After yesterday's media event, Apple updated its website to provide additional information on its iCloud pricing ahead of the launch of both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.
As of today, the company's updated storage plans are live, allowing users to purchase iCloud storage upgrades using the new pricing scheme. While customers will continue to get 5GB of cloud storage for free, Apple has dropped the pricing on the rest of its storage lineup across the board.
Users can now get 20GB of storage for $0.99 per month, 200GB of storage for $3.99 per month, 500GB of storage for $9.99 per month, and 1TB of storage for $19.99 per month. The iCloud upgrade options can be accessed in the Settings app under iCloud ---> Storage & Backup ---> Change Storage Plan.
The launch of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite will see the official debut of iCloud Drive, Apple's new cloud storage initiative. With iCloud Drive, users can store any type of document, including presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs, images, and more, and then access them from any iOS device, Mac, or PC.
Apple is continuing to make hires from the retail/fashion industry, most recently taking on Marcela Aguilar, former senior global director of marketing and communications at Gap. According to Ad Age Aguilar will be taking on the role of director of global marketing communications at Apple.
Apple has been snapping up several employees with both retail and fashion experience as it prepares to launch its new Apple Watch, which it it is aiming to position as a fashion accessory. The Apple Watch, which the company calls the "most personal product" it's ever made, is available in two sizes with several different casings and a wide array of band options.
Prior to joining Apple, Aguilar worked on reimagining the Gap brand, increasing sales and introducing "fresh marketing." According to Gap's Global CEO, Aguilar was a "major part of the journey to return the brand to iconic status."
"Apple is getting a tested professional. Working on a major American brand like Gap means you are on a big stage, in bright lights, every day. That experience is priceless, and Apple demands people who know how to play at a high level," Mr. Farbman added. "Also, her experience in simply communicating the value of meaningful design and developing ideas that create an emotion -- rather than just communicate a product benefit -- should serve her well at Apple."
Along with Aguilar, Apple's other prominent fashion-oriented hires have included Angela Ahrendts, the former Burberry CEO who now serves as Apple's retail chief and Paul Deneve, former Yves Saint Laurent CEO who now works on "special projects." Apple has also picked up Patrick Pruniaux, a former Tag Heuer Sales Director, and Musa Tariq, Nike's former director of social media and community. Most recently, the company hired famous designer Marc Newson, who will be working under Jony Ive.
Apple today updated its iCloud Beta site for developers, adding two new web apps for iCloud Drive and Settings ahead of the public launch of both iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.
The iCloud Drive web app lets users view all of the documents that they've stored in the cloud, and provides options to upload files, create folders, and delete content. The site also includes a new “Settings” web app which gives information on a user, including Family Sharing settings and devices that are running iOS 8 or OS X Yosemite.
First announced in June, iCloud Drive is Apple's new cloud storage initiative, designed to compete with cloud storage services from Dropbox and Google. With iCloud Drive, users can store any type of document, including presentations, spreadsheets, PDFS, images, and more, accessing them from any iOS device, Mac, or PC.
The two new apps will likely be added to the official iCloud site with the launch of OS X Yosemite, which is expected to be released in October. Yesterday, Apple officially updated its iCloud Storage Plan pricing, offering 20GB of storage per month for $0.99 and 1TB for $29.99.
Apple may be implementing a new reservation system for customers who opt to wait in line outside of a retail store to purchase a new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, reports 9to5Mac. The company is said to be handing out training materials to employees on a new "virtual queue" system called Reservation Pass.
Reservation Pass will reportedly keep track of the line position of each customer, syncing with the store's inventory information to ensure customers waiting in line will be able to receive a device.
This new system is called Reservation Pass. It will sync with Back Of House inventory information in realtime so Apple doesn't handout too many product reservations. Customers will receive their digital reservation card via SMS or Email. A reservation allows the customer to come back at any point during the day to make their purchase. Customers could also leave line in the past but it was not encouraged since the physical card reservation system was not as accurate as the new Reservation Pass system.
