MacRumors

In a post to an employee message board obtained by TechCrunch, Apple CEO Tim Cook assured employees that the company is still committed to the Mac and that "great desktops" are coming. Apple's desktop computers haven't seen an upgrade in at least 433 days.

Some folks in the media have raised the question about whether we’re committed to desktops,” Cook wrote. “If there’s any doubt about that with our teams, let me be very clear: we have great desktops in our roadmap. Nobody should worry about that.”

Cook says that the desktop is "very strategic" to Apple because the performance desktops can provide is "really important" to a lot of people and "critical" for some people. He says the current iMac is the best desktop Apple's ever made and its 5K display is the best desktop display in the world.

In regards to its future roadmap and how Apple employees can help push the company forward, Cook says that "you can rarely see precisely where you want to go from the beginning." Instead, Cook argues that "pulling strings" to see what's coming next is one of Apple's strengths, noting that the creation of Apple Watch led to the creation of ResearchKit, which lead to the creation of CareKit. Cook concludes the post by saying the company doesn't do things for a return on investment, it explores new things because it's exciting and might lead somewhere.

The lack of refreshed Mac hardware can be attributed to a combination of Apple waiting on chipmakers and suppliers to ship their new products and the Cupertino Company's renewed focus on iPad.

Apple's desktop Macs haven't seen upgrades in over a year. The iMac's last update was 433 days ago, the Mac Mini's last update was 795 days ago and the Mac Pro's last update was 1,097 days ago.

Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook attended President-elect Donald Trump's tech summit at Trump Tower in Manhattan alongside other tech leaders, including Alphabet CEO Larry Page, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Oracle CEO Safra Catz, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Since the roundtable meeting, which reportedly focused on topics such as job creation and economic growth, Apple employees have wondered if it was important for Cook to meet with Trump, whose stances on issues such as encryption and immigration reform have been viewed controversially among the tech industry.

To address those questions, Cook issued an internal comment to employees, in which he said he has "never found being on the sideline a successful place to be." He said "governments can affect our ability to do what we do," and noted the way to make progress on key issues is to "engage."

A copy of the question and answer, posted internally, was shared by TechCrunch:

Last week you joined other tech leaders to meet President-elect Donald Trump. How important is it for Apple to engage with governments?

It’s very important. Governments can affect our ability to do what we do. They can affect it in positive ways and they can affect in not so positive ways. What we do is focus on the policies. Some of our key areas of focus are on privacy and security, education. They’re on advocating for human rights for everyone, and expanding the definition of human rights. They’re on the environment and really combating climate change, something we do by running our business on 100 percent renewable energy.

And of course, creating jobs is a key part of what we do by giving people opportunity not only with people that work directly for Apple, but the large number of people that are in our ecosystem. We’re really proud that we’ve created 2 million jobs, just in this country. A great percentage of those are app developers. This gives everyone the power to sell their work to the world, which is an unbelievable invention in and of itself.

We have other things that are more business-centric — like tax reform — and something we’ve long advocated for: a simple system. And we’d like intellectual property reform to try to stop the people suing when they don’t do anything as a company.

There’s a large number of those issues, and the way that you advance them is to engage. Personally, I’ve never found being on the sideline a successful place to be. The way that you influence these issues is to be in the arena. So whether it’s in this country, or the European Union, or in China or South America, we engage. And we engage when we agree and we engage when we disagree. I think it’s very important to do that because you don’t change things by just yelling. You change things by showing everyone why your way is the best. In many ways, it’s a debate of ideas.

We very much stand up for what we believe in. We think that’s a key part of what Apple is about. And we’ll continue to do so.

Despite any personal misgivings he may have had in the past, Cook reportedly stayed at Trump Tower after the summit was over to meet privately with the President-elect for further discussions.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All 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.

Following a wait that was close to two months, Apple's AirPods have finally made their way into the hands of customers. The first AirPods orders started arriving to customers who pre-ordered last week, and Apple retail stores also began brick and mortar sales.

After waiting in line at 6:00 a.m. in the freezing cold in Palo Alto, MacRumors videographer Matt Gonzalez managed to snag a set of AirPods and has spent the day testing them out for a hands-on video. To get a closer look at the AirPods and see what Matt thought, watch below.

Customer reactions to AirPods have been largely positive, and users have been impressed with the fit, the sound quality, the syncing process, and the battery life.

