Jonathan Ive, Apple's Senior VP of Design, made a rare public appearance at the Design Museum in London yesterday (via Cult of Mac). At the event, he discussed everything from his view on the future of design to his opinions on failure with museum director Deyan Sudjic.
We shouldn’t be afraid to fail - if we are not failing we are not pushing. 80% of the stuff in the studio is not going to work. If something is not good enough, stop doing it.
The talk with Sudjic also included a roomful of up-and-coming design students, with Ive offering additional perspective on the design process and rejection.
"The best ideas start as conversations. A small change at the beginning of the design process defines an entirely different product at the end. At the start of the process the idea is just a thought - very fragile and exclusive. When the first physical manifestation is created everything changes. It is no longer exclusive, now it involves a lot of people." Ive also mentioned, "There are 9 rejected ideas for every idea that works."
Unfortunately for those design hopefuls listening to Ive, the odds of working in his team are slim. Apple's Industrial Design team is notoriously difficult to get into, in large part because its members never leave the company. The eighteen-person team hasn't seen a single member leave for fifteen years. "I like to work in a small team," Ive told Sudjic. "There is only 18 of us on the design team. Nobody has ever left."
Our goal is to desperately make the best products we can. We’re not naive. We trust that if we’re successful and we make good products, that people will like them. And we trust that if people like them, they’ll buy them. And we figured out the operation and we’re effective. We know what we’re doing, so we’ll make money, but it’s a tough sequence.
Ive has famously remained out of the spotlight for much of his tenure at Apple, but has opened up considerably since taking on new responsibilities for software design and more recently with the impending launch of the Apple Watch. Recent appearances have included an awards ceremony hosted by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and a Vanity Fair summit in San Francisco.
Customers looking for discounts on Apple products this Black Friday have two more retailers to add to their shopping lists -- Staples and Radio Shack. Black Friday discount website BFads recently published leaked sales flyers from both retailers in advance of the biggest shopping day of the year.
Staples is offering discounts on a variety of Apple gear, including $80 off the 16GB iPad Air WiFi ($319), $60 off the Retina iPad mini 2 ($239), $70 off the iPad with Retina Display ($279) and $20 off the Apple TV ($79). The office supplier also is taking 10 percent off all Beats by Dr Dre headphones and 15 percent off all iTunes gift cards of $50 or more. As an added bonus, customers with an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus can save time during checkout by using Apple Pay.
Radio Shack isn't offering any discounts on iPad or iPhone models, but the retailer still is lowering prices on the Apple TV ($85), iPod Touch 16GB 5th generation ($149), and iTunes gift cards (15 percent off). Other Apple-related items going on sale include the Beats Solo HD Drenched headphones ($69.99 After Mail-in Rebate) and a variety of Apple iPhone and iPad accessories.
For even more Black Friday sales, be sure to check out our Black Friday roundup. We are updating that page with additional deals on Apple-related items as they are announced.
Similar to the Kickstarter-funded iStick from earlier in the year, SanDisk today announced the iXpand Flash Drive. The drive allows users to easily transfer photos, videos, and other files between an iOS device with a Lightning connector and a desktop or notebook with a normal USB port.
When the flash drive is plugged into an iPhone or iPad, the iXpand sync app is launched and can be configured to automatically sync photos and videos from the device's camera roll to the flash drive. Entire movies (including most popular non-native and PC-friendly formats, like AVI and WMV) can also be stored on the iXpand and played from the flash drive directly onto the iPhone or iPad.
"According to IDC, nearly three-quarters of all images are now captured on smartphones and tablets," said Dinesh Bahal, vice president, product marketing, SanDisk. "With this significant increase in mobile-generated content, consumers are looking for easy ways to manage it all. In fact, our research shows that 82% of U.S. smartphone users find transferring photos, videos, music and other files to be very important to them. We created the iXpand Flash Drive to offer consumers a quick and safe way to move their favorite content between devices so it's available when and where they want it."
