Apple will at last reopen its main Pasadena retail location on Saturday at 10AM, the company has announced. The store has been out of commission since April, when it closed for remodeling. A nearby temporary outlet has been serving the public since then.
A tax refund issue dating back to 1989 has been resolved in Apple's favor by the state of California's Supreme Court, but Apple's accompanying request for a change in tax status for multinational companies like itself was denied, meaning Apple and others will not see huge tax breaks in the state for "repatriating" foreign earnings back to the US. The case was specific to Apple's overseas earnings in 1989, but has implications for companies generally, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
A stolen iPad was ultimately responsible for recovering the Christmas gifts of two California families this weekend, the LA County Sheriff's office says. In Westlake Village, a man was reportedly woken up by a noise at 3:30AM on Christmas Day, only to discover it was a burglar in his home stealing gifts. The man chased the criminal, but quickly lost sight of him; a search by deputies yielded no results.
Members of the Occupy protest movement should target companies like Apple, rather than protest at places like the docks in Oakland, California, says former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown. On Sunday the San Francisco Chronicle published an editorial by Brown, in which he accused the Occupy movement of hurting the 99 percent in the form of dock workers and truck drivers. "If the Occupy people really want to make a point about the 1 percent, then lay off Oakland and go for the real money down in Silicon Valley," the column reads.
Apple is working on replacing its current Santa Rosa Plaza outlet in California, sources claim. The shop is one of the smallest in Apple's chain -- measuring only 450 square feet -- and in fact one of just two remaining mini-stores of a group of six that launched in 2004. Apple quickly abandoned the mini-store concept, opting for increasingly larger spaces.
An updated plan for Apple's forthcoming "spaceship" campus has been published at the City of Cupertino website, and shows that Apple is planning to cover the roof in solar tiles, notes 9to5Mac. The roof is estimated to measure about 750,000 square feet, and if at least 500,000 is covered in solar cells, it's believed that Apple may be able to generate upwards of 5MW of power. The number also assumes 10W of power per square foot.
Apple has once again expanded the retail pickup options available from its online store. The option is now available across California, where previously only the state's Bay Area Apple Stores were eligible locations. The program started with just three San Francisco outlets. Earlier this week, pickup coverage grew to include New York City.
Apple may be ready to unveil its overhauled Fifth Avenue cube on November 4th, sources for MacRumors claim. Work on replacing the original cube has been in progress since June, with special accommodations made to allow shoppers to continue entering the store below. The project is estimated to be costing Apple at least $6.6 million, and has seen an original 90 glass panels reduced to just 15.
Democratic Governor Jerry Brown of California has vetoed a bill passed nearly unanimously by his state legislature that bans searches of people's smartphones without a warrant, a surprise decision that is seen as out-of-character for Brown and may have been motivated by monetary support from the state's police unions, Wired is reporting. The veto means that authorities can search any person's smartphone for any reason during an arrest.
New Yorker architecture critic Paul Goldberger has written a harsh critique of Apple's forthcoming "spaceship" campus, designed by Foster + Partners. The writer describes the building as a "gigantic donut," and calls it "troubling, maybe even a bit scary," in part because it lacks the functionality of the devices Apple makes. "A building is also a tool, but of a very different sort," Goldberger says. "In architecture, scale -- the size of various parts of a building in proportion to one another and to the size of human beings -- counts for a lot.
The Chestnut Street Apple Store in San Francisco is temporarily closed and reopening on October 5th, messages posted on the Apple website and on the building itself reveal. The closure is likely related to renovations, given the presence of a black construction facade covering the windows. An AT&T van was today spotted outside of the store, though what if anything technicians were installing is unknown.
Apple's new Cupertino campus may not have a completely smooth path towards approval, the results of a local public consultation suggest. The meeting was hosted by Cupertino mayor Gilbert Wong, who himself claims that the new complex is "definitely not a done deal," since it has to undergo a "public process." Many people at the meeting also expressed worries connected to the scale of Apple's ambitions.
The Santa Monica Planning Commission approved Apple's Third Street Promenade store on Wednesday night without fanfare, according to the Santa Monica Dispatch. Although the city is said to have prepared a "detailed" report on the project, without mention of Apple's name, the store was approved last night without discussion. It was in fact put on the Commission's Consent Calendar, which makes approval virtually automatic unless people specifically object to one or more items.
