MacRumors

Apple's second-generation iPad Air may get a memory upgrade, bumping it up to 2 GB of RAM instead of the 1 GB in the current-generation device, reports Taiwan's TechNews [Google Translate] (via iPhone in Canada). According to the site, the increased RAM will be limited to the iPad Air, as the second-generation Retina iPad mini is expected to continue to offer 1 GB of RAM.

Apple began offering 1 GB of RAM with the third generation iPad, keeping the same amount of memory in the fourth-generation device and the fifth-generation iPad Air. With such a long span of time between memory upgrades, customers have been wondering when Apple might opt to bump up the RAM in its tablet lineup.

Previous generations of the iPad have likely not seen a memory increase in order to keep costs low, save space, and preserve battery, but with some of the upcoming iOS 8 features, more RAM might be a necessity for smooth performance.

Apple is rumored to be working on split-screen multitasking for the iPad Air, a feature that will certainly be more memory intensive than running a single app at a time. The feature is said to allow two apps to run side-by-side on the iPad in multiple sizes, including 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4. While split-screen multitasking is likely to be available on existing devices, it may run better on Apple's upcoming iPad Air, which is also expected to gain a new A8 processor.

Thus far, rumors have suggested that split-screen multitasking will be limited to the iPad Air, though support may come to the iPhone and the Retina iPad mini at a later date. Split-screen multitasking is unlikely to be ready for iOS 8's fall debut, but it may come as part of an 8.1 update.

TechNews also shares some information on Apple's upcoming iWatch, suggesting the device will sport 512 MB of internal memory along with 8 GB of storage, which cannot be confirmed with previous rumors as little is known about the device.

TechNews does not have much of a track record when it comes to Apple rumors, and what it has shared has seen mixed outcomes. The site accurately predicted a sapphire cover for the Touch ID home button ahead of the launch of the iPhone 5s, but it also incorrectly suggested the home button would be capacitive.

Apple is said to be planning an October event to unveil the iWatch, even though the device may not ship until late 2014 or early 2015. That October event may also include the debut of the second-generation iPad Air and the second-generation Retina iPad mini.

The National Football League earlier this month officially launched its NFL Now service, its next-generation video streaming service that provides access to the largest digital library of NFL videos available online. The video content can be viewed on the iPhone, iPad, Mac (via a web browser) and other connected devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and as of today, the Apple TV channel that was leaked earlier in the month.

The NFL Now service delivers historic videos, breaking news, game highlights and original programming from the NFL Now studios. Personalization is a key feature -- allowing users to follow their favorite players and teams, with up to 4,800 minutes of team coverage being pushed across their screens each week. The service also will provide live video coverage of important press events and other important moments from the NFL. It will not live stream NFL games that are in progress. Customers who want to watch games as they are happening must download the NFL Mobile app [Direct Link].

NFL Now is available in two tiers, with the free NFL Now service providing access to the core news and video content. Football fans who want even more content and personalization can subscribe to the $1.99 monthly NFL Now Plus service, which offers instant in-game highlights, access to NFL Films videos and the ability to create custom video streams featuring their favorite teams or players.

iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users can download the NFL Now app [Direct Link] from the iOS App Store for free. Mac users can get their fill of NFL coverage via the NFL Now website, while Apple TV channels can access the new channel directly from the main screen on their set-top boxes.

After almost removing itself from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registry two years ago, Apple is now leading the charge into the program's new Tablets/Slates category.

As of today, Apple's four iPad models account for 134 of the 135 tablets on the list, although the number of entries appear to be growing nearly by the minute. While Apple is represented by the various configurations of the iPad Air, the iPad mini, the iPad with Retina display and the iPad mini with Retina display, the sole non-iPad model currently on the list is the Dell Venue 11 Pro.

In a blog post announcing the new category earlier this week, Green Electronics Council CEO Robert Frisbee hailed the early inclusion of more than 100 tablets without mentioning that essentially all of them were Apple products.

We are pleased at Participating Manufacturers’ enthusiasm to register these new products. In less than one week more than 100 slates/tablets have been registered in EPEAT, and we expect to see many more in the weeks and months to come. These products are an exciting addition to EPEAT and an important step into reducing the environmental impacts of a major new product type. We are confident the new products are leaders in their category.

