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Apple Adds High-DPI Versions of Pointers in OS X 10.7.3

Posted on February 7, 2012 by admin

Screenshot from FinerThingsIn.com DaringFireball notes several changes in some of the icons found in OS X 10.7.3. Several of our readers had also noticed the small changes in pointer icons in the latest version. It seems the changes run a bit deeper than on first glance. The new icons apparently come in high DPI versions that allow them to scale at high resolutions. Have you noticed that Safari’s hovering-over-a-link pointing-finger cursor looks a little different in Mac OS X 10.7.3? It’s not just that the finger is at a slightly different angle — it’s a new UI resource that scales gracefully to larger sizes. That’s not the only new high-DPI image resource in 10.7.3: the grabby hand in Mail, the camera cursor for selecting an individual window to take a screenshot of, and a few other UI elements got the high-DPI treatment in 10.7.3. Matt Gemmell shows an enlarged version of the icon when zoomed in Universal Access: As Daring Fireball notes, this could simply be meant for use in Universal Access, but given the active work on high-resolution support in OS X, we too think ultra-high resolution Macs are coming soon. One recent rumor had pegged a “Retina” MacBook Pro as arriving as early as Q2 2012. Continue reading →

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Apple’s Grand Central Neighbor Seeing 7% Increase In Sales

Posted on February 6, 2012 by admin

New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)’s s weetheart deal for Apple’s just-opened Grand Central Terminal retail store seems to be paying dividends for the MTA and neighboring stores. One restaurant is reporting a 7 percent increase in sales since the store opened in December. Michael Jordan’s The Steak House is located across the terminal from the new Apple Store, Grand Central and co-owner Peter Glazier says the restaurant has seen a 7 percent jump in sales in the seven weeks that the Apple Store has been open, reports Crains New York . Glazier also says the rise isn’t because Apple replaced another restaurant, Metrazur, in the terminal. “The jump only happened after Apple opened,” said Glazier, not in the several months that the space was being renovated as the store was built. There was some criticism of the deal that Apple and the MTA worked out, most notably around the lack of a revenue sharing agreement which is standard for most tenants of Grand Central. Apple’s $60-per-square-foot lease agreement is also significantly lower than what most other tenants are paying. The MTA argued that a flagship Apple Store would bring in significant foot traffic to the terminal, benefiting both other GCT tenants and the terminal as a whole. The MTA has previously noted that for every 1% increase in sales across the terminal’s retailers, the MTA will gain $500,000 in rent due to the percentage rent provisions in place on the leases of nearly every other tenant with the exception of Apple. MTA’s gamble appears to be paying off, for at least one establishment. ( Photo via Yelp/Chris F. ) Continue reading →

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Apple’s Share of Profits Among Top Mobile Phone Vendors Hits 75%

Posted on February 3, 2012 by admin

asymco ‘s Horace Dediu has released his latest calculations of revenue and profits in the global mobile phone industry, finding that Apple has increased its share of the top vendors’ profits to 75%. Samsung followed in second place with 16% of industry profits while no other vendor accounted for more than 4% of profits. Apple reached 75% of profit share, nearly 40% of revenue share and 9% of units share. Apple and Samsung combined for about 91% of profits with RIM third at 3.7%, HTC fourth at 3.0% and Nokia last at 1.8% of a $15 billion total for the quarter. Dediu’s analysis covers eight top mobile phone vendors: Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Research in Motion, HTC, LG, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson. While the numbers do not include a few major players such as China’s ZTE for which public numbers are not available, his analysis does provide a relatively solid picture of the industry. According to Dediu’s numbers, Apple has held the top spot in profits for 13 quarters in row since overtaking Nokia, and now dominates the industry with its 75% share of profits. Apple succeeds by generating high profitability on high-end devices, enabling it to take the majority of profits while still controlling less than 10% of unit sales. Continue reading →

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Apple Pulls All 3G Devices Except iPhone 4S from German Online Store Following Motorola Patent Win [Updated]