Sound quality and long-range Bluetooth seem to be one of the biggest surprises, and many customers have said the sound is better than the standard EarPods, even likening the sound to more expensive headphones. With the W1 chip, the AirPods connect to the iPhone and other devices within seconds, and charging speeds are impressive -- Apple's promised 3 hours of playback for 15 minutes of charging, which has turned out to be accurate.

Most Apple Stores sold out of AirPods stock within an hour or two as people lined up ahead of when stores opened, but some stores are already receiving new shipments and Apple has promised regular stock. In-store pickup to check stock is not yet available, but should be coming in the near future.

Best Buy also had a limited amount of stock today for online orders, but supplies were exhausted quickly. There's no word yet on whether Best Buy will be getting more stock, but the site is now listing the seventh of February as a delivery date.

AirPods ordered today from the online Apple Store will not ship out for six weeks, so customers hoping to get AirPods before January will need to keep an eye on stock at their local retail store.

Apple today updated its online website to announce free next-day shipping for all orders placed by 2:00 p.m. by Friday, December 23, giving last minute shoppers a chance to place orders before Christmas.

Orders placed before the December 23 cut off date will arrive in time for Christmas in most cases, but customers will need to confirm delivery times at checkout.

Apple normally limits free next-day delivery to iPhones, with free two-day shipping on most other products, but during the holidays, Apple often offers upgraded shipping. Apple also has an online gift guide for customers who need gift ideas, recommending iPhones, iPads, Macs, and related accessories.

Customers who live near an Apple Store who are looking for last minute gifts can also get items using in-store pickup. Today's new shipping policy comes just as AirPods have begun shipping out to customers, but in-store sales are the only way to get Apple's newest accessory as online sales are sold out through January.

AirPods have officially launched in the United States and Canada, as Apple Stores begin to open with limited stock available on a first come, first served basis.

As seen in Europe earlier today, customers lined up at a number of Apple retail locations from coast to coast for a chance to purchase AirPods in time for the holidays. The all-new wire-free earphones launched online last week, but supplies depleted quickly and orders now face a 6-week shipping estimate.

MacRumors reader sktgater claimed Apple's iconic Grand Central store had plenty of AirPods stock this morning, while other users reported successful purchases in Chicago; Washington D.C.; Brooklyn; Menlo Park, NJ; Pittsburgh, PA; Tysons Corner, VA; Charlotte, NC; Greenville, SC; Metairie, LA; and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, customers are lined up at Apple Palo Alto and other west coast stores as limited stock appears to be readied for those queued.

In-store stock is unsurprisingly depleting quickly due to a combination of limited stock—under 100 units in most stores—and strong demand. MacRumors reader Chris told us the Apple Store in Knoxville, Tennessee only received one pair of AirPods today, while many other locations have already sold out for the day.

"About a dozen people in line at Sherway Gardens," said one Reddit user, referring to a shopping mall in Toronto. "Staff said they got 40 or so pair." Another user said he was third in line at the Apple Store in Square One, a shopping mall in nearby Mississauga. "Only a small crowd of 10. Employee claims 50-60 units in stock."

Apple's in-store Personal Pickup tool has yet to be added to the AirPods product page, so customers would be wise to call their local store ahead of time to confirm availability before making the trip. Apple appears to have set a typical limit of 2 AirPods purchases per customer in stores.

Lucky customers who ordered online within the first hour or so last week are beginning to receive their AirPods today too. The most common delivery estimates are Tuesday, December 20 and Wednesday, December 21, but some customers in the United States in particular have received their orders today.

Apple Stores will continue to receive "regular shipments" of AirPods. Apple authorized resellers and major carriers will begin receiving limited AirPods stock this week as well, so customers still on the lookout may wish to call or check with their local Best Buy, for example, in the United States and Canada.

Following a reveal during the "Hello Again" event in October, Mojang has now announced that Minecraft will officially launch today for the fourth-generation Apple TV. The exploration and crafting game is said to be "rolling out in all regions" throughout the day.

Minecraft for Apple TV will also come with seven pieces of DLC, including Holiday 2015, Town Folk, and City Folk skin packs, along with other add-ons "for a limited time." Otherwise, the game is similar to every other version of Minecraft, tasking users with venturing into a randomly generated world and customizing it to their liking.

