Here are your Apple rumors and AAPL news items for today:

Slowing: Law enforcement officials in three major cities say that Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone is becoming a less popular target for thieves, the New York Times notes. iPhone thefts have declined sharply in New York, London and San Francisco. Authorities credit the adoption of kill-switch software — called Activation Lock — by Apple for the reduction in iPhone thefts, as well as greater use of passcodes to prevent unauthorized use of iPhones and greater public awareness of rising iPhone thefts. Activation Lock renders an iPhone useless to anyone who doesn’t have the required password or PIN. Over the past several years, smartphone thefts had become a major problem in large cities around the world. In the U.S., police began to refer to the theft of Apple devices as “Apple picking” because the problem had become so common. Now, robberies in which Apple products are targeted have fallen 19% in New York in the first five months of this year, compared to last year. In London, such thefts dropped 24% in the six months after Apple introduced its Activation Lock, and in San Francisco they plunged 38%. Public officials in New York and San Francisco had pressured smartphone makers to add anti-theft technology to their products to help reduce mobile device thefts.

Test Drive: Consumers who would like to try out the iPhone 5s on T-Mobile’s (TMUS) wireless network can do so for free for one week, CNET notes. T-Mobile has partnered with Apple on a novel promotion that allows consumers to get a loaner iPhone 5s for one week. Consumers can apply for the test drive online and must provide credit card information. A loaner iPhone 5s will then be mailed to them. The credit card provided by the consumer will only be charged if the loaner iPhone is not returned at the end of the trial period, or sustains damage will in the consumer’s possession. The loaner iPhone 5s must be returned at the end of the trial period. If the consumer opts to subscribe to T-Mobile, they must purchase a new phone through the carrier. T-Mobile CEO John Legere says that the innovative promotional program — which is meant to boost awareness that T-Mobile carries the iPhone — will become “an industry standard” within two years.

Lower: Apple has cut the prices for several products in Europe, AppleInsider notes. The price of Apple TV units in the United Kingdom have been trimmed by £20 ($34), while the price of standard iMacs has been reduced by between £100 ($169) and £200 ($339). Apple has also cut £20 off the U.K. price of its Mac Mini desktop computer. Elsewhere in Europe, Apple pared €10 ($14) from the price of the Apple TV, while cutting €60 ($81) from the price of the standard Mac Mini. Apple did not reduce iMac prices in European countries outside the U.K. Yesterday, Apple launched a discount 21.5-inch iMac in the U.S., priced at $1,099. That is $200 less than the lowest priced base configuration of the standard 21.5-inch iMac. The cheaper iMac features a substantially slower chip compared to the entry model for the standard 21.5-inch iMac, as well as a smaller hard drive and other budget components.

For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors stories.