MacRumors 2019 Blood Drive

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MacRumors is pleased to announce our Tenth Annual MacRumors Blood Drive, throughout the month of May 2019. Our goal is to save lives by increasing the number of life-saving blood and platelet donations. While most blood drives are specific to a geographic location, our blood drive is online and worldwide.

Over the past nine years, MacRumors Blood Drives have recorded donations of 544 units of blood, platelets, and plasma, and celebrated new signups for organ donor and bone marrow registries. We've heard from people whose lives were saved by blood, platelet, or bone marrow donations, including lives saved by complete strangers.

How to participate in the month of May

1. If you are eligible, schedule a blood or platelet donation (see FAQ), at any donation center near you. Then post in the MacRumors 2019 Blood Drive! thread to tell us about it and to accept our thanks. Or tell us if you register as an organ donor and/or register for the bone marrow registry (see FAQ).
2. If you aren't eligible to donate blood for reasons of age, health, height/weight, a recent donation, or because you are deferred as a donor, please encourage someone else to make a donation, and let us know. If they donate, you both belong on our Honor Roll. See our Blood donor eligibility thread for news about the deferral policies for gay men in different countries.
3. Share our message and help this cause by convincing friends and relatives to participate as well. The Honor Roll lists this year's donors. Please congratulate them for their generous acts on behalf of strangers.

From June 2019 to April 2020

In between MacRumors Blood Drives, join Team MacRumors and get credit for your interim donations in next year's drive. Anytime you donate, let us know, as follows:

1. Go to our team page and click PLEDGE TO GIVE BLOOD. (Bookmark the page for the future.)
2. Fill in your MacRumors username as your first name. Fill in @ macrumors as your last name.
3. In the comments field, tell us what type of donation and how many units, e.g., 1 unit of whole blood, 2 units of platelets, etc.
4. The email address and zip code fields don't matter. MacRumors won't use that information.

We look forward to another successful MacRumors Blood Drive. Thank you to our many donors over the last 9 years!

Tag: MacRumors blood drive

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Verizon Takes on T-Mobile With Revamped Loyalty Program

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Verizon today announced a revamped version of its Verizon Up loyalty program with new and more frequent rewards for customers.


Verizon customers will now receive a reward credit every month after paying their bill, instead of after every $300 spent, which they can use towards things like a future smartphone purchase, Starbucks coffee, Uber rides, and "Super Tickets" for exclusive experiences like concerts and sports events.

One of the "Super Ticket" experiences is a private concert with musician Shawn Mendes for 2,000 customers in New York City on May 14.

These enhancements will make Verizon Up more competitive with T-Mobile Tuesdays, which offers a variety of free rewards and offers on a weekly basis, ranging from free tacos at Taco Bell to trips to the MLB All-Star Game.

Rewards and localized offers are available through the updated My Verizon app.

Tag: Verizon

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Deals: ElevationDock 4 Exclusive 40% Discount, 2019 AirPods With Wireless Case for $180, and More

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MacRumors has partnered with Elevation Lab to offer our readers an exclusive discount on the company's MFi certified ElevationDock 4 for iPhone. We've listed all the details you need to know about this sale below, along with notable discounts on the 2019 AirPods and some new offers from Sprint.

ElevationDock 4 Exclusive Sale

You can shop for the ElevationDock4 on Amazon in either White or Black, add one to your cart, and then enter the code MacRumors40 in the gift cards and promotional codes box in the checkout screen to get 40 percent off the order.

This will bring the price of the ElevationDock 4 down to $29.97, from $49.95. Elevation Lab's accessory locks to smooth surfaces to keep itself in place and ensure stability for any docked, Lightning-enabled iPhone.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The Dock4 is made of a medical-grade silicone and comes with a braided USB cable to connect it to a wall or computer power source. This exclusive sale will last until May 5.

2019 AirPods Price Drop

In another sale, Costco is offering one of the first major discounts on the recently released AirPods with Wireless Charging Case, which you can get for $179.99, down from $199.99 if you're a Costco member.

Additionally, the retailer is offering the AirPods with Charging Case for $139.99, down from $159.99. For both versions of the 2019 AirPods you'll have to add $4.99 shipping and handling to your order if you can't find a local store to purchase the headphones.


We've seen a few similar price drops for the AirPods with Charging Case over the past few weeks, but Costco's deal marks the first notable discount on the AirPods with Wireless Charging Case seen since the new headphones debuted in March. Of course, you'll have to be a Costco member to see the deals.

Sprint iPhone Offers

At Sprint, there are multiple offers for Apple's iPhone that you can take advantage of if you're an existing customer, or if you're thinking about switching over to the carrier. These include pre-owned iPhone 7 and 8 devices, brand new iPhone XS and XS Max devices, and a 50 percent off monthly lease offer for the iPhone XR.

