Beginning on November 1, Walmart will begin offering Apple's 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad mini 2 at a significant discount, selling it for $199 instead of $268. $199 is a solid deal and one of the lowest prices we've seen on the iPad mini 2, which was the first of Apple's iPad mini line to ship with a Retina display.
Compared to the current-generation iPad mini 4, the iPad mini 2 has a slower processor, less RAM, and it lacks Touch ID, but it's still a very capable device with an A7 processor, a 5-megapixel rear camera, and 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera. It's also thicker and heavier than the newest iPad mini.
We'll likely see similar deals on the iPad mini 2 during the month of November due to Black Friday, but for now, Walmart's discount is one of the best deals to be had. Walmart will be selling the 16GB iPad mini 2 for $199 for approximately 90 days, the standard amount of time Walmart price rollbacks generally last.
Beaver Electronics Co. has debuted a unique fast-charging external battery for the iPhone, which it's dubbed "Quarter," because it takes less than a quarter of the time to charge compared to a normal external battery. The secret lies in the charging method -- Quarter has a built-in MagSafe port that allows it to be connected to MacBook's MagSafe Power Adapter.
Apple does not allow third-party companies to use its MagSafe technology, so Quarter has been created without Apple's permission and with components Apple likely would not approve of, but its super fast charging capabilities are undeniably enticing.
Design wise, Quarter is similar in size to an iPhone 6 Plus. It's just as wide and a bit shorter, but quite thick and heavy. It's 12.5mm thick and it weighs 180 grams. It's made from aluminum and has an an extra lip at the top with a hole that could be attached to a bag or backpack, but given its size, I'm not sure anyone would want to use it that way so that extra bit of material is extraneous and an unusual design choice.
There are four indicator lights on the Quarter that are lit by a built-in LED. These lights let you know how much power is left, activated by shaking or tapping the Quarter. A shake or a tap is also how the Quarter is turned on to begin charging a device it's plugged in to.
Apple has started a new limited time in-store promotion that offers customers $50 off an Apple Watch Sport or Apple Watch with the purchase of any new iPhone, including the latest iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the company confirmed to MacRumors. Apple Watch Edition and Apple Watch Hermès models are ineligible for the discount.
The promotion is available at participating Apple Store locations in California and Massachusetts, including Burlingame, Chestnut Street, Corte Madera, Hillsdale, San Francisco and Stonestown in the Bay Area, and Boylston Street, Burlington, CambridgeSide and Chestnut Hill in the Boston metro area.
Apple confirmed that the promotion runs from October 30 through November 15, 2015, and is not available online. The deal does not require purchasing AppleCare+ or other accessories and add-ons. The offer is only valid when the qualifying iPhone and Apple Watch are purchased together on one transaction.
The new Apple TV officially launched today at Apple Stores and select resellers in the U.S. and other first wave countries. As customers begin receiving their new Apple TV deliveries around the world, the following are useful tidbits about the new fourth-generation device.
Apple has updated its Apple TV Support portal for the new Apple TV, including an official Apple TV User Guide that contains detailed information about how to set up and use the streaming box. The user guide is broken down into several categories: Getting Started, Basics, Siri, iTunes, App Store, Photos, Music, Home Sharing, Search, Accessibility, Safety and more.
iMore has shared a video that scrolls through all of the new Apple TV apps currently available through the tvOS App Store. Due to the current lack of discoverability, the video searches tvOS apps based on their first letter in alphabetical order.
If screenshots on Apple pages are any indication, categories for the Apple TV App Store are coming (maybe?) but as of this writing, there's a distinct division between the haves and the have-nots in the Apple TV app world. Currently, the Apple TV App Store only shows what's featured. If your game isn't featured, it effectively doesn't exist. There's no way to browse genres, top lists don't exist (this arguably might be a good thing), and finding something that isn't featured requires typing its name in the search field.
MacRumors recently published an Apple TV apps roundup that goes into more detail about some of the new apps and games, including Airbnb, Alto's Adventure, Crossy Road, Plex, Sing! Karaoke, Withings Home and more.
Apple has published a support document with step-by-step instructions on how to charge your Siri Remote and get help if it isn't working. Apple TV will alert you when your Siri Remote needs to be charged, or you can manually check the remote's charge by navigating to Settings > Remotes and Devices > Bluetooth and selecting the remote.
