MacRumors

As noted by AllThingsD, Apple and Time Inc. appear to have settled their long-running differences over digital magazine subscriptions, with Time launching iPad-only subscriptions for its magazines through Newsstand. According to a press release from Time, the offering addresses all 20 of its consumer magazines, which include Fortune, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time.

Time was prepared to launch iPad subscriptions for Sports Illustrated two years ago, but Apple refused to allow Time to bill subscribers directly rather than going through the iTunes Store mechanism where Apple would keep 30% of the revenue and limit publisher access to subscriber information. As a result, iPad users were initially limited to purchasing titles on a single-issue basis.

Nearly a year later, Apple and Time reached an agreement to allow print subscribers to receive free access to the iPad editions of the publisher's major magazine titles. But digital-only subscriptions remained off the table even as other major publishers such as Hearst were accepting Apple's subscription terms and rolling out their own offerings.

AllThingsD notes that it is unclear what changed between Time and Apple to now allow full-fledged digital subscriptions, including whether Time simply relented or if it was able to obtain some concession from Apple.

It could be as simple as Time Inc. trying to boost sales, which haven’t been stellar recently — a slump at its People magazine title is particularly troublesome for the publisher. Or perhaps parent company Time Warner got some other concession from Apple for one of its other units, like HBO or Turner.

Digital subscription pricing for Time titles varies, but a flagship title like Sports Illustrated is being offered at a $3.99 monthly rate or a $38.99 annual rate, a significant discount from the $4.99 single-issue pricing for the weekly magazine.

Last year, there was some controversy over whether or not Apple's iTunes Match service supported streaming of music or just downloading files. As it stands, iTunes Match appears to play songs as they download, which is an issue of semantics -- but all that will change in iOS 6.

As noted by Apple 'n' Apps, in the iOS 6 beta, iTunes Match has become a full-on streaming service. Songs can be downloaded or streamed, with streaming being the default playback option:

iTunes Match has become a streaming service in the beta. We confirmed it, by playing a few songs, then turning off iTunes Match, and seeing that the music folder then had no music. In iOS 5, the few tracks you listened to are stored. The various playlists, artists, and songs also drop the cloud icon next to them, and those are reserved for the album view, and a little bit off to the side.

iTunes Match costs $24.99 per year, matching songs in your iTunes library to those in the iTunes Music Store.

Back in mid-May, a pair of Geekbench 2 benchmarks that claimed to be from unreleased MacBook Pro and iMac models appeared, setting off speculation that updates to both lines might be imminent if the entries were indeed legitimate. But with Apple not updating the iMac earlier this week at its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, those looking for an upgraded all-in-one desktop Mac have been left waiting.

With updated MacBook Pro models reaching the public, Primate Labs highlighted some of the benchmarks yesterday, and the details for the non-Retina 15-inch MacBook Pro match up nearly exactly with what appeared in the entry from last month, all but confirming that it was indeed a legitimate leak.

Now with that information in hand, it pays to revisit the iMac benchmark that appeared around the same time, and while the two benchmarks aren't necessarily linked, it could generate hope that an updated iMac may still be right around the corner. The iMac benchmark referred to an "iMac13,2" model running a 3.4 GHz Core i7-3770 quad-core processor with 4 GB of 1600 MHz RAM, and while it is possible that the information could have been faked, Primate Labs previously reported that it believes the entry to be legitimate.

Further fueling speculation of a near-term iMac update is recent confusion in which it was initially reported that Apple representatives had told reporters that new iMac and Mac Pro models would likely be arriving in 2013. But following publication of those reports, Apple press relations staff specifically clarified those remarks to note that only the Mac Pro would be seeing the 2013 update. The assumption related to that clarification is of course that an iMac update is very likely to come sooner than the end of this year.

It has already been over 400 days since the iMac was last updated, and Ivy Bridge processors appropriate for the iMac have been available since late April. Consequently, it seems likely that the iMac will still be receiving an update in the relatively near future despite not making an appearance at this week's conference.

As for what improvements the next-generation iMac will see beyond Ivy Bridge, at least one mainstream news report has claimed that Apple is working on Retina displays for the iMac, although we previously analyzed how daunting of a task it would be to support four times the number of pixels found on the current models, particularly on a 27-inch display. Other sources have claimed that Apple is working on anti-reflective glass for the iMac, rumors that may have gained some support with Apple having touted this week that the Retina MacBook Pro's display produces 75% less glare than non-Retina models.

Apple today rolled out an update for its Apple Store [App Store] app for iOS devices, adding two new features to enhance the functionality of the app.

The first feature is support for Express Checkout, which has been available through the regular online store but is now available through the app as well. With Express Checkout, a user placing an online order can bypass the shopping cart system and simply click the "Buy Now" button and enter his or her password to complete the order. The order will automatically use the default billing and shipping information associated with the account. A preference allows users to specify whether Express Checkout should default to shipping purchases, picking up purchases, or asking each time.