• iPhone 7 and 7 Plus (pre-owned) - Get a $100 prepaid Mastercard when switching to Sprint and purchasing iPhone 7 or 7 Plus pre-owned (exp. 7/18)

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• iPhone 8 (pre-owned) - $5/month lease (exp. 5/2)

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• iPhone 8 and 8 Plus - Lease any iPhone 8 and get a second iPhone 8 at no cost (exp. 5/16)

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• iPhone X - Lease any iPhone X, get the iPhone 8 at no cost (exp. 5/16)

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• iPhone XS and XS Max - Get a $250 prepaid Mastercard when switching to Sprint and purchasing iPhone XS or XS Max (exp. 5/16)

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• iPhone XR - $15/month lease (exp. 5/16)

Visit our full Deals Roundup for more information on this week's sales.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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Moment Pro Camera App for iOS Gains Zebra Striping for Displaying Over and Underexposed Areas

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Moment, the company behind the popular Moment lenses, today updated its Moment Pro Camera app for iOS devices, adding new features and a new pricing structure.

For those unfamiliar with Moment Pro Camera, it's an iOS app that was designed to work with the Moment line of lenses, but those lenses are not required to access the features. The app also works on a standalone basis, offering up full manual photography tools along with other features to improve your iPhone images.


The updated Moment Pro Camera app features a new Zebra Stripes option, which is designed to let you see a visual representation of areas that are either under or overexposed so that you can adjust your camera settings. In areas that need adjustment, you'll see stripes in the viewfinder.


Focus Peaking has also been added to adjust the focus in photo or video mode. When using manual focus, sharp edges in the viewfinder will be highlighted.

On iOS, the pricing on the Moment Pro Camera app is changing from freemium to paid. Previously, you could unlock pro tools within Moment through an in-app purchase, but now the app will require an upfront purchase.

Moment is now available from the App Store for $5.99, and to celebrate the launch of the updated app, Moment is offering 15 percent off all of its lenses and gear. [Direct Link]

Tag: Moment

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Apple Store at Renewed Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C. Opens May 11

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Apple today announced that it is opening a retail store at the renewed Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, May 11, as noted by 9to5Mac. The grand opening will take place at 10:00 a.m. local time.


The store opening will follow months of renovations to Carnegie Library led by Apple, architecture firms Foster + Partners and Beyer Blinder Belle, and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Apple's store is expected to have a "subtle" presence that respects the historic integrity of the building.

"Together, let's create the next chapter," says Apple. "Inspired by the rich history of Carnegie Library, we are reimagining Apple Carnegie Library as a brand-new space to learn. Where everyone is welcome to come and discover all kinds of creativity, connect with new ideas, and share their stories."


To celebrate the grand opening, Apple will be hosting special Today at Apple sessions at the store between May 18 and June 29. The so-called StoryMakers Festival, led by GoldLink, Nigel Barker, No Kings Collective, and more, will focus on storytelling with photos, music, video, and art and design.

Apple's plans to open a store at Carnegie Library were first revealed back in 2016. The 116-year-old building is located across the street from the Washington Convention Center in Mount Vernon Square in Downtown Washington, D.C.

Apple operates over 500 retail stores worldwide.

Related Roundup: Apple Stores

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Apple Adds Eight-Year-Old iPad 2 Models to Vintage and Obsolete Products List

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As expected, Apple has added all iPad 2 models to its vintage and obsolete products list.


Apple defines vintage products as those that have not been manufactured for more than five but less than seven years. Devices on the list are no longer be eligible for service at a Genius Bar or Apple Authorized Service Providers.

The only exceptions are in California and Turkey, where due to local laws, Apple will continue to service the iPad 2 until March 2021. From that date, the iPad 2 will finally go from "vintage" to "obsolete" worldwide.

The iPad 2 was originally launched in March 2011 and continued to be sold by Apple as a lower-cost option until March 2014. The big-bezeled iPad 2 featured a 9.7-inch display with 132 PPI, an A5 chip, and a 0.7-megapixel rear camera. It also had a 30-pin dock connector.

An internal memo obtained by MacRumors last month revealed Apple's plans to obsolete iPad 2 models by the end of April.

Tag: vintage and obsolete

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Apple Pay 'Coming Soon' to The Netherlands, Says Dutch Bank ING

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Apple Pay is "coming soon" to The Netherlands, according to the Dutch bank ING. A teaser announcement on the bank's regional website, spotted by iPhoned.nl and iCulture.nl, revealed the news this morning.


The short press release doesn't give a launch date, and instead advises customers to keep an eye on the site and the bank's social media accounts to stay informed about the imminent arrival of Apple Pay in the country. Users of the ING mobile banking app can also expect to receive a message letting them know when they will be able to their add bank card to Apple's secure digital wallet for use on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.

The Netherlands has waited a long time for Apple Pay. There were rumors in 2017 that Apple's mobile payment system would arrive in the country later the same year, but the launch failed to materialize and we've heard very little about it since. Meanwhile, Apple Pay went live in bordering countries Germany and Belgium in late 2018.

Apple Pay first launched in the United States in October 2014 and is also available in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, France, Japan, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland, Ireland, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said in March that Apple Pay will be available in more than 40 countries and regions by the end of 2019.

Tags: Apple Pay, The Netherlands

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