Apple is set to open four new retail stores this Saturday, ifoAppleStore remarks. Two of these are in China, including the MixC outlet in Chengdu, and the Causeway Bay location in Hong Kong. Australia is getting a store in Fountain Gate in Narre Warren (outside Melbourne), while Sweden's second-ever store will be based in the Emporia in Malmö.
Verizon has apologized for the recent "civil emergency" alerts that were sent to cellphones used by New Jersey residents in several counties. The Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) had warned many users of a civil emergency "extreme alert" in their local counties. The warning was attributed to the US government and ordered individuals to "take shelter now."
The US government has indicted 27 people suspected of belonging to a fraud ring targeting Apple Stores, reports say. The group is accused of making fake credit cards using stolen data bought from the Internet, and in turn fraudulently buying $1 million or more in goods from Apple Stores in 13 states. Products like Macs and gift cards were fenced to bring in cash.
Two Apple Stores in Bergen County, New Jersey are devising a way of getting around local "blue" laws preventing shops from opening on Sundays, sources say. While the state technically abolished such restrictions in 1959, local jurisdictions were allowed to enforce their own laws favoring religions with Sunday observances. The Garden State Plaza Apple Store in Paramus and the Tice's Corner outlet in Woodcliff Lake are said to be Apple's only US retail sites not open on Sundays.
At least some TJ Maxx outlets are now selling iPads, accounts say. Although a number of stores across the US have denied carrying any, some in Ohio, New Jersey and New York are claiming to have stock. One in Vernon, New York is said to be selling units for as little as $400, just shy of $100 below the standard price for a 16GB Wi-Fi model.
As expected, Sprint and Clearwire have activated 4G service in New York City and several additional regions. Service in New York now extends to all five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. Other markets include Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut; Trenton and New Brunswick, New Jersey; and Tampa, Florida.
New York City Transit, New Jersey Transit and the Port Authorities of both New Jersey and New York have begun a phone-based payment program, run in cooperation with Visa. The pilot initiative allows people with Visa payWave-equipped smartphones -- including iPhones -- to wave them in front of a special reader in order to pay for a bus, subway or train ride. Normally, people would have to buy and refill separate cards for similar convenience.
T-Mobile has announced ongoing expansion of its HSPA+ network which brings faster 3G data speeds for subscribers. The company's HSPA+ network has been broadened in the New York City metropolitan area, including New Jersey and Long Island, along with other New York Cities such as Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.
The Sagemore Apple Store in Marlton, New Jersey has become the victim of a second robbery in the space of just over four months, say reports. In Thursday's incident, captured on video, five men attacked the store shortly after 2AM, breaking through a glass facade with a large rock. In a little over 30 seconds the group is said to have taken 23 notebooks, and 14 iPhones and iPod touches before fleeing into a nearby residential area.
Apple and AT&T are the subjects of another lawsuit involving speeds on the iPhone 3G, reports say. A case on behalf of Damone Dickerson has been filed in the US District Court for New Jersey, accusing Apple of misrepresenting the speed and quality possible with AT&T's networking and the iPhone. In practice, Dickerson's documents claim, 3G access has only been available to him for a fraction of the time, and is neither full nor continuous; in many cases 3G is not even an option, the filings read.
AT&T stores in the states of New York and New Jersey are receiving unusually cheap refurbished iPhones, leaked information suggests. Though only applicable in select stores, a deal already in progress is said to be offering used 16GB iPhone 3Gs for only $149, as compared to the normal retail price of $299. Refurbished iPhones have not typically sold at such low prices, as even 8GB versions have not slipped below $99.
Another location has been added to the list of Apple Stores opening this weekend, Apple has announced. In addition to stores in Ohio, Maine and Melbourne, a new one will be launching in Wayne, New Jersey on September 13th, beginning at 10AM. The shop is located within the Willowbrook Mall, and will supply all of Apple's normal services, although no workshops have yet been scheduled.
