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The most exciting Apple legal story you'll read all day
In a move that is sure to send massive shockwaves through Apple Store break rooms the world over, two former Apple Store employees are throwing in the towel on their claims against the company. The duo alleges that Apple owed them some cold hard cash after they spent as long as 25 minutes waiting for their bags to be checked before departing on breaks from their Apple Store shifts. The checking of employee bags, backpacks, and any other pouch that could potentially be used to smuggle delicious iDevices and other Apple swag out of the store is a common practice, though having to wait nearly a half hour for such an inspection certainly does seem a bit out of the ordinary. We all know that feeling of leaving work after a long day, so we can certainly sympathize. The Supreme Court, on the other hand, didn't see things the same way. The court decided that the unfortunate delays weren't worthy of compensation, and tossed the case like a week-old newspaper. Plaintiffs Deal Pelle and Amanda Frlekin have declared that they won't fight the federal motion to dismiss the suit, but will continue to pursue a ruling at the state level. Apple filed its own brief on the matter, claiming that since no work is actually being done while an employee is waiting for a bag to be checked, no compensation is warranted. The company also requested that the state-level claims be dismissed.
Teenage girls fill Apple Store with Christmas spirit in adorable dance video
This video is news only in the most tenuous definition of the term news, but it's the holidays, the actual news is depressing as hell, and frankly a little levity never did anyone any harm. Today's dose of the holiday spirit comes from YouTube user perksofinfinity who went with a friend to an Apple Store to shoot this adorable dance video set to Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You." If the confused looks from patrons don't make you smile you'll still be able to revel in the joy and enthusiasm that radiates from the pair. We won't keep you waiting any longer with our yammering. Warm up a mug of cider and enjoy.
Apple's Zorlu Center store in Istanbul wins design and engineering accolades
When Apple works closely with both architect and engineer on flagship retail stores, the result can be magical. That's the case with the Apple Store Zorlu Center in Istanbul, Turkey, which won a pair of awards at The Institution of Structural Engineers (ISE) Structural Awards 2014. The store, described as the Glass Lantern, won both the Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence and the award for best Commercial or Retail Structure for 2014. The Supreme award is given for the "finest example of structural engineering design" in a particular year. The 20,000 square foot Zorlu Center store opened earlier this year as the first Apple Store in Turkey, and was a collaboration of Apple, architects Foster + Partners, and Eckersley O'Callaghan. Located in an open area of the mall, the building features a cubic design with glass sides and a carbon fibre reinforced plastic roof. According to the award comments: The judges found this to be a supreme example of collaboration between engineer and fabricator to achieve an outstanding, architecturally minimalist structure. The use of single panes of toughened laminated glass to support a lightweight ultra-thin CFRP roof without connections other than structural silicone, takes structural glass technology into a new dimension. A project where only engineering excellence and attention to detail can produce a result of such simplicity and purity of expression. Previously, the Apple Store Upper West Side (NYC) received an ISE commendation in 2010 for Commercial or Retail Structures.
Apple's online store now accepts PayPal, lets you spread the cost
Apple already provides a variety of ways to pay for Macs and iPhones, but there's certainly nothing wrong with adding another alternative. Perhaps that's why the company has decided to add PayPal to its online store in the US and the UK. While you'll now be able to charge the cost of a new iPad to one of your connected PayPal accounts, Apple is also promoting interest-free instalments via PayPal Direct. For orders over $250/£99, the company will let you split payments into equal monthly payments, letting you get your gear now and gradually pay it off by next Christmas.
Apple Stores hosting free coding workshops December 11 for Hour of Code
Apple has announced plans to participate in the second annual Hour of Code, a special event that seeks to inspire and educate students to enter the world of coding. To celebrate the event Apple will be providing free one-hour coding workshops in their retail stores introducing participants to the basics of coding. The workshops will be offered on December 11 across the world, in both international and domestic locations. Last year the workshops were only available in the United States. In addition the company will be hosting other special events during the week of December 8-14 in celebration of Computer Science Education Week. You can find all the details, along with the location of the stores where the workshops will be held, at Apple's new launch site for the event.
