Some Users Unable to Log In to App Store Due to 'FATAL' Error

Some iTunes and App Store users are currently unable to log into their accounts using their Apple IDs, receiving a the following error when attempting to sign in: "FATAL::Unable to process your request. Please try again." 

The problem, which seems to have originated last night, is ongoing according to a thread on Apple's online Support Communities and multiple users on MacRumors' forums. The error occurs on both mobile devices and Macs and according to user reports, it is affecting the App Store, the Mac App Store, the iTunes Store, and the iBookstore...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Apple Retail's Effort to Boost Share of U.S. iPhone Sales Starts Paying Dividends

Over the course of the last several months, Apple has improved its in-store iPhone sales, according to a new survey from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. Approximately 25 percent of iPhones are purchased within an Apple Store, up from an estimate of 20 percent earlier this year. 

The majority of iPhones in the United States are still sold through carriers, however, with AT&T responsible for 21 percent of sales and Verizon responsible for 18 percent. Best Buy's iPhone sales accounted for 13 percent of total sales, and Sprint, Amazon, and other mass retailers like Target, Walmart, and Costco accounted for 5 percent each...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Apple vs Samsung retrial: Samsung ordered to pay $290 million, for a grand total of $890 million

And just like that, the Apple vs Samsung partial retrial is over. The jury in San Jose reached a verdict today, after it began deliberations on Tuesday.

The verdict is in Apple’s favor: Samsung was ordered to pay approximately $290 million for infringing five of Apple’s patents, including one that referred to the design of the original iPhone. The jury found that Samsung infringed its rival’s intellectual property on 13 devices, most of them no longer on sale. While the $290 million award is significantly lower than the $380 million that Apple requested, it’s still a hefty sum and way more than what Samsung said it should pay, which was just $52.7 million...

Read the full story here... Source: Android Authority

Find the Best Holiday Shopping Deals With MacRumors' Black Friday Roundup

Black Friday, which is a major shopping day in the United States, marks the kickoff of the holiday shopping season. 

During Black Friday, retailers often offer significant discounts on popular products to lure customers into their stores, so we've gathered all of the best deals on Apple products and accessories into a comprehensive roundup. 

In the roundup, we've listed the best deals on popular Apple products at the top of the page, which is followed by a list of deals by retailer. There's also a list of notable discounts on accessories and software, as well as a section that covers broader holiday deals...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Stay on the Ball with the Bwin Sports App

As much as we would like to spend most of our days in the stadium, rooting for our favourite sports team, it is not always feasible. That is where the bwin sports app comes in handy. It lets you take the excitement of your favourite sports events with you while keeping you up-to-date on the latest game results. Bwin is a pioneer in the world of mobile sports betting and their app has been released for Android phones and tablets as well as the iPhone and iPad. 

With the bwin sports app you can enjoy all the features of bwin sports betting on the go. This includes:

• accessing your bwin account and checking your details and bet updates.

• placing live bets and pre-game bets.

• placing single, multiple and system bets.

• receiving live video updates of sports events.

• accessing the entire bwin sports betting range.

• using the betfinder feature to help you find new sports events to bet on.

• a sleek and ergonomic design.

The user friendly interface takes any frustration out of the betting process and makes it easy even for complete beginners to place a bet on the outcome of a game of their choice. With the app you are able to bet on any sporting event from football, American football, rugby and tennis to Formula 1, snooker, golf, ice hockey and many more. The betfinder feature makes sure that you will never get bored as there are always more games with fantastic odds to bet on. 

The bwin sports app is being continually updated to give the user the best possible betting experience. Due to the gambling nature of this app you will need to be at least be 18 years old if you wish to place a bet. Good luck!

Apple Launching 'Apple Store' App for iPad

Nearly three and a half years after the debut of a dedicated Apple Store app for iPhone, Apple is launching a new iPad version of the application today, reports TechCrunch. The new app, which appears to be U.S.-only for the time being, offers a "sparse" iOS 7 design aesthetic and makes use of high-quality images and context-aware panels to offer an exceptional user experience...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Apple Seeds OS X Mavericks 10.9.1 Beta to Developers

Apple has seeded the first beta of OS X Mavericks 10.9.1 to developers. The release asks testers to focus on Mail, Graphics Drivers and VoiceOver, though there are no known issues with the release.

Earlier this month, Apple released a special update to Mavericks to address issues using Gmail with the Mail.app client built into the OS...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Apple Releases iOS 7.0.4 With Fix for FaceTime Call Issue

Apple today released iOS 7.0.4 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, a minor update that includes a number of improvements and bug fixes for the operating system. According to Apple, the update repairs a bug that could cause FaceTime calls to fail for some users. 

Apple has also released iOS 6.1.5 for the fourth generation iPod touch, which fixes the same FaceTime issue. A new version 6.0.2 of the Apple TV software is also available, although it is unclear what has been changed...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Analyst Predicts Multiple iPhone Refreshes Per Year, New Services After Meeting with Apple Execs

Apple's bifurcation of its iPhone lineup will provide the company with the opportunity to offer new iPhone products multiple times per year in the future, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty. Along with pricing flexibility, the ability to offer new products at more frequent intervals will drive unit growth upwards in 2014. 

Apple recently introduced both the high-end iPhone 5s and the mid-range iPhone 5c, priced slightly lower, selling both alongside the lower-end iPhone 4s. It is unclear how Apple plans to continue to upgrade these lines in the future, but according to Huberty, Apple will be able to utilize its dual product lineup for "multiple refreshes per year..."

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Apple's iPad Air Adopts IGZO Technology for Thinner, Lower-Power Displays

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%...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Apple Releases iTunes 11.1.3 With Equalizer and Performance Improvements

Apple today released iTunes 11.1.3, two weeks after iTunes 11.1.2 and OS X Mavericks were first released. 

The update fixes issues with the equalizer and performance when switching views in large libraries. 

This version of iTunes resolves an issue where the equalizer may not work as expected and improves performance when switching views in large iTunes libraries. This update also includes additional minor bug fixes...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

75% of Early iPad Purchasers Already Own an iPad, Early-Adopter Upgrade Cycle Around 23 Months

According to a survey by PiperJaffray, 75 percent of U.S. iPad Air purchasers on launch day already owned an iPad, compared to only 58 percent for last year's iPad mini launch.

Gene Munster, a PiperJaffray analyst, believes the U.S. market may be getting slightly more saturated.

Surveying 71 day-one iPad buyers, Munster found that the early-adopter upgrade cycle is around 23 months, significantly shorter than the general public's upgrade cycle of 30 months. Also, the average capacity purchased today was 59.7GB versus 40.5GB for the 3rd-generation iPad launch...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours