Feature AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content. For the first time since March 2020 all 270 Apple Stores in the US are now open in some capacity. AppleInsider has visited a few stores in the last few weeks, and the experience is radically different than what it was a year ago, or even when the stores reopened for the first time. Over the past year, my local Apple Store found in the Westfield Brandon Town Center mall has remained open save for only a few sporadic weeks. While I haven't had much need to visit in-person over the past year, two faulty MacBooks finally required me to make a Genius Bar appointment and bring them in for repair. Users looking to make any kind of Genius Bar appointment should plan far ahead as the earliest appointments for this location were at least one week out. If … [Read more...] about Returning to the Apple Store – the new normal
Returns apple
Apple Watch SE returns to $259, cellular $309 in today’s Amazon deals
Amazon has issued price cuts on the Apple Watch SE , knocking $20 off the budget-friendly devices and delivering the year's cheapest prices. The $259 Apple Watch SE is available on the 40mm model with GPS functionality in your choice of a Space Gray Aluminum Case or a Silver Aluminum Case . At press time, both color options are in stock and ready to ship with free expedited delivery for Prime members. Also discounted by $20 is the Cellular version , this time with a Gold Aluminum Case with a Pink Sand Sport Band or a Space Gray Aluminum Case with Apple's Charcoal Sport Loop Band . Cellular units are on backorder with expected availability later this month, but you can still secure your spot in line now at the discounted price. There are plenty of additional Apple Watch deals available, including discounts on Series 6 models. It's worth paying a visit to the AppleInsider Apple Watch Price Guide for up-to-date pricing and availability. Additional … [Read more...] about Apple Watch SE returns to $259, cellular $309 in today’s Amazon deals
Apple’s Tim Cook & Eddy Cue return to elite Sun Valley conference for 2018
AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content. Apple CEO Tim Cook and senior VP Eddy Cue have once again made an appearance at the annual Sun Valley conference in Idaho, attended by the elite of the media and technology worlds. This year marks Cook's seventh consecutive appearance, and Cue 's fifth. Both were in attendance in 2017. The conference is hosted by investment firm Allen & Co., and plays host to top-level executives who sometimes use the event to broker deals behind the scenes. This year some of the people present are said to include media baron Rupert Murdoch, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Google's Sundar Pichai, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. NBC notes that some high-profile deals have been begun at Sun Valley in the past, such as Disney's $19 billion ABC/Capital Cities buyout, and Bezos' … [Read more...] about Apple’s Tim Cook & Eddy Cue return to elite Sun Valley conference for 2018
Just as it ends, ‘Defending Jacob’ looks like the most popular Apple TV+ show
Feature AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content. Apple doesn't release ratings data, but third party data says the limited series "Defending Jacob" is the closest thing the service has to a breakout hit. Defending Jacob , the Apple TV+ limited series starring Chris Evans as a lawyer whose teenaged son is accused of murdering a classmate, wraps up its run with its finale episode May 29. The series, which combines elements of family drama, psychological thriller and courtroom procedural, was based on a novel of the same name by William Landay. Since Apple TV+ launched in November 2019, it hasn't had seen any of its shows emerge as a massive, culture-grabbing smash. But in recent months, there have been various indications that Defending Jacob has been something close to a breakout for Apple. … [Read more...] about Just as it ends, ‘Defending Jacob’ looks like the most popular Apple TV+ show
Apple 4-for-1 stock split process completes
AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content. Apple's stock split has completed, with shareholders on Friday now owning four times the number of shares in the iPhone maker they did yesterday, as the company attempts to make the stock "more accessible" to smaller investors. Originally announced on July 30 and approved by Apple's Board of Directors, the four-for-one stock split will increase the number of common shares available in the company from approximately 12.6 billion to 50.4 billion , for shares outstanding and the number of authorized shares combined. The process effectively quadruples the amount of Apple stock each stockholder has in the company, but without increasing its value. Apple started recording which shareholders had stock in the company from August 24, with those deemed to still be holding … [Read more...] about Apple 4-for-1 stock split process completes
AMD debuts first Radeon RX 6000 PCI-E video cards