The flash drive also offers users an added layer of security in cross-platform encryption. While in the iXpand sync app [Direct Link], files can be password protected while the drive is connected to an iPhone or iPad, then decrypted on a Mac or PC and vice versa.
Available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB sizes, the iXpand Flash Drive is compatible with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2, and iPad mini running iOS 8 or iOS 7.
The 16GB and 64GB versions of the drive can be purchased directly off of SanDisk's official website today and sell for $59.99 and $119.99 respectively. Beginning November 16, Best Buy will exclusively sell the 32GB version in retail and on their website for $79.99.
Chip suppliers within the Apple Watch supply chain have begun "gearing up" to start production for Apple's new device, according to a new report from Digitimes. Chip orders are estimated to be around 30 - 40 million units for a debut in early 2015.
Digitimes had previously reported, prior to Apple's September 9 event, that the device was at the engineering verification test stage and needed to complete product verification testing before entering mass production. It appears that the Apple Watch has now passed that milestone and is beginning to enter mass production for its debut in early 2015.
Apple Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores Angela Ahrendts had previously revealed that the device would debut in Spring 2015, with several reports indicating that Apple was aiming for Valentine's Day 2015 as a potential launch date. Apple Watch pricing will start at $350 for the aluminum version, while the stainless steel and gold editions will reportedly retail for prices starting at $500 and $4,000 respectively.
Apple's 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" may not enter mass production until the second quarter of 2015, according to new predictions from often-reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He believes that the iPad Pro will use an oxide panel to achieve a "high resolution, quick response, and high color saturation," and that the time needed for component yield and assembly to improve will push back production until 2Q 2015.
Earlier this year, a report from Bloomberg suggested the iPad Pro might be released in early 2015, but an October report from The Wall Street Journal indicated Apple had delayed its planned December mass production of the tablet in order to focus its attention on producing more iPhone 6 Plus units, leaving a potential iPad Pro release date up in the air.
Mockup of 12.9-inch iPad Pro next to 13-inch MacBook Air
Little is known about the iPad Pro aside from its 12.2 to 12.9-inch display size, which dwarfs the smaller 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 and the 7.9-inch iPad mini 3. Rumors have also suggested that it will offer the same A8X processor introduced with the iPad Air 2 along with an ultra high resolution display and a 7mm-thick form factor that's similar to existing iPads.
Kuo's report also focuses on forecasting iPad shipments, which he believes will fall 54.5 percent quarter over quarter to just 9.8 million units during the first calendar quarter of 2015. He points towards the lack of new applications and a saturation of the tablet market as the basis for his prediction.
We believe that, in a major shift, while Apple (US) used to be able to use new form factor designs to boost demand, it has failed to do so this time around. The lighter and thinner iPad Air 2 will face strong headwinds in increasing sales in 1Q15, we believe; we also hold that this means that iPad, along with the entire tablet market, is faced with structural challenges characterized by a lack of new applications and market saturation. We don't think these challenges will be easily overcome by upgraded specs, new form factor designs or lower prices.
Kuo's estimate is rather low, considering Apple sold 16.35 million million iPads during the first calendar quarter of 2014, but iPad sales have been down for the past three quarters in a row. During the fourth fiscal quarter of 2014, Apple sold 12.3 million iPads, down from 14.1 million units in 2013.
According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the drop in iPad sales is just a "speed bump" that the company will overcome. He told investors earlier this year that "significant innovation can be brought to the iPad," and suggested Apple was working on such improvements. The upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Pro may be Apple's first step towards bolstering its iPad lineup, and the company is also said to be working on new iPad features, like split-screen multitasking.
With the release of iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, Apple has included a new Family Sharing feature that allows multiple users to easily share content and interact with each other. Most notably, Family Sharing allows up to six family users to share purchases made from the iTunes, iBooks, or App Store. The feature also allows families to contribute to a unified photo album or calendar, share locations, use Find My iPhone to find a lost device, and set parental controls for children.
