Apple has launched the cheaper 16GB version of the iPod touch with a 5 megapixel iSight camera internationally. The new iPod also comes in the same Space Gray, Silver, Pink, Yellow, Blue, and (Product) RED models as the 32GB and 64GB configurations. The new 16GB player first launched in the United States last week, but today marks the first time that the units are available at Apple’s sales channels across the world....

The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a program that ranks computers and displays based on environmental attributes in accordance with IEEE 1680.1-2009. According to Robert Frisbee, CEO of EPEAT, Apple asked the organization last month to pull its 39 certified desktop computers, monitors and laptops, which included past versions of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. The likely reason is the new Retina MacBook Pro. Its glass display is fused with the top of the case, while the batteries are glued to the bottom, making it extremely difficult to repair or recycle....

It had to happen — Intel introduced its Sandy Bridge processor this week and already intrepid Mac OS X hackers have managed to install Apple’s operating system on Intel’s new chip. Good news that it can be done must be tempered with reports as to how complex it is: it really is: indeed, it’s so complex developers at the tonymacx86 Blog, have published instructions. And these involve a patched kernel and the results?...

Apple closed all of its retail stores and offices in China on February 1 due to the coronavirus outbreak. The closures were scheduled to last for just one week, but now Apple says that all of its retail stores in China will have reopened as of Friday, March 12. Apple announced its closures in China on February 1 and said it planned to reopen stores on February 9, but that date ended up being extended....

According to a new report from the Irish Independent, Apple is planning to expand its presence in Ireland by creating 1,000 new jobs in Cork. Specifically, Apple plans to create a four-story office building and a 752-space car lot at its European headquarters in Cork. With this addition, Apple’s workforce in Cork will reach 6,000 and the company will be able to expand its workforce at the Holyhill development, while also continuing to support its economic development objective....

Apple updated its Investor Relations webpage this evening to announce that it will hold its Annual Meeting of Shareholders on February 13th, 2018 at Steve Jobs Theater. The record date for the meeting is December 15th, 2017… Because of limited seating at Steve Jobs Theater, Apple is requiring that shareholders register ahead of time to attend the meeting. Shareholders will be assigned a unique control number once Apple files its proxy statement....

Apple is reportedly making its Activation Lock theft deterrent feature on by default in iOS 8 as it moves to please politicians attempting to require smartphone makers implement a remote “kill switch” to disable stolen devices. The news comes from Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón who praised Apple’s decision in a statement today. The two have been pushing smartphone makers for stronger theft deterrent features as part of its Secure Our Smartphones Initiative, but had expressed disappoint with the fact Apple’s Activation Lock feature wasn’t enabled for users by default....

Apple’s tactic of making advance review models available to selected publications, and setting an embargo on publication, means it’s able to control the flow of reviews so that they all get maximum attention. On Tuesday, it was the iPhone 8 (including our review). Yesterday, the Apple Watch Series 3 (our review). And today it’s the turn of the Apple TV 4K. The bottom-line of most reviews is that it’s an expensive device compared to alternatives like Chromecast, Fire TV and Roku, and only makes sense if two things are true …...

Update 3: PKO BP in Poland is also testing Apple Pay currently, we’ve learned. Sounds like a big expansion is in the works. Update 2: The post has been further updated to report the names of three retail chains said to be launch partners in the region: Pressbyrån, 7-11 and Elgiganten. Update: MacPro has updated its story to say that the service is launching in Finland and Denmark too, with ‘several key retail partners lined-up....

Apple may be planning on unveiling an all new Mac that is “absolutely different from current products”, according to a rough translation from the sometimes reliable macotakara.jp. The site’s track record is less than perfect, however they did accurately predict the iPad 2’s march release. The report seems to claim the product will be so different from current product lines that it will indeed be given a new name. Other than that, there aren’t many details offered up in terms of specs on the potential next-gen Mac (iOS/OS X hybrid?...

