are often resolved more quickly than standard federal lawsuits.The Obama administration would like Congress to change certain ITC legal standards and ensure that the agency has flexibility in hiring its judges. The president will order a review of existing procedures at the ITC, officials said.Reliance on the ITC has not been limited to patent trolls, as a number technology companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google have increasingly used the International Trade Commission to settle a number of patent disputes. According to President Obama, patent-holding firms are a drain on progress. The firms, he says, "don't actually produce anything themselves. They’re just trying to essentially leverage and hijack someone else’s idea to see if they can extort some money out of them." Over the years, Apple has faced litigation from a number of patent-holding companies like Lodsys, which has targeted app developers over in-app purchases, and VirnetX, a company that was awarded $368.2 million over VPN connectivity in Facebook in 2012. 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 • Google Updates Gmail for iOS with Redesigned Inbox, Improved Notifications • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos • Apple Ends OS X 10.8.4 Beta Testing Program, Suggesting Imminent Release • Apple Updates Service Tech Training and Certification Program    
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Apple today released a 30+ page report [PDF] from real estate consultancy Keyser Marston Associates examining the direct and indirect financial impact of Apple on the City of Cupertino and Santa Clara County. The document is part of the building process for the company's new 'Apple Campus 2' -- the Spaceship -- planned for opening in 2016. As the document is aimed at the municipal governments in the area, it is heavy on tax revenue and job numbers, but there are a few bits of information that are interesting to Apple watchers. - Phase 1 of the the Apple Campus 2 building will accommodate some 13,000 employees across 2.8 million square feet of space in the main building. Other buildings on site will include an auditorium, fitness center, parking structures, buildings to house research and development and a central plant, for a total of 3.42 million square feet of new building space. Phase 2 will add 300,000 more square feet of space, adding room for 1,200 more employees -- however this phase has been delayed indefinitely for cost-saving reasons. - The analysis uses a conservative hiring growth rate of 10% per year, estimating that 7,400 employees will be hired at Apple's Cupertino headquarters between June 2013 and the opening of the new campus in 2016. This would tally a total employee count at 23,400, though over the past 5 years, Apple has seen an annual hiring growth rate of 18%. - Apple's 16,000 current Cupertino employees account for 40 percent of the city's job base, making Apple Cupertino's largest single employer. - Apple will pay $9.2 million in tax revenue directly to Cupertino in 2013, approximately 18% of the city's annual general fund budget. The consultants estimate that Apple will generate a net fiscal surplus of $8 million to the city this year, with that expected to grow to $11 million when the new campus is finished. This means Apple will pay millions of dollars more to the city than it uses in services. - The construction of the new campus will generate 9,200 full-time jobs in the county over the three-year construction period, and will generate one-time revenues to the City of Cupertino in the form of construction taxes and fees totaling more than $38 million. The company has agreed to direct its contractors to purchase all construction materials from within the city, ensuring that Cupertino collects millions of dollars in sales taxes as a result. - The report touts $66 million in public improvements to be built around the campus, including bicycle and pedestrian facilities, park land, and a voluntary $2.5 million contribution to Cupertino's affordable housing fund. The full report, available from Apple's public relations page [PDF], includes dozens of pages of charts and tables to support the assertions. The new Spaceship Campus is not expected to have any significant opposition and has already received broad approval from the city. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos • Apple Ends OS X 10.8.4 Beta Testing Program, Suggesting Imminent Release • Apple Updates Service Tech Training and Certification Program • Camino Browser for Mac Officially Discontinued    
