Apple today released a new EFI Update for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, which is designed to fix issues
that caused the built-in keyboard and trackpad to freeze up and stop
functioning. Apple recommends that all late 2013 13-inch Retina MacBook
Pro owners install the update.
This update is recommended for MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, late 2013) models.
This update addresses an issue where the built-in keyboard and Multi-Touch trackpad may become unresponsive.
Users
first began noticing issues that caused the keyboard and the trackpad
of the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro to freeze up shortly after the
computer was released on October 22.
Multiple threads on Apple's Support Forums highlighted the issues and prompted Apple to notify users
last week that it was working on a fix. While it was unclear whether
the keyboard and trackpad unresponsiveness was due to a hardware or a
software issue, it appears to be software-based and repairable with the
EFI update.
The EFI update should be available through the Software Update tool in
the Mac App Store for all users with an affected MacBook. Apple has also released an EFI update for the late 2013 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro.
Earlier this week, we shared
a trade-in promotion from Target, which generated tremendous interest.
Target is offering $200 for any iPad, including the original 1st
generation models. Outside of the promotion, Target normally offers only
$65 for a 16 GB Wi-Fi original iPad, which makes the $200 gift card a
great deal.
Target's trade-in promotion is still going on, ending on Saturday,
November 9, leaving two days to complete potential trade-ins. We've
received some mixed reports about the success of the trade-ins.
Trade-ins can only be done in-store to receive the special offer, as
original iPad trade-ins online are still listed with a $65 value.
While Target has altered the wording
on its original offer to suggest consumers trading in iPads should use
the funds to purchase an iPad Air or iPad mini, many customers are still
receiving $200 gift cards with no strings attached. Target's new
promotional wording is below:
"Between November 3rd thru 9th,
visit your local Target Mobility store and trade in any iPad for at
least $200 to use towards the purchase of a new iPad."
According
to our forums and emails we've received, Target has had some difficulty
processing all of the trade-ins, and some Target stores seem to be
unfamiliar with the details of the promotion. While some customers have
had no issues trading in their iPads, others have faced long lines due
to each store only having a few employees in the Mobile department, or
been turned away entirely.
For most, the process is quick and simple. A Target employee will type
in the model number, check to make sure the buttons are functional and
that the screen isn't cracked, then enter a license number before
handing over the gift card.
While some Target locations have insisted that the $200 trade-in value
must be used for an iPad purchase, forum members have been able to
circumvent this by claiming to wait for a Retina iPad mini or by
visiting another Target location that did not implement the same
restrictions.
Apple has filed for a United States patent
detailing a system for allowing a device to access and share a remote
network with a second device using the low-power Bluetooth LE protocol,
reports AppleInsider.
The patent application was published today and credits Apple engineers
Daniel Borges, Jason Giles, and Michael Larson as inventors.
Notably, the application mentions a first device acting as a hotspot and
having short-range connectability with a second device, with the second
device having access to remote networks. This would be very similar to
the rumored interaction between Apple's upcoming iWatch
and a second iOS device such as the iPhone, with the iWatch serving as
an accessory and giving users easy at-a-glance access to common
functions without having to take out larger devices.
The described technology would seem particularly apt for providing
intermittent Internet access for the iWatch, allowing it to take
advantage of low-power Bluetooth to only intermittently connect to the
Internet using an iPhone as a hotspot rather than having to host its own
cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.
The proximity profile
defines a proximity notification alert that the supporting device sends
to the device to advertise its shared access service to the network for
devices within range. In one embodiment, upon receiving the proximity
notification alert the device joins the supporting device’s shared
access service and briefly connects to the network to receive push
notifications or other messages, before disconnecting.
The patent also details how a low-power connection protocol such as
Bluetooth could prove to be advantageous as the first device remains in a
low-power background mode while connecting to a network with the
ability to receive push notifications:
In one embodiment,
the short-range connectability to the supporting device is provided over
a low-power enabled connection protocol such as Bluetooth. In a typical
embodiment, the device is able to maintain itself in a low-power
background mode while joining the supporting device's shared access
service and briefly connecting to the network. In this manner the device
may perform such activities as establishing intermittent network
presence for receiving push notifications and other messages or updates,
or for engaging in other network-related activities while
advantageously remaining in low power mode.
