MacMall’s 60-Hour 2015 Black Friday Sale Kicks Off With Solid Deals on Macs
MacMall’s annual 60-hour Black Friday sale [PDF] on a variety of Apple products starts today, November 25, at 12:01 p.m. Pacific Time and lasts through 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 28.
As it does every year, MacMall is offering significant discounts on a huge selection of Apple Macs and iPads. The Retina MacBook Pro is available at up to $250 off, while the MacBook Air is available for up to $101 off. The 27-inch iMac is available at up to $201 off, and the Mac mini is available at $100 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 – $1,197, $102 off
– 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB Gold, Silver, Space Gray – $1,497, $102 off
– 1.3GHz/8GB/256GB Gold, Silver, Space Gray – $1,447, $102 off
– 1.3GHz/8GB/512GB Gold, Silver, Space Gray – $1,647, $102 off
2015 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro
– 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB – $1,197, $102 off
– 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB – $1,397, $102 off
– 2.9GHz/8GB/512GB – $1,697, $102 off
– 2.7GHz/16GB/256GB – $1,597, $102 off
– 2.9GHz/16GB/256GB – $1,697, $102 off
– 2.9GHz/16GB/512GB – $1,897, $102 off
– 3.1GHz/16GB/256GB – $1,897, $102 off
– 3.1GHz/16GB/512GB – $2,097, $102 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 $250 off. Models marked Iris AMD include a separate AMD graphics card while models marked Iris Pro do not.
– 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB/Iris Pro – $1,799, $200 off
– 2.2GHz/16GB/512GB/Iris Pro – $2,148, $151 off
– 2.5GHz/16GB/256GB/Iris Pro – $1,948, $151 off
– 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB/Iris Pro – $2,248, $151 off
– 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB/Iris AMD – $2,249, $250 off
– 2.5GHz/16GB/1TB/Iris AMD – $2,839, $160 off
– 2.8GHz/16GB/256GB/Iris Pro – $2,148, $151 off
– 2.8GHz/16GB/512GB/Iris Pro – $2,448, $151 off
– 2.8GHz/16GB/512GB/Iris AMD – $2,548, $151 off
– 2.8GHz/16GB/1TB/Iris AMD – $2,949, $250 off
2015 MacBook Air
MacMall’s selection of MacBook Air models are available at an $80 to $101 discount.
– 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB – $799, $99 off
– 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB – $1,018, $81 off
– 11-inch 1.6GHz/8GB/256GB – $1,118, $81 off
– 11-inch 2.2GHz/8GB/256GB – $1,268, $81 off
– 11-inch 2.2GHz/8GB/512GB – $1,568, $81 off
– 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB – $899, $99 off
– 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/256GB – $1,098, $100 off
– 13-inch 1.6GHz/8GB/256GB – $1,218, $81 off
– 13-inch 1.6GHz/8GB/512GB – $1,518, $81 off
– 13-inch 2.2GHz/8GB/256GB – $1,368, $81 off
– 13-inch 2.2GHz/8GB/512GB – $1,668, $81 off
2015 21.5-inch iMac
– 1.4GHz/8GB/1TB – $998, $101 off
– 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB – $1,198, $101 off
– 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB Fusion – $1,318, $81 off
– 2.8GHz/16GB/1TB Fusion – $1,518, $81 off
– 4K 3.1GHz/8GB/1TB – $1,389, $110 off
– 4K 3.1GHz/16GB/1TB – $1,589, $101 off
– 4K 3.3GHz/8GB/1TB Fusion – $1,698, $101 off
2015 27-inch iMac
– 5K 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB/M380 – $1,669, $130 off
– 5K 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB Fusion/M390 – $1,848, $151 off
– 5K 3.2GHz/8GB/2TB Fusion/M380 – $1,998, $101 off
– 5K 3.2GHz/16GB/1TB Fusion/M390 – $2,098, $101 off
– 5K 3.3GHz/8GB/2TB Fusion/M395 – $2,148, $151 off
– 5K 3.3GHz/16GB/2TB Fusion/M395 – $2,398, $101 off
– 5K 4.0GHz/8GB/2TB Fusion/M395 – $2,448, $101 off
– 5K 4.0GHz/16GB/2TB Fusion/M395 – $2,648, $101 off
– 5K 4.0GHz/16GB/3TB Fusion/M395 – $2,748, $101 off
– 5K 4.0/32GB/2TB Fusion/M395X – $3,248, $151 off
– 5K 4.0/32GB/3TB Fusion/M395X – $3,348, $151 off
– 5K 4.0/32GB/1TB Flash/M395X – $3898, $201 off
2013 Mac Pro
– 4-Core 3.7GHz/12GB/256GB – $2,699, $300 off
– 6-Core 3.5GHz/16GB/256GB – $3,649, $350 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 off
– 2.6GHz/8GB/1TB Sata – $658, $41 off
– 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB Fusion – $938, $61 off
MacMall is offering iPad Air 2 models at $40 to $50 off 16, 64, and 128GB Wi-Fi only models and up to $75 off the more expensive high-capacity cellular models. The original iPad Air is also available for up to $40 off, and the iPad mini 4 is available for up to $30 off.