Currently, Apple hands out paper cards to those standing in line, allowing them to reserve an available device, but the company often waits until just before purchase time to provide the cards. It is likely the Reservation Pass system will work similarly, with customers being registered shortly before the opening of the store, which actually provides little end benefit to those who wait in line overnight or longer.
Customers will, however, be able to reserve an iPhone after waiting in line and then purchase it later in the day should any issues arise, such as problems with carrier authorization or upgrade eligibility. This will also prevent people from selling the physical cards on release day.
Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus will be available for purchase beginning on Friday, September 19. Apple is accepting preorders this year, and will take orders starting on Friday, September 12, likely at 12:01 AM Pacific Time.
The iPhone 6 is available in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities starting at $199 with a two year contract, while the iPhone 6 Plus is available in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities starting at $299 with a two-year contract.
T-Mobile today hosted its 7th Un-carrier event where it announced plans for a "Wi-Fi Unleashed" campaign. According to the company, all smartphones going forward will be able to take advantage of the network's Wi-Fi calling and texting, including Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Wi-Fi calling and texting allow users to send and receive calls/texts over a Wi-Fi network, which is useful in areas where there are poor cellular connections. Apple announced Wi-Fi calling support for the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus yesterday.
T-Mobile plans to offer Wi-Fi calling and texting at no additional cost. The company has also deployed a new product for customers who have bad cellular reception in their homes. The T-Mobile Personal CellSpot is a Wi-Fi router that can be used as a primary router or alongside an existing router, prioritizing voice calls and offering HD audio quality for calls. It has 802.11ac support, USB 3.0 ports, and covers up to 3,000 square feet.
T-Mobile plans to begin selling the Personal CellSpot on September 17. It is available to be leased for free with a $25 refundable deposit, but customers can also purchase it outright for $99. T-Mobile will also be allowing one time upgrades for customers to get a Wi-Fi enabled phone, even those who are not signed up for the JUMP program.
Along with support for Wi-Fi calling and the introduction of the CellSpot, T-Mobile announced that it's entered into a partnership with in-flight wireless provider Gogo, allowing T-Mobile customers to send and receive texts and picture messages on their phones on any flight that includes Gogo wireless service. Gogo in-flight wireless for T-Mobile customers is also free, and will begin on September 17 for compatible devices.
On stage, Legere announced that T-Mobile had 2.75 million gross adds in August of 2014, and 1 million postpaid adds, which represents its biggest postpaid net add in the history of the company. Legere also noted that T-Mobile is gaining subscribers from other carriers at a rapid pace thanks to its Un-carrier initiatives.
Following yesterday's media event where Apple introduced the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus, and its much-anticipated wearable device, members of the media were invited to go hands-on with the devices.
Yesterday, we published hands-on impressions of the Apple Watch from various tech-related sites, but this year's event also had top fashion editors and bloggers in attendance, who also published their initial thoughts on the Watch. We've gathered up some of their perspectives below, giving an overall picture of how the device was received in the fashion world.
Fashion magazine and blog InStyle said the Apple Watch was "well worth the wait," and published a list of "5 Reasons Why Fashionistas Will Swoon Over Apple Watch." The piece pointed towards the device's multitude of styles, its customization options, and its ability to send emojis, drawings, and heartbeats.
Most Apple Watch faces are extremely customizable. Meaning, you can change colors, choose design elements, and add functionality. You can have a traditional analog or a modern digitized face--plus you can choose the screen image.
Well-known fashion magazine Vogue was also impressed with the Apple Watch, highlighting its design and the "extra magic" of the Digital Crown control. The magazine said the Apple Watch is "a watch that looks like a watch" and that its "visual appeal is almost retrofitted to the traditional language of the analog Swiss-made timepiece."
British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman also told Reuters in an interview that the Watch is "immaculate in terms of how fashion meets function," and said "The issue is really about how much people want to wear something so clear, essentially an amazing gadget."