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Intel today officially announced the launch of its latest family of Core processors, formerly known as "Haswell". The new processors are making their way into a number of new computers, and are expected to be included in Apple's next-generation Macs, some of which are likely to make their debuts at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The new chips offer significant improvements in integrated graphics performance, as well as modest CPU performance improvements and a major effort toward increasing battery life in notebooks.Delivering Intel's largest generation-over-generation gain in battery life enablement in company history, 4th generation Intel Core processors can bring an 50 percent improvement in battery life over the previous generation in active workloads when watching movies or surfing the Internet, and two to three times improvement in standby battery life. For some systems coming to market this year, over 9 hours of active use battery life or 10 to 13 days of standby with fresh data on a single charge is expected.AnandTech has been providing extensive overviews of the new chips, beginning with the quad-core desktop and notebook chips that were unveiled over the weekend. That group included six Core i7 and six Core i5 chips for desktop machines, as well as ten varieties of Core i7 notebook chips.All of the mobile parts being announced today belong to the i7 family and, like their desktop counterparts, they're all quad-core chips with Hyperthreading enabled. The differences here come in the suffixes: the MX and MQ parts (reversed from Ivy Bridge's QM and QX suffixes) come with the Intel HD 4600 GPU, while most of the HQ parts come with the faster Iris Pro 5200 GPU.With today's announcement of dual-core Haswell chips, the picture for Apple's notebook lineup comes into more focus. Intel has emphasized mobile chips for this round of dual-core launches, a move that will likely see the chips showing in updated MacBook Airs and 13-inch MacBook Pros as soon as next week. A notebook refresh is expected to be the hardware highlight of WWDC alongside previews of OS X 10.9 and iOS 7. The latest rumors suggest that Apple may even be able to slim down the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, which is currently slightly thicker than its 15-inch sibling. Less substantial tweaks are expected for the MacBook Air, although the move to Haswell should offer significant performance improvements in certain areas. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos • Apple Ends OS X 10.8.4 Beta Testing Program, Suggesting Imminent Release • Apple Updates Service Tech Training and Certification Program • Camino Browser for Mac Officially Discontinued    
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Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty released an extensive new report today offering a look at how Apple's base of 500 million iTunes/App Store customers fits in with other services and how Apple can leverage that user base to drive future sales and revenue growth. Huberty notes that Apple's account base is second only to Facebook's one billion accounts among technology companies seeking to build out e-commerce or subscription services, easily topping third-place Amazon's 200 million accounts. Apple's 55% growth in 2012 also led the field by a comfortable margin, while its users also generate the most revenue per account. With Apple also scoring well in iCloud/iTunes Match adoption and user loyalty, the company is primed to take further advantage of its massive ecosystem with new services. Huberty outlines three possibilities for these new services: 1. Mobile payments. With hundreds of millions of credit card numbers on file, Apple could easily turn iTunes/App Store accounts into a payment service. With rumors of fingerprint recognition and perhaps near-field communication (NFC) coming to future Apple hardware, the company already has a number of pieces nearly in place for such a service. 2. Streaming music. Apple is rumored to be introducing its "iRadio" streaming service next week at its Worldwide Developers Conference, and Huberty suggests that Apple could generate $1 billion per year in revenue from such a service. Huberty's numbers do, however, include both subscription and display ad revenue, while recent rumors have indicated that Apple's service would be free to users with no mention of paid tiers. 3. Ad exchange. Earlier this week, it was reported by a source in the ad industry that Apple is looking to launch its own ad exchange, leveraging its existing iAd business and its massive ecosystem of users and devices to provide targeted advertising.Developers could potentially charge higher rates than ad impressions on other devices, as Apple could offer better targeting given its insight into the user from information gathered from the hardware (GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope and digital compass), the software (operating system and some applications), iTunes and app stores, user profiles and cloud storage. Of course, some of the data will be stored anonymously and Apple will need to clearly disclose what data is gathered and how it is used.Apple CEO Tim Cook has been playing up the potential of services, repeatedly referring to the "magic" happening at the interaction of hardware, software, and services. At his D11 interview last week, Cook touted iMessage, the iTunes Store, and FaceTime as examples of how Apple's services are tying Apple's ecosystem together, and acknowledged that the company is working hard on improvements to its services. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Analyst Still Believes Apple Television Set With 'iRing' Motion Control Coming Late This Year • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos • Apple Ends OS X 10.8.4 Beta Testing Program, Suggesting Imminent Release • Apple Updates Service Tech Training and Certification Program • Camino Browser for Mac Officially Discontinued    
