Apple today updated its website to announce that it will indeed be streaming the September 9 iPhone event. A new Live page includes a countdown to the event and a note that it will host the event stream next Tuesday.
Apple will also likely stream the event to the Apple TV with a dedicated channel, as it has done for past events. MacRumors will be providing live coverage of the event as well, both on MacRumors.com and on the MacRumorsLive Twitter account for those unable to watch Apple's live stream.
The September 9 event, which kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, will be held at the Flint Center at De Anza College in Cupertino, where Apple first unveiled the original Mac 30 years ago. Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 6 in two separate sizes, its upcoming wearable device, and its payments initiative at the event.
One of Apple's suppliers is once again being accused of labor violations, with both Green America and China Labor Watch claiming a Catcher factory in Suqian, China has endangered the health and safety of its workers. Catcher is responsible for producing casings for many of Apple's products, including its MacBooks and iPads.
According to the report [PDF], Catcher has failed to provide adequate protective equipment for employees who handle toxic materials. The floor is said to be littered with aluminum-magnesium alloy shreddings and there are heavy amounts of dust in the air, which poses a health and fire safety risk. There are also locked safety exits preventing workers from leaving quickly during a disaster.
Fires and explosions are a major risk at supplier factories, and explosions at both Pegatron and Foxconn have caused major injuries in the past. At Catcher, workers have reportedly not participated in fire drills and have had poor safety training.
Other violations include student workers working long hours, excessive hours for all workers, forced overtime, and unpaid overtime for workers. Catcher is also said to be discriminating against potential employees based on age and the presence of tattoos.
"The health and safety violations found in this factory two years in a row are startling," said Elizabeth O'Connell, campaigns director at Green America. "The lack of fire drill training and locked safety exits are inexcusable in a work environment that requires the handling of flammable materials. Additionally, the lack of safety training in this facility and improper handling of hazardous materials contributes to the risk of life-threatening emergencies."
China Labor Watch initially reported its findings to Apple in 2013, and claims that though Apple promised to fix the issues, no progress has been made to improve worker conditions. Today's report calls on Apple to "do what is necessary" to ensure that factory workers are treated according to the law, and it asks consumers to reach out to Apple by filling out an email form. Apple, for its part, has given a statement to The New York Times saying that it has worked to correct issues at Catcher.
Apple said its most recent annual audit of the Suqian plant, in May, had "found some concrete areas for improvement in Catcher's operations, and we worked with Catcher to develop a corrective action plan."
Apple often finds itself in the spotlight over the conditions at the factories where its product components are produced, and the company has demonstrated little tolerance for factories that violated its rules. It is an ongoing issue for Apple, however, given both the sheer number of suppliers and the fact that factories benefit from producing high quantities of products at low costs.
Apple has committed to ensuring that its suppliers live up to a strict code of conduct that prevents underage labor and provides safe, comfortable working and living conditions for workers. Apple maintains a Supplier Responsibility Team to audit supply chain facilities and it also participates in factory assessments by the Fair Labor Association.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
As part of its planned September 9th event, Apple is building a massive structure in front of the Flint Center for the Performing Arts on the De Anza College campus in Cupertino, California. The structure is covered by a white barricade that conceals the details of the building underneath.
Earlier photos gave us a hint of the building, but recent aerial footage captured using a drone piloted by Sachin Patel reveals the size and scope of the project (via 9to5Mac). The building sits in front of the Flint Center on top of the college's Sunken Garden and wraps around the sides of a pre-existing sculpture.
Speculation about the building has run the gamut from performance stage to model home, with the most reasonable prediction suggesting Apple may use the venue for product demonstrations. Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 6 along with the iWatch at the event, which means it could use the building's ample space to showcase any home automation or fitness features of its new hardware.
The Flint Center is the venue where Steve Jobs introduced the original Mac. Apple has not held an event at the location for some time, opting instead to announce new products at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts or its own Cupertino campus Town Hall theater. Due to this change in venue, it is not yet known whether Apple will be live streaming the announcement as it has done with its most recent press events. MacRumors, however, will be providing live coverage both on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.
