China, Huge crowds gather for Apple Store grand opening in Hangzhou

Apple has opened the doors to its new West Lake Apple Store in China today, letting throngs of eager customers into one of the company's largest retail outlets in Asia.

As promised earlier this week, Apple officially started sales at the West Lake Apple Store in Hangzhou, the first of five Chinese outlets to slated to open ahead of the Chinese New Year on Feb. 19.

The grand opening was celebrated by Apple CEO Tim Cook, who posted a rare tweet to mark the occasion.

"Starting Something New in Hangzhou, China!" Cook's tweet read, followed by the hashtag #AppleStoreWestLake. Cook seldom uses his social networking account to promote newly opened Apple Stores, but the Hangzhou location is an important first step in extending the company's reach into mainland China.


Last week, Apple SVP of Retail Angela Ahrendts reveals plans to open five Chinese stores before the Chinese New Year, the first being West Lake. Ahrendts' announcement is in line with Apple's lofty goal of opening 25 retail locations in China by the end of 2016.

Opening of the Apple Store in Madrid "Puerta del Sol"

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After three long years of rumors, we can now enjoy the eleventh Apple Store opened in Spain, and one of the most anticipated by its location, situated in No. 1 of the Puerta del Sol. The store has a philosophy of Apple stores but keeps the essence of old Paris hotel building constructed in the nineteenth century. 

I have prepared a gallery of images from the opening. Customers already began with purchases upon entering on it, next to me sold a MacBook Pro shortly after the inauguration. And is that an inauguration is not just a store, it is also a time.

Everything ran on a sunny day in Madrid, pleasant temperatures and an event reminiscent of so many other openings, but with the special flavor that relishes this new store and that makes it a little different from the rest. "The small museum" of Apple in the center of Madrid is now available for anyone looking to visit from today, after years of work to get the great result that we see and enjoy.

AppleCare plan new features

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Tara Bunch, Vice president of the AppleCare and technical support division in Cupertino, recently held a meeting with employees to discuss the service. And at that meeting, as reported by 9to5Mac sources, there have been some performance figures from AppleCare and their future plans.

Apparently, the AppleCare + service that protects the iOS devices from accidental damage goes well. Over 30 million people have contracted in the 14 countries where it is active, which has generated $2,000 billion in revenues and motivation to expand the service to more markets. One of the measures that can be taken in the future, for example, extend the deadline to purchase AppleCare + 30 to 60 days after purchase of the iOS device. 

Depending on how the economy goes, we might get to see a AppleCare + for Macs

We may also get to see a AppleCare + for Macs, now that bestsellers are Macbooks and are also subject to random breakdowns. Everything depends on the economy as something for the Mac would be significantly more expensive than iOS Terminal.

Another interesting thing is the improvements to our Apple accounts in relation to technical assistance. Taking advantage of the unification of Apple Retail and Apple Store web of Angela Ahrendts, Tara commented on a more unified experience between the Genius Bar, phone support and online.

The meeting ended with Tara Bunch promising a "superbowl" launch this fall, where we see almost all Apple products being updated, and encouraging all employees to help users start with the right foot on the platform when buy all these novelties. We will have a busy September and October ...

The Apple Stores removed the iPod touch like mobile payment devices

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If you have gone to an Apple Store, you will know that many of their employees are not separated from their mobile payment devices. So far these have included an iPod touch and a case with credit card reader, but it seems that Apple is replacing these models iPod touch for iPhone 5S. 

So say at 9to5Mac, which also say that iPhone 5S will be equipped with a cover that will have more features: improvements in code reading Passbook, slot for smart cards to pay via our PIN by entering it on the same screen of the iPhone...and the natural advantage that employees will hand a phone to make emergency calls. Although there is also room for suspicions future.

Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of the iPod?

And the simple change from an iPod to an iPhone and it makes me suspect that the iPod touch will stop be so present in stores, or perhaps Apple is preparing to use the TouchID sensor these iPhone in the future payment system or simply to help identify employees who use these terminals to charge customers. 


For me, the arrival of the Apple wearables, could signal the beginning of the end of the iPod. We will wait to see what Apple has plans for them.

A "low" Apple. Financial results for the Q2 2014.Growth 39,3%

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Apple has made official the financial results for its second fiscal quarter of 2014. Apple has 45,600 millions of dollars in revenue. 3,000 million more than analysts predicted. Representing a growth of 39.3% over last year. The net profit was 10,200 million. 

Sales figures fluctuate forecasts 43.7 million iPhones sold (38 million less than expected), 16.35 million iPads (here expected more, 19.7 million), 4.1 million Macs (expected 4.03 million) and 2.76 million iPods sold (2.99 million expected).

If we observe the annual variation aside, we can see that Apple has even grown slightly Having spent a quarter where there has been almost no news:

Let us now look at the Apple data division. Stresses that now the income of the iPod and represent only 1% of total revenue, while the iPhone is eating more and more proportion with 57% of revenues:

And where do all these revenues? America, Europe and China most are performed:

Angela Ahrendts may delay your entry into Apple until June

This is my first article wrote with a phone and the truth, it is not very comfortable.

It seems that Tim Cook will have to wait a little longer directing himself the Apple Retail division. Angela Ahrendts, the CEO of Burberry far you have to go into Apple as senior vice president of Retail new this spring, could delay the change of work until June.
According to The Guardian, Angela wants to ensure that all tasks left closed in Burberry for the new CEO of the company (the current creative director Christopher Bailey) smoothly. Ahrendts has already served six months of rigor after notice to leave his post, but apparently need a little more time.

It is also said that Angela may be delaying his departure for two million pounds as a bonus you have to get leave his post as CEO of Burberry, as well as some deals that made the clothing company in Japan. He said: leave all properly closed and switch jobs with a clear conscience tasks. And it June yet enters the period of "spring" that had been established with Apple.