MacRumors

More than a decade ago, Walter Isaacson began working on a book to highlight the history of computers and the Internet, but the project was sidelined in early 2009 when he took on the task of writing Steve Jobs' authorized biography. That book, which debuted just weeks after Jobs' death in October 2011, topped best seller charts and revealed a number of interesting details about Jobs and Apple.

Following the publication of Steve Jobs, Isaacson returned to his earlier project of documenting the history of computing, and that work debuts tomorrow as The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution. While Apple and Jobs play relatively minor roles in the book, overall it offers an interesting look at how computers and the Internet developed into what they are today.

Isaacson breaks his book into nearly a dozen different sections, highlighting a number of advancements along the way. It begins with Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage outlining their thoughts on a mechanical "Analytical Engine" in the 1830s and 1840s before jumping ahead nearly 100 years to Vannevar Bush and Alan Turing and their visions for the earliest computers that would follow soon after. Further sections address advances in programming, transistors, microchips, video games, and the early Internet before broaching the topics of the modern personal computer and the World Wide Web.

Throughout the book, Isaacson focuses on the importance of teamwork rather than individual genius in the development of computers, frequently involving contrasting but complementary personalities of visionaries, technical experts, and managers. Popular examples include Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak at Apple, or Bob Noyce, Gordon Moore, and Andy Grove at Intel, but the observation extends further as time and time again teams have been responsible for many of the biggest innovations.

Innovation comes from teams more often than from the lightbulb moments of lone geniuses. This was true of every era of creative ferment. [...] But to an even greater extent, this has been true of the digital age. As brilliant as the many inventors of the Internet and computer were, they achieved most of their advances through teamwork.

Isaacson also emphasizes the importance of building on previous discoveries, including collaboration both within and between generations of scientists. A number of characters in the book appear at multiple stages, often first as innovators themselves and later helping to foster discoveries by the next generation.

Other observations include the various roles of government, academia, and business in the development of computing and how they frequently came together, particularly in the early days, to lead advancements. Isaacson also uses several cases to argue that innovation works best when different business models compete against each other, particularly in software development as with Apple's integrated systems vying with Microsoft's unbundled model while the free and open-source approach maintained its position in the market.

Each model had its advantages, each had its incentives for creativity, and each had its prophets and disciples. But the approach that worked best was having all three models coexisting, along with various combinations of open and closed, bundled and unbundled, proprietary and free. Windows and Mac, UNIX and Linux, iOS and Android: a variety of approaches competed over the decades, spurring each other on -- and providing a check against any one model becoming so dominant that it stifled innovation.

Packing the entire history of computing into 500 pages leaves some topics feeling brief or left out altogether, but Isaacson's book gives an interesting overview for those who may not be familiar with the technical advances stretching back decades that have given rise to the current state of the art. Focusing more on the people and relationships than the technical details, it offers some insight into how breakthroughs have been made and how some innovators have gained fame and fortune while others slipped into near obscurity.

Apple is expected to hold an event on Thursday, October 16, where it will unveil the second-generation iPad Air, Retina iMacs, and OS X Yosemite. Ahead of that event, The Michael Report claims to have acquired "pictures and illustrations" of the iPad Air 2 from "sources within Apple," although it has opted not to share such evidence publicly.

While the site goes into significant detail about the iPad Air 2, it appears to be largely aggregating existing rumors about the device, adding little new information. Overall, the site claims the iPad Air 2 will have a slightly thinner body, something that has been claimed in previous reports and perhaps enabled by a new integrated display, as shown in early part leaks from April.

Along with its display prediction, The Michael Report details several minor design changes that have previously been seen in an iPad Air 2 dummy unit, which MacRumors also has had on hand for several months, suggesting the site may be basing much of its information off of a replica device rather than actual information.

For example, the site suggests that the second-generation iPad Air 2 will do away with the mute switch to "achieve [a] thinner profile," but that is likely an erroneous conclusion based on the unfinished design of the circulating dummy units rather than a legitimate leak as claimed by the site. On the iPad Air 2 dummy units, there is indeed a hole where the mute switch would normally be located. The Michael Report suggests this may be a microphone, but more likely, it is a pilot hole marking the location for the mute switch. Similar pilot holes have been seen for larger physical features such as SIM card trays in other dummy units and unfinished prototypes.

The mute/vibration switch is completely gone in the new redesign, with sources from within Apple telling us that it was a necessary move to achieve the thinner profile of the new tablets. [...]

The microphones on the iPad Air 2 have been relocated from the top of the iPad Air (where it currently is; within the antenna band) to next to the back camera modules. One of them is to the right of the camera module, the other is to the left -- on the sides of the iPad Air.