Update: Shortly after this post was published, Apple confirmed it will be streaming its September 9th iPhone event to compatible Mac, iOS and Apple TV devices.
Apple's upcoming "iWatch", reportedly set to be unveiled at next Tuesday's media event, will include near field communications (NFC) technology, according to The Wall Street Journal. The technology, which has already been seen on a leaked iPhone 6 logic board, will likely be used to support a mobile payments initiative.
NFC wireless is central to Apple's plans to incorporate so-called tap-to-pay into its mobile devices, allowing users to pay for goods and services using credit cards stored with iTunes, people close to Apple said.
The report goes on to claim the iWatch will be available in two sizes and carry a curved OLED display. And as extensively rumored, the device will include a variety of health and fitness sensors.
The report also reiterates recent claims that while the iWatch will be unveiled next week, it will not begin shipping until somewhat later, perhaps not until early 2015.
People familiar with Apple's plans said it is unlikely that Apple will release the smartwatch this year, because the Cupertino, Calif., company is still working out engineering kinks in production. Earlier in the year, Apple had targeted a November release, these people said.
One person familiar with Apple's suppliers said there is "no way" that it will be able to ship the iWatch this year. However, Apple hasn't changed its timetable for component suppliers that are shipping parts as scheduled to Taiwan's Quanta Computer Inc., the proposed device's manufacturer.
Sources indicate Apple will accept pre-orders for the iWatch, but timing and pricing are unknown. A previous report from Re/code claimed Apple has been weighing pricing in the $400 range, although some models would be cheaper.
In a bit of a surprise prediction, Apple may use its upcoming September 9 event to introduce the iPad Air 2 along with the iPhone 6 and iWatch, claims KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a research report released today. That plan would differ from Apple's announcement schedules in recent years that have seen the company unveil the iPhone in September and the iPad in October at a second press event.
Physical mockup of the second-generation iPad Air
According to Kuo, Apple is preparing modest upgrades primarily for the iPad Air and not the iPad mini, because the larger iPad is more popular among consumers. While the iPad Air 2 is said to carry several improvements, including an anti-reflective display as previously rumored, the second-generation Retina iPad mini may receive only Touch ID support.
In light of limited development resources and the fact that iPad Air contributes more to Apple’s sales and earnings than iPad mini, we think that only iPad Air 2 will see a major upgrade in specs this year, including anti-reflective coating for the cover lens, full lamination for the touch panel, a gold-colored metal casing, an A8 processor, Touch ID/ fingerprint recognition and an 8-megapixel rear camera. iPad mini may be upgraded with fingerprint recognition, if any.
While Kuo doesn't address whether the updated iPad Air will be thinner than the current model, a recent report from Digitimes claimed the device will indeed be thinner, and a laminated display could help Apple shave a small amount from the device's thickness.
Kuo claims that the anti-reflective display and full lamination will push back availability of the iPad Air 2 until October due to production issues with this new display. This delay may be fairly immaterial, however, as Kuo predicts iPad sales will continue to lag due to tablet market dynamics that see customers retaining their older iPad models instead of upgrading.
Kuo has been among the most accurate analysts regarding Apple's product plans, having been first to correctly peg a number of features and launches over the past several years. He has, however, had some misses and so it will be interesting to see if his iPad predictions pan out.
In a research note released today, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will be announced next week at Apple's iPhone press event. Kuo believes Apple will stagger the launch with the 4.7-inch model arriving in mid-September and the 5.5-inch model following 5 to 10 weeks later.
Kuo believes both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models will face supply constraints at launch as demand likely will outpace Apple's ability to manufacture the device. Labor shortages at Foxconn will impact the production of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, while the 5.5-inch faces an additional hurdle due to production issues with assembly and other components.