The site is also selling a wide range of Apple-related accessories, cases, and other products at small discounts, including the BlueLounge Design Sanctuary 4 Charging Station, which is available for $65 (down from $135) and the Otterbox Defender for iPhone 6s, available for $45 (down from $72).
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 can will not require sale tax to be paid.
For more upcoming Black Friday deals, make sure to check out our dedicated Black Friday roundup. There are some excellent discounts this year on a range of products from iPads and Macs to iPhones and Apple Watches, not to mention hundreds of Apple-related accessories.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with MacMall.
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Leo’s Fortune Now Available on Mac App Store for $6.99
Leo’s Fortune, an Apple Design Award Winner at WWDC 2014, is now available on the Mac App Store for $6.99. Leo’s Fortune HD, also available on Steam, delivers the same popular iPhone and iPad platform adventure gameplay on Mac.
Leo’s Fortune is a platform adventure game where you hunt down the cunning and mysterious thief that stole your gold. Beautifully hand-crafted levels bring the story of Leo to life in this epic adventure.
“I just returned home to find all my gold has been stolen! For some devious purpose, the thief has dropped pieces of my gold like breadcrumbs through the woods. Despite this pickle of a trap, I am left with no choice but to follow the trail. Whatever lies ahead, I must recover my fortune.” -Leopold
Leo’s Fortune HD was developed by Swedish indie studio 1337 & Senri in partnership with Tilting Point. The game is available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, PlayStation 4, Windows, OS X and Xbox One.
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Target’s Black Friday Early Access Sale Now Live With Discounts on Apple Watch, iPad
Target is hosting a one-day Early Access sale ahead of the Black Friday shopping holiday, making some of its most appealing Black Friday deals available early. Deals are available in Target retail stores and online on Wednesday, November 25.
Like Best Buy, Target is one of the retailers offering deals on the Apple Watch. As of today, when purchasing one of the 20 Apple Watch or Apple Watch Sport models Target offers, customers can get a free $100 Target gift card. Pricing on the Apple Watch at Target starts at $349 for the 38mm Apple Watch Sport.
With the purchase of an original iPad Air, Target is offering customers a $100 Target gift card. Target carries several original iPad Air models, with prices that start at $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only version.
The iPad mini 2, priced starting at $269 for a 16GB Wi-Fi only version, is also available with a free $80 Target gift card with purchase. On Thursday and Friday, Target will have similar deals on the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 4, Apple’s more recent tablets.
Beats Solo2 headphones (wired version) are available for $96.99, which is a discount of $103 and one of the best deals that will be available this holiday season.
Starting later this afternoon and tomorrow, dozens of other retailers will be offering Black Friday deals with discounts on a wide range of Apple products. Make sure to check out our dedicated Black Friday roundup to find the best deals that will be available this week.
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Review: Mophie’s Juice Pack Reserve & Power Reserve Offer Power in Small Packages
Back in September, Mophie launched two brand-new battery products, the Juice Pack Reserve, a $59.95 battery case for the iPhone 6 and 6s, and the Power Reserve 1X, a small $34.95 external battery for smartphones and wearables. I have been testing both for the past two weeks in regular daily use and at a wedding, an environment that tends to be more smartphone-intensive than a typical day.
Mophie says the Juice Pack Reserve is the most compact battery case it’s ever created, adding just 0.3 inches of thickness and 75 grams of weight to the iPhone 6 or 6s. In my testing, I found that Mophie’s claim that the case is in a form factor that “you’ll barely notice” is mostly true, although with a caveat. Its soft-touch back provided a comfortable and easy-to-grasp grip despite feeling noticeably more dense. However, the case’s lower lip, where the speaker grille resides and the case plugs into the iPhone, is far more noticeable and users not accustomed to the extra length will have to spend some time acclimating to it when scrolling or typing.
The case’s extra mass was not a hindrance when attemtping to quickly capture moments at the wedding though, as it slipped in and out of tuxedo pockets fairly easily. In fact, the in-pocket feel of the case was barely noticeable in tuxedo pants, even during more intensive activites like dancing. The extra mass of the case is, however, more obvious visually. In more regular daily use, the case was even less of a hindrance.