Other predictions from The Michael Report include recessed volume buttons, a redesigned speaker grille, and a microphone hole relocated near the rear camera, all design elements that have been previously seen in the iPad Air 2 mockups. When examining the dummy device, MacRumors did notice that the recessed volume buttons and hole for the mute switch had been moved higher on the device than on the original iPad Air, nearly in line with the rear camera. The reason for this design change is unclear.

Echoing other previous rumors, the site's predictions include an upgraded A8 processor, an 8-megapixel camera, support for Touch ID and Apple Pay, and 2 GB of RAM, which has not been confirmed but is a rumored upgrade to support split-screen multitasking.

Many of The Michael Report's predictions are based on previous rumors and are likely to be accurate, but some of the more unsubstantiated claims, like 2 GB of RAM and the lack of a mute switch are somewhat more nebulous.

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6, The Michael Report came out with a similar roundup that it claimed was based on contact with Apple employees, but several of the predictions (seemingly based on rumors circulating at the time) turned out to be wrong, including "a waterproof and dust-proof enhanced sapphire glass screen" and an "iPhone 6L" nomenclature, among other things.

Apple is expected to unveil its second-generation iPad Air on October 16, and it is possible the second-generation Retina iPad mini with support for Touch ID will also debut at that event. Apple is also expected to unveil Retina iMacs and provide a final look at OS X Yosemite before its public launch.

The City of Cupertino, where Apple is building its spaceship-shaped second campus, has today shared an update on the progress of the campus along with a new aerial photo.

Construction continues at a rapid pace, with workers on site throughout the weekday and weekend. Apple appears to have completed much of the foundation of the main circular building and concrete mixers have been on site for the last several weeks. Much of the construction continues to be hidden from view at street level, but heavy construction equipment is visible.

Traffic around the area of the campus remains congested, as several roads continue to be shut down. Pruneridge Avenue is permanently closed, and there have been several lane reductions on Wolfe Road and Homestead Road, which surround the campus.

Along with a new aerial photo shared by the city, a drone captured new footage of the building site over the weekend, giving a clearer picture of the ongoing construction. As seen in the video, several sections of the circular foundation are covered with concrete.

According to a general project schedule, Apple plans to have street utilities and demolition complete by the end of the year, with earthwork continuing on until Q2 2015 and construction on the building itself lasting until the end of 2016.

Apple's completed campus, located in close proximity to the company's existing Infinite Loop campus, will feature the iconic 2.8 million square foot ring-shaped main building, an underground parking facility capable of accommodating 2,400 cars, a 100,000 square foot fitness center, and a 120,000 square foot auditorium.

eBay seller kimberlyk1018 claims to have received a prototype iPhone 6 by accident and is auctioning the device with bids reaching over $89,000 since the auction's posting late last week. While the high bids are undoubdtedly not genuine, the auction is obviously attracting a significant amount of attention.

According to a rather suspect story from the auction description, the device supposedly is a prototype 64 GB iPhone 6 that was shipped to the seller from Verizon Wireless.

Apple does NOT let these phones out of their possession yet I was accidentally sent one upon renewing my contract. As you can see from the photos, iOS8 has not been placed on this device, rather it is in the true developer mode. There are no FCC markings on the rear of the device or a model number. This is the real deal!!! The lightening port is red which is a sure sign of a prototype.

The authenticity of the device and the story behind it cannot be verified, but several photos that accompany the listing suggest it is not a consumer device.

The device apparently does not include iOS 8, instead shipping with several development and testing apps that are similar to those seen on previously leaked prototypes. It also ships with a red-bordered Lightning port and lacks the FCC regulatory information that appears on all consumer iPhone models.

If authentic, this unit joins several previous prototypes that have made their way from Apple to eBay's auction listings. Most of these earlier prototypes were quickly removed from the auction website, likely at Apple's request.

GT Advanced Technolgies, Apple's partner in a sapphire production facility in Arizona, today announced that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it seeks to reorganize its businesses. The company remains positive that it will continue to be able to meet its obligations during this time of transition.

GT indicated that as of September 29, 2014 it had approximately $85 million of cash. In addition, it is now seeking debtor-in-possession financing, which, once obtained, would provide the company with an immediate source of additional funds. These funding sources will enable GT to satisfy the customary obligations associated with the daily operation of its business, including the timely payment of employee wages and other obligations. [...]

"GT has a strong and fundamentally sound underlying business," said Tom Gutierrez, president and chief executive officer of GT. "Today's filing does not mean we are going out of business; rather, it provides us with the opportunity to continue to execute our business plan on a stronger footing, maintain operations of our diversified business, and improve our balance sheet.