Apple has long
been rumored to be working on the iWatch, which is expected to provide
common functions along with additional biometric integration in addition
to serving as an accessory to iOS devices. Apple CEO Tim Cook stated
during the company's fourth quarter earnings call last month that Apple
still plans to introduce new product categories in 2014, which is a
likely timeframe for the release of the iWatch as previously indicated by multiple sources. A report last week also indicated that Apple was close to striking a deal with LG Display to provide OLED displays for the device.
Apple is planning to begin offering in-store display replacements and other repairs for both iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, reports 9to5Mac, continuing Apple's effort to lower repair costs.
These sources say that Apple Stores will be able to replace
several aspects of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on-site, meaning that
Apple no-longer needs to fully replace iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c units
with damage or other problems.
The display replacements will
cost $149 for each device for users not subscribed to AppleCare+, and
$79 for users subscribed to the warranty service. In addition, Apple
will also have the ability to replace volume buttons, sleep/wake
buttons, vibrating motors, the rear camera and speakers systems on both
phones.
Apple Stores will also be able to replace the home button on the iPhone
5c, but will likely not be able to replace the Touch ID sensor on the
iPhone 5s, likely due to constrained supply.
Part replacements due to defects will be free if the device is under
AppleCare warranty. However, devices not under an AppleCare warranty
plan there will have repair fees specific to each part, such as a $29
surcharge for a Home button replacement on the iPhone 5c.
In June, Apple began offering in-store display replacements for the iPhone 5 for $149 for both AppleCare+ and non-AppleCare+ subscribers.
Apple unsurprisingly appears to be ramping up activity on iOS 7.0.4 as
the next version of iOS to see a release to the public, with MacRumors seeing increasing numbers of devices running iOS 7.0.4 from Apple's networks showing up in web logs.
Visitors to MacRumors.com via Apple's networks from devices running iOS 7.0.4
The first signs of iOS 7.0.4 appeared on October 22, the same day iOS 7.0.3 was released to the public.
Activity has been ramping up over the past two weeks, but there is no
word yet on when the update might be released to the public. Apple has
also not seeded registered developers with any builds of iOS 7.0.4, but
the company does not always do so for its minor iOS updates.
Visitors to MacRumors.com via Apple's networks from devices running iOS 7.1
As we previously noted,
iOS 7.1 devices from Apple's network began showing up in our logs in
late August, and while visits from those devices increased during
October, they have declined somewhat during the first week of November.
iOS 7.1 would be expected to bring a more substantial number of updates,
but it appears that a public launch may yet be some time off with Apple
working on a smaller iOS 7.0.4 release.
iOS 8 continues to show very low levels of activity in our logs, with
the next major version of Apple's iOS software undoubtedly still in the
very early stages of development and a public release roughly a year in
the future.
Following the release of updated iWork apps for the Mac and iOS, many power users were upset with the loss of several important features within Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.
Multiple threads on Apple's Support forums lambasted the changes, and one blogger called the removal of features within Pages an "unmitigated disaster." Apple has now responded to user outrage with a new support page
detailing upcoming updates that it plans to add to all three apps
within the next six months, which will see the return of many lost
features.
The new iWork applications—Pages, Numbers, and
Keynote—were released for Mac on October 22nd. These applications were
rewritten from the ground up to be fully 64-bit and to support a unified
file format between OS X and iOS 7 versions, as well as iWork for
iCloud beta.
These apps feature an all-new design with an intelligent format panel
and many new features such as easy ways to share documents,
Apple-designed styles for objects, interactive charts, new templates,
and new animations in Keynote.
In rewriting these applications, some features from iWork '09 were not
available for the initial release. We plan to reintroduce some of these
features in the next few releases and will continue to add brand new
features on an ongoing basis.
Pages updates will
include a customizable toolbar, a vertical ruler, and improved alignment
guides, object placement, and word counts. Importing cells with images
will also be possible, pages and sections will be manageable from the
thumbnail view, and keyboard shortcuts for styles will also return.
Numbers will also gain a customizable toolbar, improvements to
zoom and window placement, auto-complete text in cells, page headers and
footers, and improvements to AppleScript support, which was a major
complaint.
Along with a customizable toolbar, Keynote will see the return of old transitions and builds, improvements to presenter display, and improvements to AppleScript support.
As Apple works to return features to its suite of iWork apps, the
company recommends that users who want to use these missing features can
access previous versions of iWork applications, which are found in
Applications > iWork '09. Apple also details how to revert documents to old formats to retain compatibility with its older apps.
