Apple

Apple sends out invites for separate September 11 media event in Beijing

Just one day after Apple sent out invitations to a September 10 media event to take place at its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company has apparently sent out invites to a separate event to be held in China a day later.

The event will take place at Beijing’s World Trade Center, and notably, the invitation looks exactly like the one sent out yesterday, albeit the Chinese text. So why would would Apple want to hold a separate iPhone event in China?

Apple sends out invites for September 10 iPhone media event

The months of speculation, rumor mongering, crystal ball peering and analyst predictions are almost over as Apple on Tuesday confirmed there will be an iPhone-related special media event taking place come next Tuesday.

The Apple PR folks have just treated a cherry-picked group of journos to the official invitation for the forthcoming September 10 event.

The high-profile press conference will be held at the company’s Cupertino, California headquarters at 10am Pacific / 1PM Eastern. The invite graphics shows colorful circles behind the Apple logo, set against the all-white flattened background and adorned with the tagline which simply reads, "This should brighten everyone's day".

As per usual, the invitation's design has prompted a scavenger hunt for subtle hints and hidden meanings so do fell free to join the game down in the comments...

Apple rolls out updates to iMovie, iPhoto and GarageBand ahead of iOS 7

Following this morning's sending of invitations for a September 10 media event, Apple has posted updates for its entire iLife for iOS app suite. That includes iPhoto, iMovie and of course GarageBand.

Both iPhoto and iMovie updates claim to "addresses compatibility issues," and there's a similar note in GarageBand's change log. But given the timing, the updates likely have something to do with iOS 7...

About that Apple invite: let’s play Kremlinologist

With Apple's September 10 keynote now officially a go, die-hard fans and watchers alike are falling over each other as they scramble to unearth the subtlest of hints from the invite graphics in their never-ending quest of deciphering the meaning of life. For the most people, yours truly included, it's just naturally assuming those colorful dots set against the white background tip off colorized iPhones.

But isn't that kinda too obvious? Thanks to the folks who think differently and put much more thought into it than your average person, I can figure out such stuff that would have otherwise never crossed my mind. Take, for example, Twitter user i0livier who in a series of tweets reminded us that Apple used a similar design theme two years ago.

Bear with me for just a second...

KitKat pokes fun of Apple’s design prowess

You've likely learned by now about this morning's surprise Google announcement, clearly conceived as a novel way of busting up Apple's news and diverting attention from the brightening of your day.

I'm talking about the upcoming Android version 4.4, code-named KitKat after the famous chocolate-covered wafer biscuit which has apparently "been a favorite candy" on the Android team.

The though process behind the delicious partnership has now unravelled itself in a cringeworthy KitKat clip.

Not only does it spoof Apple's elaborate product videos, it does so by ridiculing the way Jony Ive and his industrial design team go about agonizing over the minutiae. Wait, a confectionery maker is parodying Apple's presentation mojo? What has this world come to?

German appeals court finally lifts 18-month iCloud injunction against Apple

A German appeals court has finally decided to lift the injunction that has prevented Apple from offering push notifications for its iCloud email service in the country. The feature has been disabled for German users since February 2012—so about 18 months.

The injunction spawned from a lawsuit by Motorola Mobility, which as we all know is now owned by Google. The company claims that Apple's iCloud push notification feature infringes upon its patents, and is seeking both a permanent ban and punitive damages...

UK retailers expect to start selling new iPhones on September 20

With U.S. wireless carriers AT&T and T-Mobile - as well as Apple itself - canceling their retail employee vacations ahead of Apple's media event next Tuesday, retailers and distributors in the United Kingdom are now bracing themselves for the impending mid-September iPhone 5S/5C launch.

A report by the British newspaper The Guardian asserts that Apple will be delivering the upcoming new handsets to UK retailers and mobile phone network shops on September 20 and 27, in time for them to go on sale approximately a week after the official announcement on September 10.

The report matches up conveniently with market rumors of Apple allegedly launching the new devices on Japan's SoftBank and KKDI networks come September 20...

EA teases Real Racing 3 Porsche 911 update

Electronic Arts is set to give its free-to-play iOS/Android racer, Real Racing 3, another notable content update. The forthcoming Porsche 911 update is now on the horizon and challenges you to expand your lineup of cars with seven generations of the Porsche 911.

By the way, the car maker is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the legendary 911. The Porsche update is being teased less than three weeks after the most recent content pack enabled a bunch of classic American muscle cars (the Mercedes-Benz and Bentley vehicles came via July's update)...

Google announces Android 4.4 KitKat

Whoa, it's indeed been a crazy news day. First we learned that Microsoft is buying Nokia's devices division for north of $7 billion, then Apple came official with its iPhone event and now - just minutes after Apple's September 10 keynote confirmation - came word straight from the Internet giant Google that the next version of Android is going to be called KitKat.

Way to go to steal Apple's thunder, Google! I'm not kidding: the KitKat Google+ page just went live making the code-name official.

On top of this, the brown chocolate-like statue has joined the crew outside Google's Mountain View, California headquarters. Plus, the Android 4.4 web page is now live, too. Is the use of the KitKat name meant to suggest Google will now "take a break" from innovation? Go past the fold for the full reveal...

New photo of alleged iPhone 5S Home button part could point to fingerprint sensor

As the September 10 iPhone event draws nearer, pundits have begun to cast their final predictions for what features Apple's next smartphone will possess. A faster processor seems like a given, as do a better camera and new gold colorway, but what else?

A lot of folks also think that the iPhone 5S will have a fingerprint scanner built into its Home button. It's been reported by analysts on several occasions, and evidence of it surfaced in iOS 7, but we have yet to see any real concrete proof. Until now?

Apple patent taps gesture input for multi-user iOS Lock screen access

Many iOS devices, particularly the iPad, are often shared among family and friends. For example, wouldn't it be great if you could unlock just your Games folders for the kids, but give yourself and your spouse access to more applications?

Apple may have heard your thoughts, because a new patent outlines ways to offer limited access to select sets of iOS apps, straight from the Lock screen. The technology could supplant the one-size-fits-all nature of a passcode, with proposed 'access inputs' featuring gestures ranging from letters, shapes and more...

Spotify Connect unveiled: AirPlay-like streaming, but without overhead

The popular Swedish streaming music service Spotify on Tuesday announced a compelling new feature for audiophiles which takes the best ideas from Apple's media streaming technology called AirPlay, and then some more. Called Spotify Connect, the service is being billed as "the new way to play at home".

It's a lot like AirPlay, but with the key difference: there's no overhead as the feature streams songs straight from Spotify's server to supported wireless speakers. I've included more information and a nice promo clip after the break...