In countries and regions that support Siri, the remote is called the Siri Remote. Elsewhere, it is called the Apple TV Remote, but has identical functionality otherwise. International users can easily access Siri by changing their Apple TV's region to the U.S. or other supported countries.
Amazon Removes Apple TV
Apple TV and Chromecast devices are no longer listed on Amazon
Following through with its plans, online retailer Amazon has removed all Apple TV and Chromecast listings from its website, per Variety. Amazon removed the Apple and Google streaming media players because they are incompatible with its Prime Video streaming service, which it believes may cause confusion for customers.
In a statement provided to BuzzFeed News, Apple emphasized that the lack of Prime Video support on the new Apple TV is solely Amazon's decision.
Incidentally, that Amazon Prime Video is the exception to the conga line of content offerings above is entirely Amazon’s doing. A ~magnanimous~ Apple tells BuzzFeed News that “all are welcome” on its new Apple TV platform. But Amazon — which recently purged Apple TV from its store — doesn’t have a Prime Video app in the Apple TV App Store. And as of a few days ago, it hadn’t submitted one.
Amazon told BuzzFeed News the company “doesn’t have anything to share” on the topic.
Visit the Apple TV section on the MacRumors discussion forums for more tidbits.
Apple's much-anticipated larger-screened iPad Pro will go on sale both online and in Apple retail stores on Wednesday, November 11, reports 9to5Mac. Apple has thus far remained tight-lipped on the tablet's release date, giving only a general November release timeline.
Previous rumors suggested the iPad Pro would go on sale in early November, perhaps during the first week of the month, but Apple's release plans can shift ahead of an important launch. It is not clear if the company will offer pre-orders for the device ahead of the Wednesday, November 11 launch date.
Along with the iPad Pro, Apple also plans to begin selling its accessories, the Apple Pencil and the Apple Smart Keyboard, on November 11, both online and in retail stores.
Pricing on the iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 32GB Wi-Fi only version and goes up to $1,079 for a 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard are sold separately for $99 and $169, respectively.
Apple announced yesterday that the company has opened up its cryptographic libraries so that third-party developers can build more "advanced security features" into their apps (via VentureBeat). The cryptographic libraries being opened to developers are the same ones Apple uses to protect iOS and OS X, as Apple notes on its updated site.
Developers will have access to two of the company's advanced security features, including Security Framework and Common Crypto. Security Framework gives developers tools for organizing certificates, public and private keys, and trust policies, ensuring that all sensitive information is stored privately in a "secure repository for sensitive user data." Common Crypto library provides additional support for symmetric encryption, hash-based message authentication codes, and digests.
Both Security Framework and Common Crypto rely on the corecrypto library to provide implementations of low level cryptographic primitives. This is also the library submitted for validation of compliance with U.S. Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 Level 1. Although corecrypto does not directly provide programming interfaces for developers and should not be used by iOS or OS X apps, the source code is available to allow for verification of its security characteristics and correct functioning.
Check out Apple's official website for reference sheets, service guides, and links to the open source releases for Security Framework and Common Crypto libraries.
Apple's strict adherence to an environment of secrecy and privacy in regards to its software and hardware development has been suggested as a major blow to the company's potential for growth in the field of artificial intelligence. In a new article by Bloomberg, Apple was noted as a non-attendee at the Neural Information Processing Systems conference, an annual confluence of companies including Google and Microsoft where researches get together to discuss the progress and development of AI technologies.
In years past, Apple has attended the conference, but its emissaries were known to keep "a low profile" during the proceedings. In the midst of a mass sharing and celebration of discoveries and findings in the world of AI, many remain unsure of the Cupertino company's continued success in such departments if it remains attached to such strict secrecy rules. “They’re completely out of the loop," said Richard Zemel, a professor in the computer science department at the University of Toronto.
The biggest threat posed to Apple due to this level of secrecy, according to Trevor Darrell, managing director of a machine-learning research center at the University of California at Berkeley, is the barrier to entry it creates for graduate students fresh out of college. The stagnant environment and closed-off atmosphere inhibits the company's employees from interacting with the rest of the scientific community, an issue that most potential hires may not be entirely comfortable with.
“There’s no way they can just observe and not be part of the community and take advantage of what is going on,” says Yoshua Bengio, a professor of computer science at the University of Montreal. “I believe if they don’t change their attitude, they will stay behind.”
