Back in 2014, some of the biggest investors in the U.S. suggested that Apple could be the first company to achieve a trillion dollar valuation by market cap, having gotten two-thirds of the way there that year before later slipping. Investment site Motley Fool yesterday acknowledged that the company could indeed be just ‘one home-run product’ away from this, but made the seemingly-unlikely argument that Amazon may get there first …

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The total number of UK banks and card companies supporting Apple Pay has reached 20, as Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank announced that they now support the mobile payment platform. Though originally separate, the two banks were merged in 2005, retaining separate branding but operating as a single legal entity, CYBG …

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Analysts are suggesting that Apple might in future buy the A-series chips it uses in iPhones and iPads from Intel, following an interesting turnaround by the chipmaker this week, reports Fortune.

Intel has long offered foundry services in which they manufacture chips designed by customers, but that service has so far been limited to chips based on its own architecture. As of this week, however, the company has announced that it will also be able to produce ARM-based chips. This would allow Intel to compete with TSMC and Samsung for Apple’s iPhone and iPad chip business …

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Parallels Desktop for Mac, the popular software that lets you easily run Windows and other Intel operating systems (including other images of macOS) as virtual machines on your Mac, is today releasing the latest upgrade to version 12.

On top of getting Parallels ready for the release of macOS Sierra, version 12 introduces a number of great new features and an over 25 percent performance improvement, according to the company.

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As Apple Pay continues to expand to more banks in the United States and around the world, it’s slowly coming to more retail locations, as well. Next on the docket for Apple Pay support appears to be Chick-Fil-A, according to a tweet from the restaurant chain.

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Retail chain Target is blaming Apple in part for its latest disappointing quarterly earnings results. Yahoo Finance reports that Target management cites a 20% year-over-year decline in Apple product sales during the quarter for overall electronics sales dropping.

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Almost a year ago Sonos introduced its latest flagship wireless speaker with the second-generation Play:5 (review), and now Sonos is preparing to make news again with a media event in New York City later this month.

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Carriers often try to attract switchers and new subscribers during new iPhone season, and AT&T is doing its part today by upgrading its mobile plans with some modest data upgrades at reduced costs. AT&T is also announcing that its new plans no longer include overage charges for exceeding data caps. AT&T subscribers won’t automatically be moved to these new plans, so current customers will want to compare these new rates and potentially save money with more data.

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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Here’s a 34-inch LG UltraWide IPS Display with two HDMI inputs for $310 shipped (Reg. $400+)

Inkjet sucks. Buy this Brother All-in-One Laser Printer w/ AirPrint and make your life easier: $90 shipped (Reg. $120)

Bring those cable bills down w/ a 50-mile Amplified HDTV Antenna for $22.50 Prime shipped (Reg. $30+)

Apple TV is going to see a ton of new features this fall, on sale today w/ in-store pick up: 32GB $129 (Reg. $149) or 64GB $159 (Reg. $199)

Grab a $100 iTunes Gift Card with email delivery from PayPal for just $85 (15% off)

Get Apple’s latest 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro for nearly $400 off: $1,600 shipped (Reg. $1,999)

App Store Free App of the Week: Dr. Panda’s Ice Cream Truck free for the first time (Reg. $2)

You can now grab a free copy of Brushstroke for iOS inside the Apple Store app ($5 value)

Review: Grado’s latest Statement headphones combine natural woods for an audio masterpiece [Video]

Giveaway: Jaybird Freedom F5 In-Ear Wireless Headphones in your choice of four colors ($200 value)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

This highly-rated 40-inch VIZIO Smart HDTV has 1 USB and 2 HDMI ports for $260 shipped (Reg. $310+)

Skip the morning grumpies, Philips’ Wake-Up Light will slowly shake your slumber for $46

• Aukey 10000mAh Portable Charger w/ Quick Charge 2.0 $15 (Reg. $18), more
• Yamaha 7.2-Ch. A/V Receiver w/ AirPlay + dual-zone HDMI: $409 (Reg. $500+)
• Games/Apps: Xbox One S 2TB w/ controller & 1yr Xbox Live $400, GTA V $36, freebies, more
• Back-to-School/Office Supplies: 24-Compartment Document Organizer $62, more
• Garmin Forerunner 610 GPS Watch (Refurb) $85, Philips Bluetooth  Speakers $29, more
• Cut down on energy use w/ Etekcity’s 3-pack of Wireless Remote Control Outlet Switches for $14
• Steak N Shake BOGO Free coupon: Double Steakburger with cheese and fries
• This week’s $1 HD digital movie rentals are Dream/Killer and Pelé: Birth of a Legend (Reg. $5)

MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:

Samsung 65-inch 4K Curved Smart Ultra HDTV for $1,699 shipped (Reg. $2,100+) and more deals from $500

Logitech’s popular MX Anywhere 2 Wireless Mouse is on sale for $50 shipped (Reg. $60+)

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Filed under: Apple

This week Benjamin and Zac catch up on new Apple exec interviews, Apple TV’s rumored guide feature, Apple Watch 2 plans, iPhone 7 details, 2017/2018 iPad rumors, and the latest MacBook details. 9to5Mac’s Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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Filed under: Apple