Prior to the debut of Family Sharing, a user looking to share a downloaded app with someone else would have to give out their Apple ID account information. That information would also have to be entered when updating an app, requiring users of shared apps to log out of their own Apple ID and log into the original Apple ID used to download the app. With Family Sharing, users have immediate access to each other's music, movies, TV shows, books, and apps, as content can be downloaded with a single tap.
Before You Start
A user needs to be running iOS 8 or higher and have a valid iCloud account in order to use Family Sharing, with OS X Yosemite required for Mac access. Prior to turning on Family Sharing, ensure that you are ready to designate yourself or another user to be the Family Organizer in the Family Sharing group. The Family Organizer will be responsible for all iTunes, iBooks, and App Store purchases made by the Family users in the group.
Also, ensure that the Family Organizer has a valid payment method linked to their iTunes account. In the desktop iTunes application on the Mac, this can be done by going to Menu Bar -> Store -> View Account. On an iOS device, this can be done by going to App Store -> Scroll to Apple ID on bottom of "Featured" tab -> Tap on Apple ID -> View Apple ID -> Payment Information. Only the Family Organizer needs to have a valid payment method attached to their iTunes account.
Steps to Enable Family Sharing
1. Go to Settings -> iCloud -> Set Up Family Sharing to begin setup as the Family Organizer.
2. Tap on Get Started. Ensure that the email listed on the Share Purchases screen is correct.
3. Ensure that the information listed on the "Payment Method" is correct. If it is not, change the payment method by going to App Store -> Featured tab -> Apple ID -> View Apple ID -> Payment Information.
4. Choose to share your location with your family users by tapping "Share Your Location" or decline the option by tapping "Not Now".
You have now enabled Family Sharing for the Family Organizer. To begin adding users to the Family Sharing group, follow the steps below.
Steps to Add Family Members
1. To add a Family Member, tap on "Add Family Member" in the main menu.
2. From the Add Family Member screen, you can send an invitation to another user's iCloud account to join a group. Alternatively, you can ask another user to enter the Family Organizer's iCloud password to join a group.
3. If you have chosen to send an invitation, the invited user will see a push notification on their iOS device asking them to join a Family Sharing group. Once a user accepts the invite, they will be prompted to share their purchases and location. The user will also appear in the Family Sharing main menu.
4. By default, users invited to Family Sharing will be recognized as adults and will not need permission to purchase content. However, the Family Organizer can also create an Apple ID for a child by tapping the highlighted option at the bottom of the Family Sharing menu.
5. Creating an Apple ID for a child will ask the Family Organizer to input a birthday and accept a Parent Privacy Disclosure. The Family Organizer will also be required to input the security code for the primary card being used.
6. Next, the Family Organizer will be able to enter a name and create an email address, password and security questions as seen in a typical iCloud setup process.
7. Afterward, the Family Organizer will be able to turn on Ask to Buy. Ask to Buy allows a child user to send a purchase request for an app, song or book to the Family Organizer, who can then approve or deny the request. The Family Organizer can also choose whether to share the location of the child's device. Once setup is completed, the child user will appear in the Family Sharing menu.
Sharing Purchased Content
Family members can access each other's apps, books, songs, movies, and TV shows and download content to their own devices. To download a family member's shared content, users can head to the Purchased tab in the iTunes Store app, the iBooks app, or the App Store app. From there, users can select a family member and view a list of purchased content that is available for download. To hide a purchase, go into the Purchased tab, swipe the content you want to hide to the left, and select "Hide".
Apple notes that there are certain types of content that cannot be downloaded by other users in a Family Sharing group. Non-shareable content includes songs added to iTunes Match from outside of the iTunes Store, in-app purchases, items that are no longer available on the iTunes Store, and apps that are marked as non-shareable in their App Store descriptions.
