New MacBook Airs to Feature Minor Processor Update
Earlier this morning, news of an imminent MacBook Air refresh surfaced, and now there are additional details on what we can expect from the update. As initially reported, the new MacBook Airs will include updated Haswell processors with no other specification changes.
As can be seen in an image of the new entry-level 13-inch MacBook Air specs provided to 9to5Mac, the notebook will offer a 1.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor, a very minor boost from the current entry level 1.3Ghz processor in the 13-inch version. Build to order models in both 11 and 13-inch varieties are expected to see the same minor processor improvements.
The MacBook Airs continue to offer the same amount of storage space, RAM, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and there has been no upgrade to Thunderbolt 2, which was included in the latest Retina MacBook Pro. The Airs continue to use Intel’s HD Graphics 5000 and it is unclear whether updated Haswell processors will bring any boosts to battery life.
It is unknown when Apple plans to introduce the new MacBook Air computers, but it is possible Apple will take its online store down tonight in order to update inventory ahead of an in-store release tomorrow.
Apple Expected to Release Updated MacBook Airs Tomorrow
As was initially reported last week, Apple’s updated MacBook Air may launch this week, possibly as soon as tomorrow.
Shipments of new 11 and 13-inch MacBook Airs are currently arriving in Apple Stores across the country, according to 9to5Mac, with plans to put the computers on display beginning tomorrow morning.
The MacBook Air refresh is expected to be minor and could arrive with little fanfare. Updated MacBook Air computers may include a slightly improved Haswell processor with a small speed boost and few other changes.
Tomorrow’s 11-inch and 13-inch Airs are codenamed J41A and J43A, respectively, and their SKUs are simply a variation to the current MacBook Air SKU labels. For example, the entry 13-inch MacBook Air of today is known as “MD760LL/A”, while this week’s refreshed version is known as “MD760LL/B.” It’s unclear if Apple will even promote the updated Airs.
Though Apple is planning just a minor MacBook Air refresh for this week, the company is also said to have a second 12-inch MacBook Air in the works that will be released later in the year.
The 12-inch MacBook Air is expected to feature some major design changes in the form of a slimmer chassis without fans, a Retina display, and a buttonless trackpad.
It is unclear when the tomorrow’s updated MacBook Airs might make their first appearance, but it is possible Apple will take its online store down tonight in order to update inventory ahead of an in-store release tomorrow.
Windows Phone thrives in Europe, but struggles in China and the US
Microsoft’s quest for smartphone market share is hitting a few roadblocks, it seems. Kantar estimates that Windows Phone is still gaining ground in Europe, where it’s up year-over-year to 8.1 percent of sales in the first quarter of 2014. However, it’s taking a bruising in other areas. In the US, Windows swung from increases this fall to a slight dip in the winter; while it’s still doing relatively well at 5.3 percent of US share, it’s not posing much of a threat to Android or iOS right now. The platform also took a drubbing in China, where its share was nearly cut in half to exactly one percent thanks to the rise of budget Android handsets.
Not that it was all sunshine and roses for the industry heavyweights. Android made strides in China, the US and parts of Europe, but it sank in Australia, Europe and Japan. Some of these losses were due to a recovery from Apple, according to Kantar. The iPhone is still having trouble in China and the US, but it clawed back share in Australia and Europe. It’s also dominant in Japan; 57.6 percent of local smartphone buyers chose iOS hardware this quarter.
Whether or not these trends continue through the spring isn’t certain. Windows Phone may get a helpful boost from the launches of the Lumia 630 and 930, while Android may get a lift from Samsung’s Galaxy S5 flagship. There’s also the wildcard of the 8GB iPhone 5c. Although it’s not dramatically cheaper than its 16GB counterpart, it could draw a few mid-range buyers to Apple. It’s safe to say that Microsoft will be watching very closely — now that it owns Nokia’s device business, it has even more incentives to see Windows Phone succeed.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Microsoft, Nokia, Google
Source: Kantar Worldpanel
Skype Makes Group Video Calling Free for Mac, PC, and Xbox One Users [Mac Blog]
Skype today announced that it is making its group video calling feature free for select users. The feature was introduced in 2010 and was made available to Premium users on a Windows desktop, Mac and the Xbox One. Now, group video calling will be accessible for free to anyone on those platforms, with support for additional devices coming at a later date.