AMD unveiled a trio of RX 6000 series GPUs, three RDNA 2 powered cards that undercut Nvidia's RTX 30 series in price with comparable performance and lower power consumption. AMD's three new cards all use the company's RDNA 2 architecture, which it envisions as the foundation of next-gen PC and console gaming. AMD designed RDNA 2 to provide an optimal balance of performance and power-efficiency. The architecture will also power both the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Along with increased performance and power efficiency, the GPUs also have ray-tracing capabilities and variable-rate shading. That brings the AMD cards more in-line with main rival Nvidia. The $649 Radeon RX 6800 XT is a direct competitor to the Nvidia RTX 3080. AMD says you can expect 4K and 1440p gaming performance that matches or beats the RTX 3080. At 250W, it also draws less board power than the Nvidia equivalent. The card has 72 compute units, 16GB of GDDR6 memory, and a 2,015MHz game clock. The Radeon RX … [Read more...] about AMD debuts first Radeon RX 6000 PCI-E video cards
Warner Bros’ 2021 films will release simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max
Warner Bros. will release 17 films, including "The Matrix 4" and "Dune" to its streaming service for a full month alongside theatrical releases. In response to ongoing concerns about the growing coronavirus case numbers, Warner Bros are giving movie fans to see blockbusters at home. The movies will be released to HBO Max , Warner Media's own streaming service . The studio already had planned on doing the same with "Wonder Woman 1984" on December 25 as COVID-19 cases continue to spike around the globe. The Hollywood Reporter points out that it is likely that theater owners were not consulted and anticipates that there may be blowback as theaters struggle to comply with COVID-19 regulations and reduced theater attendance. Sources claim that Warner Bros. also didn't inform partners, such as Legendary — who produced the upcoming "Godzilla vs. Kong" — that their films were included in this plan. However, Warner Bros. stresses that this move is fully … [Read more...] about Warner Bros’ 2021 films will release simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max
Ear cushions not included with AirPods Max warranty replacements
On Monday, a report details Apple's warranty repair policy for AirPods Max, noting the company does not supply an extra set of ear cushions if the device needs to be replaced. Damien Menn recently discovered Apple's replacement protocol when requesting warranty service for a faulty Digital Crown, reports 9to5Mac . Illustrated in a tweet , Apple informs users to remove AirPods Max's ear cushions before sending the unit in for repair. The replacement device arrives in a form-fitting insert and is fitted with special fiber pouches to protect the ear cups that contain sensitive components like drivers, sensors, and circuit boards. A pamphlet included in the package instructs users to remove the original cushions that came with their AirPods Max, slip on the fiber baggies and stow them securely for the return shipment. Fortunately for the user, AirPods Max cushions are held on with magnets and are easy to remove and install. The repair practice deviates from … [Read more...] about Ear cushions not included with AirPods Max warranty replacements
Huawei Vietnam responds to Google’s Android suspension
Huawei Vietnam responds to Google’s Android suspension By Van Ly and Chi Thinh A woman uses the Google Chrome app on her Huawei smartphone. Google intends to suspend its business with China’s top mobile phone maker, threatening future access to Gmail, YouTube and Chrome – PHOTO: THUY DUNG HANOI, HCMC – Chinese technology firm Huawei Vietnam has said it will continue to build a “safe and sustainable software ecosystem” to provide the best experience for all users globally, following Huawei’s use of the Android operating system being restricted by Google. Huawei’s response followed a May 20 report from Reuters, which said that U.S. tech giant Google has suspended business with Huawei that requires the transfer of hardware, software and technical services, except those publicly available through open-source licensing, in a blow to China’s top mobile phone maker, which the U.S. government has sought to blacklist around the world. Holders of current Huawei smartphones … [Read more...] about Huawei Vietnam responds to Google’s Android suspension
New Zealand supports Vietnam’s dragon fruit exports
New Zealand supports Vietnam’s dragon fruit exports By Pham Nhat A farmer harvests dragon fruit in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang. Achieving excellence at every step of the value chain for this fruit is critical to long-term commercial success – PHOTO: VNA HCMC – New Zealand is supportive of Vietnam’s efforts to improve each step of the value chain for exporting dragon fruit, which is critical to its long-term commercial success, heard attendees at a national workshop in HCMC on June 5. The workshop, called “Successful development and commercialization of premium fruit varieties,” brought together nearly 100 participants from relevant government departments, research institutes, farmers’ associations and farm exporters. The workshop shared the lessons learned from the “New Premium Fruit Variety Development Project,” a six-year NZ$8.1 million (US$5.6 million) dragon fruit project funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme. The project developed farming … [Read more...] about New Zealand supports Vietnam’s dragon fruit exports