The second new feature, which is only compatible with the iPhone 4S, allows users to alert Specialists at their local retail stores that they are arriving to pick up an order. Typically, users have had to find a Specialist upon arrival and wait for their orders to be collected, but with the new advance check-in system their orders can be ready the moment they walk in the door.

Apple yesterday released a pair of software updates for Java, issuing versions for both Lion and Snow Leopard. The update in part builds upon an earlier Java update for Lion that disabled automatic execution of Java applets in an attempt to minimize the impact of Java-based malware threats like Flashback.

This update configures web browsers to not automatically run Java applets. Java applets may be re-enabled by clicking the region labeled "Inactive plug-in" on a web page. If no applets have been run for an extended period of time, the Java web plug-in will deactivate.

As noted by Krebs on Security, the release is notable because it came on the same day that Oracle released updates for Java on other platforms. Apple has long been criticized for lagging on Java updates, a policy which allowed the Flashback malware to flourish as Mac systems remained unprotected against the threat even though Oracle had patched the vulnerability on other systems several months before.

The update Oracle released yesterday, Java 6 Update 33 and Java 7 Update 5, fixes at least 14 security flaws in the oft-attacked software that is installed on more than three billion devices worldwide. Apple’s Java update brings Java on the Mac to 1.6.0_33, and patches 11 of the 14 security vulnerabilities that Oracle fixed in Tuesday’s release. It’s unclear whether those other three flaws simply don’t exist in the Mac version of Java, but we’ll take progress where we can get it.

With Java SE 7 set to come to the Mac later this year, control over updates is transitioning from Apple to the OpenJDK project, with both Apple and Oracle providing expertise to ensure that updates for Mac roll out on a timely basis. That transition was begun back in late 2010, with Steve Jobs noting at the time that having Apple responsible for Java updates on the Mac "may not be the best way to do it."

As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple's retail stores have begun installing new window displays showing off the new Retina MacBook Pro mounted on a pedestal with a massive model of the machine as a background.

As we reported earlier today, Apple retail stores have been receiving display models of the new Retina MacBook Pro, but shipments of stock are just starting to trickle in. Those looking for a stock model may be interested in stalking their local stores to try to obtain one, as new online orders are currently seeing shipping estimates of 3-4 weeks.

As noted by the Associated Press, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has published a list of nearly 2,000 applications it has received as part of an expansion of the domain naming system that is planned to add new suffixes, including some based on brands to allow companies to simplify URLs for their sites and enhance their branding.

Apple is included in the list, having paid the $185,000 application fee to request the ".apple" suffix, although it is unclear whether Apple plans to make high-profile use of the new suffix or if its application is primarily for defensive purposes to prevent another company from taking it.

If approved, the new suffixes would rival ".com" and about 300 others now in use. Companies would be able to create separate websites and separate addresses for each of their products and brands, even as they keep their existing ".com" name. Businesses that joined the Internet late, and found desirable ".com" names taken, would have alternatives.

Apple is the only company to request the .apple suffix, while others such as .app, .shop, and .web have seen multiple applicants vying for the rights. Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are also active participants in the application process, with each of them seeking to secure a number of suffixes related to their businesses.

Should Apple's application be approved, Internet users could find themselves accessing product pages for the iPhone and iPad at iphone.apple and ipad.apple respectively, simplifying advertising and making the URLs shorter and easier to remember.

Shipping estimates for the Retina MacBook Pro continue to slip, with new orders now estimated to ship in 3-4 weeks across Apple's online stores. The slip to 3-4 weeks comes roughly 24 hours after they slipped to 2-3 weeks.

But while new orders will take some time to arrive, some of those who were able to order their machines soon after the online store came back up on Monday are beginning to see their orders ship. One MacRumors reader passed along his tracking information showing that FedEx has picked up his shipment in Shanghai as it heads for the United States with an estimated delivery date of June 18.

Apple retail stores have reportedly begun receiving display models of the new Retina MacBook Pro, but stock remains in flux. Most stores have yet to receive their shipments and are unsure how many and which models they will be receiving. Supplies will undoubtedly be tight in the early days, but should ease as Apple ramps up production and moves its stocks out to the stores for distribution.

Following yesterday's teaser teardown of the updated MacBook Air, iFixit has now given Apple's new Retina MacBook Pro the same treatment.

Apple of course showed off a fair bit of the machines internals during the keynote in order to promote all of the innovations included inside, but iFixit's teardown still provides an interesting hands-on look at the internals.

Unsurprisingly, the Retina MacBook Pro is not designed to be user-accessible, with the slim form factor requiring a number of proprietary components that are designed and assembled for maximum space efficiency rather than upgradeability and repairability. This has resulted in iFixit dubbing the machine "the least repairable laptop we’ve taken apart".

Taking a number of cues from the MacBook Air, the new MacBook Pro uses RAM soldered directly onto the logic board, as well as custom solid-state drives that include a new connector incompatible with existing third-party drives on the market.