Posted on February 3, 2012 by admin

Bloomberg reports that Apple has removed all non-iPhone 4S devices with 3G technology from its German online store following a win by Motorola in the ongoing patent dispute between the two companies. The devices, which include the 3G iPad 2, iPhone 4, and iPhone 3GS, remain available from Apple’s physical stores and other resellers in the country. iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS removed from Apple’s German online store The removal is related to enforcement of a December injunction focused on a Motorola patent on 3G GPRS technology. “While some iPad and iPhone models are not available through Apple’s online store in Germany right now, customers should have no problem finding them at one of our retail stores or an authorized reseller,” [Apple spokesman Alan] Hely said. Beyond the 3G issue, Motorola has also won an injunction against Apple related to its iCloud services . Motorola has yet to seek enforcement of that ban, but could do so if it elected to post a $132 million bond to help cover penalties if it ultimately loses the case on appeal. iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G models removed from Apple’s German online store Apple is appealing both decisions, but has apparently agreed to remove the numerous 3G devices from its German online store while the process remains ongoing. Update : SlashGear reports that Apple has issued a statement claiming that the 3G GPRS injunction has already been suspended and that the affected iPhone and iPad devices will return to the German online store “shortly”. Apple has been granted a suspension of the German injunction against 3G-enabled iOS devices, with the iPad WiFi + 3G, iPhone 4 and other gadgets back on sale through the company’s online store. ”All iPad and iPhone models will be back on sale through Apple’s online store in Germany shortly” the company told us in a statement. “Apple appealed this ruling because Motorola repeatedly refuses to license this patent to Apple on reasonable terms, despite having declared it an industry standard patent seven years ago.” Update 2 : The affected devices are now available again in the German online store. Continue reading →

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iMessages Going to Wrong iPhone "Isn’t a Bug" Claims Apple

Posted on February 2, 2012 by admin

In December, an apparent bug appeared in Apple’s iMessage service that allowed iMessages to be sent to a stolen iPhone. Earlier this week, Gizmodo reported that a customer who went to Apple’s Genius Bar began receiving iMessages from the Genius who helped fix their phone. It appears that the Genius took his personal SIM card and inserted it into the customer’s iPhone as part of a series of unofficial and unapproved diagnostic efforts to fix the customer’s phone. An Apple representative explained to The Loop ‘s Jim Dalrymple that the issue in the Gizmodo story wasn’t a bug, but instead was the result of the Genius not following protocol . “This was an extremely rare situation that occurred when a retail employee did not follow the correct service procedure and used their personal SIM to help a customer who did not have a working SIM,” Apple representative Natalie Harrison told The Loop. “This resulted in a temporary situation that has since been resolved by the employee.” The act of installing an employee’s personal SIM card into a customer’s iPhone is obviously not an approved procedure at the Genius Bar. However, the fact that the Genius wasn’t supposed to perform this act does not mean that this was merely an “extremely rare situation”. A number of customers have reported iMessage issues, including messages continuing to go to a stolen iPhone after a remote wipe and a SIM card deactivation . This is obviously an unintended action, and though Apple explains the solution to be “toggle iMessage on and off” in the Settings app, that is an impossible act to perform on a stolen phone. ( Image via Ars Technica ) Continue reading →

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OS X 10.7.3 Update Issues Fixable in Many Cases with Combo Version