Apple has a bit of a rocky history with EPEAT, notifying the environmental assessment service in 2012 that it was withdrawing its products from the registry. At the time, Apple cited "changes in its design direction which were no longer consistent with the EPEAT requirements" as the reason for this removal request.

Apple quickly reversed its decision after businesses, municipalities and other Apple customers publicly decried the withdrawal decision. EPEAT also responded with a pledge to work with Apple and possibly adapt its judging standards to be more compatible with the company's cutting edge product designs.

Apple's product lineup is now represented in several EPEAT categories, including desktops, notebooks, displays, integrated desktop computers, and tablets/slates. The company has earned a gold star rating for all of its eligible products, including its difficult-to-repair MacBook Pro with Retina display. This controversial gold rating has prompted some groups to accuse EPEAT of lowering its standards in order to include Apple on the list.

Throughout the past few months, a number of design drawings, physical mockups, and component leaks have hinted at a protruding camera ring camera on the iPhone 6. Initial rumors indicated that the physical feature would be exclusive to the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6, however recent photos of the 4.7-inch version's rear shell may indicate that it will also include a protruding camera ring.

Now, an alleged schematic shared by Apple.club.tw (Google Translate, via G for Games) once again shows a protruding camera ring on the back of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, which is measured at 0.67-0.77 millimeters. The website also claims that the phone will be 7 millimeters thick, which lines up with the most recent leak showing off the device's rear shell and front panel for the first time.

Additionally, it is claimed that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 has been given a codename of N56, while the 5.5-inch version is known as N61. This is in line with the code names of prior iPhones, as the CDMA version of the iPhone 4 was known as N92. However, no additional evidence suggests that N56 and N61 are the exact code names of both iPhone 6 models.

Apple will unveil the iPhone 6 on September 9, with a launch for the 4.7-inch version likely coming about a week or so after. It is possible that the 5.5-inch model may launch alongside its smaller counterpart, however production issues may push back its release until late next year or 2015.

Both models of the iPhone 6 will likely incorporate a faster A8 processor, a thinner, rounded chassis, and iOS 8. The camera on the iPhone 6 will also be improved, featuring a unified, round dual-LED "True Tone" flash and some form of image stabilization.

Last week, Apple posted retail job listings for a future retail store to be located in the United Arab Emirates, hinting that the company will soon open its first store in the Middle East. Now, Middle East website EDGARDaily.com reports that the store will be located at Dubai's Mall of the Emirates, and will be Apple's biggest retail location to date.

Our undisclosed source said that the store – which will be the biggest Apple has ever built – was originally planned to replace the current cinema complex. The timing of the recent job adverts suggest the store could have a planned opening for the first quarter of 2015.

Dubai's Mall of the Emirates originally opened in September 2005 and boasts more than 700 stores and services over 2.4 million square feet, making it a desirable location for Apple to open a store. In February, Apple CEO Tim Cook was spotted visiting the country, posing for photos at Apple resellers and meeting with UAE Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. While the purpose of his visit was unknown, it is likely that Cook may have been meeting with officials to discuss growth opportunities for Apple in the region.

MacRumors did receive a tip last year claiming that Apple was planning to open its biggest retail store in the world, however that source claimed that it would be located at The Galleria in Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi. Based on hiring schedules, it is possible that the Apple Store at the Mall of the Emirates could open in February 2015.

Parallels today announced the launch of Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac, the latest version of the company's software for running alternate operating systems like Windows in virtual environments on the Mac. The new version is available today as an upgrade for existing customers, and it will launch on August 26 for new customers.

Parallels Desktop 10 offers a bevy of new features and enhancements, including OS X Yosemite support, iCloud Drive and iPhoto Library support and battery life and performance speed optimizations. The main new features of Desktop 10 include:

- Mac OS X Yosemite integration, iPhone calling integration, iCloud Drive and iPhoto Library support
- Now with one click users can select from a number of choices to optimize their virtual machine based on what their primary usage is: productivity, games, design or development.
- The new Parallels Control Center is a one-stop-shop for managing Parallels Desktop; it allows users to manage all their virtual machines and configuration settings from a single place.
- Users can share files, text or web pages from Windows using Internet accounts configured on their Mac such as Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, Flickr; or send them via email, AirDrop and Messages.
- Users can drag and drop files to Mac OS X virtual machines.
- Users can now open Windows documents up to 48 percent faster.
- Battery life is now extended by up to 30 percent, giving people additional work time when they need it most.