In line with earlier reports, Kuo says Apple will boost the internal storage of the iPhone to 128 GB. Both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models will ship with this higher capacity option. It is unclear whether Apple will add the 128 GB as a fourth storage option or drop the lower 16 GB model, selling the iPhone 6 only in 32, 64, and 128 GB capacities, although a 16 GB module has been seen on a leaked logic board and the earlier leaked schematic had referred to 16, 64, and 128 GB options..
Though he previously has stated select premium iPhone 6 handsets will ship with a sapphire glass option, Kuo, in this latest report, addresses the possibility of a sapphire cover, which he claims Apple is abandoning due to drop test issues. Kuo also claims the iPhone will have a programmable, side-mounted power button and an internal barometer sensor for navigation and health-related purposes.
Key spec forecasts – No sapphire cover lens, 128GB, built-in barometer pressure sensor & programmable power key
(1) Due to drop test issues, neither 4.7-inch nor 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will have a sapphire cover lens, we believe; (2) as Apple has strong bargaining power on NAND Flash price, and in a bid to meet the large capacity demand of consumers as well as to differentiate themselves from competing models, both 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will come with 128GB; (3) a built-in barometer can provide more indoor navigation applications and health-management applications relating to spirometry; and (4) we predict (discussed in an earlier report) that the power key will be moved from the upper position to the side. We now further predict that the power key could be programmable to be integrated with specific applications, giving more input options in addition to being a power switch.
Apple's iPhone 6 event will be held on Tuesday, September 9 at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California. Besides the possibility of a 128GB model, Apple may also add a new A8 processor, an improved camera with image stabilization and an enhanced Touch ID to its next generation iPhone.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo released a research note today with updated information on Apple's rumored iWatch wearable device. Echoing earlier reports, Kuo believes Apple will unveil the iWatch at its upcoming September event, with sales starting in 2015. This early announcement would create a buzz about the product and provide developers with adequate time to prepare apps for this new device.
2.5-inch iWatch concept from SET Solution with curved, rectangular display
According to Kuo, the iWatch may have a rectangular design and will include 8GB of internal storage with 512MB LPDDR3. The wristwatch will be available in two screen sizes of 1.3 and 1.5-inches in order to accommodate different wrist sizes. Apple may use between two to four different casing materials, with aluminum and gold as two likely options.
The fact that wearable devices don’t need much memory explains our prediction of an 8GB version with 512MB built-in memory. We expect casing material to be of 2-4 different types, with aluminum the most likely as it has been widely used in Apple products. A gold casing option is also possible, to add a luxury image to the product. We believe iWatch will be rectangular in front/ panel side shape. And lastly, like some other wearable devices, we expect there to be a number of holes on the back side of the device that can be used to monitor users’ vital health signs such as heart rate.
Rumors have suggested the iWatch will include several sensors to monitor vital health statistics such as heart rate, sleep activity and more. The band likely will sync with the iPhone and integrate with iOS 8's Health app, which will produce a comprehensive health profile using health and fitness data compiled from a variety of third-party sources.
Angry Birds Stella, the latest entry in Rovio's highly successful Angry Birds series, today launched for iOS devices. The game puts players in the role of lead character Stella and five of her bird friends as they protect their home of Golden Island from piggies through more than 120 playable levels.
Notable gameplay features include a new tap-to-hold mechanic to target attacks and the ability to scan Hasbro's interactive "Telepod" toys to bring different birds into play. Rovio will also be launching a new cartoon, animations, books and toys to complement the launch of Angry Birds Stella on iOS.
Ahead of Apple's September 9 event, in which the company is expected to finally show off the much-rumored iWatch, an Apple designer told the New York Times (via 9to5Mac), in a larger piece about fashion and technology, that Jony Ive is bragging that the iWatch could endanger traditional watchmakers.
According to a designer who works at Apple, Jonathan Ive, Apple’s design chief, in bragging about how cool he thought the iWatch was shaping up to be, gleefully said Switzerland is in trouble — though he chose a much bolder term for “trouble” to express how he thought the watchmaking nation might be in a tough predicament when Apple’s watch comes out.
