Update: The latest build is now available to macOS Public Beta users, as well. Apple is rolling out the fifth macOS 10.12.4 beta for developer testing. The upcoming version of macOS Sierra is the first to bring Night Shift to the Mac. Build 16E183b is currently available on Apple’s developer portal and should be available through the Mac App Store soon. macOS Sierra 10.12.4 beta is currently only available to developers and public beta testers....

It is an open secret that the App Store is a huge revenue and profit driver for Apple but to date Apple has not disclosed figures that break out exactly how profitable the App Store is. Apple has previously told senators that its business does not calculate profit and loss for individual products and services. However, new court testimony in the Apple-vs-Epic trial (which commences next week) seemingly reveals a number that Apple has tried to keep quiet....

Following the new iPhone X ad yesterday, Apple today has shared two new segments for the iPad Pro. The ads highlight the device’s augmented reality capabilities, as well as note taking with Apple Pencil… Perhaps most notably, the iPad Pro ad with augmented reality showcases how the device can be used to imagine scenes around you. The video shows an iPad Pro user taking advantage of AR to imagine what some new furniture might look like in creating an outdoor seating area....

A new UK job listing posted on Apple’s website and uncovered by iClarified indicates that the company is planning to expands its payment service into Europe and elsewhere. It shouldn’t come as a big surprise that Apple wants to put its iPhone 6-based payment system into as many hands worldwide as possible, but this is one of the first indications of a move in that direction. The intern will be part of a new London-based team that will help roll the product out across Europe, the Middle East, India, and Asia....

Apple has announced that it is partnering with the National Basketball Association. The deal will specifically focus on Apple Music, with the NBA and Apple highlighting up-and-coming independent artists. As first reported by Bloomberg, Apple and the NBA will work together on the “Base:Line” playlist on Apple Music, which will include 40 songs and be updated on a weekly basis. The tracks from this playlist will have a “hip-hop vibe” and be used for in-game NBA highlights, on social media channels, and more....

A patent application filed by Apple three years ago and approved today illustrates a new twist on the iWatch concept: a sensor-packed strap acting as a dock which allows a range of interchangeable modules to be snapped into place. It’s not anything we’re likely to see make it into production: the docking concept dates back to 2011, and was probably intended by Apple to house an iPod Nano, converting it into a smartwatch in a more sophisticated version of the watch-straps sold in Apple Stores since way back in 2010....

Apple continues its in-app Apple Pay promotions this week with an exclusive offer from popular bike share app Ofo. When using Apple Pay in the Ofo app, users can score two free rides through next week… For those unfamiliar, Ofo is a popular bike-sharing service that allows users to find a supported bike near them and use the app to check it out for a ride. By using Apple Pay, Ofo users can score two free rides so long as they cost $2 or less – which is the average trip cost....

We noted earlier today that Apple will probably use security as a defence to an Apple Pay lawsuit, and we didn’t have long to wait. Three new Apple Pay videos have been posted to YouTube, each promoting the security of the service. Each video is super-short. The longest is 15 seconds, while the other two are just six seconds each … Background We explained earlier the basis for the antitrust lawsuit....

Apple is celebrating the upcoming completion of its newest retail location in France. A new webpage highlights creative sessions arriving soon in Paris. The flagship store was mentioned onstage yesterday by retail SVP Angela Ahrendts during the special event keynote in downtown Brooklyn. An earlier report had confirmed the store would open sometime in November. Apple’s Champs-Élysées store will be located just down the road from the Arc de Triomphe monument and adjacent to one of France’s most prolific retail districts....

Not available yet on Apple’s Dev site, developers are pinging us that a 299MB -iPhone4S/322MB iPhone 4 update is available for iOS 6 via OTA update. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuaDOtjil30] Apple also updated Xcode 4.5 developer preview 2, Apple TV beta 2 as well. We will look for interesting changes, but do not be shy at tipping us (tips@9to5mac.com) if y’all find anything interesting. Update: the OTA got a much more official looking screengrab, and the changelog has been posted to Dev center (below):...

Apple has released another supplemental update for macOS 10.15.6 today with performance improvements and bug fixes. Specifically, this update solves WiFi and iCloud issues that some users were seeing. Apple released the new macOS 10.15.6 supplemental update today after the last one arrived back in August. Today’s update includes fixes for an iCloud Drive issue that prevented files from syncing properly as well as squashing a bug that prevented Macs from automatically connecting to WiFi networks....

Apple has made another acquisition in the artificial intelligence business, a new report claims. According to The Information, Apple quietly acquired Silk Labs, an artificial intelligence startup focused on “software lightweight enough to fit onto consumer hardware like cameras.” As with most Apple acquisitions, details about the deal are sparse, but it likely occurred earlier this year. In terms of price, The Information says the deal was “likely a small one for Apple” due to the fact that Silk Labs only employed around half a dozen employees....

The Ottawa Business Journal is reporting that Apple has leased a 22,000 ft space in Kanata, Ontario. Notably, the location is in close proximity to the BlackBerry QNX offices. Whether Apple is interested in attracting QNX employees for itself is not clear. It is definitely possible that the geography is coincidental. However, QNX is known to be working on autonomous driving and Apple may want to take some of this engineering talent for its own Apple Car research....

Apple has asked the Indian government to extend the tax breaks it has been granted for its own operations to its suppliers. This would enable the company to move from mere iPhone assembly in India – with the actual parts still made in China – to more of a true manufacturing operation. We described recently how Apple relies on an entire network of suppliers centred around the Chinese city of Shenzhen....

Apple is usually at the top of customer satisfaction surveys in the United States, such as taking home its seventh consecutive J.D Power and Associates award for smartphones earlier this month. The same cannot be said for the company among consumers in all countries abroad, but for the first time Apple has ranked No.1 among the top consumer brands in Japan. According to the annual study commissioned by Nikkei BP Consulting Inc....

Alongside the new (RED) iPhone, Apple has also given existing iPhone 7/Plus owners the chance to update the color of their phone with a range of six new cases. These match the colors of the new Watch bands also announced today. As with the bands, the new colors are split between silicone and leather. You might need a color chart to make sense of some of the names, though …...

After a number of reports in recent months regarding Apple’s preparations to launch its Apple Pay payments service in China, the company today announced the service is now available to customers in the country. The announcement comes via Apple’s news site for developers and notes that apps and goods in the country can now accept the Apple Pay payments service using supported credit and debit cards. Apple first announced back in December of last year that it was partnering with China UnionPay to bring Apple Pay to users in China sometime in 2016....

The Apple Online Store is currently down for customers in the United States with a placeholder saying that the company is “making updates” to its website. However, the reasons behind this are unclear at this point. Update: The website is back online – and Apple is now offering a $50 gift card to those who purchase a new Apple TV. You can read the original article below. Apple doesn’t provide details about these updates coming to the Apple Online Store, but one possible reason is the beginning of M2 MacBook Air pre-orders....

Two weeks after the last wave of new banks and three days before the Apple Watch launches, Apple Pay support has gone live from 31 more banks and credit unions from around the United States. The total number of institutions now exceeds 200 banks and credit unions with active support, and some 2,000 banks have signed on to support the mobile payment system for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch in the future....

Apple Pay was a notable topic of discussion on Apple’s Q3 earnings call this afternoon, helping Apple reach an all-time revenue record for Services. On the call, Tim Cook said that Apple Pay is gaining fast on PayPal, both in users and transactions. Apple said in its earnings announcement that Apple Pay is now completing nearly 1 billion transactions per month. That’s nearly double the number of transactions Apple reported in the year-ago quarter....