Family Calendars and Photo Albums
In addition to allowing purchased content to be shared, Family Sharing allows multiple users to contribute to a single calendar or photo album. To add to the calendar, family members can go to the Calendar app and select "Family Calendar" in the list of options before creating an event. The Family Organizer can also view and edit the calendar permissions of each family member by selecting "Calendars" and tapping the "I" symbol next to the Family Calendar.
To enable shared photo album functionality, all family members must have iCloud Photo Sharing turned on in Settings -> iCloud -> Photos -> iCloud Photo Sharing. Once that setting is enabled, the Family photo album can be viewed in Photos -> Shared -> Sharing -> Family. A user can add photos to the shared album by tapping the + sign in the upper right corner, and all family members receive a push notification when a new image is added.
Sharing Locations and Find My iPhone
Users in a Family Sharing group can also keep track of each other's locations through the Find My Friends or Messages app. The Find My Friends app will display the location of all family members on a map and give details on their current city and distance.
Similarly, if a family member's Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is lost and needs to be tracked down, other users in the group can see the whereabouts of each device in the Find My iPhone app. Once a device is selected, users can choose to play a loud sound on the device, enable Lost Mode to lock the device, or choose to erase the entire device.
Things to Be Aware of
While the ability for a Family Sharing group to track down a lost device with the Find My iPhone app is useful, there are a few issues to be aware of. For example, any user in the Family Sharing group, including child users, can choose to lock a device with their own passcode or erase a device entirely without needing permission from other users. Any user can also choose to play a loud sound on a selected device which cannot be automatically silenced even with the "Do Not Disturb" feature turned on.
Though all three options are useful in the event of a device becoming lost, each could also be turned on accidentally, resulting in lost data or unexpected disturbances. Because of these potential oversights, it is recommended that you ensure that each member of your Family Sharing group uses the Find My iPhone app responsibly.
Another factor worth considering is that all Family Sharing members must use a single credit card or debit card for all App Store purchases, which is controlled by the Family Organizer. If App Store credit is applied to the account of a Family Sharing member, the credit will be used before the Family Organizer is billed for a purchase.
It's also worth noting that in order to secure an Apple ID for a child, the parent or Family Organizer must have a credit card on file in order to verify that the person creating the child's Apple ID is an adult. Apple will not accept a debit card.
Troubleshooting
Since its debut with iOS 8, a number of users have had issues with Family Sharing and shared app purchases. Mostproblems have centered around a message stating "Redownload Unavailable with This Apple ID" when trying to download apps or other content. Members on Apple's Support Communities and CNET's Jason Cipriani have reported that logging out and back into iCloud has fixed the problem.
Other users have also found out that the designated Family Organizer needs to have the same Apple ID logged into iCloud and the App Store for purchases to be shared. Also, keep in mind that not all apps support Family Sharing, and specify whether they do in their App Store description. If users are unable to download shared purchases, it is also important to ensure that the payment method on the Family Organizer's account is up to date by going to App Store -> Featured tab -> Apple ID -> View Apple ID -> Payment Information.
In iOS and macOS, Apple includes a Family Sharing feature that allows multiple users to easily share content and interact with each other. Most notably, Family Sharing allows up to six family users to share purchases made from the iTunes, iBooks, or App Store.
The feature also lets you add family members to an Apple Music Family subscription, contribute to a unified photo album or calendar, share locations, use Find My iPhone to find a lost device, and set parental controls for children.
With Family Sharing, users have immediate access to each other's music, movies, TV shows, books, and apps, as content can be downloaded with a single tap.
Before You Start
A user needs to have a valid iCloud account in order to use Family Sharing, with OS X Yosemite or later required for Mac access. Prior to turning on Family Sharing, ensure that you are ready to designate yourself or another user to be the Family Organizer in the Family Sharing group. The Family Organizer will be responsible for all iTunes, iBooks, and App Store purchases made by the Family users in the group.
