05/23, 2:50pm
Stanford shop to use 'glass box' design
New details have emerged about two upcoming Apple Stores. The first of these is another Parisian outlet, which Apple has announced will launch Friday morning at 9 AM in the city's Quatre Temps mall. The shopping center sits along the north extension of the Champs Élysées. Apple already has several Apple Stores in the Paris area, but just a handful scattered throughout the rest of France.
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05/18, 11:44am
Jack White, Norah Jones among free concerts
Apple has announced details of the 2012 iTunes Festival, to be held at the Roundhouse in London, England. The event will consist of 30 nights of free concerts by over 60 artists, including the likes of Jack White, Norah Jones, and Usher; only a handful of artists have been announced so far. For 2012, the festival has been moved from July to September.
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03/07, 1:50pm
Upgraded with Retina Display, quad-core A5X chip
Apple today announced the third-generation iPad at an event in San Francisco. The device's main feature is a 2048x1536 Retina Display, twice the resolution of the iPad 2, rated at 264 pixels per inch; existing apps will be upscaled automatically. Color saturation is said to be 44 percent higher. The tablet also makes the switch to a new dual-core but quad graphics processor, the A5X, which Apple says is built with the Retina Display in mind. Interface-wise the tablet has been improved with features like voice dictation.
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03/02, 12:10pm
No definite plans stated
Apple is a candidate for replacing the Virgin Megastore at the Champs-Élysées in Paris, according to Le Figaro. The French newspaper claims that Apple "will be in the running" for the location, which Virgin is reportedly trying to sell. The latter company is in the process of closing down some outlets; president Jean-Louis Reynard has said that the chain is switching to a "new model of store, smaller, with a more segmented offer."
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02/14, 12:40pm
Could be linked to hard drive shortages
Apple's Time Capsule routers are seeing delays or shortages in different parts of the world, notes 9to5Mac. The company's online stores in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, and France are sometimes seeing delivery times of one to three weeks for 3TB models, or one- to two-week delays for 2TB routers. Third-party vendors Amazon and Best Buy are out of 3TB models, and some Australian Apple Stores may be completely out of stock.
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01/30, 10:00pm
Company collects, but disputes need for, tax
A French copyright association has sued Apple in that country, charging that the tech giant has been collecting a French "copyright tax" on iPads but not paying the money to Copie France, which distributes the finds to authors, artists and other performers as a form of compensation for personal copying, a French newspaper reports. Apple, along with other tech firms, has gotten the tax abolished for 2012, but is still disputing $6.3 million in back taxes.
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01/23, 10:45am
Parisian store cluster grows
Apple is taking steps toward building two more French retail stores, says MacGénération. The first is in the commercial center of Quatre Temps à la Défense, in the Parisian district of Puteaux. Apple has reportedly filed an application to run a business there, although an exact location in the center is unknown.
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01/13, 3:35pm
New countries offer cash instead of gift cards
Apple has expanded an iPhone and iPad recycling program to the UK, France, and Germany, accounts say. In the US, people can trade in old iPhones and iPads for Apple gift cards. The program is operating differently in the new countries, where people are instead getting cash deposited directly into their bank accounts.
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12/15, 5:10pm
More expansions may be imminent
Following a botched rollout on Wednesday, Apple has today officially expanded iTunes Match to Canada and the UK. In Canada the service costs $28 a year, while in the UK annual pricing is set at £22. Unlike regular iCloud options, iTunes Match allows a person to mirror and remotely access their entire music library, regardless of whether the content is on iTunes.
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10/12, 12:30pm
Part of Apple's iCloud rollout
The iTunes in the Cloud service is now available in several more regions around the world, users say. Canada, France, Australia and the UK are among the main territories, but other countries are said to be getting the option as well. When available the option lets people re-download music, apps and books from iTunes, or else have the content automatically pushed to multiple devices.
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09/27, 10:55am
Consistent with repotss, Apple's track record
Apple will release the iPhone 5 in five countries on Friday, October 14th, claims Japanese site Macotakara. Specifically the device is expected to launch in the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan. The timing is consistent with accounts that Apple is blacking out the 14th and 15th for Apple Store workers looking to go on vacation, and past reports pointing to a launch sometime between the 7th and the 15th.
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09/20, 1:30pm
Group spans Canada, France, Italy, Australia, US
Apple has revealed five additional store openings taking place this weekend. Outlets in Shanghai and Hong Kong were announced earlier this week, but the company has only just, for instance, confirmed that it will indeed launch the Metrotown location this week. The shop is based in Burnaby, British Columbia within the greater Vancouver area, and will start taking in the public at 10AM Saturday morning.
