Apple Prices Bond Sale in Japan at ¥250 Billion [Mac Blog]

Apple has set a principal amount of ¥250 billion ($2.01 billion) for its bond sale in Japan per a final pricing term sheet published by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday. The yen-denominated bonds have an interest rate of 0.350% and are set to mature on June 10, 2020. Interest is to be paid semi-annually on June 10 and December 10, commencing December 10, 2015.

The global notes will be available for purchase by both domestic and foreign investors, with net proceeds to be used for general corporate purposes, including stock buybacks, dividend payments, funding for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and debt repayment. The issue is being handled by Goldman Sachs International and Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International.

Apple Watch Launches in Seven More Countries on June 26

Apple today announced that the Apple Watch will be available for purchase in Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Taiwan on Friday, June 26. The wrist-worn device will be sold through the Apple Store, Apple Online Store and select authorized resellers.

Apple also announced that it will begin selling select Apple Watch models through the Apple Store in two weeks, presumably including the United States and other first wave launch countries. Apple Watch orders have been taken exclusively online since the device launched in April.

“The response to Apple Watch has surpassed our expectations in every way, and we are thrilled to bring it to more customers around the world,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations. “We’re also making great progress with the backlog of Apple Watch orders, and we thank our customers for their patience. All orders placed through May, with the sole exception of Apple Watch 42 mm Space Black Stainless Steel with Space Black Link Bracelet, will ship to customers within two weeks. At that time, we’ll also begin selling some models in our Apple Retail Stores.”

A limited selection of Apple Watch models will be available at 10 Corso Como in Milan, BOONTHESHOP Cheongdam in Seoul and Malmaison by The Hour Glass in Singapore on June 26, just over two months after the device launched in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong and United Kingdom.

Apple Stores Will Once Again Stock Jawbone Wearables as Early as July [iOS Blog]

Jawbone is returning to Apple Stores, with both the Jawbone UP2 and UP3 to go on sale as early as next month. The news was confirmed by the company’s senior product manager Jason Donahue at a press event in Japan, as reported by Mac Otakara (via AppleInsider). He informed those in attendance that the fitness tracker would be in stock in Japanese Apple Stores by “early July,” and that other regions, specifically the United States, would have them earlier.

The first shipments to Apple Stores will specifically cover re-stocking the cheaper $99.99 UP2 fitness band, followed by the higher-end $179.99 UP3, although Donahue gave no specific retail timeline for the inclusion of the bands for any region. The Jawbone UP Move was never removed from Apple Stores, because the initial package doesn’t come with wrist-worn capabilities and is designed more as a clip-on accessory.

The return of Jawbone to Apple Stores is interesting in its timing, and follows Apple’s removal of all its wearable tech rivals in early March, prior to the Apple Watch’s launch. That purge removed Jawbone, Nike Fuelband, and MIO products from not only retail locations but the Apple online storefront as well.

Although the day-to-day demand for the Apple Watch has decreased since its initial pre-order period, multiple Apple employees and analysts point to the company’s new wearable as a huge success out of the gate. This confidence in the product and its momentum moving forward into the year could have encouraged Apple to allow competitors back into their retail shops.

Interestingly, back in April Jawbone announced the UP4 alongside a partnership with American Express to bring contactless payments to the fitness tracker for the first time. No word was given by Donahue on the inclusion of such a direct competitor to the Apple Watch into Apple retail locations, but it will be interesting to see if Apple continues to allow more companies to return to its stores with such similar products as its new wearable.

Redesigned Apple TV Not Ready for WWDC Debut

Despite early rumors suggesting Apple would introduce a redesigned Apple TV set-top box at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, it appears the device will not be ready to debut at that time. In a report covering what to expect at WWDC, The New York Times’ Brian X. Chen writes that Apple has postponed its plans because the product is “not ready for prime time.”