"We are convinced that the rehabilitative process of chapter 11 is the best way to reorganize, protect our company and provide a path to our future success. We remain committed to our roots in innovation and our diversification strategy. We plan to continue to operate as a technology leader across our core set of businesses."

GT's finances have taken a significant hit as it has retooled to support its partnership with Apple, turning its focus to ramping up sapphire production for Apple rather than selling furnaces to other companies. Still, with Apple making a series of pre-payments to GT to help fund the new initiative, the circumstances surrounding the bankruptcy filing are not yet clear.

Apple had been widely expected to include sapphire display covers on at least some iPhone 6 models, but the development did not come to pass. With Apple having no commitment to purchase sapphire from GT, it is possible that an unexpected decision by Apple to omit sapphire from the device put GT into a precarious financial position. Apple is planning to use sapphire on some versions of its upcoming Apple Watch, but it is unclear whether it is indeed sourcing sapphire from GT for the product, and if so, whether the quantities involved would be enough to support GT's investments thus far in the area.

Update 7:47 AM: GT's stock, which was halted prior to the announcement, has resumed trading and is currently down 90 percent.

At its Adobe MAX conference today, Adobe is announcing updates for nearly all of its iOS apps, bringing new features that emphasize the creation of shapes and brushes along with enhanced syncing with the company's Creative Cloud services. The updates come alongside a new Creative SDK public beta to allow developers to build mobile apps connecting to Creative Cloud, as well as a number of enhancements to the core Creative Cloud apps.

Building on its existing Adobe Kuler app, which allows users to create color palettes using any photo and which is now being rebranded Adobe Color CC, the company is now rolling out two additional "Capture" apps for mobile: Adobe Brush CC, which turns photos into brushes for use throughout Photoshop and Illustrator apps, and Adobe Shape CC, which automatically converts high-contrast photos of objects into vector art for use in Illustrator.

Meanwhile, the newest version of Adobe Photoshop Mix is now a universal app for both iPad and iPhone, while Adobe Photoshop Sketch brings new acrylic and pastel brushes and integration with brush sets created in Adobe Brush CC.

Adobe Illustrator Line now allows users to utilize content from the Creative Cloud Market and includes new smart spacing and grid tools. Adobe Lightroom for iOS now allows specified users to comment on photos shared through Lightroom's web interface, and includes additional language support in addition to the ability to sync GPS information from the iPhone with Lightroom desktop.

Finally, Adobe Premiere Clip lets users edit video shot on an iPhone or iPad right from the device, or send to the full Premiere Pro CC for more advanced editing.

Core Creative Cloud apps are also seeing a number of updates today, including new 3D printing support for Photoshop CC, a new Curvature tool for Illustrator CC, interactive EPUB support for In Design CC, SVG and Synchronized Text support for Muse CC, and 4K/Ultra HD viewing support for Premiere Pro CC.

All of Adobe's updated iOS apps require a free membership to Adobe Creative Cloud, while desktop apps like Adobe Photoshop CC and Adobe Illustrator CC require separate subscriptions. Download links for all of the apps can be found below, while the full set of updates for Creative Cloud are expected to be available to members by the end of the day.

- Adobe Brush CC [Direct Link]
- Adobe Shape CC [Direct Link]
- Adobe Color CC [Direct Link]

- Adobe Photoshop Sketch [Direct Link]
- Adobe Photoshop Mix [Direct Link]
- Adobe Lightroom for iPad [Direct Link]
- Adobe Lightroom for iPhone [Direct Link]

- Adobe Illustrator Draw [Direct Link]
- Adobe Illustrator Line [Direct Link]

- Adobe Premiere Clip [Direct Link]

Last week, Russian anti-virus firm Doctor Web disclosed a newly discovered piece of OS X malware known as Mac.BackDoor.iWorm that at the time had affected roughly 17,000 machines around the world. While the exact mechanism of infection was unclear, an interesting twist to the story involves compromised machines running search queries on Reddit to obtain instructions about which command and control servers should be used to manage the botnet.

It is worth mentioning that in order to acquire a control server address list, the bot uses the search service at reddit.com, and -- as a search query -- specifies hexadecimal values of the first 8 bytes of the MD5 hash of the current date. The reddit.com search returns a web page containing a list of botnet C&C servers and ports published by criminals in comments to the post minecraftserverlists under the account vtnhiaovyd.

Once connected to a command and control server, the backdoor opened by the malware on the user's system can receive instructions to perform a variety of tasks, from stealing sensitive information to receiving or spreading additional malware.

