MacRumors

Apple revamped its retail stores last year by removing iPad smart signage and demoting iPod display models to side shelves, and now the company has another move up its sleeves in a push towards simplicity.

Over the past few months, Apple has removed security tethers from iPhone display models at some of its retail stores, including its Yorkdale location in Toronto, Canada and redesigned Regent Street store in London, England.

MacRumors has learned of at least two other stores in the United Kingdom where the security tethers, which activate audible alarms when disconnected, have been removed, and it appears likely the change will be phased in at other locations.

The courageous move effectively allows customers to walk into an Apple retail store, pick up an iPhone display model, and walk out with the device without paying, but Apple evidently feels the untethered experience is worth the risk.

As CNET explains, Apple wants customers to be able to hold an iPhone properly, try out cases, and even pocket the device:

Apple says this is to allow people to hold them properly, try cases on them and even see how they feel in your pocket. It's a bold move, especially given the lack of visible security in the building. We couldn't spot a single CCTV camera, although any phone taken out of the store will set off an alarm. If not returned, the phones will also be rendered unusable.

The customers who do attempt to steal iPhone display models, if not caught by security or CCTV cameras where installed, will walk away with unusable devices, as Apple will place them into Lost Mode remotely using Find My iPhone.

Apple continues to use security tethers on larger products such as MacBook and iPad display models.

(Thanks, Peter!)

Apple recently updated the Apple Watch Nike+ section of its official website with a launch date two weeks from today, on Friday, October 28, for the anticipated device (via Watch Generation). When announced alongside the other Apple Watch Series 2 models on September 7, Apple did not divulge a specific debut besides sometime in "late October."

Anyone interested can pre-order the wearable in four models starting at $369 for 38mm and $399 for 42mm. Apple's partnership with Nike aims to help runners achieve better results while wearing the Apple Watch, with an aluminum casing similar to other Sport editions and a unique perforated band that's stretchy, light, and breathable.

The changes extend into the software of the Apple Watch Nike+ as well, as Nike has designed special software for the Nike+, which is designed to motivate runners to stay active. Nike+ Apple Watches include unique Nike-designed watch faces and complications for the Apple device that users will only be able to get when purchasing the special edition of the Apple Watch.

At its iPhone 7 event, Apple mentioned that its wireless AirPods would see a late October launch, so it's possible the Bluetooth headphones will also launch on October 28. More anticipated is the expected debut of new MacBooks later this month, which Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed in September by reassuring fans, saying he and the company are "very committed" to the Mac line and to "stay tuned."

Apple will add all iPhone 4 models, the late 2010 13-inch MacBook Air, third-generation AirPort Extreme, and mid 2009 AirPort Time Capsule to its vintage and obsolete products list starting October 31, according to Japanese website Mac Otakara.

Apple products on the vintage and obsolete list are no longer eligible for hardware service, beyond a few exceptions. Apple defines vintage products as those that have not been manufactured for more than five years but less than seven years ago, while obsolete products are those that were discontinued more than seven years ago. Each of the products added were released between 2009 and 2010.

The report specifically pertains to Apple's vintage and obsolete products list in Japan, but the new additions will more than likely extend to the United States, Australia, Canada, and the rest of the Asia-Pacific and Europe regions.

Apple already obsoleted CDMA models of the iPhone 4 around the world last month, while the late 2010 MacBook Air joins the mid 2009 iMac, 2010 Mac mini, and mid 2010 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro among Apple's recently obsoleted notebooks.

macOS Sierra remains compatible with the late 2010 MacBook Air, while the iPhone 4 cannot be updated beyond iOS 7.1.2. Read how to identify your MacBook Air model or how to identify your iPhone model.

The current MacBook Air has not been updated in 584 days. Refreshed models with USB-C ports are expected later this month at the earliest.

As of this afternoon, Apple has started offering a SIM-free version of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus from its online store in the United States, allowing customers to buy an unlocked iPhone without choosing a carrier.

SIM-free versions of the iPhone 7 Plus in all capacities list shipping estimates of three to four weeks, with the exception of the Jet Black SIM-free iPhone 7 Plus, which lists a shipping estimate of six to eight weeks.

For the iPhone 7, SIM-free models in Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, and Black feature delivery estimates of October 17 to 19, while Jet Black models ship in three to five weeks.

According to Apple, SIM-free models (A1660 and A1661) will work with any carrier and have full support for CDMA and GSM networks, much like the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus devices available from Sprint or Verizon. iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models from AT&T and T-Mobile do not support CDMA networks and are not compatible with all carriers.

SIM-free models are not yet available for in-store pickup from the online store, but should be available in the near future as supplies improve. Retail stores will also likely begin offering SIM-free models in the next few days.

SIM-free iPhones must be purchased at full price, with the iPhone 7 starting at $649 and the iPhone 7 Plus starting at $769.

