Apple today has officially released more information on the Apple Music API available in iOS 9.3. Entitled Apple Music Best Practices for App Developers, the documentation today solidifies what the Apple Music API can do and sets a precedent that developers of music apps should follow. At the original release of iOS 9.3, there seemed to be some confusion as to what the Apple Music API would entail exactly. We had reached out to Ben Dodson, developer of Music Tracker, to better understand the limitations and new features the API could introduce....

A few weeks following the previous beta, Apple has released build 1498g of the upcoming OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 release. The next Mac software update includes support for the new iCloud-based Photos app, improved Gmail login, and new, more diverse emojis. To support the new Force Touch trackpad in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and the new 12-inch MacBook, this new build also adds APIs: We’ll keep updating this post with new changes as they are discovered....

Less than a week after the release of OS X 10.11.1 beta 2, Apple has followed up with a new release that was pushed out to both developers and public beta testers at once. The 10.11.1 update will introduce bug fixes and a new collection of emoji icons. Yesterday Apple seeded a new beta of iOS 9.1 to public testers and developers. Like the OS X update, that software will also include the new emoji set and many bug fixes....

After using legal action to block alternative developer conference AltConf from streaming the Monday, June 8th Worldwide Developers Conference keynote to its attendees, Apple has reversed course and will allow the conference to go on as originally planned. In a phone call today, lead AltConf organizer Rob Elkin told us that Apple has now agreed to allow his conference to stream the WWDC Kickoff Keynote and the State of the Union address geared toward developers to his audience…...

Apple’s HomePod is officially available for preorder. As announced earlier this week, preorders begin today with the first orders arriving in two weeks, on February 9th. HomePod costs $349 and is initially available in the US, UK, and Australia… HomePod was originally supposed to be released last year. Apple first announced the device at WWDC in June, but ended up delaying its release until this year. Apple didn’t offer a specific reason for the delay, only saying that it needed a little more time to make sure things were perfect for customers....

MetalFX Is a Literal Game Changer MetalFX is a new part of Apple’s Metal API, which makes it easy for Mac and iOS game developers to tap into the full potential of Apple’s hardware. Just like NVIDIA’s DLSS and Intel’s XeSS systems, MetalFX uses AI algorithms to upscale the resolution of video game output frames. So, for example, the GPU in your Mac might render the game at 1080p, but MetalFX works to make it look like a 4K image, while still getting the smoother frame rates of the base resolution....

Coinciding with the start of spring, Apple has announced a new live concert series set to be held in Italy. “Apple Music Live: Piazza Liberty” begins on March 28th and will run throughout spring and summer on the public amphitheater above Apple’s new flagship store in Milan. The new Apple Music Live series is distinct from the regular series of Today at Apple events that runs at every retail store. Visitors must sign up to attend concerts using this special ticketing page, which will be updated regularly as new performances are added....

Widget bugs First off, Apple says it has discovered “an issue where widgets might revert to their default settings after you restore your iPhone or iPad from a backup.” The issue affects a “limited number” of the following devices, according to Apple: iPhone 13 iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 Pro iPhone 13 Pro Max iPad (9th generation) iPad mini (6th generation) Unfortunately, it appears that if your widgets are reset after restoring your new iPhone or iPad from an iCloud backup, there is no way to automatically fix the problem....

Apple is nearing a decision whether or not to purchase land in Oregon to build a massive new data center, reports Oregon Live. The piece of land is 160-acres in Prineville, Oregon, and a 1/4 mile from one of Facebook’s data centers (pictured above). Apple has until the end of the month to make a decision on whether or not they want to buy the land — which will be the setting to build a new 31-megawatt data center....

Apple today announced via a press release that its Apple Music, iTunes Movies, and iBooks services are now available to customers in China. The company says that Apple Music is launching in China with “millions” of songs, including local artists like Eason Chan, Li Ronghao, JJ Lin and G.E.M, as well as international stars like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift. From the iTunes Store, users in China will be able to rent or purchase movies....

