Refurbished 27-inch iMacs hit the Apple store, thin profiles start at $1,529
Lusting after Apple’s giant, yet shockingly thin 27-inch iMac? The object of your desire just got a little cheaper — well, as long as you don’t mind refurbished goods. The extra large all-in-one is the latest Apple product to hit the company’s certified refurbished store, offering as much as $270 the product’s regular price. The iMac’s 2.9GHz Core i5 base model can be had for $1,529, replete with 8GB of RAM, a 1TB HDD and that luxuriously large 2560 x 1440 display. Apple is also offering refurbished versions of the 3.2Ghz model for $1,699 and 3.4GHz Core i7 rigs for $1,869 and $2,199, depending on the configuration. As always, Cupertino promises that the machines have gone through a rigorous restoration process, but offers a included one-year warranty to put the concerns of cautious buyers to rest. Mosey on over to the source link to consider your savings. Still too rich for your blood? Well, there is a 21-inch model, too.
Via: MacRumors
Source: Apple
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Apple brings two-step verification to iCloud and Apple ID users
It’s been a strong selling point from Google for security-minded users, and now Apple has finally come on board with a two-step verification process for Apple ID and iCloud users. Not surprisingly, the system works much the same as with Google and others: you first need to enable it on the Apple ID website, then you can use your mobile device to receive verification codes as needed (either via text message or the Find my iPhone app) to sign into various Apple services. You can also stash a recovery key away in the event you lose or are locked out of your phone.
In our testing, it appears that the functionality is slowly rolling out to US-based users, but in practice, the changes aren’t actually sticking. We’re hitting plenty of time-outs, and even after registering a device, we’re noticing that the verifications aren’t sticking within the Apple ID account. If you’re running into issues, you may want to just wait as Apple irons out the kinks.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Apple
Via: 9 to 5 Mac
Source: Apple
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Apple drops supplier over underage labor violations, hails ‘high compliance’ with reducing excessive work hours
Apple’s latest Supplier Responsibility Report has just been published, detailing 339 audits focused on the plants and suppliers that help make all that hardware. The audit number is a 72 percent increase in what it covered in its last annual report, while Apple was also quick to highlight its contracting companies’ high compliance (92 percent) with a maximum 60-hour work week. Senior vice president of operations Jeff Williams told Reuters that underage workers and limiting working hours were two of the most challenging issues it faced in its supplier audits. Apple decided to end business relations with component maker Guangdong Real Faith Pingzhou Electronics over underage labour issues. “We go deep in the supply chain to find it,” said Williams. “And when we do find it, we ensure that the underage workers are taken care of, the suppliers are dealt with.”
Via: AllThingsD, Reuters
Source: Apple
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Bloomberg: Apple and Google teaming up on $500 million-plus bid for Kodak patents
After Kodak’s auction to offload 1,100 of its digital imaging patents was green-lit this summer, it looked like Apple and Google were ready to do battle for the goods. Now, however, Bloomberg cites a pair of sources who claim that the two titans have ended their face-off and are combining their efforts in a $500 million-plus bid for the patents. All three parties are staying quiet for now, but the move would certainly not be out of form for technology giants when it comes to lucrative, and potentially volatile, patents. Helping Kodak recover from bankruptcy with more cash in its coffers is nice enough, but avoiding a courtroom feud on digital photos is what sweetens the pot all around.
[Image credit: Viktor Nagornyy, Flickr]
Filed under: Misc, Apple, Google
Source: Bloomberg
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Leave a commentApple asks court to include Galaxy S III with Jelly Bean, Galaxy Note II and four more devices in lawsuit
As usual, Apple thought Friday night on a holiday weekend was the perfect time to push some more paper through in its ongoing patent lawsuit against Samsung. According to Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents, after Samsung asked to add the latest iPads, iPhones and iPod touches to its list of claims and the court approved the addition of the iPhone 5, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 10.1, Apple is trying to put six more devices on the list. Listed in the motion are the Galaxy S III running Android Jelly Bean (but not Jelly Bean itself), Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Tab 8.9 WiFi, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Rugby Pro and Galaxy S III mini. As usual, the case will proceed, we’ll wait to hear if these requests are approved by the court and in the meantime, iThings and Galaxys alike will continue to fly off the shelves. Given the season, for now it’s time to be thankful we’re not one of the lawyers spending their day working on this. That leaves us plenty of time for more interesting activities, like hand-to-hand combat against fellow shoppers for the right to purchase slightly discounted items.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Apple, Samsung
Source: FOSS Patents
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Apple starts offering Passbook-enabled gift cards, may save our hides in holiday shopping
Gift cards often get a bad rap as the last resort in holiday shopping, what we supposedly get only when all hope of a carefully considered present has gone out the window. Apple isn’t quite so cyncial, and it may have injected new life into gift giving now that it has switched on buying gift cards through the recently updated Apple Store iOS app as of this weekend. Pick a color and a card value — up to $2,000, if someone’s been good enough to earn a MacBook Pro — and the resulting email lets iOS 6-touting recipients load the card into Passbook. Besides saving some plastic, the Passbook entry adds some worth through geofencing that reminds recipients to splurge if they’re near one of Apple’s steel-and-glass stores. All told, the card may be more than welcome by iPhone fans and save the ignominy of a last-minute rush to the store. Just make sure the recipient doesn’t mind going without a physical gift on the big day — it wouldn’t be right to drain all the romanticism out of a special occasion.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Apple