Over the past few months, Apple CEO Tim Cook has spoken about augmented reality several times, giving us an idea of what Apple might be working on behind the scenes. In a new interview with BuzzFeed News, Cook hints at Apple's approach to augmented reality, suggesting it should encourage, not replace, human contact.

"Augmented reality will take some time to get right, but I do think that it's profound. We might ... have a more productive conversation, if both of us have an AR experience standing here, right? And so I think that things like these are better when they're incorporated without becoming a barrier to our talking. ... You want the technology to amplify it, not to be a barrier."

According to Cook, there is "no substitute" for human interaction, a belief that further lends itself to the idea that Apple is exploring augmented reality experiences over virtual reality experiences. In fact, in the interview, Cook says that while VR "has some interesting applications," he doesn't think it's a "broad-based technology like AR."

Cook has made many similar comments in recent months. In July, Cook said Apple was "high on AR in the long run" and that the company continues "to invest a lot in [AR]." He said he believes augmented reality "can be huge," and in August, he called it a "core technology."

In September, when discussing AR/VR, he said be believes augmented reality "is the larger of the two," because it allows people to "be very present," engaging with one another while having other visual things to see.

According to rumors, Apple has a research team working on augmented and virtual reality, exploring the AR/VR field and investigating how the company could embrace augmented or virtual reality in the future. Apple has reportedly built prototype virtual reality headsets, but Cook's continued comments on augmented reality indicate Apple is more heavily invested in that technology.

Apple has made several AR-related acquisitions and hires in recent months, purchasing companies like Metaio, Faceshift, and Flyby Media, and according to BuzzFeed, Apple has also recently been attending meetings with immersive content companies like Jaunt.

BuzzFeed also points out that some of Apple's existing hardware could be part of a future "AR ecosystem," including the iPhone 7 Plus with its dual-lens camera system, the Apple Watch with GPS and accelerometer, and the AirPods, equipped with dual accelerometers, optical sensors, microphones, and an antenna.

BMW today unveiled its 2017 BMW 5 Series Sedan, which will be one of the first cars to include wireless CarPlay support. According to press materials released today, iPhones will be able to wirelessly integrate with the BMW iDrive system, connecting to the car over Bluetooth instead of through a Lightning cable.

CarPlay is available in the BMW 5 Series Sedan too. Integrating the smartphone into the vehicle's system environment allows the phone, together with any apps that are on it, to be operated via the screen in the car by means of the iDrive Controller or touch control. BMW is the first carmaker to integrate Apple CarPlay without any cables at all.

Wireless CarPlay functionality was first introduced by Apple in 2015 alongside iOS 9, but thus far, no in-car infotainment system has been released that fully supports the feature.

It is not clear why wireless CarPlay support has been slow to roll out, but Apple has prevented at least one company from demoing the feature. Volkswagen attempted to demo wireless CarPlay functionality in January of 2016, but Apple said no. It is not clear when Volkswagen will be releasing a vehicle with wireless CarPlay or when it will see a wider rollout to additional vehicles.

The current CarPlay setup requires users to connect an iPhone to a vehicle using a Lightning cable that plugs into a standard USB port.

The 5 Series Sedan will be available around the world starting in February of 2017.

In an email that's going out to Evernote users this afternoon, Evernote confirms that a serious bug caused "a small number of people" who used the Evernote Mac app to lose data.

The email says that images and other attachments can potentially be deleted when using Evernote for Mac, but text notes are safe.

We have identified a bug in some versions of Evernote for Mac that can cause images and other attachments to be deleted from a note under specific conditions. We believe you are one of a small number of people impacted by this bug. [...]

The bug can occur in the version of Evernote for Mac released in September, and less frequently in versions released since June. In these versions, certain sequences of events, such as skimming quickly through a large number of notes, can cause an image or other attachments to be deleted from a note without warning. Text in notes is not affected.

Evernote recommends those who receive the email update their Mac app immediately to avoid losing data. For those who have already lost data, Evernote says that while it attempted to restore lost data, some attachments could not be automatically restored.

Lost attachments may potentially be accessible through the premium note history feature, so Evernote is providing all affected users with one year of free Evernote Premium service.

Evernote version 6.9.1 and later, available as of October 2, appear to resolve the issue, preventing further data loss. Evernote for Mac version 6.9.0 is affected, including both build 453991 (available from the Evernote website) and 454042 (available from the Mac App Store).

Earlier this year, it was reported Apple was in "advanced talks" to acquire British semiconductor designer Imagination Technologies, just one week after the chip maker announced job cuts. Apple subsequently confirmed the talks, but said it did not plan to make an offer to purchase the company at the time.

Nevertheless, over the past year, Apple has been recruiting talent away from the company, according to multiple LinkedIn profiles. Imagination Technologies COO John Metcalfe, for example, left the company in June and is now listed as a Senior Director at Apple, where he started in July.

