MacTrast News Digest – February 19, 2014

MacTrast News Digest – February 19, 2014

russian_flag_thumbApple’s Russian iPhone Sales Double in 2013 After Signing Major Carriers
Persuading the major Russian cellular providers to sign on as iPhone partner carriers has led to dividends for Apple, as the company’s iPhone sales in Russia doubled in 2013 to 1.57 million units.

project-red_iconSquare and (PRODUCT) RED Offer Special SQUA(RED) Reader to Fight AIDS
Mobile payments firm Square has teamed up with Bono’s (PRODUCT) RED organization to offer a special edition credit card reader that benefits the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.

hopTo-iconiPad Workspace App hopTo Gets an Update – Gets Skydrive, ‘Open In’ Support, More
hopTo received a nice update today. The app, which allows you to view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel files, and also manage your cloud storage amongst various services, gains SkyDrive and “open-in” support, and more.

New_MacBook_Air_2013_thumbApple Working on Fix for 2013 MacBook Air Sleep/Wake Crashes
If your 11 or 13-inch 2013 MacBook Air has been crashing when you’ve awakened it from a sleep state, fear not. Apple has heard your cries and is preparing an update to remedy your woes.

apple_campus_2_construction_thumb

Aerial Photo Shows Progress of Apple ‘Spaceship” Campus Project
A recent aerial photo from Ron Cervi, a news and traffic reporter for KCBS, shows work at Apple’s “Spaceship” Campus 2 project is coming along nicely, with most of the existing structures demolished.

apple-china-250x223Apple Increases Share of Chinese Smartphone market in Q4 on Back of Strong iPhone 5s Sales
Apple increased its share of the Chinese smartphone market to 7% in the last quarter of 2013 on the back of demand for its flagship iPhone 5s handset. However, that was only good for fifth place in the competitive market.

itunesfestival_SXSW_thumbApple Announces First U.S. iTunes Festival at SXSW 2014
Apple announced today that it will be holding the first iTunes Festival to be held in the United States at SXSW, running from March 11-15. The festival will take place at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, home of Austin City Limits.