Apple this evening has shared a new advertisement for its Apple TV set-top box. This ad continues the trend of the company highlighting the tvOS App Store that is available on the device, showcasing a handful of the most popular applications available so far. The ad is entitled “Apple TV – The Future of TV is Apps,” which is a slogan Apple has used since the launch of the device back in October....
As we’ve previously reported, Apple began giving away select paid apps in its Apple Store app recently as an added incentive to download and check out the app. This week in particular Apple has replaced the free app with free music from iTunes instead. The playlist is appropriately holiday themed and features songs such as Silent Night by Kelly Clarkson and The First Noel by Mary J Blige. The free holiday playlist is not present in the Apple Store for iPad app, which debuted last month, likely another reason why the application is not universal....
On Apple’s website, the Fibaro Button joins a handful of other HomeKit accessories, including products from Logitech, Honeywell, Phillips, and others. At Apple, The Button costs $59.95, just as it does from other retailers. As we explained in our full hands-on, Fibaro’s The Button allows you to assign actions to single press, double press, and long press clicks, such as turning on or off combinations of accessories. Fibaro’s accessory is fully programmed via the Home application and supports granular control of other HomeKit devices, such as turning a light on to 50% brightness....
Apple TV+ has scored one of the hottest TV packages of the year, landing Vince Gilligan’s new project, via Deadline. The Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator’s new project was naturally hotly contested, with Apple ultimately securing the series with a two season upfront order. Details about the untitled project are naturally being kept under wraps. So far, it is described as a “grounded genre drama”. The series will star Better Call Saul lead actress Rhea Seehorn....
Via Deadline, Apple TV+ has struck an overall deal with Playtone, the production company headed by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman. Under the exclusive deal, Playtone will make new scripted and unscripted television series for Apple’s streaming service. Deadline also mentions that a sequel to the popular Apple TV+ film Greyhound is in development. Apple has seen strong success with Tom Hanks’ vehicles Greyhound and Finch, premiering in 2020 and 2021 respectively....
The Apple Events app for Apple TV has now been updated to include the details for Apple’s first event of the year. It’s showtime. As Apple is live streaming the event, watching on iOS and Mac is as simple as opening Safari and going to the Apple website. The Apple TV tvOS operating system lacks a browser however, so the Apple Events app is needed in order to watch the stream directly on the Apple TV....
Apple is warning customers that its new “Jet Black” iPhone 7 might scratch easier than other models. Apple today announced its all-new iPhone 7 lineup, and with it introduced two new black finishes— a glossy piano black finish dubbed “Jet Black” and a charcoal black color more like the old Space Gray option that it’s simply calling “Black”. The new shiny jet black finish seems to be getting the most attention as it’s the most striking visual change for the new phone, but Apple is also warning that the new finish will show scratches easier....
The flagship feature of the Series 3 Apple Watch is being able to connect to LTE when out of range of your iPhone. To help ease customers into the experience, it offers a 3 month free trial for most carriers. You may want to check in on Apple’s website to see if your carrier is supported. In the United States, that will be T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. Note that the Apple Watch does not currently support roaming, so it will only work on the network you activate it on....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9CdISVlWGs&feature=youtu.be Update: the app seems to be back to normal now. Several users have reported that Apple’s official Podcasts app has suddenly stopped working on iOS. Users experiencing the issue report that the latest version of Apple’s Podcasts app, version 2.1.2 released on May 29th, no longer launches or functions on iOS 7.1.1, the latest stable version of the iPhone software. While the Podcasts app will download from the App Store, opening the app quickly crashes it after a few seconds as seen in the video above....
Apple today updated its executive profiles webpage to remove mention of “online stores” from retail chief Angela Ahrendts’ bio, reflecting a recent change to the executive’s official title. Ahrendts’ new title is, simply, Senior Vice President Retail. It appears the new title is a cosmetic change for its retail branding rather than a change in roles for Ahrendts. It’s my understanding that the title change is to better reflect Angela’s role that merges both retail stores and online retail operations, and not a result of any shift in responsibilities....
