Apple has introduced a new 14-day return window for digital purchases made in several European countries. App Store, iTunes, and iBookstore items purchased in the U.K., Germany, Italy, and France are now eligible for complete refunds, and users are not required to give a reason for returning their order.
Apple forms European Apple Pay team for local rollout
A job ad that made a brief appearance on Apple’s website before being taken down has confirmed that Apple Pay is on its way to Europe. The listing called for a London-based intern who would “drive the roll-out” of Apple’s new mobile payment system across Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa.
Take a gorgeous time-lapse tour of Europe without leaving your Mac
Not all of us have the chance to head to Europe, what with the cost of airfare these days.
Luckily, we’ve got the Internet, and amazing videos like this one from filmmaker Andrew Walker at 599 Productions. He filmed the various time-lapse images while exploring Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic last September using a Canon 5D Mark III and several Canon and Ziess lenses.
Check it out, and be sure to strap on a pair of high-end cans or route the audio through your huge Bluetooth speaker to hear the epic soundtrack.
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus coming to 36 new countries this month
Apple is bringing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to 36 new countries by the end of this month. The Cupertino company today confirmed that the devices will be available in Monaco on October 17 — the same day they go on sale in China and India — and then in Israel on October 23.
Apple offers iPhone 5s screen replacements in Europe
Apple’s iPhone 5s screen repair service is now available at Genius Bars in the U.K. and throughout Europe, just one week after it kicked off in the U.S. The process costs £119/€150, and it is carried out within one hour.
Europe says yes to Apple’s $3 billion acquisition of Beats
The European Commission today gave its approval to Apple’s $3 billion takeover of Beats Electronics and Beats Music. The regulator concluded that the two companies are not close competitors, and that the headphones they sell are “markedly different in function and design.”
Europeans get new roaming options in iOS 8 beta 4
If you’re an iPhone user based in Europe, you’re going to have greater control over data roaming when iOS 8 makes its public debut this fall. Apple has added the ability to toggle Internet connectivity specifically alongside the general data roaming switch in its latest iOS 8 beta.
Apple TV and Mac mini receive price drops across Europe
Apple is on a price-slashing spree this morning after taking down its online store for a few hours last night. Not only did Cupertino just release a cheaper low-end iMac, but it’s also dropping prices on the Apple TV and Mac mini across the UK and Europe.
Apple expands human curation in European App Stores
When browsing the App Store, it’s easy to get lost in an endless sea of apps. Apple tries to make it easier to find the best apps with a team of editors that handpick the best options in different categories, like productivity and health.
In Europe, Apple now has editors curating seven more categories of the App Store, reports The Guardian. Adding more kinds of apps that are curated puts European App Stores on a closer level to the U.S. and Canada, where every category has human editors.
Apple Confirms The 8GB iPhone 5c Will Not Be Sold In The U.S.
Apple launched its new 8GB iPhone 5c in Europe this morning, but the cheaper handset is yet to reach the U.S. online store. That’s because it isn’t going to. The Cupertino company has confirmed that the device will only be available in a select few countries, and the U.S. isn’t one of them.
Apple Brings iBooks Textbooks & iTunes U To New Markets
Apple has today announced that iBooks Textbooks and iTunes U Course Manager are expanding into new markets across Asia, Latin America, Europe, and other countries around the world. The expansions brings the total number of countries supported by iBooks Textbooks up to 51, while iTunes U Course Manager is now available in 70, including Russia, Thailand and Malaysia.
The Mac Pro Can No Longer Cut Off Your Fingers, So It’s Back On Sale In Europe
Early in 2013, the old aluminum Mac Pro was pulled from sale in the European Union due to the fact that their pro-level desktop fell afoul of new E.U. regulations that prohibit computers from having fans that spin so fast they can cut off your fingers. Really!
Instead of opting to redesign the old Mac Pro, Apple decided to pull it from sale for a few months until the new models made their debut. Since the new Mac Pro doesn’t have exposed fans, customers in Europe can now order Apple’s super-powerful trashcan Mac through Apple’s online store, and will start receiving their units in February. Neat!
Via: MacGeneration
AppleCare+ Comes To Europe & iPods, But iPhone Users Get A Little Screwed
For Americans, AppleCare+ is a fantastic service that takes a lot of the background stress out of having an iPhone. For just $99 and $49 per incident, Apple will replace your iPhone up to two times for accidents or damages, due to clumsiness, accidents, or whatever. I replaced a completely watersoaked iPhone 5 through AppleCare+, and a screen-cracked iPhone 4s. It really takes a load off.
Until now, AppleCare+ was only available to Americans, and was only available for iPhones and iPads. But yesterday, Apple unveiled some big changes to AppleCare+ that makes it accessible to Europeans for the first time.