Posted on February 2, 2012 by admin

Following yesterday’s release of OS X 10.7.3 , a number of users in our forums and at Apple’s discussion forums began reporting issues with the update. The most serious of these issues seems to be widespread crashing of apps generally accompanied by an artwork error in the crash notice window in which the window’s buttons are replaced with graphics showing “CUI” and question marks. In general, users have found that applying the combo version of the OS X 10.7.3 update rather than the standard delta version typically offered via Software Update will fix the issues. The combo update can even be applied over an existing installation that is exhibiting the problem. With the crashing issues perhaps causing users difficulties in applying the combo update to fix the problem, OS X Daily provides a nice summary of how this can be accomplished: The simple formula is this: – Download Mac OS X 10.7.3 Combo Updater ( direct link ) – Run the 10.7.3 Combo Updater on top of the existing 10.7.3 installation – Reboot If you can’t get to the desktop of the Mac in question, you can boot it with Target Disk Mode (Firewire or Thunderbolt required), and then point the 10.7.3 Combo Update at the troubled Mac and install it that way. If your OS X installation is totally screwed up and you can’t use target disk mode, you have a few choices: 1. Restore from a recent pre-10.7.3 Time Machine backup, then install the Combo Updater 2. Boot from Recovery HD, a Recovery Drive , or Lion USB drive , and reinstall everything Not the best situation, but hopefully you have recent Time Machine backups. The report also notes that users who already updated and are unaffected by the issues but still concerned that there may still be issues lurking can back up their systems and simply install the combo version for peace of mind. Update : 9to5Mac notes that Apple has put out a notice to a set of OS X 10.7.3 testers asking for feedback on the issue. We would like to know if you have experienced an issue after updating to 10.7.3 characterized by the following: Applications crash or quit on launch, The term “CUI” and other graphic anomalies appear in dialogs and windows. If you have encountered this issue please submit a bug report. Be sure to include the following with your report: Install logs, system logs, a full System Report. Continue reading →

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Apple Releases OS X 10.7.3 with New Language Support and Bug Fixes

Posted on February 1, 2012 by admin

Apple today released OS X 10.7.3, the third maintenance update to OS X Lion. The update is available via Software Update and Apple’s download pages. The 10.7.3 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac including fixes that: – Add Catalan, Croatian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, and Ukrainian language support – Address issues when using smart cards to log into OS X – Resolve issues authenticating with directory services – Address compatibility issues with Windows file sharing Detailed information is available in the full full release notes . Available versions includes: – OS X Lion Update 10.7.3 (Client) (997.01 MB) – OS X Lion Update 10.7.3 (Client Combo) (1.2 GB) – OS X Lion Update 10.7.3 (Server) (1 GB) – OS X Lion Update 10.7.3 (Server) Combo (1.34 GB) – Server Admin Tools 10.7.3 (202.59 MB) Apple has also released Security Update 2012-001 to bring security fixes to users running systems with Mac OS X Snow Leopard: – Security Update 2012-001 (Snow Leopard) (192.73 MB) – Security Update 2012-001 Server (Snow Leopard) (212.09 MB) Finally, Apple has also released Apple Remote Desktop 3.5.2 Client (3.75 MB) to address issues with screen sharing. Continue reading →

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Apple’s 1.3 MP Camera-Equipped iPod Nano Due for Launch in March/April? [Updated]

Posted on February 1, 2012 by admin

Earlier today, we reported on new photos of an iPod nano casing that appears to support a rear-facing camera. With similar photos having shown up in the past, it was unclear whether Apple was still pursuing the design for a future iPod nano. M.I.C gadget now weighs in with claims that the pictured device is in fact a two-month old prototype but that Apple has been having difficulties with the 1.3-megapixel camera taking overexposed photos. It’s real, and it’s a two-month-old prototype that has big problems. It comes with an auto iris lens that can be affected by diffraction and blurring when the iris opening becomes too small in bright conditions. Ok, I gotta say it simply, it takes overexposed photos. According to our factory sources, Apple have problems with the lens aperture for the next-gen iPod nano, the iris is not functioning correctly to allow the advantages of the low aperture to be utilized. Interestingly, the report claims that the user interface for the camera features is finished and that Apple is looking to launch the device late this quarter or early next quarter once it finishes working out the camera issues. The release would be a significant deviation from Apple’s usual iPod refresh timeline, which has typically seen updates come in the September-October timeframe. But with Apple shaking up its schedules in 2011 by pushing the iPhone back from its usual June release to take the iPod’s place with an October debut, it is possible that other changes to the usual timeline are in store. The iPods saw only very minor changes last October, with the iPod touch essentially gaining only a white option and a price drop while the iPod nano saw a price drop and a software update that was also compatible with the previous year’s model. The iPod shuffle and iPod classic received no updates at all, making Apple’s 2011 iPod updates by far the most modest in the company’s history. Consequently, Apple could be looking to make more substantial changes to its iPod line, such as the release of a camera-equipped iPod nano, well ahead of the fall 2012 timeframe. Update : Refuting M.I.C gadget ‘s claim that the iPod nano shown in the photos is a two-month old prototype, Apple.pro ‘s Anthony Tsai posts this screenshot showing that the photos were in fact originally posted to the Internet in August 2011: Continue reading →