Skype is proud that, since our beginning, we’ve created opportunities for people to communicate freely and easily, no matter where they are; from keeping in touch with remote family members or calling home when traveling to chatting daily with your close circles of friends. While Skype is known for one to one video calling, we know it’s also essential to connect with the groups of people who matter most, whether friends, family or colleagues. For the last few years, we’ve offered group video calling to Premium users on Windows desktop and Mac and more recently Xbox One. Today, we’re excited to announce that we’re making group video calling free – for all users on these platforms. And, in the future, we’ll be enabling group video calling for all our users across more platforms – at no cost.
Group video calling debuted on the Mac platform with Skype 5 in early 2011. Much like Google Hangouts, Skype video calling allows customers to hold a video conference with a group of other Skype users who can talk using the webcams on their devices. The feature was available for free in the beta version of Skype 5 and required a Premium subscription when it officially debuted in the shipping version.
You can download Skype for Mac from Skype’s website. It is available for free and requires Mac OS X Snow Leopard and above, a webcam for video calling and a microphone.
Apple Regains Market Share in Some Countries with Strong iPhone 5s Sales
Research firm Kantar Worldpanel has released a new report (via TechCrunch) highlighting worldwide smartphone sales over the January-March period, finding that Apple has regained market share in countries such as Europe, Japan and Australia due in part to the strong sales performance of the iPhone 5s.
Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, comments: “Apple regained ground in the first quarter of 2014, primarily due to the strong performance of the iPhone 5S, growing its sales share in Europe, Japan and Australia. By contrast, Windows had a tough start to the year as a result of its entry-level Nokia models facing fierce competition from low-end Motorola, LG and Samsung Android smartphones.”
Apple’s total market share in Japan, Australia, and Europe hit 57.6%, 33.1%, and 19.2%, which are increases of 8.6%, 2.0%, and 0.1% compared to the same timeframe last year, respectively. In the United States, Apple’s market share was at 35.9%, which was down 7.8% compared to the 43.7% market share it held a year ago.
However, Sunnebo noted in a prior Kantar report highlighting smartphone sales over the August-October 2013 period that customers in the U.S. generally react better to “full releases” like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 than “incremental” updates such as the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c. Apple is expected to release a larger-screen iPhone 6 this year with new features including a thinner profile, faster A8 processor, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and an improved camera with optical image stabilization.
Meanwhile, the iPhone’s surging popularity in Japan has continued in the months following its debut on the country’s largest carrier, NTT DoCoMo:
Sunnebo continues: “Japan’s love affair with Apple shows no sign of fading. Even though the iPhone has now been available on Japan’s largest carrier, NTT DoCoMo, for a number of months Apple still accounts for more than 40% of sales on the network. The success of the iPhone is also filtering through to the iPad, with almost a quarter of Japanese iPhone owners also owning an iPad. With smartphone penetration in Japan lagging well behind Europe and the US, Japan will remain a key growth market for Apple.”
Despite its solid market share in numerous countries however, the iPhone continues to face challenges from Google’s Android platform, which had its market share continue hover above 70% in many markets. Microsoft’s Windows Phone also increased its market share, with the platform even holding a 4.3% advantage over iOS in Italy.
ComiXology Retires App, Debuts New Read-Only Version After Amazon Purchase [iOS Blog]
Just two weeks after being purchased by Amazon, digital comic book seller ComiXology has announced that it’ll be retiring its app in favor of a new read-only version that requires users to purchase comic books via their website, much like Amazon does with its Kindle app.
ComiXology recommends that their users back up their purchases through their ComiXology account and to download the new app to continue reading. However, the current app will still allow users to download and read their current books for a limited time. The Marvel and DC Comics apps, which are powered by ComiXology, appear to be unaffected.
In 2011, Amazon updated its Kindle app to remove the ability to purchase books from within the app to avoid Apple’s in-app subscription and purchases policy, which requires developers to give Apple 30 percent of however much they earn. In contrast, Beats updated its app with in-app subscriptions in an effort to increase subscription sign-ups.
The new app, Comics – Read Comic Books and Graphic Novels by comiXology is a universal app that’s available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Nike CEO: Focusing on software, ‘excited’ about relationship with Apple
Just a week after a report emerged that Nike could be ending its Fuelband division, CEO Mike Parker confirmed that the company would be focusing more on software rather than just hardware. In an interview with CNBC, Parker said, “We are focusing more on the software side of the experience […] It’ll be integrated into other products that we create.” He also appears bullish on the Nike Fuel system, and hopes to increase the number of users on that platform.