Roseanne Morrison, fashion director for The Doneger Group, told Reuters that the Apple Watch was unimpressive. "It's not pretty. It's very future techno as opposed to feminine sexy." Meanwhile, fashion-oriented site Cool Hunting disagreed, calling it "lovely and clever," and saying it "marries fashion and technology, wellness and data, and beautifully integrates the humanity of touch."
The tactile touches of the watch extend beyond the device itself--the Leather Loop strap option, for example, has magnets in each of its ribs so that the act of securing the strap feels like a luxurious zipper and consequently has an extremely secure closure. And the link bracelet has a butterfly closure that seamlessly folds into itself unlike anything we've seen on a watch band before.
Beyond fashion, leading wristwatch site Hodinkee had an opportunity to go hands-on with the Apple Watch, giving an in-depth look at the device from a design perspective, and the resulting overview is well worth a read. The site believes the Watch could pose a threat to existing brands, as "Apple got more details right on their watch than the vast majority of Swiss and Asian brands do with similarly priced watches."
The overall level of design in the Apple Watch simply blows away anything -- digital or analog -- in the watch space at $350. There is nothing that comes close to the fluidity, attention to detail, or simple build quality found on the Apple Watch in this price bracket.
Hodinkee also focuses on an aspect of the Apple Watch that many sites overlooked -- the bands -- which it says Apple "NAILED."
Apple Watch with Milanese band, courtesy of Hodinkee
...the attention to detail on the straps and bracelets themselves is downright incredible, and when I mentioned above that nothing comes close in this price range, it is very visible when talking about straps.
According to the site, the closure of the Sports watch strap is impressive, and the leather of the leather strap is "super soft, super high quality."The metal link bracelet is "sizable with just your own hands," the "loop" style bracelet is "just fantastic" and the Milanese bracelet is said to be comfortable. "I promise you not a single other tech company in the world would've spent the time to make this admittedly outdated looking option," reads the overview.
Hodinkee also points out a few flaws with the device, including the fact that it doesn't fit under a shirt cuff because of its bulk, and that it is "not as cool as a mechanical watch, to real people."
Introduced yesterday, Apple's Watch is available in two separate sizes with an array of different bands and casing options. Pricing on the device will start at $349, and it will be available to the public in early 2015.
With pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus happening this Friday, many people who hope to get their hands on one of the new devices are going to be scrambling to find out their upgrade options. TUAW has assembled a helpful guide on to help users check their upgrade eligibility and purchasing options.
Users on all four major networks in the United States can type a quick code into their phones to get an immediate report on their upgrade status via text message. The codes are as follows:
These codes are a good way to get a quick look at upgrade eligibility, but some of them don't exactly tell the whole story. For example, AT&T's text message is pointing users towards a Next plan, even if they may have other upgrade options available. A second option for getting a clear picture of upgrade eligibility on the four major networks is going through Apple's own site.
Visiting the iPhone 6 pre-order page and choosing a model, carrier, and color will give an option to "Check your upgrade eligibility" with AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon. T-Mobile works somewhat differently as Apple only gives T-Mobile customers the option to buy outright.
Checking upgrade options requires a user to enter a wireless number, billing zip code, and the last four digits of the social security number on the account, after which it displays all of the upgrade options available, including when an account might become eligible for an early or full upgrade.
For example, an AT&T user who purchased an iPhone 5s on release day on a two-year contract would be able to purchase an iPhone 6 for $649 on pre-order day, but would also be eligible for an early upgrade on September 21, which provides a $200 discount. This option also displays what Next monthly fees would be.
Many times, new purchasing fees can be cut by trading a device into an Apple Store, a carrier, or a third party service, all of which offer payouts for old Apple devices.
For those planning to upgrade, it's important to look into options immediately as there are only two days left until the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available for pre-order. Though Apple has not yet confirmed what time the two devices will go on sale, AT&T says that its pre-order sales will begin on September 12 at 12:01 AM Pacific Time, and it's likely Apple's own sales will start at the same time.
Apple on Tuesday unveiled its new Apple Watch, providing a number of details on the highly anticipated device but declining to address one critical issue: battery life. According to information obtained by Re/code, Apple's new Watch will require daily charging, keeping the device in line with similar smart watches from Samsung and Motorola.