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09/14, 2:45pm
Timing likely imprecise
The iPhone 5 will launch on October 15th, claims Stéphane Richard, the CEO of French carrier Orange. The executive reportedly made the comment during an interview on a TV business program. Hardmac notes that Richard has let slip similarly secret Apple information in the past, namely about the first-generation iPad; he wrongly stated, though, that the tablet would have a camera. Investigation of the hardware would eventually show space for a camera, suggesting that Apple removed it late into development.
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08/23, 12:05pm
Retail rush continues
Apple will once again open a round of new retail stores this weekend, says ifoAppleStore. Of the three opening this Saturday, the most important may be the Promenade at Chenal location in Little Rock, Arkansas. The state has never before had an Apple Store, even though Apple was listed as a forthcoming tenant at the Promenade as far back as 2007, before the mall's 2008 opening. Apple has at least a token presence in 44 US states; gaps are still present in Montana, Wyoming, Vermont, West Virginia and both Dakotas.
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06/03, 2:55pm
References can only be informational
France has reportedly enacted new legislation that aims to ban broadcasters from uttering terms related to popular social networking websites that originated in the US. Television and radio hosts are no longer allowed to say the words "Twitter" or "Facebook" during broadcasts, unless the references are necessary to convey information directly related to a news story.
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05/31, 8:35pm
Move likely follows lackluster sales
Nokia has reportedly shuttered two of its online stores in international markets, as visitors to the company's web-based portals in France and Spain are greeted with notices pointing to the closures. The cellphone maker blamed the decision on lackluster sales performance, mostly driven by subsidies offered from carriers in both regions.
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05/30, 10:10am
French expansion accelerates
Apple will open a new French store on Saturday, according to an announcement. The outlet will be the company's first in the city of Lyon, and find a home in the La Part-Dieu shopping mall, strategically located next to a major train station. Opening is set for 9:30AM; regular hours will run from then until 8PM, Monday through Saturday.
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05/17, 9:10pm
Future of legislation remains unclear
France appears to have temporarily suspended its "three strikes" laws for illegal downloading, after an associated contractor, Trident Media Guard, was accused of using unprotected servers to store IP addresses of alleged copyright violators. The French blog Reflets.info allegedly spotted the problem last week, when a writer discovered a TMG server that included the company's executables, scripts, and lists of IP addresses presumably connected to peer-to-peer file sharers.
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05/16, 11:35am
Sale will open up 3rd largest European market
The French government is finalizing the terms for its upcoming auction of 4G bandwidth, according to the French newspaper Le Figaro. France represents the third-largest telecom market in Europe after Germany and the UK. It will be auctioning off four lots of the premium 800MHz range and an unspecified number of lots for the 2.6GHz band. France hopes to generate at least $3.5 billion from the auction.
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05/12, 12:10pm
France, University of Delaware stores also pegged
Apple is planning to move its Bellevue Square store in Washington to another space within the same mall, says ifoAppleStore. The current location is on the ground floor, and launched in 2003 with about 4,600 square feet. The new shop will reportedly take up twice the area of the old one, a feat accomplished by moving to a space on the second floor previously occupied by three different businesses.
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04/29, 9:35am
US, Canadian times continue to hold at 3-5 days
Online shipping times for the white iPhone 4 are stretching out in a number European countries. Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland and the UK are some of the major countries now listing a delay of a flat five days. Black iPhones are more readily available, shipping in the space of a day or two.
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04/22, 10:50am
Rep. Markey adds to US scrutiny
The French and Italian governments have become involved in examining the location history file found in iOS 4, reports say. The Italian Data Protection Authority has opened a formal investigation into the matter, although Reuters notes that the probe is an expansion of one into how mobile apps deal with personal data. France's CNIL is reportedly verifying the security issue, and says it will send Apple France a letter asking for an explanation next week.
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03/28, 11:15pm
HTC points to launch in France
HTC's Evo 3D handset appears to be set for distribution outside of the US market. The company's official Twitter account in France boasts of a local launch. While device renaming for different carriers and regions is a common practice among smartphone makers, the post points out that the device will keep the same name.
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03/21, 11:55am
Commission satisfied with strategy change
The Federal Trade Commission has reportedly completed its investigation surrounding data collections from Google's Street View fleet. In a letter sent to the search giant, the agency announced an official end to the inquiry and notified the company that it would not be penalized. Across the Atlantic, however, France's privacy protection authority, the CNIL, decided to hit the company with a €100,000 (~$142,000 USD) fine.