“The really strong people don’t want to go into a closed environment where it’s all secret,” Bengio says. “The differentiating factors are, ‘Who are you going to be working with?’ ‘Am I going to stay a part of the scientific community?’ ‘How much freedom will I have?’”
Earlier in the month, Apple acquired two artificial intelligence-related start-ups: VocalIQ and Perceptio. VocalIQ's natural language API hints at a more naturalistic version of Siri in the future, and even possible integration into the rumored Apple car project. Perceptio suggests the possibility of a more expansive and robust AI system for Apple, without the compromise of the company's in-depth privacy policies that pull Siri back from services like Google Now and Microsoft's Cortana.
All the same, Bloomberg's story suggests that despite Apple's enthusiasm to innovate in the artificial intelligence sector, the company could continue to lag behind in certain departments -- Apple Maps, for example -- due to its stances on secrecy and privacy.
Apple's latest 4K and 5K iMacs support a 10-bit graphics driver on OS X El Capitan, allowing for smoother color transitions, according to German website Mac & i. The 10-bit color output enables 1024 gradations per color channel, a significant increase from 256 with 8-bit depth on previous iMacs.
30 bit pixel depth — 10 bit for each RGB color (Image: cinema5D)
Digital filmmaking news website cinema5D explains the technical benefits of 10-bit color depth for professional colorists, photographers and editors:
Professionals know that 10-bit screen color is the desired color depth for serious color correction. When you work in 8-bit you often see banding artefacts and lose detail on soft gradients which makes editing harder and less accurate.
This is not to be confused with the bit depth of your source files. We all know that working with video DSLRs or other heavily compressed video footage that is limited to 8 bit color depth gives you less options during grading and 10 bit, 12 bit or even 16 bit color photos and videos are better. On the screen side 10 bit is the desired depth to let you view the end result without gradation steps.
The new 10-bit color depth reportedly only works within the Preview and Photos applications for now, but other third-party software should eventually take advantage of the technology. The 2014 5K iMac also supports 10-bit color depth on OS X El Capitan, according to these reports.
Apple Store and Best Buy locations have begun selling the new fourth-generation Apple TV in the U.S. and first wave launch countries. Apple is also offering Personal Pickup in the U.S., while Best Buy is allowing customers who pre-ordered for in-store pickup to pick up their set-top boxes starting this morning as the stores open up for the day.
While Best Buy began accepting pre-orders for the new Apple TV on Monday, it originally listed November 4 as the date when customers would be able pick them up in stores. Several MacRumors readers who pre-ordered began receiving notices on Thursday night letting them know their purchases would be ready for pickup today, nearly a week early.
Apple retail stores around the world will also be offering the Apple TV, and in countries where October 30 has already rolled around, stores are already selling the new set-top boxes. Stores in the United States have been revamped overnight to feature advertising for the new Apple TV to coincide with the in-store launch.
Apple is also selling accessories like the new Apple TV Remote Loop and the SteelSeries Nimbus controller, and it also plans to begin selling the new Beats Pill+ speakers in its retail stores beginning today.
The new Apple TV, which includes features like a full App Store, universal search, Siri integration, and a touch-based remote control, is available in two configurations: 32GB and 64GB. The 32GB model is available for $149 and the 64GB model is available for $199.
As of today, Apple has stopped signing iOS 9.0.2 for compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models, meaning users can no longer upgrade or downgrade to that version of iOS using iTunes. Apple is now signing iOS 9.1 and later only.
With Apple no longer signing iOS 9.0.2, those who wish to downgrade to jailbreak their devices are not able to do so. iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users with jailbroken devices will need to refrain from updating beyond iOS 9.0.2 as the iOS 9.1 update fixes the exploits used for the jailbreak.
The untethered iOS 9 jailbreak was released for iOS devices just two weeks ago on October 14 by Pangu. It works for iOS 9, iOS 9.0.1, and iOS 9.0.2.
Apple today debuted a new Beats Pill+ app for both iOS and Android users, providing a way for those who own the new Beats Pill+ speakers to control the speakers, check power levels, download software updates, adjust sound levels, and link multiple speakers together for different effects. There are three modes in the app, listed below.
DJ - Grab a friend and control the music from two Bluetooth(R) sources.
Amplify - Add a second Beats Pill+ into the mix and simultaneously play from both for a sound that's twice as full.