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Photos of Debug Software Show Alleged Details of iPad 3 with Quad-Core A6 and LTE

Posted on February 1, 2012 by admin

BGR reports that it has received from a source photos of what are claimed to be screenshots from Apple’s iBoot development and debugging software for the bootrom showing details on an iPad 3. The screenshots, which show references to the known “J1″ and “iPad3,1″ code names, reveal that the device will indeed be using a new application processor carrying an S5L8945X identifier, presumably as part of a new A6 system-on-a-chip. For starters, the model numbers are J1 and J2 (iPad3,1 and iPad3,2), and while DigiTimes reported this a few weeks ago, these two models are not different devices, just a single iPad available in two versions — one with Wi-Fi only and one with Wi-Fi and embedded GSM/CDMA/LTE for all carriers. Also included in the photos is, for the first time, confirmation of which processor Apple will be using in the iPad 3: an A6 processor with model number S5L8945X. For reference, the Apple A4 model was S5L8930X and the A5 is S5L8940X. The report notes that the processor is expected to be of the quad-core variety, up from the current dual-core processor used in the A5 on the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. The report also reiterates claims that the iPad will support LTE alongside GSM and CDMA 3G networks in a single device. BGR offers no assessment of the reliability of the source of the photos, and iBoot output could be easily faked, but if legitimate the details bolster claims that the iPad 3 will be a major upgrade to the popular tablet device. Continue reading →

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New Photos of Camera-Equipped iPod Nano Casing Surface

Posted on February 1, 2012 by admin

Last April, Taiwanese site Apple.pro posted a photo of what appeared to be an iPod nano with a hole in the rear casing that was said to be for a camera. A second photo showing the casing from the other side surfaced a month later, appearing to show a clipless design for the device and claiming that it would carry a 1.3-megapixel camera. Apple ultimately made no changes to the design of the iPod nano in September of last year, instead opting to update the software and lower pricing on the 8 GB and 16 GB models. But the idea of a camera-equipped iPod nano was revived in November with the publication of a May 2010 patent application on speaker design that appeared to show a hole in the iPod nano’s clip in the same location as the rumored camera hole seen in the leaked photos. Apple.pro now reports [ Google translation ] that a series of new photos have surfaced showing this camera-enabled iPod nano casing in even more detail. The new photos clearly show the device retaining its clip-on design with a metal housing for a camera assembly protruding from the back of the main case and sitting flush with a hole in the device’s clip. The design would allow Apple to squeeze a camera into the current diminutive form factor of the iPod nano by moving much of the lens and sensor hardware outside of the main casing but still within the overall device envelope by utilizing a small portion of the gap between the device and the clip. Given that this design for a camera-equipped iPod nano has been floating around for some time and did not make an appearance during last October’s update, it is unclear whether the design is still in the works for Apple or if it has been scrapped for some reason. The company had previously introduced a low-resolution video-only camera on the previous iPod nano form factor, but removed the feature when it redesigned the device with a smaller, iPod shuffle-like form factor in 2010. An Apple patent application filed in late 2009 also suggests that Apple has an interest in equipping the current iPod nano design with a camera, offering it as one example of an environmental sensor that could be used to allow the device to display screen savers and other content that relate to the device’s environment such as the current weather or other factors. Continue reading →

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