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02/08, 12:25pm
Apple looking at Grand Central location
Apple is working towards building yet more retail stores in New York City and around the French town of Versailles, reports say. In New York City Apple is said to be scouting a space in Manhattan, particularly within Grand Central Terminal at Park and East 42nd. An outlet there would be less than a mile from Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store, allegedly by design, in order to reduce the intense amount of foot traffic the latter generates.
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02/04, 1:10pm
Should open doors by November
Apple is already planning to build a fourth retail store in the greater Paris area, a report says. The company is said to have set its sights on the Carré Sénart shopping complex, actually located about 30 miles south of Paris in the city's suburbs. The Apple Store will reportedly open by November; the date is almost guaranteed, given that Apple has historically preferred to have outlets ready before Black Friday shopping.
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01/27, 3:40pm
Orange France lists €20 premium
The white iPhone 4 could potentially cost buyers extra, listings at Orange France suggest. Pages on the carrier's website already depict 16 and 32GB white models, even though Apple has yet to announce the color as a shipping option. Orange is notably applying a €20 premium, for instance raising the cost of a 32GB phone from €299 to €319 on a two-year contract.
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01/12, 12:15pm
Includes more German, Italian, American shops
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.
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12/01, 1:15pm
Apple uses 10,000 song price as incentive
Apple has posted People's Choice shortlists for iTunes Best Album & Song 2010, a voting competition being run by Apple. Some of the eligible albums include Lungs by Florence + The Machine, Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons, and Immersion by Pendulum. A few of the songs on offer include "Pack Up" by Eliza Doolittle, "Telephone" by Lady GaGa, and "Ridin' Solo" by Jason Derülo.
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11/18, 9:20am
Emphasis still litmited to high-end advertisers
Confirming recent media claims, Apple has announced plans for a European iAd expansion. The network will officially expand to the UK and France and December, with Germany following in January. As in the US, the initial roster of advertisers consists of high-profile corporations. The list so far includes: L’Oréal, Renault, Louis Vuitton, Nespresso, Perrier, Unilever, Citi, Evian, LG Display, AB InBev, Turkish Airlines and Absolute Radio.
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11/04, 11:50am
Other stores unaffected
At least several of Apple's European online stores are offline, investigation shows. The UK, French, German, Spanish and Swedish stores are all down as of about noon Eastern time, with no indication of when they might return other than "soon." Countries in other continents, such as Canada and the United States, are notably unaffected.
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10/27, 4:55pm
Would allow App Store activations
Apple is working with SIM card maker Gemalto in order to produce a custom card for iPhones, sources inside European carriers claim. The technology would allow Europeans to buy an iPhone via the web or an Apple Store, and get it activated using an App Store download rather than a visit to a carrier store, or calling a carrier directly. The card would be integrated into the phone itself, GigaOM hears.
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10/18, 1:15pm
All lines getting Wednesday update?
Shipping times for the MacBook Pro have changed from 24 hours to two days in the UK, a MacNN reader observes. The wait is present for other MacBook models as well, including the Air and the basic plastic version. Two-day delays can also be spotted in the French and German online Apple Stores.
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09/30, 4:05pm
Apple could compromise to push sales
French cellular providers could soon carry cheaper, subsidized iPad 3Gs, according to local financial paper Les Echos. The businesses are reportedly in negotiations with Apple, with the aim of launching iPads on contract by the end of the year. Similar negotiations are rumored to be happening in other European Union countries.
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09/21, 12:15pm
Joins new Chinese, Italian stores
The upcoming weekend will see a flurry of international Apple Store launches, the company has confirmed. Germany is getting a fourth store on Saturday, based in Oberhausen's CentrO shopping complex. The facility is described as the largest of its kind in Europe, with luxuries such as a movie theater, water park and even a model train layout.
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09/13, 3:45pm
Shop might not open until 2016
Apple is planning to open another Parisian retail outlet along the Champs Elysées, sources claim. The street is considered one of the world's prime shopping districts, in part because of major tourist attractions like the Arc de Triomphe. Apple has allegedly set its focus on #103, a six-level building built in 1899 for the 1900 Paris Expo, and currently home to an HSBC branch. The property is believed to have been sold earlier this year for $505 million, but HSBC may choose to lease it for several more years.
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08/24, 11:30am
Nice store just fourth in France
Apple is planning to open two new retail stores on Saturday, August 28th. The first is based in Nice, France, specifically at the Cap 3000 commercial center on Avenue Eugène Donadeï. Operating hours are scheduled for 10AM to 9PM every day, except for Sundays, when the shop will be completely closed. Despite the country's population, the outlet is just the fourth Apple Store to open in France; two of the existing ones are located in Paris.