Stereo - Use two Beats Pill+ speakers as left and right output for an even more dynamic sound experience.
Beats Pill+ marks the first time Apple has released an app on both the iOS and Android platforms simultaneously, and it's the second Android app that Apple has debuted after introducing the Move to iOS app earlier this year. Apple plans to introduce additional Android apps in the future, including an Apple Music app.
The new Beats Pill+ app comes just over three weeks after Apple debuted its new Beats Pill+ speakers. The Beats Pill+ is a wireless Bluetooth speaker that's the first Apple has introduced since purchasing the Beats brand in May of 2014. Priced at $229, the speaker is now available in black or white from the Apple Online Store.
Beats Pill+ for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Beats Pill+ for Android can be downloaded from Google Play for free. [Direct Link]
Pangea Software today announced that all of its tvOS apps designed for the new fourth-generation Apple TV include support for 3DTVs, allowing users to play the company's games in 3D.
Developer Steven Troughton-Smith shared an image of Pangea Software game Bugdom 2 in 3D on the Apple TV earlier today, after which the company confirmed in a press release that its entire lineup of apps will offer 3DTV support. The 3DTV support is implemented using side-by-side 3D, which is a standard 3D implementation technique compatible with all 3DTVs.
Image via Steven Troughton-Smith
All of Pangea's games have the capability of playing in stereo-3D on any HDTV which is 3DTV capable. This not only adds an extra visual element to the games, but in many cases it gives the player an advantage since 3D makes it easier to aim weapons and calculate jumps. Additionally, all of the games are Game Controller compatible, so they can be played with either the Siri Remote or with any tvOS compatible Gamepad.
Apple today seeded the first beta of OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan to public beta testers, just days after releasing the first beta to developers and just over a week after the public launch of OS X El Capitan 10.11.1.
The new beta is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store to those who are enrolled in Apple's beta testing program. Those wishing to join the program can sign up on Apple's beta testing website.
It's not yet known what improvements the latest update to OS X El Capitan will bring, but it's likely to include bug fixes, security enhancements, and performance improvements to address issues discovered since the release of OS X 10.11.1. Apple's release notes for the first developer beta asked testers to focus on Graphics, Wi-Fi, Calendar, USB, Notes, Photos, and Spotlight.
With customers around the world beginning to receive their new Apple TVs over the coming days, developers have been busy readying the first apps and games for the set-top box. Below, we have rounded up some of the more interesting tvOS apps that are or will be available through the App Store on the new Apple TV. Some apps are still under review and may not be available immediately at launch.
Airbnb
Airbnb, a website for people to list, find and rent lodging in 190 countries, ranging from a New York City studio apartment to a Tokyo penthouse, has developed an app for the new Apple TV that lets travelers swipe through destinations and lodging choices using the Siri Remote. Airbnb for Apple TV focuses on immersive pictures with limited text. Listings can be synced with iPhone and iPad.
Alto's Adventure
Snowman has announced that Alto's Adventure, a beautiful endless runner snowboarding game featuring physics-based gameplay, procedurally generated terrain, fully dynamic lighting and weather effects, six unique snowboarders and more, will be available on the new Apple TV shortly following its launch. The game can be played with a Siri Remote or a third-party controller, and universally supports the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV for $2.99 on the App Store with iCloud syncing.
Crossy Road
Hipster Whale has brought its endless arcade hopper Crossy Road, an Apple Design Award Winner at WWDC 2015, to the new Apple TV. Choose from characters such as Chicken, Mallard, Emo Goose and Giddy Goat, and use the Siri Remote touchpad to dodge cars, leap across logs and jump past fast-moving trains. The popular game is also available on iTunes for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Phone.
Mr Jump
Mr Jump is a popular platformer runner game where you guide a hero named Mr. Jump as he jumps his way through several increasingly challenging levels in multiple worlds. The new Apple TV version of the game requires the Siri Remote to control your character. Mr Jump is free on the App Store with in-app purchases available.
Ookla
Here's a video preview of our tvOS Speedtest app that should be available shortly on the Apple TV App Store pic.twitter.com/qqrI7TOIX3
— Ookla (@Ookla) October 27, 2015
Ookla has developed a version of its popular Speedtest tool for the new Apple TV, allowing users to test their Wi-Fi network's download and upload speeds from their TV set. The app has a simplistic design that displays your internet service provider alongside a scrollable list of servers to choose from. Ookla plans on adopting a similar design for its iOS and Android apps in 2016.
