MacRumors

Sources from Taiwan's industrial chain claim the iPhone 6 will have at least a 10-megapixel camera with an aperture of f/1.8, reports Chinese website IT168 [Google Translate, via GforGames]. This would be an improvement over the current iPhone 5s, which has an 8-megapixel camera with a narrower f/2.2 aperture.

The report also claims Apple will change the filter used on the iPhone 6 camera, replacing the hybrid IR filter used on the iPhone 5s with a resin lens filter manufactured by Japanese company JSR. JSR is known for its ARTON Resins, which are used in digital and video cameras with CMOS image sensors. JSR claims its ARTON filters are lighter and thinner than comparable IR filters and take clearer images due to the resin's ability to minimize the color shifts of CMOS image sensors.

The IT168 story contradicts an earlier report from the The China Post that claims Apple will continue to use a 8-megapixel sensor in its next iPhone. According to analysts from Nomura Securities, the camera module in the iPhone 6 instead will see improvements in other areas such as optical image stabilization.

(Thanks, Vlad!)

Apple has been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (via AppleInsider) detailing a flat smart dock that would be able to determine the orientation a device is placed in and perform actions such as induction charging, data syncing, diagnostics testing, and more.

The patent, which was originally filed in 2012, details a dock that includes components such as a processor, memory, internal power supply, and multiple sensors among other components. The dock is described as being a central point in the transfer of data between a user's device and a host device such as a computer. Data itself would transfer between two devices through a wire such as a Lightning cable or through wireless networking.

In terms of identifying different orientations, the patent states that the flat dock would be able to recognize factors including the rotational position and the proximity of a device. For example, if a user leaves a device face down, the dock would perform charging, whereas leaving a device face up would allow for data syncing and charging at the same time. A device on the smart dock would provide on-screen information about the current action being performed as well.

In some embodiments, a physical orientation of a user device placed on a surface of a docking device may be determined. The physical orientation may include a translational position (e.g., Cartesian coordinates, polar coordinates), rotational position (e.g., an angle value about a suitable axis), a facing direction (e.g., face-up, face-down), any other suitable physical orientation relative to any suitable reference, or any combination thereof. For example, a physical orientation may be a position of a user device on a surface of a docking device.

Support for multiple devices on the dock is described in the patent, as the dock would be able to perform actions such as data transfers and charging on devices in close proximity to each other. Transfers between a host device and a primary device placed on the charging surface are also described as a capability of the smart dock.

It is unknown whether Apple plans to create such product or not, but the company has shown strong interest in some of the technologies described in the patent. It was reported earlier this week by The New York Times that Apple was testing induction charging among other methods for its upcoming "iWatch" project. This, coupled with past rumors stating that the iWatch will serve as an accessory to iOS devices would make it a prime candidate to benefit from the functionalities of the smart dock described in the patent.

Apple also filed a patent for a separate smart dock last December, which emphasized voice recognition and single-device use through a regular multi-pin connector. The existence of either device would be of a new effort for the company, as Apple currently sells docks with limited functionality for the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s. Other accessories such as the iHome family of clock-radios and speaker systems offer a bit more functionality, but very little in the context of deep interaction with a device.

Following this morning's debut of the "1.24.14" Mac 30th anniversary video filmed exclusively on iPhones and edited on Macs, Apple has also released a new behind-the-scenes video that details how the original ad was made.

"Capturing the essence of the moment and it being truthful as seen through the prism of this device is really rather lovely."

The video depicts the camera equipment used to film the ad, which included several different iPhones attached to special mounts able to rotate in any direction. A narrator explains that individual filming crews were sent to locations around the world to obtain simultaneous footage, with each crew using an iPhone to capture video that was then sent to a receiver in a backpack.

Receivers used by the crew members allowed footage to be sent instantly back to director Jake Scott, son of Ridley Scott, in the U.S., and FaceTime on iPads allowed for seamless communication while filming.

Apple's 1.24.14 video was filmed for the 30th anniversary of the Mac. It was distilled from more than 70 hours of footage captured by camera crews on five continents in 15 different locations, including Seattle, Aspen, Maryland, Brookhaven, Puerto Rico, Botswana, London, Lyon, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Pompeii, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Melbourne.

Along with the original video and the behind-the-scenes look at how it was filmed, Apple has also posted a detailed web page that gives an even more in-depth look at the work that went into the spot.

Ever since OS X Mavericks was released, some customers using the built-in Mail.app application have repeatedly had issues retrieving new mail messages, deleting or moving messages, and more. Some of the problems were fixed in an update released back in November, and then in OS X 10.9.1, but for some, the issues retrieving new messages persist.

