MacRumors

Last month, luxury modified iPhone vendor Feld & Volk [Instagram page] shared some high-quality photos and a video of the purported rear shell of the iPhone 6. The part was in an intermediate stage of production, and thus had not been fully processed and polished, but it still offered a good look at the device's body.

Feld & Volk has now received what it believes to be a completed 4.7-inch iPhone 6 rear shell and has shared some new photos revealing a few features not highlighted in previous leaks. Among these is a good look at the volume button cutouts, which have now been recessed slightly in a change that will allow for a lower profile along the edges and decreased likelihood of accidental volume changes.

Similar recesses for the volume buttons have been seen on a purported "perfect replica" and claimed actual rear shell for the next-generation iPad Air.

Feld & Volk's photos also offer a look at the embedded Apple logo, something Apple has not used on the iPhone since the original iPhone back in 2007. Feld & Volk says the embedded logo is very similar to that seen on the original iPhone, but says it is made of "very extraordinary" scratch-resistant metal that it speculates could be a Liquidmetal alloy, although there is no specific evidence supporting that speculation.

Another photo shows what seems to be an external camera ring, which measures 6.66 mm in diameter and reportedly fits perfectly on the rear camera hole of the shell. Leaked design drawings and physical mockups have indicated that the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 may see a protruding rear camera as seen on the current iPod touch, but so far those leaks have all pointed to a flush camera for the smaller 4.7-inch model, so it remains to be seen whether this camera ring does indeed pair with the rear shell of the 4.7-inch model.

Finally, the set of parts includes a long flexible cable previously seen in another photo leak. As with the previous leak, Feld & Volk speculates that it could be for the home button, but given its length we wonder if it is actually a flex cable for an upcoming iPad.

Apple is all but confirmed to be holding its annual iPhone media event on September 9, although it is unclear whether both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models will be arriving simultaneously. At a minimum, the 4.7-inch model should launch in the first wave of countries roughly a week and a half after the event, based on past release patterns.

Now that Apple's purchase of Beats Electronics is complete, the company has begun expanding its promotion of Beats products, giving the Beats by Dr. Dre line of accessories its own dedicated section in the Accessory portion of the Apple Online Store.

Added yesterday, the Beats by Dr. Dre section joins "All Accessories," "Apple Accessories," "Exclusives," "Now Trending," and Gift Cards" on the top menu bar of the "Shop Accessories" section of the online store.

Though Apple has long sold Beats products, the dedicated menu bar position gives the accessories far more prominence online. The section, first noticed by 9to5Mac, promotes Beats headphones, Beats in-ear headphones, Beats speakers, and Beats accessories like the Pill Dudes and Sleeves designed to hold Beats speakers.

Apple is also continuing to show off the Beats line of headphones in its retail stores, with the Beats by Dr. Dre Solo2 and Studio over-ear headphones accompanying iPod touches in many retail locations.

Apple's $3 billion acquisition of Beats Electronics and Beats Music became official last week, following U.S. regulatory approval of the deal. As of August 1, Beats Electronics shut down its own online store and began directing customers to the Apple Online Store.

Rumors suggesting Siri will make its way into OS X have been circulating for years, but the personal assistant has yet to debut on the Mac. A new patent application published by the U.S. patent and Trademark Office and spotted by AppleInsider revives these rumors with the description of an intelligent assistant for the desktop that provides features far beyond the current dictation available in OS X.

The patent application, which was filed in February of this year and based on a provisional application from a year earlier, describes a system that in one iteration can sit in the dock, waiting for touch input or voice commands to activate a personal assistant in a manner similar to Siri in iOS. The assistant would then perform tasks based on input by the user. The same system can function as a third hand, allowing users to interact physically with a mouse and keyboard while simultaneously performing a secondary task using their voice.

Methods and systems related to interfaces for interacting with a digital assistant in a desktop environment are disclosed. In some embodiments, a digital assistant is invoked on a user device by a gesture following a predetermined motion pattern on a touch-sensitive surface of the user device. In some embodiments, a user device selectively invokes a dictation mode or a command mode to process a speech input depending on whether an input focus of the user device is within a text input area displayed on the user device. In some embodiments, a digital assistant performs various operations in response to one or more objects being dragged and dropped onto an iconic representation of the digital assistant displayed on a graphical user interface. In some embodiments, a digital assistant is invoked to cooperate with the user to complete a task that the user has already started on a user device.