In an effort to address the threat, Apple has now updated its "Xprotect" anti-malware system to recognize two different variants of the iWorm malware and prevent them from being installed on users' machines.

First introduced with OS X Snow Leopard, Xprotect is a rudimentary anti-malware system that recognizes and alerts users to the presence of various types of malware. Given the relative rarity of malware targeting OS X, the malware definitions are updated infrequently, although users' machines automatically check for updates on a daily basis. Apple also uses the Xprotect system on occasion to enforce minimum version requirements for plug-ins such as Flash Player and Java, forcing users to upgrade from older versions known to carry significant security risks.

Thanks to a new marketing deal with Bose, NFL players will no longer be allowed to wear Apple's line of Beats headphones around television cameras, according to Re/code. The restriction is in place for TV interviews during training camp, practice sessions and game day, running from before the game or event through 90 minutes after play has ended.

Many professional athletes have sponsorship deals with Beats, with the headphones frequently spotted around the necks of players both before and after games. Beats accounts for more than 60 percent of the premium headphone market.

"Over the last few years athletes have written Beats into their DNA as part of the pre-game ritual," a Beats spokesperson said. "Music can have a significant positive effect on an athlete’s focus and mental preparedness and has become as important to performance as any other piece of equipment."

Beats, which has seen significant success with its athlete endorsements, ran ads last year with NFL stars Colin Kaepernick and Richard Sherman tuning out opposing fans with Beats noise-canceling headphones.

Something similar happened during the World Cup when headphone sponsor Sony banned Beats from stadiums, but not from outside the arenas where players frequently used their preferred headphones. Many advertising industry experts said Beats still won the day with its star-studded "The Game Before The Game" video, portions of which ran repeatedly during World Cup commercial breaks.

Ahead of the third anniversary of Steve Jobs' passing, Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent a memo to Apple employees (via iClarified), asking them to take some time to remember the "many ways Steve made our world better."

Team,

Sunday will mark the third anniversary of Steve's passing. I'm sure that many of you will be thinking of him on that day, as I know I will.

I hope you'll take a moment to appreciate the many ways Steve made our world better. Children learn in new ways thanks to the products he dreamed up. The most creative people on earth use them to compose symphonies and pop songs, and write everything from novels to poetry to text messages. Steve's life's work produced the canvas on which artists now create masterpieces.

Steve's vision extended far beyond the years he was alive, and the values on which he built Apple will always be with us. Many of the ideas and projects we're working on today got started after he died, but his influence on them -- and on all of us -- is unmistakeable.

Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for helping carry Steve's legacy into the future.

Tim

Though Steve Jobs passed away three years ago on October 5, 2011, the former Apple CEO has continued to have a major impact on the company. His fourth floor office has remained untouched since his death, and Apple CEO Tim Cook has taken several opportunities during recent interviews to emphasize Jobs' influence on the company's direction and on the development of new products.

"His spirit will always be the foundation of the company," Cook said in an interview with Charlie Rose, where he said that Steve will always be in his heart. "He is deep in Apple's DNA."

Chinese model Liu Wen may be involved in a fashion-oriented advertising campaign for the Apple Watch, according to an image that she recently shared on Instagram. In a photo that shows her trying on the Apple Watch at Parisian fashion boutique Colette, Wen writes "My second meeting with the #AppleWatch, this time in Colette. The first time? Well, you'll see soon."

Several fashion publications have taken Wen's statement to mean that she is somehow involved in marketing the Apple Watch, possibly taking part in an upcoming advertising campaign designed to promote Apple's wearable device.

Liu Wen is a well-known fashion model, who has modeled for high-end luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes, Gucci, Chanel, and more.

The Apple Watch is Apple's first product that has had a distinct focus on fashion, and the company has been working towards positioning it as a high-fashion accessory. In addition to debuting the Apple Watch at French luxury boutique Colette last week, Apple also made an effort to include high-profile fashion editors and bloggers at the September event where the Apple Watch was introduced along the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

As Apple gears up to launch the Apple Watch in early 2015, it is likely that the company will hold additional fashion-oriented events in order to promote the device. Apple may take several different approaches in its Apple Watch advertising to reach a wide range of potential customers, as June rumors suggested it was also testing the watch with multiple professional athletes, who may also be involved in advertisements.

Ahead of introducing the Apple Watch, Apple made a number of hires from various luxury retailers, including Angela Ahrendts, the former Burberry CEO who now serves as Apple's head of retail, and Paul Deneve, the former Yves Saint Laurent CEO who now works on "special projects." Apple has also picked up Patrick Pruniaux, a former Tag Heuer Sales Director, and famous designer Marc Newson.