Some users found that quitting and restarting Mail forced the application to download new messages, but Apple has now published an awkward workaround that allows the app to stay open while still forcing a download of new messages.

OS X: New email messages not received until Mail is quit and reopened

Quitting and reopening Mail forces it to re-establish a connection to the email server. You can use these steps to receive new mail messages without quitting Mail:

1. Choose Mailbox > Take All Accounts Offline.
2. Choose Mailbox > Get All New Mail.

As a shortcut, you can also add the Take All Accounts Offline and Get Mail buttons to your Mail toolbar.

1. Choose View > Customize Toolbar.
2. Drag the Take All Accounts Offline button to the Toolbar if it is not there already.
3. Drag the Get Mail button to the Toolbar if it is not there already.
4. Click Done

To receive new mail messages, click the Take Offline button, then click the Check Mail button.

There is no indication of when the bugs with Mail.app will be fixed, though beta releases of OS X 10.9.2 ask developers to test Mail.app for issues.

A World Wrestling Entertainment representative has seemingly confirmed on Facebook that the new 24/7 WWE Network will be available as a dedicated channel on the Apple TV on February 24.

In a conversation with a fan who asked specifically about an Apple TV app, a WWE Network Facebook representative said the WWE Network app can be launched directly from the Apple TV.

In order to experience WWE Network on an Apple TV, you must have a second generation or later (black) Apple TV and be a WWE Network subscriber. Once WWE Network is available, you will be able to launch the WWE Netowrk app directly from your Apple TV. Let us know if you have further questions! Thank you.

First announced in January, the World Wrestling Entertainment Network is a 24/7 streaming network that includes original programming, reality shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. Available for $9.99 per month, it also includes 12 WWE live pay-per-view events.

When introduced, WWE executives noted that the service would be available via the WWE website and through numerous consoles, smartphones, and tablets. While the Roku was listed as an available device, as was the iPad, no specific mention was made of the Apple TV.

WWE Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer Michelle Wilson did, however, say that the service would also be available on "a connected device I am not allowed to mention at this press conference," presumably alluding to the Apple TV. Attendees at the service's introductory event were also given Apple TVs to take home.

Apple historically exercises control over announcements related to its products, so it is no surprise that news of a potential WWE app for the Apple TV has been suppressed. Over the course of the last several months, Apple has introduced several new channels to the Apple TV, each with no advanced notice.

Most recently, Apple added the Red Bull TV action sports channel to the Apple TV, and before that, the company introduced channels for Watch ABC, Bloomberg, Crackle, and KORTV. Apple is also said to be working on a major overhaul to both the Apple TV software and hardware, which could debut later this year.

The WWE network will be available for $9.99 per month at 9 AM Eastern Time on February 24, 2014 and will reportedly launch on the Apple TV at the same time. Fans will be given a free one week trial to the service.

(Thanks, Josh!)

Update: The WWE Facebook page has since been updated to delete the comment about the Apple TV, but the original text can be seen in the image below.

As Apple continues to develop its new data centers in North Carolina, Oregon, and Nevada, it could have greater plans to develop a content delivery network (CDN) to deliver content to its iTunes and iCloud users.

Analyst Dan Rayburn with Frost & Sullivan believes that Apple is looking to expand its CDN capabilities, but isn't entirely clear how in-depth the system will be. Currently Apple uses Akamai and Level 3 to handle most of its distribution needs for iTunes, the App Store, and iCloud, though its data center initiative gives it a good base of operations for distributing content as well as storage for user data.

Apple built its retail store chain because Steve Jobs wanted to own Apple's interactions with its customers. With iTunes and iCloud, Apple controls the data and the service, but must outsource the less visible but still incredibly important job of reliably delivering data packets to users. With hundreds of millions of users downloading apps, music, TV shows and movies -- with many of those being streamed in real-time to the Apple TV -- ensuring quality of service for all users will be essential.

I’m hearing that part of Apple’s reasoning for building their own CDN is because of performance issues with iCloud, with Apple wanting to have more control over the QoS of content going to their devices. Apple already controls the hardware, the OS (iOS/OS X) as well as the iTunes/App store platforms. Right now they control the entire customer experience, except for the way content is delivered to their devices. Since Apple does not own the last mile they won’t be able to have complete control, but having their own CDN would give them more control and security than they have now. The next set of questions to ask is what type of technology Apple uses? Will they go the open source route and built it in a non-proprietary way, or keep it closed? Some will also wonder if Apple might make their CDN into a commercial offering, but that wouldn’t make any sense for their business, unless they had some kind of content subscription service akin to Netflix.