Imagination Technologies engineers Dave Roberts, Jonathan Redshaw, and Benjamin Bowman are also now employed by Apple. Likewise, a fourth engineer Simon Nield joined Apple as a Design Manager just this month. A search of former Imagination Technologies employees now working at Apple yields 25 results.

Apple poaching employees from Imagination Technologies could be part of its efforts to build out an in-house graphics team.

Many of the employees continue to be based in the London, England area, although some have relocated to Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California. An anonymous tipster informed us that Apple has established a new team in London to work on GPUs in house, but the information remains unconfirmed.

Imagination Technologies traditionally supplies the PowerVR graphics architecture found in Apple's range of iPhones and iPads. Apple has been a licensee and stakeholder in the company since at least 2008, and it became a key investor in mid-2009 when it raised its stake in the firm to 10 percent.

In 2014, Imagination Technologies announced an extended licensing agreement with Apple, providing the iPhone maker with access to current and future PowerVR graphics and video IP cores as part of a multi-year deal. These technologies are incorporated into Apple's own A-series chips like the A10 Fusion in iPhone 7.

Yesterday, a Redditor with the username Foxconninsider posted about a new Smart Keyboard claimed to be a working prototype potentially coming to both iMac and MacBook devices sometime in 2018. Created by Australian startup Sonder and displayed at an event in Tsinghua University in Beijing, the keyboard uses an e-ink display behind the keys of the board to dynamically change the input of the device to the whim of the user, which could range from different languages to social network shortcuts and emojis.

The post ties Sonder to Apple through a potential acquisition deal that would integrate Sonder's technology directly into Apple products, which reportedly generated discussion throughout the event, and after it. An excerpt from the original post follows:

I work on Tsinghua university campus, it is like the Chinese MIT. It hosted a Foxconn event where I saw the new Macbook keyboard module design and Apple's 2018 E Ink Magic Keyboard that's a DFT model. (DFT is design for testing).

The startup Sonder makes a smart keyboard module, it has a new magnetic mechanical mechanism and a lit E Ink display which allows for swapping shortcuts and languages etc. I saw it swap between a few programs and languages (English, Japanese, Taiwanese layouts etc).

The Foxconn Innoconn Executive said Apple's PBO (Procurement board office) was closing an acquisition for the startup company that is now registered in Hong Kong for a big return of investment for Foxconn International Holdings and E Ink Holdings.

Aside from the unverifiable nature of the post, the claim is questionable for a number reasons, which together originally led MacRumors to decline to cover the story despite multiple contacts from the source prior to their sharing it on Reddit.

Among the questionable aspects of the story is Foxconn's and Sonder's apparent willingness to confirm Sonder is in discussions with Apple about the keyboard technology. Such talks are typically covered by non-disclosure agreements which would preclude them from acknowledging the discussions.

Today, however, The Guardian is corroborating the story with a claim that "separate to the Reddit report, The Guardian can confirm the Apple CEO, Tim Cook, met with [Sonder founder Francisco] Serra-Martins in China on Wednesday." Cook is currently touring both China and Japan, but The Guardian's confirmation doesn't give specifics as to whether the meeting was simply in passing, or specifically related to a potential acquisition deal.

Regarding the technology at the center of the story, the original Redditor claimed that they "couldn't film the macbook or magic keyboard test units at the event," so the early demo keyboard shown in the video above represents a variation on what was seen at the event. The event's keyboard allegedly had a single e-ink screen for every key on the MacBook, along with a backlit lighting panel. The technology would seemingly be used in future MacBooks and integrated into the iMac's Magic Keyboard lineup.

With so many unconfirmed factors swirling around the story, it remains possible that Sonder itself is attempting to generate interest in its own upcoming Sonder Keyboard, which packs in all of the previously detailed e-ink technology, along with Mac compatibility, at $199. The company expects the keyboard to arrive sometime in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Apple today invited journalists to London, England to preview its redesigned Regent Street store, set to open this weekend. Dozens of images have been shared on Twitter and other websites, providing us our first glimpse at the revamped location that's been under construction for more than a year.

Apple Regent Street now features Apple's next-generation retail design, previously seen at its flagship Union Square location in San Francisco, including wide, open spaces with indoor trees, sequoia wood tables and shelves for displaying products, a large 6K video screen, and light boxes extending the length of the ceiling.

The location now has a Genius Grove, a section at the center of the store designated for customers to receive support side-by-side with Geniuses under the canopy of local trees. This area is able to accommodate more customers than a traditional Genius Bar commonly found at Apple's other retail locations.

In line with remodeling plans filed last year, the storefront is no longer adorned with four Apple logos in each window, but rather a large, white flag with the Apple logo. The central glass staircase has been removed, replaced with two new side staircases that lead to the second level with more product displays and workshop space.

Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts was on hand to preview the new store, designed by Foster and Partners, the award-winning architecture firm behind Apple's upcoming Campus 2 headquarters and Union Square retail location. Apple Regent Street will open its doors to the public on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time.