“There’s a lot of new technology packed into Apple Watch and we think people will love using it throughout the day,” Kerris said. “We anticipate that people will charge nightly which is why we designed an innovative charging solution that combines our MagSafe technology and inductive charging.”
Sources tell Re/code that Apple is working to improve battery life before the product's 2015 debut, but the company still expects people will charge the device once a day.
The Apple Watch will go on sale in early 2015 with a starting price of $349. The smart watch will be available in two sizes with a variety of colors, materials and watch bands for personal customization.
Apple recently updated it Made for iPhone (MFi) program with a new set of specifications that allow for the transmission of audio through Apple's Lightning cable port instead of the traditional 3.5-mm headphone jack. As spotted by Pocket-Lint, one of the first manufacturers to produce this new category of Lightning cable-equipped headphones is Philips, which is preparing its Fidelio M2L headphones for launch later this year.
Pascal van Laer, headphones business leader, WOOX Innovations says: "We’re excited to launch the Philips Fidelio M2L, our first headphone that has a direct digital connection to your iOS device. This means we can deliver an incredible audio experience today, and also opens up exciting opportunities for innovation for the future."
The Fidelio M2Ls connect to an iPhone or iPad via a Lightning port and will support 24-bit audio using an internal DAC and amplifier built into the headphone unit. The closed headphones also feature two 40-mm high magnetic intensity neodymium speaker drivers and leather memory foam ear pads.
The Philips Fidelio M2L headphones will be available starting in December. They will debut in Western Europe and North America with a suggested retail price of €250/$320.
Apple is facing criticism from alternative rock band OK Go following the release of its promotional video, "Perspective," that promotes the company's philosophy of "seeing things differently." Showcased as the introduction to Apple's Phone 6 press event, the video pans around a room, using camera angles to align random shapes into words. OK Go is accusing Apple of lifting this visual trick from the band's recently released "The Writing's On the Wall" music video.
While the general concept used in the videos is not unique, there does appear to be more to this story. Speaking to Bloomberg Businessweek, OK Go manager Andy Gershon claims the band met with Apple to discuss the concept for its music video in hopes that Apple would collaborate on the project. Apple declined, and OK Go made the video along with production company 1stAveMachine. Released in June 2014, the video won a Video Music Award for best visual effects and has accrued over 10 million views on YouTube.
Following the talks between Apple and OK Go, Gershon claims Apple also hired 1stAveMachine and even employed the same director that worked with OK Go on its hit music video to produce the video for the company's iPhone launch event. As a result, Apple's latest promotional video has an uncanny similarity to OK Go's "The Writing's On the Wall".
“The videos speak for themselves and you can draw your own conclusions,” says Gershon, adding that the band is exploring its legal options.
OK Go may have a hard time proving a copyright violation or idea theft in court, but that isn't stopping them from complaining publicly about the perceived injustice. This isn't the first time Apple's advertising efforts have face scrutiny. In one high-profile case, the company faced a complaint over its Siri commercials that showcased an ease-of-use which the lawsuit claimed was not present in real-world usage.
LaCie today updated its d2 desktop storage hard drives, adding an aluminum unibody, dual Thunderbolt 2 ports, and an optional SSD upgrade. Designed to be a companion device to the Mac Pro, the d2 is aimed at audio/video/photography professionals.
The default d2 comes equipped with a 7200 RPM Seagate hard disk (up to 6TB) that's able to reach speeds of 220MB/s, but it can be boosted with an optional LaCie d2 SSD upgrade, which increases speeds up to 1150MB/s and adds 128GB of PCIe storage. The SSD upgrade is an additional purchase, and snaps right into the back of the d2's removable rear panel.
Two separate drives mount on the computer – one for the SSD and one for the hard disk. Use the SSD for bandwidth-intensive tasks, such as fast file transfers, audio mixing, video editing, or OS booting, and the hard disk for file archiving. No other solution offers this level of performance and capacity in such a compact footprint.