Apple turning lighted store logos red for World Aids Day 2014
As reported by Mashable, Apple today changed the color of the Apple logo at its flagship Sydney store from white to red as part of the company's World Aids Day campaign. Due to its timezone, the Sydney store is the first store to modify its logo with similar changes expected at stores in Japan, Europe, and the United States as Monday begins to dawn across the world. As part of the World Aids Day campaign, Apple will donate a portion of its sales on On December 1st to The Global Fund to fight Aids. The company also is featuring 24 apps in the App Store with all proceeds from app and in-app purchases going to the Global Fund. The featured apps include exclusive Product(RED) content as part of the campaign. Apple has donated more than $75 million to Product(RED) since its inception in 2006. The Product(RED) initiative was founded by musician Bono and attorney Bobby Shriver.
London's Borough market celebrated Apple Day with "The Real Apple Store" parody
London's Borough market marked both the annual Apple Day celebration and the market's 1,000th year anniversary with a parody of epic proportions. According to Core77, the market hired London-based TinMan and Teatime productions to design the "Real Apple Store," a market place that was styled like an Apple retail store and filled with the best British versions of the apple fruit. The "store" featured over 1000 apples with many specimens of historic and unusual apples displayed on tables. Each display apple was placed on a pedestal mount and included an accompanying "specification" to teach visitors about the often overlooked fruit. Even more apples of all shapes and colors adorned the walls of the faux store. Visitors were invited to both explore and taste the wide range of British apple varieties. You can check out an overview of the "Real Apple Store" in the video below and browse a few more pictures at Core77.
Apple gets ready for the holiday shopping season with new gift cards and uniforms
With the holiday buying season just around the corner, Apple is making a few minor changes to its retail stores to get ready. According to Kelly Hodgkins of MacRumors (and TUAW) the company will be introducing new holiday-colored shirts for employees at the stores for the season. The announcement was made via retail head Angela Ahrendts in a recent internal company video. You should start seeing the red holiday-themed t-shirts instead of Apple's normal blue ones in the near future. In addition, employees will reportedly not be wearing their name badge lanyards during the holiday season. It isn't just the uniforms that are getting a makeover. The company has also introduced new gift cards modeled after the color schemes of the iPhone and iPad. Gift cards can be used online or in stores, and can have a value of up to US$2,000. You'll probably need to get a few if you want one of the new Retina 5K iMacs. You can find Apple's new gift cards online here, and will be able to check out the new uniforms in person at Apple Stores soon.
Want a Mac under the Christmas tree this year? Better order now
Online shoppers placing orders for the new Retina iMac on Apple's digital store are seeing notifications of "unexpected delays" as we make our way closer to the biggest gift-giving day of the year. MacNN is reporting that delays of up to two weeks are pushing orders originally slated for November deliveries back into December, with no specific reason offered for the delays. So if you were planning on gifting a new Mac to a loved one this year -- or maybe even picking one up as a present for yourself -- you should probably fill that virtual shipping cart soon, or you'll risk some serious disappointment.
Apple opening Lille store to attract French and Belgian customers
Apple is planning to expand its retail presence in France with a new store in the city of Lille. According to Macnn, the 15,000 square foot store is under construction with an expected grand opening sometime in November. A black construction barricade blocks the street level-view of the store, which reportedly is receiving its finishing touches. Apple's Lille store will join other high-profile Apple stores in Paris, Nice, and Bordeaux. The store is expected to attract customers from France as well as neighboring Belgium, which does not have an Apple retail store.
Tim Cook says Apple plans to open 25 new retail stores in China within 2 years
Tim Cook was in China recently where the Apple CEO took a stroll through Foxconn to check out the iPhone manufacturing process up close and personal. And oh yes, there was that small matter of meeting with Chinese authorities over alleged state-sponsored iCloud attacks. In an interview conducted on the trip, and relayed by Reuters, Cook reportedly confirmed Apple's plans to open up 25 additional retail stores in China within the next two years. Cook intimated as much earlier this week during Apple's earnings conference call. And so when I look at China, I see an enormous market where there are more people graduating into the middle class than any nation on earth in history and just an incredible market where people brought the latest technology and products that we were providing. And so we're investing like crazy in the market. We're more than doubling our stores. We've got 15 in Greater China today. We're going to be close to 40 in the next couple of years. We've expanded our online store to cover now 315 cities in China. Looking over Apple's earnings for the past quarter, revenue from China didn't come in as high as some were anticipating. Specifically, revenue from China increased by a paltry 1% year over year. This, though, may be due to the delayed rollout of the iPhone 6 in the country.