As for the fate of the Fuelband itself, he wouldn’t comment on its reported demise or the related layoffs. However, he did say that there are currently over 30 million Fuelband customers and he hopes for that number to reach a 100 million, so it seems sales of the wearable won’t be ending just yet. When asked about a possible hardware collaboration with Apple, Parker was coy but did say that they’re “excited about where that relationship will go forward.” He also said “I will say that the relationship between Nike and Apple will continue” and that he was “very excited about what’s to come.” If this at all points to the possibility of an iWatch, we’re sure he won’t be the only one.
Filed under: Apple
Via: CNET
Source: CNBC
Apple Initiates iPhone 5 Sleep/Wake Button Replacement Program
Apple has initiated a recall of some iPhone 5 models because the Sleep/Wake button may “stop working or work intermittently”, according to an Apple statement given to The Loop.
The company has created a special support website for the recall where customers can enter their iPhone serial number and see if their phone is one of the “small percentage” of iPhone 5 models that are affected.
Affected phones can be brought to an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider, though the phone will need to be sent to an Apple Repair Center for servicing. Stores will have some iPhone 5 16GB models available as loaners. Another option is mailing the iPhone to Apple, with details available on the recall program’s website.
Replacement of the sleep/wake button mechanism is done at an Apple Repair Center. There are two ways to send your iPhone to the repair center—carry-in or mail-in. See below for details. The replacement process takes approximately 4-6 days from the time your iPhone is received at the repair center until it is returned to you. Your iPhone will be examined prior to any service to verify that it is eligible for this program and is otherwise in working order. Before sending your iPhone to Apple for service, you will need to back up all your data and erase all your content and settings.
Users who believe they have paid for an out-of-warranty replacement to rectify this issue should contact Apple regarding a refund and the company notes that this does not extend warranty coverage for any other issues. Additionally, the program is only effective for two years after the initial retail purchase of the iPhone 5 unit in question, meaning buyers who purchased the iPhone 5 when it first was released have at least five months to have their machines repaired.
Apple will replace your iPhone 5’s faulty power button for free
If you’ve noticed that your iPhone 5′s sleep/wake button isn’t working reliably, you’re not alone — and you’ll be glad to hear that Apple is doing something about it. The company has started a free program in Canada and the US (worldwide on May 2nd) that will replace buttons on phones made through March 2013. Should you qualify, you’ll get your phone back four to six days after it reaches an Apple repair center; there will be a loaner on hand if you can’t afford to be incommunicado for that long. We’re sure that some would have liked the program to start earlier, but it’s no doubt a relief if you otherwise faced paying for an out-of-warranty repair.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Via: The Loop
Source: Apple
Transcend Debuts JetDrive SSD Upgrade Kits Up To 960GB for MacBook Air, Retina Macbook Pro
Transcend has introduced new JetDrive SSD upgrade kits designed for the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro with Retina display. The upgrade kits offer up to 960GB of internal storage capacity and come with both installation tools and instructions.
JetDrive kits also ship with an aluminum USB 3.0 enclosure, which allows upgraders to reuse their original SSD, and all kits include a five year warranty.
Stop shuffling around your files and fretting about storage space. Transcend’s JetDrive SSD upgrade kits offer up to 960GB of storage capacity. Upgrading your Mac to a JetDrive SSD ensures you’ll have plenty of space for all your favorite music, videos, and photos.
The JetDrive SSDs are able to take advantage of JetDrive Toolbox monitoring software, which keeps track of the health of the drive and enables TRIM support for optimum write speeds and SSD life. JetDrive SSDs also have maximum read speeds of 495MB/s and maximum write speeds of 495MB/s.
The company has three separate products for early MacBook Airs, mid–2012 MacBook Airs, and mid-2012 Retina Macbook Pros, in multiple capacities. While mid–2012 MacBook Airs and Retina MacBook Pros can be upgraded with 240, 480, or 960 GB of storage space, earlier MacBook Airs (late 2010 and mid–2011) are limited to 240 or 480 GB. Transcend’s JetDrive kits are not PCIe and are not compatible with the most recently released 2013 MacBook Airs and Retina MacBook Pros.
Transcend’s JetDrives can be found on Amazon.com, with prices ranging from $190 for the lower end upgrade to $600 for the higher end upgrade. Ordering information and specific links can be accessed on Transcend’s website, but the 960 GB SSDs have yet to make their way to Amazon.