While part leaks for the device have been nonexistent and solid information about the device's capabilities have been hard to come by, rumors have indicated the wearable may have NFC capabilities, tight integration with iOS 8, features related to health and fitness and that it would serve as an accessory device to the iPhone.
Rumors have suggested the iWatch will be introduced at Apple's September 9 event and will likely launch in early 2015.
Mobee, a company that makes a range of chargers for Apple's peripherals, today unveiled its new Magic Hub at Berlin's IFA trade show. The Magic Hub is designed to attach to the back of an iMac or Apple Thunderbolt Display, housing four separate USB 3.0 hubs.
The Magic Hub, which matches the finish of Apple's own products, does not require an external wall adapter because it gets its power from the main power cord of the iMac or Apple Display. It's also able to recharge devices through USB when the iMac or display is powered off.
The Magic Hub features: - 4 Ports USB 3.0 Hub. - 2.1 Amps power output on each USB port. - Directly powered by the Apple iMac or Apple monitor, doesn't require any additional wall adaptor. - Remains powered while your Apple iMac or Apple monitor is turned off. - Matches perfectly with the design and finish of Apple products. - Doesn't restrict the swivel of your Apple display.
The Magic Hub will retail for €50, which is just over $65. The product is expected to ship in October, and should be listed for pre-order on the Mobee website shortly.
Communications chip maker Broadcom today announced a new 5G 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip designed for smartphones.
Capable of data throughput speeds of up to 650 Mbps, the BC4358 is Broadcom's second chip to use 2x2 MIMO (multiple input multiple output), bringing up to twice the Wi-Fi performance with 25 percent more power efficiency than 1x1 MIMO chips.
MIMO is a technology that utilizes multiple antennas for both the transmitter and receiver to improve communication performance. Apple has adopted MIMO technology in the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display.
Today's content-centric consumer spends an average of 4–5 hours a day on Wi-Fi1. With 650 Mbps Wi-Fi data throughput and 50 percent better coexistence performance with Bluetooth, consumers can download content two times faster, stream videos with less buffering and connect to multiple Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices concurrently (e.g. listen to music while playing a game) without interference issues.
According to Broadcom, the new chips are already in production and will begin shipping in smartphones during the third quarter of 2014, which means the timing could possibly be right for inclusion in the iPhone 6.
According to Broadcom, its BCM4358 chip includes improved location accuracy that's accurate "down to one meter" for better indoor location-based services, which aligns with Apple's own indoor mapping aspirations. It's also the first chip that enables Angle-of-Arrival direction finding technology, another feature Apple could make use of. Rumors have suggested Apple is working on indoor mapping features for a future iOS 8 update.
It isn't known if Apple's iPhone 6 will use this specific chip, but Broadcom is one of Apple's partners, supplying chips for both its desktop and mobile devices. Apple uses Broadcom chips in its line of Macs that support 802.11ac, including the MacBook Air, Retina MacBook Pro, and iMac.
Rumors have suggested that the iPhone 6 will likely support 802.11ac, which has been included in Apple's Macs since 2013. 802.11ac Wi-Fi is designed to offer speeds up to three times as fast as existing 802.11n wireless networks.
Several rumors circulating today have suggested that Apple might be planning to somehow involve U2 in the upcoming launch of the iPhone 6. A tipster told MacRumors that the iPhone 6 will come preloaded with the new U2 album, and there's also been some unverified chatter on Twitter from reporters in Ireland pointing towards that possibility.
Most of the rumors seem to come from a recent video shoot U2 did in Dublin, which was conducted in secrecy with "black sheets strategically placed to obscure what was happening from public view." Music promoter Stephen Browne managed to snap a blurry photo of the shoot, and he says the "focus of the 'video' on the bridge last week was a phone." It is impossible to tell what device is depicted in the photo, however, or if the shoot revolved around the iPhone.