Apple has even taken to gluing the large battery into the body of the Retina MacBook Pro, with iFixit ultimately giving up on trying to remove it for fear of puncturing a battery cell. The glued-in battery pack also covers the trackpad cable, making it nearly inaccessible and susceptible to damage if users attempt to remove the battery.

Otherwise, the internals of the Retina MacBook Pro are fairly straightforward, with a large and densely-packed logic board with left-side ports integrated, a separate I/O board for the right-side ports, the asymmetric fan touted by Apple, and custom speaker assemblies.

Apple has just released a new TV ad for the Retina MacBook Pro, naturally focusing on the breakthrough Retina display included in the machine unveiled yesterday.

The radical new MacBook Pro with Retina display. Innovation in every dimension.

While Apple has had several high-profile Mac ad campaigns such as "Get a Mac" and "Switch" , the company only rarely advertises specific Mac products in television commercials. But with the revolutionary new form factor and Retina display in the new MacBook Pro, Apple is clearly interested in drawing widespread attention to the product.

Apple claims that iOS 6, the next version of its iPhone and iPad operating system, is "compatible" with devices as old as the iPhone 3GS. The 3GS was originally released nearly three years ago in June 2009 -- an eternity in gadget time.

However, at the bottom of Apple's iOS 6 info page lies a small disclaimer: "Not all features are available on all devices." This is followed by eight footnotes detailing exactly which features work on which devices.

Some features, like the VIP List for email, the Offline Reading List, and Shared Photo Stream won't work on the iPhone 3GS. Even flagship iOS features like Siri and FaceTime over cellular won't work on recent devices like the iPhone 4 or the iPad 2 -- not to mention the iPhone 3GS.

All that said, however, iPhone 3GS owners will receive iOS 6 features like redesigned App and Music Stores, Cloud Tabs in Safari, Facebook integration, and other improvements -- it just won't include nearly the same number of features as the owners of Apple's latest and greatest gadgets.

Yesterday, David Pogue of The New York Times vaguely stated in reference to Apple's desktop Mac lines that an unnamed Apple executive had informed him that "new models and new designs are under way, probably for release in 2013." That information was taken to include both Mac Pro and iMac models, but was not explicitly clear.

Soon after we posted the article, we received a report from a reader who had emailed Apple CEO Tim Cook about his disappointment in the lack of a significant Mac Pro update yesterday, with Cook responding to indicate that users can expect significant upgrades next year.

Our pro customers are really important to us...don't worry as we're working on something really great for later next year.

Forbes now follows up with additional corroboration of both Mac Pro and iMac updates coming down the road, with the updates likely appearing next year. The information was provided directly by an Apple spokesperson.

An Apple spokesman just told me that new models and new designs of the Mac Pro, as well as the iMac desktop, are in the works and will likely be released in 2013. That confirms what New York Times columnist David Pogue said yesterday, citing an unnamed Apple executive, about Apple’s commitment to its desktop computers.

There was considerable disappointment from Apple's professional workstation users yesterday when Apple introduced only a very minor update to the Mac Pro, with Apple even taking the unusual step of removing the "New" designation on the Mac Pro in its online store today.

In light of the disappointing update with processors that are still several years old, we have tweaked our Buyer's Guide recommendations to suggest that users able to hold off until next year for a more significant update do so instead of purchasing the just-updated but still outdated Mac Pro models.

Update: Apple PR has reached out and clarified that only the Mac Pro is expected to be next updated in 2013. The company had no comment about the iMac, which perhaps means that the iMac could see updates earlier than next year. It has been 406 days since the iMac last received an update, significantly longer than the traditional iMac update interval.

With the first Mid-2012 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models reaching the public, Primate Labs has collated some data from its Geekbench 2 benchmarking database to assess the raw performance of these systems compared to their predecessors.

For the MacBook Pro, Primate Labs has data on four different models: the new Retina model with 2.3 GHz and 2.6 GHz processors and the non-Retina model with 2.3 GHz and 2.7 GHz processors. The top-of-the-line 2.7 GHz system registers with a Geekbench average score of 12,303, roughly 16% higher than the top-of-the-line 2.5 GHz Sandy Bridge system from the previous generation.

Notably, the leaked MacBook Pro benchmark from mid-May does appear to have been legitimate, with details corresponding to the new non-Retina 15-inch MacBook Pro. That machine is designated MacBookPro9,1, while the 13-inch model is designated MacBookPro9,2. The Retina MacBook Pro appears as MacBookPro10,1.

On the MacBook Air side, top-of-the-line systems are seeing boosts of over 20% in Geekbench scores over their corresponding predecessors. As with the MacBook Pro, even the low-end systems of the new generation outperform the high end of the previous generation.

Geekbench testing focuses on processor and memory performance, providing comparisons of raw power between machines but only telling part of the story. But with these machines seeing significant boosts in graphics performance with the addition of Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics and/or the NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M, and systems with solid-state drives using faster drives than in the previous generation, real-world performance should see marked improvement.