We’ve just released Minecraft for the slim black boxes. And, for a limited time, it comes with seven pieces of lovely DLC, giving you the chance to customise the fun to your liking. Minecraft: Apple TV Edition currently includes the Holiday 2015, Town Folk, and City Folk skin packs, along with the Plastic, Natural, Cartoon, and Festive 2016 mash-ups. It costs $19.99 and is rolling out in all regions as I type.

The Apple TV version will also be up to date with the all-new Ender Update that Minecraft just launched. For those interested, Minecraft for Apple TV will cost $19.99.

The AirPods have officially begun arriving to customers in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and the first batch of users have started to share their opinions on Apple's new wireless headphones. When they were originally announced, many users cited concerns over the look of the protruding AirPods, their sound quality, and their battery life, among other points.

Now, most users who have the AirPods in hand are having largely positive reactions online, with one Redditor summing it up by stating the headphones "are better than expected." Users are ruling in favor of the lightweight headphones, noting the wide Bluetooth range of their connection with an iPhone, the snappy recharge time, and the simple connection to Apple devices via the W1 chip.

Bluetooth

The AirPods have a strong, consistent Bluetooth signal with a connected iPhone, according to Reddit user Portatort, who said "so far I've been able to leave my phone plugged in in the kitchen and roam the whole house while getting clean Bluetooth audio the entire time." The layout of a house will likely alter Bluetooth performance on a user basis, but it appears Apple's wireless headphones have a reliably strong connection that facilitates wandering away from your iPhone.

MacRumors forum member The Game 101 took the connection test a step further and ventured out of the house and up the driveway, saying that the Bluetooth connection with his iPhone remained "incredible."

➜ Click here to read rest of article...

Apple Maps has been updated with comprehensive transit data for Great Britain, beyond the London area already supported.

Transit directions by bus, train, or tram are now available within and between large metropolitan areas such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Nottingham, and Cardiff, as well as other regions in England, Scotland, and Wales.

Transit coverage extends to a number of mid-size cities, small towns, and rural areas as well. Directions are available between Bath and Brighton, for example, and most other searches between any two areas in England, Scotland, and Wales yielded at least one available route in Transit mode.

Apple Maps now supports the National Rail network in many areas of Great Britain, including the CrossCountry, TransPennine Express, Great Western Railway, Grand Central, Northern Rail, East Midlands Trains, Virgin Trains, Virgin Trains East Coast, Arriva Trains Wales, Hull Trains, and other train services.

While transit coverage is now comprehensive throughout much of Great Britain, directions remain unavailable in Belfast and elsewhere in Northern Ireland, which lies within the United Kingdom. Transit directions are likewise unavailable in the neighboring Republic of Ireland.

Early orders of AirPods arrived across Europe this morning as people were seen waiting outside Apple retail stores eager to get hold of a pair of the new wireless earphones before initial stock ran out.

Queues were reported outside Apple's Regent Street store in London and some other brick-and-mortar stores scattered around the U.K., but stock is reportedly limited and going fast. Regent Street was said to have only 150 units, while the Apple Store in Bath reportedly had only 10 in stock upon opening. Reddit user googang619 said that Newcastle's Eldon Square store initially had 25 pairs in at 9 a.m. but "they had sold twenty of them in the first 10 minutes".

For those lucky enough to have got in on the first wave of online orders last week and received the earphones on Monday via courier, the first impressions of Apple's audio accessory have so far been overwhelmingly positive, with wearability and ease of pairing coming in for particular praise.

Bringing a new case of AirPods within two inches of an unlocked iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and flipping the lid brings up a dialog on the screen offering to pair the device. Once the option is tapped, the AirPods are identified as the owner's and subsequently pair automatically.

MacRumors reader The Game 161 said of the Bluetooth connection: "Incredible, left phone in house, walked up the drive and it was still there".

Twitter user Long Zheng called the Bluetooth connection range "spectacular" and said he was able to walk around his whole house listening to podcasts. He also said they were "much more comfortable than traditional EarPods, much lighter on the ear and no pulling from the cord". MacRumors reader Boardiesboi agreed, claiming they "almost feel like they're not there" because they're so light.

As for audio performance, MacRumors reader ssrij called the AirPods "louder than EarPods", with better sound quality and stronger bass than Apple's wired earphones. Bazooka-joe called the audio quality "much better than expected. Lots of bass. Very clear."