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Late last year, Apple introduced the iPad mini alongside an update to the full-size iPad lineup, with many observers believing that Apple would continue to update the two lines simultaneously going forward. Mockup of fifth-generation iPad next to iPad mini A new report from Digitimes claims, however, that the next-generation iPad may appear as much as several months before the next version of the iPad mini.Volume production of a new-generation 9.7-inch iPad will begin in July-August with shipments in the third quarter estimated at five million units. Meanwhile, a second-generation iPad mini may see its volume production postponed from September to November, according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.The updated full-size iPad is widely expected to see a significant redesign that will take design cues from the iPad mini and be roughly 15% thinner and 25-33% lighter than the current models. Digitimes believes that Apple may be pushing back the next iPad mini launch in part to give more focus to the redesigned full-size iPad in the face of the iPad mini's popularity, but also due to mass production issues with the iPad mini, which has been rumored to be gaining a Retina display. Today's claims from Digitimes are not necessarily new, but they do provide a fresh direct comparison between Apple's potential plans for the two iPad lines. Reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously reported that technical challenges would likely see the next iPad mini pushed back from Apple's original internal timeline, with an introduction likely coming in the September-November timeframe rather than earlier as some had thought. Digitimes' claim today suggests that the launch could be at the end of that timeframe, bumping up against the holiday shopping season. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos • Apple Ends OS X 10.8.4 Beta Testing Program, Suggesting Imminent Release • Apple Updates Service Tech Training and Certification Program • Camino Browser for Mac Officially Discontinued • Apple's Dashboard Widget Download Site for OS X Broken    
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The Apple Online Store recently added a new "Ship to Store" option for refurbished products, allowing customers to pick up refurbished items at their local Apple Retail Store. Ship to Store is a service that Apple first began offering in 2011. Currently, Apple offers the Ship to Store option for the majority of its refurbished items, with the exception of the fourth generation iPod touch, which was discontinued last week with the introduction of the new low cost 5th generation iPod touch. At the end of the checkout cycle for a refurbished product, customers can now choose whether they wish to pick up the item at a local store, or have it shipped to a home or business. Previously, the latter option was the only available choice. Ship to Store delivery times are similar to home delivery times, so while the option does not eliminate wait times, it does allow Apple customers to avoid home delivery. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos • Apple Ends OS X 10.8.4 Beta Testing Program, Suggesting Imminent Release • Apple Updates Service Tech Training and Certification Program • Camino Browser for Mac Officially Discontinued • Apple's Dashboard Widget Download Site for OS X Broken    
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Apple's iAd engineers and sales personnel are preparing to handle new advertising duties to support Apple's new streaming music service nicknamed iRadio, Bloomberg reports. Apple hopes to launch the major new advertising-supported initiative next week at WWDC. In an extensive report, citing 'people familiar with the changes', Bloomberg reports that the company has been negotiating with major advertising companies to line up exclusive launch advertisers, similar to when it launched iAd in 2010. Apple intends to make its new radio service free to users and supported by advertising, similar to how Pandora’s mobile app works, people familiar with the plans said. The new service will be different from Apple’s iTunes in that the songs played won’t be limited to what a user has purchased, and listeners won’t own the songs they stream for free. The shift in iAd’s focus to buttress the music service is being made by Eddy Cue, the senior vice president who oversees iTunes, App Store and iAd, as well as Todd Teresi, whom Apple hired last year from Adobe Systems Inc. to lead the company’s advertising business.When iAd launched, it was envisioned mainly as a way to help developers earn money on the iOS platform. With the expansion to audio ads for iRadio, iAd is going into new territory for the company. As it stands, iAd revenue remains a drop in the bucket for the company. Bloomberg says that Apple has enticed advertisers to iAd by mentioning the data it holds for targeting users, including purchased movies, music, apps, books and more. The site also says the iRadio service will launch later this year alongside the public release of iOS 7, much the same way that iTunes Match was announced at WWDC but was released months later. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos • Apple Ends OS X 10.8.4 Beta Testing Program, Suggesting Imminent Release • Apple Updates Service Tech Training and Certification Program • Camino Browser for Mac Officially Discontinued • Apple's Dashboard Widget Download Site for OS X Broken    