Apple to cull Bose products from retail stores
A longtime staple of Apple retail stores, audio products from Bose are now set to be axed from Apple's shelves as early as next week, MacRumors reports. Apple hasn't yet -- and likely won't -- publicly weigh in on the decision to remove the popular brand from its brick-and-mortar chain, but the decision is almost certainly tied to the company's recent acquisition of Beats Electronics. Beats has most recently popped up in headlines also related to Bose, as the latter's new partnership with the National Football League has led to a mandate that players not wear Beats headphones in any context related to the sport, including interviews. San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the first victim of the new policy, and was slapped with a $10,000 fine after he was seen wearing a pair of the popular headphones -- which he has appeared in commercials for -- after Sunday's game.
Edinburgh Apple Store finally opening after being announced in 2010
Good things come to those who wait. Fours years after being announced, Edinburgh, Scotland is getting an Apple store. The long delayed location will open on October 18, according to a banner posted outside of the store. MACNN is reporting the store's building was originally built in 1769 as the Crown Hotel, and has been home to a number of businesses in its existence including Burger King and Woolworths. Reportedly the delays were caused by finalizing a location, and then figuring out a design layout for the older building. This will be the third Apple Store to open in Scotland.
Apple readies new, non-floating Apple Store in Venice, Italy
Apple is set to unveil a new, one-of-a-kind retail store in Venice, Italy that will be filled wall-to-wall with all manner of unknown goodies. The store, which cannot float and therefore will not be accessible via gondola, is located at the Nave de Vero mall, and is currently covered with an impenetrable black shroud that hides what will surely be a completely unique and never-before-seen store layout the likes of which will be remembered for years to come. Or -- maybe -- it's going to look like your standard mall-based Apple Store. In fact, yeah, that's probably what it's going to look like. As MacRumors notes, new Apple retail openings are typically accompanied by a t-shirt giveaway for the first thousand customers to step through the door, so while you might not be visiting the world's first floating Apple Store, you could still walk away with some free swag. [Photo credit: TheAppleLounge]
Stupid kids try to bend iPhones at an Apple Store, post video proving how dumb they are
Have you ever heard the saying "The criminal mind always sets its own traps"? A pair of hilariously stupid kids decided to film themselves walking into an Apple Store for the sole purpose of breaking iPhones. After spending a good amount of time trying (and frequently failing) to get the devices to break, they manage to pull it off a few times before eventually realizing their own stupidity and fleeing from the store. The best part? They spend a good portion of the video speaking directly to the camera, referring to each other by name, and then attempting to defend their actions by blaming the rumors and -- of all things -- Apple itself for the vandalization. "We were in the Apple store bending and breaking their iPhone, which is like criminal damage I guess," one of the teens explains at the tail end of the video. "I don't even care to be honest, because it's Apple's fault." ...WHAT? Once the video was published online, and the implications of their actions were finally clear to them, they attempted to wash their hands of the incident by deleting the video, but we all know how well that works. The full video has been mirrored and copied on several other accounts and Apple, along with the authorities, should have no problem tracking the teens down. In fact, they should just check that Apple Store again, because they're probably dumb enough to go for round two. [via The Daily Dot]
The pre-history of Manhattan's Fifth Avenue Apple Store cube
When it comes to Apple's retail stores, probably the most iconic is the one in the plaza of the GM Building on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The store's signature architectural feature -- a 32-foot glass cube emblazoned with a glowing Apple logo -- is immediately recognizable . NY Magazine's Vicky Ward provided the back story to the origins of the cube in an article published yesterday, and it's fascinating. The story began in 2003, when property developer Harry Macklowe bought the GM Building for US$1.4 billion in borrowed money. One issue with the building at the time was the huge and useless open plaza that spread from the front of the building to Fifth Avenue. Architects hated the plaza, and those in the business of building, buying, and leasing skyscrapers saw it as a waste of space. Macklowe was aware that Apple was stretching its wings in the retail business, so he began to bother George Blankenship, who was then Apple's vice-president of real estate. Macklowe's persistence paid off when he was invited to meet with Steve Jobs in November of 2003. Jobs and his team already had an idea of a 40-foot glass cube for the plaza, which would take advantage of an unused basement located below the plaza. But Macklowe realized at a glance at a model provided by Apple that the cube was too large, both in terms of violating zoning laws and its scale from the street level. Macklowe realized that he wouldn't be able to just talk to Jobs about the cube being too big; he'd have to show Apple and let the company come to the conclusion. He invited two Apple retail development execs, Ron Johnson and Rob Briger, to come see a scaffold mockup of the cube built on the plaza in the middle of the night since regulations forbade Macklowe to put up the mockup in the day. The executives met with Macklowe and his team at around 2 AM, and the Apple team immediately realized that the 40-foot cube was too large. Macklowe then pulled a "magic trick", having the model dismantled to reveal a 30-foot cube underneath -- which the Apple team loved. In the end, the store opened on May 19, 2006 as a 32-foot cube. There's more to the story of the Fifth Avenue Apple Store, which became not only symbolic of Apple's rising success in the consumer electronics market, but also marked Harry Macklowe's success in the development business. Be sure to check out the NY Magazine post for the rest of the amazing story.
