Alongside the smaller iPad, Apple plans to announce a new version of its Mac mini. Sources say that these Mac minis will come in two standard configurations, with different storage and processor options, and a third model that runs OS X Server. These new Mac minis are said to begin shipping immediately after announcement. Apple last redesigned the Mac mini with a unibody aluminum enclosure in 2010, and last updated the computer with faster processors last summer....

Apple has refreshed its third-generation iPad line today, as expected, with a semi-minor upgrade that includes a new Lightning connector, but the company also included some upgraded internals in what it is calling the “fourth-generation iPad.” “It is a power house,” said Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Philip Schiller while on stage at the event. The fourth-generation iPad features faster performance with dual-core A6X and quad-core graphics. It also has a 5-megapixel iSight camera, expanded LTE chipset, front-facing camera with FaceTime and 720p video capture, ultrafast two-times Wi-Fi, and Lightening connector....

Apple’s famously secretive approach to new product development involves a wide range of precautions. For contractors at a so-called Apple Black Site, this can include not being allowed to book an Uber ride home from the facility … Bloomberg reports on one of these low-key satellite offices. One of the challenges, say workers, is that employment conditions don’t match those offered at an official Apple campus, with some trivial but still irritating complaints....

Apple CEO Tim Cook participated in a meeting with President Joe Biden and other executives at the White House earlier today to discuss how companies can improve cybersecurity. As a result, Apple announced that it will create a new program to improve the security of its supply chain around the world. Apple announced it will establish a new program to drive continuous security improvements throughout the technology supply chain. As part of that program, Apple will work with its suppliers – including more than 9,000 in the United States – to drive the mass adoption of multi-factor authentication, security training, vulnerability remediation, event logging, and incident response....

Last month, a coalition of eight civil and human rights organizations penned an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook regarding the company’s decision to delay the release of the new App Tracking Transparency feature in iOS 14. Apple has now responded to that letter, doubling down on its privacy practices and offering more color on the decision to delay the App Tracking Transparency feature in the first place. In a letter sent to the Ranking Digital Rights organization, Apple’s Jane Horvath, senior director of global privacy, reiterated that the company believes that “privacy is a fundamental human right....

Following our readers finding several of their new iMacs labeled as assembled in the United States, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed in a Bloomberg Business Week profile that Apple plans to bring back some Mac production to the U.S. in 2013 and is planning to spend a lot of money to do so. “Next year we are going to bring some production to the U.S. on the Mac. We’ve been working on this for a long time, and we were getting closer to it....

Devine was a Sr. Operations Manager, iPod at Apple Computer for five years. He worked at Teradyne from 1998-2005 and got a degree from MIT’s Sloan School of Management in 2005. He graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy in 1996. “Apple is committed to the highest ethical standards in the way we do business,” Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said in a statement. “We have zero tolerance for dishonest behavior inside or outside the company....

It’s litigation day as Apple and Samsung battle it out in courts the world over. In a two-day hearing which began this morning in Australia a judge asked for more time to study Apple’s claims, resulting in a brief Galaxy Tab 10.1 launch delay until the end of the month. Meanwhile, the first round of hearings is underway in The Hague over Samsung’s accusations that Apple’s iPad and iPhone infringe on Samsung’s wireless patents....

Four years ago, Oprah Winfrey signed a multi-year deal with Apple. Now, the celebrity and the Cupertino company are changing how the contract will work from now on as Oprah keeps producing content for several other companies and Apple realigns its expectations with Apple TV+. First reported by Puck, the publication says that “behind the scenes, I’m told, Oprah’s relationship with Apple is changing. That big multi-year deal she announced in 2018 is ending, and Apple isn’t renewing....

As it does at this time every year, Apple today announced its official Best of 2018 lists. These selections highlight the “best” app and game for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac, as well as the top movies, TV shows, Podcasts, and more. Head below for all of the details. This year, Apple is crowning Procreate Pocket as the best iPhone app of 2018. This is the iPhone version of the incredibly popular Procreate drawing app for iPad, allowing users to create while on the go with just their iPhone....

