Apple Seeds Fifth OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan Beta to Developers
Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan update to developers, two weeks after seeding the fourth beta and more than a month after releasing OS X 10.11.1, the first OS X El Capitan update, to the public.
The fifth beta, build 15C48a, is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store and can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center.
OS X 10.11.2 appears to be an under-the-hood update as the four previous betas have not included any apparent outward-facing changes. OS X 10.11.2 is likely to include bug fixes, security enhancements, and performance improvements to address problems that have popped up since the release of OS X 10.11.1.
Apple’s release notes for OS X 10.11.2 have asked developers to focus on Networking, Graphics, Mail, Wi-Fi, Calendar, USB, Notes, Photos, and Spotlight.
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Apple Teams Up With Supercell for 2015 World AIDS Day Campaign
Apple is gearing up for its annual World Aids Day campaign and has partnered with popular iOS app developer Supercell for a (SUPERCELL)RED promotion that will see the developer offering a special in-game decorative item for purchase, with 100 percent of proceeds going towards the Global Fund to fight AIDS.
Supercell is the developer behind some of the most profitable apps in the App Store, with Clash of Clans currently ranked as the number three most profitable app and Boom Beach ranked as number 10. From now until December 4 at 8:00 a.m., players who purchase a (Pile of Gems)RED pack in Clash of Clans, a (Pile of Diamonds)RED in Boom Beach, or a (Bag of Diamonds)RED in Hay Day can contribute to the fight against AIDS.
Apple has a long history of working with (PRODUCT)RED to fund AIDS research and charity work, and the company has run a World AIDS Day campaign for the last several years. Each year, Apple highlights World AIDS day on its website and decorates its retail stores with red Apple logos. With World AIDS day taking place tomorrow, December 1, Apple retail stores are expected to see decorations going up this afternoon and this evening.
Apple has also released an official (PRODUCT)RED leather case for the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, which joins the (PRODUCT)RED silicone case that was released alongside the new iPhones in September.
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Apple Teams Up With Supercell for 2015 World AIDS Day Campaign
Apple is gearing up for its annual World Aids Day campaign and has partnered with popular iOS app developer Supercell for a (SUPERCELL)RED promotion that will see the developer offering a special in-game decorative item for purchase, with 100 percent of proceeds going towards the Global Fund to fight AIDS.
Supercell is the developer behind some of the most profitable apps in the App Store, with Clash of Clans currently ranked as the number three most profitable app and Boom Beach ranked as number 10. From now until December 4 at 8:00 a.m., players who purchase a (Pile of Gems)RED pack in Clash of Clans, a (Pile of Diamonds)RED in Boom Beach, or a (Bag of Diamonds)RED in Hay Day can contribute to the fight against AIDS.
Apple has a long history of working with (PRODUCT)RED to fund AIDS research and charity work, and the company has run a World AIDS Day campaign for the last several years. Each year, Apple highlights World AIDS day on its website and decorates its retail stores with red Apple logos. With World AIDS day taking place tomorrow, December 1, Apple retail stores are expected to see decorations going up this afternoon and this evening.
Apple has also released an official (PRODUCT)RED leather case for the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, which joins the (PRODUCT)RED silicone case that was released alongside the new iPhones in September.
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Danny Boyle Refers to ‘Steve Jobs’ Wide Release Plan as ‘Arrogant’
Following an initial wave of laudatory reviews at a few film festivals in September, the new Steve Jobs movie earned only 7th-place during its debut box office weekend. The film’s director, Danny Boyle, has given a reason behind its poor performance, calling the release strategy “arrogant” during a fundraising event for the annual Shuffle Festival in London (via Business Insider).
“We were arrogant to release it very wide, very quickly,” the director said over the weekend. His remark refers to the somewhat hazy rollout plan for the film, which saw it premiere in just New York and Los Angeles on October 9 — where it made a small, but impressive mark — before going wide on October 23 and subsequently failing to impress. The initial longer-term plan for the movie saw a few more weeks of time spent rolling out to more select venues across the country, generating positive word of mouth, before expanding to a wide release closer to the end of the year and poised closer to the Oscar season.
The film’s opening weekend predictions were estimated to be between $15 and $19 million, but Steve Jobs made just $7.3 million in its debut three-day weekend, gaining it the 7th-place slot at the box office. Boyle was noted as voicing hope for Apple’s massive fanbase to create an event around the film, but after disappointing the first weekend, the studio decided to pull it from over 2,000 theaters across the United States, leaving the movie in about 300 theaters in total.
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A9X Die Photo From iPad Pro Reveals 12-Cluster Graphics, No L3 Cache
Financial news website The Motley Fool has shared details of the A9X die featured in the new Apple iPad Pro, thanks to analysis from electronics teardown firm Chipworks. The photo reveals the A9X’s dual-core CPU and a 12-cluster GPU to drive the device’s massive display.