According to LaCie, the d2's new aluminum unibody is designed to draw heat away from the hard disk, and a cushioned base and disk mounts are aimed at reducing vibration. In addition to two Thunderbolt 2 ports, the hard drive also has a USB 3 port and can daisy chain up to six devices.
The LaCie d2 Thunderbolt 2 will be available in September from both Apple and LaCie.com. Prices will start at $299 for 3 TB, going up to $399 and $499 for 4 and 6 TB capacities, respectively. The d2 SSD upgrade will be available in October, and is priced at $299. LaCie is also offering USB 3.0-only versions of the d2, which will also be available in October.
Apple will launch its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in India on October 17, according to the company's official website for the region. Apple has not revealed pricing details for the two devices in the region, although it is likely that prices will be close to the $649 (Rs 39,500) and $749 (Rs 45,600) U.S. prices for the 16GB iPhone 6 and 16GB iPhone 6 Plus, respectively.
It is also possible that Apple will roll out the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to a number of other countries on the same day as it has done with past launches. Last year, Apple launched the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in India and 15 other countries on November 1, and eventually reached its slated target of availability in 100 countries by the end of 2013.
Apple will launch the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus in the first wave of countries on September 19, with pre-orders beginning on September 12. Both models will be available in Space Grey, Gold, and Silver variants in storage capacities of 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB.
Apple will collect a fee from banks every time consumers use the company's new Apple Pay payments solution, reports Bloomberg. Citing three individuals close to the matter, the report notes that Apple struck individual deals with each bank it has partnered with. Those banks include JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and more.
While that gives the tech company a share of the more than $40 billion that banks generate annually from so-called swipe fees, lenders expect to benefit as consumers spend more of their money via mobile phones and other digital devices, the person said.
The sources cited did not specify the exact size of the fee, noting that it could vary or be tied to the value of the purchases made by the consumer. During its announcement today, Apple stated that Apple Pay would be enabled at over 220,000 U.S. merchants including McDonalds, Macy's, Walgreens, Nike, and more. Apple Pay will also be compatible with American Express, Mastercard, and Visa credit and debit cards.
Apple Pay utilizes the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, a new "Secure Element" functionality, and the NFC antenna on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in conjunction with a credit card stored on iTunes to make payments. Apple Pay will also be compatible with the Apple Watch when it launches early next year.
Following yesterday's special media event, Apple has announced that its Swift programming language has hit GM status for iOS. With this latest milestone, Apple is now inviting developers to submit Swift apps to the App Store for review.
You can now submit your apps that use Swift to the App Store. Whether your app uses Swift for a small feature or a complete application, now is the time to share your app with the world. It’s your turn to excite everyone with your new creations.
Regarding Swift for OS X, Apple states the language will hit GM status for the Mac when Yosemite ships later this fall. Until that time, Apple notes that developers can keep developing Mac apps with Swift by downloading the latest beta of Xcode 6.1.
Apple adds that GM status does not mean that language is in a finalized form, as it plans to adds new features, improved performance, and refined syntax. However, Apple notes that apps embedding a version of the new Swift GM runtime will continue to run well into the future.
A short time after today's media event, Apple CEO Tim Cook did an exclusive one-on-one interview with David Muir of ABC News, speaking on the company's new products and former CEO Steve Jobs. Now, ABC News has shared a clip of an interview with Apple design head Jony Ive, who spoke on the Apple Watch and its development process.
Muir: How many different versions of the Apple Watch are there?
Ive: I think we were talking about this earlier, and when you actually do the calculations, it's millions and millions.
Muir: Millions and millions?
Ive: That's right, there are different materials for the actual case, there's two different sizes, you can choose one of six different straps or bands. But, the way we treated this from a design point of view wasn't that you had hardware and then software. Our experience as customers, as users, is that they're one and the same. So we designed the user interface, gave people multiple choices, for example in terms of just watch faces.