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07/30, 10:30am
Says iPhone 3G slows down 'significantly'
A French cellphone carrier, SFR, is now officially advising people against upgrading an iPhone 3G to iOS 4. The firmware "significantly slows" menu navigation on a 3G, the carrier says, adding that the upgrade is "irreversible." The upgrade should in fact be reversible, but only by more technically savvy iPhone owners.
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07/02, 4:05pm
Uses marble, iron, wood
Apple has essentially abandoned a standard design for the Paris Opéra retail store opening on Saturday, new photos show. Differences are immediately visible from the outside, as the facade employs three small, black-backed Apple logos including a banner, rather than one large white logo framed against glass and steel. Those materials are also absent from the interior, replaced with marble, iron, stone and wood.
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06/28, 12:45pm
Situated near Garnier operahouse
Apple will finally open its second retail store in Paris, France on July 3rd, the company has announced. The Opéra outlet is based at 12 Rue Halévy, and so named because of its proximity to the Garnier operahouse. The location has been under construction for well over a year, due to the need to preserve and restore historic architecture, such as wooden doors, arched windows and wrought-iron balcony railings on the exterior.
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06/28, 9:30am
Online shipping times stretch out to three weeks
It may now be difficult or impossible to find an iPhone 4 in much of the US and Europe, suggests Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore. The firm spoke with over 100 retail outlets over the weekend, and Whitmore notes that 60 percent of Apple Stores were sold out by the end of Thursday, while all other contacted retailers were empty. These included Best Buy in the US, Orange in France and O2 and Carphone Warehouse in the UK.
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06/16, 10:55am
System may not have been tested
AT&T has "temporarily suspended" iPhone 4 and 8GB iPhone 3GS pre-orders, according to a message on the carrier's website. The company has been unable to cope with the demand so far, resulting in many web requests timing out. On top of this it has received numerous complaints of privacy leaks, which involved the wrong person's information being displayed after logging into an account.
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06/15, 9:30am
White models unavailable in US
Apple and carriers in several countries have opened up pre-orders for the iPhone 4, due to ship on June 24th. In the United States, online pre-orders can be made through the Apple Store or via AT&T. A 16GB phone costs $199 with a two-year contract, while a 32GB phone is $299. Also up for pre-order is an 8GB iPhone 3GS, priced at $99.
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06/07, 2:50pm
Goes on sale June 24th
Apple today confirmed earlier leaks and announced a new iPhone, the iPhone 4. The model is the very first to feature a forward-facing camera for video calling. It further adds an LED flash, and the 960x460 IPS "retina display," said to have four times the pixel density of the iPhone 3GS at 326ppi, and four times the contrast ratio at 800:1. Earlier apps are automatically enhanced to fit the new resolution, but mainly in terms of their interfaces.
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05/12, 9:25am
Launch-day stock quickly evaporates
Apple is already pushing out the shipping times for international iPad pre-orders, checks show. The first wave of tablets is set to ship on May 28th, to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. All of Apple's online storefronts in those countries now display a June 7th shipping date for new customers.
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05/07, 12:40pm
Substantially more expensive than in US, Canada
Apple has confirmed pricing for the UK versions of the iPad, launching on May 28th. The base 16GB Wi-Fi model will cost £429, with VAT included. Prices rise to £499 for 32GB, and £599 for 64GB. A £100 premium applies to each capacity when choosing a 3G edition of the tablet.
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05/07, 11:45am
Not all countries confirmed
Most or all countries getting the iPad on May 28th will also get iBooks and access to the iBookstore at the same time, Apple has disclosed. So far confirmed are Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Spain and the UK. France, Germany and Switzerland are likely to have iBooks support as well, but this has yet to be mentioned by Apple.
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05/07, 8:55am
Second wave of countries due in July
Clearing up a formerly ambiguous timetable, Apple has announced that the international launch of the iPad is now set for May 28th. Nine regions will get the tablet initially: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. A second wave is only expected in July, including Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.
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04/30, 12:25pm
Storefronts distinguished by local studios
Apple has expanded the French and Irish iTunes storefronts, adding movie sales to them for the first time. Visitors to either can buy and rent movies from major American studios, including Fox, MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Disney and Warner Brothers. Of special interest though may be the regional studios, as Irish shoppers will have access to movies from E1, Optimum and Lionsgate UK, while French shoppers will have access to Pathé, SND and StudioCanal.
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03/05, 8:55am
Slight delay past original claims
Apple has at last set a formal release date for the first iPad models. Wi-Fi only iPads will go on sale in the US on April 3rd, in an unusual Saturday launch. Online pre-orders however are set to begin March 12th, for both Wi-Fi- and 3G-ready tablets. Sales in other countries -- namely Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK -- will only begin in late April, but all regions will have access to 3G models at that point.
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