July 3 - 3:30pm EDT   Some of the first photos of the Beijing Apple Store have made their way online, according to a French site. MacPlus says it has obtained a number of photos of the location, which is on Sanlitun street within the Chaoyang district; the site specifically notes that the store is inside a commercial complex called The Village, also home to companies like Nike and Zara. The district as a whole is being revamped to present an appealing image to foreigners visiting during the Olympics. [full story]

July 2 - 11:55pm EDT   Two of Apple's retail stores have made it from being local sights to internationally must-see retail landmarks, according to a recent report of the world's top retail locations. Retail Week reveals that both the Fifth Avenue Manhattan 'Cube' location and the Regent Street London stores are praise-worthy enough to include them on its list of the top 100 must-visit retail spaces, alongside clothing stores, food retailers, sporting good stores, and other electronics retailers. [full story]

June 28 - 8:35pm EDT   Apple will open a new store in Beijing in July just in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics and is planning to open a second store sometime during the Games, according to The Shanghai Daily. The store, the first on the Chinese mainland, will open in the Sanlitun, a popular area of the capital city, according to Apple China's website. The three-floor retail store will open July 19, with a second location open in the Qianmen area during the Olympic games (according to an industry insider via ShanghaiDaily.com). Apple China is not releasing any other details on the store launches, such as the time of day for the opening. [full story]

June 26 - 11:30am EDT   The activation process for iPhone 3Gs may actually be a two-step process, an Italian site claims to have learned. Anonymous sources suggest that the first part, the forced in-store activation, will involve getting each user signed up to their respective carrier, and their contracts started; the second, however, is believed to involve the App Store and iTunes, because of special billing information needed to download software. 3G owners will be able to buy and download programs through cellular broadband as well as local connections, though a size limit is being imposed on HSPA transfers. [full story]

June 25 - 4:40pm EDT   Following an early AT&T memo leak that revealed many details, a new memo is coaching Apple retail employees on how to deal with common questions relating to the iPhone 3G, a leak indicates. The three-page document addresses 17 potential situations, for instance telling managers that they cannot allow holds on 3Gs, or create waiting lists. Until further notice, Apple workers also cannot schedule an iPhone Personal Shopping session, although corporate buyers can arrange to buy several 3Gs at a time through AT&T, so long as they have a CRU/IRU plan. [full story]

June 25 - 4:25pm EDT   Dow Jones reports that Telefonica SA has received 300,000 pre- registrations in the United Kingdom and Spain to buy the iPhone 3G. A company spokesperson said that individuals have been reserving units of the device on the Telefonica Web site. Telefonica will begin selling the 3G iPhone July 11 in Spain, the Czech Republic and twelve Latin American countries. Apple's own retail stores in the UK may not be able to sell the iPhone 3G on July 11th, an industry publication reports. The issue stems from Apple's new activation policy, which forces customers to subscribe to a given carrier in-store, rather than at home through iTunes. [full story]

June 24 - 10:20am EDT   Apple will open its second store in San Antonio, Texas this Saturday, the company has announced. The location is at 7400 San Pedro Avenue within the North Star mall, and is situated next to Ann Taylor and bluemercury; on launch day the store will be open from 10AM to 9PM, with Sunday hours being reduced to 12PM to 6PM. Monday to Friday hours are the same as Saturday's. [full story]

June 20 - 9:10am EDT   Apple's own retail stores in the UK may not be able to sell the iPhone 3G on July 11th, an industry publication reports. The issue stems from Apple's new activation policy, which forces customers to subscribe to a given carrier in-store, rather than at home through iTunes. Apple UK outlets are said to lack the means of running credit checks, and its staff are still untrained in getting customers onto a phone contract, in this case one from O2. [full story]

June 17 - 6:05pm EDT   XSilva Systems on Tuesday unveiled LightSpeed 2.6 and Web Store 1.3, updates to the company's retail point-of-sale management system, both of which include improvements to features and functionality. LightSpeed now offers clothing retailers an expanded Product Matrix, while the Browser can now supports exporting. A new network-aware Auto-Updater keeps data consistant, and the app's Point of Sale and Browser windows have improved functionality. [full story]

June 17 - 11:30am EDT   Apple has taken the wraps off of its soon-to-be-opened Sydney store, exposing details of its construction. The building has three floors, and uses a glass facade similar to that of the Boston Apple Store, which in turn makes reference to the company's flagship Fifth Avenue location in New York City. Internal photos show extensive display areas for products like the iMac and the MacBook, and backlit promotional images that dominate their corresponding rooms. [full story]

June 13 - 8:30pm EDT   An instantly recognizable icon of Apple's retail presence, the Fifth Avenue "Glass Cube" store is said to have contributed to raising the value of the property it sits on by over $1 billion. ifoAppleStore reveals that Apple's $100-per-square-foot retail space, combined with other retail locations in the plaza, have helped the selling price when former owner Harry Macklowe sold the location to Boston Properties Incorporated for $2.8 billion this year. [full story]

June 9 - 8:30pm EDT  Following the announcement of its price hike, AT&T on Monday said that all iPhone 3G handsets must be activated at the time of purchase in the retail store and that all first-generation phones purchased after May 27th will be eligible for a free upgrade to the 3G model. In an interview with Gizmodo the company said that Apple/AT&T would not allow home-based activation via iTunes, which Apple's CEO touted during the initial launch. AT&T's President of National Distribution Glenn Lurie told the publication that there would no in-home activation for iPhone 3G and that the new iPhone 3G must be activated in either an Apple or AT&T store. [full story]

June 6 - 10:10am EDT   Apple is openly seeking new retail workers from the ranks of other companies, information shows. Recruiters have been given special cards, which on the front simply say, "You're amazing. We should talk." More telling is the language on the back, which reads, "Your customer service just now was exceptional. I work for the Apple Store, and you're exactly the kind of person we'd like to talk to. If you're happy where you are, I'll never ask you to leave. But if you're thinking about a change, give me a call. This could be the start of something great." [full story]

June 4 - 10:10am EDT   Work on Apple's flagship retail store for Australia has been completed, says a local publication. The shop, located at the corner of George and King in Sydney, is said to merely be awaiting a handover to Apple at the end of the week, which could signal that it will be open in the very near future. Apple has a number of tasks remaining, primarily cleaning and outfitting the store, as well as filling stock; it is rumored though that this may be complete in time for an opening on June 19th, which could also allow it to launch with the 3G iPhone. [full story]

June 3 - 9:45am EDT   Apple has announced that its third store in Houston, Texas will open this Saturday, June 7th. The shop (not pictured) is located within the Willowbrook Mall, near Dillards and JC Penney, and on opening day will be open from 10AM to 9PM. Sunday hours are 11AM to 7PM, and weekday hours are a consistent 10AM to 9PM. As with other Apple Stores, people will have access to services like the Genius Bar, personal training, and personal shopping appointments; no workshops, however, are scheduled within the first three days of the store's opening. [full story]