AT&T is now offering a $50 bill credit to customers who purchase a new iPhone from the Apple Online or Apple Retail Stores. Neither company has marketed the deal but an AT&T spokesperson confirmed the existence of the promotion to MacRumors. The purchase and financing of any iPhone model that Apple sells, including the 5c, 5s, 6 and 6 Plus, qualifies the buyer for the credit.
The $50 credit promotion, which runs through the end of the year, does have a number of requirements which should be easily met for most existing AT&T customers:
- The iPhone must be purchased on an existing line as an upgrade. - The iPhone must be financed on an AT&T Next installment plan. - The iPhone must remain active and in good standing on Next for 45 days.
$50 Bill Credit Offer: Ends 12/31/14. Must remain in active and in good standing on Next for 45 days to receive bill credit on your AT&T mobility bill within 3 bill cycles. Upgrades only. Requires iPhone to be purchased via AT&T NextSM and activated on a qualifying AT&T voice and data wireless service plan. Offer may not be combinable with other credits, discounts and offers. Offer and terms subject to change and may be discontinued at any time without notice.
Customers looking for an unlocked phone should wait for the bill credit to be applied to their account before paying off the AT&T Next financing and unlocking their phone through AT&T's unlocking process.
The promotion launched earlier this week and is scheduled to run through December 31st, but the fine print notes that AT&T can discontinue it at any time.
As of today, popular office supply store Staples has begun accepting Apple's Apple Pay payments service in its retail stores across the United States, according to information shared with MacRumors.
Staples now offers its customers access to Apple Pay, a new service that will transform mobile payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay. In Staples over 1,400 stores in the United States, Apple Pay works with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch, upon availability.
When Apple Pay was first announced, Staples was listed as one of the retailers implementing in-store support for the payments service "later this year" along with Anthropologie, Free People, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, and Walt Disney World.
Staples has been an eager Apple Pay partner, initially promising support for the service back in September. The Staples iOS app has included Apple Pay support since it first launched on October 20, and when Staples announced Apple Pay integration, it said that in-store availability would be rolling out "within a few weeks."
Apple first teamed up with Staples last year, with the two striking a deal that saw Staples selling Apple products in its U.S. stores for the first time beginning in September. Since then, Staples has gone on to heavily promote Apple products both online and in stores, offering frequent deals.
With the addition of Staples, Apple Pay now has 34 retail partners, including competing office supply store Office Depot and other major retailers like Macy's, Disney, Foot Locker, Petco, Walgreens, and Toys R Us. Apple Pay is also accepted in any store that supports NFC contactless payments.
Retailers have largely been silent on the popularity of Apple Pay during its first month of availability, but Whole Foods' chief information officer told The Wall Street Journal that the company had processed 150,000 Apple Pay transactions in the 17 days following its October 20 debut. That equates to an estimated one percent of all Whole Foods transactions.
In late October, Apple's VP of iPhone marketing Greg Joswiak sat down for an interview with Re/code's Ina Fried and Walt Mossberg at the site's inaugural Code Conference, answering questions about iOS 8.0.1, Apple Pay, and the Apple Watch.
While we initially covered the interview when it took place, Re/code has now posted the full video footage of Joswiak's appearance at the conference, which is well worth watching for Apple enthusiasts.
During the interview, Joswiak apologized for the iOS 8.0.1 bug that bricked many iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices, commented on the Apple Pay situation with Rite Aid and CVS, and hinted at possible Apple Watch pricing.
Joswiak's interview occurred at the same time as Tim Cook's October interview with The Wall Street Journal, and a full video of that appearance was also released earlier this week.
YouTube today announced a new subscription streaming service, YouTube Music Key, which is currently in beta. The service offers up ad-free music on YouTube, along with background play and offline viewing.
Priced at $7.99 (discounted from $9.99), YouTube Music Key also includes a subscription to Google's Spotify competitor, Google Play Music (formerly Google Play All Access), which includes more than 30 million songs and will feature the ability to watch official YouTube videos directly within the app.