Though Apple is bringing some aspects of iOS to OS X such as Reminders, Apple has yet to integrate Siri into its desktop platform. The feature was not mentioned when Apple unveiled OS X Yosemite, and there is no known evidence in the current beta version of Yosemite that suggests Apple may integrate its personal assistant into future versions of the desktop OS. Still, it is clear Apple is thinking about ways to bring Siri-like features to OS X.

VentureBeat today posted a detailed overview of features that are said to be built into Apple's upcoming iPhone 6, with the outline provided by an unspecified source. While many of the proffered specifications in VentureBeat's outline echo past rumors, there are a few new specific details worth highlighting.

According to the site's source, Apple will introduce both the 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhones at its upcoming September 9 event, but while the 4.7-inch version will ship in mid-September, the larger 5.5-inch iPhone won't ship until up to a month later. This is in line with rumors suggesting the 5.5-inch iPhone isn't entering mass production until August or September, a month to two months after production is said to have began on the 4.7-inch iPhone.

Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor is said to include minor improvements that "speed up read times, cut down on false rejections, and improve security for mobile payments and biometrics," and the source suggests the iPhone 6 will not use a sapphire screen.

We've also heard rumors that the new screens will be made of ultra-durable sapphire glass. Our source says the screens are made of an extremely hard material that's slightly harder than Gorilla Glass but not as hard as sapphire. That corroborates an earlier video report showing that the purported iPhone 6 screen is harder than previous models' screens but softer than sapphire crystal.

While a front panel said to be for the 4.7-inch iPhone has undergone some testing that suggests it may not be composed of sapphire, many rumors have pointed towards the use of a pure sapphire crystal display or sapphire laminated glass display in at least one of the iPhone 6 models. The volume of sapphire production at Apple's Arizona sapphire plant run by GT Advanced also points towards the heavy use of the material and it is unlikely that all of the company's sapphire is being allocated towards the iWatch. During Q2 2014 alone, GT Advanced spent over $45 million on "sapphire production ramp up costs", and previous rumors have suggested the plant can output enough sapphire to outfit approximately 100 to 200 million iPhones.

In addition to outlining possible features for the iPhone 6, VentureBeat also suggests that Apple is experimenting with special connectivity between the iPhone and Beats headphones using the Lightning connector. Apple did recently introduce a Lightning Cable MFi specification for headphones, making such a project a possibility.

Our source adds that Apple has also been playing around with some technology that would form a special "handshake" between iPhones and Beats headphones. This consists of a chip that would authenticate Beats headsets on iPhones using the Lightning connector. Whether or not that feature materializes is anybody's guess.

VentureBeat's sources have not been particularly reliable in the past. For example, the site recently suggested Apple was pairing up with Swatch to develop the iWatch, a rumor that was quickly shot down by Swatch CEO Nick Hayek. The site's source also "stresses" that the listed features may not be the "final spec list" for the iPhone 6, so the overall reliability of the provided information is unclear.

Though it's only been two months since Apple held its 25th annual Worldwide Developers Conference, the likely dates for its 26th conference have already surfaced. Apple's 26th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will most likely commence on June 8, 2015, and last through June 12, 2015, according to dates blocked out on the Moscone Center's 2015 summer schedule.

While the aforementioned dates are earmarked as just a "Corporate Event" on Moscone's website, in previous years (2008, 2009, 2010, 2012), the same non-specific Corporate Event during the June time period has turned out to be a placeholder for WWDC.

The June 8 to 12 time period reserved at Moscone West also coincides with a multi-year convention calendar for the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau that was discovered in 2010. Thus far, the listed dates, which cover potential WWDC events from 2010 to 2015, have been accurate for the past four conferences.

It is, of course, possible that the generic Corporate Event label pertains to another event unrelated to WWDC, but based on past history, it seems to point towards Apple's events. It is also possible that Apple could opt to its schedule, but at this point in time, June 8, 2015 appears to be the tentative date for the next Worldwide Developers Conference.

An official confirmation of the dates for the 26th Worldwide Developers Conference will not come until the first few months of 2015, when Apple makes an announcement and begins ticket sales. In 2014, Apple announced its June 2 WWDC on April 3. Tickets to Apple's 2014 conference were distributed via a lottery system due to high demand, and it's possible tickets for the 2015 WWDC will be handled in the same way.

Though it's early to predict possible product introductions at next year's conference, based on past history, Apple will likely highlight both iOS 9 and OS X 10.11, Yosemite's successor. The timing may also coincide with the launch of some of Intel's Broadwell chips, making it an ideal event to unveil updated Broadwell-based MacBooks.

Update 8/7 8PM PT: The "Corporate Event" listed on the Moscone Center event schedule has now been removed.

