MacRumors

With the first round of launches for the iPad Air scheduled for next Friday, November 1, Apple will be expanding its carrier partnerships in the U.S. for sales of cellular-capable models to include T-Mobile for the first time. The expansion will, however, go even further, as several smaller carriers have announced today that they will begin selling Wi-Fi + Cellular versions of the iPad Air "in the coming weeks".

Mississippi-based C Spire, which became the first regional carrier to offer the iPhone in late 2011, is one of the carriers announcing iPad Air availability in the near future.

C Spire today announced that iPad Air with Wi-Fi + Cellular will be available on its 4G LTE network in the coming weeks.

C Spire will offer iPad Air with a range of attractive data plans that will allow customers to connect to its fast 4G LTE mobile broadband network with speeds up to 10 times faster than previously available.

Kentucky-based Bluegrass Cellular has also sent out a press release announcing availability "in the coming weeks".

We have yet to see word from any other regional carriers about iPad Air availability, but we will update this post if more carriers do confirm plans to offer the device.

It seems likely that those carriers preparing to offer the iPad Air will also offer the iPad mini with Retina display, but Apple has yet to announce an exact date for the first wave of launches of that device. It is also possible that smaller carriers may see somewhat longer delays before they can offer the iPad mini, as supplies of the device are expected to be extremely tight into 2014.

Update: Alaskan carrier GCI has also announced plans to begin offering the iPad Air, as has U.S. Cellular. According to an email sent out today, U.S. Cellular, the fifth-largest carrier in the United States, will begin offering the iPad Air on November 8, the first concrete date release provided by a regional carrier.

After Apple announced support for an upcoming "Made for iPhone" (MFi) program supporting certified game controllers using new APIs in iOS 7, a report indicated that Logitech and MOGA were among the first wave of companies to be working closely with Apple on such accessories.

Logitech's controller has been seen several times already, and now a photo of MOGA's offering has been leaked on Twitter by @evleaks. Apparently called the "MOGA Ace Power", the enclosure controller reportedly includes an integrated 1800 mAh battery and the photo reveals not only the traditional D-pad on the left front and buttons on the right front and shoulders of the device, but also dual thumbsticks on the left and right front.

A second photo shows the controller in closed mode when the iPhone has been removed.

Apple has yet to officially announce the launch of its MFi program for game controllers, but it is clear that third-party manufacturers are gearing up to launch their products. Companies such as ClamCase and Logitech have been teasing their offerings, suggesting that a launch may be rather close, but launch details for the devices have yet to be revealed.

iFixit has performed more of its traditional high-quality teardowns on both the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro and new 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, revealing various improvements to the components of both that enhance performance, but also unsurprisingly make both harder to manually repair.

One of the more interesting changes relative to the new 13-inch model is that Apple has apparently reversed its decision to move the 13-inch model's battery away from the trackpad as seen in the previous generation of the laptop, instead choosing to glue the entire battery assembly into the case. This design is very similar to the battery of the original 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, which was heavily criticized by iFixit for being extremely difficult and time-consuming to remove without puncturing the cells.

As Apple stated during its press event, the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro now uses faster PCIe flash storage, but is still proprietary as seen in the previous generation and does not allow for easy replacement. Other changes to the new version of the laptop include Intel's i5 Haswell processor and Iris Graphics, the inclusion of only one fan as opposed to two in the last generation, a rearranged cabling system, and a slight update to the MagSafe 2 connector.

Meanwhile, the new 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro reveals a similar internal layout to the 13-inch model, but includes higher grade components such as Intel's i7 Haswell processor and Iris Pro graphics. The glued-in battery system and the soldered RAM as seen in the previous generation are also still included, which indicates that no improvements have been made to the accessibility of the new model.

Overall, the teardowns of both new Retina MacBook Pros otherwise yield few surprises compared to the previous models, and the similar challenges of proprietary pentalobe screws, soldered RAM, an integrated display, and glued-in battery system have led iFixit to award each of the new 13-inch and 15-inch models a repairability score of 1 out of 10. Compared to the teardowns of last year's models, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro has scored one point lower than the last generation, while the 15-inch MacBook Pro scored the same as the previous model.

Apple is now offering redemption codes on its online store for both OS X 10.7 Lion and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion for users of older Macs who have not previously purchased the software, reports TechCrunch.

Lion and Mountain Lion, which are no longer available for download directly from the Mac App Store, can be bought for $19.99 each. Purchasing either one of the older operating systems will result in an email with a content code that can be redeemed within the Mac App Store.

If you need to purchase Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, you may order it from this page.

The most current version of OS X is OS X 10.9 Mavericks. To learn more, please click here.