Some streaming music services, like Spotify, offer a limited number of music videos, but ad-free access to high-quality popular videos is a feature that will be unique to YouTube Music Key and its sister service, Google Play Music.
Alongside YouTube Music Key, the YouTube apps for iOS and Android and YouTube.com have been updated with a new section dedicated to music videos, which provides recommended mood-based playlists and features trending music. The new focus on music will also highlight full-length albums and artist pages.
YouTube Music Key is currently in beta, with access going to the company's "biggest music fans" first before seeing a wider worldwide launch. YouTube users who receive an invite to the Music Key beta will receive six months of access for free. Customers who sign up for Google Play Music will get immediate access to the YouTube Music Key beta.
Following a second round of banks adding support for the Apple Pay mobile payments service last week, Regions Bank today began allowing its cards to be added to the service. The bank has reportedly emailed customers about the new support and MacRumors readers have been successfully adding their cards to Apple Pay.
Apple has also updated its list of participating issuers to include Regions, noting that personal credit and debit cards as well as small business credit cards and prepaid cards from the bank are supported at this time.
Regions Banks is based in Birmingham, Alabama and primarily serves the Southeast, Midwest, and Texas with over 1700 branches and 2400 ATMs.
While the number of supporting banks currently numbers a little over a dozen, Apple announced at its media event last month that it has over 500 banks signed on for Apple Pay. Many of the largest banks in the United States are already supporting the service, and the remainder of those signed on will continue rolling out support over time.
The larger-screened iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus may have been less popular with Android switchers than analysts initially predicted, according to new data gathered by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).
A survey revealed that fewer iPhone buyers came from the Google Android platform in 2014 compared to the number of buyers who switched from Android to an iPhone in 2013. In 2014, 12 percent of iPhone buyers reported formerly owning an Android phone, while 23 percent reported being former Android customers in 2013. The launch of the iPhone 5s also saw a higher number of customers coming from BlackBerry and Windows Devices.
"The vast majority of new iPhone buyers were already iPhone owners." said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. "Current iPhone owners accounted for over 80% of buyers after this launch, compared to less than 65% after the iPhone 5S and 5C launch in September 2013. Android owners accounted for a much smaller share of buyers immediately after this year's iPhone launch, and with smartphones so prevalent in the US, we also saw a smaller percentage of iPhone buyers moving from basic phones."
Former Android owners who were already accustomed to larger screens were more likely to buy the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus than iPhone owners who were upgrading to a new device. 31 percent of former Android owners chose the iPhone 6 Plus, while only 25 percent of existing iPhone owners opted for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus over the 4.7-inch iPhone 6.
The data also shows that those who did switch from Android in 2014 tended to go for more expensive flagship iPhones. In September of 2014, 85 percent of former Android owners who bought an iPhone chose the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, while only 52 percent of former Android owners who bought an iPhone chose the iPhone 5s in 2013.
Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, analysts suggested the larger screens of the two devices could cause a massive spike in upgrades and lure an unprecedented number of former Android users who desired bigger displays. In anticipation of a large number of Android switchers, Apple even launched a guide designed to walk Android users through moving data from their Android devices to the iPhone.
During Apple's most recent earnings call, CEO Tim Cook noted that Apple had seen a huge numbers of upgraders along with many first time buyers, including both customers who had never had a smartphone and switchers from Android. Cook also explained that demand was "far outstripping" supply, with no clear date for supply/demand balance in sight.
Though it appears that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus may not have been highly popular with Android switchers, it is important to note that CIRP gathered its data from just 300 Apple customers who purchased an iPhone in the 30 days following the device's September 19 launch. A survey encompassing 300 customers is a very small sample size relative to the number of people who have purchased one of Apple's new devices, a figure that had already hit 10 million during launch weekend.