Apple has included a Lightning to USB-A charging cable with the AirPods, rather than one with a USB-C connection for connecting to newer MacBook Pros. We'll post a more in depth look at how the AirPods function and perform later in the day.

Apple is set to appeal this week against the European Commission's ruling that it must pay up to 13 billion euros ($13.8 billion) to Ireland in back taxes (via Reuters).

EU regulators concluded in August that Apple had received undue tax benefits from Ireland – where the company's European headquarters are located – which allowed it to pay substantially less than other companies.

Apple CEO Tim Cook vowed to appeal the ruling at the time, calling the back tax calculation a "false number" and the EU's judgement "total political crap". The Irish government also rejected the conclusion and said it would fight to reverse it.

On Monday, Apple's General Counsel Bruce Sewell told Reuters that the company's imminent legal challenge will be based on its belief that EU regulators willfully ignored tax experts to come to its conclusions.

"The Irish put in an expert opinion from an incredibly well-respected Irish tax lawyer. The Commission not only didn't attack that - didn't argue with it, as far as we know - they probably didn't even read it. Because there is no reference (in the EU decision) whatsoever."

Sewell also said Apple intends to challenge the EU's basis for its penalty judgement, and will argue that a "crazy notion of non-residency" was chosen on purpose to produce a punitive amount, when other legitimate tax law arguments could have been used that would "produce much lower numbers". As to why the EU had gone down its chosen route, Sewell said he believed regulators had singled out the company because of its success.

"Apple is not an outlier in any sense that matters to the law. Apple is a convenient target because it generates lots of headlines. It allows the commissioner to become Dane of the year for 2016," he said, referring to the title accorded by Danish newspaper Berlingske last month.

Ireland also issued a statement on Monday, saying that the EU commission had "misunderstood the relevant facts and Irish law".

"Ireland did not give favourable tax treatment to Apple - the full amount of tax was paid in this case and no state aid was provided," it said. "Ireland does not do deals with taxpayers."

In addition, Apple says it plans to tell the court that the Commission erred when it ruled that Ireland-based Apple Sales International (ASI) and Apple Operations Europe existed only on paper, with no justification for the billions of euros it posted in untaxed profits. Sewell said that just because a holding company has no employees on its books doesn't mean it is inactive, since it could be actively managed by employees of its parent company:

"When Tim Cook, who is the CEO of our company, makes decisions that impact ASI, the Commission says we don't care because he is not an ASI employee, he is an Apple Inc employee. But to say that somehow Tim Cook can't make decisions for ASI is a complete mis-statement of corporate law, it's a misunderstanding of how corporations operate."

The strongly worded statements from Apple and the Irish government form a two-pronged attack on the European Commission as it readies a more detailed version of its ruling for publication before the court case begins.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All 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.

It's Monday morning in New Zealand and Australia, which means the first customers who placed orders for Apple's new AirPods have begun receiving them according to reports from MacRumors readers.

Deliveries are taking place across the two countries now, and Apple retail stores in Australia have also begun selling AirPods to customers.

In Australia, people who were hoping to get AirPods in store lined up early ahead of store openings, and as expected, supplies have been somewhat limited. At some stores, only a handful of AirPods were available, while others appear to have gotten more stock.

Customers who have received their AirPods are so far pleased with them. MacRumors reader Jason was impressed with how easy they were to sync and the sound quality. We'll have more first impressions a bit later as more customers receive their orders.

Impressed with the ease to sync and setup the AirPods with my iPhone. Nice.

The sound is a lot better than I had anticipated. It can go very loud. Overall, after testing for only 15 minutes or so, sound is a bit better than the EarPods I received with my iPhone 7 Plus, which I mostly pretty impressed with.

And they fit extremely well into my ear - really don't feel like they will fall out. Very snug!

Based on early information coming from Australia, customers in Asia, the United Kingdom, and the United States will likely want to get to Apple retail locations before they open for the best shot at getting a set on launch day.

Apple has said retail stores will receive regular stock going forward, and third-party retailers like Best Buy are also going to be receiving AirPods stock starting tomorrow.

AirPods orders in other countries will begin arriving as Monday morning arrives. For customers who were not able to pre-order, purchasing AirPods in the store will be the only way to get them before January, as orders placed today will not ship out for six weeks in many countries.