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Last call for Apple gifts shipped in time for Christmas

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Ted Lasso animation
Sure, this is mustache-less Ted Lasso from a 2022 holiday animated short, but the coach looks pretty worried his gifts won't get to Kansas by Christmas.
Photo: Apple

Thursday is the last day you can order a gift from Apple and expect it to arrive before December 25 in the United States, according to the company’s holiday shipping guidelines.

But don’t despair. You can still order Apple products for pick-up or delivery from a local Apple Store.

Apple debuts iPhone purchasing via video call

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Now you can hop on a video call to shop for a new iPhone.
Now you can hop on a video call to shop for a new iPhone.
Photo: Apple

Apple said Tuesday its US customers can chat with an Apple Specialist over video to shop the iPhone lineup. That includes the new yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus that showed up in stores today.

The new Shop with a Specialist over Video service lets buyers connect with retail team members over a secure, one-way video shopping session, the company said.

Apple.com celebrates Toronto Raptors’ NBA victory in Canada

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Visit Apple.com/ca to see it.
Screenshot: Cult of Mac

Apple is celebrating the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 NBA Championship victory with a rare Easter egg on its homepage.

You’ll see it if you visit the company’s Canadian website at www.apple.com/ca. You can’t miss it because it fills most of your browser window with animated emoji that fly around your screen.

Apple extends return policy for holiday shoppers

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Apple gifts bought now can be returned in January.
Apple gifts bought now can be returned in January.
Photo: Apple

For the next month, you have a lot longer to return items purchased from the online Apple Store.  This is intended to allow shoppers to buy holiday gifts now and not have to worry about returns until January.

Holiday shoppers should also be aware that Apple offers free two-day delivery on items bought through its website.  Returns are always free.

iPhone 7, 7 Plus and Apple Watch 2 preorders begin: Here’s how to do it

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Say hello to the new iPhone.
Say hello to the new iPhone.
Photo: Apple

Preorders for the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and Apple Watch Series 1 and Series 2 have started.

Time is of the essence as you make your overnight purchase: Taking even an extra few minutes to place your preorder could leave you with a second-choice device or cause your shipment to be delayed. (Initial units will ship Sept. 16 to stores in 28 countries.)

Demand for the new devices is already high, so check out Cult of Mac’s guide to helping you get the exact iPhone 7 or Apple Watch you want.

Here’s what to do:

iPhone 6s preorders begin: Here’s how to get what you want

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Pretty in pink. I mean Rose Gold.
Pretty in pink. I mean Rose Gold.
Photo: Apple

Preorders of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are set to open tonight at 12:01 a.m. Pacific. Apple’s certainly made a ton of improvements to the preorder process over the years, but as the Apple Watch recently taught us, taking an extra few minutes to get your preorder in could cause your shipment to be delayed.

Demand for the new iPhone 6s is expected to be greater than ever, so we’ve compiled a handy guide to help you get the iPhone you want and get back to sleep before Apple’s servers get absolutely crushed.

Here’s what to do:

What browsing Apple.com was like in 1997

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Relive the web in the 90's. Photo: Open University

Young Apple fans may not remember the unveiling of the original iMac that put Apple back on the map, but now you can experience what it was like to learn all about Jony and Steve’s candy-colored creation on the World Wide Web like it’s 1997 all over again.

Relive the thrills and horrors of what it was like the surf Apple.com back in 1997, thanks to the folks at Open University who created a series of GIFs that capture the the web of the late-90’s thanks to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

Apple’s old website didn’t look too bad back then, especially s hideous compared to most websites at the time, which heavily featured crappy graphics, block graphic links, and clumsy navigation, Apple’s website stands out from the other options at the time.

For a full run-down on the history of Apple.com’s design changes through the years, check out our feature here.

Ahead Of Big Upgrade, Apple TV Stops Being A ‘Hobby’ For Apple

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For years, Apple has been saying its set-top box, the Apple TV, was a mere “hobby,” and Apple.com reflected that distinction, listing the Apple TV as an accessory instead of a product worthy of its own Apple Store section.

Well, no longer. Today, Apple upgraded the Apple TV to the status of full product line on Apple.com alongside the Mac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. There’s now a dedicated Apple TV section, as well as a section for Apple TV accessories, Community Q&A and more.

It’s hard to think this timing is a coincidence, given the fact that a new Apple TV update with a focus on gaming is expected soon. Apple’s about to double down on the living room, methinks, and this is just the first sign.

iPad Mini With Retina Display Now Shipping Online In 1-3 Days

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Supplies of the iPad mini with Retina Display has been severely constrained ever since it launched on November 12th. Even though it was Within hours of the device becoming available, online orders shot up to 2 weeks delivery times, and for weeks, the best way to get an iPad mini with Retina Display quick was to try your luck at your local Apple Store.