Former NBA player Rex Chapman arrested after stealing over $14,000 in merchandise from an Apple store
AZfamily is reporting that former NBA star Rex Chapman was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona yesterday after stealing over $14,000 in Apple merchandise from an Apple retail store over the course of a few weeks. Chapman subsequently pawned the stolen goods for cold hard cash. Police began investigating the case in August when employees reported a series of shoplifting incidents involving the same suspect over a period of a few months. The suspect was identified by multiple Apple store employees as Rex Chapman because of his previous celebrity status as an NBA basketball player. Police said Chapman allegedly picked up items in the store and made it appear that he was paying for them with an iPhone app through the store's self-checkout system. Now I know what you're probably thinking, "Rex Chapman.. an NBA star? Really?!" Okay, that might be a bit of a stretch given that he never made an All-Star team. But in his heyday, Chapman was an electrifying player who could throw it down with the best of em', even finishing second in the Slam Dunk contest behind Dee Brown back in 1992. As a kid, I was always excited to watch him play. So it's quite sad that Chapman's post NBA career -- which has actually consisted of a number of steady basketball related gigs -- now includes a number of felony charges for organized retail theft and trafficking in stolen property. Here's Chapman back in the day, doing his thing, for all you youngsters. And did I mention he could dunk? via 9to5Mac
Tweets and pics from iPhone lines in US and Canada
We asked, you sent 'em. If you're in line tonight (or tomorrow morning) and can send us a picture of the line at your iPhone store on our Twitter account (@TUAW, hashtag #tuawiphone6), you may end up in this post! We'll keep updating as the night wears on... and so it begins... @thetech_guy: @TUAW iPhone line up in Square one, Mississauga, ON, Canada #tuawiphone6 pic.twitter.com/UGXlCHg2UG - Vincent Tapia (@pressf1) September 19, 2014 SF Apple Store line pic.twitter.com/75LSnf6jhw - Steve Streza (@SteveStreza) September 19, 2014 @SteveStreza @TUAW I walked by a few hours ago. pic.twitter.com/9wZKoBQb1k - Jon Chusid (@chakajon) September 19, 2014 People are waiting for the iPhone 6 at the #Apple store on North and Clybourn in #Chicago #tuawiphone6 pic.twitter.com/yGPhx9RyWk - Mike (@mmikeanon) September 19, 2014 San Antonio LaCantera Store didn't let anyone line up until 8:30PM. Talk about chaos for a bit. #tuawiphone6 pic.twitter.com/pSfJs1QB1B - Eli Tarin (@oneseven3) September 19, 2014 Apple Store Syracuse NY #tuawiphone6 pic.twitter.com/686xeP5PNc - Ben Ingber (@beningber) September 19, 2014 Cold in line at the Maine mall pic.twitter.com/uX9IQUqnKC - Kelly Hodgkins (@kellyhodgkins) September 19, 2014 First in line, selfie with the bosses @TUAW #tuawiphone6 pic.twitter.com/gPGbhWCySd - Brandon Murphy (@brandontmurphy) September 19, 2014 Corte Madera Apple Store pre iPhone 6 launch #tuawiphone6 @tuaw pic.twitter.com/nIyRKMcmQd - Rogue Hive (@RogueHive) September 19, 2014 7 hours in. 7 hours to go. San Antonio at the forum. #tuawiphone6 pic.twitter.com/pUwX11Crl2 - QS (@SnowQuentin) September 19, 2014 #tuawiphone6 #Hamburg #AppleStore #tuaw pic.twitter.com/CjB8zcoayz - Duaf.dk (@DuafDk) September 19, 2014 @tuaw #tuawiphone6 First! Probably could've gotten more shut