It will be interesting to see if the balance between upgraders and Android switchers shifts over time, as it's possible that iPhone users already on Apple's timetable may be more inclined to upgrade their devices right away while Android users may be waiting for their contracts to expire.
Microsoft today announced that it is furthering its commitment to cross-platform development with an expanded open source program for its .NET platform and additional support for operating systems outside of Microsoft Windows.
"With billions of devices in the market today, developers need tools that target many different form factors and platforms," said S. Somasegar, corporate vice president, Developer Division, Microsoft. "Through Visual Studio and .NET we are committed to delivering a comprehensive end-to-end solution for developers to build and manage applications across multiple devices and platforms."
After releasing several .NET libraries earlier this year to the open source community, Microsoft confirmed it would open source the full server .NET stack, making it available to developers via Github. The company also is expanding .NET to run on third-party platforms such as Linux and OS X and is working with the open source Mono project to ensure these cross-platform operations are ready for enterprise-level applications.
As part of its Connect() event, Microsoft also unveiled its next generation Visual Studio 2015 developer suite with expanded cross-platform support. Additionally, the Redmond company announced the immediate release of Visual Studio Community 2013 and Visual Studio 2013 Update 4.
This open source initiative is part of a broader campaign to support platforms outside of Windows and Windows Phone. The company now offers Office on the iPhone and iPad and is continuing its support for Apple's OS X platform. An updated version of Office for Mac is rumored for release sometime in 2015.
New details have come to light regarding the iPad Air 2's graphics processing power since its launch last month, with a new report from AnandTech revealing the new tablet's graphics are even more powerful than previously thought.
Benchmarks and teardowns on the tablet revealed details on the inner workings of the iPad Air 2 in the days following its launch, but a new image of the A8X die provided to AnandTech reveals the layout of the Apple-designed chip. The die photo shows the A8X includes eight-core graphics, even larger than the 6-core GX6650 graphics from Imagination Technologies previously assumed to be in the chip.
To get right down to business then, the die shot confirms what we had begun suspecting: that A8X has an 8 cluster Series6XT configuration. All 8 GPU clusters are clearly visible, and perhaps unsurprisingly it looks a lot like the GPU layout of the GX6450. To put it in words, imagine A8’s GX6450 with another GX6450 placed right above it, and that would be the A8X’s 8 cluster GPU.
AnandTech was unable to share the source's actual image of the die, but Chipworks has just provided MacRumors with a similar image showing the eight graphics cores taking up a substantial portion of the A8X's die. The photo also shows the new triple-core CPU and a number of other features included on the chip.
Uncertainty over the A8X graphics stems from Imagination's public list of Series6XT graphics offerings, which tops out with the 6-core GX6650, but the new die photo reveals that Apple has employed a semi-custom design essentially pairing two quad-core packages on the chip to yield eight-core graphics.
Thanks to its licensing agreements with Imagination, Apple is free to modify the GPU designs developed by the graphics company, and Apple's position as a key investor in Imagination almost certainly gives it advance access to Imagination's pipeline, allowing such custom designs to be launched just nine months after Series6XT was announced.
Other gathered information includes details about the A8X's size and design. The die shot places the A8X at roughly 128mm2, only a bit larger than the 123 mm2 A6X used the last time Apple developed a custom "X" chip for the iPad. Compared to other models on the market, the A8X is a bit larger than NVIDIA’s 118mm2 GK107 GPU but also smaller than Intel’s 130mm2 2C+GT2 Haswell CPU. Design-wise, the A8X otherwise appears to have not drastically changed much from the A8, besides slight tweaks to make the eight-cluster design functional and the addition of a third CPU core.
Just yesterday, Imagination announced its next-generation Series7XT designs, and given the timing of this year's announcements and releases, the new graphics are likely to make their way into Apple's A9-series chips for inclusion in its 2015 iOS devices.