Apple introduced iOS 14.5 last month with several new features, including iPhone unlock with Apple Watch, App Tracking Transparency, and support for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X controllers. Following that update, Apple on Friday began selling the PlayStation 5 DualSense Wireless Controller in its online store. The latest versions of iOS, tvOS, and macOS let users pair a PS5 DualSense Controller to an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV via Bluetooth to play compatible games....

Apple has now finalized and published specifications for HomeKit through its Made-For-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) licensing program. The finalized specifications, which allow accessory makers to start building products that integrate iOS 8’s new framework for home automation devices, come ahead of Apple’s yearly MFi summit in November where it plans to brief manufacturing partners on HomeKit and other new iOS 8 features for accessories. There have already been a couple products announced with HomeKit integration, most of which are all from larger accessory makers and Apple’s early launch partners....

Apple manufacturer Foxconn is said to have made a large bid for Toshiba’s NAND storage unit. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Foxconn this week offered up $27 billion for the business, a bid considerably higher than had previously been offered by companies such as Broadcom. Last week, it was reported that Apple was among companies involved in a “bidding war” for Toshiba’s storage business, but it now seems as if reports confused Foxconn’s efforts as Apple’s....

Apple this evening has released the fourth developer beta of macOS 10.14.2. The release comes two weeks after the third beta release. The fourth beta of iOS 12.1.1 has not yet been released. macOS 12.14.2 focuses primarily on bug fixes and performance improvements. iOS 12.1.1 brings improvements to the iPhone XR, FaceTime, and additional watchOS complications. It’s unclear when we might see the fourth beta of iOS 12.1.1 and the third beta of watchOS 5....

Apple has begun rolling out the second beta of iOS 10.3.2 to developers. The latest iOS beta sees the re-introduction of support for 32-bit devices following iOS 10.3.1’s release. Release notes aren’t yet available for this update, but be sure to check back as we discover anything new. Today’s update is available to beta testers through Apple’s Developer Center as either a download or an over-the-air update through the developer profile....

Back at the September 2020 event, as part of the Apple Watch Series 6 announcement, Apple said it was collaborating with the Seattle Flu Study and the University of Washington to determine if the Apple Watch can predict respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 … The Apple Respiratory Study is now recruiting for participants. If you want to volunteer, you must live in the greater Seattle area and be aged 22 or over....

Apple is rolling out the third macOS 10.12.4 beta for developer testing. The upcoming version of macOS Sierra is the first to bring Night Shift to the Mac. macOS Sierra 10.12.4 beta is currently only available to developers and public beta testers. Public beta versions usually come a few days after developer versions if not the same day. macOS 10.12.4 beta also includes changes to Siri, Dictation, and Apple’s PDF API:...

Update September 7, 2021: Apple is rolling out yet another updated version of AirTag firmware 1.0.291, this time with build number 1A291e. Update August 31, 2021: Apple is rolling out an updated version of AirTag firmware 1.0.291 with the build number 1A291c. This is up from the build number of last week’s release of 1A291a. Original story (first published August 26, 2021) below. Today’s new release of AirTag firmware is version 1....

Apple’s Black Friday shopping event is now live in Australia, which gives a glimpse of what we can expect to see around the world when Apple’s promotions begin in the United States on Friday. As expected, Apple is giving gift cards of value up to $200 USD ($320 AUD) with select older iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, AirPods, Apple Watch and Mac purchases. The Apple deals break down as follows: Apple is giving away an $80 AUD gift card on iPhone XR and iPhone 8 models....

There’s been a lot of talk about Apple’s controversial on-device CSAM scanner. It appears the company has heard some of the issues, as it has decided to delay the rollout until it can make more improvements. Apple’s CSAM Scanning Technology Apple first announced its child sexual abuse scanning last month, and it was met with some resistance. Scanning images when they’re uploaded to the cloud is nothing new, but Apple said it intended to hash scan images on the user’s device, which some people felt was an invasion of privacy....