Roughly six weeks ago, ABC News launched a new Apple TV channel offering a wide range of live and on-demand content from both national and select local feeds. Based on the first 30 days of availability, ABC News has now put together an infographic that offers a look at how the channel is being used. Among the interesting observations:

- Live video usage on Apple TV, which accounts for 20 percent of channel views, is 50 percent higher than on mobile and desktop combined.

- Apple TV viewers spend 65 percent more time per visit than desktop users.

- Peak usage for the ABC News Apple TV channel falls at 9 PM Eastern Time, likely due to that time period encompassing evening viewing hours for most of the United States.

Apple has been adding new channels to the Apple TV at a fairly rapid pace, at least in the United States, although many of them require authentication through an existing cable service provider. The company has long been rumored to be working on a more powerful set-top box, but the latest rumors have suggested the device is unlikely to arrive until 2015.

Several years ago, Apple rolled out a new page on its site touting job growth associated with its businesses in the United States, calculating that included over 300,000 workers directly tied to the company and its business partners, as well as over 200,000 more workers that were part of the App Store economy. The total number is now approaching 600,000 workers, driven largely by increases in the App Store segment over the past two years.

Now, Apple is bringing the same public relations effort to Europe, with a series of pages touting Apple's job creation numbers in Europe, as noted by The Wall Street Journal.

Throughout our history, we have created entirely new products - and entirely new industries - by focusing on innovation. This has resulted in nearly 630,000 European jobs at Apple and at developers and businesses supported by Apple. In addition, the App Store has created hundreds of thousands of jobs that previously did not exist in the European economy, enabling developers to launch new companies and earn $6.5 billion from App Store sales worldwide.

Out of the 630,000 European jobs cited by Apple, the company includes nearly 500,000 related to the App Store economy, with Apple highlighting the $6.5 billion in developer payments the represents over 30 percent of the total $20 billion paid out by Apple worldwide. The remaining 132,000 European jobs cited by Apple are related to the company itself, including its own employees and those at suppliers and resellers.

Country-specific versions of the pages, such as for France and Italy, share largely the same information, although each has a unique "Spotlight on Developers" section sharing quotes from and links to select developers from those countries.

Apple also puts a special spotlight on its European headquarters in Cork, Ireland, where the company now employs 4,000 workers. Apple notes that it is the city's largest private employer, housing roughly 10% of Apple's corporate employees and supporting an additional 2,500 jobs at other companies providing services to Apple in Cork.

Last month, new photos of a purported battery for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 revealed a 1,810 mAh capacity for the device, which is a modest improvement over the 1,560 mAh battery currently found in the iPhone 5s. Now, ESM-China electronics analyst Sung Chang Xu claims (Google Translate, via G for Games) that the final version of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will actually feature a 2,100 mAh battery.

Citing sources at supply chains across China, the analyst also adds that the previous images of the battery showed test units. A capacity of 2,100 mAh for the iPhone 6's battery would put it below competing phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 (2800 mAh) and the HTC One M8 (2600 mAh). However, Apple's traditionally tight hardware and software integration will likely contribute to a more robust overall battery life, as iOS 8 will most certainly be optimized for the iPhone 6.

Xu has previously reported on a number of other rumors pertaining to the iPhone 6, claiming that the device will feature temperature, pressure and humidity sensors in addition to electronic image stabilization. In February, Xu also claimed that the iWatch will use optical sensors to measure heart rate and oxygen levels.

Apple will unveil the iPhone 6 at an event on Tuesday, September 9, with a launch of the 4.7-inch version likely coming a week or so after the announcement. The event may also feature the introduction of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6, which is said to ship later this year or early next year due to production issues. Both iPhones are expected to feature a faster A8 processor, an improved camera, and a thinner chassis.

Apple and Samsung have issued a joint statement today announcing an agreement to drop all patent lawsuits against each other outside of the United States, according to Bloomberg.

“Apple and Samsung have agreed to drop all litigation between the two companies outside the United States,” the companies said in the statement. “This agreement does not involve any licensing arrangements, and the companies are continuing to pursue the existing cases in U.S. courts.”

The move is yet another signal that the long-running patent dispute between Apple and Samsung may be winding down, as it was reported in June that the two companies were trying to find "common ground". The two also agreed to drop their cross-appeal rulings on the ITC ban of older Samsung phones around the same time.

In May, it was reported the two were looking to negotiate an out-of-court settlement. And earlier this year, it was reported that Tim Cook sat down with Samsung Electronics CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon in a mediation session. However, the two sides did not come to an agreement at that time.

Apple has already settled patent disputes with other companies, like Google / Motorola Mobility in May of this year and HTC back in 2012.