Mophie claims the Juice Pack Reserve will provide an additional 60 percent charge to an iPhone 6 or 6s, with the latter carrying a 1,840 mAh battery. This claim was actually conservative in my testing, with an iPhone 6, as I was able to consistently get a full charge from the case. For example, I was able to go from 10 percent to 100 perfect battery in just about two hours and six minutes and then 4 percent to 93 percent in about the same time.
Apple Shares ‘Someday At Christmas’ Ad With Stevie Wonder and Andra Daye
A day before Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States, Apple this morning shared a new Christmas-themed ad for 2015, featuring a handful of Apple products and starring artists Stevie Wonder and Andra Daye. The 90-second ad centers on Stevie Wonder and his family preparing for the upcoming holiday season with the help of a few Apple devices.
The artist uses a handful of Apple products and applications — like a MacBook and GarageBand — to put together the holiday-themed song “Someday at Christmas” along with Andra Daye and some younger members of his family. Of course, a handful of other Apple devices, including the Apple Watch, can be spotted in the ad.
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Black Friday App Deals Include Pixelmator, Linky, Lost Within and More
Just ahead of Thanksgiving and the busy Black Friday shopping holiday in the U.S., some app developers have discounted their iOS and Mac apps for a limited time.
We have been tracking App Store price drops on our sister website AppShopper and found early deals on popular apps Pixelmator, Linky, Lost Within and more.
Pixelmator for iOS [Direct Link] has been discounted from $4.99 to $1.99, which is 60% off and the image editing app’s lowest price since it went on sale for 99 cents in July 2015.
Pixelmator is a powerful, full-featured, layer-based image editor that lets you touch up and enhance images, sketch and paint, as well as create advanced image compositions on iPad and iPhone alike.
Pixelmator for Mac [Direct Link] is also on sale for $14.99, which is 50% off its regular price of $29.99. The OS X image editing app last went on sale for $14.99 in April 2015.
Pixelmator takes full advantage of the latest Mac technologies, giving you speedy, powerful tools that let you touch up and enhance images, draw or paint, apply dazzling effects, or create advanced compositions amazingly simple. Once your images are ready, access them anywhere with iCloud, send them to iPhoto or Aperture, email, print, share, or save them to popular image formats–all right from Pixelmator.
Linky for iOS [Direct Link] is on sale for 50% off during Black Friday week, lowering the app’s price to $1.99 from $3.99. The popular link, text and sharing app was last discounted to $1.99 in November 2014.
Linky lets you easily share webpage links, images and text extracts to Twitter, Facebook and App.net from your iPhone and iPad.
Write your post, choose which preferred social networks and Linky will do the rest! You can connect Linky to Twitter, Facebook (Profiles and Pages) and App.net.
Amazon Game Studios has discounted Lost Within for iOS [Direct Link] to $1.99, which is over 70% off its regular $6.99 price and the app’s lowest price ever.
The high-rated iPhone and iPad survival game, an Editors’ Choice on the App Store, last went on sale for $2.99 in October 2015. Read our Lost Within review on TouchArcade.
From the developer of Prey — Survive a haunted asylum and its monstrous Inhabitants. Confront a legendary killer who prowls the abandoned wards. Scavenge and create makeshift weapons or conserve your resources and employ stealth tactics to sneak past the lurking horrors. When all else fails, run for your life or find a place to hide. To escape, you must uncover the asylum’s dark mystery: the shattering secret that led to its condemnation. There are many doors, but there is only one way out.
Todo for iOS [Direct Link] is on sale for 99 cents, down from $4.99. The popular to-do list and task management app was last discounted to $1.99 in October 2015, but 99 cents is the app’s lowest price ever.
Todo – The ORIGINAL To-Do and Task List is the world’s first, and one of the most popular, powerful, and award-winning to-do list and task manager iOS apps ever—now on Apple Watch! Todo is used by millions of individuals, families and teams for GETTING THINGS DONE.
Also on Sale
– Door Kickers: $4.99 → $1.99
– AG Drive: $3.99 → $1.99
– The Cursed Ship, Collector’s Edition (iPhone): $4.99 → Free
– The Cursed Ship, Collector’s Edition (iPad): $6.99 → Free
Follow our Black Friday roundup to keep track of the best deals on Apple products and accessories.
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T-Mobile Offers Sprint Customers $200 Credit Per Line to Switch
T-Mobile has announced a second “Un-carrier Unwrapped” promotion that offers Sprint customers a $200 bill credit for each line switched to a T-Mobile Simple Choice postpaid plan starting Thursday, November 26.