The Apple TV is an advancement in many ways over the third-generation model (faster processor, App Store, Siri) but there are also a couple of regressions, features that existed before that are missing and/or removed. One such example is Podcasts. The third-gen Apple TV featured a pre-installed Apple Podcasts app, which would sync with your iTunes subscriptions on the desktop and iOS devices. However, it is nowhere to be seen on the new fourth-generation Apple TV yet …...

Earlier this month Apple announced its decision to notify customers of law enforcement requests for user information. Today the company also published a new set of guidelines for law enforcement officials regarding how it will handle such requests, what types of information can be obtained, and more. Most of the document contains information regular customers won’t ever need to know, but for those interested in Apple’s participation in the legal process will find a wealth of information here....

In addition to today’s release of iOS 14.5.1, Apple is also releasing macOS Big 11.3.1. This comes one week after macOS Big Sur 11.3 was released to the public with security improvements, deeper HomePod integration, and more. macOS Big Sur 11.3.1 is available now and the OTA should be showing up in System Preferences > Software Update. Keep checking back if you don’t see it yet, as sometimes updates take some time to roll out to all users....

Apple has released the third iOS 12 public beta for iPhone and iPad. The new version follows iOS 12 developer beta 4 which was released yesterday. The new version includes more Activity app stickers in Messages, more Memoji customization, and more. macOS Mojave public beta 3 was released yesterday, and tvOS 12 public beta 3 is also available today. The latest version also includes cellular data for apps organized by usage, interface tweaks in Wallet and Photos, and more....

Apple declared its own operations 100% carbon neutral back in 2018, and last month said that it would achieve the same thing for its entire supply chain by 2030. That’s actually a far bigger promise, because Apple’s suppliers use more energy than the company itself. But steps toward this target have highlighted the workaround Apple uses to make its claims… Bloomberg this week noted this in a piece earlier this week....

Apple’s planned R&D center in Yokohama, Japan, appears to have fallen behind schedule. We got our first look at renders of the funky-looking building a little over a year ago, when the city’s mayor reported that construction would begin in 2015 and complete in 2016. But Japanese blog Macotakara now reports that a construction board outside the site says that it will instead complete in March 2017. We first learned of plans for the building back in 2014, when the Japanese prime minister said that the facility “will be on par with Apple’s biggest R&D centres in Asia....

Le Figaro, a well-respected 186-year-old French daily newspaper, just reported that Apple’s Vice President and General Manager for Europe, Middle East, and Africa Pascal Cagni resigned yesterday. During his 12 years at Apple, according to Le Figaro, the French executive stimulated Apple’s sales in hundreds of countries. He also engaged in the development of the iPod, iPhone, and the AppStore platform, while helping to expand Apple Stores. Cagni joined Apple as the Vice President of Europe in 2000, according to Apple’s website, and before that he worked at NEC/Packard Bell Europe as the Vice President of Consumer Products....

Yesterday, a bunch of people noticed that iCloud sharing links to their shortcuts were no longer working, instead reporting a ‘Shortcut Not Found’ error message. For people that have built up archives of hundreds of hundreds of shortcuts online, this was pretty concerning. Apple was not immediately responsive to the community and the issue persisted through all of yesterday with no official comment on the matter, leaving a few people to worry that the links would be broken indefinitely....

Apple has begun running two new television commercials for the iPad mini. The new ads build out a series that started with Apple’s iPad mini Garageband ad; a commercial that demonstrates the iPad mini’s equal software capabilities to the full-sized iPad. The new ads focus on iBooks and iPhoto. The first ad shows the iBooks application and reading on the iPad mini, and the second ad shows the iPad mini’s photo viewing capabilities and advanced editing functions via the iPhoto App Store app....

Update: Apple has added some the iMac Pro short films to its YouTube channel, as well. View them here. To promote the powerful iMac Pro, Apple today has released a series of short films created by filmmakers and CG artists using the all-in-one machine. Each film was put together primarily with the iMac Pro, though some of the 3D graphic renderings required “additional equipment.” Among the creators involved are designers from Buck, Erin Sarofsky of Sarofsky Inc, motion graphics artist Esteban Diácono, 3D artist Luigi Honorat, design and motion studio ManvsMachine, and Imaginary Forces director and designer Michelle Dougherty....