Looks like @U2 new album maybe preloaded on to iPhone6. The focus of the "video" on the bridge last week was a phone pic.twitter.com/CUY4rKTSM9
— Stephen Browne (@Stephenbrow) September 3, 2014
A U2 fan site pointed out by a Reddit user may also be a source of the rumors, as Julian Lennon, son of late Beatles frontman John Lennon and friend to U2, reportedly told the site "I think they are shooting an Apple commercial."
According to CNET's Shara Tibken, it's also possible that Bono might be a "special musical guest" at Apple's upcoming iPhone 6 event on September 9. The event will be held at the Flint Center at De Anza College in Cupertino, and Apple is in the midst of constructing a massive structure on site.
Adding to iPhone 6 U2 rumors, I hear Bono may be special musical guest on 9-9-14. #iPhone6
— Shara Tibken (@sharatibken) September 3, 2014
It is unknown what the structure is, but some have suggested it could be a stage. San Jose Mercury News interviewed a Cupertino resident who had been observing the ongoing construction and said "It looked like a sound stage going up for a rock concert behind Flint Center."
Apple and U2 have had a long partnership, as Steve Jobs and Bono were good friends. Starting in 2004, Apple released several special edition U2 iPods, which included the band's signatures and U2's music. Apple has also been a longtime partner of (Product) RED, a charity founded by Bono.
It is unknown if these whispers and hints of a U2 iPhone 6 tie-in and possible performance are accurate, but it appears to be a possibility given all of the circumstantial evidence. Apple has plans to debut its iPhone 6 on September 9, which is, coincidentally, the same day that the first single for U2's newest album is rumored to debut.
Despite the fact that there are still five days to go until Apple's September 9 media event, customers hoping to purchase one of Apple's new devices have already begun lining up at the flagship 5th Avenue Apple Store in New York City.
Apple is expected to announce the 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 at the event, along with its much-rumored wearable device and possibly a mobile payments initiative. Only the iPhone 6 is expected to ship to consumers in September however, and not until later in the month. People camping out now may be waiting more than two weeks to get their hands on one of Apple's new devices.
Campers waiting outside the 5th Avenue Apple Store, via CNBC
As is typical, many of the campers lining up early are participating in publicity stunts to garner recognition for their companies, given the media attention early waiters tend to receive. Campers seem to be arriving earlier and earlier each year in order to outdo past campers. For the launch of the iPhone 5c/5s, campers began showing up on September 6, but people are going to even further extremes this year.
CNBC interviewed several of the campers, some of which arrived before the month of September even began. Brian Ceballo and Joseph Cruz, representing BuyBackWorld, arrived on Sunday, August 31 with the hope of beating a previous record for camping out for an iPhone. They plan to wait for 19 days, a day longer than the 18 day record.
Ceballo and Cruz have already profited, accepting $1,250 to give up the first place in line to Jason and Moon Ray, who are promoting a health app.
Apple's iPhone 6 event will take place on Tuesday, September 9, but it remains unclear which devices will be unveiled and which will be available for shipping in the near future. Both the company's wearable device and its 5.5-inch iPhone may not ship until later in the year or early 2015, leaving campers to pick up a 4.7-inch iPhone 6.
Based on past timelines, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 could become available beginning on Friday, September 19.
After pulling its HERE maps app due to incompatibilities with iOS 7, Nokia is headed back to Apple's mobile platform with a new offline maps application that'll compete with Google Maps and Apple Maps. The app is in the final stages of development and expected to land before the end of the year, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Nokia's previous version of HERE Maps for iOS
Nokia is introducing its new maps app to customers who are tired of their existing navigation apps and are looking for an alternative solution.
"I'm convinced people are looking for alternatives," Mr. Fernback said. "Google Maps is a good solution for many, their maps work very well, but it has looked the same and done the same for a long time."
Nokia will set its maps apart from its competitors by offering offline access to both navigation and searching. The new Nokia maps app will be offered for free in the iOS App Store once it passes through Apple's App Store review process.