Upgrade pricing for users of Parallels Desktop 8 or 9 is $49.99, while standard retail pricing is set at $79.99 for regular users and $39.99 for students. Parallels Desktop 10 customers also receive a free three-month subscription to Parallels Access that allows Windows and Mac users to use their machines from their iPads.

Amid rumors of both 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions of the iPhone 6, speculation about what resolutions Apple will use for the new devices has generated a number of different theories. The most concrete suggestion so far has been a 1704 x 960 resolution that could see the current "2x" Retina display move to an even sharper "3x" display.

A new photo from Russian luxury modified iPhone vendor Feld & Volk [Instagram page] now shows the display of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 under a microscope, with the firm telling MacRumors the panel does indeed carry a resolution of 1704 x 960.

The photograph posted by Feld & Volk does not, however, necessarily appear to agree with that claim, as it seems to show roughly 13 pixels per mm in the horizontal and vertical directions, while a 4.7-inch display at 1704 x 960 should be closer to 16 pixels per mm. The current iPhone 5s display is roughly 10.5 pixels per mm.

A potential answer to this problem arrives in another report today from 9to5Mac, which has discovered references to yet another resolution of 1472 x 828 within recent Xcode 6 beta releases.

This particular file outlines for the system where icons, by default, will be placed on an iPhone’s Home screen. This particular file, which was added in Xcode 6 beta 5 earlier this month and still exists in yesterday’s Xcode 6 beta 6, is optimized for an iPhone with a resolution of 414 (width) x 736 (height). The iPhone SDK parses hardware resolutions via “point values,” so the actual “Retina” resolution is in fact double (or potentially triple) whatever numbers the SDK presents.

While analysis quickly becomes speculative, one way Apple could use both of these rumored resolutions would be to to launch a 4.7-inch iPhone at 1472 x 828 and a 5.5-inch model at 1704 x 960. In that scenario, both iPhone 6 models would have pixel densities of 355-360 pixels per inch. This translates to roughly 14 pixels per mm in each direction, close to what is seen in the Feld & Volk photograph.

Depending on how the rumored 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sizes have been rounded for convenience, the two iPhone 6 panels could actually offer the exact same pixel density, slightly higher than current iPhones and allowing for efficiencies in the manufacturing process if the same technologies and production methods are used in the two new models.

Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 6 at a media event on September 9, but it remains unclear whether the company plans to show off both models at the same time, and even it does, there have been rumors that the larger model should ship up to several months later than the smaller version.

With the iPhone 6 launch less than a month away, we've been seeing new images of leaked parts on a near daily basis. Multiple images of both the front panel and the rear shell of the 4.7-inch device have surfaced, but for the first time, the two parts have been photographed together, giving us our clearest look yet at Apple's upcoming iPhone 6.

Shared by luxury iPhone vendor Feld & Volk [Instagram page] high quality images of the two parts show the glossy front panel's slightly tapered edges melding seamlessly into the rounded edges of the rear shell for a sleek, continuous curve.

A side view of the two pieces together also gives us a good idea of just how thin Apple's newest iPhone will be. Assembled, the iPhone 6 is expected to be significantly thinner than the 7.6mm thick iPhone 5s, coming in at approximately 7mm.

With its softly rounded corners and redesigned pill-shaped volume buttons, the iPhone 6 closely resembles the style of the iPad mini, iPad Air, and newest iPod touch. Shell images also suggest the iPhone 6 will adopt redesigned speaker holes, a round True Tone flash, an embedded Apple logo, and a relocated right-side power button for easier one-handed use.

It's important to note that Feld and Volk's images still depict unfinished iPhone 6 parts that are in rough condition, and Apple's completed device will undoubtedly look even more polished.

Along with the assembled front panel and rear shell, we've seen virtually every other iPhone 6 part, giving us a fairly good idea of what to expect from the device. For a full walkthrough of each aspect of the iPhone 6, make sure to check out our roundup.

Apple may be planning to delay the launch of its iWatch until 2015, according to a new report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Echoing several past reports that have also alluded to a 2015 launch date, Kuo suggests that difficulty manufacturing the device will lead to its postponement.