Yet one much ballyhooed device will be absent from the conference: a new Apple TV, Apple’s set-top box for televisions. The company planned as recently as mid-May to use the event to spotlight new Apple TV hardware, along with an improved remote control and a tool kit for developers to make apps for the entertainment device. But those plans were postponed partly because the product was not ready for prime time, according to two people briefed on the product.

Apple has not introduced a revamped version of its Apple TV since 2012, leading to years of rumors and speculation about the company’s plans for the device. Since 2013, nearly every Apple event has been targeted as the venue where we’ll see a new version of the Apple TV, but no product has materialized as of yet.

According to the most recent rumors, Apple is currently working on a new version of the Apple TV that will include ambitious additions like a full App Store that supports apps and games, Siri support, and an SDK for developers. It is also said to include an A8 chip, an increase in internal storage, and a touch-based remote.

There is no word on when the Apple TV might debut, but it’s possible that it could be introduced later this year alongside Apple’s rumored subscription television service. Apple was said to be targeting a WWDC launch for its TV service, but those plans were also delayed as the necessary deals are not yet in place.

With its subscription television service and set-top box off the table for the Worldwide Developers Conference, the event will focus on iOS 9, OS X 10.11, and the company’s new Beats-based streaming music service. The Apple Watch will also be a major focus, with Apple planning to debut native Apple Watch apps as shared by Jeff Williams last week.

Pebble Time iOS App in Limbo, Pebble Asks Customers for Help

Pebble’s latest smart watch, the Pebble Time, has already begun shipping out to early Kickstarter backers, but customers receiving the device may not be able to use it with an iPhone because the accompanying Pebble Time Watch app has not yet been approved by Apple.

According to a Kickstarter update posted this afternoon, the Pebble Time app has been in limbo since May 22, spending more than two weeks going through Apple’s app review process without approval.

The unreleased Pebble Time Watch app was first submitted to the App Store in early May, and approved on May 18. Pebble went on to push a bug fix for the app on May 22, requesting an expedited review from Apple, which was not granted. Pebble has also been unable to add Pebble Time support to its existing iPhone app because that app has been stuck in the reviewing process since April.

The Pebble Time iPhone app, as we’ve all noticed, is not yet live on the iTunes AppStore. It remains “in review.” This unexpected circumstance pains us as much it does backers with watches ready to set up. We’re doing all we can to mitigate the delay and make Pebble Time Watch for iPhone available for download.

We appreciate you hanging in there with us while we navigate this obstacle.

It is not clear why Apple has delayed approval of the two Pebble iPhone apps, and Pebble has not shared details on conversations it may have had with the company regarding the review process. It’s possible Pebble has violated an App Store rule leading to the delay, but there’s also the possibility that Apple has opted not to approve the app as it competes with the Apple Watch.

In April, navigation app SeaNav US was rejected for mentioning Pebble support in its App Store description, a violation of an App Store guideline that prevents apps from highlighting competing platforms. Other apps that mention Pebble support have been approved, however, and there are many Pebble-focused apps in the App Store.

In order to motivate Apple to approve its app, Pebble is asking its customers to contact Apple on its behalf, reaching out to Apple through the company’s feedback system and through Twitter and Facebook. “Together, we can kindly express our desire to see the App Store #FreeOurPebbleTime with a speedy approval of Pebble Time Watch for iPhone, reads the blog post.

Apple Stores to Begin Selling Typo Keyboard for iPad Air [iOS Blog]

Typo Innovations today announced that it will begin selling its iPad Air keyboard case at Apple Stores and through its website, according to Re/code. The announcement comes just two days after Typo reached a settlement with BlackBerry that will prevent it from selling Typo for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus due to its similar look and functionality as the physical keyboard found on most BlackBerry devices.

Typo for iPad Air is a detachable keyboard featuring built-in autocorrect technology and an adjustable stand, although unlike Typo for iPhone, the product enters a market crowded with multiple accessory makers that sell virtually identical keyboards. Typo retails for $189 in the United States and is compatible with both the original iPad Air and iPad Air 2. The company is also accepting pre-orders for an iPad mini version of the keyboard.