Customers who pre-ordered the Apple TV and opted for one-day shipping have begun receiving their devices in New Zealand, where it is just after 9:00 a.m. local time. Deliveries will begin soon in Australia and countries in Asia, before expanding to Europe and the United States.
Those who pre-ordered their Apple TVs on Monday can expect to begin receiving them at the end of this week and the beginning of next week, as not choosing one-day shipping largely offered delivery estimates of November 2 to November 4.
Apple's retail stores will also begin selling the Apple TV on Friday, October 30. The first customers in Australia should be able to pick up an Apple TV in the next few hours.
As customers begin receiving their Apple TVs, Apple has officially launched the tvOS operating system for the device to allow those with developer and review units to update to the publicly released version. Following the update to the official tvOS software, users are able to access the App Store and search function to locate and install apps on the device.
Apple's upcoming iPad Pro accessory, the Apple Pencil, will now ship with an adapter that will allow it to charge using a standard Lightning cable, reports 9to5Mac. The Apple Pencil, which has a Lightning connector on the end for charging, was originally designed to charge by plugging into the bottom of the iPad Pro.
With the adapter, which will fit over the Apple Pencil's Lightning connector, it will also be able to charge using a regular Lightning cable. This will expand the number of ways the Apple Pencil can be charged and it will alleviate concerns about potential damage to the Apple Pencil from being knocked or bent while plugged into an iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro appears to be on track for a launch in the first weeks of November. AppleCare employees and retail staff are currently receiving training on the new larger-screened tablet, with the training completion deadline set for November 6.
Apple's iPad Pro is the company's new flagship 12.9-inch tablet. It includes an A9X processor, 4GB RAM, and according to Apple, is as fast as many desktop class machines. Pricing on the iPad Pro starts at $799 for a 32GB Wi-Fi only model and goes up to $1,079 for a 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model.
The Apple Pencil, which allows for pressure-sensitive drawing on the iPad Pro, is a standalone purchase that will be available for $99. Apple is also selling a Smart Keyboard for the iPad Pro, priced at $169.
Apple is asking the United States Supreme Court to overturn the 2013 U.S. Appellate Court ruling that found the company guilty of conspiring with publishers to inflate the prices of e-books, reports Reuters.
Apple's petition comes following the loss of a June appeal where the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the guilty verdict and maintained Apple violated antitrust laws and colluded with five publishers - HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Macmillan, and Penguin - to fix e-book prices and unreasonably restrain trade.
Apple in its petition said the June decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York contradicted Supreme Court precedent and would "chill innovation and risktaking."
"The Second Circuit's decision will harm competition and the national economy," Apple wrote.
Should the U.S. Supreme Court uphold the lower court's verdict, Apple will be forced to pay $450 million as part of a settlement with class action lawyers and state district attorneys, with $400 million of that amount earmarked for consumers. Apple reached the settlement in June of 2014 to avoid a lengthy damages trial, but the payout hinged on the outcome of the company's appeal.
Though Apple was found guilty, the company has maintained its innocence throughout the dispute. In its appeal, Apple said its efforts "kick-started competition" to deliver "higher output, lower price levels, and accelerated innovation."
Earlier this week, Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 9.2 to developers, just under a week after the public release of iOS 9.1. As of today, Apple is also making iOS 9.2 available to its public beta testers.
Beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s beta testing program will receive the iOS 9.2 update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on their iOS device.
Those who want to be a part of Apple’s beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and OS X betas. Because iOS 9.1 was just released, it will likely be a month or more before we see the public release of iOS 9.2.
iOS 9.2 fixes several bugs in the operating system and it includes other under-the-hood enhancements. According to the release notes for the first beta, the Safari View Controller (the view of Safari you see within apps) is being updated with support for third-party Action Extensions that will let it more closely mirror the Safari app. It also includes options to reload content and request a desktop site, as in Safari.
As of today, Apple has stopped signing iOS 9.0.2 for compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models, meaning users can no longer upgrade or downgrade to that version of iOS using iTunes. Apple is now signing iOS 9.1 and later only.
Apple is asking the United States Supreme Court to overturn the 2013 U.S. Appellate Court ruling that found the company guilty of conspiring with publishers to inflate the prices of e-books, reports 