On October 22, Apple began offering free copies
of the updated iWork apps to all users who owned a previous version.
The company is also supplying free copies of the apps, which are
normally priced at $19.99, to any customer who purchases a new Mac.
Apple's new iPad Air marks a significant technological step forward for
the company, improving performance while reducing the device's volume
and weight by over 25%. Much of the size and weight savings have been
enabled by improved power efficiency, allowing Apple to reduce the
device's battery thickness and capacity by roughly the same 25%.
Component thickness reduction in iPad Air
As noted in IHS iSuppli's component cost analysis
released earlier today, the iPad Air now uses just 36 LEDs to light its
display, down from as many as 84 in previous generations. Apple has
also reduced the thickness of the display assembly, and so it appears
that the display is indeed one of the areas where Apple has been able to
make the most improvement on size and weight, both in the components
themselves and in the battery capacity needed to drive them.
In a new analysis
comparing the iPad Air's display to that of the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 and
the Google Nexus 10, Ray Soneira of DisplayMate Technologies confirms
that Apple has indeed changed display technologies in the iPad Air,
moving to indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) semiconductor materials from
the amorphous silicon (a-Si) compounds used in previous iPads. While
rumors of Apple moving to IGZO for the iPad and other products
have circulated for several years, Sharp has experienced difficulties
ramping up production and it has taken until now for Apple to bring the
technology to its products.
Among
the evidence cited by Soneira for his claim that the iPad Air has moved
to IGZO technology are power measurements showing that the iPad Air's
display offers a 57% improvement in power efficiency compared to
previous iPads, a jump that simply would not be possible with a-Si
technology. IGZO offers significantly better electron mobility than
a-Si, allowing for much lower power requirements. The shift in
technology has also enabled other improvements in the display of the
iPad Air compared to its predecessor, and Soneira notes that Apple
continues to offer an excellent display on its tablet lineup.
Compared
to the 4th generation, the screen Reflectance decreased by 23 percent,
the Peak Brightness increased by 7 percent, and the Contrast Rating for
High Ambient Light increased by 32 percent – all good. Absolute Color
Accuracy and Image Contrast fidelity are very good (but somewhat below
the Kindle Fire) and are discussed in detail below. The emphasis for the
iPad Air is in reduced size, thickness, and weight. The most important
under the hood display improvement is the switch from a-Si amorphous
Silicon LCDs up to a much higher performance IGZO LCD backplane, which
was discussed in our iPad 3 Display Shoot-Out article last year. The
switch to IGZO produces an impressive 57 percent improvement in display
power efficiency from previous Retina Display iPads – so the iPad Air
doesn’t get uncomfortably warm like the earlier iPads.
MacRumors
spoke with Soneira about the state of the display industry and Apple's
potential plans for the future, and Soneira noted that he expects the
Retina iPad mini launching later this month to also adopt IGZO
technology. If anything, a move to IGZO is more important on the iPad
mini than on the iPad Air due to higher pixel density on the smaller
device, with a-Si being infeasible for a Retina display at that size.
While the iPad Air's display is excellent, Soneira notes Apple is no
longer at the top of the heap, with Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 display
actually performing better than the iPad Air's display. This is made
possible by Amazon's use of low temperature polysilicon (LTPS)
technology, which offers even better performance and lower power
requirements than IGZO.
LTPS is commonly used on displays for smaller devices such as the
iPhone, but Amazon has pushed the technology to the edge by bringing it
to tablet-sized displays despite high costs and complicated production.
Apple is unlikely to follow Amazon's lead in the near future, in large
part due to scalability issues that simply won't support the tens of
millions of tablets Apple is producing each year.
IGZO also offers a more natural transition for display manufacturers, as
they can in many cases simply upgrade their existing equipment from
current a-Si production, while moving to LTPS would require a complete
change in production. IGZO is also just the first of a number of metal
oxide semiconductors that show promise for improved display performance,
pointing to solid opportunities for the technology to continue to
evolve.
Overall, Soneira notes that the iPad Air display has seen a very solid
incremental upgrade, although he does have a few quibbles such as the
continued presence of an air gap between the display and the cover glass
when Apple has been moving toward laminating the two components
together in other products. And with Amazon able to pursue LTPS
technology for the Kindle Fire HDX due to its smaller size and lower
unit volumes, Apple is finding itself facing stiffer competition in
displays where it has long been the industry leader.