Apple just released a press release confirming the new iPad will launch in China on July 20. With roughly 1.33 billion people, China is one of Apple’s biggest markets left out of the first wave of international rollouts. Many speculated trademark issues, which were recently resolved to the tune of $60 million, could have played a role in the delayed launch. Apple’s press release does not mention local pricing, but it did note the device in both Wi-Fi and Cellular models would be available through authorized retailers and Apple Stores starting July 20....

Last fall, reports indicated that Apple was in talks to open up a store inside of the upcoming New York-based World Trade Center shopping mall. Now, a pair of reports are indicating that Apple has, in fact, signed a lease with the mall and that the store is scheduled to open with the new mall in 2015. The NYPost first reported last month that a deal was struck: TheRealDeal reported some additional details behind the deal this week....

Apple has long been a supporter of renewable energy, pushing towards using alternative energy to power its worldwide operations. Now, an energy trade associate that includes Apple has expressed its support for a proposal from the U.S. energy regulator that would make it easer to participate in wholesale markets for energy storage and distributed energy resources… The trade association, known as Advanced Energy Economy, hopes that the removal of barriers on energy storage at the regulatory level will make it easier and cheaper to store energy....

No matter if you’re just getting going with Apple Cash and sending and receiving money with iMessage or have been using it for a while, read on for how much you can send and receive with Apple’s person to person payment solution. Apple Cash (previously Apple Pay Cash) is a convenient way to send and receive money as well as make purchases in physical stores, online, and in apps that support Apple Pay....

As planned, iPhone sales have started via China Mobile, the largest carrier in China, today. The official iPhone China Mobile deal, which covers both the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, was announced in December. Earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook promoted the event with multiple interviews, calling the partnership a “beginning.” Subsequent reports indicated that millions of iPhones have already been ordered through China Mobile… To celebrate today’s launch, Cook and China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua attended the opening at a China Mobile store....

Apple has updated the Featured Stations in iTunes Radio, likely in preparation for a demo of the service during today’s iPhone launch. The featured stations include Spin the Globe, Trending on Twitter, iTunes Top 100: Pop and the Pepsi-sponsored Pulse #Now. iTunes Radio will be available on all iOS devices, including Apple TV, as well as in iTunes on both Macs and PCs, as a free ad-supported service. There will be one audio ad every 15 minutes, and one video ad per hour....

Apple is today commemorating the tenth anniversary of Steve Jobs’ passing with a special homepage takeover on Apple.com. Full bleed imagery of Jobs fills the page and there is a special film that relives some of Jobs’ most memorable quotes. The website also features a special statement from the Jobs family, which reads “for all of Steve’s gifts, it was his power as a teacher that has endured, he taught us to be open to the beauty of the world, to be curious around new ideas, to see around the next corner, and most of all to stay humble in our own beginner’s mind’”....

The Apple Store cut prices on three of its five factory-refurbished Apple iPad Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/3G Tablets. Up to a $50 drop applies. With free shipping, it’s the best deal we’ve seen for most of these iPad models. Sales tax is added where applicable. This 0.5″-thick tablet weighs 1.5 lbs. and features an Apple A4 1GHz processor, 9.7″ 1024×768 LCD touchscreen display, 802.11a/n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, accelerometer, compass, up to 10 hours of battery life, and more....

We can’t be sure that France is the only location to get new 3D Maps data today, so let us know in the comments if you notice any additions in your city. In somewhat related Maps news, TechCrunch has confirmed earlier reports coming from Israeli publication Calcalist that Facebook is currently in discussions with mapping company Waze to acquire the company for close to $1 billion. You might recall that Apple is currently using Waze data in its Maps application and for a brief while was rumored to be in talks to acquire the company....

[UPDATE: It appears that Apple is back to offering a 60-day window for adding AppleCare+. It’s unclear if the 1-year window was a mistake or if Apple decided to revert back to the previous timeframe. Thanks, Don!] Although Apple’s information page for AppleCare+ hasn’t been updated yet, it is now possible to add the AppleCare+ extended coverage to iPhones within a year window, instead of the previous 60 day limit....