An Apple support representative has told TNW that iPhone 6/Plus phones that have experienced warping in normal use would qualify for replacement under warranty if they pass a test known as “a visual mechanical inspection.” It should be noted that this is simply one AppleCare rep speaking, and not an official statement by Apple. Apple was not able to provide any information on what the test involves, though one commentator below suggests that it is simply comparing the phone to a set of reference photos used to distinguish phones damaged by misuse from those considered faulty....
The service has been offered in select stores from late last week, but has officially launched today according to Belkin’s website. The main benefit of the service is the assisted application, which prevents bubbles or imperfections from appearing on the screen when the protective cover film is applied … Air bubble problems are common with third-party screen protectors, as they have to be applied naively by hand. For the official experience, Apple employees will use a cloth to remove any dust from the iPhone before applying the protector with the mechanical system....
Apple has announced this morning that it has selected 15 Black- and Brown-owned businesses for a “first-of-its-kind Impact Accelerator.” This program is part of Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, and it will help “combat systemic barriers to opportunity, while also advancing innovative solutions for communities most impacted by climate change.” Apple says the 15 businesses chosen for the program are all based in the United States. They are all focused on innovation in energy efficiency, solar, green chemistry, recycling, and other environmental areas....
In the midst of the global health crisis, Apple has released an uplifting new video today focusing on how community and creativity will help us get through these difficult times. The video shows a variety of Apple users from kids to adults being crafty with learning, teaching, playing, and creating. We even get a behind the scenes look at John Krasinski’s Some Good News YouTube show, Oprah’s recent livestreams, and more....
Apple is set to dig deeper into its popular “Mythic Quest” TV+ show with a new companion series titled “Mere Mortals.” Reported by Variety, the spinoff comes from the minds of three “Mythic Quest” writers. Variety has learned that Apple has ordered an eight-episode series of the new “Mere Mortals” show that’s written by Ashly Burch, John Howell Harris, and Katie McElhenney. Burch will also continue her role as Rachel from Mythic Quest in the spinoff....
Apple TV+ today announced the release date for upcoming dark comedy limited series starring Will Ferrel and Paul Redd. Based on the podcast of the same name, The Shrink Next Door will premiere on Apple’s streaming service beginning November 12. The show is an eight-part limited series, and also stars Kathryn Hayn, playing the sister of Ferrell’s character. The adaptation of the popular ‘true crime’ podcast will show the story of a psychiatrist who abused his relationship with wealthy patients for personal gain....
On Wednesday when Apple made an announcement at the Apple’s Annual Hardware Event, everyone was shocked as they did not announce a new iPhone or for that matter the most awaited thinnest next-generation Apple Watch but a new feature added in the Apple Watch. According to the COO Jeff Williams, electrodes have been fitted into the sapphire crystal back and the digital crown so you can take an electrocardiogram by yourself....
After you read my re-review of the Apple Watch Series 3 at its new Fitbit-killing price, dig into the just-released early reviews of the brand new Apple Watch Series 5. This year’s hardware builds on the success of Apple Watch Series 4, touting a new always-on display and built-in compass. Here’s what the reviewers are saying: Always-on display and battery life The Verge jumps right in with the biggest new feature this year: always-on display....
Apple filed a complaint in late May with the World Intellectual Property Organization to gain control of iPods.com. Fusible is reporting that Apple has been awarded the domain as of late Friday, and the domain will soon be transferred over to Apple’s ownership. Full details haven’t been disclosed. Apple is known for paying in the millions for domains, like when they reportedly paid $4.5 million for iCloud.com. When Apple follows the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, like they did in this case, they end up paying thousands, rather than millions....
Update: Apple has addressed this and said it is standard practice, and that it regularly communicates with developers about it. Major developers have accused Apple of secretly buying ads for their apps. While that might sound like an odd complaint, they say that the company’s motive is greed, and the effect is to cost them money. Apple is said to be costing them millions of dollars … Forbes explains that Apple’s intention is to drive traffic directly to the App Store, rather than the developer’s own website, so that users end up buying subscriptions as in-app purchases – giving Apple its 15% or 30% cut....