The offer is valid for Sprint, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile postpaid and prepaid customers, with no device trade-in required for the bill credit.
Sprint customers can still take advantage of T-Mobile’s Carrier Freedom offer, which provides up to $650 towards a balance owing or to pay off early termination fees (ETFs) with an eligible device trade-in.
Just switch any Sprint number – including postpaid, prepaid, Boost and Virgin Mobile – over to a T-Mobile Simple Choice postpaid plan starting this Thursday, November 26 and you’ll automatically get a $200 credit on your bill. That’s $200 multiplied by as many lines as you switch. For a family of four, that could mean $800 extra, and for a business with 10 employees, we’re talking about a $2,000 credit!
This limited time offer is part of T-Mobile’s monthlong “Un-carrier Unwrapped” holiday promotion that began with three months of free unlimited LTE data for all Simple Choice postpaid customers earlier this week.
T-Mobile plans to unveil additional “gifts” over the next month, with a new gift coming at least once per week. T-Mobile CEO John Legere confirmed on Twitter that gifts are coming soon for AT&T and Verizon customers.
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Apple and UnionPay Closing in on Apple Pay Agreement for China
Apple and China UnionPay have reportedly reached a deal to bring Apple’s NFC payment service, Apple Pay, to the country. The preliminary agreement between the two companies would see Apple introduce Apple Pay through UnionPay’s point-of-sales network, according to “people familiar with the matter” who spoke with Bloomberg.
Details of the agreement are yet to be finalized, pending feedback from banks that issue cards, said the people, asking not to be identified as the matter is private. Shanghai-based UnionPay, the nation’s largest payment and clearing network, aims to introduce Apple Pay as soon as next year, one of the people said.
The sources point to Apple Pay assisting in fending off UnionPay’s closest rivals in the Chinese mobile payments market, including Alibaba Group and Tencent. Terms of the deal would bring Apple Pay to more than 5 million NFC-enabled point-of-sale machines in China.
Bloomberg‘s sources still state that the two companies have yet to sign agreements on the deal with participating banks within the country, suggesting local banks’ fear high fee charges tied with the service and a low adoption rate. Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has already reached deals with China’s big four state-run banks and plans to launch Apple Pay in February 2016.
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Apple buys motion-capture company that worked on ‘Star Wars’
Apple’s latest startup pickup is Faceshift, a company that specializes in facial motion capture — often doing it without any need for physical “markers” on the model’s face. Cupertino confirmed the deal to Techcrunch, which also discovered that several Faceshift employees are already working for Apple in Europe. While a lot of Faceshift’s technical demos have focused on real-time animation based on camera-based motion capture, it also works on improving facial CGI animation in movies and other media. (That’s where the Star Wars connection comes in.) It’s a bit of a reach to figure out exactly how the startup’s work will dovetail into Apple’s machinations for the future — but at least it’s something a little more interesting than another map company.
Source: Techcrunch
Confirmed: Apple Acquired Real-Time Motion Capture Firm Faceshift
Earlier this year, MacRumors uncovered some evidence suggesting Zurich-based real-time motion capture firm Faceshift was acquired by Apple, and as of today, that acquisition has been confirmed by Apple in a statement given to TechCrunch.
“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
Prior to being acquired by Apple, Faceshift worked with game and animation studios on technology designed to quickly and accurately capture facial expressions using 3D sensors, including Faceshift Studio software with plugins for Maya and Unity. The company was also working toward consumer-facing software like a Skype plugin that would support real-time avatars for video chat.
Based on Swiss company registry filings discovered by MacRumors, Faceshift was acquired by Apple in mid-August. Several Faceshift employees have now joined Apple and are working out of the company’s European offices. Apple is also hiring additional employees to work on related technology in Switzerland, including a senior software engineer that would focus on “cutting-edge imaging algorithms for both mobile and desktop photographic applications.”
Faceshift launched in 2011 out of the Computer Graphics and Geometry Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, and in mid-2013, the company expanded and brought on industry veteran Doug Griffin, formerly of Industrial Light & Magic and Electronic Arts, to head up a San Francisco office. Faceshift has demonstrated its motion capture technology multiple times in the past few years, most recently demoing it at GDC 2015.
It is not clear what Apple will use Faceshift’s Technology for, but there are a wide range of possible use cases. Faceshift’s real-time motion capture work in the gaming and chat arena could be used for things like real-time avatars for FaceTime video chats, but there are also more serious applications such as biometrics for unlocking devices or authorizing payments through facial recognition techniques.
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