Apple To Extend AppleCare+ Accidental Damage Warranty To Europe [Rumor]
AppleCare+, the $99 extended warranty for iPhone and iPad that covers accidental damage as well as component failure, could soon be heading to Europe. Apple first began selling the service two years ago, but as things stand, it’s only available to customers in the United States and Canada.
iTunes In The Cloud Starts European Rollout With Switzerland & Austria
For Americans, iTunes in the Cloud has freed a lot of us from the tyranny of having to constantly switch movies and music on and off our devices. As long as we purchased a movie or song on iTunes (or, alternatively, subscribe to iTunes Match), we can stream it from the Cloud.
Unfortunately, Apple’s been taking a creeping approach to rolling out iTunes in the Cloud internationally. For at least two European countries, though, rollout has just started: Austria and Switzerland can now stream movies they bought from iTunes from the Cloud.
Three Acquires O2 Ireland For $1.1 Billion
Hutchison Whampoa, owner of Three U.K., has today acquired O2 Ireland in a deal worth €850 million ($1.1 billion). Telefonica, O2’s parent company, believes the move will “create a new competitive dynamic in the Irish market,” which Three can now claim 37.5% of with 2 million active subscribers.
European Carriers To Scrap EU Roaming Fees Next Year
Europeans will next year be able to take their smartphones anywhere within the EU and enjoy calls, texts, and data without paying a penny more than they do at home. Expensive roaming fees are set to be scrapped by July 1, 2014, after the European Commission voted to fast-track a major overhaul of telecoms regulation.
Newest Ticket to Ride Pocket Game Goes Free This Weekend [Daily Freebie]
If you haven’t played Ticket to Ride yet, all you need to know is that the iPad version is the most addictive board game I’ve played on the device. On the iPhone? Nothing even comes close (O.K., except maybe chess and Words with Friends).
This weekend the newest version of the game to hit the iPhone, Ticket to Ride Europe Pocket, goes from $2 to free. Don’t miss out on this one — and make sure you tell a buddy so you can play ’em.
Jawbone UP Comes To Europe, Finally Gets An Android App
It’s taken well over a year, but the Jawbone UP finally has an official companion app in Google Play. The device has only been compatible with iOS devices since it launched in November 2011, but now you can track your sleep and physical activity on Android-powered smartphones, too.
Furthermore, starting today, UP will be available in Apple stores across Europe.
Apple’s Warranty Compliance Still ‘Not Good Enough’ In Europe
Apple still isn’t correctly informing consumers about their warranty rights in Europe, according to the European Union’s Justice Commissioner, Vivian Reding.
The Cupertino company changed its European warranty policies last year after it came under fire for not meeting EU regulations. But it’s still not providing consumers with the right information in at least 21 of the EU member states, Reding says.
New iMac Now Shipping In Just 1-3 Days In U.S. & Canada
Shipping times for the new 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs were this weekend reduced to just 1-3 business days for customers in the United States and Canada. Both machines have been in short supply since they went on sale back in November, and just one month ago, the shipping delay reached its peak when it slipped to 4-6 weeks in Europe.
Apple Stops Selling The Mac Pro Through European Online Stores
Apple has stopped selling the Mac Pro through its European online stores ahead of the machine’s discontinuation throughout the EU on March 1. Although the high-end desktop still appears on Apple’s website, it’s listed as “currently unavailable,” and customers are unable to order it. Some models are still available in the refurbished section, however.
iOS 6.1 Upgraders Reporting Battery And Connectivity Issues, But Apple’s Rushing Out A Fix
iOS 6.1 has already been out for a few weeks, but we’re now seeing reports that it’s causing problems for a lot of upgraders.
Multiple users have taken to Apple’s iPhone support forums to report that their battery life has dropped significantly since the iOS 6.1 upgrade. Others have claimed that iOS 6.1 has given them a slew of problems when trying to connect to 3G networks, and Apple has yet to respond.
New Line Of Mac Pros To Launch In Spring, 2013? [Rumor]
Although Apple did not revamp the aged Mac Pro line last year, Tim Cook and Apple executives have reiterated their commitment to the Pro segment in the last six months on at least a couple of occasions, and it is believed — somewhat skeptically, true, by some current Mac Pro owners who want to replace their dying machines — that Apple will release a freshly redesigned Mac Pro in 2013, especially since they can no longer sell existing Mac Pros in Europe starting March 1.
Now an anecdotal report confirms that an Apple representative has confirmed to a French computer seller that a “new range of Mac Pro will be released in spring 2013.”
This could mean anything. It could be wishful thinking, it could confirm a new Mac Pro range that is changed just enough to get around new E.U. environmental regulations that prevent the Mac Pro from being sold there, or it could harbinger an exotic new Mac Pro design in total. We’ll have to wait and see.
Source: Macg.co
Thanks: Anthony N.
iMac Shipping Times Slip Again In Europe, Now Stand At 4-6 Weeks
It’s a bad time to purchase one of Apple’s latest iMacs if you’re living in Europe. Shipping times for the all-new, all-in-one have slipped for the second time in under a month, and customers are now facing lengthy waits for both the 21.5-inch and the 27-inch models. The former currently has a 3-4 week shipping delay, while its bigger brother will keep you waiting 4-6 weeks.