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In a Manhattan courtroom this morning, the U.S. Department of Justice presented its opening arguments in USA v Apple Inc, the antitrust e-book price fixing trial. The DoJ filed suit last April and Apple has consistently defended itself and has said the accusations are "simply not true". According to AllThingsD, Justice Department attorney Lawrence Buterman presented the government's case this morning, using a slideshow filled with email and phone record evidence that the government says shows Apple colluded with book publishers to drive up the cost of e-books ahead of the launch of the iBookstore. var docstoc_docid="158797523";var docstoc_title="U.S. v. Apple et al Opening Slides";var docstoc_urltitle="U.S. v. Apple et al Opening Slides"; For its part, Apple's lead attorney claims the company was using the same strategies that worked when the company was building the iTunes Music Store to get contracts with the major book publishers. From Apple 2.0: Apple's opening statement […] tried to pull the rug out from under everything the DOJ had just presented. [Apple SVP Eddy] Cue, Snyder claims, was just trying to break into a crowded e-book market (one dominated by Amazon) using precisely the same approach he used when he got the company into the music market with iTunes and the applications market with the App Store. Those innovation poured billions of dollars into the U.S. economy, he said. "Apple should be applauded, not condemned."Eddy Cue -- Apple's senior vice president for Internet Software and Services, and one of its chief negotiators -- sits squarely at the middle of the DoJ's case and was responsible for much of the email and phone traffic mentioned in the government's opening argument. He is expected to take the stand on June 13th. The Department of Justice has settled with all of the book publishers initially accused, while Apple remains the main target of the suit. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos • Apple Ends OS X 10.8.4 Beta Testing Program, Suggesting Imminent Release • Apple Updates Service Tech Training and Certification Program • Camino Browser for Mac Officially Discontinued • Apple's Dashboard Widget Download Site for OS X Broken    
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As part of a shift to lower repair costs, Apple has begun replacing iPhone 5 screens at its retail locations. The new display replacement service is priced at $149 and can be purchased with or without AppleCare+. Changes to Apple's repair policies first surfaced last month, where a town hall session revealed that Apple would begin in-house repairs of displays in June in an effort to save approximately $1 billion per year. MacRumors heard from a tipster this morning that the new repair policy had been implemented and the changes have since been confirmed in a forum post from iPhone repair site Quick iFix. The repairs are available for cracked displays as well as screens that experience multitouch issues. Quick iFix notes that Apple's $149 repair cost is competitive, causing the site to change its own repair costs. Quick iFix charged $174.99 for a display replacement in early May, but began offering repairs for $139.99 a few days later. Apple's new display repairs are in line with AppleCare+ pricing, which costs $99 up front and then $49 for each replacement. The repair service is a more affordable alternative for iPhone users who opted not to purchase AppleCare+, as iPhone replacement previously cost $229. Apple is expected to roll out additional in-house repair options in July, offering repairs of the iPhone's camera, sleep/wake buttons, and logic boards. Additional changes to AppleCare are also reportedly in the works, with Apple rumored to be switching to a subscription based plan tied to customers rather than individual devices. (Thanks, Paul!) Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Google Chrome for iOS Updated with Voice Search, Faster Page Reloading • Plants vs. Zombies 2 to Launch on July 18 For Free • Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks on Leadership at Duke University • Chicago Sun-Times Fires Photo Staff, Will Train Reporters to Use iPhones For Photos • Apple Ends OS X 10.8.4 Beta Testing Program, Suggesting Imminent Release • Apple Updates Service Tech Training and Certification Program • Camino Browser for Mac Officially Discontinued • Apple's Dashboard Widget Download Site for OS X Broken    
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