A content delivery network allows companies to ensure that their data can reliably get to customers on any ISP, in any geographic locale. A number of other companies that move large amounts of data, including Google, Microsoft and Netflix, have brought much of their data delivery platforms in-house, rather than outsourcing them to other large companies. Many extremely large companies have found that building their own CDN makes financial sense because of the control it gives them, something that Apple values highly.

Rayburn has been saying that Apple is planning to build a CDN for nearly five years, though with three major new data centers coming online and more in the works, Apple is clearly investing in something big. The company is rumored to be working on a new television service of some sort, either a new set-top box or an entire television set, and such an effort would likely require a significant expansion of the company's content streaming abilities to support HD streaming video to a large number of new customers.

Update: The Wall Street Journal has confirmed that Apple is working to create its own content delivery network to boost its Internet infrastructure and to support additional traffic in the future. The site reports that Apple has been hiring networking experts and entering into long-term deals to lock up bandwidth.

Apple is stitching together a network of Internet infrastructure capable of delivering large amounts of content to customers, giving the company more control over the distribution of its online offerings while laying the groundwork for more traffic if it decides to move deeper into television.

First announced back in December, Pebble today launched a dedicated Pebble appstore featuring an array of apps that can be downloaded onto the company's line of smart watches.

The appstore, which functions similarly to other app repositories from companies like Apple and Google, aggregates all of the third-party apps developed for the Pebble Smart Watch. While apps have existed for the smart watch for quite some time, having a central download location will improve content discovery on the device.

Pebble's mission is to make products that mesh easily with your life. Until now, Pebble users discovered apps and watchfaces through several awesome third party resources like MyPebbleFaces. The Pebble appstore changes all this by providing a simple one-stop-shop for you to discover, manage, and install apps and watchfaces.

Pebble's original Pebble Smart Watch and the Pebble Steel can both access the appstore, which organizes apps into individual categories complete with ratings. The Pebble appstore is the first official Pebble app and can be accessed directly on the Pebble watch following an iOS app update that is currently rolling out.

Pebble owners can use the appstore to download and manage their smart watch apps, as the Pebble watches are limited to eight apps each. Though there is an app limit, Pebble does incorporate a Pebble Locker allowing frequently used apps to be installed and uninstalled quickly.

The appstore is organized into six different categories, including Daily, Tools & Utilities, Notifications, Remotes, Fitness, and Games. Like Apple's App Store, each category features a selection of both new and top apps.

Watchfaces are also available in a separate category and at the current time, all Pebble apps are available for free as the appstore does not support paid applications. Developers can, however, create apps that work alongside an iOS companion app.

More than 1,000 apps are published in the Pebble appstore, including apps from major companies that Pebble has partnered with, including Yelp, GoPro, and Foursquare.

As part of its Pebble Steel review, Engadget took an early look at the Pebble appstore and was satisfied with the number of apps available.

As is, we were wholly satisfied with the number and scope of available apps -- even in its beta stage, we don't feel there are any "must-haves" missing.

Pebble's line of smart watches can be purchased from the Pebble website for $150 to $249. The accompanying Pebble Smartwatch app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Update: The Pebble iOS update that includes the Pebble appstore is now live.

On January 24, Apple commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Mac with a "Happy birthday, Mac" promotion on its website, 30th anniversary t-shirts for its employees, and executive interviews with both ABC News and Macworld. Just ten days later, the company now has released an anniversary video, recorded on the anniversary using iPhones and edited on Macs, that shows how the the promise of the Mac has been fulfilled by putting "technology in the hands of the people."

Produced by Apple's longtime ad agency TBWA\Chiat\Day headed by Lee Clow, the "1.24.14" video includes footage from 10 countries spanning 5 continents. The video was directed by Jake Scott, son of filmmaker Ridley Scott, who was behind Apple's iconic "1984" ad, and showcases current generation Apple products being used in fashion design, musical performances and more.

On January 24, 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh. And with it a promise that the power of technology, put in the hands of everyone, could change the world. On January 24, 2014, we sent 15 camera crews all over the world to show how that promise has become a reality.

From sunrise in Melbourne to nightfall in Los Angeles, they documented people doing amazing things with Apple products. They shot over 70 hours of footage — all with the iPhone 5s. Then it was edited and scored with an original soundtrack. Thanks to the power of the Mac and the innovations it has inspired, an effort that normally takes months was accomplished in a matter of days.