While the CPU core count observed in the A9X matches that of the A9 from the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the 12-cluster GPU is twice as powerful as the six-cluster GPU found in the A9 design. Otherwise, the core and cluster designs appear to be identical to those found in the A9 die shots.
Dual-core CPU boxed in green, six dual-cluster GPU regions boxed in blue
Chipworks confirms that the die shown in the photo is fabricated by TSMC, and it does indeed show similarities with the existing A9 TSMC die already pictured by Chipworks.
The Motley Fool also points out that the 8 MB third level cache featured on the A9 to help manage data flow to and from memory is not present on the A9X die, suggesting that the absence of this cache is due to the increased memory bandwidth that the A9X enjoys by having a memory interface twice the width of the A9 die. Indeed, in the included die shot, an expansive DRAM memory interface can be observed across three sides of the die.
It is also worth mentioning that while the display resolution is much greater than on other iPads, the iPad Pro does not feature the 12-megapixel camera of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus that would place additional demands on the memory hierarchy for real-time image processing.
The presence of only two CPU cores is also interesting, given that the A8X featured in the iPad Air 2 had three CPU cores. The iPad Pro can make up any resultant performance deficiencies through a combination of higher efficiency, thanks to the new architecture, as well as the large clock speed boost compared to the A8 designs.
Even with the absence of L3 cache and only two CPU cores, the A9X measures 147 square millimeters. This is just 18 square millimeters shy of Apple’s largest chip design ever, the A5X featured in the first iPad with retina display. Unsurprisingly, the A5X was quickly phased out and replaced by the smaller A6X seen in the fourth-generation iPad. The A9X’s 147 mm^2 die is also larger than the latest quad-core Skylake design from Intel, which comes in at 122 mm^2 on its 14nm FinFET process.
While it may simply be a perfect mixture of die space saving and adequate memory bandwidth for the A9X design, the lack of the third level SRAM cache may tip future design decisions should memory bandwidth improve substantially. 3D IC packaging designs are rapidly approaching mainstream consumer electronics, and they boast a variety of memory configurations, which stand to significantly improve memory bandwidth while also providing lower power dissipation. As we covered recently, packaging technologies enabling these high bandwidth memories may arrive as soon as Apple’s A10 SoC for devices next year.
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Apple Releases (PRODUCT)RED Leather Cases for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
An official (PRODUCT)RED version of Apple’s leather case for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus has been spotted in at least one Apple retail store today, as reported by French tech site iGeneration [Google Translate]. When the new line of iPhones debuted in September, only the silicone case was offered in a (PRODUCT)RED option.
The (PRODUCT)RED leather case for the iPhone 6s hasn’t appeared yet on Apple’s online store, but will most likely soon follow if the company keeps slowly rolling out the case to its retail locations around the country. When it does, it’ll no doubt come in at the same price of the other leather cases sold by Apple, costing $45 for the iPhone 6s version and $49 for the iPhone 6s Plus version.
A portion of sales from Apple’s entire (PRODUCT)RED lineup goes to the Global Fund to help fund AIDS programs in Africa. Most recently, the company introduced (PRODUCT)RED accessories for the Apple Watch, debuting a new collection and band in the bright red color option during its September “Hey Siri” media event.
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Thinner MacBook Air in 13″ and 15″ Sizes Coming at WWDC 2016?
Apple may be preparing to introduce a revamped MacBook Air at next year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, according to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News [Google Translate]. If Apple holds true to recent history, WWDC 2016 would be held in June, and the today’s report claims the new MacBook Air will launch in the third quarter, which corresponds to the July–September timeframe.
The new MacBook Air is said to take on a slimmer design and arrive in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes, but it is unclear whether an 11-inch model will also be included. The slimmer design will be enabled by “fully redesigned” internal components across the board, and Apple is reportedly currently working with its suppliers to develop these new components.
Apple’s notebook lineup expanded earlier this year with the addition of the new MacBook, an ultrathin machine carrying a 12-inch Retina display and utilizing ultra low voltage Intel chips for a fanless design.
Many have assumed the MacBook Air will be discontinued at some point as declining costs allow the MacBook to become Apple’s mainstream notebook offering, so a redesigned MacBook Air giving the line a new lease on life could be considered a bit of a surprise.
The addition of a 15-inch MacBook Air could hint at Apple’s vision for its future lineup, with the 12-inch MacBook occupying the ultraportable spot, the MacBook Air serving mainstream customers at 13 and 15 inches, and the MacBook Pro offering more power at those same sizes.