Apple's Maps has been heavily criticized since it launched alongside iOS 6. The company slowly has been improving its mapping experience, adding features such as Flyover and expanding the points of interest available to users, but significant changes are still in the works. An overhaul of the underlying maps infrastructure and the addition of major features such as public transit directions may have been bumped from iOS 8 and pushed off to a future iOS version due to internal strife at the company.
Not content to allow Samsung to steal the spotlight, Sony today also kicked off the IFA 2014 conference with its own press event that unveiled new wearable devices, new smartphone photography accessories, and several new mobile devices. Sony's newest hardware is slated to arrive in the coming months with price points that are yet to be determined.
Perhaps most relevant to Apple fans given Apple's impending wearable device announcement is Sony's pair of announcements in that area, starting with the new SmartBand Talk that embeds a low-power, 1.4-inch e-ink display into a fitness tracker. The band also includes a microphone and speaker for phone calls, as well as Bluetooth 4.0 for syncing to a smartphone. Rounding out the feature set is IP68 waterproofing, accelerometer and altimeter sensors, and integration with Sony's Lifelog lifestyle-tracking app.
In the more full-featured watch segment, Sony also introduced its new SmartWatch 3, the successor to the SmartWatch 2 and the first Android Wear smartwatch from the Japanese company. The smartphone companion syncs notifications from a compatible Android device and offers 4 GB of on-the-go music storage. Sony's SmartWatch 3 enters a growing Android Wear marketplace, competing directly with similar smartwatch offerings from Motorola and LG.
Sony also added to its lens-style camera line with the new 30x zoom DSC-QX30 and the E-mount interchangeable lens ILCE-QX1, These lens-style cameras improve mobile photography by combining an image sensor with a compact lens that fits onto an iOS or Android smartphone and communicates with the mobile phone via Wi-Fi. The DSC-QX30 is a 30x optical zoom lens with Sony's Optical SteadyShot image stabilization, while the QX1 allows photographers to use their existing Sony Alpha E-mount lenses on their mobile phone.
Besides its wearables and smartphone photography products, Sony also expanded its Xperia Z-series smartphone and tablet lineup with the new extended-battery life Xperia Z3 smartphone, the Xperia Z3 Compact smartphone, and the Xperia Tablet Z3 Compact. These new Xperia devices are notable as they support PS4 Remote Play, allowing users to pair their mobile device with a DualShock controller and play PS4 games on the phone or tablet.
Ahead of Apple's upcoming press event where it will introduce larger iPhone models, Samsung today kicked off IFA 2014 with a presentation that unveiled several new mobile and wearable devices including the Note 4, Note Edge, Gear S smartwatch and Gear VR headset.
The Note 4 and Note Edge are two new models in Samsung's popular Note series of large smartphones. The Note 4 is the premium model offering a 5.7-inch Quad-ultra HD (2560×1440) Super AMOLED display at 518 pixels per inch and either the 2.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor with support for Category 6 LTE or the 1.9 GHz octo-core Exynos 5433 with Category 4 LTE, depending on geographic location. There's also a 16-megapixel rear camera with image stabilization, a 3.7-megapixel front camera designed for selfies, a heart rate sensor, and a new S-Pen with improved sensitivity that detects pressure, nib tilt, and speed. Design-wise, the Note 4 sports a plastic textured rear housing with metallic edges.
Galaxy Note Edge
As an alternative to the Note 4, Samsung also unveiled the Note Edge, a smartphone that is identical to the Note 4 under the hood, but features a curved display. The curved edge of the display operate separately from the main display providing an app launcher or contextual controls depending on the app that is being used.
Samsung also detailed its Gear VR virtual reality headset that was developed in conjunction with Oculus and is compatible with the Note 4. Finally, the company also re-introduced the recently announced Gear S smart watch. The Gear S is Samsung's latest wearable, featuring a 2-inch, curved AMOLED display, and 3G connectivity. The Tizen-powered device also includes dual-core 1.0 GHz processor, 4 GB of storage, 512 MB of RAM, and sensors such as GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, UV detector, barometer, and heart rate monitor.