What do you receive: An email with a content code for the Mac App Store.
Note: Redemption codes are usually delivered within 1 business day but may occasionally take longer.

Previously, users were able to purchase a copy of Lion, but doing so required a phone call to Apple. OS X Mountain Lion was available via the Mac App Store earlier this week, but it has since been removed in favor of Mavericks, leaving the new online purchasing system as the only way to acquire an older Apple OS.

Customers who have previously purchased Lion or Mountain Lion can download the operating systems through the "Purchases" tab of the Mac App Store.

As expected, Apple has begun taking Apple Online Stores around the world offline as it prepares for its second wave of iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s launches on October 25. First announced in early October, this second launch will bring Apple's newest iPhones to 35 additional countries, including India, Mexico, and Russia.

As noted by 9to5Mac, consumers around the world are lining up at Apple Stores hoping to purchase a new iPhone. The launch will kick off in New Zealand first, where it is just after 10:30 AM on October 25.

Countries receiving the iPhones today include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, French West Indies, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion Island, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and Thailand.

On November 1, the rollout will be extended to the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Bahrain, Colombia, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, India, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

Following Apple's third launch on November 1, the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c will be available in more than 60 countries, bringing Apple closer to its stated target of availability in 100 countries before the end of the year.

Supplies of the iPhone 5s remain constrained, with shipping times in the United States and a number of other first wave launch countries still at two to three weeks. Supplies of the iPhone 5c, however, remain plentiful, with estimated shipping times of 24 hours.

Apple released version 6.0.1 of the Apple TV software today, a minor bug fix release capping a week of new product updates.

The last Apple TV update occurred back in September following the public release of iOS 7 for the iPhone and iPad. That release added support for iTunes Radio, AirPlay from iCloud and new podcast functionality.

On Tuesday, Apple added a new iMovie Theater channel to the Apple TV. The new channel is designed to work in conjunction with a new feature in the Mac and iOS versions of iMovie that allows users to share clips and videos seamlessly between their Apple devices.

According to Apple's Apple TV software update page with, version 6.0.1 includes "general performance and stability improvements. The update is available through the Apple TV's over-the-air update mechanism via Settings / General / Software Update.

Some observers may have wondered why Apple would continue to sell the iPad 2 for $399 after announcing the iPad Air and Retina iPad mini on Tuesday. The answer, according to new research from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, is because customers are still buying the two-year old tablet.

The iPad 2 accounted for some 22 percent of iPad sales in the September quarter, down significantly from prior quarters, but it appears there is still more than enough demand for a cheaper, full-size iPad, particularly for the education sector.

"Despite this quarter including back-to-school sales, the iPad 2, which accounted for a third of sales for the prior six months, seems to have started to show some age, after several strong quarters," said Josh Lowitz, Partner and Co-Founder of CIRP. "Yet, the iPad Mini continued its relative share in the past few quarters, as customers seem to continue to like it as a low-price tablet alternative."

The full-size iPad 4 remained the most popular iPad in the quarter, accounting for nearly half of total sales in the U.S., while CIRP says the iPad mini tallied about a third of sales.

Apple's new iPad lineup sees the older iPad mini starting at $299, the new Retina iPad mini and the full-size iPad 2 available for $399, and the new iPad air beginning at $499.

It appears some Disney and Pixar titles like The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Cars series Mater's Tall Tales have been pulled from both the iTunes Store and the "Purchased Content" libraries of customers who paid for the content.

While the removal, originally noticed by a 9to5Mac reader, first appeared to be a glitch, AppAdvice has pointed out that the titles are also unavailable via the Amazon Instant Video service, suggesting the disappearance of the content may be intentional, potentially due to a licensing issue.

According to the customer who noticed the missing titles, Disney elected to remove the content from the iTunes Store, preventing customers who have purchased the movies/TV shows from re-downloading the content via iTunes in the Cloud, which allows users access to previously purchased content.

Two movies disappeared from my Apple TV yesterday (Mater's Tall Tales and The Lion King). I called Apple and they told me that Disney has removed them from the iTunes store. They are no longer available for viewing on my Apple TV. There was no warning, no notice and no refund. According to Apple, all digital content belongs to the content provider.

On Amazon.com, searching for the titles results in a notice that licensing agreements have prevented the content from being purchased or rented, and as AppAdvice points out, Apple's iTunes Store Terms and Conditions does specify that previously purchased content can be made inaccessible.

As an accommodation to you, subsequent to acquiring iTunes Auto-Delivery Content, purchased (i.e. not rented) movies iTunes Products and TV show iTunes Products (each, "iTunes Eligible Content"), you may download certain of such previously-purchased iTunes Eligible Content onto any Associated Device.