Apple is hoping to build a Third Street Promenade store in Santa Monica, California constructed with an all-glass roof, a building proposal reveals. The project is expected to go in front of the Santa Monica Planning Commission tonight, and immediately tips itself as an Apple Store thanks to images depicting typical Apple design choices, including table layout and the structure of the glass panels. While the applicant is listed as "ASB/Blatteis Promenade Holdings," and no retailer is mentioned, this is consistent with Apple's usual policy of trying to conceal its retail plans before a store is announced.
Apple is planning three major Apple Store openings for this Saturday, reports note. In the US Apple will finally be opening its long-awaited Berkeley store, located at 1823 4th Street. The outlet was greeted with some mild controversy before its construction, since plans called for it to swallow up an outdoor plaza frequently used by animal adoption agencies to showcase pets. As is usual with Apple Stores, the grand opening is scheduled for 10AM local time.
Apple's rapid retail expansion plans also appear to include new shops in Denver, Colorado and Sarasota, Florida. A source indicates that a second Denver outlet will be built at Union Station, which is being rehabilitated to make it a major hub for transportation, commerce and gatherings. The developer includes an Apple logo in a video rendering of the project, but this is now claimed to be more than just wishful thinking.
Apple's new Americana outlet in Glendale, California should come closer to a fully-realized version of the Apple Store 2.0 concept, a report suggests. The final look of the location has yet to be made public, but a corporate-level source in Apple's retail division has allegedly provided some information. The store should for instance have a front facade done entirely in glass, instead of mixing in silver-colored panels.
Apple will finally open its Americana retail store this Saturday at 10AM Pacific time, the company's website reveals. The outlet is notable mainly because of its location in Glendale, California, just 600 feet from another Apple Store in the Glendale Galleria. The distance represents the smallest gap between Apple Stores anywhere in the world, but may be necessary since the Galleria location -- Apple's second ever built -- is reportedly full of visitors at all hours.
Verizon is reportedly preparing to launch its 4G network in at least 11 new cities by August 18, continuing the company's trend of monthly LTE rollouts across the country. New cities are expected to include Council Bluffs, Iowa; Ithaca, Syracuse and Albany, New York; Fort Collins, Colorado; Provo/Orem, Utah; Salinas/Monterey and Bakersfield, California; Omaha, Nebraska; and Altoona and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Expansion of 4G coverage is also expected in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio and Rockland County, New York.
Apple is providing bicycles to people working at the company's Cupertino headquarters, a Brazilian news site observes. The vehicles are reportedly all-aluminum with three gears, and equipped with saddlebags for a person to carry belongings. Workers pick them up as needed at the entrance to each building.
On the heels of several years' worth of remarkable growth rates, Apple itself is expanding -- striking a deal to lease a large office complex in Cupertino near De Anza College, a complex currently known as Results Way Corporate Center that currently houses nine large office buildings. City officials estimate the center could house as many as 1,300 workers, the San Jose Mercury News is reporting.
Apple has negotiated leases on two possible store locations in Chengdu, China, claims SinoCast Daily Business Beat. The first is at The MIXC, a development with retail and office space opening east of the city core next year. It should ultimately incorporate some residential space, including a hotel. The other site is Raffles Square, a south-central, four-tower complex similar in utility to The MIXC, but finished last year.
Two new Apple Stores have been confirmed. Coming this Saturday is the Valencia Town Center location in California. Regular hours will run 10AM to 9PM Monday through Saturday, and 11AM to 6PM on Sunday; a steady stream of workshops has already been scheduled. The outlet will be Apple's 49th in the state, representing the largest concentration of Apple Stores in the US. The next closest state, Texas, has only 17.
The mayor of Cupertino, Gilbert Wong, has issued a public statement acknowledging that the city council is backing Apple's new headquarters project, sometimes dubbed the Mothership. "There is no chance we are saying no," according to Wong. The city has in fact held a press conference to disclose its position, and started up a dedicated news page for the building.
Sheriff's detectives arrested a 35-year-old man outside the Higuera Street Apple Store on Wednesday afternoon, reports note. The detectives -- some of which belonged the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement team -- spotted Robert McGuire downtown, and one of them in particular recognized him from an earlier child pornography case. At the Apple Store, McGuire used a demo computer to check Facebook.