Economic Daily News has a hit-or-miss track record with Apple rumors, so caution should be observed with today’s claims until or unless other supporting rumors surface in the coming months.
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Obi Worldphone SF1 now up for registration in India
Last this past summer, a surprise announcement came out of seemingly nowhere: Apple’s former CEO, John Sculley, was not only back in the business, but touting a new line of wallet-friendly smartphones called the Obi Worldphone. Two models were announced, the SF1 and the SF1.5, with the former having more premium specs than the latter. It seems the time is near for release, as website Gadgets 360 has exclusively begun registration, with Obi’s official website directing to said page as well.
As can be seen in the above picture, two models are available for purchase: a 16GB / 2GB RAM configuration for 11,999 rupees, and a 32GB / 3GB of RAM configuration for 13,999 rupees. This converts to roughly $179 and $209 respectively. The phones sport some rather surprisingly solid specs for devices this demure in dollars:
A 5-inch Full HD In-cell IPS display, a 1.5 GHz 64-bit Octa-core Snapdragon 615 SoC, ; Adreno 405 GPU, LTE, a 3000 mAh battery, Quick Charge 1.0, Dual SIM support, a 13-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera (both with LED flash), microSD card support, Dolby Audio and noise cancellation.
Things get even more interesting when looking at the individual specs themselves: the display is fully laminated and made by JDI, the screen is Gorilla Glass 4, and the rear camera is a Sony Exmor IMX214 Sensor with f/2.0 aperture.
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Suffice to say, the product definitely goes head-to-head with chief rivals like the Motorola Moto G (2015) and the OnePlus X, and design-wise many have said the Obi Worldphone looks inspired by some of Nokia’s Lumia devices.
Currently, registration simply requires submitting your e-mail address on the Gadgets 360 mini site. The official Obi site proclaims that “more [countries] are on the way” thus we can assume that availability is going to be expanding soon. The device is said to be launching in Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, Pakistan, Turkey and India. There are currently no details about the lower-speced SF 1.5.
What do you think? Is the Worldphone worth picking up, or are there better fish in the sea? At the very least, it will be quite interesting to watch how the proposition fares given the presence of Mr. Sculley.
Apple’s next iPhone reportedly ditches the headphone jack
Apple’s quest for ever-thinner, ever-smarter devices may produce another casualty: your iPhone’s headphone jack. A rumor at MacOtakara claims that the next iPhone might drop the 3.5mm port and use the Lightning port for audio instead. The move would let Apple slim its phone even further (reportedly, over 1mm thinner than the iPhone 6s) and take advantage of Lightning’s features, such as headphone-based DACs and app launching. You’d have to use an adapter for any conventional wired headphones, or else make the leap to Bluetooth.
Via: MacRumors
Source: MacOtakara (translated)
MacMall’s 2015 Cyber Monday Sale Now Live With Good Deals on Macs
MacMall’s annual Cyber Monday sale offering discounts on Macs and several other Apple products starts today, November 28, at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time and lasts through 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Monday, November 30.
Following its 60-hour Black Friday sale, MacMall continues to offer significant discounts on a huge selection of Apple Macs and iPads. The Retina MacBook Pro is available at up to $259 off, while the MacBook Air is available for up to $100 off. The 27-inch iMac is available at up to $200 off, and the Mac mini is available at up to $70 off.
MacMall sells a range of stock Apple Macs and custom build-to-order models. We’ve listed a selection of the more popular discounted models below, but the full range of discounts are available on the MacMall website.
2015 Retina MacBook
– 1.1GHz/8GB/256GB Gold, Silver, Space Gray – $1,199, $100 off
– 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB Gold, Silver, Space Gray – $1,499, $100 off
– 1.3GHz/8GB/256GB Gold, Silver, Space Gray – $1,489, $60 off
– 1.3GHz/8GB/512GB Gold, Silver, Space Gray – $1,689, $60 off
2015 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro
– 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB – $1,229, $70 off
– 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB – $1,399, $100 off
– 2.9GHz/8GB/512GB – $1,699, $100 off
– 2.7GHz/16GB/256GB – $1,599, $100 off
– 2.9GHz/16GB/256GB – $1,699, $100 off
– 2.9GHz/16GB/512GB – $1,929, $70 off
– 3.1GHz/16GB/256GB – $1,899, $100 off
– 3.1GHz/16GB/512GB – $2,099, $100 off
– 3.1GHz/16GB/1TB – $2,597, $102 off
2015 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro
15-inch 2015 Retina MacBook Pro models are available for up to $259 off. Models marked Iris AMD include a separate AMD graphics card while models marked Iris Pro do not.