Apple was rumored to be working on a Super Bowl commercial, but the company instead partnered with U2 and Bank of America in a new (Product) RED promotion announced in an advertisement broadcast during the game. For every free iTunes download of U2's new single "Invisible" [iTunes Store], Bank of America will donate $1 to (Product) RED's fight against AIDS. The promotion will end 11:59 PM EST on February 3.

Update: Apple has posted a second video giving a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the "1.24.14" ad.

Apple is exploring a variety of different charging methods for its upcoming "iWatch" smart watch project, according to a report from The New York Times. At the top of the list for Apple appears to be induction charging, allowing users to recharge their watches wirelessly.

For its wristwatch, Apple has been testing a method to charge the battery wirelessly with magnetic induction, according to a person briefed on the product. A similar technology is already used in some Nokia smartphones — when a phone is placed on a charging plate, an electrical current creates a magnetic field, which creates voltage that powers the phone.

Other options for Apple include solar and movement-based charging, although it appears those ideas may still be several years from becoming practical. The report also reiterates the newspaper's claim from last year that the iWatch will feature a curved glass display.

Apple has also experimented with new power-charging methods for a potential smartwatch, people close to the efforts said, though such experiments are years from becoming a reality. The watch is expected to have a curved glass screen, and one idea is to add a solar-charging layer to that screen, which would give power to the device in daylight, they said.

Another experiment at Apple has involved charging the battery through movement, a method that is already used in many modern watches. A person’s arm swinging could operate a tiny charging station that generates and pushes power to the device while walking, according to a patent filed by Apple in 2009.

The report notes that with battery technology improving relatively slowly, Apple has focused on improving power efficiency of various components in its devices, as seen with the latest generation of the MacBook Air.

iPod creator and Nest co-founder Tony Fadell is also quoted as confirming that Apple had explored solar charging for the iPhone and iPod for a number of years, but the technology proved infeasible due to users storing the devices in pockets and other dark places for extended periods of time.

For the iWatch, Apple has been working on flexible new battery designs and looking at new charging technologies, but battery life has reportedly continued to be one of the sticking points for Apple as it seeks to create a powerful smart watch capable of lasting several days between charges.

Following his visit to Ireland on Friday, Apple CEO Tim Cook has been spotted in the United Arab Emirates this weekend, as highlighted by tbreak media. Cook posed for photos at Apple reseller Virgin Megastore at the Al Wahdi Mall in Abu Dhabi yesterday, while several photos from today place him in Dubai at the massive Dubai Mall.

The reason for Cook's visit is unknown, but Apple users in the region are unsurprisingly speculating that he may be meeting with relevant parties about the possibility of an Apple retail store. MacRumors received an unconfirmed tip last year claiming that Apple was making plans to open a major store at The Galleria in Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi, a luxury mall that opened late last year, but no additional reports of such a project have yet surfaced. The source claimed that the store would not open for several years and that it could arrive as the world's largest Apple retail store.

Alternatively and much less interestingly, Cook may simply be visiting to check up on the company's existing reseller network and maintain relationships with government officials in the region.

Update: Khaleej Times reports that Cook met with UAE Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and other officials today.

Shaikh Mohammed and Cook discussed an array of issues regarding future of the IT sector in the backdrop of international transformations and the sector’s role in developing and advancing education.

Revised plans for Apple's proposed flagship retail store in San Francisco's Union Square include new renderings of the location, reports SocketSite. The prospective store is now pictured to feature two full-height sliding glass panels standing 44 feet tall and 23 feet wide, allowing the building to be opened up to the street. The store will also include regular glass doors that would act as a primary point of entry when the larger doors are closed.

Apple originally filed plans last May to move its existing Stockton Street flagship store three blocks north, giving the store a larger footprint and prime location in the Union Square shopping district. However, the plans quickly ran into opposition as critics panned multiple aspects of the proposal, such as the idea to remove a sculptural fountain created by late sculpture artist Ruth Asawa and the installation of a 80-foot-long windowless wall along a key pedestrian and transit corridor. Soon after, city officials made clear that significant changes would be needed for the project if it was to receive approval.

Apple then filed revised plans in August to address some of the proposal's biggest criticisms, stating that it would keep the fountain, add an eight-foot wide window along the Stockton Street frontage, and move to pull the proposed glass wall of the store back by four feet to add a greater sense of depth and more shadows for visual interest.

City officials were reportedly pleased by Apple's proposed changes, although the project must still pass through full review before it can be approved. A part of that review will take place on Wednesday, February 5, as the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission will meet to discuss Apple's request for a permit to construct the store. Apple has not announced when it plans to open the new store, and any internal targets may yet be affected by San Francisco's review and permitting processes.

Thanks, Cody!