Apple is in the process of establishing a new datacenter presence in Silicon Valley, industry sources say. Specifically the people claim that Apple has signed a seven-year lease with a third-party Santa Clara center run by DuPont Fabros Technology. The lease includes 2.28MW of critical power load, and is scheduled to begin in the third quarter after the center is opened. The lease has technically been public knowledge since DuPont Fabros' Q1 results call, but at the time the signer was identified only as a "Fortune 50 technology company with excellent credit."
Apple has filed for a US trademark on the term "Startup," a report notes. A Jamaican trademark was actually filed for in October 2010, most likely as a way of claiming priority when applying in the US. As the trademark would cover several categories -- retail stores, maintenance and installation of hardware and software, educational services and technical support -- the name is thought to be related to expanded training and setup services that have been in play at Apple Stores since earlier this year.
Apple is now operating a temporary Apple Store in Pasadena to cope with the expansion of the main building. On Monday an Apple logo was reportedly hoisted over the temporary site, located just two doors away at 42 West Colorado Boulevard, previously home to Z Gallerie. The #42 building could cause problems for store traffic and inventory, as it's said to be half the size of the original location at #54.
A security guard, hired by Apple, has shot dead a suspect in a botched Apple Store robbery early Monday, according to NBC. The incident began shortly before 7AM at the Otay Ranch outlet in Chula Vista, California. The guard is said to have confronted two men and a woman who were caught smashing in the store's front doors. A firefight erupted after one of the suspects drew a handgun, the guard claims.
A bomb threat at an Apple distribution center in Elk Grove, California -- on the outskirts of Sacramento -- today triggered the evacuation of three buildings, according to AppleInsider sources. Specifically the A, B and C buildings on the eastern side of the facility were reportedly cleared out at about 9:30AM local time. By 11:30, emergency crews were still said to be in the area.
The pace of retail iPad 2 sales is finally beginning to slow somewhat, evidence suggests. In the Los Angeles area, workers at the Grove and Simi Valley Apple Stores say that for the first time on Tuesday, they had enough stock after lineups to briefly serve some walk-in customers. Retail stores across the US -- especially in major metropolitan areas -- have been frequently selling out of new iPad 2 shipments before more casual shoppers have access.
Lineups for the iPad 2 once again formed today at stores in New York City and San Francisco, notes Ticonderoga Securities' Brian White. The analyst claims however that in both cities, checks with shops indicated that resupplies were much lower than the quantities originally available on Friday. Apple's flagship San Francisco store is said to have opened an hour early with about 400 people in line, but people towards the end of the line were being told they might come away empty-handed.
News has emerged of two upcoming US Apple Stores. The first is another within the general Los Angeles area, but specifically located 35 miles north in the Valencia Town Center shopping mall. The center is reported to have undergone a $140 million renovation in 2010, creating 40 new open-air spaces. Construction and hiring timetables are believed to point to Apple opening the outlet by mid-September.
The demolition of Jackling House -- a Woodside, California mansion owned by Apple CEO Steve Jobs -- is well underway, says local newspaper The Almanac. Efforts are reported to have begun on February 14th, and are expected to take about two weeks to finish. The house is already effectively flattened, a source connected to the demolition claims.
Demolition of Jackling House -- the historic Woodside, California mansion owned by Apple CEO Steve Jobs -- could start sometime next month, a report says. "We have been working with Mr. Jobs' representatives for the last few months, and we are very close to the point where the permit will be physically issued at the end of this week or the beginning of next week," notes Woodside's town manager, Susan George. Jobs won a nine-year battle to demolish the mansion in August after a preservationist group, Uphold Our Heritage, gave up on the fight to save it. The house was designed for copper baron Daniel Jackling by noted architect George Washington Smith, in the Spanish colonial revival style.
A bevy of new Apple Stores are in the works for 2011, a report says. At least several of these are forecast to open in Italy by the middle of the year, including one in Bologna, a previously unexpected outlet in Florence, and a second Milan location. Possible addresses for the Milan and Florence stores remain unknown.
The New York City public school system has ordered over 2,000 iPads, the New York Times reveals. The total cost of the arrangement is valued at $1.3 million. As an example of the distribution, 300 of the tablets are reported to have gone to Kingsbridge International High School, located in the Bronx. The Times suggests that the number is "enough for all 23 teachers and half of the students to use at the same time."