The company's Apple Watch, expected in early 2015, will be available in a wide range of materials and at several different price points. On the lower end, the Sport version of the device will retail for $349, and rumors have suggested the higher-end solid gold Edition models could sell for thousands of dollars.

Apple is planning to hold its next fall event on Thursday, October 16, where it is expected to introduce new iPads, reports Re/code. The company is also expected to introduce new Retina iMacs and release OS X Yosemite to the public.

According to Re/code, Apple's iPad event will be more low-key than its September iPhone event, and it will be held at the company's Town Hall Auditorium. The company's iPhone event, which saw the introduction of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, Apple Watch, and Apple Pay, was held at the Flint Center, where the original Mac was unveiled 30 years ago.

Apple has a few more new products to unveil before the year is out, and it plans to show them off in a couple weeks. Sources tell Code/red the company will hold its next special event on Thursday, Oct. 16 -- not the 21st. Headlining the gathering: The latest updates to its iPad line, along with those new iMacs that 9to5Mac told us about earlier this week. Also: OS X Yosemite.

Apple's next-generation iPad Air and iPad Retina mini are both expected to come with updated processors and support for Touch ID, the fingerprint first sensor introduced with the iPhone 5s. The iPad Air may also come in a gold color variation, and it may include a new anti-reflective laminated display.

The Retina iMac, which may come with a "5K" resolution of 5120 x 2880, may be available only in 27-inches and it may also feature AMD graphics. It is expected to use a Haswell processor, as next-generation Broadwell processors for the iMac won't be available until 2015.

As for OS X Yosemite, development on the software is nearing completion and a golden master candidate was seeded to developers earlier this week.

Apple and several of its partners showed off CarPlay at its official unveiling earlier this year, mainstream users are finally getting their hands on the system with Pioneer's release of its promised CarPlay update for for several of its aftermarket car audio receiver yesterday.

Early reviews of CarPlay from Consumer Reports and Australian technology and car blog EFTM suggest the system is indeed easy to use and effective at reducing driver distraction, thanks to excellent Siri integration.

Consumer Reports points out the many benefits offered by Siri, which allows you to send text messages, get directions, set reminders, and more without touching your iPhone.

As handy as Siri’s natural speech recognition is when you’re just walking around with your phone, it really comes into its own in the car. Siri makes it easy to choose music, get directions, and read or send text messages—all by using your voice with natural speech, rather than menu-driven, formulaic commands.

Consumer Reports also notes that updating the AVIC-5000NEX unit was easy, requiring the owner to download the firmware to a USB stick, plug the stick into the receiver, and wait for unit to update itself.

For his part, Trevor Long of EFTM provides a detailed walkthrough with screenshots of CarPlay's major features. Demoing Pioneer's AVH-X8650BT stereo installed in a 2010 Mazda 2, Long shows how easy it is to make phone calls, interact with visual voicemail, listen to music, and more.

CarPlay is a revolution in in-car entertainment. While many of the features have been available for some time on other cars, the genuine integration with your smartphone and capabilities that have been added make it well worth considering if you’re an Apple iPhone user who spends a great deal of time in your car.

If you’re shopping for a new car – ask the dealer – is CarPlay available? and if no – will it be available via a firmware upgrade in the future?

Pioneer this week released its CarPlay firmware update, making it the first aftermarket receiver manufacturer to offer CarPlay to consumers. Among Pioneer's U.S. models, CarPlay is available for the $1400 AVIC-8000NEX, the $1200 AVIC-7000NEX, the $900 AVIC-6000NEX, the $750 AVIC-5000NEX and the $700 AVH-4000NEX. CarPlay is also compatible with Pioneer's new $600 smartphone receiver, AppRadio 4. Consumers can generally find Pioneer's units at significant discounts from list price from a variety of retailers.

The iPhone 6 Plus is expected to account for 60% of total iPhone 6 device shipments as sales of the device are exceeding initial expectations, reports Digitimes. The information comes from industry sources observing parts shipments to longtime Apple suppliers Foxconn and Pegatron.

Foxconn is said to be responsible for the production of the iPhone 6 Plus, while Pegatron is in charge of the iPhone 6. While parts shipments to both suppliers were even as the launch of both devices neared, Foxconn appears to have received more parts shipments for the iPhone 6 Plus as of late.

Apple announced last month that it opening weekend sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus topped ten million units, although the company did not specify how that number was divided between both units. Shipping estimates for new iPhone 6 orders remain at 7-10 business days, while the iPhone 6 Plus is still showing a shipping delay of 3-4 weeks.