Apple starts offering Passbook-enabled gift cards, may save our hides in holiday shopping originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Nov 2012 14:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple posts revised ‘Samsung did not copy’ statement, acknowledges first version was inaccurate
Apple has just reposted its statement acknowledging that Samsung did not copy its tablet design, after the initial wording wasn’t deemed unacceptable by the UK courts. The new version is a lot shorter, and simply states that the court did not find Samsung to be in breach of Apple’s registered design No. 0000181607-0001, reminding us that it was also upheld by the Court of Appeal, providing links to the appropriate patent and judgement documents online. The mention of the same case going in Apple’s favor in Germany has been removed completely. When first published, Apple included a short link at the bottom of its homepage. Now, to completely comply with the court’s bidding, there is a short statement accompanying the link, confirming that its initial acknowledgement was inaccurate. The court also told Apple that it must keep the admission online until at least December 14th. This comes just a day after print versions started appearing in UK national papers. Will this be enough to appease the UK courts? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Filed under: Tablets, Apple, Samsung
Apple posts revised ‘Samsung did not copy’ statement, acknowledges first version was inaccurate originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 05:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Leave a commentJury finds Apple did not infringe on Samsung’s patents, awards no damages
The jury in Apple v. Samsung dealt a big blow to Samsung by finding that it did infringe on some of the Apple patents at the center of the case, and it didn’t have any better news for the company when it came to Samsung’s own claims that Apple infringed on some of its patents as well. The jury found that Apple did not infringe on those in all five cases (the so-called utility patents), although it did rule that the patents were valid. That also, of course, means no damages awarded to Samsung.
Filed under: Cellphones
Jury finds Apple did not infringe on Samsung’s patents, awards no damages originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 19:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple details 2010 presentation to Samsung on Android patent infringement, licensing offer
As the battle between Samsung and Apple closed out another week in US District Court, lawyers for the latter focused its argument on evidence and testimony covering a presentation Apple made to Samsung in 2010, and its offer to license the patents. AllThingsD has the deck of slides from the meeting (embedded after the break), specifying areas and specific patents Apple believes Android as an OS infringes or things Samsung specifically copied elements from, plus a report on testimony from Apple executive Boris Teksler. He testified today about the meeting with Samsung, calling it a “trusted partner” (should be, since Apple paid it paid $5.7 billion for parts that year) that both Tim Cook and Steve Jobs spoke to directly about the issue.
While more information is expected from Teksler next week, he did have time to put a dollar amount on the licensing deal Apple subsequently offered, at about $30 per smartphone and $40 per tablet, as well as royalties also collected from phones running Symbian and Bada, with the possibility of a 20 percent discount if Samsung would cross license its own technology back to Apple. The companies are restricted by Judge Koh to 25 hours each to argue their points (Apple is at 11 and a half hours while Samsung has crossed over 12 with its own arguments yet to come) but we’re sure there’s enough time left for a few more revelations before any resolution is reached.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs
Apple details 2010 presentation to Samsung on Android patent infringement, licensing offer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 23:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Leave a commentAmazon, Apple stop taking key account changes over the phone after identity breach
By now, you may have heard the story of the identity ‘hack’ perpetrated against Wired journalist Mat Honan. Using easily obtained data, an anonymous duo bluffed its way into changing his Amazon account, then his Apple iCloud account, then his Google account and ultimately the real target, Twitter. Both Amazon and Apple were docked for how easy it was to modify an account over the phone — and, in close succession, have both put at least a momentary lockdown on the changes that led to Honan losing much of his digital presence and some irreplaceable photos. His own publication has reportedly confirmed a policy change at Amazon that prevents over-the-phone account changes. Apple hasn’t been as direct about what’s going on, but Wired believes there’s been a 24-hour hold on phone-based Apple ID password resets while the company marshals its resources and decides how much extra strictness is required.
Neither company has said much about the issue. Amazon has been silent, while Apple claims that some of its existing procedures weren’t followed properly, regardless of any rules it might need to mend. However the companies address the problem, this is one of those moments where the lesson learned is more important than the outcome. Folks: if your accounts and your personal data matter to you, use truly secure passwords and back up your content. While Honan hints that he may have put at least some of the pieces back together, not everyone gets that second chance.
Filed under: Internet
Amazon, Apple stop taking key account changes over the phone after identity breach originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 23:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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