MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors

Apple Initiates iPhone 5 Sleep/Wake Button Replacement Program Posted: 25 Apr 2014 02:22 PM PDT Apple has initiated a recall of some iPhone 5 models because the Sleep/Wake button may "stop working or work intermittently", according to an Apple statement given to The Loop. The company has created a special support website for the recall where customers can enter their iPhone serial number and see if their phone is one of the "small percentage" of iPhone 5 models that are affected. Affected phones can be brought to an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider, though the phone will need to be sent to an Apple Repair Center for servicing. Stores will have some iPhone 5 16GB models available as loaners. Another option is mailing the iPhone to Apple, with details available on the recall program's website. Replacement of the sleep/wake button mechanism is done at an Apple Repair Center. There are two ways to send your iPhone to the repair center—carry-in or mail-in. See below for details. The replacement process takes approximately 4-6 days from the time your iPhone is received at the repair center until it is returned to you. Your iPhone will be examined prior to any service to verify that it is eligible for this program and is otherwise in working order. Before sending your iPhone to Apple for service, you will need to back up all your data and erase all your content and settings. Users who believe they have paid for an out-of-warranty replacement to rectify this issue should contact Apple regarding a refund and the company notes that this does not extend warranty coverage for any other issues. Additionally, the program is only effective for two years after the initial retail purchase of the iPhone 5 unit in question, meaning buyers who purchased the iPhone 5 when it first was released have at least five months to have their machines repaired. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • StackSocial Offers 9 Apps in 'Name Your Own Price' Mac Bundle and MacBook Air in Giveaway • Spotify Approaching 10M Paying Users, Revenue May Soon Surpass iTunes in Europe • iOS 8 Concept Video Features Siri with Shazam, iWatch-Synced Healthbook App • iPad Dominates Mobile Web Share with 77 Percent of April 2014 Traffic • Mac Pro Shipping Estimates Improve to 3 to 5 Weeks • Creation of Original iPhone Browser Detailed by Former Apple Engineer • Facebook Expands Mobile App Portfolio with 'Moves' Fitness App Acquisition • 'Beats Music' Tops App Store Music Chart as In-App Subscriptions Spark Interest

Nike CEO 'Excited' About Future of Fitness Partnership with Apple Posted: 25 Apr 2014 11:10 AM PDT Late last week, it was revealed that Nike is scaling back its FuelBand hardware effort to focus on the software side of its fitness tracking ecosystem, sparking speculation of a potential partnership with Apple focused around the iWatch or other Apple hardware. Nike CEO Mark Parker appeared on CNBC earlier today, and while he would not directly address specific plans with respect to Apple, he did note that Apple is a longtime partner and that he is "excited about where that relationship will go forward." Parker: [Y]ou're going to continue to see us commit to this area, to focus on expanding the reach. Today, we have about 30 million FuelBand users. We're hoping to push that to over 100 million. We have partners that we work with...obviously the most visible partner we have is Apple. We've been working with them for a long time. And we're excited about where that relationship will go forward. CNBC's Sara Eisen: Well, can you give us a hint? Are we going to expect some sort of collaborative device coming out? Nike and Apple? Parker: I can't really say that. There's been a lot of speculation, which I understand. I will just say the relationship between Nike and Apple will continue. And I am personally, as we all are at Nike, very excited about what's to come. Parker went on to discuss how Nike is going to focus on the software side of the wearable fitness device market going forward, integrating it into some of of Nike's products as well as those of partners. With those partnerships, Nike is seeking to further its primary goal of expanding the overall Fuel ecosystem to as many people as possible. Speculation of a Nike-Apple partnership is natural given the long history between the two companies, highlighted by the Nike+iPod initiative to bring pedometer and other fitness tracking to Apple devices. Apple CEO Tim Cook has served on Nike's board of directors for nearly a decade, and he is frequently seen wearing a Nike FuelBand. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • iOS 8 Concept Video Features Siri with Shazam, iWatch-Synced Healthbook App • iPad Dominates Mobile Web Share with 77 Percent of April 2014 Traffic • Mac Pro Shipping Estimates Improve to 3 to 5 Weeks • Creation of Original iPhone Browser Detailed by Former Apple Engineer • Facebook Expands Mobile App Portfolio with 'Moves' Fitness App Acquisition • 'Beats Music' Tops App Store Music Chart as In-App Subscriptions Spark Interest • 'Opera Coast' WebKit-Based Browser Now Available for iPhone • Prong Debuts iPhone 'PWR Case' With Built-In Plug and Backup Battery