Galaxy Gear S
Samsung did not provide pricing or exact launch dates for this new hardware, but the Korean company is expected roll out these products in the coming months. Samsung's latest mobile and wearable devices will compete with Apple's upcoming gear, which will be announced beginning next week. Apple is expected to announce its new iPhone 6 in both 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sizes and its iWatch wearable at a press event scheduled for September 9. This event likely will be followed by a second event in October that Apple may use to unveil its next generation iPad models.
Apple's supply chain partners have ramped up production for components to be used the company's upcoming second-generation iPad Air, reportsDigitimes. Citing sources close to production, the report claims that the device will remained unchanged in terms of size and resolution, but will feature a thinner profile, faster processor, and an improved Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
iPad Air 2 mockup with Touch ID home button
Apple has also called on touch panel suppliers TPK and GIS to manufacture full-lamination units for the device ahead of its launch this fall. The source also notes that Sharp, Japan Display, and LG Display have also seen their orders increase for the iPhone, likely indicating that Apple is now mass producing screens for the iPhone 6.
Previous leaks have also pointed to a thinner profile for the iPad Air 2, along with reports claiming that the device will feature anti-reflective coating, and an improved Touch ID sensor. It is also most certain that Apple will include a faster processor in the iPad Air 2, as the company will likely integrate its new A8 chip in the device.
Apple will likely launch the iPad Air 2 alongside the next-generation iPad mini with Retina display this fall. The company is also said to be preparing to launch a 12.9-inch iPad in early 2015.
Following the launch of Parallels Desktop 10 last month, VMware has launched its new VMWare Fusion 7 virtualization software, bringing support for OS X Yosemite and improving compatibility with Windows 8.1. The release also adds a number of new features, including a new look, improved performance, enhanced connectivity, and optimization for Macs with Retina displays.
- Designed for OS X Yosemite Get a more Mac-like experience when running Windows applications on a Mac. The Fusion 7 updated Yosemite look and feel makes working with your Windows applications feel cleaner and more refined.
- Conquer Yosemite Discover OS X Yosemite by running it in a virtual machine with Fusion 7. Get more from your Mac by running OS X Yosemite and OS X Yosemite Server in virtual machines. Leveraging decades of innovation in leading the virtualization revolution, Fusion 7 is the most reliable way to develop and test new applications for the Mac and iOS.
- Ready for Windows 8.1 Get the most out of Windows 8.1 new features directly on your Mac and run Windows Store apps side-by-side with your Mac applications. With Fusion 7, view Windows Store applications in Launchpad and the Applications folder or put Windows Store Apps in the dock in Unity mode.
- Near-Native Performance With a highly optimized 64-bit engine and multicore processing power that makes the most effective use of the latest Intel Haswell processors, Fusion 7 runs Windows and Mac applications side-by-side faster than ever.
- Retina Display Optimization Windows never looked so good with Retina Display optimization for a crisp and detailed experience of your Windows applications. If your Mac has a native Retina display or is connected to one, Fusion 7 ensures you get a seamless experience when running Windows across Retina and non-Retina displays.
The more advanced VMware Fusion 7 Pro has also been launched, bringing the same features along with dual GPU optimization, virtual network management, enhanced support for cloned virtual machines, and more.
VMware Fusion 7 is available now for $69.99 while VMware Fusion 7 Pro is priced at $149.99. Those upgrading from VMWare Fusion 5 or 6 are also eligible for discounted pricing of $49.99 for VMWare Fusion 7 or $79.99 for VMWare Fusion 7 Pro.
Apple's upcoming "iWatch", reportedly set to be unveiled at next Tuesday's media event, will include near field communications (NFC) technology, 
Ahead of Apple's September 9 event, in which the company is 