A large collection of architectural documents have revealed plans for Apple's Fourth Street store in Berkeley, California. The shop will occupy a building at 1823 Fourth Street, with construction costs valued at roughly $1.7 million. This includes building a partial second level at the rear for backroom operations, and expanding the ground level to accommodate retail space.
Apple has started hiring reviewers for the Mac App Store. Candidates must be "software application specialist[s]," able to "organize and prioritize a heavy workload." Seven positions are listed on Apple's website, all based in offices within California's Santa Clara Valley. The company's Cupertino headquarters is located in the area.
The Roseville Galleria Apple Store has already re-opened, well ahead of some other shops in the fire-damaged mall, a report says. To do so Apple had to obtain an occupancy permit from city officials. An arson incident last Thursday caused at least $55 million in damage to the Galleria, forcing the entire facility to shut down, although portions like the Apple Store may have emerged with few if any scars.
Apple has shuttered the Roseville Galleria Apple Store in California until further notice. "The Apple Store, Roseville is currently closed," a warning on Apple's website reads. "Please visit the Apple Store, Arden Fair." The Arden Fair outlet is located about 20 minutes away, in Sacramento.
Inspired in part by Apple CEO Steve Jobs' own saga of requiring a liver transplant to save his life after complications from pancreatic cancer, California Governor Arnold Scharzenegger yesterday signed legislation setting up the US's first national kidney donor registry for living donors.
Steve Jobs' replacement home in Woodside, California should differ significantly from those of some other CEOs, newly exposed plans suggest. Originally submitted to town council to justify demolishing the historic Jackling House versus restoring it, the plans show a new single-family home roughly a third the size of its predecessor, and worth about $8.45 million. The layout is in fact relatively utilitarian for an executive, with five bedrooms, a three-car garage and a vegetable garden. More decorative elements include decks, lighted stone walkways and indigenous plants scattered over the estate's 6 acres.
The El Paseo Apple Store -- scheduled to launch in Palm Desert, California this Saturday at 10AM -- will be doing an unusual promotion related to the company's One to One program, reports say. Subscribers to the program can get a new Mac configured by Apple technicians, and then sign up for personal training courses on topics like iWork, Bento and the iPad. The option costs $99, and is typically available only to new Mac buyers.
(Updated with correct location description) The University Towne Center Apple Store in San Diego, California was hit by a robbery early Thursday morning, a local TV station reports. Around 4:20AM two men smashed through the glass front doors of the store, and proceeded to take a dozen iPhones out of a display case. Both men were wearing jeans and hoodies, say police, while one was carrying a red duffel bag.
A preservationist group, Uphold Our Heritage, has given up a long-running battle to save a house in Woodside, California owned by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, says a local publication. The home was originally built for a copper baron, Daniel Jackling, and designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by architect George Washington Smith. Since 2001 however, Jobs has fought to have the home demolished and replaced with something smaller and modern.
Apple has bought a "perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, [and] exclusive" license to the patents of a company called Liquidmetal Technologies, a new SEC filing reveals. The company is based in California, and specializes in metal alloys with unusual chemical properties. The materials are said to have an "amorphous" atomic structure, as opposed to a conventional crystalline organization.
A new lawsuit is accusing Apple of producing defective iPads, Bloomberg reports. Filed through US District Court for the Northern District of California in Oakland, the suit alleges that the iPad "does not live up to the reasonable consumer’s expectations created by Apple," because it "overheats so quickly under common weather conditions." Under direct sunlight, the suit suggests, an iPad may shut off in as little as a few minutes.
Apple is opening two more retail stores in time for this week's iPhone 4 launch. The first, in Cerritos, California, will have an opening day-and-date with the Thursday iPhone rollout, to the extent of beginning sales at 7AM rather than a more standard 9 or 10AM, though only for iPhones at first. The shop is in the Los Cerritos Center, and will have regular hours of 10AM to 9PM Monday through Friday, closing an hour earlier on Saturday. Sunday hours are 11AM to 7PM.
Apple has reportedly given special treatment to one Chinese developer, who was attacked last week while attending WWDC. Known online as Stone, the developer works with Tencent, responsible for China's popular QQ messaging client. While riding a bus in San Francisco Stone was mugged, suffering injuries including a broken rib and marks on his face. An iPad brought with him was bent and cracked, although technically still functional.