eye. pic.twitter.com/J3G9tgE6Me - Russ Johnson (@dirfrops) September 19, 2014 Look closely @tuaw someone wants an iPhone 6 more than we do #tuawiphone6 pic.twitter.com/OZ9VAFzbX3 - Russ Johnson (@dirfrops) September 19, 2014 @TUAW RockinghamPark NH #tuawiphone6 pic.twitter.com/b7ZGF4QUQI - Dave Sciuto (@SciutoDave) September 19, 2014 6am there are 144 people in line per an Apple employee #tuawiphone6 - Ben Ingber (@beningber) September 19, 2014 iPhone 6 overnighters. Apple Store Biltmore. @TUAW pic.twitter.com/HYKtzh3ByV - Thomas Ryerson (@jlpmcghrs) September 19, 2014 "@AndrewMelder: Almost 1pm, still a line #AppleStore #iPhone6 #Perth pic.twitter.com/u3UZiMww2m" @TUAW @cultofmac - Muz Chizyuka (@TheRealMuz) September 19, 2014 Block 4 of 5. #iPhone6 pic.twitter.com/2QyaJKq3AE - TUAW (@TUAW) September 19, 2014 About 150 in line at Station Park Apple Store, Farmington, Utah. #endoftheline, #tuawiphone6 pic.twitter.com/Aev3tlxqLB - Jumping Peanut (@jumpinpeanut) September 19, 2014 @TUAW #tuawiphone6 #chicago AT&T pic.twitter.com/sRy9qvfAvj - Amy (McGrath) Hughes (@smallmegapixel) September 19, 2014 GCT store line now filling up the passageway. pic.twitter.com/7YpUOP7Xni- TUAW (@TUAW) September 19, 2014 Folks in line for the iPhone 6. #tuawiphone6 pic.twitter.com/TzSZRB9Q6H - Joe Breeden (@thatjoehep) September 19, 2014 A special TUAW thank you to all the Apple retail and carrier employees working their butts off today. pic.twitter.com/shKPOQIgue - TUAW (@TUAW) September 19, 2014
Griffin Technology is giving away five iPhone 6's
Don't have the money on hand to pick up a new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus? No problem, provided you're lucky. Accessories manufacturer Griffin Technology will have representatives on hand at Nashville's Green Hills Apple Store, Miami's Lincoln Road Apple Store, London's Regent Street Apple Store, and Paris' Opéra Apple Store. If you skipped breakfast to get in line early, they'll have granola bars and other refreshments to tide you over. Entering the contest is easy: if you're in line at one of the four locations listed above, just take a selfie of yourself in line and upload it to Griffin's selfie contest site at http://grff.in/selfie-contest. Winners will find themselves getting a congratulatory email and phone call from Griffin an hour before the doors open at the Apple Store. Now, for those who are standing in lines at the rest of the Apple Stores around the globe, take your selfie and upload it to Griffin's Facebook contest site. Good luck, and let us know if you are one of the winners!
Apple may use electronic reservation system for iPhone 6 launch
Apple may be streamlining the wait for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on September 19 with a new electronic reservation system that'll minimize a customer's line waiting time. According to training documents obtained by 9to5Mac, Apple is replacing its traditional paper passes with this new Reservation Pass system that will send customer reservation information via email or SMS. The new system reportedly allows Apple associates to check store inventory in real-time and secure an iPhone model for the customer on the spot. Once a reservation is confirmed, customers will be free to leave the line and return anytime during the day to finalize their purchase. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus go on sale starting September 19. Per-orders for the two smartphones begin September 12.