– 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB/Iris Pro – $1,839.99, $159.01 off
– 2.5GHz/16GB/256GB/Iris Pro – $1,839.99, $259.01 off
– 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB/Iris Pro – $2,239, $160 off
– 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB/Iris AMD – $2,299, $200 off
– 2.5GHz/16GB/1TB/Iris AMD – $2,829, $170 off
– 2.8GHz/16GB/256GB/Iris Pro – $2,139, $160 off
– 2.8GHz/16GB/512GB/Iris Pro – $2,449, $150 off
– 2.8GHz/16GB/512GB/Iris AMD – $2,539, $160 off
– 2.8GHz/16GB/1TB/Iris AMD – $2,974, $225 off
2015 MacBook Air
MacMall’s selection of MacBook Air models are available at a $50 to $100 discount.
– 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB – $829, $70 off
– 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB – $1,029, $70 off
– 11-inch 1.6GHz/8GB/256GB – $1,148, $51 off
– 11-inch 2.2GHz/8GB/256GB – $1,289, $60 off
– 11-inch 2.2GHz/8GB/512GB – $1,579, $70 off
– 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB – $899, $100 off
– 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB – $1,129, $70 off
– 13-inch 1.6GHz/8GB/256GB – $1,239, $60 off
– 13-inch 1.6GHz/8GB/512GB – $1,529, $70 off
– 13-inch 2.2GHz/8GB/256GB – $1,379, $70 off
– 13-inch 2.2GHz/8GB/512GB – $1,679, $70 off
2015 21.5-inch iMac
– 1.4GHz/8GB/1TB – $1,019, $80 off
– 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB – $1,199, $100 off
– 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB Fusion – $1,349, $50 off
– 2.8GHz/16GB/1TB Fusion – $1,549, $50 off
– 4K 3.1GHz/8GB/1TB – $1,399, $100 off
– 4K 3.1GHz/16GB/1TB – $1,629, $70 off
– 4K 3.3GHz/8GB/1TB Fusion – $1,729, $70 off
2015 27-inch iMac
– 5K 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB/M380 – $1,699, $100 off
– 5K 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB Fusion/M390 – $1,829, $170 off
– 5K 3.2GHz/8GB/2TB Fusion/M380 – $2,029, $70 off
– 5K 3.2GHz/16GB/1TB Fusion/M390 – $2,129, $70 off
– 5K 3.3GHz/8GB/2TB Fusion/M395 – $2,179, $120 off
– 5K 3.3GHz/16GB/2TB Fusion/M395 – $2,429, $70 off
– 5K 4.0GHz/8GB/2TB Fusion/M395 – $2,479, $70 off
– 5K 4.0GHz/16GB/2TB Fusion/M395 – $2,669, $80 off
– 5K 4.0GHz/16GB/3TB Fusion/M395 – $2,769, $80 off
– 5K 4.0/32GB/2TB Fusion/M395X – $3,279, $120 off
– 5K 4.0/32GB/3TB Fusion/M395X – $3,379, $120 off
– 5K 4.0/32GB/1TB Flash/M395X – $3,899, $200 off
2013 Mac Pro
– 4-Core 3.7GHz/12GB/256GB – $2,749, $250 off
– 6-Core 3.5GHz/16GB/256GB – $3,699, $300 off
– 8-Core 3.0GHz/12GB/1TB – $6,349, $450 off
– 12-Core 2.7GHz/64GB/1TB – $8,799, $800 off
2014 Mac mini
– 1.4GHz/4GB/500GB – $464.99, $34.01 off
– 2.6GHz/8GB/1TB Sata – $659, $40 off
– 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB Fusion – $938, $61 off
MacMall is offering iPad Air 2 models at $21 to $40 off 16, 64, and 128GB Wi-Fi only models and up to $40 off the more expensive high-capacity cellular models. The original iPad Air is available for up to $35 off, and the iPad mini 4 is available for up to $20 off. The 32GB Wi-Fi only iPad Pro in Silver, Space Gray and Gold is $25 off, while other Wi-Fi only and cellular models are $12 off.
MacMall is also offering the Apple Thunderbolt Display for $949, which is $50 off, and between $10 and $25 off select iPod touch models. 16GB iPod nano models are $10 off. AirPort Extreme (2013) and Airport Time Capsule (2TB) are each discounted by around $20, and select Apple accessories are on sale.
As one of the only sites that sells Apple’s build-to-order Mac models at a discount, MacMall is a popular choice for customers looking for a non-standard Mac at a lower price. Because MacMall operates in a limited number of states, most orders will not require sale tax to be paid.
Make sure to check out our Cyber Monday Deals roundup for more online deals. There are some excellent discounts this year on a range of products, including iPhones, iPads and Macs, in addition to dozens of Apple-related accessories.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with MacMall. Juli Clover contributed to this roundup.
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