Transcend Debuts JetDrive SSD Upgrade Kits Up to 960GB for MacBook Air, Retina Macbook Pro Posted: 25 Apr 2014 10:56 AM PDT Transcend has introduced new JetDrive SSD upgrade kits designed for the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro with Retina display. The upgrade kits offer up to 960GB of internal storage capacity and come with both installation tools and instructions. JetDrive kits also ship with an aluminum USB 3.0 enclosure, which allows upgraders to reuse their original SSD, and all kits include a five year warranty. Stop shuffling around your files and fretting about storage space. Transcend's JetDrive SSD upgrade kits offer up to 960GB of storage capacity. Upgrading your Mac to a JetDrive SSD ensures you'll have plenty of space for all your favorite music, videos, and photos. The JetDrive SSDs are able to take advantage of JetDrive Toolbox monitoring software, which keeps track of the health of the drive and enables TRIM support for optimum write speeds and SSD life. JetDrive SSDs also have maximum read speeds of 495MB/s and maximum write speeds of 495MB/s. The company has three separate products for early MacBook Airs, mid–2012 MacBook Airs, and mid-2012 Retina Macbook Pros, in multiple capacities. While mid–2012 MacBook Airs and Retina MacBook Pros can be upgraded with 240, 480, or 960 GB of storage space, earlier MacBook Airs (late 2010 and mid–2011) are limited to 240 or 480 GB. Transcend's JetDrive kits are not PCIe and are not compatible with the most recently released 2013 MacBook Airs and Retina MacBook Pros. Transcend's JetDrives can be found on Amazon.com, with prices ranging from $190 for the lower end upgrade to $600 for the higher end upgrade. Ordering information and specific links can be accessed on Transcend's website, but the 960 GB SSDs have yet to make their way to Amazon. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • iOS 8 Concept Video Features Siri with Shazam, iWatch-Synced Healthbook App • iPad Dominates Mobile Web Share with 77 Percent of April 2014 Traffic • Mac Pro Shipping Estimates Improve to 3 to 5 Weeks • Creation of Original iPhone Browser Detailed by Former Apple Engineer • Facebook Expands Mobile App Portfolio with 'Moves' Fitness App Acquisition • 'Beats Music' Tops App Store Music Chart as In-App Subscriptions Spark Interest • 'Opera Coast' WebKit-Based Browser Now Available for iPhone • Prong Debuts iPhone 'PWR Case' With Built-In Plug and Backup Battery

iPhone 6 Case Maker's Renderings Display Antenna Cutouts, Thin Design Posted: 25 Apr 2014 10:27 AM PDT iPhone 6 design renderings aimed at helping case manufacturers create early iPhone 6 cases ahead of the device's release have surfaced on Ukranian website UkrainianiPhone [Google Translate] (via Nowhereelse.fr ), from what the site calls a "reliable source of information." The renderings are seemingly based on the same general design principles found in schematics leaked back in early March, but they provide more detail on what we might possibly expect from the iPhone 6. As with most of the current design leaks, the authenticity of the renderings cannot be confirmed. While the majority of renderings, cases, and iPhone 6 details leaked up until this point have failed to explain how Apple will incorporate antennas into the iPhone 6, the new Ukrainian renderings suggest that the back shell of the iPhone will not be all one piece, potentially leaving room in the aluminum casing for possible antenna inserts, similar to the design of the existing iPhone 5s. There are separate top and bottom pieces depicted in the renderings as well, which also point towards an antenna. According to the renderings, the device will have a thickness of 6mm, which is somewhat in line with predictions from reliable KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who pointed towards a thickness of 6.5 to 7mm. At 6mm, the iPhone 6 would be significantly thinner than the iPhone 5s, which is 7.6mm thick. The renderings also suggest the iPhone 6 will have a length of 138mm and a width of 67mm. As with the original design schematics, the renderings incorporate a rounded flash, which is a departure from the existing pill-shaped True Tone flash introduced with the iPhone 5s. There's also a sleep/wake button located on the right side of the device, and rumors have thus far suggested Apple could move the button to make it easier to access sleep/wake on a larger device with one hand. Overall, the renderings are more or less in line with previous iPhone 6 rumors, which have indeed pointed to a thinner design with smaller bezels. Apple's iPhone 6 is also expected to include an upgraded A8 processor, Touch ID, and an improved camera. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • iOS 8 Concept Video Features Siri with Shazam, iWatch-Synced Healthbook App • iPad Dominates Mobile Web Share with 77 Percent of April 2014 Traffic • Mac Pro Shipping Estimates Improve to 3 to 5 Weeks • Creation of Original iPhone Browser Detailed by Former Apple Engineer • Facebook Expands Mobile App Portfolio with 'Moves' Fitness App Acquisition • 'Beats Music' Tops App Store Music Chart as In-App Subscriptions Spark Interest • 'Opera Coast' WebKit-Based Browser Now Available for iPhone • Prong Debuts iPhone 'PWR Case' With Built-In Plug and Backup Battery

MacBook Air Roundup Updated Posted: 25 Apr 2014 09:51 AM PDT The 11" and 12" MacBook Airs may be updated soon. One report even claims next week. Meanwhile, a new 12" MacBook Air with Retina display may be coming out this fall. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • iOS 8 Concept Video Features Siri with Shazam, iWatch-Synced Healthbook App • iPad Dominates Mobile Web Share with 77 Percent of April 2014 Traffic • Mac Pro Shipping Estimates Improve to 3 to 5 Weeks • Creation of Original iPhone Browser Detailed by Former Apple Engineer • Facebook Expands Mobile App Portfolio with 'Moves' Fitness App Acquisition • 'Beats Music' Tops App Store Music Chart as In-App Subscriptions Spark Interest • 'Opera Coast' WebKit-Based Browser Now Available for iPhone • Prong Debuts iPhone 'PWR Case' With Built-In Plug and Backup Battery