Some iTunes Eligible Content that you previously purchased may not be available for subsequent download at any given time, and Apple shall have no liability to you in such event. As you may not be able to subsequently download certain previously-purchased iTunes Eligible Content, once you download an item of iTunes Eligible Content, it is your responsibility not to lose, destroy, or damage it, and you may want to back it up.

Both Apple and Disney have yet to comment on the content removal, and it remains unclear whether the disappearance of select titles is temporary or a more permanent move.

Update: A Disney spokesperson told AppAdvice that Disney plans to work with Apple to ensure that users who purchased The Lion King and other content now removed from the App Store will be able to continue to download their purchases.

As part of its efforts to ensure that all eligible software owners are able to upgrade to the latest versions of its software on the Mac App Store, Apple is intentionally allowing users with any version of Aperture, iLife and iWork installed on their system to upgrade to the latest versions on the Mac App Store -- even illegally acquired or trial versions.

In order to ensure that no legitimate software owners are left behind, according to MacTrast, Apple has eliminated its legacy software update mechanism entirely and is instead pushing all software updates onto the Mac App Store.

According to a MacTrast source at Apple:

It’s no coincidence that Apple’s support site doesn’t have downloads for the new Aperture, iWork, and iLife updates. They aren’t in our Software Update system either – and there’s a good reason for that. With Mavericks, we have changed the way we distribute updates for legacy versions of our apps

Rather than maintain separate updates for these in addition to the Mac App Store versions of each app, Apple has decided to eliminate their legacy software update system for apps entirely. Instead, when Mavericks discovers legacy apps installed on your Mac, it provisions them as a Mac App Store purchase using your Apple ID. It saves us a lot of time, effort, and bandwidth. After the provision is complete, it will appear in your Mac App Store history as though you have purchased the Mac App Store version of the app.

While we are aware that this enables piracy of our apps for unethical users, Apple has never taken a strong stance or action against piracy in the past. We like to believe that our users are honest, even if that belief is in vain.

When the new apps were released on the Mac App Store, many users with legitimate copies were unable to upgrade to the latest versions, though many users who were having difficulties seem to be able to upgrade now.

As a result of Apple's changes, all users with older versions of Aperture, iWork or iLife installed -- even if acquired through less-than-ethical means -- should be able to upgrade to the latest versions through the Mac App Store.

Following Apple's launch of MacBook Pro models equipped with Thunderbolt 2 ports, PROMISE Technology has announced new Thunderbolt 2 RAID systems for users needing the fastest possible storage.

The company says its Pegasus2 line of RAID arrays allow for simultaneous transfer and display of 3D and 4K video files. It will work with the new MacBook Pro with Retina display, as well as the new Mac Pro when it launches this December.

Pegasus2, the ideal external RAID storage solution, is available in 4-bay, 6-bay and 8-bay enclosures, and maximizes the available line rate of Thunderbolt 2 by providing blistering fast transfer speeds for a growing number of 4K applications. With two Thunderbolt 2 ports, 6 devices can be attached – allowing for daisy chaining of up to 6 Pegasus enclosure units, Apple Thunderbolt Displays, or Mini DisplayPort devices.

As the first and only RAID 5 solution with Thunderbolt 2 technology, Pegasus2 delivers enterprise-level hardware RAID protection in a portable package that can be taken almost anywhere - perfect for photographers, filmmakers, and other multimedia professionals.

PROMISE will be offering the Pegasus2 in 8TB, 12TB, 18TB, 24TB and 32TB capacities through the Apple Online Store and elsewhere, though the systems -- and pricing -- are not yet live on the Apple Store.

The company also announced the SANLink2, aThunderbolt 2 bridge that provides dual 8Gbps Fibre Channel ports for connection to other RAID systems. Both the SANLink2 and the new Pegasus2 line are fully backwards compatible with the Thunderbolt 1 ports in older Apple devices.

Thunderbolt 2 was announced earlier this year by Intel and both the new MacBook Pro and the upcoming Mac Pro will include it. The connection enables two 20Gbps bidirectional channels, allowing 4K video to travel over a single cable and theoretical transfer rates of 800-900MB/s for storage arrays. This is roughly twice as fast as Thunderbolt 1. It is aimed at high-end video editors and users who need the ultimate in expansion capabilities.

Update: PROMISE has now provided MacRumors with pricing details on the forthcoming Pegasus2 RAID storage arrays:

- Pegasus2 R4 (4-bay): 4x2TB $1499
- Pegasus2 R6 (6 bay): 6x2TB $2299, 6x3TB $2999
- Pegasus2 R8 (8-bay): 8x3TB $3599, 8x4TB $4599