We reiterate our view that iWatch, as compared to existing products, and as Apple's (US) first attempt at a wearable device, represents a much higher level of difficulty for the company as regards component and system design, manufacturing and integration between hardware and software. While we are positive on iWatch and believe that the advantages of the design and business model behind it are difficult to copy, we think, given the aforementioned challenges, that the launch could be postponed to 2015.

In a July report, Kuo predicted mass production on the iWatch would begin in November, with a launch coming in 2015. Kuo has suggested that the iWatch's small form factor, its use of a flexible AMOLED screen, and its sapphire display cover have all contributed to production difficulties.

Kuo's language in the report, which suggests the launch of the iWatch "could" be postponed, indicates that he is somewhat uncertain about the target ship date for the device. Though Kuo has a solid track record when it comes to Apple rumors, he has provided inaccurate guesses at times.

While it may seem like a 2015 launch date contradicts rumors that have pointed towards an October debut for the device, it is entirely possible that Apple will introduce the iWatch months before it is available to ship to customers. Historically, Apple has introduced some products in new categories ahead of their ship date.

The Mac Pro, for example, was introduced at WWDC in June before sales began in December. Steve Jobs also unveiled the original iPhone six months before it launched, and the iPad was shown at an Apple event more than two months ahead of its sale date.

Rumors have suggested the iWatch will contain a multitude of health and fitness sensors, measuring metrics like calorie consumption, sleep activity, blood oxygen levels, and more. It's said to integrate deeply with iOS 8's Health app and it may come in multiple sizes and at multiple price points.

Apple today saw its stock hit the $100 mark for the first time since its seven-for-one split that took place in early June. Following the split, Apple was trading at roughly $92 a share, but since that time the stock has trended upward until hitting the $100 mark today.

The company is also very close to an all-time high stock price, accounting for the stock split. Apple's all-time intraday high was set on September 21, 2012 at $100.72 ($705.07 on a pre-split basis), and the all-time high closing price was set just a few days earlier on September 19 at $100.30 ($702.10 pre-split).

Even as Apple sits at almost record high share prices, the company is not ready to set a new high for overall market capitalization, which is calculated as the share price multiplied by the number of shares available. That is due to Apple's aggressive stock buyback program that has seen the company reduce its share count by almost 600 million over the past two years.

The move is intended to boost value to investors by reducing share supplies while also putting to use some of Apple's vast cash holdings. Much of the share repurchase program is, however, being financed by low-interest debt, as the majority of Apple's cash is currently held overseas, and it would be considerably more expensive for Apple to pay required taxes on that cash to bring it home for domestic uses than to simply pay for the repurchase program out of its ongoing domestic earnings over time where tax is already being paid.

The repurchase program has also signaled to investors that Apple has believed its stock to be undervalued, demonstrating the company sees purchasing its own stock as a better use of cash than other investment opportunities. And finally, reducing share counts also eliminates future dividend payments that would have been made on those now-retired shares, providing an additional financial benefit to the company.

Update 1PM PT: Apple's stock price closed at an all-time high of $100.53, breaking its previous closing high of $100.30 ($702.10 pre-split) set on September 19, 2012.

While Apple released a sixth developer preview of OS X Yosemite yesterday, a corresponding sixth beta of iOS 8 was not provided to developers at the same time. As a result, the company's iOS beta 5 released earlier this month may turn out to be the final build seeded to developers before the golden master release.

Though developers may not see another beta version, a new report from BGR claims Apple has released a sixth iOS 8 beta to its testing partners. The release would explain conflicting rumors as to whether there would be a sixth beta version if this version is made available only to carriers and other partners for testing rather than the broader developer community.