Ive also noted that he was "very proud" of the work that Apple's design team has done, stating that the company's new iPhones and the Apple Watch are its "best work yet." The designer also stated that Apple has always tried to design products that people want to use as opposed to begrudgingly having to use them, setting a high bar to create a "desirable and personal" product with the Apple Watch.
The full length interviews with Jony Ive and Tim Cook aired earlier tonight and should be posted online soon.
Apple is said to be close to acquiring social network Path in an attempt to boost the company's social media efforts, reportsPandoDaily. Citing a "well-placed" source inside Apple's engineering team, the site notes that the deal is "essentially a done deal" and would see Apple integrating Path's current services into its Messages app.
Additionally, Path founder Dave Morin was seen sitting in the front row for today's special media event, which is usually reserved for high ranking executives at the company. Throughout the past few years, Apple has also featured Path in a number of its earlier advertising campaigns and keynotes for the iPhone.
However, the social networking service caused a fair amount of controversy in 2012 when it was discovered to be uploading users' entire address books to its servers without alerting users or asking for authorization. The issue prompted an investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission as Morin was even summoned to Apple's Cupertino headquarters to be grilled by CEO Tim Cook and other executives.
Path's last major development came in June when the company announced that it would be launching its own separate messaging app, complete with quick reply capabilities and Apple Maps integration.
While Apple announced the Apple Watch today at its special event, it didn't go over all of the new device's features, noting that the company has a lot more to share in the future. Yahoo Tech's David Pogue has found out some of the details Apple didn't share on stage.
The watch is water resistant, allowing users to not worry about the device when in the rain, or washing hands. However, the watch must be taken off before going for a swim or taking a shower. Additionally, the watch includes a microphone that can allow users to make calls directly from their Apple Watch.
Users will also be able to load apps onto the Apple Watch from their iPhone. To rearrange the apps, users will have to hold their finger on an app's icon and move it around, similar to how one rearranges icons on an iPhone. There's also a "Ping My iPhone" feature, which will allow users to play a sound on their iPhone so they can locate it in case they have misplaced it.
Finally, Pogue explains that the Apple Watch Edition, the most high end of the Apple Watches, comes with a special box.
The fanciest model, the gold Apple [Watch] Edition, comes in a gorgeous jewelry box — which doubles as a charger. The back of the box has a Lightning connector, and the inside of the box has the watch’s magnetic round charger pad, standing vertically. So as you retire each night, you can just lay your gold watch into its case and let it charge.
Additionally, Re/code's Ina Fried says that the offline abilities of the Apple Watch include Apple Pay, music via Bluetooth, activity tracking and some apps.
The Apple Watch will launch in early 2015 with its lowest end model costing $350.
In an interview with the The Wall Street Journal following today's media event, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that the company expects the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to trigger "the mother of all upgrades" as consumers consider their next smartphone purchase. Cook also added that he expects Android users to look at switching to the iPhone, claiming that the phones are "appreciably better in every single way".
iPhone 6 (left) and iPhone 6 Plus (right)
The CEO also commented on the Apple Watch and the company's new Apple Pay mobile payments initiative:
Cook said Apple’s efforts in payments were “classic Apple” in taking a complex problem and making it simple. “Yes, there is going to be some economic benefit, but from a customer point of view, it takes something that’s way too hard and insecure and makes it so easy and fast.”
Finally, Cook said the Apple Watch was the byproduct of deep thinking about every aspect of the product, and only possible because of collaboration among Apple’s hardware, software and services teams. He believes that will differentiate Apple’s smartwatch from other devices, which have recorded tepid sales.
Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus will launch on September 19, with pre-orders starting this Friday, September 12. The iPhone 6 will be available in 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB variants for $199, $299, and $399, while the iPhone 6 Plus will be available in the same storage capacities for $299, $399, and $499, respectively.
Apple is continuing to make hires from the retail/fashion industry, most recently taking on Marcela Aguilar, former senior global director of marketing and communications at Gap. According to 
Apple may be implementing a new reservation system for customers who opt to wait in line outside of a retail store to purchase a new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, reports 
Following yesterday's special media event, Apple has 