Apple may open a new retail store and corporate campus in downtown Los Angeles, according to a report in Downtown LA Examiner (via ifoAppleStore). The new location would be situated in the historic Broadway Trade Center, which opened in 1908 as Hamburger's Department Store and occupies almost a full city block. Apple's expansion in Los Angeles would be part of a 10-year-long "Bringing Back Broadway" initiative that has been working to revitalize the downtown district by attracting high-profile retailers and other businesses to the area.
According to the report's sources, Apple has signed a lease for "several hundred thousand" square feet of space in the Broadway building.
Rumors swirling are Apple Corp will have a campus in the building with multiple uses such as office space, residential, and retail. There is also talk of Apple opening up a branch for their recent 3 Billion dollar purchase of Beats By Dre, which is a critically acclaimed subscription streaming music service, which makes the popular Beats headphones, speakers and audio software.
The inclusion of a residential component for the project does not seem to make much sense for Apple, so the mention does draw some skepticism to the entire report.
The rumored campus wouldn't be Apple's first LA location, as the company already operates several retail stores in the Southern California city and its suburbs, and Beats has its main headquarters in nearby Culver City. Apple has been expanding both its retail and corporate presences, opening a number of new stores around the world as well as offices in Seattle, Boston and Cambridge, England.
Following the appearance of a regulatory filing last week, Beats Electronics today announced the launch of its new Solo2 Wireless on-ear headphones, the first product release since Apple's acquisition of Beats officially closed. The new headphones are a wireless version of the wired Solo2 headphones introduced the day after the Apple-Beats deal was announced.
Solo2 Wireless offers the same dynamic sound and streamlined design as Solo2, but with the added benefit of wireless capabilities. With its Bluetooth technology, Solo2 Wireless can move freely for up to 30 feet from your audio device. Take phone calls, skip songs, and change the volume using the “b” button and volume buttons on the ear cup. Its rechargeable battery allows you to enjoy up to 12 hours of wireless playback. Not charged? Not a problem. Just plug in the provided RemoteTalkTM cable and enjoy your music.
The new Solo2 Wireless headphones, which are available in red, black, white, and blue, will be available through Apple and other retailers later this month at a retail price of $299.95. The red version is a Verizon Wireless exclusive through the end of 2014.
Alongside the launch of the Solo2 Wireless headphones, Beats is also announcing new "Royal Edition" color options for the wired version of Solo2. The Royal Edition includes a "satin, iridescent finish" in Stone Grey, Hunter Green, Imperial Violet, Blush Rose, or Sapphire Blue, available later this month at the same $199.95 pricing as the original Solo2 headphones.
File-sharing service Box today updated its app for iOS to version 3.5.0, bringing with a number of new features and usability enhancements. The app now features support for unlocking with Touch ID and a new widget in the Notification Center that allows users to quickly create Box Notes and recent files. Box for iOS is now fully optimized for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and also now contains in-folder search, a Favorites functionality, and more.
What's New in Version 3.5.0 - Now use Box from your Today view in Notification Center to quickly and easily create Box Notes, view recent documents and more (requires iOS 8) - Use your fingerprint to unlock the Box app at the touch of the home button with Touch ID (compatible devices only, requires iOS 8) - Add files and folders to a Favorites list for easy access without having to download any data ahead of time with our new Favorites feature - In-folder search capabilities - Box Bookmarks are now accessible - Support for previewing password protected Office and iWork files - Automatic photo upload for Personal Pro subscribers and Enterprise users - Additional stability improvements and bug fixes
Earlier this year, Box secretly filed for an IPO after seeing its valuation rise to $2 billion last year. However, the company was reported last month to be waiting until later in the year to start trading publicly, with "market volatillity" cited as a potential reason.
Box currently offers 10GB of personal storage to new users, and its iOS app can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]
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As of today, popular office supply store Staples has begun accepting Apple's Apple Pay payments service in its retail stores across the United States, according to information shared with MacRumors.
Following a 