Showtime’s Standalone Streaming Service Set to Premiere on Apple TV

A new report from Variety today suggests that Showtime’s parent company CBS is putting the final touches on a standalone streaming service for the premium cable network, with rumors pointing to an official announcement either later today or sometime on Thursday.

Variety says that CBS will reveal a partnership with Apple and the Apple TV that will be the exclusive home of the Showtime online-only service, similar to HBO NOW’s initial exclusivity window on Apple TV and iOS devices. CBS still plans for other online partners to be announced in the future, according to “industry sources.”

No name or price model was detailed yet for the Showtime service, but as pointed out by Variety, the move would fall in line with the company’s announcement last fall of a $6 per month streaming service that presented access to the network’s library of old and new shows. With Showtime cable subscriptions aligning closely with that of HBO, the new service would undoubtedly fall in the ballpark of HBO Now’s $14.99 per month charge.

Popular Calendar App ‘Fantastical 2’ Now Available for Apple Watch [iOS Blog]

As promised, Flexibits today updated Fantastical 2 for the iPhone to version 2.3, adding support for the Apple Watch. Fantastical 2‘s new Apple Watch app includes a list of all upcoming meetings and appointments, a list of Reminders, a Glance with quick access to a daily schedule, and the ability to add events directly on your wrist.

Flexibits’ co-founder Michael Simmons told MacRumors that the company waited until the Apple Watch was released to begin developing Fantastical 2 for the wrist, in order to design an app with the best possible user experience. “I’m not going to make an Apple Watch app when I’ve never used one,” he said. “I need to see it. You can’t solve a problem if you don’t know what the problem is.”

After experimenting with the existing Calendar app on Apple Watch and brainstorming on how best to translate Fantastical‘s feature set to the wrist, the Flexibits team came up with a simple but useful solution that distills Fantastical‘s core functions into a form suitable for wrist-based interactions that last just seconds.

The key feature in Fantastical 2 for Apple Watch is the Glance, which shows all of a day’s events arranged in a timeline. With the Glance, you get a quick overview of what’s going on in a day, along with information on the next upcoming meeting or appointment.

Tapping on the timeline within the Glance opens the full Fantastical 2 app, where you can get a list of all the events happening for the next two weeks. This improves upon the default Calendar app somewhat, as Apple’s own app only shows a week of events. More detailed information on each event can be accessed with a tap, and scrolling through events in a list can be done with a finger or with the Digital Crown.

If you use Fantastical‘s Reminders feature, tapping “Reminders” at the top of the Apple Watch app will open a list of Reminders you’ve created, where they can be checked off. A force press within the Reminders list will let you add a new to-do task, while a force press in the main view of the app will let you add a new event. Events and Reminders are entered using the Apple Watch’s dictation capabilities.

The Fantastical 2 Apple Watch app can be customized through the iPhone. Users can choose whether to display events and reminders, how many days to display within the app, and what the Glance opens — next event or a list of all events.

Since Fantastical 2 for Apple Watch is bundled into an iPhone update, it’s free for all existing Fantastical 2 users. If you own the iPhone app, you own the Apple Watch app.

Fantastical 2 can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

Apple Recalls Beats Pill XL Speakers Due to Fire Hazard

Apple today announced a voluntary recall of all Beats Pill XL Speakers due to the rare possibility that the battery in the speakers may overheat and pose a fire safety risk. Apple will issue refunds to affected customers and says the recall does not extend to other Apple or Beats products.

“Because customer safety is the company’s top priority, Apple is asking customers to stop using their Beats Pill XL speakers. Customers who purchased a Beats Pill XL speaker should visit http://www.apple.com/support/beats-pillxl-recall for details about how to return their product to Apple, and how to receive an Apple Store® credit or electronic payment of $325.”