Just in time for Christmas, though, Cupertino has managed to loosen up supply constraints, guaranteeing that if you order an iPad mini with Retina Display right now, you will receive it after it ships in 1-3 business days. That means if you need a last-minute gift idea, you can order an iPad mini with Retina Display now and get it in time for Christmas Eve. Cool beans!

Source: Apple.com

Track Retina iPad Minis Near You With This Web Tool Before Apple Kills It

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If you want an iPad mini with Retina Display today, there’s only one way to get one: reserve it for in-store pick-up. That’s how I got my 128GB iPad mini with Retina Display on day one of availability while my colleagues Charlie Sorrel and Killian Bell were sitting at home, waiting five to ten days for delivery like a couple of suckers.

If you’d like to make the hunt for an iPad mini in your area easier, a new web-based tracking tool has been released that makes the process less tedious. But act now, because Apple has shown itself to be willing to kill these trackers before, although it’s possible this one will escape unscathed.

Watch iOS 7 In Action In These Incredible Videos Of Every Major New Feature

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Screen Shot 2013-06-10 at 3.21.38 PM

iOS 7 has been radically redesigned, and there’s going to be a lot of acclimiatization to the new brighter, more vibrant design.

That’s why Apple has posted a new site which allows anyone to preview the new operating system in their browser, with tons of videos of iOS 7’s new features, like Control Center, Notification Center, Multitasking, iTunes Radio, AirDrop, Siri and more.

If you want to see what iOS 7 is going to look like in your hand come fall, this is where you should start familiarizing yourself with Jony Ive’s radical new OS.

Source: iOS 7

Apple Now Allows You To Supercharge Your iMac With New Flash Storage Options

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Screen Shot 2013-05-02 at 10.18.22 AM

Up until now, if you wanted a new 21.5-inch 2012 iMac from Apple, you had pretty dim prospects when it came to storage: your only options were a a stinky 1TB 5400RPM hard drive, or spending an additional $250 on a 1TB Fusion Drive. There were no options for a pure flash storage iMac, and on the 27-inch iMac side, things weren’t much better: the only thing you could opt for in a build-to-order iMac was a $900 768GB SSD.

That’s all changed for the better now, though. Apple has quietly updated build-to-order options across its iMac line to allow you to replace your new iMac’s 1TB hard drive with a 256GB or 512GB SSD for $300 and $600, accordingly. That’s actually pretty expensive for an SSD — which cost about $0.66 per GB on Amazon right now — but given what a royal pain-in-the-neck performing any surgery on Apple’s glued shut new iMacs is, it’s your only real option if you want a flash drive in your iMac.

Source: Apple.com

Apple Launches New ‘Why You’ll Love iPad’ Campaign

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whyipad2013

Last week Apple launched its new ‘Why You’ll Love iPhone’ webpage that many viewed as a defensive effort to combat the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S 4. Today, Apple unleashed a similar website, only for the iPad.

The “Why You’ll Love iPad” webpage on Apple.com gives potential customers a number of reasons why the iPad and iPad mini are the best tablets on the market, including it’s apps, precision design, brilliant display, and battery.

Back To The Future: 15 Years Of Apple Web Design Seen Through A Time Machine [Feature]

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backtothefutureiphone

In just the last fifteen years, a lot has changed for Apple. The company has transformed itself from a dying corporation teetering on the brink of bankruptcy into the most powerful technology company in the world, a giant that has revolutionized pretty much every aspect of technology.

Given the extraordinary changes that have happened to Apple in the last fifteen years, you’d think that the Apple.com homepage would have gone through a lot of changes too. But it hasn’t. Why not?

Going back through fifteen years of Apple.com homepages, it is clear that for Apple, their website is just another product, just like an iPhone or iPod. When Apple wants to make a new product, they first find the ideal form they think that object should be, and then endlessly iterate upon it over successive generations to bring the function of that form into sharper relief.

Apple’s website is no different. Here’s how Apple has refined it over the years.

Nike+ FuelBand Now Available In New Colors At Your Local Apple Store

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The Nike+ FuelBand, now available in 'White Ice' and 'Black Ice'.
The Nike+ FuelBand, now available in 'White Ice' and 'Black Ice'.

Nike has announced a duo of new colors for its Nike+ FuelBand, which are now available to purchase from Apple retail stores across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom from today. The new colors are “Black Ice” and “White Ice,” and like the other models, they’re priced at $149.95.