According to BGR, this beta 6 version of iOS 8 is being released only to testing partners and will not be seeded to developers for testing because the timing is so close to the golden master build. The build change log obtained by BGR is as follows:

OTA Software Update Paths
Carrier Builds
Not Available
User Builds
Not Available

Issues fixed since Seed 5

Baseband & Telephony
Fixed an issue where incorrect pop up message was displayed when SIM was removed
Fixed an issue where clicking on cancel button turned LTE on
Fixed an issue where excessive registration was tried with dual IMSI SIM

Continuity
Fixed an occasional mail continuity failure from OS X to iOS
Fixed an issue causing continuity to fail after opening control center

FaceTime
Fixed an occasional problem where MT call connection quality would be incorrectly treated as “poor”

GameCenter
Fixed an issue where the active photo cannot be deleted

iCloud
Fixed a problem where document sync would sometimes consume excessive cellular data

iTunes Store
URLs for the store app are no longer broken in received mail
Fixed a problem with excessive prompts to sign in to the iTunes Store

Keyboard
Fixed an intermittent issue keyword shifting when rotating the screen
Fixed an issue where the emoji keyboard was unusable on Safari

Mail
Notes are no longer duplicated when opened through Gmail
Fixed an issue where after withdrawing a draft with attachments, browsing to another message resulted in the attachments getting lost
Fixed an issue where forwarding an email without a photo attachment still sends a photo
Fixed an issue when forwarding an email with an attached photo just brought up the original message without a photo
Fixed an issue where email could be deleted from the lock screen without prompting for a passcode

Maps
Fixed a problem where maps would sometimes consume excessive cellular data

Messages
Added support for SMS relay opt-in prompt
Fixed issue that caused devices to receive SMS via relay for unselected aliases
Fixed failures sending current location via MMS
Fixed an issue where messages partially overlap Chinese keyboards
Fixed an issue where changing a group name didn’t propagate to other devices until a message is sent

Phone
Fixed an issue where an incoming call was being relayed back to originating phone
Fixed an issue where options on declining a call didn’t work with call relay

Photos
Fixed an issue where edited photos did not display properly after restoring from backup
Improved full screen photo sharing
Set default to keep all photos on device for users with 5GB iCloud space
Fixed an issue where a user could not select multiple photos and upload to Facebook via Safari

Push Notifications
Improved push connection management upon account logout with multiple associated devices
Fixed a problem where Exchange push notifications would stop after responding to an invitation from the lock screen
Fixed an issue where a user does not receive a notification for incoming messages when the banner for the previous one is pulled down

Springboard
Fixed an issue unlocking an iPhone while on an active call
Fixed an issue where the keyboard would sometimes become unresponsive when the screen is locked

Visual Voicemail
Fixed an issue where Voicemail could not be played under certain error conditions
Fixed an issue where Phone App hanged when tried to check Voicemail

Testing partners with iOS beta 6 must approve the version by September 5, ahead of the final iOS 8 preview and the introduction of the iPhone 6 on September 9. A public release of iOS 8 for current devices will likely come roughly a week later, just a few days before the launch of the iPhone 6 in the first wave of markets.

According to BGR's sources, Apple may still have some work to do, as this build allegedly has already been rejected for an issue with YouTube playback in Safari.

The iPhone 6 may incorporate Qualcomm's MDM9625 LTE modem, according to a new photo of the device's supposed logic board shared by GeekBar (Google Translate, via G for Games).

Originally announced in 2012 and featuring support for speeds of up to 150 MBPS and improved LTE networking, the Category 4 chip would mark an improvement over the Qualcomm MDM9615 chip found in the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5. The MDM9625 is also more durable than its predecessor, allowing for lower temperatures under heavy performance thanks to a refined 28-nanometer production process.

Along with those features, the MDM9625 includes support for next-generation LTE Advanced networks, which have yet to roll out in most parts of the world. News of the MDM9625's inclusion in the iPhone 6 also contrast a detailed yet sketchy report from VentureBeat posted earlier this month, which stated that the iPhone 6 would include a Category 6 LTE modem capable of 300 MBPS throughput speeds. That radio however was said to not include support for LTE-Advanced networks as featured in the MDM9625.

GeekBar also posted a supposed schematic from the iPhone 6 yesterday, which appeared to show support for near field communications (NFC) in the device. The schematic also references a NAND flash chip, which was originally interpreted by the website to be 1 GB of DRAM in the device.

Apple will announce the iPhone 6 at an event on Tuesday, September 9. The launch of the 4.7-inch version will probably follow soon after, as production issues may hold back the release of the 5.5-inch version until late this year or early next year. In addition to a larger display, the iPhone 6 will feature a thinner chassis, a faster A8 chip, an improved camera with stabilization, and more.